Sonelise Sibali, a 26-year-old Walter Sisulu University graduate, died just 10 days after achieving the qualification he had spent seven years working towards.
Sibali died at Mthatha General Hospital on Tuesday morning, two hours after being admitted, his sister Athandile Sibali confirmed. The family said he had been taken to hospital after becoming unconscious and that the cause of his death would be determined through an autopsy.
His death came shortly after the university celebrated his graduation. Sibali had graduated on 25 September with a Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences, after financial difficulties forced him to interrupt his studies several times.
What was intended to be a three-year degree became a seven-year journey. Despite the setbacks, Sibali persisted and became the first person in his family from Nyanisweni Location in Qumbu, Eastern Cape, to graduate from university.
He had been planning to pursue an honours degree.
Family’s shock after graduation celebration
Athandile said Sibali was unconscious when he was taken to hospital and died two hours after being admitted.
“He was unconscious and taken to the hospital. He died two hours after being admitted. We will wait for the autopsy results from the authorities,” Athandile said.
The family had only recently been celebrating his academic achievement. His death therefore came as a devastating shock to relatives who had watched him overcome years of financial and personal difficulties to complete his studies.
“We are so devastated. It is difficult to process the news of his death, given the fact that we were celebrating his hard-earned degree just about two weeks ago.”
Athandile confirmed that Sibali had been the first graduate in the family. She said his determination had made him an example to relatives and others who knew the obstacles he had faced.
“He defied the odds, and even when financial difficulties became a barrier, he never gave up his pursuit of a degree. For that, we will always respect and honour him. He will be sorely missed,” Athandile said.
The family has not announced the cause of death. The autopsy results are expected to assist authorities in establishing what happened.
A seven-year academic journey
The university celebrated Sibali’s achievement in a statement issued on 28 September. It said his studies had become increasingly difficult because he did not have accommodation or a meal allowance and relied on his mother, Nosonwabiso, who worked as a domestic worker, for financial support.
According to the university, Sibali initially applied to study for a Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery. After falling short of the entry requirements, he accepted an offer to study for a BSc in Biological Sciences.
He soon developed an interest in the course, particularly its focus on research. However, the financial pressure forced him to deregister repeatedly, extending his degree from three years to seven.
“There were times when I thought of just giving up because I was struggling a lot,” Sibali had told the university at the time.
He watched as classmates progressed through their studies and graduated while he remained behind, continuing to work towards completing his own qualification.
“It was very hurtful seeing my peers completing the degree and moving ahead whilst I was deregistering. But I kept telling myself that one day I would be at the same level as them.”
The university said Sibali accessed its counselling services during a period when his mental health deteriorated. He credited friends, lecturers, family members and university support structures with helping him remain on his academic path.
Gratitude to his mother
Sibali reserved special thanks for his mother, who supported him despite the family’s financial difficulties.
“She was struggling, but she never gave up on me. She would ask when I was finally going to finish studying, and I kept telling her that I would finish,” Sibali said.
His determination to complete his qualification eventually became a reality. On 25 September, he joined fellow graduates at the university ceremony and received the Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences he had worked towards for so long.
He had also encouraged other students facing difficulties not to compare their academic progress with that of their peers.
“You might not complete your degree within the expected period, but do not give up. Believe in yourself and use the university resources available to you,” Sibali had told the university.
His words have taken on added significance following his death. Sibali’s own journey showed that a longer route to graduation did not diminish the value of the achievement.
The university and his family are now mourning a young man who overcame financial hardship, academic disappointment and struggles with his mental health before reaching a milestone that had once seemed far away.
Sibali’s planned honours degree will not be fulfilled, but his determination and his status as the first graduate in his family will remain part of his legacy. His relatives are awaiting the autopsy results as they prepare to bury him only days after celebrating the success he fought so hard to achieve.