Residence Life Academic and Leadership Awards

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Each year, UKZN bestows academic and leadership awards on students living in residences and serving as Residence Assistants and on House Committees. This year’s event for the Howard College and Medical School campuses was hosted by the Department of Student Residence Affairs (DSRA) at the Square Boutique Hotel in Umhlanga.

Reflecting on the past year, Mr Sifundo Nkosi, Head of the DSRA for the two campuses said that he hoped that students would continue to learn, grow and be challenged as leaders. He thanked all Residence Assistants and House Committee members for their efforts in resolving student issues. ‘We congratulate those students who are balancing student leadership and academics, because it is not an easy task. Students’ primary goal is to excel academically but it is also important to attain leadership skills,’ said Nkosi.

Dr Nomfundo Ngema, Residence Life Coordinator (Howard College campus) noted that, ‘A good leader is one who can articulate a clear vision through humility, integrity and honesty.’

DSRA Manager, Mr Kgotla Marumola, thanked the students who had sacrificed their time to become leaders for “being selfless”. He also thanked the Residence Life team made up of House Committee members, Residence Assistants, Residence Life Coordinators, Residence Life Officers and the Student Representative Council (SRC). Marumola urged students to acknowledge how fortunate they are to attend university: ‘You need to recognise that the ground you are walking on is holy.’

Mr Lukhona Mnguni, PhD Intern Researcher at UKZN’s Maurice Webb Race Relations Unit, focused on the role of education in the lives of African graduates. He asserted that, ‘it’s important for us to take our education and go back and educate our parents and leaders.’ Noting that only five percent of South Africans are fortunate enough to attend university, Mnguni said that excellence should be measured by students having a positive impact on society. He encouraged students to not only focus on where they come from, but also on where they are going and noted that they should enjoy university by, ‘owning the spaces that they occupy, appreciating the moment that they are in and creating meaning for themselves in that moment.’

Words: Hlengiwe Precious Khwela

Photographs: Itumeleng Masa