A tour of Cape Town when she was a Grade 11 learner at the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy in Gauteng prompted Vuyokazi Hlwatika to study at Stellenbosch 肆客足球. Last year, Hlwatika obtained her third degree – a master's in political science – from SU.
Hlwatika, who grew up in Kariega (Uitenhage) in the Eastern Cape, says SU was her top choice because of the curriculum and its consistently high rankings. Although she received offers from four universities around the country, she opted to study at SU. “The day we went to [Stellenbosch], we spoke to staff from the Division for Student Affairs. We also spoke to some members of the Student Representative Council about their experiences at SU. All the positives they shared served as confirmation for my decision."
After completing her undergraduate studies, Hlwatika went on to do an honours degree and most recently a master's degree. Her thesis, “A Typology of Counterinsurgency Approaches Towards ISIS-Allegiant Insurgency Groups: Variations between Western States and The Global South", offers an analysis of counterinsurgency across six states. “With ample literature on counterinsurgency approaches in Western States, I was especially interested in contributing to the literature on counterinsurgency in the Global South. This is why my chapters on Mozambique, Nigeria, and Pakistan invigorated me the most. Writing this thesis felt like a marathon but the questions it got me to ask about my topic, violent conflict in general, the world around me and my place in it cemented my love for academia."
Hlwatika says this third degree was one of the hardest things she has ever had to do. “Not because of the thesis itself but because of all the other things that took place during my studies." She says she started working full-time at a risk and intelligence consultancy during her studies, keeping flexible hours so that she could focus on her thesis in the evenings. And as if that was not enough, Hlwatika was also part of the Futurelect SADC Public Leadership Fellowship programme for leaders in the SADC region interested in working in politics and public service. “This [experience] was immensely helpful for figuring out the next step for my career journey because by the end of my fellowship year, which coincided with the end of my master's degree, I was ready to pivot from corporate to the non-governmental organisation space."
She attributes her dedication to her studies and work to her mother and sisters. “My dad passed away when I was six and as a widow, my mom tried her best to guide us to a bright future through making positive decisions. She always encouraged us to focus on school and we heeded that advice." Her elder sister Nozuko is a published academic author and currently doing her PhD in politics, with a focus on public administration, abroad. Her other sister Nolu also holds an honours degree.
The “countless" evenings, weekends, public holidays and leave periods she sacrificed over the years have paid off, says Hlwatika. “God and the support of loved ones who believed in my academic abilities and resilience was an invaluable asset that helped me throughout this journey. What I have gained in exchange for my sacrifices is not only specialised knowledge about my field but also the transferrable skills of research, academic writing as well as being able to explain complex concepts to people both within my field and those who have never heard of it at all," says Hlwatika.
“The journey may have been tough, but it was certainly worth it."
Caption: A jubilant Vuyokazi Hlwatika celebrates her third degree from SU.
Credit: Sisasenkosi Fenene from FENENE Trading
