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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