The sight of EFF spokesman Mbuyiseni Ndlozi proudly strutting to receive his doctorate at the University of the Witwatersrand graduation ceremony this week was obviously an exciting moment for his friends, family and party.
But it could also be an important learning moment for the people stuck at the bottom of the ladder, many of whom believe society may have dealt them a bad hand.
A question that was probably in many people's minds was: where in heaven's name did Ndlozi get the time to study, given his many responsibilities?
His role in the EFF means he's often either drafting a press release or in front of a microphone. He seems to be at every demonstration up and down the country.
He's the National Assembly's self-appointed sentinel who, if not calling President Jacob Zuma to order, is keeping an eye on those who occasionally take a nap during proceedings. And, I'm sure, like all young men, he has a roving eye.
That he had been able to find the time to finish his studies amid all these other distractions attests to exceptional drive and commitment. He has the oomph. He should be commended for doing so well. As they'd say in the street, jealous down.
Ndlozi's graduation presented a golden opportunity for party leader Julius Malema to once again show off the academic prowess of his team. They came resplendent in their academic attire, and pranced in the rain. They definitely made a feast of it.And why not? Who'd begrudge them? For once people were bragging about real personal achievements, not about some dodgy deal or tender.
But, of course, nothing in this world is ever devoid of politics, not when politicians are involved. Unfavourable comparisons are obviously always bound to be drawn with the academic endeavours of the other parties, especially the ANC. Zuma doesn't know what a certificate looks like.
Malema is living proof of the saying that he who laughs last, laughs the longest. Only a few years ago he was a butt of jokes when it was revealed he had scraped through matric, with a G symbol in woodworking and very low mark in Sepedi, his mother tongue.
That became an albatross which his enemies hung around his neck with some relish. Who, they calculated, would want to be led by someone who couldn't cut it in woodworking? Gales of laughter at his expense must have been at full throttle.
But Malema didn't sulk or hit back. He got down to work. To the surprise of friends and foes, last year he graduated with a bachelor's degree and followed it up this year with an honours.
Of course people achieve even more spectacular academic qualifications every day without too much song and dance. They regard their achievements as personal milestones and leave it at that.
But politics and education in our history have not been the best of friends. Under apartheid, education was a tool to equip some and oppress others.
Now, instead of empowering people to thrive thanks to the opportunities and pleasures made available by the new dispensation, what is dished out as education is nothing but a poisonous concoction that is destroying dreams...