Former whoonga addict carves new path, celebrates graduation
A life-changing moment in Thabiso Khumalo's drug-filled youth, led him to near-death. Today he wears his graduation gown with gratitude.
BREAKING free from whoonga addiction was one of the best decisions that Thabiso Khumalo made for his life.
A Bachelor of Applied Arts in Screen Arts and Technology graduate from DUT, Khumalo is proud of himself for breaking free from the addiction and for returning to DUT to finish what he started. He has transformed his life from being known as a troublesome addict to now being recognised as one of DUT’s resilient graduates.
Khumalo was among the Faculty of Arts and Design graduates who were celebrated at Olive Convention Centre recently.
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Reflecting on his addiction, Khumalo shared that his struggles began in 2009 after the death of his best friend while they were in Grade Nine.
“I wasn’t in a good place. Someone offered me whoonga as a way to cope. From that day, I started using and continued from 2009 until 2016. I first enrolled at DUT for a Diploma in Taxation in 2015. I was already battling the addiction. It got so bad in 2016 that I dropped out of DUT. At one stage, I was homeless, having run away from home after causing my family so much pain and suffering. I used to steal from them to sustain my drug cravings,” shared Khumalo.
Also read: Whoonga addict tries to hawk baby
He recalled one incident where he stole a large sum of stokvel money that was kept by his grandmother in the house. According to Khumalo, his turning point came when he had his daughter, Zisanda. He took the difficult yet wise decision to stay clean from drugs and rebuild his life for the sake of his daughter.
Breaking free from addiction was not easy for Khumalo, but the unwavering support of his family and friends became his lifeline during his darkest moments.
“I will forever be grateful to my family and friends for standing by me even when I had hurt them on several occasions,” he said.
Present at his graduation were his proud grandmother, Ntombizanele Zulu (83), and his mother, Nonhlanhla Zulu (55), who were in tears as he walked across the graduation stage.
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