Yesterday (26 February 2014), DUT held a dinner to bid farewell to Vice Admiral Johannes Mudimu, Chief of the SA Navy, who has supported the University for a number of years.

V Adm Mudimu retires as SA Navy Chief on March 31, 2014. He first began engaging with DUT in 2008, promoting the University within the SA Navy as well other wings of the country’s Defense Force. He has publicly spoken about the Navy’s strong relationship with DUT, also committing himself to strengthening the University’s Maritime programmes by facilitating linkages with other navies including the Indian Navy.

The dinner was held at the Elangeni Hotel, Golden Mile, Durban. High profile guests at the dinner included Professor Ahmed Bawa; DUT Vice-Chancellor and Principal, Chief of the SA Air Force; Lieutenant General Fabian Msimang, Ela Gandhi; former DUT Chancellor, eThekwini Mayor; James Nxumalo, ANC KZN Secretary Sihle Zikalala, KZN businessman; Don Khwanazi, Mangosuthu University of Technology Vice-Chancellor; Professor Mashupye Kgaphola and eThekwini Speaker; Councilor Logie Naidoo.

Shortly before the dinner began, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between DUT and the National Association of Manufacturers in Electronics Components (Namec). The MoU will benefit hundreds of DUT students and was signed in honor of V Adm Mudimu who described the University’s graduation ceremony of April 2012 – at which he was awarded an honorary degree – as an “avalanche of hope”. Here, he was alluding to the power of education.

V Adm Mudimu was awarded an honorary Doctor of Technology Degree in Maritime Studies by the University in honor of his exceptional role in transforming the SA Navy, his commitment to peace and community welfare as well as his support to DUT.

“We’re in the process of starting an Aviation Academy at our PMB Centre and are proud to count you as one of us,” said Prof Bawa. “We treasure our relationship with the SA Navy; it distinguishes us from other institutions. We hope the impetus we had with the Navy while Vice Admiral Mudimu was head (of the SA Navy) will continue to grow,” said Prof Bawa.

DUT became the new base for teaching SA Navy students basic navigation skills as from January 2013. The University’s Maritime Studies Department was entrusted to handle this task by the SA Navy. In the past, the SA Navy would accept approximately 25 students in its programme, and with the number of candidates doubling, it became difficult for it to accommodate all candidates. To lighten this weight, the Navy approached DUT’s Department of Maritime Studies to develop a short general navigation course.

V Adm Mudimu gave a moving speech and addressed a number of issues including piracy. “The gesture given to us by DUT is a gesture from an institution that tells us that the keys and answers that we require to build our society can only be found within the confines of an institution of academic learning. This is the mission that must haunt our consciousness,” he said.

V Adm Mudimu spoke about the “burden” of piracy in the East Coast of Africa, saying it undermines the nation’s will to trade freely. He spoke about strategies that are currently being employed to deal with this situation.

“Under our government, I had an opportunity to represent the country in many conferences the world over. We are the founding fathers of the Sea Power for Africa Symposium, a construct that was conceptualised from the realisation that the burden and issues of Africa must be resolved by Africans themselves. Together with the Indian Navy, we are the founders of the Indian Ocean Sea Powers Symposium because we realised that the burden of piracy in the East Coast of our continent undermines the nation’s will to trade freely. Today, we can proudly report that the dream we shared with the Indian Navy and all the navies that use the Indian Ocean has been realised. That’s why today the pirates have shifted from the East Coast to the West Coast. Our ships are in Mozambique as we speak ensuring that the sea lines of communication in the East Coast are protested,” he said, adding that another vehicle that will help ensure that Africa is not robbed of its marine resources from the West Coast will be created.

“Durban has been the centre of our activities in the last two years. Because we realised that in order to fight maritime crime and piracy effectively in the East Coast, the Navy must come back to Durban and re-establish the Naval Base in Durban. Currently, we are hard at work together with the Department of Public Works, Transnet and Portnet; giving character and shape to this initiative,” he said.

– Sinegugu Ndlovu

Pictured from L-R: eThekwini Mayor; James Nxumalo, Vice Admiral Mudimu and DUT Vice-Chancellor and Principal; Professor Ahmed during a handover of a painting to V Adm Mudimu during his farewell dinner organised and hosted by DUT at the Elangeni Hotel, Golden Mile, Durban.