Heartbroken mom accepts daughter's posthumous diploma after mysterious death
On the day of her daughter's death, Hlatshwayo had left her with her siblings to attend an all-night church service. On her return in the morning, she found her daughter sleeping with one leg hanging off the side of the bed. Troubled by this, she went to check on her and found her 'ice cold'.
'I tried to move her but I realised she was gone. It is a day I will never forget. My only child in university was gone. She was my only hope and we were excited when she finished her studies. We were hoping she would get a job and our lives would change for the better.
'As we speak, her younger brother, who finished matric two years ago, is sitting at home. He was meant to study this year but he told me he was scared to go to university as he fears he might also come back to die. Sinenhlanhla's death is a mystery to us. We were not told what caused her death. We are finding it hard to heal,' she said.
Hlatshwayo said as painful as it was to see her daughter's friends and peers graduating without her, attending the ceremony was something she had to do.
'It was the least I could do to honour my hardworking daughter, who was committed to her studies.'
Hlatshwayo said it was important to take her daughter's qualification home to honour her and hopefully motivate her younger siblings to further their studies and work on improving their lives.
DUT registrar Dr Maditsane Nkonoane conveyed his condolences to the family.
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