Staff member praises colleagues
APPRAISAL: Sipokazi Siyazi has been recognised for her dedication and perseverance with a Long Service Award at Bellville Campus.
Thursday, 13 August 2026
A decade ago, Sipokazi Siyazi sought a transformative shift from the corporate realm to a public institution, leading her to CPUT. Her dedication and perseverance have recently been celebrated with a Long Service Award at a ceremony held at Bellville Campus.
“I have learned so many things, and for my understanding, it is not easy to change jobs, especially if there's nothing that makes you change the workplace. I love working at CPUT; it is one of those things that make me stay for this long.”
Born in Ntlalontle Village, Lady Frere, in the Eastern Cape, she attended Ntlalontle Junior Secondary before going to Mathew Goniwe Senior School.
When she arrived at CPUT, the youngest of two siblings and a mother of two sons was warmly welcomed by the staff members from the Human Capital Department. "I felt welcomed from the very first day I started," she shared. Since beginning her work here, Siyazi has not noticed any differences. "It's still the same for me, but even better because I've learned a lot and have engaged very well with my colleagues, working as a team."
Her daily routine as a kitchen assistant involves ensuring that she completes her duties efficiently, maintains a complaint-free record, delivers quality service on time, and is consistently punctual to avoid any issues. “My daily routine at work is to make sure that I fullfil my responsibilities effectively, keep complaints to a minimum, provide good service on time, and always be punctual to prevent any problems.”
Siyazi acknowledged the Public Relations and Events Coordinator, Catherine Cloete, “as the most interesting person I met on the first day when I came for an interview; she smiled at me, and even [after] all these years, I cannot fault or say anything bad about her because she never changed to me; she is still the person I met before, and the other colleagues of mine that I worked with on the sixth floor at District Six Campus, I never had any bad experience with them since then.”
She also had a word of advice for new staff members. “It's important to bring a positive attitude to work and to leave any personal problems you may be facing at home, outside of the workplace. Your attitude toward others also plays a significant role in creating a supportive environment. This positive mindset is what has allowed me to have a long and fulfilling experience working at CPUT.”
“…You just need to focus more on the workplace so that you survive and do your job; no need to be micromanaged. I have a lot of support from my colleagues.”
Written by Aphiwe Boyce
Email: BoyceAp@cput.ac.za
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