Cape Town – In the eyes of late SA cardiologist Professor Bongani Mayosi, students were future leaders and colleagues were partners in saving lives.
Today they are a living testimony to his inspiration, UCT Vice-Chancellor Mamokgethi Phakeng said in a touching tribute to the beloved doctor and former health sciences faculty dean, a year after his death.
According to the renowned cardiologist’s family, Mayosi had been battling depression for two years before he took his own life on July 27, 2018.
Just the previous year, a research team led by Mayosi made what was described as the “biggest breakthrough in South African cardiology since Dr Chris Barnard’s first heart transplant”, for identifying a gene that is a major cause of sudden death by heart failure among young people and athletes.
His A-rating from the National Research Foundation (NRF) counted him among the ranks of leading international researchers.
“While it is deeply tragic that other members of the UCT community have also passed on and are sorely missed, the loss of Professor Mayosi has left a wound that is still healing. I believe this is true not only for myself but also for his family, students, friends and colleagues, both here at UCT and in the global medical community,” Phakeng said.
She honoured Mayosi by reflecting on the effect he had on the campus community and health sector, and by recognising that significant recovery work is still ahead.
“We need to be more forgiving of one another and of ourselves. There have been many conversations and much work has been done to address this over the past year - and we have much work still to do.
"I call on each of you to join me in reflecting on the lessons that we can draw from his legacy, passing and impact.
“Healing from a tragedy like this is a lifelong process. Many of us have used the past year to make a start, especially in the Faculty of Health Sciences.
"I want to encourage each of you to persevere in helping one another to grow. If you find yourself in need of support, please remember that you are not alone. There are many resources on campus to assist you,” Phakeng said.
Even those new to UCT have been touched by Mayosi’s legacy, she added.
“The best memorial we can raise to him is to allow his inspiration and example to become a living part of us. He grew his passion in the people who worked with him and had a sense of urgency about his vision that he passed on to others.
"He was born in Mthatha in the Eastern Cape and went with his father, who was a doctor, to visit patients in poor rural villages. He saw the struggles of Africans first-hand. He was inspired by his parents to get an education, to excel and to help change people’s lives.
"As UCT changes, South Africa will be that much closer to the kind of transformation we want in our country because this institution will produce graduates who follow Professor Mayosi’s example, dedicating their lives to excellence and helping others to be excellent too.
“Everything that he was and did was an expression of that message to us. It can be our message too. As a campus community, we represent many different groups, languages, backgrounds and organisations.
“Just as the loss of Professor Mayosi united us in grief a year ago, I am asking all of us to unite in our commitment to the values he demonstrated. In that way, we can be his memorial at UCT and his gift to the world,” Phakeng said.