Staff members and students took a stand against Gender-Based Violence (GBV) during a silent protest, which took place simultaneously on the Bellville, District Six, Mowbray and Wellington campuses.

Wearing a touch of purple, they demonstrated their support for victims of GBV and raised awareness of this social ill which affects so many South Africans.

About 400 trees across campuses were also wrapped in purple to create awareness of the campaign.

“The protest is one of the events planned for Women’s Month. Almost on a daily basis we hear about women being raped, beaten and killed. According to reports, 10 percent of all reported rape cases happened at institutions of higher learning and one woman is killed by her intimate partner every eight hours,” said Melanie Marais, Head of HIV/Aids Unit.

“We believe that GBV is a behavioural problem and it is within everyone’s power to stop GBV on campus and in society. Women are disproportionately affected by GBV. As an institution of higher learning, we cannot turn a blind eye. Our main message is that those affected by GBV should speak out and not give alleged perpetrators power, whether it happens at home or on campus.”

Championed by the HIV/Aids Unit, the event was a partnership between Student Affairs and the Institutional Transformation Unit.

Last year the university launched its Institutional Position Statement on Gender-Based Violence.

Written by Ilse Fredericks

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Melanie Marais has dedicated her life to helping students achieve their full potential.

At CPUT, Marais heads up the HIV/Aids Unit, and together with her team, are daily making a difference in the lives of students.

She shared her story with CPUT news.

Why did you become involved in the field of HIV/Aids?

I am a registered nurse, so caring for people is part of my existence. When I worked for Sanlam Health (around 1998) the employer was looking for a volunteer to be the contact person between Sanlam Health and the service provider that was contracted to do HIV Disease Management. It meant that I would have to do this work over and above my existing job role at the time and I was happy to do it without any additional compensation. I did my own research to learn more about HIV and its management. Looking back now, I realise this was God's plan for my life, to make a difference in the HIV and related field.

What initiatives have you, together with your team, rolled at CPUT?

We teamed up with the College of Cape Town through a mentorship program to support them with the establishment of an HIV Program at their campuses and we trained 10 of their students as peer educators. We also increased male participation in HIV Counseling Testing and Voluntary Medical Male Circumcision programs.

We launched the annual Youth Leadership HIV&AIDS Conference in 2015 in collaboration with neighbouring higher education institutions. Students engaged on social and HIV related issues that affect them directly.

We also supported Musa Morgan, a CPUT Mechanical Engineering graduate, with establishing a more inclusive brand & marketing strategy for his innoviation Uyindoda MMC Underwear that is now registered and marketed as Circumfort MMC Underwear. CPUT receive a lot of exposure because of our robust program and this is only through great teamwork and managing stakeholder relationships.

Can you point out a personal career highlight?

Being able to take the HIV/AIDS Unit to another level through skills that I have learnt through the years.

I also obtained a Master’s Degree in Nursing and I am currently busy with my PhD.

I wrote and published a poetry book in 2000 titled: "Yes, God Can!” and also supported a gospel artist with the launch of three albums through project management, from the raw material to the final product and the launch.

What is the secret behind your success?

Passion, passion and more passion.  You need to have a heart for people no matter what. My faith also plays a huge role in my approach to life and the field that I am working in.

What woman inspires you and why?

Diana Ferrus is a woman who inspires me a lot. She made a huge impact through a poem that she wrote for Sarah Baartman "I've come to take you home". This poem inspired the French government to send Sarah Baartman's remains back home and Diana was asked by the South African government to accompany Sarah's remains home.  That's the kind of impact I hope to make through something really simple.

Do you have any words of advice for other women?

The sky is the limit. Let nothing stop you from achieving greatness. Let’s show the world it cannot survive without us.

Written by Kwanele Butana
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The HIV/AIDS Unit invites staff and students to join the Young Women Empowerment team for an interactive hour-long conversation with Rachel Kolisi, this afternoon from 5:30 pm until 6:30 pm via Zoom.

The online event with the topic: In Conversation With Rachel Kolisi, will focus on young women empowerment and personal and leadership development.

Head of the HIV/AIDS Unit, Melanie Marais says: “We know her to be the co-founder of the Kolisi Foundation, philanthropist of note, a mother and wife of the very popular Springbok Captain, Siya Kolisi.  

“Being the co-founder of the Kolisi Foundations, aimed at building communities, there is a lot that young women can learn from her experience.”

 As part of the Young Women Empowerment programme, the HIV/AIDS Unit under the Division of Student Affairs focuses on empowering young women in terms of personal and leadership development and entrepreneurship. The Young Women Empowerment Programme is an initiative of the Division of Student Affairs, championed by the HIV/Aids Unit. It started in 2017 with various interventions that focus on entrepreneurship, leadership and personal development and reproductive health awareness amongst young women.  

“This programme is also known to our neighbouring universities and TVET colleges. Our hashtag is #YoungWomenLeadingTheChange because we believe that the sky is the limit for every young woman and they are able to achieve their dream goals,” says Marais.

The end goal is to develop important skills such as personal and leadership development, starting their own successful foundations and leading in their respective areas of expertise. “We’re so excited because Rachel Kolisi liked our post on the HIV Unit Instagram page,” Marais enthuses. The HIV Unit has another very well-known celebrity lined up for 7 August 2021.

To stay up to date and connected, do follow HIV Unit on their social media platforms under CPUTHIVUnit; Western Cape Young Women Leading the Change Forum and Amajita’s Men’s Program.

To join the Zoom conversation with Rachel Kolisi, follow the link: https://us05web.zoom.us/j/81113915360?pwd=YThPK0ZoR0RzVlZTMVV1S0dZTmNjUT09Meeting ID: 811 1391 5360

Passcode: rX9xxh

For more information email:  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 

Written by Aphiwe Boyce
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The HIV/AIDS Unit recently hosted an interactive hour-long online conversation with Rachel Kolisi, who shared her experiences and challenges as a young woman.

A brilliant Public Relations Intern, Bonga Kubheka interviewed Kolisi and after the interview, Kolisi remarked by saying “You nailed it”. Head of the HIV/AIDS Unit, Melanie Marais said the event was an insightful conversation and many young women were able to relate to Kolisi’s experiences. Kolisi also shared how she and her husband, rugby star Siyamthanda started their foundation and that it was aimed at reaching out to communities in need.  “Her humbleness and openness about her own experiences and challenges as a young woman was commendable and it was clear that her intention was to build young women during this conversation,” says Marais.

“The questions really helped in steering the conversation to topics that Rachel was clearly passionate about such as the Kolisi Foundation and the work they do related to contributing to the fight against gender-based violence (GBV) and helping victims, as well as global social issues such as poverty.”

Kolisi also touched on the racial discord in South Africa and how people need to be more educated about these topics. She said systematic racism needs to be discussed more in schools so that young people are more educated and can therefore think critically about the world around them and thus how to behave in a society that is so diverse in race and culture.

Kolisi reminded the guests that there was a need to continue with programmes aimed at developing and empowering young people.  She said this could be through sports programmes and reaching out to those young people living in rural areas and ensuring them that nothing can stop them to fulfil their dreams.  Kolisi said that it could also be done by using “our own real-life experiences” to make young people understand mental health issues, advantages and disadvantages of using social media and the importance of making informed-decision in everything “that we do”.

The humble Kolisi also spoke openly about her own mental health challenges as a young girl, when she wanted to end her life at the age of 15 years.  She also reflected on how important it is to have faith and hope considering how far she came in life. In terms of addressing GBV, she said that at the Kolisi Foundation, they adopted principles by which everyone in their organisation lives by.  “We will definitely draw on this suggestion and apply it to our own programmes including the Amajita’s Men’s programme,” said Marais.

Kolisi said: “It gives you so much joy, you know to see South African beauty [Zozibini Tunzi,] being celebrated…I have chosen to expose myself to learning and a lot of unlearning as well and to challenge the idea of a beauty standard. What is that even? What is normal? Who decides what the beauty standard is Who decides what a societal norm is?”

She also reflected on the use of social media. “Social media is accessible to everybody all the time and it is also a decision that you make so if you feel like you can handle what goes on in social media, then, by all means, go for it, but if you feel like it is affecting you in a bad way, get off and stay off”.

Marais said this was an important piece of advice because “we know how important it is to have a healthy balance between social media and your mental health”.

Towards the end of the conversation, Siya Kolisi came to surprise the guests and greeted them. Marais asked if Siya would consider talking to our Amajita’s Men’s programme and they are open to it, so having Siya at one of Amajita’s webinars is definitely on the cards in the near future.

Written by Aphiwe Boyce
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The highlight of Women’s Month at CPUT will be the launch of the Gender-Based Violence Policy on 16 August.

Students and staff are invited to attend the launch of the GBV policy which replaces the Sexual Harassment Policy. A Men’s Forum will also be launched at the same event.

In addition to the GBV Policy launch, the institution will host the 2018 Young Women Empowerment Conference on 18-19 August aimed at female students at Western Cape higher education institutions, including TVET colleges.

The Policy and Men’s Forum launch takes place between 10 am and 1 pm on 16 August in the Sports Hall on Bellville Campus.

On 18 August CPUT Vice-Chancellor Dr Chris Nhlapo will welcome students and speakers, including the conference's two keynote speakers Minister of Women in the Presidency Minister Bathabile Dlamini and Artscape CEO Dr Marlene le Roux.

Head of CPUT’s HIV/Aids Unit Melanie Marais said while the conference was aimed at female students the launch of the GBV Policy and Men’s Forum was open to everyone.

“The Institutional Position Statement on gender-based violence and the Policy has been discussed widely and approved by management. We have to acknowledge that yes, men are part of the problem of gender-based violence, but they are also part of the solution,” said Marais.

She said last year’s Young Women Leadership Conference was well attended and well received and this year there will be breakaway sessions on men as partners in GBV, networking and social media, reproductive health, entrepreneurship, leadership and personal development as well as digital storytelling. During the plenary sessions, gender-based violence, mental health and disability and access will all form part of important conference discussions.
Student Development Officer Melani Hara said she has been working closely with Senior Lecturer in the Centre for Innovative Educational Technology Daniela Gachago on the digital storytelling aspect. They will use videos that have already been created to elicit stories about the issues young people are facing.

“It gives a platform to the young women who are attending on the day. The conference is as much about the important people who will attend as it is about the youngsters, to give them a chance to gain skills and learn,” said Hara.

Anyone interested in attending the launch of the Gender Based Violence Policy and Men’s Forum can follow this link and check here for more information on the conference.

• CPUT GBV Position Statement

Written by Theresa Smith
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The head of CPUT’s HIV/Aids Unit, Melanie Marais, believes in doing things wholeheartedly and her passion for her work is palpable.

Marais joined CPUT in January 2014 and her personal motto is: “Whatever you do, work at it wholeheartedly as though you were doing it for the Lord and not merely for people”.

As a child, she was inspired by women such as the late Princess Diana for her humbleness and desire to break down the stigma around HIV and for highlighting the plight of the most vulnerable in Africa.

“Oprah Winfrey, another phenomenal woman, showed me we as women, we have a place in society. We matter and can have our voices heard, no matter what. Her heart to build young women in our country is heart-warming. Our late mom, Winnie Mandela, what I loved about her was her boldness, courage and fearlessly standing for what she believed in. And then most of all, my mom - what a strong, fearless and bold woman. She went through much and as a single mom of four, brought us where we are today by the grace of God. All these women, in a nutshell, inspired me to be who I am today.” 

Her highlights at the institution include “being able to move with time, being relevant and responsive to key issues in our country, such as gender-based violence (GBV) and the most recent Covid-19 pandemic, are very important”.

Other highlights are implementing key programmes such as Young Women Empowerment, increasing the focus on GBV through the launch of the Position Statement on Institutional Response to Gender-based violence and the Men’s Pledge in 2018, the mass campaign in 2019 where more than 400 trees across CPUT campuses were wrapped with purple ribbons, the Silent Protest against GBV to further increase awareness on the plight of women in our country.

“Amajita’s Men’s programme is another very important programme, which I am very proud of because we believe men are the most important role players in driving down GBV in our country. Seeing students grow, is another very important highlight for our office.”

Marais obtained her Nursing degrees – B.Cur and M.Cur at the University of the Western Cape and is currently enrolled for a Doctorate in Business Administration at Bath University in the UK.

As a nurse, it was important to her to get involved in the fight against COVID-19 and she is one of the staff members who administer vaccines at the University’s vaccination centre.  

“I am first and foremost, a nurse by profession. Fighting illnesses and disease prevention is part of my DNA as a healthcare worker. We are skilled in fighting diseases especially those that threaten the existence of mankind. Being part of a historical event and saving lives made this an important intervention which I am very happy to be part of.”

Her message to young women is: “Believe in yourself, be an influencer, be courageous, be fearless, be you. Grow yourself, use every possible development opportunity and don’t hold back. Your value is not determined by how many likes you receive on social media, or by how many friends you have, it is determined by you and your untapped potential”.

Marais admits that balancing work and her private life is sometimes a challenge and she has to force herself to step back and relax.

“I’ve learnt to spoil myself, more and more. I enjoy watching reality shows, Food Network and a good conspiracy movie. I occasionally write songs and love singing.”

Written by Ilse Fredericks
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The Amajita’s Men’s Programme has been reintroduced at CPUT through a thought-provoking webinar, which attracted more than 60 participants.

The programme serves as a platform to bring young men of CPUT together to work on solutions and to take ownership of pertinent psycho-social issues on campus by addressing men’s involvement in health-seeking activities, encouraging men to reduce risky behaviour, and challenging gender inequalities that are driving the rapid spread of HIV and AIDS.

The webinar, which was held earlier this month, was hosted by the HIV/Aids Unit and participants were addressed by a host of speakers.

Melanie Marais, Head of the HIV/Aids Unit, said the webinar served to reintroduce the programme, which was formally known as Amajita’s Men’s Health Campaign. Spearheaded by the unit, it was initially launched on three campuses in 2018.

“We aim to mobilise men from all five campuses since we want to have more men who seek to be responsible and are ready to be at the forefront of the fight against Gender-Based Violence. We strive to work hand in hand with the SRC leadership, together with all student structures, to be able to get more student involvement,” said Marais.

“This programme will aim to ensure that CPUT and our communities are safer with these men and that they’ll be able to groom others to be better men. The Amajita’s Men’s Programme creates a platform for men to reprimand one another on things that are normalised by our societies but are a criminal offence by law as we seek to unlearn what was entrenched in us by our communities and also the household we grew up in.”

Marais acknowledged the speakers as well as Higher Health and the Michael and Susan Dell Foundation for funding the programme. 

To get involved in the programme, please send an email to: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Written by Ilse Fredericks
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CPUT is gearing up for a silent protest to demonstrate support for victims of gender-based violence (GBV) and encourage students and staff to speak out against this behavioural problem.

For the first time in history, Bellville, District Six, Mowbray and Wellington campuses will take part in the silent protests during lunchtime on 29 August.

“We’re making history,” says Melanie Marais, Head of the HIV/Aids Unit. “For the first time in history CPUT’s four main campuses will support the GBV cause at the same time, same day.”

As part of the cause, the Unit wrapped trees with purple ribbons on all the main campuses including Ganger Bay to symbolize gender-based violence.

Championed by the HIV Unit, the event is a partnership between Student Affairs and the Institutional Transformation Unit.

“The aim of the protest is to break our silence on the issue of gender-based violence. We are saying students and staff must speak out against GBV,” says Marais.

A year ago CPUT launched its Position Statement on the Institutional Response to GBV and is in the process of finalising its first GBV Policy.

According to Marais, South Africa has the highest rate of gender-based violence and femicide in the world and that 10% of all reported rape cases happened at universities.

She says the Unit wants to change the course of history and eliminate gender-based violence on campus and in the communities.

Students and staff are urged to participate in the silent peaceful protests on their campuses and posters with slogans and messages will be made available.

Everyone is encouraged to wear something purple on that day to support the cause.

Written by Kwanele Butana
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