Twins, Zethembe and Zazi Hlatshwayo who are first-year Tourism Management students at the Durban University of Technology (DUT), recently drew and  presented a portrait drawing to their lecture, Dr Zanele Mabaso in appreciation of her dedication to her work.

The picture used to draw the portrait of Dr Zanele Mabaso.

The portrait drawing is of Dr Mabaso, a lecturer in the Department of Hospitality and Tourism. Dr Mabaso was speechless upon receiving this special token of appreciation and for her it serves as verification that she is serving her purpose at DUT.

Explaining the picture selection, Dr Mabaso said: “The students went into my Facebook and chose the picture with most positive comments. Six students came to me and they started explaining how grateful they are to have a lecturer like me. They addressed me as mom and they explained how I never get tired of repeating myself in class in order for them to understand the module. They then said they have a token of appreciation for me and I quickly told them that we are not allowed to accept gifts from students and they explained that it is a token of appreciation and not a gift.”

She said she was surprised to get the recognition from first-year students. Dr Mabaso taught the students, Fundamentals of Tourism Management 101 last semester and she is now taking them for Customer Relations Management this second semester.

“This cohort of students are the best I have ever had yet they are a huge group (240) as compared to previous years where I had 160 students. They are very interactive in class and they really enjoy my lectures. I also enjoy lecturing them because they are so eager to learn,” said Dr Mabaso.

The talented twins, Zethembe and Zaza Hlatshwayo.

Speaking about her reaction upon receiving the beautiful portrait of herself, Dr Mabaso said she was in tears as she is not used to receiving tokens of appreciation. She indicated that she was overwhelmed with emotion and even knelt down and prayed. She stated she then hugged all six students and asked if they all did the portrait as a group but they informed her it was the Hlatshwayo twins as they are good in drawing.

“I cried. I called in my colleague Dr Sucheran to come and see what the students have done and she was appreciative of the gesture. My colleagues were surprised that Tourism students could do such a portrait and they were happy for me as they know how I love all my students. My kids at home were also emotional when I sent them the picture of the portrait and they were happy for me and appreciated that students finally did something for me. I am always on my phone talking and assisting them even on weekends and after hours,” explained Dr Mabaso.

In addition, she said the portrait is a sign that she is doing her job well and that all she does is never taken for granted. She said she goes over and above to see the students smile and excel in their modules.

“I would like to say THANK YOU SO MUCH. It is great to have you in my class this semester again. You are so imaginative and creative, with great ideas. I love your contributions to your entrepreneurial project and think you truly are a unique and talented duo. You have a bright future ahead of you,” said Dr Mabaso, expressing her appreciation to the students who drew her portrait.

Dr Mabaso has been a DUT lecturer for 15 years and her biggest highlight was achieving her doctorate degree at DUT in the 2023 Autumn Graduation. She always motivates her students to push through any barriers in order to succeed.

The twins from KwaMashu were excited to see Dr Mabaso’s reaction to their art work and were glad that it brought a smile to her face.

One of the twins, Zethembe Hlatshwayo said they started drawing from the time they were little boys as it is something that they did when they were bored. He indicated that they developed passion for drawing when they were studying  at JG Zuma High School when their school mates and teachers used to praise them for their work. This encouraged them to perfect their skill and strive for excellence in every art work that they do.

Pictured: Portrait drawing of Dr Zanele Mabaso.

Simangele Zuma