In celebration of Nelson Mandela Day, the Durban University of Technology (DUT) community dedicated in excess of 67 minutes of service to a campus-wide clean-up campaign, reaffirming the University’s commitment to environmental sustainability and community responsibility.
The initiative attracted a diverse team of students, staff, and stakeholders providing an opportunity for collaborative environmental action aligned with the aspirations of DUT ENVISION2030. The group was divided into three teams to facilitate clean-up operations across the Steve Biko, Ritson, and ML Sultan campuses, removing litter and contributing to a cleaner, greener, and more welcoming environment for all.
DUT students and staff excited after embarking on the Mandela Day Campus Clean Up campaign.
The project was spearheaded by the Corporate Affairs Unit: Ms Vasantha Govender, Marketing, Public relations and Events Manager in partnership with representatives from various academic and administrative sectors, including the Green Campus Initiative (GCI), a student-led organisation that promotes environmental sustainability and responsible environmental practices across the University.
Representing the GCI executive was Innocentia Mahlangu (21), a third-year Internal Auditing student who serves in the Arts and Sustainability portfolio. She highlighted the importance of participating in initiatives that promote environmental stewardship.
“We joined the Mandela Day Campus Clean-Up hosted by DUT to help keep our campuses clean. Sustainability and caring for the environment are causes that we are passionate about, so we always make it a point to participate in initiatives that contribute to a cleaner campus. Seeing the campuses looking clean after our efforts made us feel proud because we knew we had made a positive difference,” said Innocentia.
The University’s “Go Green” Campus initiatives champion, Dr Mal Reddy, from the Department of Public Management and Economics, also encouraged the DUT community to embrace collective responsibility for maintaining a cleaner, greener, and more sustainable campus throughout the year, reinforcing the principle that environmental stewardship is a shared responsibility and requires the sustained commitment and active participation of everyone.
Among the staff members who participated was Ms Anne Moodley from the DUT Business School, who joined the team cleaning the area outside Gate 2 on the Steve Biko Campus. She described the experience as both enjoyable and rewarding.
“I wanted to be part of the Mandela Day Campus Clean-Up team. I really enjoyed the experience because we managed to remove a significant amount of litter from the area. I am also pleased that four of my colleagues from the Business School joined me. This was our contribution towards creating cleaner and safer campuses,” said Anne.
Mr Thamsanqa Magagula, a staff member at the BM Patel Library on the ML Sultan Campus, praised the organisers for continuing the annual campaign. Having participated in last year’s clean-up, he returned this year to once again support the initiative.
He expressed his enthusiasm for participating again next year and encouraged more staff members to get involved, noting that this year’s clean-up was largely supported by students.
The Mandela Day Campus Clean-Up reflects DUT’s commitment to fostering a culture of environmental responsibility, sustained behavioural change and active citizenship. By working together, staff and students demonstrated that small acts of service can have a lasting impact on the University’s campuses and inspire a shared commitment to keeping them clean, safe, and sustainable throughout the year.
Pictured: Some of the DUT students and staff during the clean up at Steve Biko campus.
Photographer: Sandile Lushozi
Simangele Zuma
