UKZN Medical School Honours Four of Its Alumni as Living Legends

BY: .

UKZN’s Nelson R. Mandela School of Medicine hosted its distinguished annual event, On the Couch with Our Alumni Living Legends, honouring four industry giants. Among them was South Africa’s First Lady, Her Excellency Dr Tshepo Motsepe, spouse of President Cyril Ramaphosa.

The Living Legends shared pearls of wisdom from their inspirational journeys with staff, students and a broad virtual audience during a panel discussion.

Professor Bilkish Cassim is an esteemed rheumatologist, academic, and the inaugural Chair of Geriatrics at UKZN, where she continues to lead clinical services and medical training. Dr Diliza Mji, Founder, Shareholder and Director of the Busamed Group, was also honoured. He is one of the founding members of the National Medical and Dental Association. The Class of 1979 panellists were joined by Dr Warwick Morris, a renowned plastic and reconstructive surgeon, whose five decades of service at UKZN were applauded by the University community.

Attendees were welcomed by the College of Health Sciences Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Head of College, Professor Busisiwe Ncama; the Dean and Head of School of Medicine, Professor Refiloe Masekela; and the event’s founder and host, Professor Ncoza Dlova, who heads Dermatology and is the former Dean and Head of the School of Clinical Medicine at UKZN. Her co-host was media personality and presenter Ms Nongcebo Vukile McKenzie, who interviewed the Living Legends about their life experiences and how they overcame local and global health challenges.

Motsepe, whose father was a headmaster of a high school north of Pretoria, said she remembers leaving her village home to attend a coloured Catholic convent boarding school in Aliwal North, Eastern Cape.

This, she said, was her father’s way of protecting her and her siblings from the inferior Bantu Education system.

Sacrifice and resilience characterised the rest of their schooling, with limited time spent with their parents during school holidays. She fondly recalled her time at the then University of Natal, saying, “Because when you come from the village, salt is the only spice,” describing her exposure to new experiences. She noted that some of her longest-lasting friendships were formed at UKZN’s Medical School.

Motsepe said, “I want to say that honestly, I am really humbled and I never expected that we would be called Living Legends. I wish to thank the University for that honour. This brings back memories of the years which I spent at university, and I wish you luck and perseverance. Enjoy the years and of course one day you will also be sitting where we are sitting.”

Cassim said, “What I’d like to say to the students is this is probably going to be some of the best years of your life. We really had a good time in Medical School. You need to enjoy this time, and I think you must realise how fortunate you are and how fortunate we have been in having the privilege to become doctors and having the privilege to go to university in a country where a large majority of people do not get that privilege. Learn from your patients and respect them. Always remember do the right thing; you’re going to become a doctor for a reason. You’re going to go as far as you can but don’t forget your roots.”

Cassim recounted nearly missing her chance to attend Medical School due to a postal delay. During her time, acceptance letters were sent through the post office, which often led to delays or lost mail. She had to submit an affidavit as proof that she had responded on time.

Encouraging students, she added, “I have spent all my life at UKZN. I don’t think I did too badly.”

Mji’s pursuit of his MBChB was delayed by two years due to political imprisonment, including six months in solitary confinement. Undeterred, he completed his studies and ventured into medical entrepreneurship, founding the Busamed Hospital Group. “It taught me to remain focused, decide what you want in life, and put all your effort into that. You will make it,” he said.

Dr Morris, with more than five decades of service, trained and worked internationally, held academic posts at UKZN, and led several national surgical associations. Reflecting on his journey, he said, “As a teenager, I decided I wanted to be a doctor. I had no concept of what that life would entail - I thought I’d earn a fair living. I didn’t realise how hard I’d have to work. During most of my career, I worked a 60-hour week.

McKenzie asked how ‘happiness surgery’, as Morris termed it, had infiltrated the plastic surgery market. He responded that while cosmetic procedures remain relevant, the deeper purpose is to restore patients’ dignity - particularly those affected by birth defects or adverse events. He described the profession as a calling, one he encouraged recent Medical graduates to consider.

Attendees were impressed by the depth of insight and experience presented by each Living Legend. 

In her closing remarks, Dlova said, “Tonight we haven’t just honoured legends - we have rekindled a flame of purpose, pride and possibility. May their legacy not rest in portraits or plaques, but in every future doctor who walks through our doors knowing they, too, can change the world.”

Words: Lunga Memela 

Photograph: Sethu Dlamini