DO love Sinako Bomela

From the dusty streets of Colesberg to the highest court in the land, Sinako, 25, is living her dream – and loving it!

What a go-getter! Sinako Bomela proved her mettle early in life, when she taught herself English by watching soapies and the news.

After two years, she was so proficient her classmates at Xhosa-speaking Colesberg Primary School got jealous and bullied her. “They assumed I thought I was better than them. But the more I learnt, the brighter I became and my marks reflected the extra hours I put in,” she says.

Sinako showed such promise, her mother, Luleka Ngqasa, was advised to take her to the English-speaking Vaal Christian School. “She was drowning in loans and we lived on nothing for a better education,” Sinako recalls.

But her can-do attitude kept her going. “I went on the game show Jam Alley and won R2 250 for my matric dance outfit, and I worked full-time as a lab assistant at the University of the Free State while completing my LLB,” she says. “I’d wake up at 5am for work, attend classes and be up until 12am doing assignments. Failure wasn’t an option, because I didn’t have funds for extra years.”

After graduating in 2015, she was conferred a bursary to complete a Master’s in constitutional law – the youngest and only black female from UFS to earn the honour.

“It’s such a blessing, because my mother never went to university. Her father felt it was useless to educate a girl as she would eventually enrich another family.”

Last year, she secured a position as a law researcher for Judge Jafta at the Constitutional Court. “Being passionate about the field, I was over the moon. My job involves reading applications and assessing whether there should be a hearing, judgement or dismissal. I also participate in post-hearing discussions,” she says. “It’s quite surreal that the judges treat me as an equal.”

When she’s not changing the world one case at a time, Sinako enjoys photography and watching movies with her boyfriend, Nkokheli Lindazwe. She also provides free legal advice for those that can’t afford it and wants to work for the Socio-economic Rights Institute. “It’s important to build communities and to support one another,” she says.

“You are what you think, and if you believe you are destined for greatness, then you will become it.” We couldn’t agree more!