In 1970, four boys from Hwiti High in the former Northern Transvaal arrived in Wentworth, Durban, to undertake their MBChB studies at the Alan Taylor campus of the University of Natal. The youngest, the grandly named Mphako Charles Martin Modiba, grew up in the poverty-stricken community of Kwareng gaMamabolo. His mother was a nurse and his father a farm school principal. As their eldest son, he knew they had invested precious resources in his education, and that their expectations, and that of his whole community, were very high.

Charles, as he was known, was acutely aware of the responsibility that came with privilege and had already showed a relentless focus on excelling since primary school.

“I can assure you, I was not the brightest fellow…I was good, yes, but there were chaps who were smarter than I…Most of them ended up driving tractors and trucks for white farmers in the area. They had the brains but they were never given a chance…So when I realised how fortunate I was to get superior education to that offered by the farm environment in which I grew up, I made sure I used the opportunity to the full.” (Tribute magazine interview, 1990)

Because of their excellent academic results, the four boys (Charles, Erick Neluheni, Peter Maelane and William Makgoba) had bursaries while at school and received Department of Health bursary-loans to study medicine. Charles didn’t just study medicine at Wentworth, he crushed it, topping the class in most subjects in every year and receiving the most prizes at graduation. As a clinician at Baragwanath, he often volunteered to do multiple surgeries in a day and rapidly advanced to become one of South Africa’s foremost liver and kidney transplant specialists within a decade of graduating.

In 1990, Charles was at the top of his profession, a fellow of the American College of Surgeons with extensive study visits at Hammersmith Hospital, London, and the Northwestern University Tissue Typing Laboratory in Chicago, under his belt. A lucrative career in private consultancy or academia at Wits University were on offer. Yet, he spurned both options the instant Prof Ephraim Mokgokong offered him a place at Medunsa as the head of general surgery, where he enjoyed the roles of teacher and mentor to thousands of students for the remaining 18 years of his life.

Having led by example, Prof Modiba constantly urged his students to work for the public good and plough back by returning to their communities once they qualified. His dislike of the limelight was almost pathological, to the extent that his sudden death, while a shock to the campus community, passed with hardly a public mention. His family quite rightly wanted to preserve his legacy of service and contribution to healthcare and the idea was born to assist the next Charles Modiba.

The family registered the Professor MCM Modiba Scholarship Fund NPC (the Fund) as a South African non-profit organisation in 2013, with the simple objective of increasing the number of doctors in our healthcare system. The Fund uses donations received from corporate citizens and Medunsa/SMU alumni to provide full scholarships to SMU students completing their MBChB degrees, based on economic need and academic merit.

The Professor MCM Modiba Scholarship Fund NPC Board (from left: Adv. Flora Modiba; Hilda Malahlela (special advisor to the board); Prof Maud Modiba; Leah Modiba and Matome Modiba), pictured with Prof Thifhelimbilu Luvhengo (one of Prof MCM Modiba’s past students).

To date, the Fund has supported five students who graduated in 2020 and is funding seven students who are now in their sixth year of MBChB studies – which translates into a sponsorship exceeding R2 million. In 2022, the Fund also began providing a small number of economically stressed SMU students with monthly stipends to cover basic food and personal goods.

Unusually for a non-profit organisation, the Fund is run by unpaid Board members with occasional inputs from professionals and advisors. Our partnership with SMU also assists in minimising administration costs. The number of students we can assist depends entirely on the donations received and income generated from fundraising activities.

If you would like to support our mission, the easiest way to do so is by joining our Woolworths MyVillage crowdfunding campaign – Woolworths will donate a portion of what you spend to the Fund at no cost to you. All you have to do visit https://www.myschool.co.za/signup/?c=b12618 (or SMS “Join” to 31231) and follow the prompts.

You can support us by purchasing a copy of Dedicated to Excellence, Prof Modiba’s biography, from the Board (info@mcmscholarshipfund.org). We also welcome direct donations to the Fund (see bank details below). As we are registered with SARS as a public benefit organisation, all donations to the Fund are tax deductible.

Bank details:
Bank: Standard Bank, Rosebank Branch (004305)

Account name: Professor MCM Modiba Scholarship Fund NPC
Account number: 401797139
To receive an 18A tax receipt, please send your proof of payment to info@mcmscholarshipfund.org.