After months of chemotherapy, 12-year-old Lichumile Mzizi from Zwide is back at school (Image: Supplied) 
The first thing Lichumile Mzizi wanted to do when her speech returned was tell her little sister to stop touching her stuff.
It was a small moment — a joke, really — but for a family that has spent months holding its breath through chemotherapy appointments and uncertainty, it felt enormous.
After months of treatment that left her with little hair and which affected her speech — and still with weekly hospital trips — the 12-year-old from Zwide in Gqeberha is doing something she wasn’t sure would be possible: going back to school.
This is in large part thanks to neighbours, school staff, church members and even strangers who rallied around her and her family, offering both help and emotional support throughout her journey.
Back in the classroom — part-time, for now
Lichumile, a brave cancer survivor and one of Isaac Booi Primary School’s top learners, now attends school three days a week. She isn’t yet able to rejoin full-time, but the transition has been made easier by what her mother describes as overwhelming support — from teachers, children, strangers and the family’s church.
At school, Lichumile works from the principal’s office, where staff members keep a close eye on her wellbeing. Her classmates are thrilled to see her again. According to the school’s principal, Ludwe Memese, her strength and determination have inspired many.
“Just five more months, and she’ll be done with her chemotherapy treatment,” said Memese.
“I’m proud of her strength and resilience. These are the makings of a great future leader. Her testimony will change lives one day,” Memese said.
The long road to healing
The first signs of Lichumile’s ill health started towards the end of 2023 when she experienced a headache in class one day.
“It was so severe that I received a call from the school asking me to fetch her. When we got home, even the pain tablet I gave her could not help,” Siphokazi Mzizi, her mother, recalled.
The next couple of weeks would become even more unbearable for Lichumile. “The headaches kept getting worse, to the point where they affected her sight. My baby girl could not even see the board in class, or read her books – that was difficult for me, seeing my little bookworm not being able to read.”
Lichumile was diagnosed with cancer by an oncologist in the private sector – a cost her family could not afford for very long.
“They discovered three cancerous brain tumours – my heart sank. It was like a movie – I was hearing those doctors from a distance. That was probably one of the worst days of my life,” Siphokazi said.
The worst was not yet over for the Mzizi family – getting Lichumile on the list of patients waiting to undergo surgery was a battle Siphokazi was not ready for. Her daughter’s surgery needed to happen urgently, but she was just not getting the assistance she needed.
“We’d go to the hospital, sit in those long queues all day, only to go back home unattended. This went on for months until she had the surgery.”
Siphokazi still accompanies Lichumile to the hospital once a week for chemotherapy sessions, but now at least there is light on the horizon. Despite being unemployed and struggling to support her children, she remains encouraged by the people who check in and offer help.
“I’m pleasantly surprised by even the strangers who keep checking her progress and offering any help, especially because I’m still unemployed and sometimes things get really tough for me and my children,” she said.
Signs of healing, humour and hope
There are other signs that things are changing. Lichumile’s speech, which was previously slurred, has returned to almost normal. Her hair is growing back. Her energy is up. And, in a sign that her confidence is rebuilding, she’s teasing her younger sibling again.
“I can tell I’m getting better. I'm glad I can speak clearly again ... I can finally go back to disciplining my younger sibling as well,” she joked.
Dealing with a sick child has been a difficult task for Siphokazi, and even though all her medical expenses were taken care of by the state, many other expenses come with an ill child.
Siphokazi has a community that has rallied behind her, making sure that she can support Lichumile.
“Not only has everyone lifted us up in prayer, but we still receive donations – food, clothing, money for the weekly hospital visits. Sometimes we run out of electricity and even rent money, but God really takes care of us through his people. I know the next five months are still going to be tough for me and my babies, but the spirit of community, God and the friendly medical staff at the hospital are really the wind beneath our wings,” she said. DM