Page 4 - DUT The Edge - Aug/Sept 2021

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clean-up
DUT RESIDENCE STUDENTS EMBARK ON A SUCCESFUL CLEAN-UP CAMPAIGN AT DURBAN AND Midlands CamPUSES
Pictured: DUT residence students clean up the streets during a clean-up campaign.
A team from the Durban University ofTechnology (DUT) Student Housing and Residence Life recently united to help clean their communal spaces within the residences and on the streets following the unrest and looting that took place in Durban and Pietermaritzburg.
The team consisted of students living in the different student residences and the residence advisors. Residence Development Of cer Khosi Twala said: “The involvement of students and staff from our residences have played an important role in the implementation of the stewardship perspective as re ected in the ENVISION2030 in terms
of accountability. The other important outcome was positioning our residences as part of the communities they are located in. Historically, communities have had distorted perceptions of students as unruly, loud and irresponsible people. Seeing them at the forefront of the clean-ups has sure changed these perceptions, I believe.”
Nonjabulo Shangase, President of the Central Housing Committee (CHC), shared that it was impressive to see DUT students joining in this initiative. “We saw the importance of taking responsibility to clean up the common spaces in the residences because if we turned a blind eye, this would have affected our well-being. I embarked on this campaign because I am a person who always encourages the students to maintain cleanliness. My hope is that as students we will develop a habit of keeping our residences clean as this also contributes to our physical health. I developed a sense of mastery as I was able to assert some control on the environment. Despite all the negativity that surrounded us recently, joining this campaign made me feel good as I saw that we were able to make a positive contribution,” Shangase added.
Sbahle Dlamini, Chairperson of the Green Campus Initiative (GCI), said:“Following the unrest, cleaners were unable to come to work due to the unavailability of transportation and, therefore, we took it upon ourselves to ensure the cleanliness and upkeep of our residences. This was extremely important since we are amid the dire COVID-19 pandemic. It is our responsibility to ensure that the environment is well taken care of.The purpose was to ensure that the residences are kept clean and well-maintained and I am glad that this was achieved.”
Adding to the conversation was Sibekezelo Ntimbane,
who is House Committee Chairperson at Lorance House.“St George’s Street is like our home, so we didn’t want to keep the place in an untidy state; we had to do something because eThekwini Municipality was not working during the unrest.We cleaned the environment out of love, humanity, passion and dedication. It was a great experience for us to volunteer without expecting any help from the municipality or government,” he said. Residence advisors reported that they had also collaborated with Durban Solid Waste (DSW) to clean the streets within their neighbourhoods.To comply with COVID-19 regulations, the students kept their masks on and were provided the necessary personal protective equipment (PPE) as they assisted DSW workers in cleaning the streets.
Ntsikelelo Nhlenyama, Residence Development Of cer at the Midlands campus, said that the participation of students in the clean-up campaign demonstrated stewardship and social responsibility, which are the traits of responsible citizenship. “They have shown sympathy and care towards affected businesses and families, which reverberated ubuntu from the heart of the DUT community,” he said.
Siyabonga Mtshali, residence advisor – Burger Cluster Residences, said that DUT students taking part in this initiative believed that if they wanted to change South Africa, it should start with them. “We wanted to show those who do not believe in the youth of South Africa that change will come – not later but now. We also believed that youth are happy, because if they have the capacity to see beauty and anyone who retains the ability to see beauty never grows old,” he said.
Nikiwe Sukazi
MAZIBUKO AND LAZARUS THAnk THE DUT COMMUNITy FOR THEIR miss sa VOTES
Fourth-year Homeopathy student Andile Mazibuko (23) and Journalism alumna Lisanne Lazarus (25) made the Institution proud after they were selected for the Miss South Africa (SA) Top 30 recently.
Miss South Africa is presented by Weil Entertainment in association with M-Net, Mzansi Magic and Sun International. and is a leadership platform for ambitious young South African women. Contestants receive world-renowned coaching and advanced networking, business and life skills.
For Mazibuko, the whole competition was phenomenal, and getting to know so many incredible young ladies vir- tually was such a great experience that she will cherish.“I think I was ready for whatever the outcome was going to be. Nevertheless, being in the top 30 was a huge achieve- ment for me,” she said.
The dynamic young student from eMabedlane in Ulundi said that when the Miss South Africa entries opened, she just knew that this was the year to get over her fear and doubt and enter the competition.
Growing up, she never dreamt of becoming a model but when she discovered her love for modelling in 2018, she just knew that the Miss South Africa stage is where she needed to be.
“The Miss SA platform has given birth to phenomenal women who have refused to be silenced. Being part of the pack would be an honour and a privilege,” she said.
She grew up as a very shy child so she never imagined herself as a model. In fact, she hated how people would ask her if she modelled because of her body shape. In 2018, she entered a pageant just to discover what people had been seeing in her. Little did she know that the very same pageant would be her modelling breakthrough.
Pictured:Andile Mazibuko and Lisanne Lazarus
“Since then, my love for modelling has grown and I start- ed thinking broader. For the rst time in my life, I felt like I had a voice, a face and a purpose.That’s where my con dence started building up – today I am able to speak out, be heard and present,” she said.
Mazibuko listed her mother and the beautiful Bonang Matheba as role models, saying that these two women have been a true de nition of a powerhouse.
She expressed her sincere thanks to the DUT communi- ty and the public for voting for her.“I truly am humbled by the love and support that I have been receiving. It is heart-warming to know that I am not alone on this jour- ney. I hope that I inspire every individual to get up, face their power and embrace their future,” she said.
Mazibuko said that being in the Top 30 will de nitely open doors and she has already received some offers for modelling, which she is excited and grateful for.However,currently,she is busy with her practical work at DUT and due to COVID-19, practical work has to be carried out on dummies.
She wished the Top 10 Miss SA nalists all the best and said that each young lady had worked hard to be featured in the nal 10 and is already a winner.
Top 30 nalist and Journalism alumna Lazarus from Amanzimtoti currently works as a public relations and brand of cer for a local radio station.
Charismatic Lazarus always wanted to be involved in Miss SA.“Those who know me know that it’s all I ever spoke about. So when the entries opened this year, I submitted my entry. A few days later, I got a call from the Miss SA CEO, telling me I had been shortlisted,” she said.
For Lazarus, participating and being selected in the Miss SA Pageant was a dream come true. She had entered Miss South Africa three times already but had never made it beyond a shortlist.
“It was a phone call I had been waiting for since the age of 14. It felt so surreal. Every year that I received a rejec- tion email, I dusted myself off and worked even harder to make a stronger comeback because I just knew that my purpose would be ful lled to its highest degree on that platform,” she said.
Lazarus said that her love for modelling and pageants is what drove her to continue with this exciting passion of hers. “More than modelling, I have always loved pageants because it’s a celebration of women and gives us a plat- form to express our beauty. It also allows us to make an impact through CSI initiatives and gives us a microphone to amplify our voices,” she said.
She hoped to see herself in the top 10 because she was completely authentic. She also thanked the DUT family for all their love and support.
Simangele Zuma/Waheeda Peters