There's a world of fascination and opportunity in science says Nkosinathi Mazungula, research collections officer at the South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity (SAIAB).
There's a world of fascination and opportunity in science says Nkosinathi Mazungula, research collections officer at the South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity (SAIAB).
As part of a team of scientists, his duty is to collect fish, sort them and catalogue them in the institute's database. His remit includes fish found in lakes and rivers, oceans species and even sharks.
Working with fish hasn't always been his ambition, though. “I came to this field by accident," Mazungula said. "At university I wanted to do computer science – but I then saw that there were too many students in the computer class.
"I fell in love with icthyology.”
He said that he is passionate about his job and does not regret the choice he made.
“Science is very interesting and it needs a person who is dedicated, who is not lazy,” Mazungula said. Mazungula, who was born in Grahamstown, said he'd had certain challenges to overcome.
“When I was young my mom did not allow me to go to the river and swim because she believed that I would be interrupting the ancestors. "So when I was asked to swim, as the research collections officer, I would struggle. I had to take swimming lessons.”
Today, it is Mazungula's son who motivates him.
“The fact that I have to keep in mind that he needs me to feed him makes me work harder," he said.
Mazungula said growing up in Grahamstown wasn't easy, but he'd stood tall and managed to chase his dreams.
“People should persevere and not give up," Mazungula said.
"The hardship of our townships should be a motivation to us to want to do more, rather than discouraging us.”
Right now, he's just finished sorting a collection from Zimbabwe. The work forms part of his Masters, in which he is looking at morphological and molecular variations of southern African catfish.
He urges teachers to encourage school children to study science and pursue careers in this field.
"Science is a broad field, so there's plenty of scope to find something that interests you," he said.
National Science Week 2015 runs from today (1 August) to 8 August.
