Language practice at the Durban University of Technology (DUT) encompasses the ENVISION2030 strategy whereby it aligns its curriculum with the university’s Living Values Framework.
The Faculty of Arts and Design proudly bestowed two Doctor of Philosophy degrees in Language Practice to Sibusiso Jeffrey Dlamini and Thabani Robert Khumalo at the esteemed Durban University of Technology (DUT) 2026 Autumn Graduation Ceremony on Thursday, 21 May 2026, held at the Olive Convention Centre.
Producing adaptative graduates who will influence their society and be creative, distinctive and impactful are exactly what the academic doctors have accomplished through their active research.
Dr Sibusiso Jeffrey Dlamini, a Translation Lecturer based at ML Sultan campus was all smiles when he was conferred with his doctorate.
“I can’t even define my feelings but I am extremely happy. It has been a difficult journey for me, however at the very end I wanted to complete my PhD as it was extremely important to me. I am now trying to understand how I got here, and here I am here now,” he shared jubilantly.”
Dr Dlamini’s thesis is titled: Translation styles in selected eThekwini municipal by-laws: a case study of English and isiZulu language combination.
Sharing on his dissertation, he explained that recent research in translation studies has emphasised the function of the text as the focus of translation analysis.
“The implication of this for legal translation is that the expected effects of the target text determine the strategies adopted in the translation process. Given that legal terminology presents various levels of challenges to translators, it would be advantageous for legal translation analysis to adopt a more specific approach, and for translator training to incorporate more specialised knowledge,” he said.
It is within this context that this study, indicated Dr Dlamini, that he sought to investigate the terminological challenges of legal translation and provide a platform to further investigate the implications for legal translation and social justice in general, particularly in a country such as South Africa where the field of legal translation is ‘under-researched’ and ‘has received little, if any, attention in translation theory and at tertiary institutions.
For Dr Khumalo, a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Media, Language and Communication at DUT, he expressed that the feeling of graduating was unexplainable, overwhelming, and a combination of mixed emotions.
“I was going back to the journey of what I went through and also the journey of self-realisation, so it’s a great feeling after all,” he said jubilantly.
His thesis looked at interpreting services in a linguistically diverse South Africa, whereby he used a case study of foreign languages in two Durban-based public healthcare facilities.
“South Africa is a multilingual and multicultural country, with foreign languages and cultures also part of the landscape. Such diversity is likely to create communication barriers,” he shared.
The findings from his research point to substantial communication challenges among allophone patients and healthcare workers due to a lack of effective policies catering to foreign languages and the lack of professional medical interpreting services within public healthcare institutions.
“The study therefore sheds light on the complex interplay between linguistic diversity and healthcare communication. It advocates for a critical review of existing language policies to accommodate foreign languages within the healthcare context,” he highlighted.
Furthermore, Dr Khumalo emphasised that it underscores the urgent need for the integration of professional medical interpreting services to promote universal access to healthcare and ensure effective and equitable outcomes.
Going forward, Dr Khumalo says getting papers published publications is what is on his mind.
“I want to publish many publications pertaining to this topic as believes that his topic is responding to language barriers amongst the foreign sector and he wanted his thesis topic to uncover and delve into what is currently happening in South Africa.
Pictured: Dr Sibusiso Jeffrey Dlamini
Waheeda Peters
