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DUT Students Embracing Topics Affecting The Community This Month

DUT Students Embracing Topics Affecting The Community This Month

DUT STUDENTS EMBRACING TOPICS AFFECTING THE COMMUNITY THIS MONTH

Media Statement by Alan Khan, Senior Director: Corporate Affairs at the Durban University of Technology

Students in residence from the Durban University of Technology are on the airwaves this month, where they will debate and table solutions on the issue of women abuse.

Titled, Women Subject Themselves To Victimisation, the Inter-Res Talkshow will be aired on Ukhozi FM, Africa’s biggest radio station and is the brainchild of Lungisani Mavundla, a DUT Accounting and Auditing alumnus who is also the Residential Assistant of DUT’s Shepstone House residence.

The initiative is organised by DUT Student Housing in partnership with Ukhozi FM, as well as Love In The Air, an organisation that mobilises youth to become part of the solution to their own challenges. It originally started as a talk show on Izwi Lomzansi FM.

“The debates will be pre-recorded and broadcast on Ukhozi FM from 23h30 to 00h00 every Tuesday during the month of May. DUT residences have been clustered based on their geographical proximity and the debates will centre around three themes; namely religion, politics and culture with the intention of identifying what role these three spheres can play in eradicating violence against women as well as other social ills such as HIV/AIDS. This is a mass media campaign. We’d also like to involve print media but we are focusing on radio for now,” said Mavundla.

Alan Khan, DUT Senior Director of Corporate Affairs said that he was thrilled that the students were embracing topics that affected the community. Khan added, “We are proud that the DUT students have partnered with Ukhozi FM on this project and we are confident that this debate will lead to an increased awareness in the battle against the abuse of women and children in our country.”

In September last year, Mavundla launched his book titled Unyaka Wesithembiso, a series book which is read out on Ukhozi FM. The book was launched at DUT in September last year (2012) and is also in response to social ills. “The book is about a boy who comes to study at DUT after finishing his matric. He has a girlfriend who is in grade 11 (at the time of enrolling at DUT for his three year diploma after getting a bursary). He has been involved with her for three years and they both promise each other to remain faithful during the three years that the boy is studying at DUT but they both face temptations that threaten their relationship. The moral of the story is that it’s possible to remain faithful provided that two people remain true to the promises they made to each other. The book has won two awards, including the Business and Arts of South Africa award last year (2012),” said Mavundla.

The Inter-res Talkshow will be followed by another initiative, still involving DUT students in addition with students from other KwaZulu-Natal universities and FET colleges. This event is a train ride which will begin from the Berea train station to the Scottsburgh train station. “This particular campaign is titled 1976 Energies Towards the 21st Century Challenges. It aims to make students realise that new challenges exists post the Soweto Uprising. Media partners, social councillors and motivational speakers are some of the people who will be participating in the event. Students will talk, network and engage on issues around the theme. The intention is to conscientise them (students) about social ills such as HIV/AIDS and for them to bring solutions to the table instead of just being part of the existing challenges,” said Mavundla.

For more information or comment, contact Lungisani Mavundla on 071 110 2785.

Issued by:
Sinegugu Ndlovu
Communications Manager
Durban University of Technology
Steve Biko Campus Durban
031 373 2845