The Student Governance and Development unit at the Durban University of Technology (DUT) hosted a virtual Grooming Them Young programme on Wednesday, 05 March 2025. It was a dynamic and informative series designed to equip student leaders with essential life skills and knowledge, fostering a supportive environment for personal growth.
The aim of the event was to inspire and empower students to become confident, capable, well-rounded and resilient individuals ready to take on the challenges of the world, in line with DUT’s ENVISION2030 strategy. The programme was facilitated by Andile Masuku from Student Governance and Development unit who is a Student Development Officer at DUT.
The DUT Student Governance and Development Manager, Mr Masiza Ngculu extended a warm welcome to the keynote speaker, Dr Bernard Sebake, Dean of Students at the Central University of Technology and Dr Clement Moreku, Dean of Students at DUT. He thanked Dr Moreku for always making time to support such programmes. He also mentioned that the purpose of the event was self-improvement and challenging oneself for both the students and staff. He emphasised that these sessions present an opportunity for them to learn from each other but also unlearn certain things about themselves. Mr Ngculu added that the session was not meant to be a one sided session but an opportunity to converse.
“Our role here at DUT is to be impactful to society around us. The quotes by Bob Marley and Judge Moseneke come to mind, which respectively say emancipate yourselves from mental slavery; none but ourselves can free our minds,” added Mr Ngculu.
The Dean of Students, Dr Clement Moreku, also shared the importance of the event, stating that its where student leaders would exchange ideas in terms of how to build towards the strategic objective of adaptive graduates. Dr Moreku shared that DUT has adopted the ENVISION2030 strategy, which emphasises the institution’s commitment to developing graduates who are equipped to succeed in a rapidly changing world.
He further highlighted that the strategic vision reflects DUT’s dedication to fostering a culture of innovation adaptability, and student-centred educational approach. “This programme supports young adults transition to adulthood by equipping them with necessary skills, knowledge, and a mindset to thrive. It fosters inner resilience, self-confidence, and essential life skills for academic and personal success,” he explained.
The event was attended by Student Representative Council (SRC), Wandiswa Mncube, a Deputy Secretary General who presented the SRC message of support. He stated that they believed that empowering young minds was crucial for shaping the future, and also stated that the event was a great initiative towards achieving that goal. He expressed pride in seeing their students take proactive steps towards personal growth and development and aptly described the session as a movement, to unlock potential.
Ms Thokozani Sibiya, a Student Governance and Development Officer at DUT, introduced Dr Bernard Sebake, a highly respected expert in his field. As the Dean of Students at the Central University of Technology, Dr Sebake brought a wealth of experience in leadership and management, with over two decades in student services, governance, youth development, education and development planning.
Dr Sebake stated that university life, with its multicultural nature and diversity, shapes one’s character and fosters an understanding of coexistence values. He believes university graduates become champions of social change, addressing inequalities, poverty, and unemployment that affect young people.
Dr Sebake emphasised that the ultimate goal of leadership development was to empower young leaders to drive meaningful change in their communities. He urged them to strive for selfless leadership, become agents of transformation who shape the political and economic landscape, rather than simply following it
He noted that people often expect things to come easily, without utilising their own abilities and potential to transform society and the economy. He emphasised the importance of seizing power and creating positive change. He stressed that one crucial step was to engage in introspection and soul-searching when developing a plan.
He also highlighted the SMART goal setting, these are goals that are ‘Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time-bound. Dr Sebake stressed that using SMART as the cornerstone as well as maintaining psychological safety, setting authentic goals that are reviewed regularly will ensure that the student leaders do not lose hope and continuously strive to reach their goals.
He also urged students to grasp the significance of selfless, ethical, and servant leadership, enabling them to effectively respond to the challenges faced by their communities. He believes the current society is very volatile as well as complex and as such, student leaders need to be able to navigate appropriately.
In his closing remarks, Mr Ngculu expressed his gratitude to Dr Sebake for sharing his profound wisdom with the students. He emphasised that experience is wasted unless it is utilised to serve humanity. He extended his appreciation to the DUT SRC for their support in this programme and all in attendance for taking time to be present.
Pictured: The keynote speaker was Dr Bernard Sebake who is a Dean of Students at Central University of Technology.
Phiwayinkosi Sibiya
