You matriculated at the age of 14, obtained an LLB degree at 21, went on to get a master’s degree at 23 and were an admitted attorney by the age of 24. Those could be considered records.
My background had a lot to do with that. My parents were political exiles and activists, which means I was born outside South Africa. We had a lot of knowledge about apartheid, and we advocated against the regime. Seeing these injustices being perpetuated under apartheid motivated me to study law and to make sure I educate people about their legal rights. My father never treated me differently from my two brothers and always told me that I could do as well as, if not better than, my brothers. As a young girl, I had a reading disability, but my mother never gave up on me. She helped me to study and paid a lot of attention to me.
There’s a lot more to this story.
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