On 10 December 2025, the Mangosuthu University of Technology’s Learning and Teaching Directorate hosted its annual Teaching and Learning Awards with a refined sense of elegance that reflected the occasion’s significance and the directorate’s posh events, which it is known for. As guests arrived at the neatly decorated venue, greeted by soft lighting and thoughtful touches, it became evident that this was a meaningful gathering honouring excellence, resilience, and the core mission that continues to guide MUT.
Staff members arrived in their finest attire, students glowed with accomplishment, and families looked on with admiration. The glitz and glam served as a backdrop to a day deeply rooted in academic achievement and institutional values.
A particularly touching highlight of the event was the thoughtful foresight demonstrated by Dr Manyana Makua’s directorate: the deliberate decision to invite parents of winning students and families of staff members receiving awards. Their presence transformed the celebration into a truly communal gathering, affirming MUT’s commitment to being a caring, people-centred institution. Applause and ululations in a typical Umlazi style reflected that at the end of it all, MUT represents a family, reminding everyone that success is never an individual journey, but a shared milestone.
When Dr Makua took to the podium, his speech carried the unmistakable tone of conviction and vision. He reflected on the Learning and Teaching Directorate’s evolving role, speaking with clarity about MUT’s future, one grounded in innovation, student success, and academic excellence. His landmark speech on ‘time’ is a constant reminder that all the idioms and proverbs about time which we either learnt from schools, churches and universities are true, after all, for ‘Time waits for no man’, ‘Procrastination is the thief of time’, and indeed, according to Dr Makua, “no greater writer has spoken more about time than Shakespeare in all his great writings”, citing various poems, dramas, sonnets to show the depth of the ‘concept of time’.
The ceremony encapsulated everything that MUT stands for: excellence, humility, care, and a commitment to shaping futures. By the time the final applause faded, it was clear that the Learning and Teaching Directorate had delivered more than an event. They had created a moment; a glittering reminder of MUT’s journey, its purpose, and its bright horizon. And for everyone in the room, the day reaffirmed a shared truth: that being part of MUT is a mission rooted in transformation, service, and collective triumph. But it had to be over with a dance chosen by the man of the cloth himself, showing that at the end of the day, we all have this inner joy that needs to come out, and in true MUT-style.