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S P I R I T
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The University’s Department of Marketing and
Communications (MarComms) regarded the shutdown
of the University as a challenge to be faced head-on.
While away from the University, staff and students still
needed to be updated with news on the spread of
the virus and how this impacts the University. Mbali
Mkhize, Senior Director of the department, said that
this kind of work is not always easy.
“Everyone leading a communications division knows
that without the relevant information, the stakeholders
are vulnerable. They can’t take the right decisions. A
simple statement such as telling staff and students
via an SMS that there is protest action at a particular
place and that they must avoid it, can go a long way
in saving lives and property. The same is true of the
dissemination of messages about the coronavirus,”
said Mkhize.
The coronavirus situation has been one of the biggest
challenges for her division so far. “While others
correctly see this situation as a challenge, we consider
it as a chance to save lives, and the academic year.
My team and I have continued to hold meetings via
Microsoft Teams. In these meetings we brainstorm
and find out the best ways to take the vital messages
to staff, students and the general public. Since the
advent of the coronavirus, and the introduction of the
country-wide lockdown, my department has added
several communication platforms. We are currently
sitting at 25 platforms,” she said.
Mkhize added that, just as governments have to
readjust their budgets when faced with a massive
crisis, the University has had to adjust its budget so as
to deal with the pandemic. “On a number of occasions
my department has met to look at how we could
modify our budget so that we can finance the new
campaigns. My department now resembles a war time
cabinet where so much effort is directed at winning
the war. This is war of a different kind,” she said.
The campaigns she was referring to are all over the 25
platforms her department has created in the last five
months. While its initial focus was on keeping staff and
students informed, the department decided to expand
its vision to include the general public, particularly that
of Umlazi Township where the University is located.
Said Mkhize: “We have always considered ourselves
as part of the township and its people. What affects
us affects them, and vice versa. Lately we put up a
giant billboard on the side of our Faculty of Natural
Sciences building. The board’s message is simple –
we are asking people to continue taking precautionary
measures against the pandemic. Wash your hands
thoroughly with soap. Sanitise them when you cannot
wash them. Keep the required distance between you
and the next person. Wear your mask properly at
all times. And only leave home when it is absolutely
necessary.”
She explained that the billboard was one of the
University’s ways of dealing with the challenges it was
facing under Level 3 of the lockdown. “The University
has to continue to remind staff and students of the
threat of COVID-19 because it is very easy to revert
to old habits. Given that our students had not seen
each other since the lockdown, we thought this would
pose a challenge to social distancing – but this has
not been the case. Our students have responded
positively to the health protocols to be followed to
keep themselves safe,” she said with pride.
As she spoke, the University was getting ready to
welcome more students onto campus. “MUT will
continue to be guided by the Department of Higher
Education and Training (DHET) in terms of the phased
approach to returning students. The University
has taken all the necessary precautions and health
protocols to ensure that students come back to a safe
campus. MUT is ready to welcome more students
should the DHET decide to allow more students back
to campus,” said Mkhize in closing.
“Everyone leading a
communications division
knows that without the
relevant information, the
stakeholders are vulnerable.”
– Mbali Mkhize, Senior
Director, Marketing and
Communications