DURBAN - KWAZULU-Natal has paved the way for a new type of graduation ceremony.
Graduates marched from King Dinuzulu Park to the Durban City Hall at the weekend, wearing their graduation gowns to celebrate their achievements, chanting victoriously.
The idea was a result of the Covid-19 rules that have prevented graduation ceremonies and mass gatherings at higher institutions of learning.
Minenhle Goge, a University of KwaZulu-Natal Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Engineering graduate from Pietermaritzburg, was the mastermind. She felt that a number of graduates were unhappy with virtual graduations.
“Throughout my years of studying, I looked forward to my graduation day. People who graduated encouraged me to soldier on. All hopes of seeing myself on stage graduating vanished with the coming of the pandemic and I knew I was not the only who had always dreamed of that,” said Goge.
Officials from eThekwini Municipality were also there to congratulate the graduates and offer them advice for the future.
“Ensure that you have passion for the job that you will find. Be sure to love your job so it will be easier for you to do your best. Be visionary, have goals and work on them and always pray,” said Dr Mpilo Ngubane, the municipality’s academic head and chief learning officer.
UKZN also lent a helping hand by offering a registration site for graduates. “This is the time for them to celebrate their parents for all the support they have given them. It is also a time to celebrate themselves for their hard work,” said UKZN SRC president Siyabonga Nkambako.
Durban metro police were there, safeguarding the graduates and ensuring they adhered to Covid-19 rules.
Daily News