Dundee’s very own resident optometrist, Dr Patrick Mawila, was inaugurated as the incumbent president of the South African Optometric Association (SAOA) as of December 2014.
After only three years on the board of the SAOA, and only 37-years-old, Dr Mawila is the second youngest person to hold the position of presidency. His term, which runs for two years, is considered to be the ‘shortest rise to power’.
Born and bred in the Limpopo province, in a village called Rotterdam, Dr Mawila always dreamed of being an optometrist. “It was always my first choice but I was not correctly advised,” said Dr Mawila.
After completing secondary school in 1996, Dr Mawila enrolled in Wits for a degree in aeronautical engineering in 1997 which he dropped out of in the same year because he was overwhelmed.
“I’ve always known I couldn’t work in a place that demanded untidiness. Otherwise I was going to be frustrated,” he added jokingly.
A year later, Dr Mawila enrolled in the University of the North, now the University of Limpopo, where he successfully completed his degree in BA Optometry in 2001. Following his dream of owning a chain of practices, Dr Mawila promptly began his successful journey in 2002 at which time he also opened his first practice in Ladysmith in August. “It took me six months to realise I was ready,” he says. In 2003 and 2004 he opened practices in Dundee and Nquthu respectively. He also partnered with other colleagues in Tugela Ferry and Bergville.
In 2012 Dr Mawila joined the SAOA which consists of six board members. He was first appointed as a director of the board. In 2013 he was promoted to vice-president and in 2014 was appointed president of the board. “My role is to define the vision for my term,” said Dr Mawila.

Passion
Driven by his vision and passion to diminish the ‘scourge’ of illegal mobile practices, Dr Mawila wishes to see optometry taking its leading role in eye care within the health discipline. A R120 000 was spent on an advertisement to fight against the establishment of the so-called ‘hit and run’ services of illegal mobile clinics.

Closer to home, illegal mobile clinics are allegedly visiting government departments and conducting illegal eye tests by unqualified doctors. “This puts the profession in disrepute,” stated Dr Mawila. Legal and licensed clinics are not allowed to practice in urban sectors.

“There are not more than 10 licensed mobile clinics in the whole country,” explained Dr Mawila, which aims to give service to people who cannot afford or access optometrists. The ‘hit-and-run’ clinics target schools and people with medical aids. Fortunately, a consensus has been reached with the medical aids and police to notify and arrest any illegal practitioners.
Dr Mawila plans to utilise his influence as the president of the SAOA to create a responsive association as well as to debate issues on a national and international scale. Dr Mawila still practices in Dundee although he has sold all his other practices to minimise his responsibility since his ascendancy to the board. His wife and four kids are based in Ladysmith.