The Durban University of Technology (DUT) hosted the inauguration and investiture of its new Chancellor, Ms Nonkululeko Nyembezi last Friday, 23 March 2018 at the Fred Crookes Sport Centre, Steve Biko Campus.

In attendance were invited guests in academia, government leaders, business leaders, DUT students and representatives from labour and civil society. Currently, the Chief Executive Officer of Ichor Coal N.V., an international mining company focusing on thermal coal production in South Africa; Nyembezi has grown to become one of the most respected woman business leaders in the world.

 Ranked as the 97th most powerful woman in the world by Forbes Magazine in 2012, and clinching number eighth position on the list of Most Powerful Black Women in the World, she follows in the footsteps of Oprah Winfrey and Michelle Obama, to name but a few.

On 1 January 2018, she became the first woman to be appointed the chairman of the board of Alexander Forbes in its 81-year history. The mother of two holds qualifications, which includes a BSc Honours degree in electrical engineering from the University of Manchester Institute of Science & Technology, a Master’s degree in the same discipline from the California Institute of Technology, and an MBA from the Open University in the UK.

On her appointment, DUT’s new Madam Chancellor, Ms Nonkululeko Nyembezi, said it was a singular honour and privilege for her to be accepting her role as Chancellor at DUT, adding that her recognition from her peers was a gift, one that she did not take for granted. Confessing to doing mathematics for fun when she was at school, and for whom excellence was a habit, not an act, she made it clear that it was not just a measure of good luck that propelled her to success. She stressed that the combination of hard work, a high standard of excellence, and an astute recognition of how her engineering skills could propel her at a time when few women were excelling in the field, saw her leap from success to success.

 “On the topic of success, I have been asked by lots of young people what actually is the formula for success. Unfortunately, the answer to that question is there is none. Success is not a generic term; it means different things to different people. So, for example, in my case, I never spent half a minute formulating a private plan that I will be CEO in five years or Chancellor at DUT in 10 years. Such a thing, I have never done. My particular story has been falling into things.

“For me, I only had three criteria which I followed. Firstly, which was I was going to learn something out of my particular experience. Secondly, I will be good at it and thirdly, I needed to see in whatever it is that there was a chance to give something for a larger purpose, something beyond myself,” she said.

 Nyembezi, also excitedly added that she would be back in a few weeks to see DUT graduands receive their degrees and diplomas in what will be a very special moment in one’s life. “It is something that is justly deserved but I have news for you, that is not the end of your learning journey but the beginning. The shock of leaving the institution of higher learning is that learning does not stop, it just takes a different form,” she said.

 Nyembezi concluded by saying that she was thrilled to be part of DUT and to contribute in whatever small way and watch it grow from strength to strength.

 Speaking at her inauguration, Chair of the DUT Council, Mr Wiseman Madinane, firstly thanked the outgoing Chancellor, Justice Vuka Tshabalala, for the stellar manner in which he had served as Chancellor. He also welcomed Nyembezi into the DUT family, stating that her trailblazing and pioneering nature spoke of the kind of spirit DUT wishes to imbue in and amongst the DUT community.

“We are confident that the gravitas you bring to this role and to DUT, by association, will buttress our collective efforts to advance our mission of providing a world-class education to our students and to be a beacon of hope and constructive change and innovation in our society at large,” he said.

Vice-Chancellor and Principal Professor Thandwa Mthembu also expressed his joy of having the new Madam Chancellor, Nonkululeko Nyembezi, in DUT’s midst. “We have not the slightest doubt that the expertise, stature and achievements that Madam Chancellor Nyembezi brings with will help to make DUT reach new heights of greatness. We are ready to learn and take counsel from you as we push the boundaries of academic and entrepreneurial excellence,” he said.

Her term of office at DUT will run from 1 April 2018 to 31 March 2022.

Pictured: New Chancellor, Ms Nonkululeko Nyembezi.

Waheeda Peters