News

All set for today’s State of the University address

Professor Marcus Ramogale, MUT’s Acting Vice-Chancellor and Principal, will deliver a State of the University (SOTU) address to staff and students at Bozzoli Hall. The address will also be broadcast live on MUT Campus Radio and via Microsoft Teams. This is the first time that SOTU has been held before the end of the first term. And indeed, a huge milestone for the University. There is a lot of excitement among staff who are eagerly awaiting and hoping that the address will have some good news for them. “The fact that this year’s SOTU is before the end of the first term is an indication of stability on campus. The executive also listened to requests by staff to have SOTU earlier and allow them to raise matters and engage the executive earlier. We believe that this SOTU is an engagement that will also shape a two-way communication programme between the

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MUT’s LOC receives commendation from overseas

The MUT Local Organising Committee for the EnergyWaterFoodClimate Nexus Summit which is scheduled for 1-4 July 2024, has received a stamp of approval from the Founder of the  EnergyWaterFoodClimate nexus summit, Dr Victor Ibeanusi. Dr Ibeanusi is the Dean in the School of the Environment at Florida Agricultural & Mechanical University. “I am so impressed at the great programme that you have put together. It is a world class programme and well thought of.  This promises to be a great summit. MUT has a huge potential and today you have proved what I have always said about MUT”, he said. This is a huge milestone for the LOC Chair Professor Nokuthula Sibiya, DVC who put together a team with special skills in all the four focus areas of the summit. The team, which includes Women in Climate Change, has also advocated strongly for the inclusion of women and other vulnerable

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MUT’s Engineering Faculty dean earns C2 NRF rating

The Dean of the Faculty of Engineering, Professor Babatunde Femi Bakare, was granted a C2 rating by the National Research Foundation (NRF) on 1 March 2024. This great news was delivered to Professor Bakare by the Director of the Research directorate, Dr Anette Mienie.  C2 rating means that all the reviewers are firmly convinced that the applicant is an established researcher as described. The applicant may, but need not, enjoy some international recognition for the quality and impact of their recent research output. Professor Bakare’s request for the new rating was based on the last five years of his academic activities. Responding to the news, Professor Bakare said he was “incredibly grateful and honoured” to receive the “prestigious” C2 rating from the NRF. “This recognition is incredibly meaningful and serves as a testament to the hard work and dedication poured into my research endeavours,” said Professor Bakare. Professor Bakare said

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Staff now able to make informed financial decisions after a presentation by a seasoned financial advisor

The MUT staff are now breathing a sigh of relief when they think about their finances, now and in the future.  The University staff benefited a lot from a presentation from Asogan Naicker, a financial advisor with many years of experience. Naicker is renowned for his expertise in Estate Planning, Retirement Planning and Taxation. He has been in the financial services industry for the last 36 years. He is the Business Principal at Platinum Consulting in the last 20 years. The kind of responses that staff showed indicated that they needed the presentation, and that they learnt a lot from it. Staff needed clarification on a lot of finance-related issues. The financial empowerment staff received will give them solid footing post their working days. Naicker made a very informative presentation to staff on 12 March 2024 online. His presentation was on ‘retirement planning and wills’.  Among others, Naicker talked about

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Internal auditors conduct audit to ensure the University is on a solid footing

The University’s Risk and Internal Audit continues with auditing the University departments. Mbali Khumalo, Internal Auditor: Risk and Internal Audit, said they started auditing the departments towards the end of 2023. Khumalo said that “risk assessment is a systematic process of identifying, analysing, and evaluating potential risks that could affect an organisation, project, or activity”. She said the purpose of a risk assessment was to understand the nature and magnitude of various risks and their potential impacts, to develop strategies for managing or mitigating those risks effectively. Khumalo said that so far, they have conducted departmental risks assessments for the Faculty of Engineering, the Department of Information Technology and Networks (IT&N, the Department of Finance, and the Department of Biomedical Sciences. “We have also run a strategic risks workshop with the Executive Management,” Khumalo said. Giving the reasons for conducting the audits, Khumalo said internal auditing is performed for several

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Students hail the Mining Qualifications Authority for financial support

Fifty-three students from all three faculties of the university are directly benefiting from the Mining Qualifications Authority (MQA). In a meeting that took place at the University on campus on 5 March 2024, Nkululeko Ngcobo, Financial aid Officer, said the bursary from MQA pays for all student’s necessities.  “The bursary pays for tuition fees, books, accommodation and meal allowances,” said Ngcobo. Ngcobo also said that the students must meet 50% minimum pass requirements. MQA Learner Programmes Administrator, Edmont Mabiletsa, said they fund students from all three faculties, starting from the first year up to PhD. However, at MUT they can go up to Master’s, which is the highest offering that the University has.  Mabiletsa added the importance of funding students from families that are struggling with finances. “Through the bursary, the students can pay their registration fee as well. Altogether, the bursary gives some relief to the families of the students. 

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MUT trains 10 more Social Entrepreneurs

In 2024 MUT will add 10 Social Entrepreneurs to the 22 the University has trained in the last few years. These Social Entrepreneurs are from Ugu, Ilembe and eThekwini District Municipalities. The Social Entrepreneurs were chosen through a rigorous interview process. Lead Facilitator from MUT, Ntombifuthi Mthembu, who is responsible for programme’s entrepreneurship skills, said the 2024 programme would run from March to August. This is the third phase of the KZN Regional and Local Economy Development Initiative. Mthembu said the purpose of the initiative was to develop business skills, “especially enterprises that have a social and environmental impact in their communities.” These Social Entrepreneurs are referred to as “Champions”, Mthembu said. On 29 February 2024 and 1 March 2024, MUT ran the first two-days a month classes at University’s main campus. Mthembu said the initiative is a collaboration programme between MUT, the University of KwaZulu-Natal and the University of

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MUT alumnus writes a guiding book for graduates

Now a seasoned and respected Human Resources specialist, a far cry from the time he was one of the students at the University in the late 1990s, Velaphi Gumede has penned a book that he says is aimed at closing a gap between what students learn in the lecture rooms, and what they encounter at the workplace. Gumede, an Acting Chief Director: Corporate Management Services, Department of Social Development, KwaZulu-Natal, graduated from MUT with a National Diploma in Municipal Administration in 1998. Gumede went on to study an advanced diploma in Human Resources Management with UNISA, and a Master of Business Administration with Regent Business School. Gumede said what motivated him to write the book was what he observed at the workplace and decided to do something to close the gap. The book is called ‘I’m Ready to be Hired – Graduate Career Guidebook’. Gumede was troubled by what was

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Environmental Health head appeals to all to “use water sparingly” as MUT prepares to celebrate National Water

The University’s Department of Environmental Health is inviting staff and students to join it on 19 March 2024 at the Faculty of Natural Sciences. The celebration is part of the national celebration of National Water Week, whose high point will be 22 March 2024, the day on which the whole world will be celebrating World Water Day. Dr Thobile Poswa, the Head of the Department, said the annual observance was established by the Department of Water and Sanitation to underscore the significance of water as an essential natural resource. The department is thus appealing to the university community to use water sparingly to ensure “Water For All”, which is a theme for 2024. Dr Poswa said the National Water Week presents a crucial opportunity to highlight the intersection between water conservation and environmental health. “Water is a fundamental resource that sustains life and plays a pivotal role in maintaining ecological

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MUT Health Services springs to action to shield staff and students from Pink Eye

Two weeks ago, Sr. Nomsa Mkhwanazi, Head of the Health Services at MUT, issued a warning about the MUT Clinic identifying a Conjunctivitis (Pink Eye) outbreak among MUT students staying in some external residences. Without waiting for new cases, Sr. Mkhwanazi issued a communication plan to prevent further Conjunctivitis spread.  This communication plan spread Pink Eye management and prevention tips using all the available communication platforms. Messages were communicated via flyers and social media. Sr Mkhwanazi herself did a live interview on MUT Radio, where she gave detailed information about the ‘Pink Eye’. Her message was picked up by national media, including the Sunday Times. On Monday this week, KZN’s Health MEC, Nomagugu Simelane-Zulu, issued a formal statement about the Pink Eye. The MEC also advised on what needed to be done when dealing with the problem. A big thank you goes to the Health Services and the Housing Department

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