Stellenbosch Twins’ Graduation Honors Mother’s Legacy | SU Alumna

Stellenbosch University celebrated the graduation of twin sisters Clio and KD Sass on March 25, 2026, a milestone deeply intertwined with the legacy of their mother, Patricia Grace Rorich, a former student and anti-apartheid activist.

The twins’ achievement carries particular weight as their mother’s own studies at Stellenbosch were disrupted in the early 1980s due to her activism against apartheid. Rorich was arrested for protesting the injustices of the regime and subsequently barred from continuing her medical degree, forcing her to switch to a BSc in dietetics. According to Stellenbosch University, Rorich’s story is “one of resilience, sacrifice and legacy.”

Clio Sass earned a master’s degree in food science, graduating cum laude. Her sister, KD Sass, completed her BSc in mathematical sciences: biomathematics last year. The graduation ceremony served as an opportunity to honor their mother’s sacrifices and the broader struggle against apartheid.

“When we walk across the stage, we don’t walk for ourselves alone,” Clio Sass stated, as reported by Stellenbosch University. “We walk for the sacrifices our mother and father made, and for the sacrifices made by their parents and siblings before them.”

The twins grew up in Pinelands, Cape Town, surrounded by a large extended family. Their mother had five siblings, and their father, Ernest Sass, was one of nine children, raised in Elsies River. Although their mother died of breast cancer when they were three years old, her story remained a guiding influence throughout their lives.

Stellenbosch University highlighted that Rorich’s resilience and refusal to view herself as a victim shaped the sisters’ approach to their own challenges. The university stated that their graduation represents not only personal achievement but also the continuation of a legacy interrupted by history, reflecting both South Africa’s progress and the enduring impact of those who fought against apartheid.