Two groups of second-year Office Management and Technology (OMT) broke the mould when they organised seminars as professionals, inviting speakers who are successful alumni in their respective industries. 

The practical project formed part of their second-year Business Administration course and aimed to teach students the various project and events management principles involved in putting a seminar together during the fourth term.

The students were responsible for all aspects including, deciding on a seminar theme, sourcing and hiring a venue, arranging catering, inviting guest speakers, fundraising to finance the event and other co-ordination activities.

Though the planning started early in the year, it all culminated in the panning out of the themed seminars. One group’s theme was ‘A World of Opportunities’, which the other group titled theirs, ‘The Eco Friendly Office’.

Second-year OMT lecturer, Jasmiena Latief, enjoys seeing the fruits of her labour during the seminar presentations.

Speaking to second-year OMT lecturer, Jasmiena Latief, she expressed her pride and enthusiasm at seeing the students’ work.

“I’m amazed at the students because every year they surprise us, even though we can sometimes take them for granted. I’m excited for their future as they have all proved their professionalism with the events and this reminds me why I chose to enter the education sector”, she said.

Melinda May, a student and facilitator for group who presented ‘A World of Opportunities’, shared that everything that they learnt was not in vain, particularly working with groups and different personalities.

“We learnt organising skills, how to review and manage decisions taken, and always needing to have a Plan B and C and D”, May said.

Fatimah Shade, a member of the '‘A World of Opportunities' group.

Another student, Fatimah Shade, said she enjoyed hearing from the speakers, who were OMT alumni.

“I learnt about the variety of industries one can enter with this qualification as well as the different roles you can take on once you’re already in a company. It was really an eye-opener and will help us to push forward with our academics to achieve good results”, she said.

Programme Co-ordinator, Mandie Richards, shared her sentiments, saying she felt the purpose of the seminars was achieved, as the students not only put their theory into practice, but were also encouraged to diversify their career options. 

By: Thando J. Moiloa

Written by CPUT News
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Hundreds of students attended the Faculty of Business and Management Sciences’ annual Diversity Seminar to discuss gender diversity and inclusion.

Held recently on the District Six Campus, the seminar was organised by Mandie Richards, a senior lecturer in the faculty, in collaboration with the Commission for Gender Equality and the Department of Business and Information Administration.

Keynote speaker Dr Marlene Le Roux, Artscape Theatre Centre CEO, spoke about her role as a gender and disability activist.

Le Roux sent a stern warning to those who say people must just get on with their lives if they have never experienced apartheid. She said she comes from a family of farmworkers and that while growing up as a child in Wellington she had to share a bed with two others.

She added that humanity and social justice are important and urged the students not to lead activism campaigns only when they raise issues affecting their personal needs.

Faculty of Business and Management Sciences Dean, Prof Paul Green, said diversity is what we are and inclusion what we do.

Green argued that despite South Africa having made political strides such as developing a progressive Constitution enshrining the Bill of Rights, fewer women occupy senior positions in workplaces. “Gender diversity in the workplace is the right thing to do,” he said.

Greyson Thela, National advocacy Officer at Gender Dynamix, said one baby in every 2000 births is born intersex and defined this as a baby born with a penis and a womb, vagina but no womb, or both penis and vagina.

District Six Campus Local SRC Chairperson, Tumiso Mfisa, discussed programmes and attitudes that may help create non-discriminatory spaces on CPUT campuses.

Thobela Gceya, from the UN’s HeForShe campaign, said the campaign aims to mobilise 1 billion men to accelerate the achievement of gender equality.

Sixolile Ngcobo, Provincial Director: Commission for Gender Equality, said the CGE is concerned with lack of proper understanding of gender dynamics in the workplace, which is accompanied by the slow pace of transformation as well as lack of reasonable accommodation for people.

Administrative Officer in the Disability Unit at CPUT, Delicia De Vos, said being born with albinism brought misery to her parents and led to her father disowning her.

She took the audience through many of the form of abuses she endured in her youth and urged people for more tolerance, acceptance, understanding and patience for others.

“See (in others) that which is the same; the possibility for friendship and for love,” said De Vos.

Poet Dikeledi Rallele’s performance of her work titled Judge Me was delivered with power and emotion to huge applause by the audience.

Written by Kwanele Butana

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The Office and Management students at the Wellington campus have raised R12 350 for youth care centre Huis Andrew Murray (HAM).

The students raised the money as part of their Business Administration 1 entrepreneurial project, which is integrated into the first-year curriculum.

Students do not only use the skills acquired in their various subjects they also have to work together as a team and secure sponsors.

HAM is a home for 150 children aged between 0 and 18 years from diverse backgrounds who are kept on a temporary or permanent basis.

Although every effort is made to reunite the children with their parents or a loving family, many children remain in the home for long periods.

To raise the cash students sold a variety of snacks and the group Chilli Cho-Cho, who sold homemade biltong, managed to raise the most cash. They are the first group to make biltong for the fundraising day and raised a whopping R3 530.

The cheque of R12 350 was recently handed to HAM manager Regardo Scholtz, who thanked the students for their contribution.

Scholtz said the donation would be used for 21 children at the home’s Early Childhood Development Centre aged between one and five years.

Senior lecturer Mandie Richards said the students have demonstrated that they are not only focused on obtaining a qualification but have also become socially engaged citizens inspired by the true spirit of ubuntu.

Written by Kwanele Butana
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Office and Management Technology students were inspired to defy the odds.

Brent Williams, a social entrepreneur and director at Reconstructed Living Labs (RLabs), recently delivered a motivational talk to the students at the Cape Town campus.

His talk, “Hope in the Midst of Chaos”, highlighted his life journey as a young man on the Cape Flats, dropping out of high school, his drug addiction and involvement in gangsterism. He also highlighted how he overcame these challenges to become one of the Directors at RLabs.

The organisation is the brainchild of Marlon Parker, a CPUT alumnus and former staff member. The organization started in Bridgetown, Athlone in 2008, and is now a global movement operating in 22 countries, instilling hope and uplifting communities through various programmes. 

Williams says Parker’s belief in uplifting the community and providing a platform for community members to empower themselves, instilled a sense of purpose and pride in the community and inspired him to work towards achieving various goals in life.

The organization has two youth cafés, one at the Vangate Mall and in Mitchells Plain. Here a positive environment is provided for youth to socialise and empower themselves through various projects.   The company also uses digital media and mobile technology to solve the social ills in communities by giving residents hope against all odds.

Senior Lecturer Mandie Richards emphasised the need for all people to realise the role they have to play in society and how one person can make a difference.

For more information on RLabs see www.rlabs.org

Written by Kwanele Butana

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True to its vision of becoming the heart of technology education in Africa, CPUT is strengthening ties with its African counterparts.

Recently two staff members from the Faculty of Business, Mandie Richards and Belinda Berman, visited The School of Management Sciences at Polytechnic of Namibia to discuss various areas of collaboration.

CPUT and Polytechnic of Namibia signed a Memorandum of Understanding in 2013.

“This has been a positive move, as it provided an opportunity for a cultural exchange with our African counterparts,” says Richards, a senior lecturer in the Office Management and Technology Department.

Richards says the collaboration between the two institutions emphasises that international exchanges also include exploring educational, social and economic opportunities in Africa.

“Each session provided so many opportunities for future collaboration and strengthening the ties with our Africa partners,” she says.

The faculty is looking forward to staff and student exchanges between the two institutions, especially within the Office Management and Technology Department. Other areas of collaboration include curriculum development as well as joint research initiatives.

Discussions also focused on student and staff development programmes as well as transformation.

Written by Kwanele Butana
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CPUT students' life stories have been shared at an international conference in Spain.

A senior lecturer in the Faculty of Business and Management Sciences has presented a paper on Digital Storytelling at the recent 7^th International Conference on Education and New Learning Technologies in Barcelona, Spain.

The title of Mandie Richards’ paper was Creating a Platform for Transformation through Digital Storytelling. 

Richards also chaired a session at the conference called Technologies in Business Management Education.

Digital Storytelling has been integrated into the curriculum for Diversity Management 1, a subject she co-ordinates, as it allows students to explore their culture and identities and share their stories with their class mates.

She says that the subject provides opportunities for students to learn about each other and creates awareness about the diversity and socio-economic backgrounds of each individual.

“Very often students have no idea as to the adversities many students have to overcome to get to this point of studying at a tertiary institution,” says Richards.

In addition to students telling their stories, writing a script and improving their acting voice, they also have to provide a social comment to educate viewers about their story.

She feels that it is important that educators use technology creatively to captivate students, whilst adding value to their experience at university.

“Networking at the conference has also led to many new ideas which may be implemented into the Digital Storytelling methodology in the future,” she adds.

Richards joined the CPUT Digital storytelling project in 2013, and thus far more than 550 students have participated in sharing their stories through Digital Storytelling. Read more about Digital Storytelling at CPUT here http://bit.ly/1bd3VDo

Written by Kwanele Butana

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As the country celebrated Heritage Month, the Business and Information Administration Department in the Faculty of Business and Management Sciences collaborated with the District Six Museum (D6M), and engaged all second-year Diversity Management students and International exchange students in workshops re-imagining and exploring the past at the Homecoming Centre in Cape Town.

Mandie Richards, senior lecturer and subject co-ordinator, advised that although the workshop focused on forced removals in District Six, forced removals were not synonymous to District Six, as the Group Areas Act passed on 27 April 1950 by the apartheid government was responsible for the separation and segregation of people into residential areas based on their race, which in itself was a social construct, throughout South Africa.

Mandy Sanger, the Education Manager at the D6M, engaged students in active conversations about colonialism, white privilege, culture, identity, language, restitution and human dignity.

Teams of students participated in role play and enacted scenarios on stage in the Avalon Theatre, which was previously known as the Fugard Theatre, and possible future stars were born, as the student audience applauded a few dramatic performances highlighting the suffering experienced by people in South Africa.

As the past influences the present and often shapes the future, District Six ex-residents accompanied students on guided tours to sites in District Six and shared their stories. Jasmina Salie, an ex-resident and author, shared the pain she and her family endured when they were forcibly removed from District Six to Hanover Park, where she still resides.

Second-year student Zena Julie shared the story of her grandmother’s forced removal from Newlands and finally settling in Mitchells Plain, and added that the workshop provided her with a greater understanding of the past and the impact of apartheid.

Richards was joined at the workshops by Fidelis Chu, the subject lecturer on the Wellington Campus, who shared his insights on the importance of history and how it shapes students’ understanding of the present. Students engaged in further conversation over lunch which was held on the rooftop garden overlooking the City Hall and Table Mountain.

Richards further stated that to enhance the understanding of students, the conversations at the workshops were integrated into the Diversity Management curriculum. Students had to identify a challenge in their community and explore ways as to how they would make a difference in communities by sharing their knowledge and skills or creating awareness thereby empowering communities.

“The workshop concluded with teams presenting their project plans which included homework clubs in communities, volunteering their services as tutors, neighbourhood watch to ensure the safety of the community, to creating awareness about gangsterism, teenage pregnancy and gender-based violence and feedback was provided to each team,” added Richards.

Richards advised that the future of the country was in the hands of the youth, and that this required that they be part of the narrative and that their voices and contributions be valued. The challenges raised by the teams and solutions as to how they would address them in their communities, provided her with hope that “this cohort of students will be global citizens and agents of change”.

Written by Kwanele Butana
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Graduate Nokwanda Popiel was approaching 50 when she enrolled at CPUT and says she felt that her classmates were young enough to be her grandchildren.

Popiel admits that it was intimidating at first to be in a class full of students who were decades younger than her, but she received a warm welcome on her first day from her classmates and senior lecturer, Mandie Richards, in Diversity Management class.

This week she graduated with a National Diploma in Office Management and Technology.

Popiel grew up in Gugulethu and had to drop out of school in Standard 8 (Grade 10) to help her mother to raise her siblings.

“I was working as a domestic worker but I had a dream of finishing my matric.”

 In 1992 she went back to school full-time to repeat Standard 8 and to eventually finish her matric.

She worked as a domestic worker on weekends and after matric volunteered at several Non-Governmental Organisations.

Popiel enrolled at CPUT in 2016 and says her strategy was to be positive and keen to learn.

“I cannot describe how I feel. It's been a long journey but, in the end, I made it.”

Popiel said she was thankful to all her lecturers and plans to complete her Advanced Diploma.

“It’s about finishing what you start, no matter how long it takes.”  

Written by Ilse Fredericks
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Setting students on a successful career trajectory was at the heart of an event recently hosted by the Faculty of Business and Management Sciences (FBMS).

Senior Lecturer Mandie Richards, who is the Faculty’s Transformation Forum Chairperson, said the Career Hook-up and Entrepreneurship Bootcamp, was a collaboration with PAWA Africa, its All4Youth Programme and their partners Nestle, NielsenIQ, ABB and Publicis Groupe Africa.

The objective was to engage with students and to enhance their understanding of the skills, competencies and graduate attributes required and to assist in shaping their futures.

Richards said the Transformation Forum also continuously explores various strategies which aligns to the Focus Areas of CPUT’s One Smart Vision 2030 and engages with industry partners to ensure that curriculum is responsive to the social and economic needs, whilst integrating programmes into the curriculum which are relevant and aligns to industry trends and, in so doing, improves career and employability opportunities.

“Institutions of Higher Learning and academics can no longer work in silos, as the voices of the students, their lived experiences as well as 21^st century skills need to be integrated into the curriculum, thus contributing to positive change and social and economic empowerment of youth and communities.”

Prof Desiree Scholtz, FBMS Assistant Dean: Teaching and Learning, welcomed attendees and told students that the event was an opportunity to learn.

“We have experts in the field to share with you how your future can change for the better. You need to make today the start of a mindset of how you can go about changing your future. The future is not going to happen to you, you need to make it happen.”

More than 200 students across the faculty were given the opportunity to engage with a panel of experts, which included: Shireen Lutchan (NielsenIQ); Noxolo Mnisi (Nestle); Refilwe Mocumi (ABB), Kaylyn Alexander (Publicis Groupe Africa) and the Faculty’s Work Integrated Learning Co-Ordinators, Bonita Allies, Lauren Swart and Beverley Seager.

PAWA Africa Executive Director, Alesimo Mwanga, said the event was important as institutions “sometimes operate in silos from what private sector needs”.

She said it was important to bring together the two worlds, “particularly for the benefit of the students so that they can also hear from industry what is to be required from them to be employable but also for Higher Education Institutions to hear from industry what the gaps are”.

Richards further stated “As graduates are also faced with the stark reality of unemployment, the event allowed for students, together with the All4YOUth partners to explore their side hustles and further create awareness as to entrepreneurial possibilities.

Students were invited to pitch their entrepreneurial ideas in teams at the entrepreneurship bootcamp and provide solutions to address the challenges experienced in communities in a speed pitch. The various pitches were indications of the entrepreneurial spirit and innovation of students, when afforded opportunities”.

The winning team provided a solution to load-shedding as it pertains to refrigerator storage for communities, to ensure that their meat does not spoil, and at a nominal fee, and each team member won Uber Eats vouchers. One student also won an Exclusive Books voucher for the best pitch of an idea which was to create a Dial Up App to connect runners who could assist people with errands.

Mwanga added that the event presented an opportunity for dialogue with young people, to hear from them what their perception is of getting employed and what challenges they face.

“I think the engagement was really fruitful.”

Written by Ilse Fredericks
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The Department of Business and Information Administration (BIA) recently hosted industry partners and community organisations during an exciting networking event at the Cape Town Hotel School.

The event presented an opportunity for engagement as well as for valuable contributions by industry and community organisations.

Guests were welcomed by the programme director for the day and senior lecturer in the Department, Mandie Richards, who introduced the keynote speaker, Prof Paul Green, Dean of the Faculty of Business and Management Sciences.

The keynote address was titled: Connecting for the Future, on a Quest for Success within the South African context.

Green told the partners that their input was extremely important, adding that their valued contributions, including to the content of the curriculum “remains continuously relevant to us”.

“The social impact of this partnership will have far-reaching benefits, not only for our graduates but also for communities as well as the economy.”

Green said the BIA Department engages in various innovative practices, which respond to the needs of society and enhances the students’ analytical skills.

He said that in this ever-changing world it was essential to stay ahead and prepare students for success.

“As a faculty we are also aware that to remain relevant and to be in touch with industry, we need to continuously review our curriculum. “

He thanked the partners and the organisers for the engagement.

Charlton Brandt an alumnus who now works as Business Specialist: Data Management and Analysis at Old Mutual Limited, delivered a talk on the value of a vision.

The day also included an overview of the department as well its work integrated learning, community engagement and service-learning components. This was followed by a panel discussion, titled Reflections for Success, which touched on several topics including job readiness and the future of work.

The discussion was facilitated by Alesimo Mwanga, Executive Director, PAWA Africa, and chair of the BIA Advisory Committee and the panellists were: Yolande Jacobs, Human Resources Executive Director, World Wildlife Fund; Carla Stewart, Marketing Manager; Leliebloem House: Youth and Child Care Centre; Zikhona Madubela, Founder, In2ChangeLearning; Beverley Dankers, Deputy Dean, Student Development and Support, Cornerstone Institute and Celiwe Mabaleka, Registrar, Western Cape Government, College of Emergency Care.

Head of Department, Prof Visvanathan Naicker, thanked the speakers and panellists for their valuable contribution to the event and everyone who attended for making the symposium a success.

‘I’m confident that the takeaways from the symposium will further deepen our thinking and stimulate the department’s work in future.

Written by Ilse Fredericks
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More than 150 students recently participated in a thought-provoking webinar, jointly presented by the Faculty of Business and Management Sciences and the District Six (D6) Museum.

The collaboration with the District Six (D6) Museum started in 2013 and has been integrated into the Diversity Management curriculum for the Diploma: Business and Information Administration (BIA) in the Faculty, said senior lecturer, Mandie Richards.

“The purpose of the transformation conversations is so that students may understand the past, the present-day situation and look at the way forward by engaging in positive collaborations. The curriculum needs to be socially responsive, to contribute to the graduate attributes of students and ultimately contribute positively to communities and humanity.”

During the webinar, the history of the country and social injustice were integrated through an exploration of culture and identity, that engaged students in dialogue as to the impact of apartheid. Joe Schaffers, an ex-resident of D6, recalled the hurt of the past, social injustices and the inhumanities still suffered today, and shared his story of his family being forcibly removed from the Bloemhof Flats, D6 in 1967 to Hanover Park on the Cape Flats.

Schaffers has been bestowed with an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Edinburgh for the work he does in communities and keeping the spirit of D6 alive by sharing his knowledge with local and international students, and visitors to the museum.

Students were immersed in the conversation with Mandy Sanger, the Education Manager at the Museum.

“The engagement by students was reflective, interactive and probing as the many questions and comments emphasised that these platforms are pivotal as they allow for students to share their voices as to their lived experiences and thereby have a deeper understanding of the impact of apartheid and the continued systemic racism as a result of this social evil. Discussions pertaining to moving forward through civic engagement is part of the dialogue and result in students engaging in a project which requires deeper research, and in so doing allows for critical engagement, and culminates in a digital storytelling video,” said Richards.

 Fidelis Chu, a lecturer in BIA, has lived in South Africa for 21 years and connected for the first time with the museum three years ago.  He highlighted the distortion of history and the value of the first-person narrative.

Yannick Vermeulen, a second-year student, commented that the session was very informative and that for change to happen, a positive paradigm shift is required as to the way we speak, understand and do things in our everyday lives.

Richards added that before the Covid-19 pandemic, students would engage in ‘Pay It Forward Projects’, and their engagement with the past and present, resulted in them being part of civic engagement initiatives in communities, and further enhancing their understanding by creating digital stories through intergenerational conversations with ex-residents, their family or members in their communities. 

The collaboration with the District Six Museum has been implemented as one of the transformation conversations in which the Faculty engages to enhance an understanding of how the past impacts the present, and the future.  The Faculty has also included this project in 2021 for departments to integrate into the curriculum.

Written by Ilse Fredericks
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The Business and Information Administration Department in the Faculty of Business and Management Sciences continues to pursue integrating practice into theory by engaging with industry partners.

Students and academics recently had the opportunity to engage with Sheremone Lottering, Regional People Partner at Shoprite Group of Companies. Lottering is a CPUT alumnus who completed his National Diploma and BTech degree in Human Resources Management (HRM) at CPUT and is currently studying towards a Postgraduate Diploma in Strategic Human Resources Management at Stellenbosch University.

His guest lecture, The HR Value Chain: An essential component for adding value to HR, aligned to the content of the curriculum in subjects across the levels of study, and highlighted the pivotal role of Human Resources and the impact upon each aspect in the Value Chain.

Lottering further advised that, as the Regional People Partner, he gives input to all functional business and People related strategic requirements which is key to the day-to-day operational excellence of their business operations. His role also requires that he drives the tactical and routine people service delivery aspects in their business areas and that he takes operational accountability for the overall performance and productivity in the organisation.

Lottering stated: “Businesses cannot only be operations focused, they also have to be people centred.” He further stated that “It is essential that the correct people are employed in organisations with the necessary skills”. He expanded upon business strategies as it related to Checkers Sixty60 and the role of data analytics to achieve overall success.

Lottering quoted the philosophy of many great leaders “If you can’t measure it, you can’t improve it”, and expanded upon the requisite audits which are required to ensure that the objectives of the organisation is achieved, and the importance of the financial resources, and the impact on the bottom line. He provided the audience with a relevant case study at the organisation and integrated into each level in the Value Chain.

He also highlighted that morals, ethics, values and fairness is integral to the success of any organisation, and contributes to the culture of the organisation.

Tyrees Jantjies and Kay-Cee Appollis, both Advanced Diploma students, provided positive feedback and indicated that the guest lecture enhanced their understanding as to the relevance of the Value Chain and the application to the various activities in the organisation.

Mandie Richards, senior lecturer and transformation chairperson in the Faculty of Business and Management, emphasised that pedagogy needs to be responsive to industry needs, and thus opportunities are provided for student to experience engagement with experts from industry.

Richards said the lecture elicited challenging questions from the students and staff, as pertains to the retail store and were provided with firsthand information by Lottering as to strategies currently in place at the Shoprite Group to address the situation. She further advised that Lottering’s guest lecture provided valuable insights and that information shared as pertains to strategy at the organisation, most times cannot be found in a textbook.

Written by CPUT News
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Radiate Resilience: Revitalise your Spirit, Rejuvenate your Mind and Rebalance your Soul was the theme of a recent Women’s Month celebration hosted by the Faculty of Business and Management Sciences (FBMS).

The event, held at the Cape Town Hotel School (CTHS), commemorated women in the Faculty and in the broader community.

The celebration engaged women in a panel discussion focused on “real issues” which impact women, as well as a social element which included pamper sessions by the CPUT Somatology students, a self-defence demonstration by a 7th Dan black belt, bingo and spot prizes, cooking sessions by Chef Asi Ndamase of the CTHS, financial advice by Old Mutual, beauty and a literary session and a conversation with award-winning author and entrepreneur, Samantha Adams, who launched her new book Justice for a Warrior.

Mandie Richards, Senior Lecturer and the Transformation Forum chairperson, shared her insights on the theme and highlighted how important it is for women to find a balance, and stated: “As women we play various roles as mothers, sisters, daughters, grandmothers, friends, mentors, lovers, and perform endless chef duties, and often face many challenges as we try to navigate our journey”.

She added that resilience did not mean not seeking help, as that is the first step in healing and dealing with the stress women face, and that “it is okay to not be okay”. She continued: “It is important that we make the time to find our happy spaces or moments which provide a surge for us as women, to revitalise our spirits.”

Prof Desireé Scholtz, Assistant Dean: Teaching and Learning, shared a message from the Faculty’s Acting Dean, Prof Renitha Rampersad, who acknowledged the resilience of women and that part of resilience required mindfulness, and humility.

Taryn Kroukamp, Acting Head of the Human Resources Management Department and a member of the Faculty Women’s Day organising team, stated: “The theme encapsulates the essence of the women we strive to be”. Kroukamp reminded the audience, that a balanced soul is the foundation for a resilient spirit.

The panel, moderated by Candice Oliver, a lecturer in the Marketing Department, included Dr Jade Riley and Dr Caylyn Mopp, both medical doctors, Dorothy du Plooy, a CANSA health care specialist and Larnelle Vogel, a Human Resources Specialist focusing on financial education and job creation for women. The celebration provided a safe space for women to ask questions on issues affecting them or family members.

Du Plooy shared crucial information about breast and cervical cancer and responded to a barrage of questions from women as to fears and uncertainties. Mopp shared information as to hormonal therapy and recognised the fears which women have pertaining to cancer. Riley and Mopp also advised women to have regular checks and that it was essential to have pap smears.

Some of the questions posed related to women being scammed of their money by men or falling in love with unemployed men. Vogel emphasised the importance of women being part of the financial discussions with their partners and stated: “If it is not sitting well with you, call it out and see it as a red flag, and do not take on projects.”

Mopp was emphatic as she stated: “Stop working on men’s potential and work on our own potential, because as women we are powerful”. Du Plooy added her pearls of wisdom by sharing her perspective and concluded the panel conversation to loud applause from the audience, with this final comment: “You are losing the battle if you have to groom the man, as he is not your child. Not my circus, not my money”

The celebration continued with musical performances by vocal artists, all graduates in performing arts, and had the women joyously celebrating being women, in dance and song.

Written by CPUT News

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