Witholding a degree from a man because of a his struggle to pay back his student fees doesn’t sound like something a University at the forefront of the academic and social struggle to reverse the damage caused by apartheid would do, does it?

44-year-old Joseph Khohlokoane completed his social sciences degree at the University of Cape Town in 1996, with a study debt of R30,000.

UCT indicated that they would not release Khohlokoane’s degree, or allow him to graduate until the debt was paid off.

Desperate to begin his career as a social worker, he started working as a petrol attendant at a Shell Ultra City in Worcester, asking UCT if he could pay off the debt in installments.

“I wanted to pay it off at R100 a month, but they said it wasn’t enough,” says Khohlokoane.

Without his degree, he spent the next 10 years working as a petrol attendant, and then another seven as a cleaner.

This year, a farmer named Clarence Johnson heard of Khohlokoane’s situation, and paid off his debt, which has by now ballooned to over R100,000.

Today, Khohlokoane’s employer, Willem Venter will drive him and his family to his graduation ceremony at UCT, where Joseph will be awarded his degree.

Despite the fact that his his potential career has been completely scuppered by the fact that he remained technically unqualified because of study debt, Khohlokoane said, “I’m so happy. I’m free.”

How many other people are languishing in situations like this?

[Source : TimesLive]