NMU Transformation Office

10/09/2026

Reflecting on a day of connection, courage and collective transformation.🏳️‍🌈

Our Mandela Pride Team had the privilege of representing the Transformation Office at Nelson Mandela University at the Eastern Cape LGBTQIA+ Corridor Summit 2026, hosted by the University of Fort Hare under the theme “Building Inclusive Universities: Student Voices, Shared Futures.”

This engagement reminded us that transformation is not simply a conversation, it is an ongoing commitment to creating spaces where every student feels seen, respected, safe and able to belong. Through dialogue, collaboration and the sharing of lived experiences, we continue to challenge exclusion and imagine universities that truly embrace the diversity of their communities.

As Mandela Pride, we remain committed to carrying these conversations forward: from representation to action, from awareness to accountability, and from inclusion as an ideal to inclusion as a lived reality.

Our pride is our presence.
Our presence is our power.
Our shared future is inclusive. 🏳️‍🌈

10/09/2026

Cotton House Residence - THANK YOU!😇

A special shout out to cotton house which has shown great support and interest in the work of the Singamadoda redefining positive masculinities subcluster.

Majita, this is advocacy!💫

10/09/2026

South Point Residence - THANK YOU for opening your doors to the Transformation Office staff at Nelson Mandela University.🏫

Through our advocacy residence visits, we create meaningful opportunities to engage with our students beyond the classroom and connect with them on a deeper, more personal level. These engagements allow us to listen to students’ experiences, understand the realities they navigate within their living environments, and work collaboratively towards solutions that promote their wellbeing and sense of belonging.

Our residence visits are an important part of our commitment to creating safer, more inclusive and supportive living environments where every student feels respected, valued and empowered to thrive.

Together with our students and residence communities, we continue to advance a culture grounded in inclusivity, equality, diversity, respect and social responsibility. By creating spaces for open dialogue, raising awareness and addressing issues that affect our students, we can contribute to residence environments where everyone has the opportunity to live, learn and grow without fear of discrimination, exclusion or harm.

We appreciate the partnership and openness of the all residences that accommodate Nelson Mandela University students. We look forward to strengthening these engagements as we work together to build a university community that truly reflects the values of transformation, dignity and belonging.

Together, we can transform spaces, change lives and build a more inclusive Nelson Mandela University.

10/09/2026

When is the Transformation Office visiting your residence?😅

Contact the Transformation Office coordinator of the respective sub-cluster you would like to see engaging with you at your residence.💫

Find out more on our website: https://transformationoffice.mandela.ac.za/

10/09/2026

Self-Defence Tactics: Break-Free Technique

Disclaimer 📣 These videos are intended for educational and preventative purposes only. They are not intended to encourage, promote, or justify violence. Instead, they aim to equip our students and staff members with practical self-defence strategies and greater awareness of how to respond when faced with potentially dangerous or threatening situations.

The Transformation Office at Nelson Mandela University offers self-defence classes designed to empower members of our university community with knowledge, confidence, and practical skills that may assist them in protecting themselves and safely responding to situations of danger.

In this video, we demonstrate a Break-Free Technique, focusing on how an individual may attempt to create space and disengage from an unwanted physical hold or confrontation. The emphasis is on escape, safety, awareness, and seeking assistance, rather than engaging in or escalating a confrontation.

Self-defence is not about fighting, it is about understanding risks, remaining aware of your surroundings, making safe decisions, and knowing how to respond when necessary.

Watch more self defence content on the Transformation Office YouTube Channel: https://youtube.com/?si=5mmeMRoRWJ8JFgf2

10/09/2026

Vella Residence 📍 The journey towards positive masculinity is not about having all the answers, it is about being willing to learn.😃

Be part of the next conversation at your residence.

10/09/2026

Vella Residence 📍

No residence with Nelson Mandela university students left behind.✨

10/09/2026

Turning Gender Equality Commitments into Action at Nelson Mandela University

Nelson Mandela University is participating in MAGNETISE project, an initiative focused on mainstreaming gender equality in higher education across Sub-Saharan Africa.

The project brings together five partner universities - including Nelson Mandela University, to support the development of sustainable approaches to gender equality through capacity-building, institutional dialogue and student engagement. MAGNETISE - Mainstreaming Gender Equality in Sub-Saharan Africa Academia aims to support five Sub-Saharan African universities in translating gender-equality commitments into sustainable institutional action.

Read more: https://transformationoffice.mandela.ac.za/Events/Transformation-Office-2026/Magnitise-Newsletter-Project-Collaboration

10/09/2026

Our residence visits are not simply about talking to men, they are about engaging the entire student community in conversations that affect all of us. The way masculinity is understood and expressed shapes our friendships, relationships, residence cultures, classrooms, leadership spaces, and the broader university community.

10/09/2026