University of KwaZulu-Natal education lecturer Dr Phephani Gumbi, graduated with a PhD in African languages.

Gumbi, who penned his thesis in isiZulu, said he was proud of his achievement.

He saw a gap and a need for isiZulu scholarship and decided to make a contribution in this field as a researcher.

He explored the language policies of schools in Harrismith, in the Free State, in relation to the national language policies and that of the province. His research investigated issues of social justice in the use of official languages, the indigenous African languages in particular, which are isiZulu and isiSuthu during teaching, learning and assessment in the Free State Province.