How an impoverished pregnant teenager became a cabinet minister
THROUGH the life of Mmamoloko Tryphosa Kubayi-Ngubane, many ordinary South Africans are represented not just in Parliament but in the cabinet itself.
The story of Kubayi-Ngubane, the youngest member of the cabinet, is so extraordinary that it has become an inspiration to many young South Africans who aspire to achieve great things in life.
When she was 17, she became pregnant.
While many would have dropped out of school and given up on their career ambitions, Kubayi-Ngubane dropped out of school for just six weeks to deliver her baby and then went back to school.
At the time, she stayed in a shack in Poortjie, an informal settlement south of Johannesburg.
“I am not sure that I can say with a clear conscience that I was blessed to have experienced the tough life of an average South African.
“I have had both experiences, having lived in a rural village and in the township.
“After my parents separated, my mother took us to her home in Ga-Molepo (a village outside Polokwane), where I started school at Makgaile Primary.
“I completed my primary education at that school,” she said.
She then enrolled at Forte Secondary in Soweto.
Later, when her family moved to Poortjie, she enrolled at a high school in Lenasia. Lack of financial support forced her to leave the school and register at Thusa Setjhaba Secondary in Poortjie.
“I was doing Grade 11 when I fell pregnant.
“As young as I was, it was clear in my mind that my circumstances could only change for the better through education.
“So there was no way that I could have dropped out of school.
“I probably hold an impressive record of maternity leave. I was away from school just for six weeks and returned to school to continue studying,” she said.
“It is not easy raising a child while you are a learner. During the longer school breaks, I would go home and breastfeed my son.
“My family was poor but our living conditions deteriorated even further after my brother David, who had been supporting us, lost his job.
“We depended on the pension my mother was getting. It was really a matter of survival.
“For my son, things that other people took for granted, such as Purity foods, were a luxury. I simply could not afford them. But I stayed focused.”
Despite the challenges of raising a baby, Kubayi-Ngubane progressed to matric. She passed with flying colours, obtaining a B in maths and a C in physical science.
“One of my teachers was so impressed with my results that she encouraged me to study towards medicine. But of course that was a bridge too far, given my levels of poverty and lack of financial support.
“My breakthrough to tertiary education came through my local church. One Sunday after the matric results were announced, the church leaders asked all who had passed matric to come forward to be prayed for.
“Later, there was a little function to honour students who had passed matric. I emerged as the best student in the group. My prize money was an amount of R700.
“That R700 was to change my life. I used it to register for a BA degree at Vista University, which is now the Soweto Campus of the University of Johannesburg.”
Although Kubayi-Ngubane had registered, she could not afford accommodation so she would commute daily to the university. Sometimes she would hitch-hike or use the train.
“Although trains were relatively cheaper than the other modes of transport, I still could not afford the train ticket. I would opt to use the train extremely early in the morning or quite late in the evening so that I could use it without paying. I did this for four months.
“It was dangerous to walk home late in the evening. I remember one day the police took me home after they found me walking alone,” she recalled.
In a twist of good fortune, Kubayi-Ngubane then met Doreen Mokone, a fellow student at Vista. Doreen looked so much like her that even her mother could not distinguish between them.
“Doreen treated me like her sister. She had a room on campus and invited me to be her roommate. My problems of struggling with transport to go home became a thing of the past.
“The following year, I qualified for TEFSA (the Tertiary Education Fund for SA) and they paid for all my studies.
“I also became active in student politics, joining the SA Student Congress.
“I always wore party regalia and many people must have thought I liked party T-shirts, but the sad truth is that I wore the regalia because I had very few clothes.
“I could not afford textbooks. I would go to the library and make copies of books I required. It was extremely tough.”
Despite the odds stacked against her, Kubayi-Ngubane completed her degree in record time.
She started work at a nongovernment organisation and worked at various companies, including a leading retailer.
The highlight in her career development happened at FNB when, in 2005, she was able to take her mother and her family out of a shack and to a house she bought for them in Protea, Soweto.
“My mother was extremely happy when I told her that we were moving out of the shack into a three-bedroom house in Protea. I can never forget her tears of joy when I broke the news to her.”
Perhaps her humble beginnings formed the foundation of the sort of person Kubayi-Ngubane has become.
“My passion is to make a difference in the lives of ordinary people, especially the poor. What makes me sleep in peace at night is knowing I have impacted positively on somebody’s life.
In my current role (as minister of Communications) my wish is to contribute to giving our people access to information that can be used to improve lives.
“Information is power. When we give our people information, we are empowering them and that is the role an entity such as the SABC should play.
“We should also share positive stories of success to show young people that your background should not determine what you may achieve.”
Kubayi-Ngubane, who has risen to become a member of the national executive committee of the ANC, is testimony that with determination and drive, anything is possible.