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Natural Sciences Vice-Chancellor’s Award winner set to
conquer the world
If it were not for the unprecedented COVID-19
restrictions in the country, Mxolisi Zondi, who hails from
Mzumbe near Port Shepstone on the KwaZulu-Natal
south coast, would have been one of three students
to receive the loudest applause from a full house at his
graduation ceremony on 27 June. Mxolisi would have
ascended the stage and received his trophy, a cheque
for this sterling performance as the top achiever in the
Faculty of Natural Sciences. His family would have led
the ululation as they would have been watching the first
individual among them to attend a university. This was
not to be – but his family was very happy when he told
them he had received a Vice-Chancellor’s Award as the
top student in his faculty. They are going to celebrate
his achievement, he said.
In 2018 Mxolisi put everyone at the University on
notice. He was one of the students that won the
Academic Excellence Award from the Teaching and
Learning Development Centre (TLDC). He was only
21 years of age at the time, but some members of
the Department of Information and Communication
Technology (ICT) had noticed the youngster.
Mxolisi, who is now a teaching assistant at MUT,
said the reason for his success was the support he
received from his family. “Their support inspired me
to work hard. Also working with people that I share
similar goals with helped me to achieve this good
result.” He added that the 2018 Academic Excellence
Mxolisi Zondi
Zamamvubu Samukelisiwe Ndlovu
Engineering award recipient makes her mark in a
male-dominated industry
The Vice-Chancellor’s Award recipient in the Faculty
of Engineering, Zamamvubu Samukelisiwe Ndlovu,
quietly worked her way to the top of her faculty with the
aim of making a mark on the so-called ‘men’s world’.
When she enrolled for the Diploma in Construction
Management and Quantity Surveying, Samukelisiwe
knew that she would have to double her effort once she
had obtained her qualification. She is doing just that
now: she is employed, and also has her own business.
Samukeliwe lives in Nelspruit, Mpumalanga Province,
with her family. At just 23 years of age, Samukelisiwe
Award from the TLDC also motivated him to continue
doing better in his studies.
Mxolisi’s stay at MUT was not easy. He described it
as “a hard journey with lots of ups and downs” but
said that “our ICT lecturers supported us through this
journey. Being a part of the MUT family has been an
honour and privilege that I will always remember and
cherish. Coming from a rural area in KwaZulu-Natal, I
always find a very welcoming and vibrant atmosphere
at MUT,” said Mxolisi.
Mxolisi advises school learners who would like to enrol
withMUT to “attend all lectures, and don’t forget why you
came to MUT. Work hard as much as you can on your
studies; it’s not going to be easy but believe in yourself”.
He still wants to continue his studies up to PhD level, and
will get a job and help his family while studying.