“May Her Spirit Rise in Power”: SA Remembers Woman Who Passed Away Before Receiving Her Nursing PhD

• Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University honoured nursing lecturer Moroti Elizabeth Mahlangu with a posthumous PhD during their graduation ceremony
• Dr Mahlangu spent decades in the nursing field, holding multiple diplomas and qualifications, and was working towards her PhD
• Former students and colleagues remembered her as a passionate lecturer who treated her students like family

A graduation ceremony at Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University moved many people to tears on 16 May 2026 when a nursing lecturer who passed away before completing her PhD was honoured.

A clip shared by TikTok user @alan614r showed the moment the acting Chancellor was asked to receive Moroti Elizabeth Mahlangu's degree on her behalf.

A woman stood at the front holding a large photo of Dr Mahlangu as the announcer read out her name and the title of her thesis, a study on developing a programme to support pregnant and parenting students at a tertiary institution in Gauteng.

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The pain in the announcer's voice as he read her name out was something that did not go unnoticed, with many in the comments pointing it out.

Who was Dr Mahlangu?

Dr Mahlangu was a nursing lecturer at Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University with decades of experience in the field. She held qualifications going back to 1978. This included diplomas in general nursing, midwifery, occupational health nursing, nursing education and community health, as well as a BCur degree and a Master's in Public Health.

She had been working towards her PhD for years and never got to see the moment it was awarded. Former students remembered her as someone who went beyond the classroom, bringing fruit to early morning lectures so her students would not skip class and reminding them to carry themselves with dignity.

A PhD in nursing science

A PhD in Nursing Science, like the one Dr Mahlangu was pursuing, is the highest qualification in the field. According to the University of Pretoria, the programme requires a minimum of two years of full-time study and builds on a prior master's degree in nursing or a related field.

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Watch the TikTok clip below:

SA mourns Dr Mahlangu's passing

Former students and colleagues were heartbroken watching the moment unfold on TikToker @alan614r's clip:

@thatoradebe_ wrote:

"Her topic was so beautiful. Death is so unfair 💔"

@dr_msikinya said:

"Oh, mama 😭 she really broke my heart. So many people lost out on a beautiful soul. I lost out on my mother and best friend. How do we move on, mara?"

@userrr29043 remembered:

"She was a good lecturer bandla. I remember she used to bring us fruits in the morning since her class was always early, so we wouldn't miss, with her favourite line being 'be a lady and act like a lady.' What a mother man 🥹❤️"

@tshegon17 shared:

"She impacted our careers positively. She was a passionate lecturer. She loved her family loudly. I experienced her for just a year, but I knew she had a daughter studying to be a doctor. Your mom loved you, sis. May she continue to rest peacefully 🤍"

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More SA graduation moments

• Briefly News recently reported on a KZN-born doctor whose graduation speech at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine went viral.
• A photo of a CBD spaza shop selling full graduation gowns complete with hoods and caps, left South Africans furious.
• A South African graduate shared a detailed breakdown of her R30,000 graduation day bill.

Source: Briefly News