In a distinctive expression of leadership, MUT Council Chairperson Dr Mosidi Makgae conceptualised an awards ceremony that went beyond celebrating institutional achievements to recognising the people whose dedication, resilience, and often-unseen contributions made them possible.
For many employees at Mangosuthu University of Technology (MUT), an invitation to the Chairperson of Council’s Institutional Excellence and Recognition Gala Dinner on 23 October 2026 may have come as a surprise. After all, it is not every day that a university Council Chairperson personally brings together more than 20 executive leaders, senior managers, and staff from support offices to acknowledge their contributions to institutional success.
Dr Makgae deliberately wanted to do something different to recognise the people behind MUT’s institutional recovery and to demonstrate that the Council’s relationship with the University community should extend beyond governance meetings, reports, and oversight responsibilities.
Describing the evening as “a day of celebration, celebrating institutional recovery and restoring our confidence”, Dr Makgae used the occasion to acknowledge the collective effort that had helped MUT move from a disclaimer audit opinion to an unqualified audit opinion.
Her decision to conceptualise the awards reflected a leadership philosophy that places equal importance on accountability, appreciation, and constructive relationships. “We are a Council that will work with management. I am prepared to see how the executive and Council, including organised labour, are all in this to be more united and more constructive,” she said.
Perhaps one of the most revealing aspects of Dr Makgae’s thinking was her insistence that certain employees reporting directly to executive and senior management be included among the invited guests.
As she explained, Council members regularly read reports bearing the names of officials whose work informs institutional decisions. Yet, they seldom have an opportunity to meet these individuals or acknowledge their contributions personally.
Kudos to Dr Makgae for the Emotional Intelligence displayed. It was indeed a memorable evening in which ranks did not matter, just camaraderie among colleagues all with a common purpose to make IGNITE 2030 achievable with excellence.