Cum laude for dental therapy graduate

“I am so happy to be graduating cum laude,” said Fanele Mthethwa, who graduated with a Bachelor of Dental Therapy last week.

“I was not really expecting it, I guess it was all brought by hard work, dedication and tremendous support from my family, lecturers, classmates and friends,” he added.

Mthethwa is the youngest of four siblings and the first to graduate in his family. He hopes to open a practice to make dental care more accessible to his community.

“People from my community have to travel far to access dental care. They thus lack advice and neglect oral care,” he said. “I want to make it more accessible to people from rural areas, including my hometown, Ongoye in Empangeni.”

He said that his final year was challenging, as COVID-19 brought about online learning, and delayed clinical practicals. “However, as a class, together with our lecturers we were able to emerge triumphant. We will forever be grateful to our lecturers for their endless patience and support.”

Mthethwa described his journey at UKZN as fantastic: “I really relished my time there. I enjoyed myself as the class representative, interacting with people from different backgrounds. I am proud and humbled to have been part and parcel of this wonderful institution.”

He is a qualified SAB League, Ethekwini Region Referee and is currently a dental therapist in a private practice in Umlazi.

Issued by:

Corporate Relations Division

University of KwaZulu-Natal

To interview the graduate, contact him on (082) 418 9205/[email protected]

For photos of Fanele Mthethwa and any further information, contact: Sejal Desai, Media Liaison Officer on (083) 284 9333 or at [email protected]