The Acting Head of Department of Civil Engineering on the Midlands campus at the Durban University of Technology (DUT), Dr Zesizwe Ngubane, was conferred with a Doctor of Engineering degree at the DUT 2024 Autumn Graduation ceremony, which was held at the Indumiso campus in Pietermaritzburg on Tuesday, 14 May 2024.
Dr Ngubane (38) from Swayimane near Pietermaritzburg was proud of herself for successfully completing her PhD studies, despite the demands of having two children during her studies. Her thesis was titled: “Development of a multi-criteria decision-support tool for improving water quality to assist with engineering infrastructure and catchment management.”
“I registered for my PhD in 2019 and by 2020 I had a baby, then after that, we had the COVID-19 lockdown. My supervisors were really supportive, they are the greatest people ever. Despite having two kids in between my studies, one in 2020 and the other in 2022, I worked hard and managed to also publish papers. I made it and it was all thanks to my supervisor, Professor E Sokolova, who was the greatest for me. When people share their life stories, you are able to relate and you are able to copy from them as well. She was that person for me,” shared Dr Ngubane.
Giving insight into her research, Dr Ngubane said it addressed the scarcity of comprehensive frameworks integrating water quality modelling, quantitative risk assessment and stakeholder engagement, to address water pollution issues in catchment areas effectively. Focusing on the uMsunduzi catchment area, the study synthesised scientific data to identify chemical and microbial hazards, mapping pollution sources and pathways. Overall, the research aimed to fill the gap in water pollution alleviation strategies, by providing a practical framework supporting informed decision-making process.
“I am a big fan of women, children and a big fan of those people being protected and taken care off. I would like to continue with my community engagement and work with women in rural areas and other disadvantaged communities. The aim is to see what we can do together, there is a lot to gain from them. During my study, I had many beautiful conversations and I learnt a lot from them as well. I would like to continue that journey of working with them,” she added.
She revealed that she was a rural girl who was born and bred in Swayimane. She went to Mbaba Primary School and Masijabule High School. After matric, she studied at the University of KwaZulu-Natal from her undergraduate qualification to her master’s degree.
“I decided to close off my studies with DUT and I enrolled for a doctorate. My PhD journey at DUT was different. I do not want to lie, there are things that we need to change. I guess being a staff member on the other side, it was easier to see the gaps and also help the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment to merge and bridge those gaps for the students. That has been quite an experience for me, learning the life as a student. As staff members, we often do not see certain things until you are in the journey yourself. You then realise that certain rules and certain structures do not really work well for the students,” she said.
Advising young women planning to obtain a PhD someday, Dr Ngubane said they should work hard and listen to their body and mind.
“Whenever your body tells you to go, you must go. When it tells you to rest, please do rest. People tend to talk about hard work and not so much about resting. Also, not so much about listening to your structure, its beautiful to have people around you and listening to them when you are not really yourself. Persevere but also take care of yourself,” added Dr Ngubane.
Pictured: Dr Zesizwe Ngubane.
Photographer: Mnqobi Ngobese.
Simangele Zuma
