In their bid to improve the mental wellness of the Student Representative Council (SRC), the Student Governance and Development unit at the Durban University of Technology (DUT) recently hosted the Capacity Development Debriefing Session at The Capital Pearls hotel, Umhlanga.

The session was facilitated by Mr Makhosesizwe Nzama, Student Representative Council Driver/Admin who began by allowing all the attendees, including the SRC to introduce themselves.

The SRC led by its President, Mr Solomzi Zoleka were warmly welcomed by Dut’s Thokozani Sibiya, who is a Student Development Officer. Sibiya urged the student leaders to participate throughout the whole session.

“To you student leaders, this is the second portion of your capacity development programme. The first one was stress management and conflict resolution and was held in Midlands. I hope you will grasp whatever that is offered to you, in terms of our professionals here today, and that you will engage and make the programme a success,” she said.

Delivering the opening and  purpose of the day, Mr Masiza Ngculu , Manager: Student Governance and Development at DUT shared words of appreciations to the SRC for their hard work also urged them to interact and engage in the sessions, saying the session is good for their personal growth.

“Your duty is an endless task, so today is about giving you a sense of perspective that even with your endless tasks, you also need time to re-energise yourself and regroup your energies. It is very important that we have these moments of re-energizing ourselves. I know not many times you get these words given to you, but from our side, we would like to say thank you for your dedication,” said Masiza.

Career Resource Officer, Phumzile Monageng and Alifa Dil Hossain from Student Counselling unit delivered an insightful presentation on importance of mental wellness in leadership with the following categories.

• Nurturing leadership
• Unique challenges in the SRC
• What is stress
• Types of stress
• Source of stress
• Symptoms of stress

Monageng also emphasized the importance of finding balance between being a student and a leader. “Being a student leader can be a fulfilling role, as it gives one the opportunity to make a positive impact on the student community, however it also comes with its own challenges. The biggest one being finding a healthy balance between your academics and leadership role,” she narrated.

In closing ,Mr Andile Masuku, Student Development Officer shared words of appreciation to all the attendees for their fruitful discussions and unwavering support towards the SRC. He mentioned that as the unit, they are in line with the ENVISION2030 strategy of producing adaptive graduates, hence they make sure that every SRC member is able to adapt into the role of juggling leadership and academics.

Pictured : Student Governance and Development unit staff and SRC at the Capital Pearls Hotel

Photographer: Simphiwe Mahlaba

Thubelihle Dumakude