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KZN Museum staff member selected for KZN Amafa & Research Institute’s Academic Writing Retreat

Our Collections Technician in the Human Sciences Department and PhD candidate at the University of Pretoria, Mr Mudzunga Munzhedzi was recently selected to participate in the KwaZulu-Natal Amafa and Research Institute when they hosted their first cohort of research and innovation fellowship at KwaZulu Cultural Museum, Ulundi. This one-weeklong inaugural initiative, namely Academic Writing Retreat for Postgraduate Researchers and Emerging Authors, aimed at supporting scholarly outputs and advancing research for publication. It is designed for:

PhD candidates and postdoctoral researchers,
Researchers developing journal articles that have undergone peer-review and received feedback,
Authors preparing book manuscripts for publication.

Participants were individuals writing about KwaZulu-Natal and working in the following or closely related fields: Heritage Studies, History, Anthropology, Sociology, Archaeology, isiZulu, Onomastics, Culture, African Cosmology, or other disciplines within the humanities and social sciences.

The writing retreat provided a conductive and intellectually stimulating environment for focused academic work, peer engagement and scholarly exchange. It featured seminars, guest lectures, and curated visits to significant heritage sites in the region, including the royal residences of the Zulu kings.

Mr Munzhedzi presented his PhD thesis writing progress which drew massive interest from fellow participants, leading to constructive discussion afterwards.

Writing retreat Retreat participants at the Spirit of Emakhosini monument. Photo by Qhelani Msweli, 2025.

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Tshikosi Primary School visits the KwaZulu-Natal Museum

Under the leadership of its principal, Mr Humbulani D. Siṱhagu, Tshikosi Primary School takes annual educational excursions in order to equip learners with a more practical learning resource to enhance their CAPS curriculum. Recently, the school, which hails from the deep rural mountainous village of Dzimauli Ha-Rambuḓa, Limpopo Province, visited the KwaZulu-Natal Museum as one of their main attractions during their trip to Durban and Pietermaritzburg.

At arrival, a group of 40, including leaners, teachers and their School Governing Body (SGB), was warmly welcomed by the museum’s fabulous team of tour guides who took them through various, galleries, including birds, primates, mammals, invertebrates, marine world, human evolution, hunter-gatherers, African farmers, African art, and the history hall.

What seemed special for them was when they were greeted and joined by one of the museum’s archaeologists, Mr Mudzunga Munzhedzi, who happens to be an alumni of the same school, but never had an opportunity to visit a museum and interact with an archaeologist while at the school. Mudzunga gave them a special tour of the archaeology displays.

Munzhedzi with Tshikosi Primary School learners, teachers and SGB. Photo by Asanda Ntshingila, 2025.

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Meet Sinathi Bhengu, an aspiring archaeologist and Grade 11 learner from The Wykeham Collegiate . Sinathi recently spent two days with our Department of Human Sciences, job shadowing Dr. Ghilraen Laue as part of her Grade 11 Life Orientation work experience programme, aimed to provide valuable hands-on experience for pupils to gain a realistic understanding of specific careers and the workplace environment.

During her 2-day visit, Sinathi worked on various tasks, one of which was helping with sorting items in the collections room. This task allowed her to get a glimpse of what our researchers get up to when they are not in the field or writing research papers. It also offered her some insight into the diverse items our researchers work on and the Museum's extensive collections.

Wishing you all the best with your career aspirations, Sinathi!

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𝑨 𝑻𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝑾𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝑨𝒏 𝑨𝒓𝒕𝒊𝒔𝒕: 𝑷𝒐𝒆𝒕𝒓𝒚 𝑨𝒏𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒍𝒐𝒈𝒚, authored by the Museum's Heritage Symbols & Cultural History Assistant, Siboniso Isazi Gcumisa is now available for pre-orders.

Secure your own copy by calling, 𝟎𝟔𝟐 𝟗𝟓𝟓 𝟗𝟎𝟔𝟎 or send an email to 𝐬𝐠𝐜𝐮𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐚@𝐧𝐦𝐬𝐚.𝐨𝐫𝐠.𝐳𝐚

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