A SOUVENIR PUBLICATION - University of KwaZulu-Natal · Learning Unit. The first 12 Mathematics teachers graduated through the module earlier this year. Mukwembi, whose passion for

GRADUATION SPECIAL 2014A SOUVENIR PUBLICATION

2014

GRADUATION SPECIAL 20142 3

GRADUATION SPECIAL 2014

62.3 % OF GRADUATES WERE WOMEN

SSEEJJAALL DDEESSAAII

UKZN conferred animpressive 10 081 degrees atits 21 graduation

ceremonies held on its Westvilleand Pietermaritzburg campusesbetween Monday, 7 April andTuesday, 15 April.

A notable 6 282 (62.3 percent) ofthe graduands were women while284 graduated cum laude and 117,summa cum laude. About 4 785degrees were conferred in theCollege of Humanities, 1 938degrees in the College ofAgriculture, Engineering andScience, 942 in the College ofHealth Sciences and 2 416 in theCollege of Law and ManagementStudies.

A total of 211 doctoral degreeswere conferred and some 80graduands with disabilities werecapped.

UKZN honoured five leadingSouth Africans, including Pieter-Dirk Uys, for their outstandingcontributions in the fields ofscience, literature, arts, cultureand social sciences.

Professor Sarojini Nadar of theSchool of Religion, Philosophyand Classics and Professor SimonMukwembi of the School ofMathematics, Statistics andComputer Science received theUniversity’s DistinguishedTeachers’ Award for teachingexcellence.

Two prominent academics:Professor Christine Stilwell,Emeritus Professor in the Schoolof Social Sciences and ProfessorJonathan Draper, senior Professorin the School of Theology, weremade Fellows of UKZN. UniversityFellowships are conferredannually on outstandingacademics for research excellenceand distinguished academicachievement.

Honorary Doctorates wereconferred on:

Dr Bernard Lewis Fanaroff forhis notable contribution to SouthAfrica’s successful bid to host themulti-billion euro telescopeinitiative and in securing SouthAfrica’s place in global‘megascience’ projects.

Master Printmaker DrMalcolm Christian for hisdedication in nurturing SouthAfrican artists fromdisadvantaged communities.

Industrial Chemist, Dr BasilKransdorff for the role he hasplayed in redressing micro-nutrient deficiencies among thepoor by co-inventing an innovativeand low-cost nutritional product –e’Pap Technologies.

International ConservationistDr Andrew Kirkwood Muir; forhis ingenuity in using nature as atool for social change.

And satiric playwrightperformer and activist Pieter-DirkUys, for his success inencouraging a more tolerant andmore aware society.

Impressive UKZNGraduation Ceremonies

TThhee AAccaaddeemmiicc pprroocceessssiioonn aasscceennddss tthhee ssttaaggee..

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DISTINGUISHED TEACHERS AND FELLOWS

HHAAZZEELL LLAANNGGAA

GROWING up in a disadvantagedcommunity at ThornybushLocation in Umzimkulu did notdeter newly-appointed PostdoctoralFellow of the College of Law andManagement Studies Dr VangeliGamede from realising his dream toobtain a PhD.

‘I have always dreamed ofreaching this very pinnacle of theformal educational ladder,’ saidGamede. ‘I didn’t want my humblebackground to dictate against myachieving this highestqualification.’

Gamede’s study, titled: TheTransfer of Workplace Training toPerformance with SpecificReference to Hulamin (Pty) Ltd, wassupervised by Dr Maxwell Phiri ofUKZN’s School of Management,Information Technology andGovernance.

The focus of the study was on

the identification of factors at playin the transfer of training from thetraining environment to theworkplace. ‘My interest in the studywas triggered by the current debatearound the subject of the transfer oftraining, with some researchersclaiming that of the acquiredknowledge and skills gained duringtraining only about 10% to 20% gettransferred to the workplace.’

Gamede had to juggle a numberof demanding roles including beinga Manager of Clydesdale SeniorSecondary School in Umzimkulu, apart-time lecturer, a husband and afather of four children.

He said: ‘I had to try to strike abalance to ensure I did justice to allthese engagements. I must confessit wasn’t a smooth ride, however Idid get support from my family.’

During his tenure as aPostdoctoral Fellow he will focus onconverting his thesis intopublishable research.

Distinguished TeacherUplifts Maths EducationCCHHRRIISSTTIINNEE CCUUÉÉNNOODD

PROFESSOR SimonMukwembi, a SeniorLecturer and Associate

Professor in the School ofMathematics, Statistics andComputer Science (SMSCS), wasawarded a Distinguished TeachersAward (DTA) at a UKZNGraduation ceremony.

The prestigious award -presented in 2014 to only twoacademics at the University toacknowledge and rewardexcellence in teaching - is designedto regularly recognise innovativeteachers of a high calibre.

Mukwembi spoke of the awardas being particularly rewarding asit formed part of a long journey ofconsolidating, refining andperfecting his teaching techniques.‘I am delighted to receive thisaward. It is indeed a huge honourto be recognised.’

Mukwembi’s societalcontribution includes his workwith high school Mathematicsteachers around the provincethrough the SMSCS’s variousprogrammes. Most recently, he

taught part of the MATH130module, a part-time course offeredin the evenings which forms part of

the University’s ExtendedLearning Unit. The first 12Mathematics teachers graduated

through the module earlier thisyear.

Mukwembi, whose passion for

teaching led him to assist with thecourse, said: ‘Most programmescurrently target learners asopposed to teachers, whereas thisprogramme equips a few teacherswho then teach exponentially morestudents than we could reach,making it sustainable for thefuture.’

With more than 14 years ofteaching experience in the field ofmathematics, he has been ateaching assistant, tutor,demonstrator, lecturer, and seniorlecturer at different universities,including the University ofZimbabwe, the Zimbabwe OpenUniversity and the Masvingo StateUniversity. He has been at UKZNsince 2006.

Mukwembi says his colleaguesand a few key academic mentorsplayed a role in his success.

In addition to his teachingcommitments, Mukwembi has alsopublished several research articlesin his field of study and holds a Y1NRF rating. He is also ManagingEditor of a leading international,Department of Educationaccredited journal, UtilitasMathematica.

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THREE UKZN staff members fromthe College of Humanities -Professor Sarojini Nadar,Professor Jonathan Draper andProfessor Christine Stilwell–received special honours during agraduation ceremony.

Nadar, who received aDistinguished Teachers’ Award(DTA), said: ‘I am absolutelydelighted! It has been a year ofmany professional challenges.’

Having faced criticism over theyears from academics both withinthe Humanities and the Sciencesabout the ‘soft’ nature of thesubjects she teaches as well ashandling their questions about theplace of these subjects in auniversity, Nadar said the awardconfirmed the importance of boththese disciplines as teaching

subjects within a university,particularly a university whichaimed to be a Premier Universityof African Scholarship.

Nadar is considered one ofUKZN’s Top-PublishedResearchers and has a C2 ratingfrom the National ResearchFoundation.

Stilwell, who was made a Fellowof UKZN, said: ‘I am honoured andfeel very humble to be included inthese ranks. Recognition fromone’s own institution can be hardto come by and I am grateful to mycolleagues who supported me andto UKZN for this recognition.’

Stillwell, a recipient of UKZN’sDistinguished Teachers’ Award,continues to attract both mastersand doctoral students from variouscountries.

Draper, also recognised as aFellow, said ‘I am honoured andgratified that my researchcontribution to the University hasbeen recognised in this way.’Talking about his future plans,Draper said: ‘I have a commitmentto complete a book for OxfordUniversity Press on the didache,which will tie up about 30 years ofwork on that early Christianwriting. I am also engaged in a newproject to produce a book on John’sgospel and its relation to theJewish mystical tradition.’

Draper has lectured at academicinstitutions around the world, hasbeen a regular recipient of NationalResearch Foundation grants, andhas been a B-Rated researcher inthree rating cycles - 2003 – 2007; 2008– 2012; and 2013 – 2018.

UKZN Humanities Staff Honouredat Graduation Ceremony

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PhD for College of Law andManagement Studies Fellow

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HONORARY GRADUATES

MMEELLIISSSSAA MMUUNNGGRROOOO

LECTURER, Master Printmakerand Founder of the CavershamPress, Mr Malcolm Christian,received the Degree of Doctor ofLiterature honoris causa fromUKZN for his commitment to thevalue of human creativity, thecommon bonds of humanity andthe educative power ofcollaboration.

Addressing a graduationaudience, Christian said: ‘Inlooking at how to share with youthe significance of personal legacy,I returned to the time when I facedone of those crossroads, one thatrequired me to think about what Iwanted my legacy to be, resulting inthe establishment of CavershamCentre for Artists and Writers.

‘There had always beencomponents of education and thevisual arts in what I had done andyet even though these both includeknowledge and skills development,it was the core purpose that Iwanted to make a focus – the contentor meaning behind the work.

‘The question that I asked, andcontinue to ask even here tonight,is: “If I could give each of you a gift,what would it be?” It would be thegift of significance because thiscontains the two essentialingredients that we all seek in ourlives - that of meaning andrelevance which add depth to ourjourney.’

Looking at legacy beingcollaborative, Christian said: ‘Ourlegacy is as much about the peoplewho have shared in this journey

and their contribution to our livesas it is about our own endeavoursand attributes. It is this sharedresponsibility that affirms ourcommon bonds of humanity fromfrailty to strength, from baseness totranscendence.’

Reflecting on the death ofNelson Mandela, he pointed outthat legacy taught us that ‘it isabout what has been removed, leftunsaid, that provides the power tocreate dialogue with others andwithin oneself ’.


THE Executive Director of theWilderness Foundation andRolex Enterprise Award

Laureate, Mr Andrew Muir, wasawarded an honorary Doctor ofSocial Science degree by UKZN forhis life-long commitment to bothsocial justice and conservation.

Muir, the South AfricanConservationist of the Year, said inhis address at a graduationceremony that he did not believe aperson could be a conservationiston the African continent withoutlooking outside the reserve fenceand embracing the communitiesand people who depend on theenvironment for survival. ‘And somy life’s work is to bridge the gapbetween the environmental worldand the social and more humanorientated issues that we as asociety face.

‘It is in this light that this awardfrom UKZN’s College ofHumanities feels particularlypertinent for me, as humanities bydefinition looks to transcendboundaries and silo thinking.’

Highlighting the continuingtransition taking place in southern

Africa, Muir said the wildernessand wild land areas played acritical role. ‘They are sacredplaces where we can go to find ourroots and be awed by the naturalworld and its inhabitants - one canbe touched deep within oneselfand begin a journey oftransformation. Wilderness is bothdemocratic and individualistic.Race, politics, gender and wealthare trivial matters in thewilderness - co-operation, personalexperience and one’s own sensesreign supreme.’

Muir spoke briefly about theWilderness Leadership Schoolwhich has made it possible formore than 100 000 South Africansto experience wilderness and wildplaces. ‘We have used nature as apositive force for social change bybringing disadvantaged youth, aswell as political and communityleaders, on trails of variouslengths and duration to experiencewildlands and wildlife, rediscovercultural identity and build self-esteem and leadership skills.These have resulted in anunderstanding of the potential forpersonal growth and experientialeducation within wilderness.’


AUTHOR, satirist and activistPieter-Dirk Uys has been a fearlesscritic of injustice in South Africaand an ardent campaigner for anopen, tolerant and democraticsociety for more than four decades.

UKZN rewarded Uys for hisfearless stance by awarding him itshighest literary honour, the Degreeof Doctor of Literature honoriscausa.

In his opening remarks at theGraduation ceremony, Uys said:‘We stand 30 days away from themost important election in thehistory of our place on earth. Forthe first time ever, young SouthAfricans born after we had our firstdemocratic election in 1994 willvote. They will vote withoutsentiment and not out of habit.They will vote for the future and notthe past.’

Directly addressing theUniversity’s graduates, he said:‘When I went to study at theUniversity of Cape Town in 1965, Iwas encouraged to go and get adegree to fall back on. Do we stillsay that?

‘When will we be encouraged to

get a degree to fall forward on? Thatretreat mentality has haunted somany of us, starting life being toldthat: Your dream will never cometrue. So get something to fall backon.

‘Let me say this to all theindividual minds that graduatetoday. Fall forward! You will never

get the job you want. Become yourjob today. I’ve been unemployed for40 years and I’m still here. You eachhave a unique talent that no-one inthe world can match. Develop that.Work with that and for that. Beunique. Be special. Never stand in aqueue to fall back on somethingthat isn’t your dream.’

He shared his memories of the1980s, both personal and from thetheatre, saying: ‘It wasn’t just theNational Party who gave me thosegifts of a PW Botha, a Pik Botha, aFanie Botha, a Buthelezi. Therewere also inspirational peopleamong those White SouthAfricans who fought the system

from within the system.’ Discussing the 2011 Census he

pinpointed one of the questionasked: ‘What is your race? Black,White, Coloured, Indian, Asian orother?’

‘I didn’t know what to fill in, asa few months before they did aDNA test on me for a televisionshow, and the DNA test provedthat I originated in the Congo. Soobviously I’m Black. For 49 yearsmy Book of Life assured me that Iam White.

‘Then I did some research intomy father’s family backgroundand found that we had a great-great-great grandmother who in1791 plied her trade on the roadbetween Cape Town and Paarl.Her name was WilhelmienaOpklim. So that means I’m alsoColoured! I don’t know aboutIndian, Asian or Other, but hell,that’s 3 out of 6? I’m truly SouthAfrican!’

Uys currently lives in Darlingin the Western Cape where hecontinues to perform. He alsocontinues his AIDS awarenessactivism and serves on the boardof directors of the Desmond TutuHIV Foundation.

UKZN Honorary Degree forTop SA Conservationist

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Pieter-Dirk Uys Gets UKZN’sHighest Literary Honour

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CCHHRRIISSTTIINNEE CCUUÉÉNNOODD

PROJECT Director of theSquare Kilometre Array(SKA) South Africa Telescope

Project, Dr Bernard Fanaroff, hasbeen awarded an honorary Doctorof Science degree from UKZN.

Addressing fellow graduates atthe College of Agriculture,Engineering and ScienceGraduation ceremony on theWestville campus, Fanaroff said ofhis degree: ‘It’s recognition of twothings – first, that South Africa ispaying more and more attention tothe important role of science andtechnology in the country’sdevelopment and is helping providea better life for South Africa’scitizens.

‘And second, it recognises theteam that has made the SKA projectpossible, including academic andinternational collaborators,scientist and engineers.

‘UKZN has been so enthusiasticand committed to working on thisproject, but goes further thansimply looking for support fromSKA; it has been prepared to makea substantial investment which is agreat example for otheruniversities.

‘I also have a long historicalconnection with Durban throughmy early work with trade unions,so it’s nice to be associated with theuniversity there; it’s almost likecoming home.’

Fanaroff assisted in thecreation of the Metal & AlliedWorkers’ Union, later known as theNational Union of Metalworkers(Numsa), and also became amember of Cosatu’s ExecutiveCommittee.

He was nominated by ProfessorSunil Maharaj, Director of UKZN’sAstrophysics and CosmologyResearch Unit (ACRU), to beawarded the doctorate whichrecognises ‘distinguished servicesin the advancement of one or moreof the branches of learningrecognised by the University’.

‘Dr Bernie Fanaroff, the drivingforce behind South Africa winningthe major part of the SKA, hasensured that with the SKA willcome a technological revolution,world-class science and inspirationfor a new generation of brightyoung scientific minds. Bernie hashad the vision and perseverance tomake these a reality,’ said ProfessorKavilan Moodley, AssociateProfessor at the ACRU.

Honorary Doctorate for SKA Head

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MMAARRYYAANNNN FFRRAANNCCIISS

DR Basil Kransdorff; a visionaryand lobbyist for affordable,effective, bio-available nutritionthat results in nutrient repleteness,received an Honorary Doctorate atUKZN’s College of Health Sciencesgraduation ceremony.

Kransdorff ’s vision is to ‘findevery Einstein on the Africancontinent’ through ensuring thatpeople become nutrient replete. Hiscommitment is to halt povertyusing state-of-the-artunderstandings of nutrition to endmicro nutrient deficiencies.

Speaking at the ceremonyKransdorff said: ‘Healthy,physiologically functional humanbeings are better able to participatein sustainable solutions in thedevelopment of communities.Nutrient replete children are betterable to focus, co-ordinate andconcentrate and therefore beeducated.

‘Malnutrition is rampant acrossthe continent, and with suchpopulation growth, it can only getworse. The magnitude and timeframe means we have little time tofind practical and affordablesolutions to problems ofmalnutrition, health, poverty andsustainable development. We needto ensure thriving societies inSouth Africa and the continent.

‘Our species is at risk ofdestroying itself if we continue touse unsustainable past paradigmsand part solutions to the enormouschallenges ahead.’

As a social entrepreneur for thepast 14 years, he has pioneered and

developed the science of e’PapTechnologies, focused on achievingnutrient repleteness – redressingmicro nutrient deficiencies inpopulations across Africa throughfortified foods that are effective,affordable and tasty.

e’Pap is referred to as an AfricanSolution and was chosen by theInternational Marketing Council ofSouth Africa as a brand champion.It sells in 15 countries across Africa.Through word of mouth marketing(e’Pap Effect) up to 2 million foodportions a month and over 150million portions have beendistributed since its inception.

Humanitarian AwardedHonorary Doctorate

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Founder of Caversham PressReceives Honorary Doctorate

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GUEST SPEAKERS

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THE Deputy President of theSupreme Court of Appeal, theHonourable Mr Justice KennethMthiyane, encouraged UKZNgraduates to use their newlyacquired knowledge as a tool tofight the challenges arising fromunemployment, lack of skills,service delivery issues, poverty andinequality.

Addressing a School of Lawgraduation ceremony, Mthiyane –who worked alongside struggleicons Victoria and GriffithsMxenge in contributing to SouthAfrica’s legal history – spoke on:Success: Making Choices andSetting Goals.

He gave graduates an overview

of the challenges that lay ahead forthem in the legal profession andadvice on how they could applytheir newly-found skills toovercome them.

‘The fact that you havesucceeded can only mean that youmade the right choice and setyourself certain goals to achievethat objective. Congratulations toyou for “toughing it out” and toyour parents for helping you alongthe way and seeing you through,’said Mthiyane.

‘As you enter your respectivechosen professions it is now up toyou to show the community whatyou can offer. The University hasgiven you the tools of the trade and

it is now for you to take matters inyour own hands and make a finalpush to realise your dreams.’

Mthiyane expressed hisconfidence that the graduateswould contribute to the School’shistory of producing top calibregraduates who pursue careers invarious fields of law.

‘I was also a student here manyyears ago and was privileged to domy graduate and post-graduatestudies on this campus - I canvouch for the high standard ofexcellence here, especially in theSchool of Law. As you enter yourrespective chosen professions it isup to you to show the communitywhat you can offer.’


‘TONIGHT’S ceremony is theconsummating moment of what Ibelieve has been a solid andproductive partnership between theUniversity, parents, spouses andindustry in nurturing anddeveloping human capital for thiscountry and the region.’

These words by keynote speaker,the Vice-Chancellor of the GreatZimbabwe University, ProfessorRungano Jonas Zvobgo, were wellreceived by graduates and theaudience at the College ofHumanities 2014 Graduationceremony.

Zvobgo called on all graduates tomake an impression on theircommunities as they went into theworld of work. ‘The teachingprofession is passionate andrequires honesty, dedication anddiscipline. The greatest role modelfor a child or student is usually theteacher. Be the model that you wantthe young ones to follow.’

He said graduation reflected thetransition from full time study tothe world of work.

‘The credibility of an institutionof higher learning is oftendetermined by the quality of thegraduate in terms of his or heradaptability to the workenvironment. What that says is howrelevant the university is to thestudent and secondly to thedemands of the world of work.’

He pointed out that HigherEducation today had become aglobal entity. ‘With the infusion ofinformation communicationtechnologies (ICTs), even weAfricans have become activecitizens of the global village. Isalute UKZN’s goals especially goalnumber one which is to promote anAfrican led globalisation throughAfrican scholarship by positioningthe University, through its teaching,learning, scholarship, research andinnovation, to enter the globalknowledge system.’

He touched on the partnershipbetween the Great ZimbabweUniversity (GZU) and UKZN for thetutoring of GZU staff to obtainPhDs saying it would go a long waytowards increasing qualitystandards.

Humanities Graduatesadvised to be Role Models


PROFESSOR Cosmas Ambe, Headof the Nedbank Chair inAccountancy at the University ofLimpopo, delivered an inspiringaddress to graduands of the Collegeof Law and Management Studies.

The theme of his keynoteaddress titled: Ethical Leadershipand Corporate Citizenship in theContext of King III was relevant tonew graduates who were on thethreshold of entering thedemanding employment sector aswell as those who wereeconomically active and alreadyestablished in the public andprivate sectors.

The address examined variousimportant leadership principleswhich Nelson Mandela lived by.

Ambe used his address to appealto graduates to practice ethicalleadership at the workplace and touse as a benchmark importantresources such as the King III Codeof Corporate Governance whichpromotes the highest level ofcorporate governance in SouthAfrica and focuses on CorporateGovernance, Ethical Leadershipand Corporate Citizenship.

He said: ‘Good governance isessentially about effectiveleadership. Leaders need to definestrategy, provide direction andestablish the ethics and values thatwill influence and guide practicesand behaviour with regard tosustainability performance. Ascurrent and future leaders, we lookforward to your leadership in theapplication of ethical leadershipand governance, especially in the

public sector.’Ambe commended the

University for its contribution tothe development of human capitalin South Africa through theacademic training given to itsgraduates.

Graduates Urged tobe Ethical Leaders

PPrrooffeessssoorr CCoossmmaass AAmmbbee..

Law Graduates Motivatedto Strive for Success

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GRADUATION 2014

AA ffaammiillyy mmeemmbbeerr eemmbbrraacceess aaggrraadduuaattee..

AA jjuubbiillaanntt ggrraadduuaattee..

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SSttyylliinngg ffoorr ggrraadduuaattiioonn..

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ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE – SUMMA CUM LAUDE

AAccaaddeemmiicc SSuucccceessss aa WWaayy ooff LLiiffee ffoorr EElleeccttrroonniicc EEnnggiinneeeerriinngg ssuummmmaa ccuummllaauuddee ggrraadduuaattee aanndd ttoopp UUKKZZNN uunnddeerrggrraadduuaattee ssttuuddeenntt,, MMrr RRiiddwwaaaannAAmmoodd.. AAmmoodd iiss ddootttteedd wwiitthh aaccaaddeemmiicc ddiiaammoonnddss.. HHee aacchhiieevveedd ssuucccceesssstthhrroouugghhoouutt hhiiss ddeeggrreeee,, rreecceeiivviinngg ttwwoo ooff UUKKZZNN hhiigghheesstt ssttuuddeenntt aawwaarrddss::tthhee LLaawwrreennccee aanndd CCoonnssttaannccee RRoobbiinnssoonn SScchhoollaarrsshhiipp aawwaarrddeedd ttoo tthhee bbeessttssiinnggllee uunnddeerrggrraadduuaattee aatt UUKKZZNN aanndd tthhee TToowwnnlleeyy WWiilllliiaammss SScchhoollaarrsshhiipp,,aawwaarrddeedd ttoo tthhee bbeesstt ssttuuddeenntt eenntteerriinngg tthhee ffiinnaall yyeeaarr ooff ssttuuddyy.. FFuurrtthheerr ttootthhiiss,, hhee iiss tthhee TToopp UUKKZZNN ssttuuddeenntt aammoonngg 2288 000000 uunnddeerrggrraadduuaatteess.. AAnnddiinn hhiiss uunnddeerrggrraadduuaattee yyeeaarrss hhiiss mmaarrkkss aavveerraaggeedd aabboovvee 9900%%..

BBaacchheelloorr ooff PPhhaarrmmaaccyy ssttuuddeenntt,, MMiissss RReeeeyyaa SSiinngghh,,wwhhoo ccoommpplleetteedd hheerr ddeeggrreeee ssuummmmaa ccuumm llaauuddee,, wwaasstthhee ttoopp ssttuuddeenntt iinn tthhee SScchhooooll ooff HHeeaalltthh SScciieenncceess iinn22001133,, ssccoorriinngg ffiivvee aawwaarrddss oouutt ooff aann aavvaaiillaabbllee sseevveenn iinntthhee DDiisscciipplliinnee ooff PPhhaarrmmaacceeuuttiiccaall SScciieenncceess.. SSiinngghhrreecceeiivveedd aawwaarrddss ffoorr tthhee BBeesstt PPhhaarrmmaacceeuuttiiccaall SScciieenncceessSSttuuddeenntt,, BBeesstt PPhhaarrmmaacceeuuttiiccss SSttuuddeenntt,, BBeessttPPhhaarrmmaaccoollooggyy SSttuuddeenntt,, BBeesstt PPhhaarrmmaaccyy PPrraaccttiicceeSSttuuddeenntt aanndd BBeesstt PPhhaarrmmaacceeuuttiiccaall CChheemmiissttrryy SSttuuddeenntt..

FFrroomm HHuummbbllee BBeeggiinnnniinnggss ttoo TToopp AAcchhiieevveerr ffoorrssuummmmaa ccuumm llaauuddee GGrraadduuaattee MMrr NNttookkoozzoo QQwwaabbee..

SSiisstteerrss MMss CChhaarrlloottttee,,lleefftt,, ((BBSScc HHoonnoouurrss)) rriigghhtt,, MMss PPhhiilliippppaa HHiilllleebbrraanndd,, rriigghhtt,, ((BBSScc PPhhyyssiiccss)) ggrraadduuaatteedd ttooggeetthheerrssuummmmaa ccuumm llaauuddee ffrroomm tthhee SScchhooooll ooff CChheemmiissttrryy aanndd PPhhyyssiiccss.. TThhee ssiisstteerrss,, wwhhoo ggrreeww uupp iinn aa sscciieennccee--oorriieennttaatteedd ffaammiillyy,, wweerree bbootthh eennccoouurraaggeedd ttoo ppuurrssuuee wwhhaatteevveerr ssttuuddiieess tthheeyy wwaanntteedd ttoo aafftteerr tthheeyy lleefftt hhiigghhsscchhooooll…… aanndd bbootthh cchhoossee PPhhyyssiiccss.. TThheeyy ssaayy tthhee ssuuppppoorrtt ooff tthheeiirr ffaammiillyy hhaass bbeeeenn iinnvvaalluuaabbllee dduurriinngg tthhee ccoouurrsseeooff tthheeiirr ssttuuddiieess..

Sisters doing it Together!

MMss RRaaeeeessaa IIssmmaaiill,, ssuummmmaa ccuummllaauuddee MMaasstteerr’’ss iinn EEdduuccaattiioonnggrraadduuaattee rreesseeaarrcchheedd pprree--sseerrvviicceesscciieennccee tteeaacchheerr eedduuccaattiioonn iinn 22001122wwiitthh aa ppaarrttiiccuullaarr ffooccuuss oonnIInnddiiggeennoouuss KKnnoowwlleeddggee SSyysstteemmss..

MMrr BBrriiaann SSkkeeaa wwaass aawwaarrddeedd aaBBCCoomm HHoonnoouurrss ssuummmmaa ccuummllaauuddee..

MMeecchhaanniiccaall EEnnggiinneeeerriinngg ssuummmmaa ccuumm llaauuddee ggrraadduuaattee aanndd SSoollaarr CCaarr ffuunnddii,, MMss FFaatthhiimmaa MMoooossaa,, wwiitthh hheerr ffaammiillyy..

MMss AAllaaiikkaa KKaassssiimm ggrraadduuaatteedd wwiitthhhheerr AAggrriiccuullttuurraall EEnnggiinneeeerriinnggMMaasstteerrss’’ ddeeggrreeee ssuummmmaa ccuummllaauuddee,, aattttrriibbuuttiinngg ssuucccceessss ttoo hheerrppaassssiioonn ttoo ssuucccceeeedd..

MMBBAA ssuummmmaa ccuumm llaauuddee ppaassss ffoorrMMrr PPrraanneeeell NNuunnddkkuummaarr,, CCFFOO oofftthhee DDuurrbbaann CChhaammbbeerr ooffCCoommmmeerrccee..

MMss SSaattvviikkaa HHaarriillaall,, wwhhoo ggrraadduuaatteedd wwiitthh aa ddeeggrreeee iinn MMeecchhaanniiccaall EEnnggiinneeeerriinngg ssuummmmaa ccuumm llaauuddee,, wwiitthh hheerrpprroouudd ppaarreennttss..

MMss AAmmaannddaa WWeellllmmaannnn ggrraadduuaatteedd ssuummmmaa ccuumm llaauuddee wwiitthh aa BBaacchheelloorr ooffSScciieennccee HHoonnoouurrss ddeeggrreeee ssppeecciiaalliissiinngg iinn tthhee aarreeaa ooff MMiiccrroobbiioollooggyy..

BBSScc HHoonnoouurrss ddeeggrreeee ssuummmmaa ccuumm llaauuddee ggrraadduuaatteeMMss HHeeaatthheerr PPrriinnccee ssaayyss sshhee aallwwaayyss ffiinnddss ttiimmee ttoohhaavvee ffuunn aawwaayy ffrroomm hheerr hheeccttiicc aaccaaddeemmiicc sscchheedduullee..

SSuummmmaa ccuumm llaauuddee BBSScc ggrraadduuaattee MMrrMMtthhookkoozziissii MMddllaalloossee hhaass sseett hhiiss ssiigghhttssoonn wwoorrkkiinngg wwiitthh tthhee SSKKAA tteelleessccooppee..

BBrraaiinnyy SSttaattiissttiicciiaannss ssuummmmaa ccuumm llaauuddee HHoonnoouurrss ddeeggrreeee ggrraadduuaatteess,, MMss TTiiffffaannyy MMaarrii,, MMssTTeelliissssaa PPiillllaayy,, MMss SSaanntthhrriikkaa PPiillllaayy aanndd MMss VVaahhiinnii NNaaddaarr..

SSttuuddeennttss iinn tthhee DDiisscciipplliinneess ooff PPuurree aanndd AApppplliieedd MMaatthheemmaattiiccss wwiitthhiinn tthhee SScchhooooll ooff MMaatthheemmaattiiccss,,SSttaattiissttiiccss aanndd CCoommppuutteerr SScciieennccee wwhhoo ggrraadduuaatteedd wwiitthh ssuummmmaa ccuumm llaauuddee BBSScc HHoonnoouurrss ddeeggrreeeess..

FFrroomm lleefftt:: DDrr CChhrriissttoopphheerr NNaaiidduu,, DDrr DDaannee PPeerruummaall aanndd DDrr NNiisshhoolliinnii NNaaiicckkeerr ggrraadduuaatteeddssuummmmaa ccuumm llaauuddee iinn tthhee CCoolllleeggee ooff HHeeaalltthh SScciieenncceess..

UUKKZZNN LLaaww ssttuuddeennttss aanndd rreecciippiieennttssooff tthhee RRhhooddeess SScchhoollaarrsshhiipp,, MMrrNNttookkoozzoo QQwwaabbee aanndd MMss SSeehhaammAArreeffff,, wwhhoo ggrraadduuaatteedd ssuummmmaa ccuummllaauuddee.. TThhee ppaaiirr wwiillll ffuurrtthheerr tthheeiirrssttuuddiieess aatt OOxxffoorrdd UUnniivveerrssiittyy iinnEEnnggllaanndd ffoorr ttwwoo yyeeaarrss..

AA ddeessiirree ttoo mmaakkee aa ssiiggnniiffiiccaannttddiiffffeerreennccee ttoo ppeeooppllee’’ss lliivveess iiss wwhhaattmmoottiivvaatteedd MMss LLaauurreenncciiaa GGoovveennddeerrttoo rreecceeiivvee hheerr MMaasstteerr ooff SScciieenncceeddeeggrreeee iinn DDiieetteettiiccss ssuummmmaa ccuummllaauuddee..

MMrr DDeerrrriicckk BBeecckkeeddaahhll,, ssoonn ooffUUKKZZNN AAccaaddeemmiicc PPrrooffeessssoorr HHeeiinnzzBBeecckkeeddaahhll,, ggrraadduuaatteedd ssuummmmaaccuumm llaauuddee wwiitthh aa BBSScc HHoonnoouurrssddeeggrreeee iinn PPhhyyssiiccss..

SSuummmmaa ccuumm llaauuddee BBSScc ggrraadduuaatteeCCaannddiiccee ddee BBooeerr bbooaassttss aanneexxeemmppllaarryy aaccaaddeemmiicc rreeccoorrdd,,aacchhiieevviinngg cceerrttiiffiiccaatteess ooff mmeerriitt ffoorreevveerryy mmoodduullee sshhee ccoommpplleetteedd iinnhheerr uunnddeerrggrraadduuaattee ddeeggrreeee aannddrreecceeiivviinngg DDeeaann’’ss CCoommmmeennddaattiioonnssffoorr eeaacchh sseemmeesstteerr ooff ssttuuddyy..

PPhhDD ssuummmmaa ccuumm llaauuddee ggrraadduuaatteeDDrr KKaattee AAkkeerrmmaann iiss aatt tthheeffoorreeffrroonntt ooff ccuuttttiinngg eeddggee rreesseeaarrcchhiinn CChheemmiissttrryy wwiitthh hheerr ffooccuuss bbeeiinnggoonn tthhee ssyynntthheessiiss aannddcchhaarraacctteerriizzaattiioonn ooff ggoolldd ((IIIIII))mmaaccrrooccyycclliicc ccoommpplleexxeess aassttaarrggeetteedd aannttii--ccaanncceerr aaggeennttss..


10

ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE – PhD GRADUATES

SSAALLLLYY FFRROOSSTT

UKZN’s College ofAgriculture, Engineeringand Science (CAES) has

again made a significantcontribution to South Africa’smuch-needed brain pool of highly-qualified Science, Technology andEngineering specialists awardingan impressive 98 PhDs out of aUniversity total of 211 during the2014 Graduation ceremonies.

In addition, an Honorary Doctorof Science (DSc) degree wasawarded to Square Kilometre Array(SKA) Project Director, Dr BernardFanaroff, for his outstandingcontribution to the promotion ofScience and Technology in SouthAfrica.

UKZN conferred an impressive10 081 degrees in total at its 21Graduation ceremonies held on itsWestville and Pietermaritzburgcampuses.

A notable 6 282 (62.3 percent) ofthe graduands were women while284 graduated cum laude and 117summa cum laude.

A total of 4 785 degrees wereconferred in the College ofHumanities; 1 938 degrees in CAES;942 in the College of Health

Sciences, and 2 416 in the College ofLaw and Management Studies.

The CAES’s 2014 PhD total of 98is a significant increase overprevious years with 76 PhDs beingawarded by the College in 2013, 77 in2012 and 69 in 2011.

The College’s steady increase inPhD production is in line withUKZN’s strategic imperative tobecome the leading research-baseduniversity in the country. Markedprogress is being made in thisregard.

In terms of the Department ofHigher Education and Training’sreport on 2012 institutionalresearch output, UKZN movedfrom third into first place amongSouth Africa’s 23 publicly-fundeduniversities, in terms of the

production of researchpublication units – themeasurement system for researchoutput used by the NationalResearch Foundation (NRF).UKZN produced 1 424.22 researchpublication units in total.

College of Agriculture, Engineeringand Science adds to SA’s PhD Pool

UUKKZZNN’’ss CCoolllleeggee ooff AAggrriiccuullttuurree,, EEnnggiinneeeerriinngg aanndd SScciieennccee ggrraadduuaatteedd aa bbuummppeerr ccrroopp ooff 9988 PPhhDDss,, pplluuss oonnee HHoonnoorraarryy DDSScc..


GENDER activist and SeniorLecturer at the School ofEducation, Ms PromiseMakhosazane Nkosi - fondly knownas Makho - graduated with a PhD inGender Studies.

Nkosi’s thesis tackled acontroversial topic: Ingcwabalentombi lisemzini: A socio –cultural and gendered constructionof ukuthwala (bride abduction)among the Zulu people in selectedrural areas of KwaZulu-Natal.

‘The argument in my thesis isthat there is only one form ofukuthwala which is traditionalukuthwala done with a woman’sconsent and at an appropriate age,without involving statutory rape.Anything beyond this is an abuse ofthe custom of ukuthwala and I callit ubugebengu (criminality) and itshould be unlawful,’ said Nkosi.

The study adopts a zerotolerance stance towardsukuthwala ngenkani (forced

abduction) and child abduction andfurther condemns statutory rape ofchildren in the name of ukuthwala.The study concludes by mentioningthe serious effects of forced brideabduction especially onschoolchildren but also on youngwomen and women in general aswell as the negative impact it has oneducation generally.

‘My research is of social andpolitical significance to societies inwhich the research was conducted.In many cases abductors targetpoor families with no stronghousehold structure, no fatherfigure, and with guardians theyknow may connive with them in theexchange of lobola.

‘Now people know they have toreport the incidents of ukuthwalato the police. The more we talk,write and publish about ukuthwala,the more we raise consciousnessabout the issue. This research willraise society’s - and particularlywomen’s - awareness about theirrights and obligations,’ said Nkosi.

Thesis on Bride Abduction Resultsin PhD for UKZN academic

GGeennddeerr AAccttiivviisstt aanndd SSeenniioorr LLeeccttuurreerr aatt tthhee SScchhooooll ooff EEdduuccaattiioonn,, MMss PPrroommiissee MMaakkhhoossaazzaannee NNkkoossii..


NOT only is UKZN lecturer DrNishani Harinarain theUniversity’s first PhD graduate inConstruction Management, she isalso a woman achieving in a male-dominated environment.

Harinarain, who wassupervised by Dean and Head ofthe School of Engineering,Professor Cristina Trois and byProfessor Theodore Haupt,produced a dissertation titled:Effective HIV and AIDSManagement: A South AfricanConstruction Sector Model.

‘The South African constructionindustry in particular has laggedbehind other sectors in respondingcorporately to the threats of theHIV/Aids pandemic,’ said Trois.

‘A successful and sustainableconstruction industry demands ahealthy, productive workforce. DrNishani Harinarain, developed amodel to effectively manage HIVand AIDS in the South Africanconstruction industry usingstructural equation modelling.’

Trois said Harinarian hadcontributed to the existing body ofknowledge and theory with hermodel, which if implementedwould drive corporate response andbehaviour in this important sector.

‘According to the corps ofinternational examiners, Nishani’swork has the potential to make animpact on the political and socialagendas in terms of its changecatalystic value relative to reducingthe catastrophic effects of HIV and

AIDS,’ said Trois. ‘I am very proud to be the first

person at UKZN to graduate with aPhD in Construction Management,’said Harinarian, who lectures inUKZN’s property developmentprogramme.

First ConstructionManagement PhD at UKZN

DDrr NNiisshhaannii HHaarriinnaarraaiinn hhaass eeaarrnneeddaa PPhhDD iinn CCoonnssttrruuccttiioonnMMaannaaggeemmeenntt,, tthhee ffiirrsstt aawwaarrddeeddbbyy UUKKZZNN..

THE African Centre for CropImprovement (ACCI) withinUKZN’s School of Agricultural,Earth and Environmental Sciences(SAEES), has produced 10 new PhDgraduates.

The programme was initiated atUKZN in 2001 to train plant breedersin Africa working specifically onAfrican crops. Students at theCentre who have been responsiblefor training have come from 13African countries: Burkina Faso,Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi,Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda,South Africa, South Sudan,Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia andZimbabwe.

‘Because the PhD training isdone in the African environment inwhich the students continue withtheir breeding programmes after

Graduation, the graduates arealready fully integrated into theoverall agricultural system,’ said DrJulia Sibiya, a past graduate andcurrent Lecturer and Supervisor ofthe ACCI.

‘The many social and personallinks with their countries andcommunities prior to their PhDtraining remain unbroken, keepingthe scientists integrated andattached to their societies therebyminimising the problems ofmigration out of Africa,’ saidSibiya.

The ACCI programme currentlyhas a 100% retention record for itsstudents staying in Africa andcontinuing their work inagriculture. To date the Centre hasproduced 56 UKZN PhD graduates.Overall only 8% of all the students

recruited have dropped out. Thisfast and efficient throughput ofstudents at ACCI is unique in atraining programme at the PhDlevel, especially in Plant Breeding,which is a notoriously “slow”subject to study.

‘The ACCI at UKZN hassucceeded, in part, due to adequatefunding provided by the RockefellerFoundation – Phase one and theAlliance for a Green Revolution inAfrica (AGRA) for Phases two andthree. The Centre has succeeded inproducing a highly focusedacademic curriculum, as well astraining its own experienced anddedicated staff,’ said Sibiya.‘Currently, UKZN has perhaps thestrongest plant breedingprogrammes in Africa, with acritical mass of specialist staff.’

ACCI Produces New Crop of PhD Graduates

TThhee AAffrriiccaann CCeennttrree ffoorr CCrroopp IImmpprroovveemmeenntt ((AACCCCII)) wwiitthhiinn UUKKZZNN’’ss SScchhooooll ooff AAggrriiccuullttuurraall,, EEaarrtthh aannddEEnnvviirroonnmmeennttaall SScciieenncceess hhaass pprroodduucceedd aa ccrroopp ooff nneeww PPhhDD ggrraadduuaatteess aanndd ppllaanntt bbrreeeeddeerrss ffoorr AAffrriiccaa..

PPhhDD ssttuuddeennttss iinn AApppplliieedd MMaatthhss,, pprroovvee tthhaatt tthheeyy hhaavvee wwhhaatt iitt ttaakkeess ttoo ppeerrsseevveerree.. DDrr PPaauull GGrreeeenn cceelleebbrraattiinngg hhiiss aacchhiieevveemmeenntt wwiitthh hhiiss wwiiffee aanndd cchhiillddrreenn..

DDrr AAyyaannddaa VViillaakkaazzii cceelleebbrraattiinngg wwiitthh hhiiss wwiiffee MMaalliinnddii aanndd ddaauugghhtteerrNNoommbbuussoo..

MMss AArruunnaa AAnnkkiiaahh GGaannggaaddeeeenn wwiitthh aaPPhhDD iinn EEdduuccaattiioonn,, iiss tthhee ffiirrsstt PPhhDDggrraadduuaattee aammoonngg aa ggrroouupp ooff mmoorreetthhaann 3300 wwhhoo aarree ppaarrtt ooff aapprrooggrraammmmee eemmaannaattiinngg ffrroomm aa 22001111MMeemmoorraanndduumm ooff UUnnddeerrssttaannddiinngg((MMOOUU)) bbeettwweeeenn tthhee MMaauurriittiiuussIInnssttiittuuttee ooff EEdduuccaattiioonn ((MMIIEE)) aanndd tthheeSScchhooooll ooff EEdduuccaattiioonn..

PPhhDD ggrraadduuaattee iinn GGeennddeerr ssttuuddiieess,,MMrr TTaawwaannddaa MMaakkuusshhaa wwiitthh hhiissddaauugghhtteerr,, TTaaddiiwwaa rreesseeaarrcchheedd tthheeddiiffffeerreenntt ddiimmeennssiioonnss ooff aa ffaatthheerr’’ssiinnvvoollvveemmeenntt iinn bbrriinnggiinngg uuppcchhiillddrreenn..

DDrr NNqqoobbiillee NNgguubbaannee ggrraadduuaatteeddwwiitthh aa PPhhDD iinn MMeeddiiccaallMMiiccrroobbiioollooggyy ffrroomm UUKKZZNN..


12

AGAINST ALL ODDS


CAMEROON-BORN MrMaloney Tichaawa, whoworked as a car guard and as

a security officer at a hotel, is now aSenior Lecturer at the WalterSisulu University (WSU) aftergraduating from UKZN with aDoctorate in Philosophy.

His thesis examined the legacyimpacts of the 2010 FIFA World Cupin Africa, looking at thestakeholder and soccer fans’perceptions in Cameroon andNigeria.

Speaking about his workexperiences, Tichaawa said: ‘WhenI entered South Africa, I had nohope. I worked as a car guard andsaved up enough money to getmyself educated. For me, educationwas my only option for a better life.’

His belief in education and abelief in himself proved to be thefoundation for his success as heenrolled to do his degree inTourism and Hospitality andgraduated in 2007 thereaftercompleting his masters cum laude.

‘It has been an amazing journey.I cannot even begin to express thejoy and happiness I feel at beingable to achieve all of this. None ofthis would’ve been possible withoutthe support from my family andfriends and my supervisorProfessor Urmilla Bob.’

From Security Guardto PhD Graduate

DRC RefugeeAwardedMaster’s Degreefrom UKZN CCHHRRIISSTTIINNEE CCUUÉÉNNOODD

MR Andre Mpiana, a refugee fromthe Democratic Republic of Congo(DRC), has graduated with aMaster’s degree in Food Securityfrom the School of Agricultural,Earth and Environmental Sciences(SAEES).

Mpiana’s thesis was on thetopical issue of determiningeffective methods of assessinghousehold food security, especiallyin situations such as those in SouthAfrica where malnutrition isprevalent.

He used anthropometricmeasures of infants to determinethe food security status of ahousehold and a Household FoodInsecurity Access Scale as a basisfor assessing the accuracy of themeasurements.

Mpiana hoped his researchwould contribute to theimprovement of food security inhouseholds.

His work is exceptional not onlyfor its importance in creating usefulassessment guidelines fordetermining the food security statusof households, but also because ofthe tremendous challengesovercome by Mpiana and his familyin the pursuit of his studies.

A refugee from the eastern DRCwho has been living in South Africasince 2009, he registered to study atthe University in order to escape thepolitical upheaval in his countryand to further his studies.

Mpiana will continue with hisstudies and is planning to pursue aPhD in Food Security in which hewill research children’s rights tofood.

CCaammeerroooonn--bboorrnn MMrr MMaalloonneeyy TTiicchhaaaawwaa ggrraadduuaatteess wwiitthh aa DDooccttoorraattee iinn PPhhiilloossoopphhyy ffrroomm UUKKZZNN..

MMrr AAnnddrree MMppiiaannaa,, aa rreeffuuggeeee ffrroommtthhee DDeemmooccrraattiicc RReeppuubblliicc ooffCCoonnggoo,, ggrraadduuaatteedd wwiitthh aa MMaasstteerr’’ssddeeggrreeee iinn FFoooodd SSeeccuurriittyy..


DR Thembeka Mngomezulu (61),Deputy Director in the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Health, wasawarded a doctoral degree in PublicAdministration for her thesis tiled:Monitoring and Evaluation inPublic Governance: A Case Study ofthe KwaZulu-Natal Department ofHealth.

The thesis examined theeffectiveness and efficiency of theMonitoring and Evaluation (M&E)system in the provincialDepartment of Health using acombination of the M&E Theoriesand the Public AdministrationModels as the basic theoreticalfoundations. The study wassupervised by ProfessorPurshottama Reddy of UKZN’sSchool of Management, InformationTechnology and Governance.

Mngomezulu’s zeal for success isevident in her achievements invarious spheres of her life. Shegrew up in a home of eight siblingsat Lourdes Mission in Umzimkhuluin the former Transkei. She wasforced to leave school afterobtaining a Junior Certificate tobecome a nurse in order to assisther single mother in bringing upher siblings.

Leaving school early was

devastating to Mngomezulu and itcreated a void which, she knew,could only be filled by studyingfurther.

She later pursued studies andcompleted matric in 1976; obtaineda BA degree in Social Science in1998; an Honours degree in GenderStudies in 2000; and completed

studies for a Masters degree(Nursing Research) in 2009.

The negative publicity aboutservice delivery in the provincialDepartment of Health around thesame time as her appointment as aDeputy Director in the Directorateof Monitoring and Evaluationprompted her to investigate what

could be done to improve thesituation working within the M&Eperimeters. Hence her doctoralstudy on M&E.

Mngomezulu’s study waspublished in the 2013 Journal of theAssociation of Southern AfricanSchools and Departments of PublicAdministration and Management.

It is Never too Late to Learn

MMrr MMnnggoommeezzuulluu ccoouulldd nnoott ccoonnttaaiinn hhiiss jjooyy wwhheenn hhiiss wwiiffee DDrr TThheemmbbeekkaa MMnnggoommeezzuulluu wwaass aawwaarrddeedd aaDDooccttoorraall ddeeggrreeee iinn PPuubblliicc AAddmmiinniissttrraattiioonn..

AGAINST ALL ODDS


AN interest in developmentand its patterns plus a needto establish academic

excellence despite being blind,proved to be the recipe for successfor Mr Phomolo Ramike, whograduated with his Master’s inDevelopment Studies degree.

Growing up in Katlehong inJohannesburg and moving toPietermaritzburg for his matricyear, Ramike never doubted he’deventually graduate from UKZN.His family had supported him

throughout his academic career,offering advice and constantencouragement.

Ramike gradually began goingblind when he was 13 years old andwas partially sighted for five years.

His research was titled:Supporting Students withDisabilities: The Impact of theDisability Grant and NSFAS onStudents with Disabilities at UKZN.

Ramike did research among asample of disabled students on theHoward College campus to examinewhether financial measuresprovided by NSFAS met the

requirements of students withdisabilities in the areas of socialdevelopment and social policymeasures.

During his research, Ramikeencountered a few challenges, oneof which was being forced to adoptmanual research methods related tothematic analysis, instead ofrelying on digital methods.

Ramike, who hopes his researchwill benefit society and in turnchange the perceptions of peopleand those with disabilities, hasapplied to do his PhD.

Master’s Degreefor Blind Student

MMaasstteerr’’ss iinn DDeevveellooppmmeenntt SSttuuddiieess ggrraadduuaattee,, MMrr PPhhoommoolloo RRaammiikkee..

TTHHAANNDDIIWWEE JJUUMMOO

WHEN Mr Ntokozo Qwabe startedhis LLB degree in 2007 he was justa youngster from the rural area ofOyaya in Eshowe with his parents’hopes of him becoming the firstperson to graduate in his familyweighing heavily on his shoulders.

Young Qwabe also had highhopes of following in the footstepsof his role model, the late formerChief Justice Pius Langa, and thedesire to empower the lessfortunate and inspire change inany way possible.

Seven years later that rural

boy has graduated with his LLBsumma cum laude and iscurrently doing an LLM inConstitutional andAdministrative Law at theUniversity of Cape Town as aMandela Rhodes Scholar.

He will use his KZN RhodesScholarship to study for twomasters degrees at the Universityof Oxford later this year.

And it doesn’t end there!Qwabe was also an intern underJustice Edwin Cameron at theConstitutional Court of SouthAfrica and recently received theUKZN Distinguished Students

Award, the highest studenthonour at UKZN across the fivecampuses, for his academicexcellence, university service andextensive communityengagement.

For a person who had to dropout of university to work as acashier at Checkers Supermarketfor two years because of severefinancial and socio-economicdifficulties, these achievementsprove that with hard work,determination and an academicenvironment which nurturespotential and supports talent suchas UKZN, anything is possible.

NNOOMMBBUUSSOO DDLLAAMMIINNII

MS Elsie Wentzel, who suffers fromtwo types of dyslexia, graduatedwith a Master’s degree in SportScience.

Wentzel’s study - the first of itskind in Africa - was titled: Effect ofa Foot Pump Device on Lower LegSwelling in Physically InactiveOffice Workers, and focused onlower leg swelling in people withdesk bound jobs.

She used a device called StepIt,The Rocking Foot Pedal, which wasdeveloped to increase bloodcirculation in the legs and tosimulate walking and activate thecalf muscle pump (CMP) in thelower leg.

The study was conducted inPretoria where she used the deviceon 40 subjects. ‘It gave people a littlemovement in the ankle whichstimulated the calf and recorded

the effects on swelling in the legs.Leg volume in the test leg wasmaintained whereas the other leg’svolume increased,’ she said.

Wentzel owns her ownbiokinetics practice at a VirginActive gymnasium in Pretoria.‘Completing my project was hardsince I was working at the sametime, but it was worth it in the end. Iam exactly where I want to be in mycareer,’ she added.

‘I have had a lot of challenges inmy life and got through all of thema better person. I try to learn fromeverything in my life. I really enjoyadventure and new things,’ saidWentzel.

Wentzel was at UKZN for a yearto begin her degree under thesupervision of Professor AndrewMckune. She returned to Pretoriaafter completing her proposaldevelopment and pilot work tocontinue with data collection.

From Humble Beginnings to Top Achiever for SummaCum Laude Graduate

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Multiple DyslexicStudent Graduates asMaster of Sport Science

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IN December 2012, Ms Paula Hulleyexperienced a deep need to returnto university to complete a FineArts honours degree.

She did just that and graduatedwith Honours in Fine Art: Painting.

‘I returned to UKZN after 30years and registered as a maturestudent at honours level due to mypainting experience as a homeartist. The first time I enteredUKZN’s Centre for Visual Art was asignificant moment - I was veryaware of the “smell” of the ArtDepartment. It had not changedover the years – it was comforting,challenging and excitingsimultaneously,’ said Hulley

‘My interest in the relationshipbetween art and spirituality, andart and healing, allowed a naturalflow to my own inner healing. Myartworks became a metaphoricalexploration of my inner and outerworld, a journey in becomingwhole again.’

Hulley’s research investigatedspirituality and healing in art,exploring how elements of

spirituality are viewed in artmaking and art therapy.

Her artwork arising from herthesis is currently on exhibition atthe Jack Heath Gallery inPietermaritzburg. The work

focuses on her journey as an artistand student.

She is also a qualified EnergyMedicine practitioner and isplanning on pursuing her Master’sin Fine Art.

Artist Returns after 30 yearsto Graduate with Honours

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FFoorrmmeerr PPrreessiiddeenntt ooff UUKKZZNNEEnnaaccttuuss,, MMrr SSeesseetthhuu ''SSeetthhuu''SSiiddzzaammbbaa,, hhaass ggrraadduuaatteedd wwiitthh aaBBAAddmmiinn ddeeggrreeee iinn PPuubblliiccAAddmmiinniissttrraattiioonn aanndd SSuuppppllyy CChhaaiinnMMaannaaggeemmeenntt..

UKZN ProducesKZN’s First BlackAfrican Doctor ofPhilosophy inSpeech LanguagePathologyNNOOMMBBUUSSOO DDLLAAMMIINNII

DR Thandeka Mdlalo graduatedfrom the College of Health Scienceswith a PhD in Speech LanguagePathology - the first Black AfricanSpeech Language Pathologist tograduate with a doctorate inKwaZulu-Natal.

Mdlalo’s thesis was titled: TheUse of an English LanguageAssessment Test on South AfricanEnglish Additional Language (EAL)Speakers from an IndigenousLanguage and CulturalBackground: a Critical Evaluation.

The study aimed to provide anin-depth critique of the use oflanguage assessment tools onpopulations from indigenouslanguage and cultural backgrounds(eg Zulu), culminating in aframework for guiding theadaptation of language assessmenttools to be culturally andlinguistically relevant for theindigenous South Africanpopulations on which they are used.

Mdlalo’s research providedspecific guidelines andrecommendations for speech-language therapists in theassessment of an EAL speaker in aSouth African context.

According to Mdlalo, children inresearch are usually only used inthe administration of the test andtheir opinion of the tool is notsought. ‘In this study, the voice ofthe children is the main contributorto the data collection,’ she said.

Mdlalo acknowledged that theissue of culturally fair assessmentsrequired the development ofappropriate tools and methods.‘However, since speech-languagetherapists continue to usestandardised tools that are availableto them, even though they are notculturally and linguisticallyappropriate, the findings are notoften accurate or valid,’ she added.

Mdlalo has presented some ofher findings at internationalforums, such as the CanadianSpeech-Language PathologistsAssociation (CASLPA).

The mother of two teenage girls,she has worked for the public andprivate sector and also held alecturing position at UKZN. She is aGroup Training Instructor at VirginActive and enjoys reading, exercise,music and art in her spare time.

DDrr TThhaannddeekkaa MMddllaalloo ggrraadduuaatteeddwwiitthh aa PPhhDD iinn SSppeeeecchh LLaanngguuaaggeePPaatthhoollooggyy..

GRADUATION 2014 GRADUATION 2014

NNOOMMBBUUSSOO DDLLAAMMIINNII

MYCOBACTERIUM Tuberculosiscauses tuberculosis (TB) in humansand the disease is a major healthconcern in the country, says a UKZNPhD graduate.

According to Dr Olubisi Ashiru,South Africa is rated third afterIndia and China, among the 22 TBhigh-burden countries in the world…and first in Africa.

Ashiru conducted a study titledInteraction between MycobacteriumTuberculosis and PulmonaryEpithelium using isolates from theculture collection of the TB unit inher department.

‘TB is a multifactorial disease and

a better understanding of all itsaspects is important in the quest toovercome it. The need to betterunderstand the pathogenesis of M.Tuberculosis isolates resulted in thiswork,’ said Nigerian-born Ashiru.

‘I investigated the interactionbetween different clinical isolates ofMycobacterium tuberculosis withhuman alveolar and bronchialepithelial cell lines and comparedthese with avirulent (H37Ra) andvirulent (H37Rv) laboratory strains.’

She said her results, which were afirst in the world, suggested that thehigher adhesion and invasion ofalveolar epithelial cells couldcontribute to the successful spread ofthe Beijing and KwaZulu-Natal

families of M. Tuberculosis.‘Mycobacterium Tuberculosis is

notorious for clumping in cultures,making it difficult to obtain a singlecell suspension. I was able to developa protocol that produces a true singlecell suspension of M. Tuberculosiswithout the use of detergents,’ shesaid.

Ashiru is currently aPostdoctoral Research Fellow atUKZN’s Department of MedicalMicrobiology and InfectionPrevention and Control.

She is analysing the aetiology ofinfant mortality in relation to thevaccination programme in KZN inan attempt to reduce mortality inchildren aged five and below.


A ‘bumper crop’ of MSc and PhDstudents from the School ofMathematics, Statistics andComputer Science were capped inthe final 2014 PietermaritzburgGraduation ceremony.

While Ethiopians Dr DawitAyele and Dr Mohammed OmarMohammed were awarded theirPhDs in Statistics, Mr Jose Pedrodonned his red gown in theDiscipline of AppliedMathematics.

Ayele, supervised by ProfessorTemesgen Zewotir and ProfessorHenry Mwambi, completed athesis which ‘examined the use ofstatistical modelling and analysesof malaria rapid diagnostic testoutcomes in Ethiopia’.Mohammed’s thesis was titled:Statistical Methods for Analysis inComplex Survey Data: AnApplication to HIV/AIDS inEthiopia. He was supervised byProfessor Temesgen Zewotir andDr Thomas Achia.

Pedro, supervised by ProfessorPrecious Sibanda and ProfessorMK Banda, undertook acomputational study of high ordernumerical schemes for fluid-structure interaction in gasdynamics.

A total of 10 students within theSchool graduated with a Master ofScience degree in Statistics, fourwere awarded their MSc degrees inApplied Mathematics, and anothertwo received MSc degrees in

Computer Science. Mr Joseph Malinzi (Applied

Mathematics), and Ms ClaireIjumba and Ms Nancy Odhiambo(Statistics), graduated cum laude.

Among the cohort of graduandswithin the School was academicstaff member, Mr Aslam Safla,who received an MSc in ComputerScience.

Academic Leader for Research,Professor Henry Mwambi, said hewas very proud of thePietermaritzburg-based staff andstudents of the School.

MSc and PhDGraduates Galore!

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World first for PhD graduatein Tuberculosis research

MMAARRYYAANNNN FFRRAANNCCIISS

TWENTY-YEAR-OLD DrSandile Kubheka graduatedwith an MBChB degree from

UKZN’s College of Health Sciencesmaking him the youngest graduatein the college’s history.

Kubheka who hails fromNewcastle was ecstatic to be theyoungest graduate and to have alsoattained a distinction in Obstetricsand Gynaecology. He was chosen byhis class for the Yashiv ShamBursary for having compassion and

caring qualities and the Enid GordonJacob Good fellowship Prize forcharacter and good conduct.

Kubheka began his formalschooling as a five year old and waspromoted in April of his Grade 6year to Grade 7, matriculating atSiyamukhela High at the age of 15.He then enrolled at UKZN’s Nelson RMandela School of Medicine wherehe served in the Rural DevelopmentClub, in the Happy Valley Clinic andin the Medical Student’sRepresentative Council.

Kubheka volunteered much of

his time, providing free medicaltreatment and advice to ruralcommunities attending the HappyValley Clinic and Madadeni hospital.

‘Kubheka is currently serving hisinternship at Northdale hospital inPietermaritzburg. He hopes toeventually register for a Masters ofMedicine degree, specialising inInternal Medicine and to superspecialise at some stage inEndocrinology.

The Medical class of 2013 alsovoted Kubheka as most likely to be“the next Minister of Health”.

Youngest MedicalGraduate in theHistory of UKZN

TTHHAANNDDIIWWEE JJUUMMOO

THE need to broaden hisknowledge of Local EconomicDevelopment (LED) for thedevelopment and sustainability ofmunicipalities in Mpumalanga,motivated the province’sDepartment of Finance MEC MrMadala Masuku to pursue studiestowards a Master of Commerce inLeadership Studies (MCom) atUKZN.

Masuku started his career as aTeacher but his love for politics andleadership qualities quickly sawhim being appointed as the ProjectManager and Co-ordinator for theYouth Education Trust and serve onthe regional executives of theAfrican National Congress and theANC Youth League at various levels.

He was elected as the Memberof the Provincial Legislature andsubsequently appointed to variousMEC positions withinMpumalanga’s provincialgovernment.

Masuku said graduating withan MCom cum laude would helphim deliver quality servicedelivery for his community.

‘There seemed to be absence ofleadership around Local EconomicDevelopment (LED), so I chose thesubject and started reading aroundit while looking for an institutionthat was focused on the subject.That is how I found out aboutUKZN’s MCom (Leadership) and Ihave acquired a lot of knowledgeon the subject of LED andleadership. The development ofour economy, creation of jobs and

viability of municipalities arecritical in the development of oursociety,’ he said.

Growing up in the povertystricken village of Calcutta inBushbuckridge which battled withhigh levels of unemployment andilliteracy, Masuku identifies withthe challenges that the communityof Mpumalanga is facing such aslack of water, electricity, the needfor houses and the need to improvethe state of the roads.

Therefore his dissertationtitled: Leadership in LocalEconomic Development withinthe Ehlanzeni DistrictMunicipality MpumalangaProvince, aimed to find thesolution to these issues andcontribute to the province’s targetof operation clean audit 2014.

Mpumalanga’s FinanceMEC Graduates Cum Laude

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UUKKZZNN’’ss yyoouunnggeesstt ddooccttoorr,, DDrr SSaannddiillee KKuubbhheekkaa..

GRADUATION SPECIAL 201416

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GRADUATION 2014

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A SOUVENIR PUBLICATION - University of KwaZulu-Natal · Learning Unit. The first 12 Mathematics teachers graduated through the module earlier this year. Mukwembi, whose passion for