Meet Thuthuka Xulu – an aspiring law academic who, four decades after matriculation, accomplishes his childhood dream of being a law graduate.
Thuthuka Xulu, a Professional Nurse at the Trucking Wellness Centre in Marian Hill, KwaZulu-Natal, completed his Bachelor of Laws degree from IIE's Varsity College in 2023.
Xulu's graduation on 14 May 2024 at the Westville campus was nothing short of inspirational, it had the hallmarks of resilience and determination.
Xulu completed his LLB in record time and obtained numerous distinctions. Having obtained seven distinctions on his first year in 2019, he drew the attention of both his fellow students and lecturers.
Curious to know his secret of being an excellent student with good grades while working full time and being a family man, Xulu received a call from the head of law faculty.
"How do you do it, she asked me, putting fellow students to shame with distinctions while working and having a family. To which I responded: diligent commitment and passion for what I am studying," says Xulu.
While growing up in rural Kwazulu-Natal, Xulu says he always wanted to be lawyer and when an opportunity to make his childhood come true presented itself, he grabbed it with both hands.
Xulu says in 2018 he heeded the call from Organisation Development and Learning under Human Resources Department urging employees to further their studies through the employee bursary scheme.
Although skeptical of this information, Xulu successfully applied for the bursary and was given the green light to commence his studies in 2019.
Xulu was a student by day and an employee by night. After lecturers, he prepared for his work shift of 16:00 to 22:00 serving truck drivers at the Marrian Hill Trucking Wellness Centre located on the N3.
"I am very grateful to NBCRFLI. I did not have to worry about tuition fees at all. We are lucky because few employers out there provide employees with bursaries," says Xulu.
Why law degree
The idea of being a lawyer, recalls Xulu, was inculcated in me by my father who worked as a court clerk and wanted me to be a Magistrate. While growing up, I was often told that I could make a good lawyer based on my intellectual acumen.
"I wanted to be a magistrate until one day a fellow learner I shared a table with by the name of Mbasa Mxenge, the son of the famous Civil Rights Lawyer and Anti-Apartheid Activist Griffiths Mxenge, swayed me into the idea of pursuing law than being a Magistrate.
The young Mxenge said to me: "being a Magistrate during the apartheid period would limit me and I can be deemed to be serving the interest of the apartheid regime while being a lawyer would allow me to serve and advance the aspirations of my people."
It was an eye-opening conversation and I subsequently settled on pursuing a career as a lawyer. My father was not entirely happy with this change of heart, something which I realised later in my life. But I understood he was doing it out of goodwill.
After finishing my matric in 1983 and qualifying to go to university, my father said 'sorry' I cannot afford to sponsor your studies. It was a said day for me and I was shattered.
Upon realising I can no longer pursue my dream of studying law, I searched for employment and worked in different industries until I joined Council in late 2009."
Xulu expressed gratitude to the Council for financial support to achieve his childhood dream of studying law. "To be afforded an opportunity to study something I always wanted to do since I was a child was a dream come true for me. I am eternally grateful to the Council for financial support. I thank my wife for supporting me on this journey, which continues.
Xulu says he intends to enroll for Master of Law soon and study all the way up to PhD level and break into the academia as a lecturer post his looming retirement.