A wise father figure, role model and passionate student is how Mr Sboniso Mkhize describes his late brother, Dr Kwanele Mkhize, a UKZN PhD graduate who was tragically shot and killed by an unknown gunman outside a school in Grange, Pietermaritzburg, earlier this year.

Kwanele had been transporting his sister, Ms Khangiswa Mkhize, and her children to the school where she works when the incident occurred.

At a UKZN Graduation ceremony, he was posthumously awarded a PhD in Biology – the culmination of 12 years of study.

Kwanele’s brother, Sboniso, his uncle, Mr Siza Mkhize, his aunt, Ms Rita Mkhize, and sister-in-law, Ms Londeka Ntanzi, attended the Graduation ceremony to honour Kwanele’s memory and celebrate his achievements.

Kwanele’s citation was read aloud on the Graduation stage followed by those in attendance standing to observe a moment of silence in his honour.

He is survived by his mother, Ms Ngenzeni Mbeje, two sisters, a brother, nieces and nephews.

‘His achievement reflected his inner passion and incredible intelligence as well as his dedication to his studies,’ said Kwanele’s sister, Ms Khangisile Mkhize, recalling her brother once taking time out from a family New Year’s gathering to edit his thesis. ‘He sweated blood to get this degree, and we are beyond proud of him for leaving such a good legacy. Kwanele’s PhD achievement has us all elated – words cannot describe the amount of joy and respect we have for him as he is the first person in the family to achieve such outstanding results and become the first doctor in the family.’

Sboniso says the family is struggling to come to terms with Kwanele’s death. ‘We feel a big gap, we are hurting. He was like a magnet, pulling the family together whenever he was around. He was the last-born of our family, and yet he was more like the eldest who always found a way to take care of all of us. Kwanele was a very good person and loved dearly by his family and community.’

Sboniso said Kwanele would be remembered especially for his love of studying, ‘He was always studying, whenever you looked for him you were likely to find him buried in his books or at his computer. He had big dreams to own a farm one day as he loved animals and plants – he would choose the rural and farm life over the city any day!’

Kwanele was inspired by his late father, Mr Muntuyeza Mkhize, whose intellectual nature and distinguished nursing career motivated him to work hard and strive to achieve his best. Sboniso said Kwanele’s resilience was tested at the time of his father’s passing in 2012 while he was completing matric exams. ‘We were nervous as a family about how Kwanele would get through his exams at the time as he was extremely close to our father but he persevered and made it to university.’

Sboniso quipped that the brothers had looked forward to boasting to relatives about Kwanele’s graduation achievement. ‘We joked that I would change Kwanele’s title on my phone to Dr Kwanele Mkhize and visit my grandad’s home in Ixopo and brag about the PhD to our relatives and the community. I loved my brother so much, I wanted to celebrate this day with him.’

Kwanele’s uncle, Siza says the family is devastated. ‘It’s hard to sleep at night and we find ourselves thinking about him all day as well. Attending his graduation ceremony is so difficult for us, but we had to do it so that he will know we were there.

‘We are proud that at last we have a doctor in the family. Kwanele was humble somebody with a bright future, never got up to mischief in the streets and was always at home studying. He was a good example to us as a family,’ he said.

Originally from Imbali, Kwanele attended Berg Street Primary School and matriculated from Edendale Technical High School in 2012 with recognition for his academic excellence.

Passionate about life sciences-related subjects, particularly plants, Mkhize enrolled at UKZN, choosing it for the Institution’s wide offering of biological studies and its high ranking.

Academic staff praised Mkhize for his concerted efforts to improve while his colleagues described him as ambitious and goal-oriented.

He completed his undergraduate and honours degrees in Biological Sciences, moving on to his master’s degree in Botany in Professor Richard Beckett’s research group.

His studies involved investigations into the roles of reactive oxygen species scavenging enzymes and abscisic acid in desiccation tolerance in ferns, exploring drought tolerance mechanisms in these lower, simple plants that could be transferred to higher plants, including crops, to improve drought stress tolerance.

His master’s research, which he hoped would contribute to the scientific and broader community, earned him a cum laude result in 2019.

His doctoral studies concentrated on the stress physiology of lower plants, and was supported by a German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) bursary, he spent time in Germany doing research in that area. He completed the experimental work for his thesis at the end of 2022, before joining an internship programme at the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI) in Pretoria.

Findings from his PhD thesis were published in four journals, earning him high praise from external examiners. He had hoped to continue a research career and approached his studies positively, striking a balance between study and other commitments.

Beckett said Mkhize would be remembered for his pleasant, easy-going personality and remarked on his popularity with students over the years.

Words: Christine Cuénod and Sejal Desai

Photographs: Gugu Mqadi and Sethu Dlamini