African academics have shown the rest of the world the true meaning of the concept of Ubuntu (togetherness) when they recently gathered for the Africa Academy for Environmental Health (AAEH) conference.

Decision makers from 21 African countries were applauded for the miraculous task of creating one generic curriculum for the new subject of Environmental Health, which will be rolled out at tertiary institutions across the continent in the near future.

Speaking at the CPUT Cape Town campus, AAEH Chairperson Dr Koos Engelbrecht applauded conference guests for the effort it took to work together on this important topic despite the different legislations in various countries.

“No other continent has a generic curriculum in environmental health shared in all countries,” he stressed.

“Most countries had programs but did not quality assure them.”

Engelbrecht admitted that they still had a long way to go but said the model was considered so successful that it is now going to be rolled out in Asia Pacific countries which includes Cambodia, Vietnam and Thailand.

The initiative was first launched in 2007 and it took a massive £93 000 cash injection from the British Council in 2008 to speed up the process.

Environmental and Occupational Studies HoD at CPUT Hennie Van Der Westhuizen says Africa can teach the rest of the world a few things.

“Matters of common interest were treated and discussed in a very mutually respectful manner. Even portfolios were centered all over Africa and each country felt that it contributed to the whole,” he says.

Mutual Respect: Delegates at work during the workshop of the Africa Academy for Environmental Health (AAEH) hosted by CPUT recently.

By Thami Nkwanyane

Written by CPUT News
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The Service-Learning and Civic Engagement Unit (SLCEU) recently joined hands with the Business Unit to distribute beds and mattresses to community organisations as part of their Social Investment Project.

On Monday, 16 November, 165 beds and mattresses were distributed to various organisations, spread across the province. The work of the SLCEU involves the formation of partnerships between all sectors of government, the community, university staff and students, to respond to societal challenges in communities through meaningful projects. Theresa Burns from the SLCEU coordinated the activities on site to ensure that the project was administered according to institutional requirements.

A range of organisations received beds and mattresses, including organisations providing services to the elderly, the homeless, orphans and to those recovering from substance abuse and gender-based violence.

Phillip Chibvuri, Residence Finance Specialist in the Business Unit, said: “We remain determined to  see through this on-going project of making our living and learning spaces more conducive for baking  the  best graduates we can with the resources and initiatives we can explore.  We are now close to 70% completion in replacing all CPUT owned beds and mattresses across all our campuses. This replacement project paves the way for a wide range of possibilities and other complimentary projects to come in our bid to ensure our clients, our future graduates, get the best experience with our brand as we continue to ‘create futures’”.

One of the highlights of the project was when Resident Student Assistant, Khumbulani Chimusaro, a Civil Engineering student, mobilised a group of student volunteers from the residences to assist community members to load the beds and mattresses onto the trucks at the Bellville campus.

“The leadership, kindness and respect displayed by the students was heart- warming and impressed the community organisations,” said Jacqui Scheepers, SLCEU Manager, adding that “it gave much hope for the future of the country”.

CPUT’s Student Ubuntu Ambassador, Ntombozuko Bota, from The Hope Foundation, a student-led organisation, assisted with identifying organisations and Masters in Energy student, Muster Madavha, coordinated some of the logistics on site and volunteered to help organisations load the trucks on arrival. Another student-led organisation that participated was Umsimbithi Foundation.

 The Community Policing Forum (CPF), Langebaan, were amongst the organisations who partnered with CPUT. The CPF’s Debbie and Peter Liebenberg conveyed their thanks to CPUT “for making a difference to 50 of our community members who received much-needed beds and mattresses in Sea Breeze Park on Thursday, 19 November 2020, where beds were distributed in 15 minutes and brought comfort to so many community members”.

The Breede Valley Municipality also conveyed its thanks stating that: “It could not have come at a more appropriate time as our shelter was in need of beds”.

Project partner, Lovetta Bolters from Camissa Solutions, expressed her gratitude for the role that CPUT plays in ‘not just talking about giving back but acting on their commitment to their communities’.

“We are looking forward to building our footprint to include more projects in rural and remote areas in the province. In order to contribute positively to the upliftment of our communities, we all need to practice the spirit of Ubuntu, especially during these uncertain times. It will be an absolute pleasure to continue this journey of meaningful engagement with our communities,” said Scheepers. The project will continue in December with many more organisations already lined up to receive beds and mattresses from CPUT.

Written by Ilse Fredericks
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

One of CPUT’s core values is ubuntu, and the drive to supply food to needy students expresses this.

Hundreds of needy students at CPUT residences are benefitting from food parcels, thanks to the Feed a Needy Student Project, a collaborative project between the university, residence managers and Residence Student Assistants.

In April food parcels were distributed at Down Town Lodge (DTL) and J&B houses. Chumani Mashwanyela, a Residence Manager at the two houses and the Project’s Co-ordinator, expressed a word of gratitude for the kind gestures shown by Sam's Driving Academy, Make It Happen Eatery and other individual donors.

In May food parcels were delivered at various CPUT residences in Cape Town on several occasions. On one occasion a local Non-Governmental Organisation donated the food supplies while on other occasions the university made the donations to the students after screening them for need.

“We would like to express our deepest and humble gratitude to Embrace Dignity for donating 124 food parcels,” said Mashwanyela. “We managed to distribute 50 parcels at DTL and J&B, 20 at City Edge, ten at Elizabeth Women’s Residence, five at President House, 15 at Plein, ten at Hanover, ten at Sandernburgh and through phone calls made by students we delivered four at NMJ.”

Embrace Dignity is a South African human rights advocacy organisation that strives for the realisation of gender equality and wants to abolish the system of prostitution.

“The food parcels were distributed at the different residences and the major recipients were female students and they appreciated the assistance provided by the project’s leaders and donors,” he continued.

Mashwanyela added that about 400 students have benefited from the project.

 “As a residence manager, I am glad that we all realize the need to assist our students who suffer in dark little corners because of hunger. As the CPUT community we ought to come with collective and more rigorous efforts in combating hunger within our student populace.”

To give advice or donate to the project one may contact Mashwanyela via email on This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 0735158591.

Written by Kwanele Butana
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

CPUT staff and students were the first to sing Archbishop Desmond Tutu Happy Birthday.

Tutu, who celebrates his 83^rd birthday today, commemorates his birthday with a week of events aimed at fostering peace and respect. The celebrations kicked off with the second annual Ubuntu Train Workshop event hosted at the Bellville campus.

The three-day workshop was attended by 26 CPUT students who were mentored on using the concept of ubuntu to make a positive contribution to society.

This year the event had a special focus on women and the role they can play in peace and nation-building.

It culminated in a seminar were students presented their ideas for improving the lives of women in South Africa directly to Tutu, his daughter Mpho, Vice-Chancellor Dr Prins Nevhutalu and foreign guests. 

Some of the ideas were so excellent that Tutu has promised to utilise some of them in future projects and Nevhutalu challenged the students to make a date with him in December to explain the progress they have made.

“I have always been struck by how amazing young people are. Have you noticed how God keeps using young people to do his work? Listening to you makes my heart leap,” Tutu told the group.

Written by Lauren Kansley
Tel: +27 21 953 8646
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Liaises with the media and writes press releases about interesting developments at CPUT.

One of CPUT’s core values is ubuntu, and the drive to supply food to needy students attests to this.

Last year the university established a Task Team under the ambit of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Operations, Prof Gilingwe Mayende, to develop a sustainable food security programme for the institution. The team has recently tabled a draft report during an Executive Management (EM) meeting for approval.

“The current initiatives have been on an adhoc basis with the Dean of Students’ office issuing vouchers after doing a due diligence, on a once-off basis to students in dire need,” says Tulani Nkuntse, Deputy Dean of Students.

Nkuntse adds that other similar efforts have been from individual staff members and that the Department of Student Affairs has also been assisting with food parcels, an operation which was facilitated by the HIV/AIDS Unit.

He says that needy students are identified using a “referral system”. “Most of the students are referred to us by lecturers, health practitioners from our clinic and from our counselling department. Our Residence Coordinators have also been instrumental in bringing these cases to our attention.”

After receiving the student’s name, due diligence is conducted and based on the outcome the student gets assisted, he confirms.

The draft report, which was tabled in front of the university management, entails the proposed plan on how the university will sustain rendering the support of this nature to students. “What I can say at this stage is that the principles on which the proposed model is based are underpinned by social justice, human rights and dignity,” adds Nkuntse.

Mayende says that EM expressed its general appreciation for the work done by the Task Team and that they made certain suggestions on how to “firm up” certain aspects of the model presented in the report. 

“A key suggestion that has been made is to ensure that the programme is brought into the ambit of the Second Stream Income Committee and to utilise institutional arrangements to support fundraising efforts that are already in place at CPUT,” he adds.

In the past, about 400 needy students at CPUT residences have benefitted from food parcels, thanks to a collaborative project between the university management, residence managers and Residence Student Assistants.

Written by Kwanele Butana
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.