In South Africa, 3 November to 3 December has been set aside as the National Disability Rights Awareness Month to celebrate and raise awareness on the rights of people with disabilities in our communities.

The 2021 theme, “The Year of Charlotte Mannya Maxeke – Create and Realise an Inclusive Society Upholding Rights of Persons with Disabilities”, is befitting to a long service woman in leadership at Unisa.

Her name is La-Portia Mahlangu-Matjila, a diligent servant of the university for 27 years. She is now serving Unisa as the Acting Director in the Postgraduate Administration Department (PGAD) in the College of Graduate Studies (CGS). In 2019, she was diagnosed with an illness called polymyositis, a urological immune deficiency illness that causes muscle weakness.

Even after the life-threatening diagnosis, Mahlangu-Matjila continues to efficiently lead a department with a staff component of 86 members. PGAD is responsible for the postgraduate student’s administration at Unisa.

La-Portia Mahlangu-Matjila

“The growing numbers of postgraduate registered students, our output in terms of postgraduate graduations contributes to the third-stream income of the university, making PGAD to be at the heart of the university”, Mahlangu-Matjila said.

Thriving against all odds

Not only does Mahlangu-Matjila head a voluminous department, but she is also a registered PhD student at Unisa. “What makes my studies remarkable is that, even during the aggressive, progressive deterioration of my body, I successfully managed to submit my dissertation over 12 months during my hospitalisation”, she reflected.

The prognosis of the life-threatening illness in 2019 by the doctors was three months, which she has outlived. “For that I acknowledge the grace and favour of the Almighty God, who allows me to do the possible while, He does the impossible,” she said.

Although Mahlangu-Matjila has been experiencing gradual paralysis and is presently wheelchair bound, she uses different aids to get through her day-to-day life while continuing to be in the employment of the university.

While Mahlangu-Matjila was on her journey of recovery and experiencing relapses, she – together with her female management team – registered for the Oxford Women’s Leadership Development Programme. They worked as a group and successfully completed the online programme. Mahlangu-Matjila continues to expose herself over and above her studies, her work and managing the illness. “I still continue to equip myself to be an asset to the university”, she said. 

Mahlangu-Matjila, a beautiful soul with a bubbly personality attributed her staff to being the reason they are one of the most successful teams working remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown at Unisa.

“I continue to be fully active and two of the reasons that lead to my success workwise and in my studies, is God’s grace; second to that it's the team that I have”, she said. “I am grateful to my management team who have been very supportive, making sure that my absence is not felt while working from home, hospital and rehab with my condition”, she said with gratitude.

Eye on examining management performance at Unisa

In 2021, Mahlangu-Matjila qualified with a master’s degree in Public Administration. Her research topic, “Management of performance appraisal in institutes of higher learning: Case study the University of South Africa”, was in and around the area that she is working in. She focused on improving performance in the frontline departments and researched on an understanding that the institution needs to meet its mandate and maintain its standard.

Her focus point was on two administrative departments that are at the heartbeat of Unisa, the Directorate of Student Admissions and Registrations (DSAR) and the Postgraduate Administration Department. “I wanted to make sure that I examined the management of performance in the institution and to show the importance of employees’ performance and output, which leads to the success of the institution”, said Mahlangu-Matjila.

Honoured with awards

During August, Mahlangu-Matjila received numerous awards, including the Unisa Research & Innovation (R&I) Postgraduate Student Showcase prize, and the Courage in Diversity award at the Annual Feroza Adam Memorial Lecture and Unisa Woman of the Year Awards.

Her abstract presentation at the R&I Postgraduate Student Showcase secured her a second runner up prize at a doctoral level under the Social Sciences discipline. Her abstract title on the “Performance management support working anywhere, anytime” zoomed into Unisa as the case study. The reason for her topic is based on the circumstances and impact of COVID-19 on the working class and their contribution to the economy. “I want to illustrate that because of the COVID-19 pandemic, we can and need to change from an office bound environment to working remotely, supported by technology driven systems”, she said.

Another award that she was honoured with was at the Annual Feroza Adam Memorial Lecture and Unisa Woman of the Year Awards, for her “courage in diversity”. Under the theme, “a generation equality realising women’s rights for an equal future”, Mahlangu-Matjila was acknowledged that despite her life-threatening illness, she continues to be in the employment of the university and is taking part in making sure that females are being developed for leadership roles. Furthermore, she influences and guides them to move onto the next level in their career paths.

Every day is a miracle

“During all that was happening to me in managing the illness and doing my work, I also became a victim of gender-based violence through emotional abuse. My husband of 14 years decided to leave me on my death bed in hospital. He divorced me and got married to someone else”, Mahlangu-Matjila said sombrely.

“Every day is a miracle”, Mahlangu-Matjila reflected, “because I'm not sure what is going to happen in the next hour. While the divorce shamed me. I encouraged myself, to rise and make the best out of life.”

Her only surviving child, a son, turned 17 this year and is doing matric. She said it was not easy for her son with all the life changes happening around him, but she gives thanks to God that her son managed to write his final exams.

Living beyond what medicine says

“When you are living beyond what medicine says and provides, it becomes a challenge for the people around you because they don't know how to support you”, said Mahlangu-Matjila. However, she continues to provide strategic leadership, support staff, and ensure service provision to students.

Mahlangu-Matjila said her work and studies have been some of the factors giving value to her life. “My brain is functioning well. I'm able to deliver. I've gone through four robust performance reviews cycles since my diagnosis, and I was able to register my inputs and map the success of the department”, she said.

Power to those who have been champions in upholding the rights of persons with disabilities through enabling Mahlangu-Matjila to efficiently continue to have a wholesome life, and to be productive in her work and studies.

By: Mpho Moloele, PR and Communications, Department of Research, Innovation and Commercialisation