Struggle veteran and Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) Chairman yesterday urged universities to drive technology that would make a difference in people’s lives.

Naidoo made this call during his celebratory dinner at the Elangeni Hotel, North Beach, after earlier receiving his honorary Doctor of Technology Degree in Engineering and the Built Environment. The honourary doctorate was conferred to Naidoo in recognition of his contribution to the area of the built environment as well as his untiring commitment to community welfare issues.

Retired KZN Judge President Vuka Tshabalala; DUT Chancellor, eThekwini Municipality Speaker; Cllr Logie Naidoo as well as DUT Chair of Council; Dr Jairam Reddy were some of the high profile guests that attended the black tie affair.

DUT Vice-Chancellor; Professor Ahmed Bawa said the conferment of the honourary doctorate to Naidoo was a special day for the University.

Prof Bawa spoke about the 80s, a dark time in South Africa’s political past that, according to him, saw Naidoo play a pivotal role in shaping the working class. The two (Prof Bawa and Naidoo) have a friendship that also existed during that era.

“The struggle scene was ideologically charged. This was at the height of the workers’ movement. Jay was playing this pivotal role in trying to shape the working class,” said Bawa. Naidoo, who is a founding member of Cosatu, was the trade union’s first Secretary General.

Recalling some of the repressions that happened during the apartheid era, Prof Bawa also recalled the other side of the period, speaking about an “incredible connection between people” even though they did not always agree on everything.

“We feel very proud for you (Naidoo) to have joined DUT, a University that has the potential of being rigorously embedded in its local context. The body of our work will be about solving the local context. There are universities that want to be in the top 100, which is great. However, I want DUT to be an excellent local university and having Jay (Naidoo) is a step closer to (achieving) that goal,” said Prof Bawa.

Technology took centre stage in Naidoo’s address, who said it (technology) has a revolutionary potential. He also spoke about democracy. “Can we pretend to have a meaningful democracy when parents can’t even put food on the table for our children? Can we pretend that we live a life that Mandela and his generation represent? We also need to ask what is our individual contribution instead of asking questions about government,” he said.

– Sinegugu Ndlovu

Pictured: Prof Bawa welcomes struggle veteran Jay Naidoo to the DUT family during his celebratory dinner at the Elangeni Hotel, North Beach, yesterday (September 3, 2013).