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Media statement by Alan Khan, Senior Director: Corporate Affairs at the Durban University of Technology

Media statement by Alan Khan, Senior Director: Corporate Affairs at the Durban University of Technology

There have been no illegal student protests at DUT today. The University has been working with the SAPS to maintain order on campus. The SAPS will continue to enforce the court interdict against illegal protestors and will arrest those who violate the court order.

The academic programme at DUT is continuing as normal and students have been attending classes.

The SRC confirmed that the student protest was not supported by the elected student leadership at DUT. The illegal protest is being driven by SASCO and they are a registered club and society at DUT. By virtue of their affiliation to the SRC, SASCO needs to work with and via the student leadership on campus. The SRC will then raise these matters with management. DUT management will not undermine the SRC and ignore the structures and channels of communication. SASCO has been urged by management to approach the SRC as it (the SRC) represents students.

It would seem that student accommodation and financial aid are the primary grievances of the striking students.

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Media statement by Alan Khan, Senior Director: Corporate Affairs at the Durban University of Technology

The Durban University of Technology’s Dental Clinic is making a difference to the life of a young girl from Gingindlovu near Eshowe in KZN, who was recently raped and mutilated by a 15-year-old boy.

The DUT Dental Clinic will fit a prosthetic eye for the young school girl on Thursday 19 July 2012. The fitting is scheduled to take place at 10H00 at the Department of Dental Technology on DUT’s Ritson Campus in Durban. The eight-year-old girl’s eye was gouged out after a teenage boy dragged her into a sugarcane field and then violently attacked and raped her. The incident shocked community members and people across the country.

“I got a call about a month ago from an optometrist who asked if I would be able to help make a prosthesis for this patient and I agreed,” said DUT Dental Technology Department Lecturer Peter Furber who is heading up the procedure.

Alan Khan, DUT’s Senior Director for Corporate Affairs said, “DUT is very proud of our staff and students at the Dental Clinic in our Faculty of Health Sciences, who are making such a positive difference to the life of this young girl who has already suffered so much.” He added, “Violence against children in particular, is a crime against humanity and we at DUT are honoured to make a meaningful contribution to her healing process”.

Furber met the young patient for the first time on Monday at the DUT Dental Clinic for her assessment. The young girl did not have any accommodation in Durban, so DUT’s Bed & Breakfast near Botanic Gardens, which is managed by DUT’s Hotel School in the Faculty of Management Sciences, had graciously offered to host her until after the prothetic eye is successfully placed.

Explaining the procedure, Furber said an impression of the empty socket was taken. This was necessary to create an exact replica. Once the eye impression was taken, the final model was then made. Furber said ensuring that the iris colour of the artificial eye matches that of the patient’s right eye was of utmost importance. “The eye will be built in wax which will then be transferred to acrylic. After that, the white part of the eye and the veins will be painted and we will put a final layer of acrylic and the eye will be ready,” said Furber. This process takes three to four days to complete.

“There are various factors to note and consider when custom making an eye,” Furber said. He also stressed that he is hoping that the prosthetic will also have adequate movement, adding that he is confident that the process will be as successful as past procedures conducted by the DUT Dental Clinic. “We’ve done many procedures of this kind before”, he said.

After two years, the patient will return to Furber for a new prosthesis because at her age, the eye socket is still growing.

The DUT Dental Clinic is hopeful that the young girl will return to her hometown with a newfound confidence after going through such a traumatic ordeal with her attack and subsequent injuries and trauma.

For more information or comment; kindly contact Dental Technology Department Lecturer Peter Furber on 082 654 4553.

Date: Thursday 19 July 2012.

Time: 10h00.

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