Wits University has conferred an honorary doctorate in medicine on Prof Kubedi Patrick Mokhobo, 94, southern Africa’s first black cardiologist, during the faculty of health sciences’ graduation ceremony.

The milestone recognition celebrates his groundbreaking career as a medical pioneer who defied apartheid-era restrictions to become a trailblazer in healthcare.Mokhobo, who was the sole black student in his 1953 Wits class, overcame systemic barriers by working as a farm labourer and caddie while studying.He earned a scholarship to Wits in 1957 and later became the first black doctor to pass the prestigious Medical Fellowship exams in 1966.

His career spanned decades of transformative change in Southern Africa, including establishing medical institutions in Eswatini and Lesotho, shaping regional healthcare policies, and advocating for community-based care.Mokhobo’s legacy includes founding the Lesotho Medical Association and contributing to medical curricula across multiple countries.In his acceptance speech, he urged graduates to use their skills to strengthen South Africa and Africa’s future.His life story, detailed in his autobiography 'From Nowhere to Somewhere', remains a testament to resilience and innovation in medicine.