KZN SRC members receive PPE

The Unisa KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) regional student representative council (SRC) on 6 November 2020 received personal protective equipment (PPE) from the student development office. With about 70 000 registered students in the region, it is expected that when the campuses are opened to students, there could be a surge in the number of students visiting the SRC offices, making it necessary for SRC members to practice safety and take precautionary measures against Covid-19 when engaging with students.

Left to Right: Asisipho Nomkhono, Thobeka Ntombela, Linda Nhlumayo, Durban Centre Manager: KZN Region, and Mahlomula Hlabisa, demonstrating how the PPE’s work.

The PPE handover ceremony took place in the Simiso Nkwanyana Building in Durban and was attended by Thozama Gasa, a peer educator from the student development office and Linda Nhlumayo, who is the Durban regional services centre manager. Gasa spoke about the importance of educating both staff and students about the fact that the Covid-19 lockdown level 1 does not mean that the pandemic is now over. She said the university’s drive to prevent the spread of the virus was even more important now, since there was a possibility of a second hard lockdown in the country if infections could not be curbed. Her sentiments were echoed by both Nhlumayo and Thobile Ntombela, the Chairperson of SRC in KZN region, who thanked the university for taking the health and wellbeing of students seriously.

Left to Right: Asisipho Nomkhono, Postgrad Officer: SRC, Mahlomula Hlabisa, Deputy Secretary, SRC, and Thobeka Ntombela, Chairperson: KZN SRC; showing the Covid-19 posters.

The equipment handed over to the student leadership included colourful posters with information about Covid-19, as well as masks and sanitiser for the SRC office. Ntombela said, as the SRC, they were grateful that they were part of a caring university and that they were going to ensure that the message about Covid-19 prevention reaches as many students as possible.

The handover ceremony itself was an opportunity to practise social distancing and to demonstrate to SRC members how they should conduct their meetings and interactions with fellow students during this period. All Covid-19 protocols were adhered to, as everybody in attendance wore their face masks and maintained social distancing.

Left to Right: Thobeka Ntombela, Chairperson: KZN SRC, and Thozama Gasa, Peer Educator: Student Development Department.

* By Siyabonga Seme, Manager: Communications, KwaZulu-Natal Region