It was a celebratory moment as the Student Representative Council (SRC) and Student Governance and Development unit at the Durban University of Technology (DUT) handed out prizes for the SRC Essay Writing competition. The session took place at the DUT Open House building on Thursday, 02 November 2023.

This was the first Essay Writing Competition done by the 2022/23 SRC in collaboration with the Student Governance and Development unit. The competition was under the SRC students as champions of the DUT Living Values campaign. The competition topic was ‘Reflecting the DUT Living Values through our Daily Behaviour’.

Mr Andile Masuku, who is the Student Development Officer, was the programme director for the day. Mr Masiza Ngculu, Manager at the Student Governance and Development welcomed the attendees and the winners of the competition. Mr Ngculu said that one of the key elements of the outgoing SRC was to encourage the idea of the DUT Living Values framework amongst students.

Student Development Officer, Miss Thokozani Sibiya said they had received a lot of essay applications and it was not an easy task to select the best essay as all the entries received were well-written.

Dr Clement Moreku, Dean of Students thanked the organisers and the adjudicators for going through the essay entries. He also thanked the students for taking their time to make reasonable, believable arguments and enter the competition. “Students Led Conversations is what we actually like to promote because it has got to do with student initiatives and leading conversations regarding how we need to be shaping the life of DUT students. DUT is actually an entity that needs to be guided and DUT is us,” explained Dr Moreku.

Dr Moreku further indicated that he was ecstatic to see the topic because it talked more to the living of the values. “The principles and values are not for decoration, but there are there for us to live them and it is through our behaviour that we can demonstrate living those values,” he stressed.

Former SRC Secretary General, Joyful Gcabashe congratulated the winners for entering the competition. One of the competition winners, Ms Nikita Singh, said that what led her to enter the competition was being a tutor at the Writing Centre in Steve Biko campus library.  She said the whole experience of writing the essay was fun and inspiring. She added that as a postgraduate student she is grateful to be part of the development.

Dr Moreku and Ms Fathima Haffajee, Director of Student Services handed the prizes and certificates of appreciation to the winners of the competition. The panel were also appreciated for their dedication in choosing the best well-written essays.

In closing Ms Haffajee said she is very excited for the wonderful programme that teaches students the level of engagement and the level of development. She thanked everyone for the collaboration and for ensuring the competition ran smoothly.

The SRC Essay Writing Competition winners are:

• Nikita Singh
• Bathande Hadebe
• Asande Hadebe
• Siyabonga Khwezi

Pictured: The 2022/23 and 2023/25 SRC members and the winners of the SRC Essay Writing Competition.

Sibahle Ngcobo