At the tender age of 33, Paul Mudau has proven beyond doubt to the youth of South Africa that any dream can be realised through hard work, dedication, and consistency. Mudau, from Musina Nancefield, received his PhD in Law from Wits University during a graduation ceremony held on Monday (8 July).

The title of Mudau’s thesis was: "The Role of Local Government in Achieving Spatial Equity through the Realisation of the Right to Housing in South Africa."

Dr Mudau is a senior lecturer in the Department of Public, Constitutional, and International Law at the University of South Africa (Unisa). He also holds crucial positions, including being associate editor of the Southern African Public Law Journal, a research associate at the Ismail Mohamed Centre for Human and Peoples' Rights at the University of Venda, and as founder and project leader of the civic and voter education law project (CVELP) at Unisa.

He was born and bred in Musina, where he attended Makushu Primary School and completed Grade 12 at Musina High School. Previously, he served as a legal intern at the Musina Local Municipality and also as municipal outreach coordinator for the Independent Electoral Commission in Musina.

Among his academic qualifications, Dr Mudau holds a bachelor of law (LLB) from the University of Limpopo, a master of law (LLM) in human rights and democratisation in Africa (jointly from the University of Pretoria and Makerere University, Uganda), a master of law (LLM) in law, state, and multilevel government from the University of the Western Cape, and his latest qualification, a PhD in law from Wits University.

His specialised areas of research interest include local government law, decentralisation, constitutional law, human rights, democracy and elections, spatial planning law, and public administration and the law. He has authored several articles and book chapters on topics related to public law, human rights, and democracy, and has presented papers at numerous conferences and workshops on his research interests.

Importantly, Dr Mudau plays a significant role in the Musina community, empowering vulnerable groups and others to uplift themselves through education. “Knowledge has no boundaries, and I will continue studying until my last day on earth. I would like to encourage young people to take education seriously because it is the only weapon that we can use to free our minds and our country,” he said.