LILITHA PHENDUKA: FROM SURVIVAL TO STRENGTH

WSU Journalism graduate, Lilitha Phenduka, carries more than just a qualification she carries a story of survival, strength and purpose. Born in Mcambalala village, Mount Fletcher in the Eastern Cape, Phenduka’s path to success was shaped by hardship from a young age.

“I grew up with my disabled grandmother who couldn’t walk. By age seven I could cook basics like rice, eggs, and bisto,” she says.

But life at home was far from safe. “My grandfather was abusive. He’d come home drunk, kick the door, demand money, and strangle my grandmother if she had nothing. I would run out, scream for help from neighbours and we’d end up sleeping at their houses.”

After her grandmother died in 2010, Phenduka moved in with her mother. Things changed when her father, a correctional officer, moved in. “At first, we were okay, but then he started drinking heavily. My parents would fight, fists and all. I’d hide my sister and my mom’s work gun. I became depressed and was hospitalised often.”

She later attended Shawbury High School in Qumbu as her family tried to support her mental health. Years later, she survived sexual assault at a funeral. “I fought and got away. I only told my family after the man passed away.”

In 2020, COVID-19 took her mother and seven other family members. “I never healed,” she says. Starting at WSU in 2022 was difficult. “I was suicidal, hospitalised often, and was sexually assaulted by someone I trusted. I didn’t report it, I wasn’t ready. But I spoke to my lecturer, who referred me to the university psychologist. That helped a lot.”

Despite it all, Phenduka passed. “I’ve always been in survival mode. Now I’m learning to live.”

Writing has always been her outlet. “To avoid my dad, I’d write. Journalism showed me it’s not just about writing; it’s about being a voice for those who can’t speak. I believe I’m that person.”

Her story is a reminder that behind academic success is often an untold journey and that healing begins when we speak, write, and reach out.

By Ongezwa Sigodi