BLOEMFONTEIN – Two graduates from the University of the Free State (UFS) have completed their postgraduate degrees while managing chronic illnesses and disabilities that threatened to derail their academic progress.
Nokulunga Ludidi and Dr Tobias Ndlovu graduated on Friday 17 April at the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences’ graduation ceremony. Ludidi received an MSc in Integrated Water Management, while Ndlovu was awarded a PhD in Disaster Management.
Ludidi was diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) in 2014 and more recently with multiple sclerosis (MS). She returned to studying in 2021 after nearly a decade away from academia, enrolling for a Postgraduate Diploma in Integrated Water Management at UFS while still receiving treatment for leukaemia.
“When the doctor said I had leukaemia, I cried. It was bad,” she said. “I just sat there waiting for my death … and it never happened.”
After four days, she decided to continue with her life. “I told myself, ‘I’m still here. It means I’m not going to die.’”
She progressed to a master’s degree in 2023, but her health deteriorated again in December when she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. She began losing balance and struggled to walk.
“I told my supervisor, ‘I can’t do this anymore.’ I had already given up,” she said.
Ludidi credited her Christian faith and her supervisor, Dr Nicolette Vermaak, for helping her complete the degree. “What kept me going … is God. I am nothing without God. I talk to Him like He’s right next to me,” she said. “She [Dr Vermaak] was the pillar of everything … I couldn’t have done it without her.”
Ndlovu suffered a stroke in 2025 during the final phase of his PhD, affecting the mobility of his left arm and leg. He was at the time revising academic articles and completing his doctoral work.
He continued typing with limited movement, responding to reviewers’ comments and completing revisions. “Frequent use of my affected hand in typing became an integral part of my physical therapy,” he said. “With each keystroke, my hand gradually regained strength and fine motor skills much faster than expected.”
He completed both article revisions and published them, ultimately earning his PhD at the UFS. He is the first in his family to obtain a doctorate.
“For me, it symbolises the triumph of determination over adversity,” he said. “Even a stroke or disability could not stop me from pursuing my dreams.”
He acknowledged the support of his supervisors, family, and colleagues. “Success is never a solitary journey but one built on the care and support of others,” he said.
Ludidi offered advice based on her experience: “Life has taught me that you can be sick and not be able to eat with a fork and knife, and it is not your doing … so don’t be hard on yourself. Life happens. Have something that will hold you when everything comes tumbling down.”
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