12 September 2013 Volume :1 Issue :1
Professor Makgoba receives eThekwini Living Legends Award
Professor Malegapuru Makgoba.Vice-Chancellor, Professor Malegapuru Makgoba has been awarded the eThekwini Living Legends Award for his critical contribution to the field of medicine. The Awards acknowledge individuals with ‘outstanding achievements, and those who have demonstrated a sustained and extraordinary contribution in various categories of expertise’.
In their sixth year, these awards showcase the best in human endeavor and the spirit of Ubuntu.
Professor Makgoba expressed his gratitude to the eThekwini Municipality for the recognition bestowed on him and was humbled to be named as one of the 2013 Living Legends. “It is a singular honour to receive this extraordinary award from the Municipality where four of the campuses of UKZN are located”.
In his statement eThekwini Mayor Councillor James Nxumalo said, “We are very humbled and proud of our Living Legends who in one way or another have brought honour and pride to our city. It is the passion and integrity of these special citizens that elevate our city to new heights. They are like the gemstones in our crown. Each of our award recipients has gone the extra mile, often unheralded and unsung. They have made a contribution to society, not for their own benefit but to make their communities and the world they live in a better place. We salute them.”
With humble beginnings in rural Sekhukhune, Limpopo Province, Makgoba has become one of South Africa’s Living Legends wrote Liz Clarke adding that as an immunologist, physician, public health advocate and academic, Makgoba shows great dedication to the health sciences and plays an active role in the progression of the field.
The eThekwini Living Legends Awards is an initiative of the Parks, Recreation & Culture Service Unit of eThekwini Municipality to recognise the greatness achieved by past or current residents of eThekwini in various fields of human endeavour, while they are still living.
The eThekwini Living Legends Awards was initiated in 2008, and has taken place each year since then in September, as part of the Heritage month’s celebrations, and also forming part of the annual Celebrate Durban calendar.
author : Indu Moodley and Liz Clarkauthor email : moodleyi@ukzn.ac.za