Nomusa Mfeka didn’t plan on becoming a doctor at first, nor was it her second choice. However, after passing matric, she earned admission to study medicine at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) at just 16 years old. Today, Mfeka is a qualified paediatric medical officer, often working locum shifts at Karl Bremer, Tygerberg, Khayelitsha District, and Mitchells Plain hospitals in the Western Cape. She is well underway to fulfil her dream of being a paediatrician and build on her connection with children.
Mfeka has always been a diligent student. She recalls her early days at school, where she always had a passion for her studies and consistently excelled in her class.
Her focus intensified when she started high school at Zwelibanzi High School in Umlazi in KwaZulu-Natal.
“Other kids in my township would make fun of me, saying I was a factory worker because I left home at dawn and only returned just before sunset.”
Dr Nomusa Mfeka
However, this never discouraged her because she wanted deeply to excel in life, she adds. “I had always dreamed of a life beyond the invisible barriers of growing up in a disadvantaged community.”
Defying the odds
Mfeka recalls how her family was thrown into turmoil when she was 12 due to a secret her mother, Sindelaphi Mathonsi, had kept from her and her siblings. She had always believed the man who raised her was her biological father, only to learn the opposite was true.
Unfortunately, Mfeka adds, she did not get the opportunity to know her biological father as he passed away when she was 13 years old. She says family dynamics changed after that and life was challenging.
During this difficult period, she found solace in discovering her musical talents through an acapella music group and seeking healing through prayer, which ultimately saved her life.
She notes that her stepfather, Zibusele Mathonsi, is the father she knows, who raised her and gave her love.
“He’s married to my mom; he loves us and he’s my family.”
Medical journey
She tells Health For Mzansi that studies have always been her first love. She excelled in high school and passed matric at the age of 16, which helped her gain acceptance to UKZN, Stellenbosch University (SU), and the University of Cape Town (UCT) for the three different undergraduate programmes she applied for.
“To be honest, medicine wasn’t my first choice. Architecture was, followed by BCom Accounting.”
She adds, “I chose medicine because I was accepted into the programme at the University of KZN, and the Nelson Mandela Medical School campus was only one bus trip away from home.”
She graduated from UKZN with a bachelor of medicine and bachelor of surgery (MBChB) in 2007. In 2023, she completed her registrar training at Stellenbosch University and is now studying for her paediatrician part 2 at the Fellowship Colleges of Paediatricians (CMSA).
“I haven’t passed my final exam, which means I’m not a qualified paediatrician yet. I’m writing again this year in July.”
Numerous incidents shaped her dedication to school, including support from her family.
“What also influenced my choice the most was the fact that, growing up in a township, I had never seen an unemployed doctor.”
“Job security was very important to me because one of my dreams was to build my mom a house, which I fulfilled.”
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Dedication to children
During her internship, Mfeka realised that she loves working with children. This discovery became clear at Ngwelezane and Lower Umfolozi Hospitals in KZN.
After her internship, she worked in various hospitals, always with children.
“I had always found it easier to connect with children. In retrospect, it makes sense as in my spiritual calling, I walk with the spirit of children, called amanono in the sangoma dialect.”
At some point, she discovered that she had a spiritual calling that needed her attention. This came as a surprise, she says, because she never believed in it before.
“I was a born-again Christian when I was 13 years old and asked my family not to involve me in traditional ceremonies.”
It has been a journey of discovery and self-realisation, she explains. “Working with children uplifts my spirit. Even when I’m having a bad day, the moment I interact with them, my mood changes for the better.”
Having come full circle, she says it is clear to her that being a paediatrician is her destiny. This gives her peace and comfort, knowing she is on the right path.
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