The South African Chemical Institute (SACI) sponsored Chemistry ‘Magic’ event at the University’s Faculty of Applied and Health Sciences on 30 April 2025, has given some learners from five Umlazi Township high schools a reason to choose the Science stream next year. And make Science their focus of study beyond the basic education level. The schools were Menzi, Velabahleke, Ndukwenhle, Makhumbuza and Umlazi ComTech. The University’s Department of Chemistry organised the event under the leadership of Dr Lindelani Qwabe. The Chemistry ‘Magic’ is aimed at encouraging grade 9 learners to choose the Science stream next year in preparation for their study of Chemistry or other Science areas of study post-matric.
The Dean of the Faculty of Applied and Health Sciences, Professor Alfred Msomi, said the effort contributed to society’s development. The schools are part of the community. Professor Msomi said that MUT and SACI were creating opportunities for Umlazi learners to become big names and discover great things.
The learners, most of whom said they would choose the Science stream next year, were wowed by Professor Bice Martincigh, from the University of KwaZulu-Natal’s School of Chemistry when she and her assistant, Brian Ndlovu, performed some ‘magic’. These ‘magic’ demonstrations were scientific experiments; they called them ‘magic’ so they would relate easy with the young learners. Professor Martincigh admitted that those were serious science demonstrations but made it easy by not giving too much information about them.
Dr Lindelani Qwabe, the Head of the Department of Chemistry, gave the learners some reasons to choose Science. One of the reasons was that Science gives the students a chance to understand their surroundings and to be able to create new inventions and give solutions to problems. Dr Qwabe emphasised the centrality of Mathematics in the Science Stream. “Do not think that you can do Science without Mathematics. That is how important Maths is. Science will open many avenues for you. You can become a doctor, work in a laboratory, or even switch to business, having studied Science. We would like you to join us in science,” said Dr Qwabe.
Dr Qwabe’s colleague in the department, Mfundo Makhanya, listed the admission requirements to his department for the learners. Makhanya gave a breakdown of the programme; there is a theory part, which is done in class, and there is a part where the student must go and do the practical part and then graduate.