Nearly R100 000 was raised in pledges during the DUT Homecoming Gala Dinner that was organised and hosted by the University’s Convocation and Alumni Relations Department.

The gala dinner was held on Saturday, 6 September 2014, at the University’s Ritson Campus Hall where former students and representatives from the corporate sector were in attendance. Also in attendance was DUT Vice-Chancellor and Principal, Professor Ahmed Bawa; DUT Convocation President, Wiseman Madinane, as well as members of DUT staff and management.

Radio personality, Alex Mthiyane, who is also an alumnus of DUT, was MC at the event and Durban’s Kwaito kingpin, Zakes Bantwini, provided the entertainment. Madinane said alumni are a crucial part of any university, urging DUT graduates to support the University’s fundraising programmes.

“It’s important that we remember that DUT molded us into the people we have grown to be. We want to inculcate a culture of giving and philanthropy,” he said.
Madinane said most of the students who apply and enroll at the University come from poor backgrounds and cannot afford to pay for higher education. He said the fact that DUT received over 70 000 applications for first-year spaces in 2014 indicates that “there is a hunger for higher education”.

“Most of the students we attract have a passion for education but most often lack finances. That poses a significant threat to our society if we aren’t able to meet the demand for education,” he said.

Madinane urged alumni to donate to the University’s Bursary Fund, which distributes funds via NSFAS, and the One Meal, Once A Day programme, which is a feeding scheme that assists needy students across the University’s campuses. “DUT needs us. Please spread the word and make sure that we contribute to the University,” he said.

Prof Bawa said it was important for the University to keep a connection with its past (alumni) in order to reach into the future. He said while the University distributes close to R300 million in NSFAS funding annually, this still does not meet the demand.

“There’s a category of students out there, some who are super talented but can’t make it into University. We are very anxious to ensure that we try and ensure that the University makes it possible for its students to learn. There’s absolutely good reason for students to say we can’t turn students who qualify for university away. We should all agree to that.

It is fundamentally important that we make every possible step to ensure that these young people get through their studies. I implore you to work with Convocation and Alumni Relations to see what you can do for them (current students at DUT),” said Prof Bawa.

-Sinegugu Ndlovu

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