Lawyer, 102, honoured at Fort Hare University and priest, 83, gets PhD at UKZN

News24

09-05-2025

In the latest round of inspiring graduation season stories, a 102-year-old lawyer and activist, Mda Mda, was honoured by the University of Fort Hare.
An 83-year-old priest was the oldest student at UKZN to receive his PhD as part of 247 doctoral graduates.
We also meet Azraa Ebrahim, a blind student at UKZN who graduated cum laude with 14 distinctions.
It's graduation season again and News24 has met several people who have proven, once again, that age and disability are not barriers to achievement and learning.
Among them are a 102-year-old lawyer, an 83-year-old priest, an award-winning pianist, and a blind student.
In the Eastern Cape, at the University of Fort Hare, Mda Mda was awarded a Doctor of Laws, honoris causa at the ripe age of 102 on Wednesday - an impressive achievement.
Mda is a respected lawyer, educator, and lifelong activist who was born in 1923 in Ncambedlana, Eastern Cape. His journey began at Lovedale College, where he honed a passion for history.
According to the university, he studied toward a BA degree at the University of Fort Hare and went on to pursue law at the University of Cape Town, but was unable to complete his LLB due to financial constraints. Nonetheless, his determination saw him become a successful attorney and a key figure in the legal community.
His memoir, Struggle and Hope: Reflections on the Recent History of the Transkian People, published six years ago, highlights his lifelong commitment to social justice.
Another recipient of an honorary doctorate at Fort Hare was Omar Badsha, 79, for his renowned work as a photographer, social activist, and cultural historian.
According to the university, his powerful photographs and writings, such as Letter to Farzanaha and Imijondolo, provide an enduring record of South Africa's struggle against apartheid and the resilience of its people.
Badsha was also instrumental in establishing the website South African History Online (SAHO) in 2000.
PhD at 83
In KwaZulu-Natal, semi-retired Catholic priest Father Pheko Matthews Thinane received his cap at the University of KwaZulu-Natal's Westville campus on Wednesday at the age of 83.
Thinane was awarded a PhD in Theology from the School of Religion, Philosophy and Classics and was the oldest student in the cohort.
'I feel very proud about that,' he said.
'Many people have come to me and said I am an inspiration to them. I was also greatly encouraged and inspired when I saw so many young people graduating today.'
He said he had been studying for many years and that his love for continuous learning should not come as a surprise.
Looking to the future, he said he would continue writing about the spirituality of the church and what's happening to priesthood, in particular, affirming that it's never too late to learn if it is coupled with hard work.
A jazz pianist, a maths whizz and blind inspiration
An award-winning pianist, and a 27-year-old student were among the 247 doctoral graduates.
Acclaimed jazz pianist and UKZN lecturer, Sibusiso 'Mash' Mashiloane completed his doctoral research on the South African jazz identity.
Shavani Naicker, 27, was the youngest PhD graduand, having completed her doctorate in Applied Mathematics. Her thesis was on the Dynamics of Spherically Symmetric Spacetimes in Lovelock Gravity.
In total, 8 116 students took to the stage at UKZN to receive their hard-earned undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in 14 ceremonies.
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Among them was blind student Azraa Ebrahim who earned her Bachelor of Social Science from the University of KwaZulu-Natal with academic excellence, majoring in Religion Studies and Industrial Psychology.
She beat the odds to graduate cum laude with 14 distinctions. Among her achievements were presenting the Best Student Paper at the 2024 ASRSA Conference and being invited to publish in the Journal of Islamic Studies.