A heart that refused to give up
- Wits University
Wits has honoured Prof. Kubedi Patrick Mokhobo, a medical pioneer and southern Africa's first Black cardiologist, with an Honorary Doctorate in Medicine.
The degree was conferred at the Faculty of Health Sciences' graduation ceremony on 15 July 2026, which also included graduates receiving advanced degrees in health sciences.
The 94-year-old received a standing ovation as he crossed the stage in the Great Hall, with four generations of the Mokhobo family watching from the audience.
Reflecting on the honour, Mokhobo, who was the only Black student in his Wits class in 1953, said: "The English language, and indeed my own mother tongue, Setswana, are too limited to express the honour and gratitude that I really feel."
His journey began in humble circumstances. Having started school at the age of 10, he pursued his education under apartheid, when Black South Africans faced severe restrictions on educational opportunities and even required government permission to study at white universities.
Despite these barriers, Mokhobo became the first Black registrar in paediatrics and internal medicine. In 1966, he became the first Black doctor to pass the prestigious Medical Fellowship examinations. Two years later, he wrote and passed the British Specialist Examination in the United Kingdom. His groundbreaking career culminated in his recognition as southern Africa's first Black cardiologist in 1973.
Alongside his medical practices in Daveyton in Benoni, he became a founding member of the Pan Africanist Congress. His influence extended well beyond South Africa. As the first medical specialist in Eswatini and a founding figure of Lesotho's medical institutions, he helped establish professional bodies, medical journals including the Lesotho Medical Journal and medical congresses that strengthened healthcare across the region.
He later served as Minister of Health in the former Bophuthatswana, where he championed community-based healthcare, expanded the role of nurses as clinicians and helped decentralise health services to reach underserved communities.
As an academic, Mokhobo shaped generations of medical professionals across several countries and contributed to the development of medical curricula and training programmes.
His remarkable life story is captured in his autobiography, From Nowhere to Somewhere: An Uncharted Destiny.
In an acceptance speech read by his granddaughter, Nonceba Nyoko, he encouraged graduates to use their knowledge in service of society.
"Your generation is destined to succeed in both exciting and challenging times. As we celebrate your achievements today, the future of our nation, our country and indeed the world rests on your shoulders."
While urging graduates to pursue opportunities around the world, he reminded them to return home and use their skills to strengthen South Africa.
He concluded with a powerful reminder that their "destinies are inextricably tied to the future of Africa."