Traditional wear was the order of the day at the eighth Durban University of Technology (DUT) graduation ceremony which took place at Fred Crookes Sports Centre, Steve Biko Campus, today (19 April 2016) at 9am.

Many graduates adorned beautiful, traditional beaded jewellery to depict their love and respect for culture. 

For Lungile Thabile Nzuza from Eshowe, wearing her traditional Zulu attire was important on such an auspicious day. “I did not want to resort to wearing a modern look but rather to have a very traditional feel as I am very proud of my culture. I opted for Ndebele bead work with beautiful handmade shield saddle shoes. In every family, you will find family heirlooms that have been handed down from the older generations to the younger ones and they are worn with pride. So for me, being able to wear this garb is a proud expression of my cultural which I wear with pride,” she beamed.

Besides the traditional wear, some graduates resorted to traditional dancing before receiving their diplomas and degrees, which became a real crowd pleaser. 

Also evident was the fact that one is never too old to embark on the journey of knowledge. Proud 56-year-old Rajen Pillay graduated with his BTech in Management as he wanted to ensure that kept abreast with the new, fundamental research concepts in such an industry. “I did this degree because it is so diversified and research is an integral part of management so I wanted to be on par with that. I will be studying further and doing my Master’s but this time overseas,” he said.

This session saw four Master’s degrees being conferred, 37 graduates achieving cum laude and of those, four receiving the prestigious Deans Merit Award for Academic Excellence. 

Prof Ahmed Bawa, DUT Vice-Chancellor, and Judge Vuka Tshabalala, DUT Chancellor, congratulated the graduates on their outstanding achievements.

– Waheeda Peters

Pictured: Lungile Thabile Nzuza