10 April 2025
Volume: 13
Issue: 5
From left: Professor Henry Lim, Professor Ncoza Dlova and Dr Ramesha Bhat, contributors to the updated ILDS position statement.

Updated Position Statement Advocates for Improved Patient Protection and Education

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The International League of Dermatological Societies (ILDS) has released an updated position statement on the Safe and Appropriate Use of Tropical Corticosteroids, raising alarm over their misuse in skin-bleaching products.

Dr Lindiwe (Malindi) Kunene.

Bridge City Business Fair Empowers Entrepreneurs with Purpose and Practical Tools

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Over the weekend of 28-29 March, I had the honour of participating in the Bridge City Durban Business Fair - a powerful showcase of how eThekwini Municipality’s decentralised post-COVID strategy is reshaping access to economic opportunity by taking services and support directly to the people.

UKZN hosted an insightful Human Rights Day webinar on the Chagos Islands.

Chagos Islands: Reflecting on Five Decades of Injustice

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Land rights are deeply rooted in South Africa’s Constitution. As South Africans, we have experienced the terrible legacy of forced removals.

From left: Mr Patrick Mdletshe, Dr Emily Wong, Professor Rubeshan Perumal, Professor Kogie Naidoo and Ms Pinky Nyaka make a united call for global solidarity to end TB.

Global Solidarity Essential to Ending TB

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The University of KwaZulu-Natal’s (UKZN) College of Health Sciences, in partnership with the Centre for the AIDS Programme of Research in South Africa (CAPRISA) and the Africa Health Research Institute (AHRI), hosted a powerful #WorldTBDay2025 event.

From left: Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist, Dr Nompumelelo Ntshangase-Mpanza; UKZN Head of General Surgery, Professor Boitumelo Phakathi; Dr Atisha Maharaj; and Professor Motshedisi Sebitloane.

Guest Lecture on HPV and the Global Fight Against Cancer

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On International HPV Awareness Day, Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Head of UKZN’s College of Health Sciences, Professor Busisiwe Ncama, hosted a special guest lecture.

Clockwise from top left: Dr Lindani Nxumalo, Advocate Carla Van Veenendal, Mr Peter Strasheim, Professor Willene Holness, Professor Brigitte Clark and Professor Ilze Grobbelaar-du Plessis.

Experts Call for Stronger Legal Protections in Draft Disability Rights Bill

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Legal scholars, disability rights advocates and policymakers gathered for a colloquium hosted by the Navi Pillay Research Group at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN), in collaboration with the University of Pretoria (UP)’s Faculty of Law, to discuss the draft Bill on the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

New Champions with UKZN and EDTEA officials.

New Cohort of Social Entrepreneurs Joins GSB&L Champions Programme

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The Graduate School of Business and Leadership (GSB&L) has proudly launched the 12th cohort of its Champions Programme, welcoming 22 passionate social entrepreneurs.

The DALRO Can Themba Merit Award.

Award to Honour Can Themba and Nurture South African Short Story Writers

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The Dramatic, Artistic and Literary Rights Organisation (DALRO), in collaboration with Wits University Press, The Market Theatre, and the University of KwaZulu-Natal’s Centre for Creative Arts, has launched the DALRO Can Themba Merit Award.

NATESA members donate clothing items to orphanages in Amanzimtoti.

NATESA Marks Human Rights Day with Donations to Orphanages

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The Nazareth Tertiary Students’ Association (NATESA), a student organisation that promotes the teachings of the Nazareth Baptist Church and its leader, uNyazi Lwezulu Shembe from eBuhleni, organised donations to two orphanages in the Amanzimtoti area, south of Durban.

School of Applied Human Sciences celebrates World Social Work Day.

Academic and Community Convergence: Celebrating World Social Work Day 2025

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The University of KwaZulu-Natal's (UKZN) Discipline of Social Work, within the School of Applied Human Sciences, commemorated World Social Work Day on 18 March 2025.

UKZN alumni gathered in Cape Town for afternoon tea and dinner.

UKZN Alumni Relations Hosts Successful Alumni Events in Cape Town

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UKZN Alumni Relations hosted an afternoon tea and dinner for Cape Town-based alumni. The tea was held at the historic Alphen Hotel, while the dinner took place at the renowned Vineyard Hotel.
Dr Kalina Naidoo at the Wade-Martins Lab.

UKZN Alumnus Pioneers Parkinson’s Research at University of Oxford

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Click here for isiZulu version

Dr Kalina Naidoo, a postdoctoral researcher at the Wade-Martins Lab in Oxford’s Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics (DPAG), is making significant strides in Parkinson’s disease research.

AORC webinar panelists (clockwise from top left): Honourable Stans Goudsmit, Honourable Major General Oswald Reddy, Honourable Christina Nomdo, and Honourable Anita Ghoorah.

Reimagining Childhood: Groundbreaking Webinar on Strengthening Children’s Ombudsman Offices

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The African Ombudsman Research Centre (AORC), the research and training arm of the African Ombudsman and Mediators Association (AOMA), is housed within the School of Law at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN). As part of its commitment to strengthening governance and promoting human rights, the AORC recently hosted a thought-provoking webinar on the role and impact of Children’s Ombudsman offices.

Scenes from Dr Reuel Khoza’s discussion of his book: Agency, Freedom, and Justice.

28th Time of the Writer Festival Hosts Conversations on Agency, Freedom, and Justice

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The 28th Time of the Writer Festival sparked discussions on South African leadership, centred on Dr Reuel Khoza’s handbook, Agency, Freedom, and Justice.

Scenes from this year’s Steve de Gruchy Memorial Lecture.

USA and South Africa - Race, Politics and Justice: The Steve de Gruchy Memorial Lecture

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Each year, those whose lives have been touched by Professor Steve de Gruchy gather to honour his legacy as a renowned and well-respected academic, passionate about the University, his teaching, and his calling as an ordained theologian.

Staff at the Medical School’s World TB Day event.

Medical School Staff Benefit from World TB Day Awareness Drive

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Staff at UKZN’s Medical School benefited from a World TB Day awareness event organised by Occupational Health Nurse, Sister Nozipho Jali.

The UKZN Impi in action during the final FNB Varsity Shield match of the season.

Hard Luck for UKZN’s Impi Who Vow to Bounce Back Next Season

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The UKZN Impi rugby team faced off against the University of Fort Hare in their final FNB Varsity Shield season match.

Memorable moments from Ms Anelisa Ngubane’s semester in France.

UKZN Student Sharpens Her French Language Skills in France

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Bachelor of Arts student Ms Anelisa Ngubane spent a semester abroad at the University of Tours in Tours, France.

Partnering with Sofia Medical University.

Sofia Medical University Visits UKZN

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As part of the European Union’s Erasmus+ programme, academics from the University of KwaZulu-Natal’s (UKZN) College of Health Sciences (CHS) hosted staff from Sofia Medical University in Bulgaria for an exchange visit.