CPUT’s annual Heritage Day Festival celebrated our living heritage and featured a vibrant mix of dance, music, poetry, fashion and art.

This year’s event was held at the Granger Bay Campus under the theme 20 Years of Growing from Greats – Celebrating our Living Heritage.

In her opening remarks, Brightness Mangolothi, Director of the Centre for Diversity, Inclusivity and Social Change, highlighted the significance of the occasion.

“Heritage is not only about where we come from, but also about the legacy we are creating for future generations. So today, as we share in the beauty of poems, the flavours of traditional food, the rhythm of our songs, and the energy from our dance, we celebrate stories and experiences that connect us. This expression of heritage inspires us to build bridges across cultures.”

The keynote address was delivered by Dr Buntu Godongwana, Senior Lecturer in the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment.

“Heritage is about creating inclusive systems where culture and science co-exist and science is not the exclusive purview of one culture,” he stated in his address.

The programme included a presentation on Indigenous Knowledge in Water and Agriculture by Dr Evans Shoko, postdoctoral fellow in the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment, cultural garments showcase by Fashion Design students and performances by the AmaXhosa Student Society and the Hanover Residence students.

As part of the heritage months celebrations, a call was put out to the university community to submit original poems for the Heritage Day Poetry Competition 2025. The winners of the competition were announced during the festival and the top four were invited to recite their work.

The winners were: Luloyisokazi Nonxuba (first), Kabelo Lekhoro (second), Ntsako Mohlala (third) and Lakhiwa Ngaka (fourth).

The winners’ work will be included in the official CPUT Poetry Anthology 2025.

The festival was a collaborative effort between the Centre for Diversity, Inclusivity & Social Change, CPUT Libraries, Faculty of Informatics and Design, Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment, Marketing and Communication Department, Strategic Initiatives and Partnerships and the Cape Town Hotel School.

Written by Ilse Fredericks
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Heritage Day has grown to embrace diverse concepts for various people, but these notions share a few similarities. As such, the Faculty of Applied Sciences (FAS) celebrated the day by “showcasing Indigenous Knowledge and its integration to Academic Pursuits of the FAS” at Bellville Campus.

Numerous presentations on different topics from different fields were provided, Prof Jessy Van Wyk and Melissa Rossouw made a presentation on the Indigenous Knowledge Documentation Centre. Dr Vusi Mshayisa and Tina Bebe from the Food Science and Technology Department talked about how edible insects, such as Mopani worms, madzhulu, and thongolifa, are not only a traditional delicacy in parts of South Africa but also a powerhouse of nutrition.

Rich in protein, essential minerals, and amino acids, they stated that these insects offer a sustainable alternative to conventional protein sources. In addition to new novel insects such as mealworms, crickets, and black soldier fly, they said the Department of Food Science and Technology focuses on exploring the nutritional, structural, sensorial, and techno-functional properties of these insects, highlighting their potential to contribute significantly to food security.

Dr Kanyisa Maqashu from the Chemistry Department made her presentation on the extinction of plant species, including fruits, vegetables, and medicinal plants, which endangers global health and sustainability. “Human activities have reduced seed diversity, increasing reliance on hybrid crops and limiting access to natural remedies and nutritious food. To combat this, we must blend indigenous knowledge with modern science through collaborative efforts to preserve indigenous plant species, integrate traditional ecological wisdom with sustainability practices, and develop holistic healthcare approaches,” Maqashu stated in her presentation.

Sibusiso Xego from the Horticultural Sciences Department talked about enhancing sustainable cultivation and use of medicinal plants through collaborative partnerships with Western Cape traditional healers and small-scale farmers. Athembile Centane and Nkcubeko Masents from Biotechnology and Consumer Sciences provided information on the scientific validation of anecdotal claims in Indigenous health remedies.

William Manamela from the Mathematics and Physics Department made a presentation on Indigenous knowledge in Mathematics. The Conservation and Marine Science Department also made a presentation on Guardians of the Ocean: A Tale of Tradition and Science.

Language Coordinator: Faculty of Applied Science, Dr Ignatius Khan Ticha, facilitated a panel discussion on Perspectives on the integration of Indigenous knowledge in the curriculum and language practices at CPUT.

Written by Aphiwe Boyce
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Mowbray was the first of CPUT’s campuses to get in the Heritage Day spirit.  The annual event sees the campus come alight with bright colours, vibrant singing, joyful dancing and traditional South African cuisine, in commemoration of Heritage Day celebrated annually on 24 September.

This year the Diversity Task Team of the Faculty of Education & Social Sciences made an extra special effort to acknowledge the multicultural learning environment in which they work and teach.

Both staff and students were treated to an array of cultural items ranging from traditional folk songs, to modern dance and poetry as well as Cape Minstrel group, the All Stars, entertaining the audience with their Ghoema music.

Mitchell's Plain Minstrel group The All Stars entertain guests with their catchy tunes.

MCs Education student Vincent Belu and Local SRC Deputy Chairperson Thandeka Thabi who is also studying Education, did their campus proud lead the audience in choral Xhosa songs. Later guest speaker, Aysha Abrahams, shared her perceptions of celebrating one’s heritage and accepting cultural differences within the educational environment.

Vincent Belu (left) and Thandeka Thabi (right) adorned in their traditional attire.

Dean of Education and Social Sciences Prof. Maureen Robinson commented on how important it was to think positively about heritage and culture taking the country’s historical landscape into account.

“It is wonderful to see the efforts that have been made to out today’s event together, meaning that we can work well even with all our diverse cultures,” she says.

Education staff and students display their proud Xhosa heritage by singing popular folk songs.

“I believe that heritage and culture should be used to unite us and this commemorative day is about recognising that though we are culturally different but yet the same.”

By:  Thando J. Moiloa

Written by CPUT News
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