WHEN Enseleni-born Philani Mhlongo (24) was diagnosed with tuberculosis (TB) in 2009, which robbed him of his hearing and speech, his dreams of attending university and obtaining a driver’s license appeared to be unreachable goals.
But Mhlongo is made of stern stuff.
After the initial shock of his situation, he took stock and despite the enormous challenges he faced, he decided to fight against all odds to still turn his dreams into reality.
After being declared permanently deaf, he learned sign language and can read lips to communicate.
And on Tuesday Mhlongo became the proud owner of a driver’s license after he passed his driver’s test with flying colours.
He proved that through determination and hard work, nothing was impossible.
‘I never thought I could do it, but I had a great instructor who gave me self-confidence and motivated me to do my best. Even though I can’t hear the car’s engine, I can feel the control pedals. When I started driving, I feared to be alone on the road, but now I have confidence,’ he said.
His drive instructor, Abrie Harmse, said he trained Mhlongo to be more observant on the road.
‘Because he can’t hear, it’s really important for him to be even more careful and check for other cars regularly,’ said Harmse.
Mhlongo is also well on his way making his second dream a reality, getting a university degree.He is currently a second year civil engineering student at the Durban University of Technology (DUT) in Durban.
‘I was doing Grade 9 when I lost my hearing. It was difficult because I was not born this way. I had to adjust, and motivate myself to look forward and hope for the best.
‘I started having difficulties in school because I couldn’t understand what was being said in class. Even now in university, I have to sit in the front and revisit my lectures later to explain to me what was said in class.’
