Dr Lungelo Funeka, a lecturer in Applied Management at the Durban University of Technology (DUT), was one of the highlights of the opening session of the 2025 Autumn Graduation Ceremony, held at the Indumiso campus in Pietermaritzburg on Monday, 12 May 2025.
The 37-year-old from Impendle in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands, received a standing ovation as she became the first PhD graduate to be honoured during this year’s Autumn Graduation season. Dr Funeka was awarded a Doctor of Philosophy in Management Sciences, with a specialisation in Public Relations and Communication.
Sharing her excitement on earning the Doctor title, she said walking on the graduation stage she felt like she was on top of the world. Topping her excitement was getting a chance to graduate with her students who were very proud of her achievement. She has been a lecturer at DUT for the past five years and she is also a proud alumna of DUT, having started her academic journey in the university in 2007.
“As a young black woman, I feel like my PhD is a steppingstone to a very bright future. Right now, nothing can limit me, the sky doesn’t exist. I have set the bar very high for the other young women behind me, they are inspired by my journey. I was excited to graduate with my students, I hope I served as an inspiration to them that through hard work and dedication, they can also reach my level” said Dr Funeka.
She described her PhD journey as one that was hectic, but she expressed her gratitude to her family especially her sister for the support and helping manage the stress that came with balancing her work duties and her academics. Dr Funeka described herself as a sensitive person whom would often cry when things seemed to fall apart, however, she said her sister was there to calm her down. She also extended her sincere thanks to her supervisors Dr LK Zogli and Prof BI Dlamini for holding her hand throughout her journey.
Her proud mother, Mrs Lindi Funeka (63) shared tears of joy as she shared her congratulatory message to her eldest child. She recalled how the family struggled in the past with both parents not working.
“I am ecstatic, I don’t know how I can thank God for the good he has done for me. Both her father and I were not working. I used to saw and sell clothes to put food on the table. I didn’t know that one day I would have a graduate in my family. She is the eldest of four children and I am happy that she’s a good example to her siblings,” said Mrs Funeka.
The title of Dr Funeka’s thesis is: The Impact of COVID-19 Vaccine Communication on Staff and Students’ Choice of Vaccination at a South African University.
Reading the summary of her thesis was her Head of Department and Co-Supervisor, Professor Bongani Dlamini. He said following the global rollout of COVID-19 vaccines in 2020, DUT introduced its own vaccination programme for staff and students through targeted communication and policies. According to Prof Dlamini this study therefore examined how DUT’s vaccine communication shaped the choices of its university community.
“The study recommends that DUT enhances message clarity, actively engage stakeholders, and involve staff and students in co-creating clear and reliable future communication. Doing so will foster transparency and build trust between the university and its community, aligning with DUT’s Living Values Framework. These steps will help shape more effective crisis communication strategies in the future,” said Prof Dlamini.
Pictured: Dr Lungelo Funeka and her proud mother, Mrs Lindi Funeka.
Simangele Zuma
