Whilst there are many reasons for wanting to terminate an employee’s employment services with the company, South African law demands for due process to be followed, irrespective of the reasons and circumstances that have led to wanting this outcome. Justifiable reasons are a must, and sufficient proof needs to be presented before a conclusive decision is founded. Each case is based on its own merits, and outcomes are generally dictated by a chairperson after following due process, unless agreed upon consensually via a Mutual Termination between both parties, to conclude the employment relationship. Recruitment and Selection Many organisations undermine the recruitment and selection process. As much as this process involves interviews, and selection of the most ideal candidate, it entails many more areas in order to select the right candidate. It should include tools that form part of the selection criteria, to determine the employee’s compatibility with the position and with the team the candidate will be working with. Such tools may include a Personal Development Assessment (PDA) which analyses the right fit and behavioural aspects. Thorough background checks and research are key components to discovering an employee’s prior work history and reputation. Many organisations choose to bypass these key qualifying processes, hence leading to issues shortly after confirming the employee’s placement within the organisation. Inducting an Employee Companies fail to realise the importance of inducting an employee correctly. This is the reason for employers assuming incompetence of an employee, hence wanting to terminate the employees’ services. It is important that an employee has been inducted correctly so as to understand the company’s values, vision, processes, procedures, timelines, systems, and support structure. A clear handover needs to be done and signed off if the employee is replacing an employee that is exiting the business. Businesses are careless to blame new employees on failing to perform to standard, however, if an induction and orientation process was not followed, then this is an indication of lack of engagement with the employee, hence the employee is bound to fail. Probation There is a misconception that an employee can be terminated immediately whilst serving probation, without any process being followed. The purpose of a probationary period is for the employer to provide support and training to a new employee at commencement of employment, and to evaluate an employee’s work performance over a reasonable, mutually agreed-upon period of time. Meetings need to be documented, with the issues of non-performance and action plan and time frame for improvement being noted. Should there still be a lack of performance after providing sufficient time for improvement, then the employer would have already collected sufficient supporting evidence to indicate such. An employee can be performance managed at any point during their employment, especially if new tasks have been allocated, or a change in job. Many fail to understand that probation is for the benefit of the employee to learn the work. It is time provided by the business to the employee to become proficient in the duties required. There are no benefits for the employer, besides to make sure performance is documented and addressed during this time with the employee. Performance Management Poor performance is when an employee tries as hard as possible but keeps falling short because they lack skill, ability or training for example. To performance manage an employee, it is important that the meeting takes place in private and in an environment that is comfortable and non-threatening, away from distractions and interruptions. The employer should begin by holding a discussion with the employee to explain the problem in specific terms. From this conversation, the employee should be able to clearly understand what the problem is, why it is a problem, how it impacts on the workplace, why there is a concern, etc. The employer should discuss the outcomes they wish to achieve from the meeting. The meeting should be an open discussion and the employee should have an opportunity to have their point of view heard and duly considered. The employer should listen to the explanation of why the problem has occurred or to any other comments the employee makes. Set timelines and action plans for improvement. When having this type of meeting, it may be useful in facilitating discussion to refer to recent positive things that the employee has done to show them that you also recognise and appreciate their strengths. It is important to know the difference between misconduct and poor performance. Confusing the two could mean your approach is completely wrong. The main difference is in the level of control. Poor performance is when an employee tries as hard as possible but keeps falling short because they lack skill, ability, or training for example. In cases of misconduct, the employee could perform better but for whatever reason chooses not to. Mutual Separation / Termination Agreement A Mutual Termination is an agreement between employee and employer, to consensually terminate the employment relationship. In certain situations, parties can agree that the employment relationship come to an end, however parties choose not to resign or go through any disciplinary process, hence they mutually elect to terminate via a mutual separation agreement (MSA) to cease the existence of the employment relationship. This is an option to explore as opposed to having to go through any disciplinary action or performance management process. A financial settlement is agreed upon and documented in this agreement. Any other consensually agreed terms and conditions are also implied, and this document stands as legal and binding as per the terms stated herein. Retrenchment Retrenching employees must be done purely for the reasons that retrenchment was designed. A retrenchment is normally seen as a consultative and problem-solving exercise to try to accommodate employees, as opposed to being retrenched. There are a few main reasons to terminate via Retrenchment (after following due process), which is for Operational Changes within the organisation, or Incapacity based on performance or Ill-Health. We need to make sure that all correct steps are followed whichever process is decided upon. Being in breach of procedure is viewed extremely seriously at the CCMA. It is always good to gain good understanding to be able to execute effectively and meaningfully with no loopholes.

23 JUNE 2023 | MEDICAL SCHEMES Records indicate that almost 85% of South Africans depend on the public health care system. Back in 2019/2020, the National Department of Health estimated that the spend on public health care was about R220 billion with R250 billion being spent on private health care which services about 15% of South Africans. The disparity between the public and private healthcare systems is undeniable. Few users of the private health system voluntarily use the public health system. The state of the public health system is no secret in South Africa. Something needs to change. Starting with the White Paper on National Health Insurance in December 2015, the National Health Insurance Bill was introduced in the National Assembly in July 2019. The Bill was approved by the National Assembly on 13 June 2023. The Bill will now be considered by the National Council of Provinces and, if approved, will be sent to the President for assent. As with most new things, there are many misunderstandings with, and shortcomings in, the Bill. PURPOSE The purpose of the National Health Insurance Bill is to establish a National Health Insurance Fund (Fund) with the objective of providing universal access to quality healthcare services in South Africa. The idea is to pool resources and buy a better package of services for everyone at a lower cost. This is a great proposition for public healthcare users as the government intends to upgrade facilities more in line with those in the private healthcare system. It is a daunting proposition for private healthcare users who are concerned about restricted access, increased costs, and the unfortunate bureaucracy that is usually associated with government-run institutions. FUNDING PRIVATE HEALTH CARE For the 15% of South Africans that can afford it, medical schemes provide a mechanism to access private health care and fund it. If medical schemes were permitted to continue operating under NHI as they currently do, this would have been the solution for those South Africans who preferred not to engage with a healthcare system controlled by the government. While it isn’t entirely clear just yet, section 33 of the Bill suggests that this is likely to change dramatically. When NHI is fully implemented, medical schemes may only offer complementary cover to services not reimbursable by the Fund. What this means is anyone’s guess at this stage. Complementary cover is defined as “third party payment for personal health care service benefits not reimbursed by the Fund, including any top-up cover offered by medical schemes registered in terms of the Medical Schemes Act or any other voluntary private health insurance fund any third party”. The restriction on medical schemes must be considered against section 6 which deals with the rights of users under the Fund and section 8(2) which deals with cost coverage. These could provide the loopholes that will enable medical schemes to continue operating as we currently know them for much longer. According to section 6, “a user of health services purchased by the Fund is entitled, within the State’s available and appropriated resources to receive necessary quality health care services free at the point of care from an accredited health care provider.” It seems that if a user can’t access necessary health care due to the unavailability of appropriated resources, that health care can be funded by medical schemes. According to section 8(2), a user must pay for health care services directly, or through a voluntary medical insurance scheme, if that user is not entitled to health care services purchased by the Fund or fails to comply with referral pathways prescribed by a health care provider or wants a service that is not deemed medically necessary or wants treatment not included in the formulary. TIMELINES The Bill is intended to be implemented over two phases with National Health Insurance being “gradually phased in using a progressive and programmatic approach based on financial resource availability.” Phase 1 which is intended to be a five-year period will include: (i) the continued implementation of health system strengthening initiatives, including alignment of human resources with that which may be required by users of the Fund; (ii) the development of National Health Insurance legislation and amendment of other legislation; (iii) undertaking initiatives aimed at establishing institutions that must be the foundation for a fully functional Fund; and (iv) purchasing personal health care services for vulnerable groups such as children, women, people with disabilities and the elderly Phase 2 is intended to be a four-year period and will include: (i) the continuation of health system strengthening initiatives on an ongoing basis; (ii) the mobilisation of additional resources where necessary; and (iii) the selective contracting of health care services from private providers. GOVERNMENT’S PERSPECTIVE The following extracts are from the second reading debate on the Bill in the National Assembly on 13 June 2023 by the Minister of Health, Dr. Joe Phaahla, and are a good summary of the government’s perspective: “…in simple terms what the NHI seeks to do is stop the two trains, i.e., Private Health and Public Health traveling on parallel tracks but both surely going toward crashing while if they can be pooled together there is good chance of complementing each other…. The NHI seeks to pool resources of those who can only contribute to the fiscus through indirect means such as VAT and other collections and those of us who are able and are already making fragmented contributions into 81 different schemes into one pool which can purchase services from both the public health system and private providers from lowest level of care up to the highest. In doing so we can achieve access, equity, and quality but also drive down costs… We accept that the NHI will not be the silver bullet that will fix all our health problems but it is the necessary foundation to build on for a progressive improvement of access with quality and equity.” RANDHIR NAICKER PARTNER Tel: 031 536 8533 Email: rnaicker@coxyeats.co.za

ECR Breakfast and business growth specialist Pavlo Phitidis are celebrating local businesses with the KZN Future 50 campaign. Apply to take your business to the next level! Put Monday mornings at 07h50 into your business calendar on repeat. It may be the most important appointment of your week. Business owners are key to unlocking growth and prosperity in KZN. Their drive to thrive despite the odds contribute to the well-being of our communities, our province, and the world. ECR Breakfast and business growth specialist Pavlo Phitidis will celebrate those getting it right through the KZN Future 50 campaign. This weekly profile of a forward focused business will show how they can grow and how growth brings a better future to us all. Why do it? Exposure to ECR’s 1.3-million listeners in peak traffic radio Exposure on ECR's website (600,000+ unique users) and Facebook (470,000 followers) Third party expert endorsement for clients, customers, and employees A KZN focus on what your business needs to get to its next level Use your radio feature in your marketing material and email signatures Be one of fifty KZN businesses to watch The conversation will be about your business, what it does, why that matters, and a call out to the audience to get behind your success and growth. If your next level growth opportunity is, amongst others, more customers, a funder, a key supplier, a specialist employee, access to information, or a listing with a retailer, Pavlo will extract it from the listeners and bring it home to you. You can nominate your business, a supplier, a customer or a friend's business. There is nothing more upsetting than a lost opportunity - make it happen before your competitors do! To apply, click https://www.ecr.co.za/kzn-future-50-revolution/

Entrepreneurs and Business Leaders are invited to join Standard Bank, DRG and BusinessFit for a Business Sustainability Convention, focused on sharing knowledge and understanding, and providing guidance on. “How to position your business to excel in uncertain times”. It is our belief that in sharing knowledge and creating opportunities for entrepreneurs and business leaders in the marketplace, their businesses will expand organically, resulting in economic growth and employment creation. The Business Sustainability Convention will take place at the Standard Bank Kingsmead auditorium, and will be on 14th July 2023 at 09h00 for 09h30 to 12h00. You will gain insights into: Important sustainability considerations Growth of an enterprise (S-Curve 2, 9 Stages of Business Growth and the 5 levers for business growth) 3 Pillars of sustainability Four business leaders focus points Four aspects of success and sustainability Positive impact on stakeholders The checklist ​ The BusinessFit Methodology What the BusinessFit methodology entails How to download the BusinessFit App? How to use the BusinessFit App The value of a BusinessFit Accredited advisor Organisational Culture How to build an Innovative Company Culture Economic Update Giving context to the South African and Global Economy Networking interact directly with Standard Bank, DRG, BusinessFit, and each of the delegates at the convention. ​Keynote Speakers: Jannie Rossouw – Business Development Specialist Wendy Mahoney – Change Management Specialist Economic Brief – Standard Bank ​ There is no cost to delegates for their attendance. Please be aware though that the number of delegates is limited, and no shows will have excluded others from being able to attend and will also affect our catering. Light refreshments will be served.

Councillor Zandile Myeni, opened a conference held on Thursday 8th June at the Elangeni Hotel to discuss water solutions for South Africa. She described the city’s collaboration with the Dutch government as inspiring as the Netherlands has a proud history of water management. Councillor Myeni said that water was extremely important for public health and that, although the eThekwini municipality had made progress in facilitating water access for poor communities, it still faced challenges. Some of the challenges included ageing infrastructure and the need for future investment. She welcomed further collaboration with the Dutch government, pointing out that there were many opportunities to co-create solutions. The event was hosted by the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and was entitled #cocreateMYCITY. Addressing more than 140 delegates from both the public and private sectors, the Ambassador from the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Mr Han Peters, spoke about how his country was experiencing water shortages for the first time in its history due to drought and had much to learn from South Africa which was traditionally a water scarce country. “I am very impressed by the fact that we have brought together stakeholders in water management from both South Africa and the Netherlands, from the public and private sectors. There has been a lot of enthusiasm and creativity which makes me hopeful for the future,” he said. Turning to the South Durban Basin, spokesperson for the eThekwini Municipality, Dr Andrew Mather, said the events of April 2022 when extreme rainfall and the silting of the Shongweni Dam created a surge in the Umlaas River which saw water breech the berms of the canal and flow down the highway into industrial and residential areas, submerging vast areas. Although this was a once-in-200-year occurrence, delegates agreed that severe climate change was now a reality and that, to prevent further devastation, urgent measures were needed to decrease future flood risks. Mather said that the municipality was looking at the construction of a new culvert to help divert and control overflows, building new diversion berms and deepening existing ones as well as upstream attenuation which included deepening the Shongweni Dam. It said it was in discussion with key stakeholders. However, feedback from residents, which included motor manufacturer Toyota South Africa and paper and pulp manufacturer Mondi who were severely impacted at the time, emphasised the need for still greater collaboration and the inclusion of insurers, academics and communities who were victims of the flooding, when considering solutions for this vulnerable industrial hub. Delegates also called for an early warning system that would warn residents and emergency services of the threat of natural disasters throughout the province. Tjeerd Driessen from Dutch consulting company, RoyalHaskoningDHV, shared learnings from how the port of Rotterdam, which was particularly flood prone, had dealt with increased risks in an industrial area that contributes 6% of the Dutch GDP. He illustrated how flooding had impacted the operations of companies and how different stakeholders had collaborated to implement necessary solutions. Lively discussion during the debate over the circular economy saw delegates discuss current gaps and barriers to accelerating the circular economy with emphasis on recycling, water recovery, desalination the re-use of water and educating water users. Additional challenges highlighted included the implementation of onerous procurement policies at local government level which prevented swift action to maintain or repair key infrastructure and the problem of budgetary shortfalls and the funding of key water projects. Prepared for the Kingdom of the Netherlands Distributed by Shirley Williams Communications. Contact Shirley on shirley@shirleywilliams.co.za

Entrepreneurs and Business Leaders are invited to join Standard Bank, DRG and BusinessFit for a Business Sustainability Convention, focused on sharing knowledge and understanding, and providing guidance on. “How to position your business to excel in uncertain times”. It is our belief that in sharing knowledge and creating opportunities for entrepreneurs and business leaders in the marketplace, their businesses will expand organically, resulting in economic growth and employment creation. he Business Sustainability Convention will take place at the Standard BankKingsmead auditorium, and will be on 14th July 2023 at 09h00 for 09h30 to 12h00. You will gain insights into: Important sustainability considerations Growth of an enterprise (S-Curve 2, 9 Stages of Business Growth and the 5 levers for business growth) 3 Pillars of sustainability Four business leaders focus points Four aspects of success and sustainability Positive impact on stakeholders The checklist ​ The BusinessFit Methodology What the BusinessFit methodology entails How to download the BusinessFit App? How to use the BusinessFit App The value of a BusinessFit Accredited advisor Organisational Culture How to build an Innovative Company Culture Economic Update Giving context to the South African and Global Economy Networking interact directly with Standard Bank, DRG, BusinessFit, and each of the delegates at the convention. ​Keynote Speakers: Jannie Rossouw – Business Development Specialist Wendy Mahoney – Change Management Specialist Economic Brief – Standard Bank ​ There is no cost to delegates for their attendance. Please be aware though that the number of delegates is limited, and no shows will have excluded others from being able to attend and will also affect our catering. Light refreshments will be served. DRG LAUNCHES HR HANDBOOK Since the democratisation of South Africa after April 1994, the country’s labour laws were amongst the first areas of law to be reformed. The employment acts and workplace legislation and laws apply to all employees who ordinarily work in South Africa, and over the years these have transitioned and became more complex. DRG has created a Human Resources Handbook that tries to simplify these workplace laws by providing concise articles on each focus area within the workplace. They found the content important in helping to create a better understanding of the requirements to be compliant in the proper processes required by law. The handbook is published and maintained as a guide for supervisors and managers in order that human resources matters can be handled more consistently and equitably. In addition, the HR Handbook is designed to be the primary reference document for communicating and interpreting human resource policies, programmes, and procedures. Should you require a copy of the DRG HR Handbook, you are welcome to email a request to: Nikita Pillay – nikita@drg.co.za You can also download it on the link below

Entrepreneurs and Business Leaders are invited to join Standard Bank, DRG and BusinessFit for a Business Sustainability Convention, focused on sharing knowledge and understanding, and providing guidance on. “How to position your business to excel in uncertain times”. It is our belief that in sharing knowledge and creating opportunities for entrepreneurs and business leaders in the marketplace, their businesses will expand organically, resulting in economic growth and employment creation. The Business Sustainability Convention will take place at the Standard BankKingsmead auditorium, and will be on 14th July 2023 at 09h00 for 09h30 to 12h00. You will gain insights into: Important sustainability considerations Growth of an enterprise (S-Curve 2, 9 Stages of Business Growth and the 5 levers for business growth) 3 Pillars of sustainability Four business leaders focus points Four aspects of success and sustainability Positive impact on stakeholders The checklist ​ The BusinessFit Methodology What the BusinessFit methodology entails How to download the BusinessFit App? How to use the BusinessFit App The value of a BusinessFit Accredited advisor Organisational Culture How to build an Innovative Company Culture Economic Update Giving context to the South African and Global Economy Networking interact directly with Standard Bank, DRG, BusinessFit, and each of the delegates at the convention. ​Keynote Speakers: Jannie Rossouw – Business Development Specialist Wendy Mahoney – Change Management Specialist Economic Brief – Standard Bank ​ There is no cost to delegates for their attendance. Please be aware though that the number of delegates is limited, and no shows will have excluded others from being able to attend and will also affect our catering. Light refreshments will be served.

UKZN and East Coast Radio (ECR) came together to celebrate postgraduate Media students who were awarded bursaries and to acknowledge the radio station’s generous donations and contributions. The ceremony was held at ECR’s headquarters in Umhlanga. In her welcome address ECR Human Resources manager, Ms Yvette Pillay said: ‘The aim of the programme is to provide bursaries for Media students focusing on scarce and critical skills in media and broadcasting. Our mission is to upskill the youth of today and address unemployment.’ Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, ECR has worked remotely with the University and had not had the chance to meet bursary recipients face to face. ECR managing director, Ms Boni Mchunu, who is passionate about education expressed her excitement at meeting the faces behind the names. ‘As a brand we always say KZN matters are our matters, so it pains me when I see students burn institutions due to a lack of funding. Through education, one liberates oneself and one becomes a different person once one has a qualification. I also think it is important for students to have connections with a brand and management team,’ she said. Executive Director of the UKZN Foundation Mr Steve Camp commented: ‘Education and passion make somebody successful in their career. Many students struggle to obtain bursaries and we appreciate organisations like ECR which make bursaries available for fine art and media studies that don’t attract a lot of funding.’ Professor Lauren Dyll of the Centre for Communication, Media and Society (CCMS) and Academic Leader for Community Engagement in the School of Applied Science, also thanked ECR for their contribution. Two groups of students from CCMS and Media and Communication Studies were excited to be part of the event and expressed their gratitude.

3KM SWIM 120km CYCLE 30KM RUN - Can you do it? The new 3/4 iron distance triathlon is a unique distance race in South Africa and gives endurance competitors a challenging but spectacular race route along the already established and well-loved Durban ULTRA routes in KZN. This event is an additional event to the popular Sprint and ULTRA races, which will remain as before on the same day. This new race will give those athletes looking for a new goal...... The ultimate ultra triathlon challenge! With a 10hr cut off, this event is only open to athletes who can complete this challenge in the allocated time. Strict cut off times will apply. All 153 athletes will need to be off the bike course by 2pm and on the finish line by 4:45pm to secure their well-deserved medal. The new 153 race will kick off first at 6:40am, with competitors taking on a 3km swim along the famous Durban beaches. The standard Durban ULTRA 1/2 iron distance race will kick off second, with the sprint race starting at approximately 8:20am. The bike route will include a shorter 2 lap, 10km inner course for the sprint athletes, who start last. The ULTRA and 153 competitors will head out for 3 or 4 laps of an outer loop, taking competitors along the KZN rolling hills out to Sibaya and back. This new and unique racing distance to the South African triathlon calendar is a great steppingstone for competitors wanting to take on longer, unique triathlon race distances. The Durban ULTRA boasts full road closure and flat running routes, giving athletes some fast times and a fun and rewarding challenge. Enter now, as entries close in less then a month, on the 7th of July 2023. Come join us for the weekend, we hope to see you there! ENTER YOUR RACE HERE

This Week@Work a discussion around acquisitions as a strategy to accelerate growth gave Pavlo an opportunity to explore this idea in more detail. Several types of growth make up your business growth recipe if you intend to grow revenue, profit as well as capital value that can be realised. Accelerated growth is one of these and has a number of elements to it but an acquisition of a business may not be the path to achieving it. Your prosperity is largely in your hands. It's also in the wellbeing of your suppliers, customers, friends and family who run their own businesses. You're welcome to share This Week@Work with them. Subscribe to receive This Week @ Work www.aurik.com

The problem of organised financial crime and money laundering made headlines after a recent Al Jazeera investigative report uncovered a large-scale money laundering operation in South Africa. The scheme is alleged to have relied on forged paperwork and documentation including ID documents and passports as well as fake invoices from fictitious suppliers. This follows the country’s greylisting by global financial crime watchdog, the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), for not fully complying with international standards around the prevention of money laundering, terrorist financing and proliferation financing. While fighting money laundering happens on several fronts and involves the cooperation of multiple institutions including law enforcement, harnessing the power of accurate data and enforcing robust Know Your Customer (KYC) and Know Your Business (KYB) checks can make a significant impact in fighting financial crime, says Sameer Kumandan, Managing Director of SearchWorks . SearchWorks is South Africa’s largest online data aggregation platform that allows users to conduct live, accurate individual, company and property searches and in-depth KYC checks online. The platform offers 160 different search types, covering more than 20 data sources to give businesses companies onboarding new clients instant access to verified identities, updated contact details and account verifications, all within the confines of the law. Kumandan says that although money laundering happens with varying degrees of complexity, the crime often relies on elementary acts of forgery such as stolen or fake identities, and falsified company documents, addresses and contact information. “To illustrate the breadth of money laundering methods, consider a few examples: 'Smurfing' or 'structuring' schemes are common, in which criminals leverage several individuals to make small deposits into different bank accounts, thereby evading detection from banking authorities. Criminals often use shell companies, or paper entities devoid of actual business operations, to transfer money across bank accounts and borders in order to camouflage the genuine ownership of assets,” he says. “Verifying the credentials of individuals, companies, trusts, suppliers, and vendors is a crucial first step in combatting malfeasance of all kinds – from tender fraud to money laundering. Detailed company registration information can assist in establishing if an entity is operating legally, is the subject of court judgements, or has a proven track record in the sector in which they claim to operate,” explains Kumandan. In addition to having robust KYC and KYB policies in place, organisations can do more to comply with anti-money laundering regulations and implement best practices to report suspicious activity. Kumandan says processes should be in place to effectively monitor and verify changes in customer or supplier business practices such as changes in ownership and directorship, or a change of business address or banking details. “In addition, PEP and sanction screening, part of the internationally accepted anti-money laundering (AML) compliance process for the identification and verification of Politically Exposed Person (PEP) and blacklisted individuals in public and private sanction lists, is included in SearchWorks’ repertoire.” Ultimately, dismantling the complex web of money laundering requires a multi-pronged strategy. “Organisations should proactively impart training to their employees, enhancing their ability to discern and report suspicious activities. At the same time, leveraging technology can provide a valuable edge,” adds Kumandan. "Law enforcement agencies and financial institutions heavily depend on various sources, including websites, government departments, archives, and other resources, to access records and gather information. SearchWorks eliminates the need for time-consuming manual searches and streamlines the process by offering a comprehensive 'one-stop shop' for accurate and current data. This service is particularly valuable in the fight against money laundering, as it plays a crucial role in safeguarding the integrity of financial systems," he explains.

The Gift of the Givers Foundation, in collaboration with the Caring Sisters Network (CSN) donated 25 Optometry kits worth R30 000 each to the UKZN Optometry Discipline to loan out to students who cannot afford to buy their own equipment. The donation process initiated by Academic Leader in Optometry, Dr Naimah Ebrahim Khan, was a solution for equipment shortage due to the growing number of Optometry students over the years. Faced with students need for the kits, the Discipline put out a call to the community requesting assistance. ‘Students need this because we saw the difference between those who had the equipment to practise, resulting in them performing better than the students without,’ said Khan. ‘Gift of the Givers and CSN came out to visit. They saw the need and understood the type of equipment we needed which included the eye chart, trial case and frame, diagnostic set, occluder, pupillary distance ruler, prism bar and hard contact lenses. Their contribution went above and beyond monetary value as they also helped us source the best equipment and delivered it on to campus. We are beyond grateful!’ she added. Gift of the Givers Operations Director, Mr Muhammad Rayhaan Sooliman, said: ‘We are excited to be part of this, simply because part of what we do is taking care of immediate needs but also making sure that there’s a plan going forward’. He refers to the donation as the starting point of an exciting partnership between CSN and the Discipline and sets the tone going forward. CSN and Islamic Medical Association (IMA) Durban Chairperson, Dr Yasiera Mahomed Suliman, said she was aware of the students’ needs as she also assists UKZN by availing the IMA clinics as training spaces for students. Being in the field, she said it was impossible for students to train without this equipment which is why she decided to lend a helping hand. Dr Imtiaz Sooliman, Gift of the Givers Founder, remarked on how his family has a special attachment to the University - having also studied there. He said: ‘We need to give back to where we come from because to build this country, we have to help those children who aren’t progressing because of a lack of opportunity so that they can change their lives. There’s only one way to fix this country, and that’s if we work together as one to make it better.’ He also noted some of the projects his foundation has been involved in, including their R3 million donation to UKZN’s Medical Student Fund which supports up-and-coming doctors with historical debt - a project founded by the Dean and Head of the School of Clinical Medicine, Professor Ncoza Dlova. Dean and Head of School of Health Sciences, Professor Khathutshelo Percy Mashige, commented on how students in the Discipline have been battling to get the basic equipment required to do their training. ‘I’m over the moon that the Gift of the Givers and CSN have been able to assist in such a swift turnaround time. Without the basic equipment, students are unable to gain the requisite skills needed to go out there as competent clinicians and service the community. We thank you, as this will go a long way in assisting our students with their training’, said Mashige.