CPUT celebrates the achievement of 34 new doctoral graduates

A remarkable 34 doctorates will be awarded during the ongoing Summer Graduation ceremonies at CPUT, as over 300 graduands joyfully celebrate their hard-earned success, highlighting the power of perseverance and the pursuit of knowledge.

Amongst them is the thrilled Althea Whitaker, a Doctoral degree in Public Administration graduand, who is also a lecturer in the Department of Public Administration and Governance. Whitaker’s research title is: The management competency of senior local government managers in the Western Cape. This study evaluated South Africa’s initiative to professionalise senior municipal managers through the Municipal Minimum Competency (MMC) framework.

Reflecting on her Doctoral journey from studying as an administrator at the University of the Western Cape to completing a Doctorate at CPUT, she said: “It offered me the space to apply my technical and analytical skills, and it allowed me to journey in the research world by applying quantitative and qualitative techniques to prove my theory. My thesis is well celebrated by experts in the field of public administration, who believe that the research findings should be shared with the government to influence practice. All of this is wonderful, which could not unfold if not for the journey it took to get to this point.”

Whitaker continued: “I feel accomplished, I was awarded the accolade of best PHD presentation at the Emerging Researchers Conference of the Business Faculty, my family will appreciate having my full-time attention. Without their understanding and support, I do not think I would have completed the journey. The valuable support of the faculty of business colleges and the research directorate was amazing along with my supervisors.”

The list of 34 doctorates includes: Chemical Engineering, Makiwe Nkohla, Research Title: Effectiveness factor model development and validation for an ethylene photocatalytic degradation reactor based on Robin boundary conditions.

Civil Engineering: Nnadoziem Ndukuba: title: Motivational model to enhance sustainable productivity of workers in the South African construction industry. SAAD, Awad Saad Abdulla, Title: Risk mitigation approach to contractual claims of civil infrastructure projects in South Africa.

Electrical Engineering: Elisha Indarjit, title: Fraud detection in a hybrid cloud network utilising software-defined networking. Mutunda Kangaji, title: Energy management for grid-connected hybrid offshore wind-tidal storage power systems. Nurudeen Olatunde Shokoya, title: Development of electricity theft detection and mitigation in Smart Grid.

Mechanical Engineering: Tendai Chipanga, title: Impact damage assessment of sandwich composite materials using non-destructive techniques. Cletus Magoda, title: Thermography and computational analysis of water ingress in honeycomb composite panels. Oritonda Muribwathoho, title: Development of metal matrix composites suitable for hulls and ship decks.

In the Food Science and Technology, there is Olakunbi Olubi, title: Rheological and stability properties of citrullus lanatus mucosospermus, lanatus citroides and moringa oleifera seed hydrocolloids in oil-in-water emulsion.

In Horticulture, Duran Chetty, title: Perspectives on and the status of sterile cultivars of invasive alien plants in South Africa. Sihle Ngxabi, title: The effect of salt-stress on the nutraceutical, physiological, and phytochemical properties of Trachyandra ciliata (L.f.) Kunth: An edible halophyte from the Western Cape, South Africa.

Avela Sogoni, title: Nutraceutical, phytochemical, intercropping, and morphophysiological response of Tetragonia decumbens Mill. to salt-stress: A promising wild leafy vegetable for bio-saline agriculture in South Africa.

Carolyn Wilmot, title: Growth and flowering responses to abiotic parameters of Amaryllis belladonna L. for horticultural applications. Sibusiso Xego, title: Development of a sustainable cultivation protocol for Artemisia afra in the Western Cape.

The Doctor of Philosophy: Chemistry, Kadidiatou Ndjoubi Ossamy, Title: Phytochemical and biological activities of South African traditional medicinal plants. Bongisiwe Zozo, title: Purification and characterisation of the native black soldier fly larva protein. Environmental Management: Rendani Mulaudzi, title: An analysis of climate change science communication in post-apartheid South Africa (1996–2016).

Doctor Business Management Sciences: Project Management: Stanley Fore, title: Stakeholder management in selected IT fourth industrial revolution projects in South Africa. Human Resource Management: Fiina Shimaneni, title: Human Resource Management practices’ impact on academic staff performance in private higher education institutions in Namibia. Public Administration: Enocent Nemuramba, title: A legislative framework for parliamentary oversight during national emergencies in Zimbabwe. Ntombomzi Njengele, title: A framework to enhance the management and administration of technical and vocational education and training college-industry partnerships in South Africa.

Lindi Sindelo, title: Ethical Leadership, accountability and transparency in promoting good governance in the South African public sector. Siwakhile Xegwana, title: A stakeholder engagement framework for improving the delivery of public housing projects in South Africa.

Doctor of Radiography: Nape Phahlamohlaka, title: A model to facilitate supportive care for men’s sexual health in patients receiving radiotherapy for prostate cancer. Doctor of Philosophy Biomedical Science: Tarryn Kay Prinsloo, title: Identification of prognostic burns-related indicators and microRNA biosignatures in burns patients with inhalation injury.

Written by Aphiwe Boyce
Email: BoyceAp@cput.ac.za