Staff at the Durban University of Technology (DUT) were invited to Town Hall meetings with members of the DUT executive management team on Wednesday, 4 December 2024. The first Town Hall engagement was hosted in the morning at the Mansfield Hall, Ritson campus in Durban and the second Town Hall event was in the afternoon at the Indumiso Hall, Indumiso campus in Pietermaritzburg.

Members of the DUT executive team engaging with staff at the Town Hall meeting in Mansfield Hall, Ritson campus in Durban.

Facilitating the meeting was Dr Matheakuena Mohale, Director of Special Projects in the Office of the Vice-Chancellor and Principal at DUT, who gave the DUT executive management team led by the Vice-Chancellor and Principal, Professor Thandwa Mthembu an opportunity to present and interact with staff on operational delivery at the university in 2024. After the presentations staff also had a chance to pose questions and engage with the university management.

Delivering the opening remarks both in Durban and Midlands, Professor Mthembu thanked the DUT community for taking the opportunity to engage with the executive management.

“The last time we had such engagements was in 2019 and those who were at the university at that time will remember we held a number of town hall meetings, some of them were stratified according to  the different domains, different units or different stakeholders at the university. At that time it was more about collaboratively crafting our ENVISION2030,” he shared.

Prof Mthembu indicated that as a higher institution there is a dire need to better the systems and processes and to rely more on DUT’s systems, policies and procedures.

He apologised in advance that the executive team could not cover every aspect of work but their focus would be on the most acute issues that would continue in 2025.

“Those issues we will not have enough time to tackle, will be done next year. We have also realised that we will need to deal with them in a stratified manner. We might have to approach different groups who have different topics going into next year and beyond. Many other people, perhaps not yet born, each one has a responsibility to make DUT better than we found it. It is not mine alone but each one of us has that responsibility,” he said.

The Deputy Vice-Chancellor: People and Operations at DUT, Dr Vuyo Mthethwa focused her presentation on the role played by the Human Capital Services and spoke on some of the key themes such as the DUT living values, the spatial plan on restructuring, performance management, workplace relations and salaries for 2025.

Some of the DUT staff members from the Durban campuses attending the Town Hall Meeting.

“There have been a lot of ENVISION2030 activations, however, we need to have more conversations with staff who will commit to our values and principles,” she said.

She then focused on the issue of performance management, saying that there are 351 staff members who will receive performance bonuses in the next few days for 2023.

She further spoke that there will be no salary increases in January 2025 as the negotiations have not yet been finalised. She also gave an update on the current infrastructure projects taking place at the university.

Giving further insight into financial funding and sustainability at DUT was Chief Financial Officer, Mrs Nthanyiseni Dhumazi. She explained that when one looks at the trend on funding provided by the Higher Education on an annual basis, DUT’s revenue from all streams such as grants are not growing but declining and the consensus is to tighten DUT’s belts and to work harder in order to obtain more third stream income.

Professor Fulufhelo Nemavhola as the Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research, Innovation and Engagement explained further on WiFi issues and ethical clearances in terms of research. He also spoke on the proposed Clarivate systems which when implemented at DUT, will aim to significantly enhance research efficiency.

“I  think those who are researchers there is going to be a whole lot of programmes being introduced for research support and focused around technology transfer. I think we all need to take the opportunity and make sure that we participate,” he said.

Both town hall sessions concluded with robust question and answer sessions between the DUT executive management team and staff. Also part of the executive management team present were the Interim Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Teaching and Learning, Professor Azwitevhelwi Nevhutalu and the Registrar, Dr Maditsane Nkonoane.

Commenting after the meeting at Indumiso campus in Midlands, Ms Nontuthuko Gwala an Administrative Assistant at the Financial Aid unit expressed her gratitude to the executive management for visiting them at Midlands.

“We appreciate them for giving us an opportunity to engage with them. It made us as staff members feel valued. I am looking forward to more engagements of this kind next year as promised by our Vice-Chancellor and Principal,” said Ms Gwala.

Khulekani Zikhali from the innobiz DUT Centre for Entrepreneurship and Innovation found the meeting very informative and was excited to have a physical engagement with the executive management. He feels it was important for the executive management to engage with the people on the ground who are working hard to uphold the positive image of the university.

Sharing the same sentiment, Lindani Jwara from Facilities and Maintenance applauded the executive management for living the DUT values and for being transparent with the staff. He was motivated to also live by the values and principles and continue working hard with a hope of being compensated for his efforts.

Pictured: DUT Vice-Chancellor and Principal, Professor Thandwa Mthembu delivering opening remarks at the Town Hall Meeting at Indumiso campus.

Photographer: Vukani Langa.

Waheeda Peters/Simangele Zuma