Page 9 - DUT Excellence 2024 S1

to participate in such a competition because it helps one to know more about his or her culture. It teaches ubuntu and kindness, and knowing who you are, where you come from and where you are going to in life.You also exclude yourself from many negative things, such as drinking and teenage pregnancy,” she stressed.
DUT’s Student Recruitment Officer and Winterton Residence Advisor, Mr Michael Zulu, commented that he was very proud of Ms Mateza, a student resident at Winterton Residence. He indicated that the Winterton Residence, a first-year residence, was very supportive of Mateza.The final aspect of the competition involved voting on Facebook,which most students fromWinterton Residence had done, contributing to her obtaining many votes.
“I have a role of supporting and developing students, with an understanding that learning is not only limited to disciplinary knowledge. I don’t only focus on discipline, but holistic support and development of students. It makes me proud to say we have been part of Ms Mateza’s journey to becoming Miss Cultural SA 2023/2024. We voted as Winterton Residence, we posted on her social media platforms and even took videos while she was practising. We encourage students to take up every opportunity possible and she did just that,” said Zulu.
The 18-year-old Mateza is in her second year of studies in the Faculty of Health Sciences as a homoeopath. Her love for culture extends to being a renowned poet and founder of her own organisation called the Inako Foundation. She indicated that the mission of her organisation is to impart knowledge of cultural values, traditions, traditional dances, ubuntu and to teach sports to the youth.
She further views herself as a Xhosa activist, cultural preservationist, and now the esteemed Indoni Miss Cultural SA 2023/24 winner. In 2019, Mateza was awarded Best Eastern Cape poet and Best National Letter Writer at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli Oral History programme.The Xhosa kingdom awarded her Best Student Leader in 2022.
The dynamic lass grew up in a tiny village called Ludiza, located in Willowvale in the Eastern Cape province. She completed high school at Xolilizwe Senior Secondary School, obtaining three distinctions in her matric year, 2022.
In 2023 she was given a prize as the Hustler of the Year in the Eastern Cape Hustlers Awards. Her foundation collected an award for being the Best Community Building Programme in the province.
Her journey at the Indoni Cultural School began in 2019. In 2023 she was chosen amongst other participants in this programme to represent her kingdom at national level as she excelled in all the tasks that she was requested to do.
As the newly crowned Indoni Miss Cultural South Africa 2023/2024, she is now planning to visit chiefs from different villages where she will educate them about Indoni, the importance of purity as well as the Xhosa traditional attire. Mateza further aims to also focus on her studies as her modules are intense and require a lot of dedication and hard work.
Waheeda Peters
It’s wonderful to receive not just recognition, but public recognition for something you have done.
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DUT EXCELLENCE 2024