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What began as a request quickly became a commitment.  In response to MUT’s call for support, Gift of the Givers stepped forward with a decisive and compassionate pledge: to provide fully cooked meals to students for a continuous 10-day period. From 23 January 2026 to 1 February 2026, the organisation committed to ensuring that students would not only be fed but fed well. By 22 January 2026, Thursday evening, all systems were firmly in place. Through close liaison with Billal Jeewa of Gift of the Givers, planning moved swiftly from intent to execution. Logistics were aligned, numbers confirmed, and delivery schedules finalised; demonstrating the kind of operational efficiency that only comes from long-standing trust and shared purpose. While meal volumes will be slightly reduced on Saturday, 24 January 2026, in line with campus activity levels, the commitment to consistency and quality remains unwavering. Gift of the Givers will be providing

For about a decade, MUT has been a recipient and a responsible steward of Gift of the Givers’ humanitarian aid. When storms battered Umlazi and surrounding areas as far back as 2017, they were there with relief. When a computer laboratory was destroyed after the 2018 floods, they stepped in with replacement computers, protecting students’ access to learning. When water insecurity became a recurring reality in MUT’s main campus, they installed a 400,000-litre water tank, an infrastructure intervention with lasting impact, not a once-off gesture. And then came 2020: Some parents lost jobs during the COVID-19 pandemic and could no longer support their children. When the world closed its doors, Gift of the Givers opened theirs wider. Since then, every single month, over 500 MUT students have quietly and consistently, received food parcels. No cameras. No conditions. Just sustained humanitarian commitment woven into the fabric of the University’s student support

The Mangosuthu University of Technology (MUT) has congratulated the Umlazi District on its excellent academic performance, describing the results as a source of pride for the province and a strong foundation for the future of higher education. MUT Acting Vice-Chancellor, Dr Anette Mienie, expressed that the exceptional results herald a bright future for the University, emphasising that the Class of 2025 cohort will embody the high standards achieved across KwaZulu-Natal. “These results signify that the learners entering MUT in 2026 will embody the academic excellence achieved by the KZN Province. We are excited to welcome a cohort of well-prepared and motivated students,” said Dr Mienie. Dr Mienie emphasised that the University’s ongoing engagement with the schools in Umlazi has been instrumental in providing essential support. MUT has systematically visited high schools throughout the district to deliver career guidance, disseminate information on available academic courses at MUT, and highlight pathways after

On 15 January 2026, the Students Affairs Council Committee (SAC), continued to fulfil one of its key mandates: ensuring that University students have a supportive environment. According to the SAC Chair, Sandile Mbonambi, SAC provides oversight on student affairs matters, “which include, but are not limited to, student accommodation, student transport, general student wellness, and student life in general”.  On 15 January 2026, SAC visited some of the student residences off campus. Explaining the purpose of the visit, Mbonambi said it was “to assess the state of readiness on the ground for the 2026 academic year”. During a short meeting the SAC members held at the University before leaving for the external, outsourced residences, Mbonambi said they preferred not to rely on reports; they wanted to see “what was happening on the ground”.. He added that they wanted to assess the quality of the services that the University was offering

Like everyone in the country, the University eagerly awaited the announcement of the 2025 Matric results. These results have a major impact on the future of the learners, the country and the economy. As the centre of education, Mangosuthu University of Technology (MUT) is a place where learners can craft their futures. MUT starts doing that by connecting with schools to encourage them with the excellent work that they do. Part of this is visiting local schools that achieved a 100% pass rate in January every year to congratulate them on a job well done. This time, the Department of Communications’ Schools Liaison team visited Menzi High School and Ndukwenhle High School. The Principal of Ndukwenhle High School, Siyanda Mbonambi, profusely thanked his teachers for their roles in the learners’ performance. Mbonambi said everyone was holding their breaths. “Wait until you receive the statements,” Mbonambi said. “Achieving 92% bachelor pass

Still on the level of registration preparedness for the 2026 academic year, the University registration team conducted a walkabout on 16 January 2026 to ensure everything was on point for the first week of registration. Zolisa Gqamane, Deputy Registrar: Academic Administration and team leader, said they conducted a walkabout to ensure that all the physical resources they needed for registration were ready. Some of the registration stations that the team visited were Step 3, which deals with firm offers; Finance, where finance-related issues are handled; C13, where students will register online; C21, where accommodation-related matters are handled; and Bozzoli Hall, where student cards are issued. The team held its last registration meeting on 14 January 2026. Gqamane said that they would now communicate via mobile phones if there were any urgent matters that needed attention. During the meeting, all stakeholders said they would be ready for the two-week registration, which

The Parliament Portfolio Committee on Higher Education has urged all higher education institutions to promptly submit student registration data to NSFAS. This is crucial for the timely release of funds and to prevent disruptions at the start of the academic year. Tebogo Letsie made this statement on January 15, 2026. In light of this, MUT requests that all prospective students who have received firm offers respond promptly to avoid delays next week. As was mentioned by the University’s Registrar, Dr Karen Lazenby, the University has 4004 places available for first-year students. By14 January 2026, 4282 firm offers were made to applicants Dr Lazenby said these offers exceed the available places because some learners register at other universities. Dr Lazenby also stated that student enrolment is managed within the Department of Education and Training (DHET)prescript, namely that higher education institutions should not exceed, or enrol below, 2% of the approved DHET

The yearning among young people in the province to improve their education continues to grow at a fast and alarming pace. Every year, institutions of higher learning in the province receive thousands of applications from grade 12 learners to further their education. So far, the University has received more than 80,000 applications for the 3,220 places available for first-year students. Of these 86,498 applications, 15,415 were for the Diploma in Information Technology (Extended Curriculum Programme), making it the most popular. The ICT (ECP) is followed by a Diploma in Public Management, in popularity. This programme attracted 13,642 applications, while 13,200 prospective students showed interest in the Diploma in Human Resource Management programme.  All these applications were received from the Central Applications Office (CAO). The University does not accept applications made directly to it. The Institution also does not accept walk-in prospective students. The Head of the Department of Academic Administration,

The year 2026 has begun so well for an academic from the Department of Agriculture. Dr Ndumiso Ncobela, a Lecturer in this department, is one of 91 individuals from different universities who have been granted funding by the National Research Foundation (NRF). This grant is given to NRF Y-rated researchers. Recently, Dr Ncobela was included in the fourth cohort of the DHET Future Professors Programme (FPP), Phase 1. The programme is hosted by Stellenbosch University. Dr Ncobela has said this development is “an important milestone in my professional development. It affirms the relevance and quality of my research, and enables me to strengthen my postgraduate supervision skills, as funding is a key factor in recruiting and supporting postgraduate students.” This NRF financial support directly contributes to Dr Ncobela’s professional goals by enabling him to carry out a well-resourced research programme, facilitating student training, and supporting the dissemination of findings through

As MUT prepares to welcome the academic staff on 12 January 2026 and the students a week later, the University’s Protection Services has appealed to everyone to work with the unit to ensure the safety of all. Protection Services’ Sipho Dlamini said their main message was that “your safety is a shared responsibility.  Dlamini said that they have put in place security measures to ensure a safe, welcoming, and orderly environment for learning and working. “However, these measures are only effective when everyone cooperates and remains alert,” Dlamini said. Dlamini also said that Protection Services asks all staff, students and visitors to always carry valid identification, comply with access control procedures at the security checkpoints, and follow instructions from security personnel without question. “These rules are not meant to inconvenience anyone, but to protect every person on campus,” he said. Dlamini also appealed to all to be always aware of