The Language Unit and the Department of Biotechnology and Consumer Science hosted a hybrid heritage celebration at the Bellville campus.
The aim of this collaborative successful event was to convey a message to the CPUT community about the importance of preserving South Africa’s diverse heritage. The event’s theme was: Celebrating our richly cross-pollination cultural heritage: languages, food, music and much more.
Applied Sciences Faculty Language Coordinator , Dr Ignatius Ticha said: “In doing so, we aimed to demonstrate as a faculty community, an institution, a nation and a human race we are much closer than we think we are in our practices, beliefs and way of life.” The event was a great success in terms of attendance and YouTube viewership which was over 300 and in the richness of the presentations and engagements.
Consumer Science Food: Nutrition staff and students entertained the audience with food demonstrations that gave audience members a taste of the richly diverse but linked South African cuisine. There was also a panel discussion in which staff joined students to engage on important subjects including what it means to decolonise higher education, whether they experienced CPUT as an African university or a university in Africa and how one strikes a balance between scientific fact and some African beliefs that some may qualify as superstitious, among other subjects.
Dmitri Jegels a keynote speaker reflected on: “Semiotic and socio-cultural cross pollination: we are closer than we think we are”. The address showed synergies and borrowings in South African languages, food and music. There was also entertaining musical renditions by Chandre Matthee. One of the coordinators and ECP Lecturer, Theloshni Govender said: “Our goal was to enlighten our CPUT community of the oneness of our heritage. [It was about] showcasing South African diversity in rich culture and cuisine which allows an opportunity to celebrate food and language.”
Written by Aphiwe Boyce
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