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M U T

S P I R I T

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J A N U A R Y - M A R C H 2 0 2 0

This important trip was initiated by the University’s new Convocation Executive, which

was elected on 7 December 2019. Its president, Sandile Dlamini, said that as part of

Convocation’s plan for contributing to the improvement of conditions at the University,

they would contact strategic partners and request them to help out. The Prince of

KwaPhindangene, Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi, was naturally their first choice. This

decision was supported by the Vice-Chancellor and the University Registrar who are also

by virtue of their positions, members of Convocation Executive.

Alumni in action

Convocation Executive visits Founder and former Premier to

seek help

“We wanted to hit the ground running,” Sandile

said. As former student leaders, Sandile and his

team understood the urgency of the situation. Their

standpoint was that it did not make too much sense

that every year the same problems occur at South

African universities, and nothing is done about them.

Who does not know there will be problems related to

housing next year? We are all expecting that the lack

of post-graduate funding will be one of the issues the

students will put on the table next year. There will be

huge numbers of applicants that will be turned away

because of a lack of space. There are many other

issues that Sandile and his team are aware of. But the

said ones require urgent attention, and universities

need outside partners to help deal with them.

The Convocation Executive is acutely aware of this

fact, and their plan has been commended in very high

places and supported by the University’s executive

leadership. This is a giant step for the Convocation

Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi, fourth from left, with the MUT Convocation Executive, and MUT staff in front of the Prince

Mangosuthu Buthelezi Museum and Documentation Centre