“VUT honoured staff for 10 to 40 years of service, recognising their contribution to student success and the people behind the University’s 60-year journey.”
28 October 2026 | Story by: Tayron Mhlongo Setshwantsho: Sifiso Nomzaza
Nako ea ho bala metsotso e 6.
For Ms Khoaele Mohosho, 35 years at the Vaal University of Technology (VUT) represent far more than a working life. They hold the responsibilities of raising a family, the friendships formed with colleagues and the determination to keep going through difficult times.
Her reflections brought a personal perspective to VUT’s Long Service Awards, held on 22 October 2026 at the VUT Conference Centre. The ceremony recognised staff who had completed 10, 15, 25, 30, 35 and 40 years of service.
In the University’s 60th anniversary year, the occasion turned attention to the people behind its progress: those who teach, guide students, maintain facilities, manage offices and keep the campus running.
Speaking on behalf of the awardees, Ms Mohosho described the occasion as a time of celebration, gratitude and mixed emotions. Behind each milestone, she said, were years of effort that could easily pass unnoticed.
“We are talking about thousands of mornings when our colleagues woke up early to report to duty. Countless corridors swept, classrooms cleaned, offices maintained and facilities prepared so that lecturers and other employees could work in a clean and welcoming environment.”
Her tribute recognised colleagues whose work creates the conditions for others to learn and succeed, even when their names are seldom mentioned.
“Behind every classroom, every shining floor and every well-maintained space is a dedicated person whose contribution may not always have been recognised, but whose work has made a meaningful difference. Today we are here to say: we see you, we appreciate you, we honour you.”
Ms Mohosho also spoke about the responsibilities that had sustained many employees through the years. Work meant putting food on the table, paying school fees, raising children and maintaining a home. Those commitments gave staff a reason to persevere through exhaustion, financial pressure, ill health and loss.
Along the way, colleagues became friends and sources of support. Working together over decades taught lessons in humility, patience and respect, including the importance of valuing every person’s contribution.
Her advice to younger employees was direct:
“Never look down upon your job because of your position or your job title.”
That message echoed the keynote address by Vice-Chancellor and Principal, Professor Khehla Ndlovu, who invited staff to consider the lasting influence of their everyday work.
He shared a story about two stonemasons working on an unfinished building. Asked what they were doing, one replied that he was cutting stone. The other said he was building a place where generations would come.
“Both were doing the same work. The second saw how his contribution reached beyond his own lifetime. In each stone, he could see a future taking shape.”
Professor Ndlovu’s message found a living expression in the journey of Ms Pauline Mokhoro, whose 40 years at VUT reflect the difference that encouragement, opportunity and belief in a person’s potential can make.
Ms Mokhoro has become part of the institution’s journey and the community of people who have helped shape it. She currently serves as a Matron in the Student Accommodation and Catering Department, where she contributes to creating a safe, supportive and well-managed living environment for students. Her work goes beyond the daily running of residences, helping to provide the stability and support students need to focus on their studies and personal growth.
Ms Mokhoro began her VUT journey on 26 May 1986 in the University’s cafeteria. In 1990, she moved to the residences as a cleaner, where her commitment and reliability opened doors to greater responsibility. Over time, she was promoted to supervisor, taking on a more active role in guiding teams and supporting the smooth operation of student accommodation.
Her growth did not stop there. Encouraged by a director who recognised her potential, Ms Mokhoro furthered her studies and continued to develop professionally within the University.
“I was fortunate to have a good director who motivated me to go back to school. That is the good thing about VUT, they put you where you belong because they see your potential,” she said.
For Ms Mokhoro, that encouragement made a lasting difference.
“If you get someone who can push you to reach your goal, it is good,” she added.
From the cafeteria to student residences, and from cleaner to supervisor and now Matron, Ms Mokhoro’s career reflects resilience, loyalty and a willingness to grow. Her journey also illustrates the value of recognising potential and creating opportunities for employees to develop.
It was this broader sense of purpose that Professor Ndlovu returned to in his address. At VUT, he said, it can be found in ordinary encounters: helping a student find their way, preparing a laboratory or resolving a problem that allows someone else to move forward.
He encouraged long-serving employees to help shape the University’s future by mentoring younger colleagues, sharing institutional knowledge and remaining open to different ways of working. Their experience could help VUT make better decisions and avoid repeating past mistakes.
“The University grows stronger when experience and curiosity work together.”
Professor Ndlovu also reflected on leadership’s responsibility to make appreciation visible through fairness, listening and respectful daily relationships with staff.
Representatives of the National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) and the National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union (NEHAWU) reinforced this call. They urged the University to give greater visibility to employees’ achievements and ensure that recognition extends beyond the awards ceremony.
The President of the Convocation, Mr Makhosonke Sangweni, speaking on behalf of the Chairperson of the Human Resources Committee of Council, commended staff for their contribution to VUT’s growth and standing, and its service to students and communities.
A video montage brought further personal reflections into the programme, tracing the University’s influence on people’s lives and careers.
Throughout the ceremony, the meaning of long service emerged through the experiences of those being honoured: families supported, friendships sustained and generations of students helped along their way. As VUT marks six decades, these are also part of its history, carried by people who have returned, year after year, to do the work.