News

The University continues to empower its staff with research-related matters so they will continue to make an impact. On 28 January 2026, the Research directorate had a workshop off campus where staff – both academic and support staff had a chance to listen to an expert from the National Research Foundation (NRF) who gave them a lecture on how to apply for an NRF rating. NRF’s Jelka Monyela went to town, explaining how staff can apply for a rating. Monyela gave the reasons why the ratings are important. It is to gauge the strength of the South African Science. Monyela said that rating gives researchers a chance to benchmark the quality of their work against international peers and to measure the strength of the SA Science system. Also, some higher education institutions use the NRF Rating as a proxy for performance and research excellence when recruiting, selecting and appointing staff.

As MUT enters the first year of the Strategic Plan 2026-2030, the University is rolling out core activities under the IGNITE 2030 initiative. The energy across the Institution is real, as said by Dr Liile Lekena-Bayaga, Acting Senior Director: Directorate of Institutional Planning and Research (DIPR). Dr Lekena-Bayaga said IGNITE 2030 captures a clear direction and a shared ambition for impact. Speaking at the workshop held on 29 January 2026 at MUT’s main campus, Dr Liile Lekena-Bayaga emphasised that Business Continuity is not about bureaucracy or fear; it is about execution discipline and institutional operational resilience. In simple terms, a BCP helps each division to identify what must never stop, clarifies realistic restoration timeframes, maps critical dependencies, and agrees on practical fallback actions before disruption happens. Zimasa Gwarube, Acting Director: Audit, Risk and Compliance, reinforced the governance value of continuity planning. Gwarube said that business continuity is not an optional

In a heartwarming celebration, the MarComms team joyfully welcomed Mrs Molly Mbhele to MUT, marking a significant moment as she brought her son, Asanda, a bright young student now studying Civil Engineering in S2. This connection runs deep. Asande’s father, Mazwi Mbhele, studied civil engineering at MUT and owns one of KZN’s premier black-owned civil engineering firms. The legacy of excellence spans generations, with both of his parents first meeting at MUT in the late 90s. Molly’s journey is a testament to resilience and growth. After moving from Gauteng, she enrolled at MUT as a student, then joined the Department of Environmental Health as a secretary and later served as the Alumni Relations Officer in the Marketing and Communications office. Her commitment to her alma mater led to her nomination as a Council member, during which she left an indelible mark from 2009 to 2013. Reflecting on her journey, Molly

MUT is proud to serve as a South African partner institution in the Addressing Future Jobs (AFJ): Entrepreneurial Skills Development and Work-Integrated Learning project, an Erasmus+-funded initiative coordinated by the University of Johannesburg (UJ) through its Johannesburg Business School.  Becoming a partner institution in the AFJ project will strengthen MUT’s academic capacity by equipping lecturers with hands-on, innovative teaching approaches that embed entrepreneurial thinking and work-integrated learning into everyday practice, while further enhancing the University’s WIL systems. Through collaboration with European partner institutions, MUT will draw on international best practices, thoughtfully adapted to local realities, to create a more integrated, relevant, and impact-driven learning environment aligned with the University’s commitment to graduate success. The project also creates opportunities for MUT to deepen collaboration between academic departments, the Entrepreneurship hub initiatives, Co-operative Education, and alumni entrepreneurs, contributing to a more integrated entrepreneurship and employability ecosystem within the University. Dr Connie Israel,

The Mangosuthu University of Technology (MUT) reaffirmed its commitment to its stakeholder relations agenda when it was formally recognised at the Solwazi Foundation’s 10th awards ceremony in honour of Menzi High School’s excellent performance in matric. The Solwazi Foundation’s awards ceremony, held at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre (ICC) on 23 January 2025, also acknowledged strategic partners who have contributed to sustained learner success in Umlazi Township. Throughout the Solwazi Foundation’s years of association, Menzi High School has achieved 100% pass rates, including during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. The day-long programme brought together more than 1 000 attendees, including Prince Qedi Zulu, founder of Solwazi Foundation, Princess Lungi (MaMkhwanazi) Zulu, members of the Zulu Royal Family, KwaZulu-Natal Premier, Hon Thami Ntuli,  Menzi High School alumni, the Class of 2025, parents, Department of Basic Education officials from the Umlazi District and the province, and faith leaders from the

Umlazi Township high schools are shining and are now setting the agenda that the township does not need to take its children out of the township to receive superior education. Superior education is right within the township. “If the results of Menzi High School are anything to go by, we are soon going to reach a point where we may not need to take our learners to suburban schools. What is great with the success of Menzi high school is that many schools that we supported have now also caught up with Menzi High School and received 100% pass rates. I can cite the case of Ndukwenhle, and Shumayela high schools, which have now attained a 100% pass rate that parents may no longer need the so-called Model-C schools or other schools outside Umlazi Township”, said Zama Sishi, Stakeholder Relations Director at MUT. Sishi also gave an update on what

Gift of the Givers continues its commitment to provide water and cooked meals to students as the students they patiently await clearance with their registration process. The meals are prepared at one of the hotels under contract with Gift of the Givers. “Although the food was originally meant for 500 students per day, it is plenty, and each day, we serve up to 800 students. The meals this week have been served primarily by the MarComms team, with relentless support from Nikela Mchunu and Ray Zulu from Maintenance, peer helpers, and the MUT Campus Radio Team, Ntokozo Buthelezi, Awethu Kelese, and Mvelo Hadebe. We have had some staff members coming to assist. We are grateful to everyone who has put in their hands-on work on this task daily”, said Mbali Mkhize, Senior Director, Marketing and Communications. “To Gift of the Givers, we are humbled, and we trust that this spirit

Today is the eighth day the University is feeding large numbers of students, both new and returning. Each day, more than 500 students receive meals from Give of the Givers, a charity organisation that provides much-needed support to people adversely affected by hard times. Many students come to the University because they believe MUT offers them hope. This makes it difficult for the University to manage the situation; some of these students arrive early and spend the entire day on campus; the numbers are overwhelming. Some students are from distant places and must leave the University very late, when they are very hungry. Mbali Mkhize, the Senior Director, Department of Marketing and Communications, said that what the University was doing for students was part of the Institution’s philosophy of caring for others. “We were highly touched by the fact that potential students who are pinning their hopes on MUT for

While the Department of Marketing and Communications is known for its contributions to the University’s support functions, the department has lately been excelling, true to its mission of putting others first and enhancing the University’s brand. From 23 January 2026, the department’s staff left their offices every day and rolled up their sleeves to serve food to students. Recently, the department’s Senior Director, Mbali Mkhize, contacted Gift of the Givers, a charity organisation, to provide food, as many returning and new students spend the entire day at the University while registration continues. The University is under siege as huge numbers of students and parents ignore the procedure of applying through the Central Application Office (CAO) on time and come to the University only when they have been given a firm offer, and do not come to MUT as a walk-in, and come to the University to take chances. This situation

Compliments on the new season. I wish you well in your efforts to make this University a better place for our community. I would like to inform you that we have made significant progress with the intake of first-year students. Our target is 4004 for the entire year, and as of Friday, 23 January 2026, we have registered 2229 students. Although this milestone is unprecedented, I believe we can still improve in the future. Admittedly, we faced initial technical glitches, but the contributions of our various teams and supporting staff have demonstrated the greatness of MUT people. I would like to applaud everyone who contributed to ensuring the registration process did not collapse despite the unexpected challenges we faced on day one of registration. I encourage all staff members to share their suggestions for best practices to enhance our registration procedures. Your insights will be valuable for discussion among our