PROMISE MADE, PROMISE KEPT: CUM LAUDE GRADUATE FULFILS HIS VOW TO MOM

What could have derailed Talente Ncama’s future, instead became a catalyst for change after witnessing the loss of his younger brother in a devastating event that shook him to the core as a teenager.

Ncama had since sworn that the only time he would see his mother cry again would be a result of his success.

Talente Ncama, graduating Cum Laude for an Honours degree in Public Administration at the WSU Butterworth campus, would make it the second time he has made his mother cry  tears of joy with his academic accomplishments.  

For the Ncama family, this is more than an academic milestone, it is a powerful testament to resilience, transformation, and triumph over adversity.

“I made a promise to myself and that I would honour his memory by turning my life around. Also, I wanted to wipe my mother’s tears by making her proud because the loss of my brother hit her very hard,” he said.

True to his word, he began excelling at school. In no time, Ncama broke into the top ten performers at his school. By matric, he was among the top three learners in his grade and matriculated with three distinctions.

"I was introduced to church at a young age by my grandfather, but was a bit rebellious when I first started living away from my family. Freedom got to my head, and I was not really focused on my studies,” reflected Ncama.

Even though he initially wanted to pursue commerce, he ended up enrolling for Public Administration, but that fire in him never dimmed, he carried the same passion into his university career.

“Both my mother and I were very anxious about me staying very far from her because after the loss of my little brother we grew even closer to each other. However, I remained focused at WSU, consistently achieving top results and almost graduated with Cum Laude in my undergraduate degree,” said Ncama.

He added that after obtaining his first degree his mother had a bit of relief and trusted him to stand on his own and pursue his life.

“Studying Public Administration is not just about policy and governance to me. It is about understanding how to serve people better and bring about meaningful change something I deeply care about,” added Ncama.

Ncama’s story is one of many that highlight the transformative impact of education and the human capacity to rise above difficult circumstances. He hopes his story will inspire young people, especially those going through grief, to never give up on themselves.

By Anita Roji