The late Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi established the Mangosuthu University of Technology in 1979 and has been part of numerous graduation ceremonies at the institute since then. File picture: Thokozani Mbunda/African News Agency (ANA).
The Mangosuthu University of Technology (MUT) will suspend academic activities on Thursday, Friday and Saturday to allow students and staff to attend the memorial service and funeral of its founder Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi.
Following an emergency Senate meeting held on Monday, MUT made the decision to suspend academic activities on September 14, 15 and 16.
The academic programme will resume on September 26 as initially planned.
The institution said it would hold its memorial service on Thursday.
The Senate had also tasked the Registrar to develop a plan for the approval of the Senate on how the lost time will be recouped in the fourth quarter of the 2023 academic year.
Buthelezi died in the early hours of Saturday morning with his funeral planned to take place this Saturday, September 16 in Ulundi.
On Tuesday, President Cyril Ramaphosa granted Buthelezi a Special Official Category 1 funeral.
This category of the funeral is only reserved for “persons of extraordinary credentials” and only the president can grant them.
The President also directed that flags be flown at half mast at flag stations around the country from Tuesday until Saturday evening.
Traditional Prime Minister of the Zulu Nation, and Founder and President Emeritus of the Inkatha Freedom Party, Buthelezi was also a mentor, friend, philanthropist and founder of MUT.
In a message of condolence issued by the institute, MUT said it was grateful that they were able to honour Buthelezi when he was still alive at its 2022 graduation ceremony of the Faculty of Engineering, “for his vision that led to the establishment of MUT with the Faculty of Engineering as a founding entity”.
“Today MUT is a proud technological institution with a strong focus on Science, Engineering and Technology (SET). All of us have known uMntwana as a person who always wanted nothing but the best for MUT. He was like a father who provides the best for his children and stands there to watch in awe as the children exceed all expectations,” it said.
Buthelezi established MUT in 1979 with just 15 students.
“He knew, as a visionary person, that this small institution would grow into a large educational organisation that would have the greatest impact on the poor and the marginalised.”
Today MUT has over 14,000 students and has produced more than 42,000 alumni who are employed across the world as industry and business leaders, as CEOs and as technical specialists in wide-ranging careers.
kailene.pillay@inl.co.za
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