Chelsea Pieterse, The Witness
Durban – Paralysed by a stray bullet in the midst of a hijacking, Bright Nzuza thought he would never finish matric, let alone complete a degree in marketing.
Describing himself as strong-willed and God-fearing, Nzuza lost the use of his legs when a hijacker attempting to steal a taxi from his parent’s yard fired his gun at the young matriculant, and fractured his spine, The Witness reported on Friday.
It was August 2008 and Nzuza said, while lying in his hospital bed over the next nine months, giving up sometimes seemed the easiest thing to do.
“In 2009, I decided to finish my matric, and I passed with quite good marks.
“I am a positive person and my faith is very strong so I knew I would get through this.”
Being restricted to a wheelchair was quite an adjustment, but it did not stop Nzuza from receiving a bursary from Tongaat Hulett Sugar to further his studies.
‘I had hope’
Nzuza began studying his Bachelor of Commerce Honours in Marketing, Supply Chain Management at the University of KwaZulu-Natal in 2010 and graduated on Tuesday.
“I never thought I would graduate from a university, but I had hope and now I have my degree.
“It is a huge burden off my shoulders, knowing that I finally have my degree,” he said.
In a statement sent out by UKZN, the university said they were proud of Nzuza and what he had accomplished against the odds.
Nzuza now works as a graduate intern for Huletts in the supply chain department and says he is grateful to both his family and Tongaat Hulett Sugar in helping him get to where he is today.
The Witness
