Homeless scientist tells of downfall

09/10/2015. Tobias Ntuli who a homeless man claiming to hold a PHD in Cell Biology talks about his battle with alcohol and losing his jobs Picture: Masi Losi

09/10/2015. Tobias Ntuli who a homeless man claiming to hold a PHD in Cell Biology talks about his battle with alcohol and losing his jobs Picture: Masi Losi

Published Oct 13, 2015

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Pretoria - Despite reaching the pinnacle of academic success, Durban-born Tobias Ntuli calls the streets of Pretoria his home.

The 47-year-old has a PhD in cell biology, but has been homeless since December 2011.

His intelligence and sheer determination, however, are no match for the disease he lives with everyday. “I am an alcoholic,” Ntuli says.

He has been to rehab twice but has not been able to kick the habit. “Rehab empowers you with the knowledge, but the action of stopping is yours. It is up to you.

“It is a disease. It’s something you must accept that it will be there for life. No one is going to help you but yourself.”

He said he last had a drink of beer two weeks ago and knew stopping would be a lifelong battle. Ntuli is in contact with the Anglican Church in the city centre, which helps with counselling.

But Ntuli said: “The only thing I can say I need is training on job interviews. If I get a job, I will be able to get back on my feet.”

A successful pupil at Vuzuzakhe High School in Umlazi, Ntuli was admitted to study medicine at the University of Cape Town in 1986.

It was in the same year that he met someone who offered him a drink, which began his abusive relationship with alcohol.

“I met this guy in June 1986 and he asked me out of the blue if I drank and I said, yes. Then he gave me a drink and that’s when I began drinking,” he explained.

Ntuli, who was studying through a bursary, managed to pass his first year. However, during second year, his drinking reached an unacceptable stage.

He eventually was excluded from the academic programme, and enrolled for a science degree, which he also failed. In 1991, he was forced to go back home.

“It was the worst year of my life.”

Ntuli credits Professor Pat Berjak, who has since died, for believing in him, after he had enrolled at the University of KwaZulu-Natal.

In 1992, he began a degree in science with the university and completed his honours and masters before pursuing a PhD in cell biology.

Indu Moodley, a UKZN spokeswoman confirmed that Ntuli had earned a PhD in 2004.

But during his studies he made another friend with whom he drank heavily with. He was able to juggle the drinking with his studies.

However, the same could not be said for during his post-doctoral fellowships: “I used to go on binges every few months.”

The binges would last two weeks and he would abscond without making contact with his employers.

He has been forced to resign or had his contract not renewed from five positions owing to his love for the bottle. He was last employed in May 2011.

 He said he had been to about 15 interviews then, but was not able to communicate well.

 Ntuli was raised by his mother, now deceased. He has a brother whom he does not get along with – so going back home to Umlazi is no longer an option.

Pretoria News

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