Richard Hafani's journey in life has not been a bed of roses. A year after he completed his matric at Ratshikwekwete Secondary School in Vuwani in 1995, he registered for a diploma in human-resource (HR) management at a college in Gauteng, but then he had to drop out because of financial constraints. Yet, despite the challenges he met on his way, he continued to hold on to his dream of finishing his education.
In 1998, he started working as a security guard, and in 2002, decided to go back and finish his national diploma in HR management through UNISA. This he did while he continued to work as a security guard.
"I would report for duty at 06:00 in the morning, and when I was due for exams, beg my supervisor to release me, so I could go and write. I would put on a jacket over my uniform, take a taxi to the exam centre, and when I had finished writing, go back to work," he said. And so he pushed through, working and studying towards his goal, one day at a time.
In 2008, he obtained his diploma in human-resource management, followed by a national diploma in security-risk management in 2012 and a BTech degree in 2016.
Today, at 46, Hafani feels that his dream is finally becoming a reality as he looks at his latest achievement: a master's degree in security and risk management, obtained from UNISA. "Better late than never," he laughs. "My master's research proposal was accepted in 2018. I completed my dissertation in March this year and graduated in September."
He now works as a security manager for one of the biggest government parastatals. But he is far from done. His plan for the future is to study for his PhD and also assist other security officers to reach their dreams.
"I would like to express my thanks to my lovely wife, Mpho, and my kids for their unwavering support during my years of studying," Hafani said. "The best is yet to come."