Twenty-nine schools from across Umlazi Township took to the field, court and chessboard for the 2026 Mangosuthu University of Technology (MUT) Schools and Community Cup, on 21 and 22 September in what organisers described as the strongest edition of the tournament yet.
Fifteen primary schools and 14 high schools competed in chess, netball and football at MUT’s sports facilities and Mgxenge Hall. The primary schools maintained their traditionally high standard of competition, while the high school teams raised the bar and drew enthusiastic support from the local community.
For organisers, the tournament’s value goes well beyond the scoreboard. “The MUT Schools and Community Cup project was conceived to establish strategic partnerships with the broader community, and to use sport as a vehicle for development, social transformation, and youth empowerment,” said Dr Mfanozelwe Shozi, Deputy Director of the Community Engagement and Development Directorate (CEAD). He added that the initiative promotes community development, social cohesion and healthy lifestyles, and helps keep learners in school through active participation in sport.
This year marked a significant change in how schools qualify. Rather than being selected on academic performance, teams in all three codes now qualify by finishing among the top-ranked sides in the Umlazi school league. The league concept emerged from sponsorship engagements in 2025, when both eThekwini Municipality and the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Sport, Arts and Culture (KZN DSAC) indicated that they were keen to support a league format.
Siyabulela Mkwalo, Deputy Director: Sport and Recreation at MUT, thanked the sponsors and participating schools, and encouraged schools to join the league to secure their place in future tournaments.
CEAD Director Professor Busisiwe Nkonki-Mandleni told learners that everyone who took part was a winner, adding that “sport keeps young kids away from social ills.”
Nhlanhla Ngubane, Director: School Sport at KZN DSAC, urged learners to think seriously about their futures in sport, reminding them that it can become a career.