THE University of Zululand (UNIZULU) recently recognized excellence by honouring 20 top student achievers for 2014. The ceremony, held at the King Bhekuzulu Hall saw the achieving students being presented with brand new laptops for their effort.

Addressing the students and staff, UNIZULU Vice-Chancellor Prof Fikile NM Mazibuko said: “We are here to re-affirm to you that you have made the university proud. We hope that this humble gesture will go a long way in assisting you with your studies. We equally thank the staff for providing quality education”.

Prof Mazibuko added that UNIZULU will continue to create an environment for students to thrive. “We will create opportunities for you even internationally, yours is just to do well in your studies,” she said.

Dean of the Faculty of Arts Prof Jabulani Thwala said honouring top students was one of the moments he enjoyed a lot. Prof Thwala appealed to the students to be part of the academics, to receive students who come to the institution for the first time. “You should be representatives in class so that we know the feelings of students at all times by being our eyes and ears. By so doing, we can be able to address challenges faced by our students,” he said.

Quoting the late State President Nelson Mandela, an award recipient, Bonga Lamula said ‘it all seems impossible until it’s done’. Lamula admitted that it has not been easy but as dreamers they all wanted to do better than their best. He said all achievers invest their time in what they desire. “It’s important to use time wisely,” said Lamula