The Workplace Comes With Many Challenges- Prof Ndebele Tells DUT Graduates
The Durban University of Technology honoured literary great Professor Njabulo Ndebele with an Honorary Doctorate during a graduation ceremony of the Faculty of Arts and Design at the DUT Fred Crookes Sports Centre today, 16 April.

The animated guests’ screams and ululation added a zest to the ceremony and were testimony to the success of the fourth of 14 graduation sessions scheduled for this graduation season.

In his address, Professor Ndebele thanked his spouse for her unwavering support and acknowledged the presence of friends, Bishop Dandala and his wife.

Prof Ndebele was the Vice Chancellor of the University of Cape Town (UCT) until his recent retirement. He is a prolific author; with seven highly regarded books on post-apartheid South Africa under his name. He was a recipient of the National Research Foundation Life Time Achievement in 2009. He is currently a Senior Research Fellow in the Archive and Public Culture at UCT’s Department of Social Anthropology.

Congratulating the graduates he said: “You have honoured your parents, relatives, friends and community… The culture of success expands and grows to help us become a great country.”

The world of work, although enticing, comes with many challenges, Prof Ndebele forewarned. Graduates will soon learn that the perfect picture they’ve had about the workplace is tainted with corruption, abuse of power and incompetence, said Prof Ndebele. These are tests of morality and ethics. How the graduates react to these tests will be the ultimate determination of the future of a country with “great promise”.

DUT Vice Chancellor and Principal Professor Ahmed Bawa pointed out that 16 percent of 18 to 24 year olds have access to higher education in South Africa. By virtue of this fact, the graduates are at a privilege, Prof Bawa said.
Doctor Lavern Samuels; Director of the International Education and Partnerships at DUT said it is always thrilling to witness the graduation ceremony of the Arts and Design Faculty. “You always wonder who’ll be the next Dion Chang or the next writer for the institution (DUT),” he said.

–Naledi Hlefane