TRIUMPH IN ADVERSITY FOR UKZN DEPARTMENT HEAD

Mr Khathuthshelo Percy Mashige, Head of UKZN’s Department of Optometry, graduated with a Masters Degree in Optometry.

Mr Mashige, formerly of the Limpopo Province, joined the then University of Durban-Westville in 1993 as an Optometry student having graduated with a BSc degree from the University of the Witwatersrand.

On completion of his degree, he was appointed as a clinical resident in the Department during which time he obtained a Certificate of Advanced Studies in Ocular Diseases and Pharmaceutical Applications from the New England College of Optometry.

In 2000, Mr Mashige was appointed as Associate Lecturer and in 2008 as Head of the Department of Optometry.

In 2003, whilst conducting field research, Mr Mashige was seriously injured in a tragic motor vehicle accident which left him a quadriplegic. Through his determination and the support of colleagues, family and friends, he was able to come to terms with many challenges, returning to the Department of Optometry in 2005.

Since joining the Department as an academic, Mr Mashige has embarked on various projects. For his Masters Degree he conducted an investigation into practice trends of optometrists in the private sector in KwaZulu-Natal.

Mr Mashige has enrolled for a PhD in Optometry and is determined to attain his qualification within three years. His topic is: ‘The Economic Analysis of the Blind in South Africa.’