Three SRC members have made CPUT proud by flying its flag high in conferences around the world.

SRC President Mbongiseni Mbatha and Surita Venter, an SRC member on the Wellington Campus, recently spent four days in Sydney, Australia, attending the Y20 Summit with four other youth representatives from South Africa. The Summit will make policy recommendations for the G20 Leaders’Summit in Brisbane.

The South African delegation to the Summit hopes to encourage South African leaders to read and understand the Y20 Summit’s declaration and what it is asking for. The declaration raises the Summit’s views on issues such as the youth’s role in economic and rural development.

“The main focus will be on the issues that have greater relevance and impact on the developing nations in general and Africa in particular,” reads the delegation’s report.

Meanwhile, SRC Treasurer-General Tshilande Pfuluwane attended the 28th International Youth Leadership Conference in Prague, Czech Republic.

The bi-annual conference is a forum on world politics, international relations and justice and was attended by about one hundred outstanding students from the world’s most renowned universities. It blended social interaction with cultural and educational components and Tshilande had opportunities to rub shoulders with diplomats from foreign countries.

“We were made to realize through experience the complexities of international relations,” he says. 

YOUNG LEADERS: Delegates who attended the recent 28th International Youth Leadership Conference in Prague, Czech Republic, with CPUT Central Central SRC Treasurer-General Tshilande Pfuluwani.

Tshilande participated in simulation exercises that recreated a United Nations Security Council crisis meeting, an International Criminal Court hearing, as well as a modern European Parliament session.

To be selected as delegates, students had to go through a rigorous application process.

Written by Kwanele Butana
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Two CPUT students will be representing South Africa at the Y20 Summit to be held in Sydney, Australia, next week. 

The Summit will make policy recommendations for G20 leaders.

CPUT SRC President Mbongiseni Mbatha and Surita Venter, an SRC member on the Wellington Campus, will spend four days from 12 – 15 July with other four youth representatives from SA.

 Mbatha, an MTech: Entrepreneurship student and Venter, a third year B Ed student, received the good news from the South African Youth for International Diplomacy (SAYID) after going through a rigorous application process.

Before she came to CPUT, Venter was involved with the youth in Porterville. 

“I have a huge passion for the youth. During my working period I was involved with situations of severe poverty, uneducated and emotionally and physically abused youth. Although SA might seem like a country with little issues, a different world lies behind the scenes. We have a lot of youth struggling to get out of their circumstances. And I would like to raise their situations,” she says.

As part of their role, delegates are expected to engage with other delegates and run consultation workshops to enable them to represent the views of young people in their countries. They will also contribute to pre-summit discussions with delegates.

Mbatha is excited to explore the minds of youth around the world and hear what affects them.

He is passionate about the informal economy, something he is working on in his dissertation titled:  A Comparative Analysis of the success and failures of survivalist entrepreneurs.

In his research he focuses on two major townships in South Africa, Soweto and Khayelitsha. “Most African entrepreneurs are not educated; the challenge is how do you take them and groom them into the formal economy to ensure sustainable development,” he says.

Written by Ilse Fredericks
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With a strong focus on funding and mentoring for graduate and undergraduate students, Golden Key (GK) International Honour Society offers numerous scholarships and awards, available only to members, as well as career development, networking and literacy service opportunities and unique discounts from partner companies.

Student Development Officers Cherice Mangiagalli and Melani-Ann Hara, who serve as advisors for Golden Key SA - CPUT Chapter, say GK has chapters at over 400 colleges and universities in Australia, Canada, India, Malaysia, New Zealand, South Africa, The Bahamas and the United States. Mangiagalli states that membership in the Society is by invitation only and applies to the top 15% of college and university sophomores, juniors, seniors, and top-performing graduate students in all fields of study, based solely on their academic achievements.

President of the GK CPUT chapter, Simphiwe Ngubane, shared his experience:

Simphiwe reveals that being made a part of GK last year and representing CPUT at the DHL 2021 Top 100 Most Employable Students in South Africa “have truly been the cherries on top of my time here at CPUT”.  “We all go through challenges in life, and what I can account as one of the more difficult challenges is finding a reason every day to commit to myself, my studies and what I see as my path- all this comes about in the context of a world attempting to dictate to you what you should do, how you should do it and where you should go: the reason I consistently conjure up is, all this is leading you somewhere, don't give up,” he says.

The Durban-born-final-year BSc in Geomatics student “owes”  his success to his mother and grandmother, “whom I will forever be grateful to for inculcating the critical importance of education to thrive and succeed in this world”.

Simphiwe was appointed a member of the Golden Key Executive this year through an interview and selection process. He says: “I would like to take the opportunity to advocate as many Golden Key members as possible to avail themselves of this opportunity for the upcoming year: leadership, academic excellence, and personal development are part and parcel of what GK stands for and it is what we as a CPUT student body should be consistently advocating for.”  

Reflecting on life challenges in our communities, Simphiwe says: “One doesn’t need to know too much of the country's state. The interminable load shedding, the rising cost of fuel and living costs are stark reminders of the state of our communities. Ultimately, what we must look toward is credible leadership in navigating the challenges this country faces and will face tomorrow. Golden Key is a shining canvass of opportunity to accelerate the growth of the type of person that will steer this country.” 

He says being part of GK has helped him access many worthwhile opportunities through webinars, broadcasts for scholarships, job opportunities, etc. “I am an Olico Maths Tutor because of Golden Key; my involvement with the 2021 DHL Gradstar Top 100 most employable students in South Africa would not have been possible without Golden Key.” 

Simphiwe also encourages his fellow students to be part of Golden Key society. “Decide to join; you won’t regret it; membership means being part of a community of exceptional individuals from across the world; doors open to you automatically by association.”  Simphiwe serves on the CPUT Golden Key executive committee alongside Uchenna Okwuosa – Treasurer; Mahlatse Ramakgoakgoa - Service Director & Campus Community Outreach Director; and Xolisa Skweyiya – Secretary.

Written by Aphiwe Boyce

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