Durban - Stand up comedian Justice Kubheka, 38, obtained his National Diploma in Electrical Power Engineering at the Durban University of Technology (DUT) Autumn Graduation ceremony at the Olive Convention Centre on Monday.
In a statement on Tuesday DUT said “It’s not a joke” Kubheka is among the Durban graduates who were honoured at the opening ceremony of the Durban graduations which started on Monday, May 22, 2023 and is set to end next Wednesday.
Kubheka who is from Thornville outside Pietermaritzburg is proud of himself for finally managing to obtain his first qualification.
DUT said he first enrolled for a National Diploma in Electrical Engineering: Heavy Current in 2004 at DUT but he did not complete his studies as his main focus was on his booming comedy career.
“First time around, I was only left with completing my in-service training in order to graduate. At that time, I had already engaged myself in comedy. I became a professional stand-up comedian, and I ended up putting my studies on hold.
“A few years later, I realised I needed to finish what I started at DUT. I did it so that even when my kids look back, they can say that dad was an entertainer, but he is also a qualified engineer,” said Kubheka.
Kubheka said the impact of the Covid-19 lockdown on the entertainment industry made him realise the importance of having a qualification on hand.
“During Covid, we had a problem as events were not happening. If you had nothing on paper, survival was tough. I decided to go back to university. I am not stopping my entertainment career but now I want to also pursue my academic career.
“I will now apply for jobs; the good thing is that the country is facing the load shedding crisis so it seems Eskom does need me. It's either I go and help them tackle this problem or I establish my own Eskom,” he said.
According to Kubheka, the people of Thornville also have high hopes that he will come up with solutions to address the electricity problem in their area.
DUT said at the graduation ceremony, Kubheka said he was inspired by the other graduates who obtained their Master’s degrees and he hopes to further his studies in the future.
The university said Kubheka has been a stand-up comedian for the past 16 years and just like every entertainer, he is also trying to rebuild after the Covid-19 outbreak.
