Unizulu to improve community relations
Traditional structures will be involved in Unizulu's strategy to communicate its research findings
AIMING to improve relationships between the University of Zululand (Unizulu) and local communities where research is conducted, the university last week held an information gathering workshop on the best way forward.
‘For many years Unizulu has existed among the local communities and research has been conducted in these communities by many students,’ said Deputy Vice Chancellor: Research and Innovation, Professor Gideon de Wet.
‘We have recently realised that little, if any, of this research reach these communities.
‘This phenomenon is not unique to Unizulu. It is a worldwide issue and globally universities are realising the need to build closer relationships with the communities in which their research is conducted.’
Representatives of three local traditional councils, the Dube, Mkhwanazi and Khabela traditional councils, attended the meeting on behalf of their communities.
Feeling that they are being used for research but not benefitting from it, some local communities have begun refusing Unizulu researchers access to their land.
In an attempt to rebuild these bridges, Unizulu has put plans in place to develop a communication strategy which recognises the importance of stakeholder relationships, including NGOs, business, industry and communities.
‘We want to include government departments, NGOs, traditional structures, communities and businesses in the strategy in which we give back to the community,’ said De Wet.
Inkosi Dhlomo from the Khabela Traditional Council in Nkandla, welcomed the plans to communicate research findings, while Inkosi Cele from the Mkhwanazi Traditional Council requested the university to consider the fact that his people were removed from their land to make way for the university buildings.
‘It is because of this that our people must benefit from university research,’ said Cele.
After some ideas about how to go forward were discussed, De Wet agreed that the university would visit the traditional councils, and that the best way forward would be for the local house of traditional leaders to appoint one or two people to represent all local communities.
De Wet confirmed that a manager for community engagement has been appointed and will start this process in October.
‘We need to build better relationships with the local communities because Unizulu cannot exist without them,’ concluded De Wet.
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