The Wellington campus is set to become the sports hub of the Boland region thanks to a substantial donation of R4.5 million from the National Lotteries Board.

The campus, which boasts a thriving sports culture, recently used the funds to revamp the surfaces of several tennis and netball courts and also install mast lighting at the rugby field.

The funding was awarded to the institution after Wellington Campus Sports Coordinator Tyrone Africa submitted a proposal to the board highlighting the need for an upgrade of the facilities.

Speaking at the recent official opening of the revamped facilities, Africa says the makeover is a stepping stone for other sport-related projects.

“This is a pioneer project for the institution. We would like to improve sports facilities across the CPUT campuses,” he says.

FUN: The netball and rugby team show off their skills on the resurfaced netball court.

Head of Student Affairs, Malinge Gqeba thanked the board for their investment in CPUT and also commended Africa for putting together the winning proposal.

“The National Lotteries Board made it possible for those playing sport to have access to proper facilities,” he says.

And students are already reaping the benefits of the state-of-the-art facilities.

Deputy Chairperson of the Sports Forum at the campus, Enanda Heasbroek, says with new lighting installed at the netball and tennis courts, which also boast new smooth surfaces, the teams have been able to extend their training hours.

“We are training for much longer periods at night and it is really improving our skills,” she says.

Head of the Rugby Team, Ashley Dreyden says the new mast lighting on the rugby fields means they can now host student league games, which usually take place at night.

“The facilities are top-notch,” says Ashley.

By Candes Keating

Photographs by Clive Galant

Written by CPUT News
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Malinge Gqeba, Head of Student Housing: Bellville, has published his first vernacular novel with Juta Gariep Publishers in Cape Town, after years of pursuing his passion for the written word.

The Xhosa novel, titled Ibango, is set to hit bookstores soon.

Gqeba, who began working on the book in 2003, says he owes all his achievements to the institution.

“CPUT has been everything to me, most of the big achievements I have had, regarding my family or academically, happened in tenure as a CPUT staff member.”

Being the last born among seven siblings, Gqeba has always looked up to his five sisters and two brothers, some of whom have worked as school teachers.

“Story-telling by my siblings was part of our everyday life and the reading of various books written by my then favourate author James Hardley Chase,” he said.

Gqeba has worked on the book ever since he was a coordinator at Heroes House on the Bellville campus six years ago.

According to Gqeba, he would sleep next to a pen and a notebook and would wake up to pen down any ideas that came to him in his sleep.

The central theme of his book is on how African communities manage to survive the cultural onslaught from the Western culture.

Gqeba said: “This I do by tracking the life of a particular family in a particular rural setting, but there are several sub-themes in the book as it explores issues of HIV/Aids, racial oppression and education in a broader sense.”

Following the government’s initiative to promote all the 11 official languages in South Africa and the promotion of mother-tongue languages at schools, Gqeba felt the need to contribute towards the success of the IsiXhosa language.

“I view writing in IsiXhosa as my little contribution to the community that developed me. Though I am from a rural background, I still managed to write a book and all the credit goes to my community and my family.”

“I want to continue writing in IsiXhosa to sustain and promote the language,” Gqeba added. Gqeba’s primary target market is high school learners in ensuring that the language becomes the source of knowledge soon in their lives. But this 300-page novel is likely to appeal to everyone.

He therefore appeals to all who can assist in the marketing of the book to come forward.

Ever since the beginning of June, he has been interacting with school principals as he would like them to buy some books for resource purposes.

He said: “I am also currently building a network with the Department of Education to see how the process can be formalised.”

According to Gqeba, his book represents “our past as Africans in general as it equips us to be able to interact with other cultures with pride.”

“To me, our young people are an investment if our culture has to be sustained and promoted,” he concluded.

By Andiswa Dantile

Photo: Malinge Gqeba, Head of Student Housing: Bellville, presents his new novel, Ibango.

Written by CPUT News

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The Department of Student Affairs recently held the first-ever Student Assembly for the Central SRC to inform students about its activities.

The parliament-styled assembly took place in the City of Cape Town’s Council Chamber and saw students debating pertinent reports from the Central SRC leaders including its financial expenditure.

Malinge Gqeba, Head of the Department of Student Affairs, says the assembly was a milestone for student governance at CPUT and that it should be an annual event.

Gqeba urged student leaders to put their political differences aside and work together for the betterment of the general students’ body.

“Do you ask yourself why other students invested their votes on you?” he asked.

SRC president Mbongiseni Mbatha said the SRC’s mission is to improve student governance adding that students from high schools and Further Education and Training Colleges find it difficult to get into universities.

Student Development Officer Lindelwa Gayiza outlined the programme run by the Women in Leadership project such as personal development and leadership skills.

Gayiza challenged female delegates to define what their role in society is.

Student Development Officer Bernard Sebake addressed the delegates on the value of clean governance adding that the SRC should submit audited financial system at the end of its term.

Written by Kwanele Butana
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