UKZN Foundation and Alumni Relations Host Women’s Day Gathering

BY: .

Click here for isiZulu version

The UKZN Foundation, in collaboration with Alumni Relations, hosted a special Women’s Day event for elderly female alumni at one of Durban’s most treasured heritage sites - the Killie Campbell Museum.

The event served as a celebration of resilience, legacy and the powerful role women have played in shaping the University and broader society. Alumni who once walked the halls of the University were treated to a morning of reflection, connection and rich storytelling.

“This event is a tribute to the trailblazing women who helped shape the legacy of UKZN,” said Ms Tankiso Mabotha, Legacy and Endowment Officer at the Foundation.

“Many of these women pursued Higher Education at a time when opportunities were far more limited, and their courage, strength and determination deserve our deepest respect.”

The programme included a guided tour of the Campbell Collections, an internationally acclaimed collection of rare archival material concerning regional collection and history. The collection comprises the Killie Campbell Africana Library, Mashu Museum of Ethnology, William Campbell Furniture and Art Collection and the Jo Thorpe Collection of African Art.

The collections are housed in Muckleneuk, a neo-Cape Dutch style house that was formerly the home of Natal sugar farmer and politician Sir Marshall Campbell. The collections were established by Sir Campbell’s son and daughter (William and Killie Campbell). On the death of his daughter in 1965, the collection was left to the University.

With laughter, shared memories and heartfelt moments, the Women’s Day gathering provided an opportunity for intergenerational learning and the strengthening of alumni networks. It also highlighted the importance of ongoing engagement between the University and its alumni community.

Speaking at the event, former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Natal (now UKZN), Professor Brenda Gourley, said: “Your courage opens doors others didn’t even know existed. I’ve found that to be so true - when I acted, I simply did what needed to be done. Yet young women would come to me and say: ‘Because you achieved this, I now know I can too’.”

Said Mabotha: “Today we gather to connect, to network, and to create a community of women whose impact and influence will shape generations to come. The University, through events like these, reaffirms its role not just as an academic institution, but as a custodian of memory, heritage and community.”

Alumni who would like to be part of building a legacy at UKZN through bursaries, bequests, wills and other forms of support are encouraged to contact Mabotha via Mabotha@ukzn.ac.za or 031 260 2395.

Words: Melissa Mungroo

Photograph: Nkosikhona Gcabashe