Rural lass makes good
Sylvia beats the odds to attain PhD
The Village Voice
PERSEVERANCE should be spelt Sylvia Makondo.
The young lady from Greenfarm village has persevered and beat the odds to attain Doctor of Philosophy in Policing from the University of Tshwane for Technology.
She graduated this week amid pomp and ceremony.
Her achievement has excited even members of the community.
Tshwane based pastor Risimati Willy Ngnonyama hailed her graduation as something significant in the community.
“She was coming from the background with scant resources and yet she worked hard to attain a PhD. This will send a message to young people in the community that despite their background they can change their station in life,” he said.
The excited Dr Makondo said life was harsh to her and her siblings.
” I did not grow with a silver spoon in the mouth but was exposed to harsh conditions at a young age,” she said.
She said when she passed her matric, there was no money to take her through to university.
“My father was a carpenter not making enough and my mother was a street vendor.
At the age of 18 I went to Gauteng to seek greener pastures after passing matric.
In stead of getting a good job, between 2005 and 2008, I was a street vendor trying to make ends meet,” she said.
Her menial jobs included being a tea lady, domestic worker who also grouted the floor, bathroom and kitchen tiles.
“At the end of 2008, she had told enough braaied chicken feet and cool time such that she had enough money to register for a policing national diploma at TUT.
“I passed the diploma with Cum laude in record time. Because of my achievement, this saw me bag a scholarship from TUT to further my studie. It is as a result of the scholarship that I was now able to get PhD.
The topic for her thesis was: Exploring outstanding results of trail on Criminal Record System and its impact on accused persons in Gauteng.
She said the aim of the study was to expose the outstanding results of trial on Criminal Record System and its impact on accused persons in Gauteng. She says she was concerned with the delays in reporting results of trial on the Criminal Records System something that was prejudicial to accused persons in Gauteng as it results in unforeseen punishment to individuals who are charged with the crime.
Dr Makondo who is a policemen with the rank of a captain says because of her research, she has developed a model that can effectively address the outstanding results of trial on CRM system.
“I am happy because a poor black girl like me was able to defy the odds and make it,” she said.
Her elder brother Tinyiko Makondo hailed his younger sister’s success.
“We are extremely proud of her achievement especially because of the family’s background. We are happy that she fought the odds and attained doctorate making the family proud. Many will take cue from her story of hard work,” he said.
