Mangosuthu University of Technology (MUT) will institutionalise the legacy of its Founder, Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi, through the inaugural MUT Founder’s Annual Lecture on Saturday, 3 October 2026, at the Durban International Convention Centre, Hall 3A.
Hosted under the theme, “Towards 2030: MUT’s Shared Vision for South Africa’s Higher Education Contribution to the Global World of Work,” the lecture will establish a platform for critical reflection on the role of higher education in shaping South Africa’s future.
Chairperson of the MUT Council, Dr Mosidi Makgae, described the institutionalisation of the lecture as a significant milestone in the University’s history. “The Founder’s Annual Lecture will be a living intellectual platform through which academics, students, leaders and members of society can engage contemporary questions relating to ethical leadership, education, governance, youth development, African identity, social cohesion and community transformation,” said Dr Makgae.
She explained that universities across the world preserved the legacies of distinguished leaders through named lectures that promoted scholarship, critical reflection and public dialogue. The establishment of MUT’s flagship annual lecture would therefore position the University as a custodian of African educational, intellectual and leadership heritage.
“As the Council of MUT, we recognise our responsibility to protect the University’s institutional memory while ensuring that its founding values remain relevant to the future. The lecture will strengthen MUT’s identity, elevate its contribution to national discourse and preserve the legacy of the visionary whose commitment made this University possible,” Dr Makgae said.
Interim Vice-Chancellor and Principal, Professor Rushiella Songca, said the Founder had given MUT both an institution and an enduring mandate.
“Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi gave us more than a university. He gave us a mandate: to use education as an instrument of empowerment, transformation and inclusive development,” said Professor Songca. She said the Founder’s Annual Lecture would connect MUT’s founding mandate with its future under IGNITE 2030, the University’s strategic vision for institutional renewal, excellence and societal impact.
“The lecture creates a space in which we can reflect on our history while asking what contribution MUT and the broader higher education sector must make towards South Africa’s The public lecture concept thus aligns strongly with:
- The re-positioning of the University;
- MUT’s IGNITE (Vision) 2030;
- The university’s transformation in teaching and learning, research and innovation and social cohesion objectives;
- African-centred scholarship
- Public intellectual engagement and nation-building priorities.
The inaugural MUT Founder’s Annual Lecture will take place on Saturday, 3 October 2026, at the Durban International Convention Centre, Hall 3A.