Africa Day will be celebrated tomorrow on CPUT campuses to commemorate the founding of the Organisation of African Unity.

The OAU is now known as the African Union, but the day is still celebrated around the world in various ways.

This year CPUT has chosen the theme “Celebrating Africanness” and already students are describing what they think it means to be African on the CPUT Facebook page.

Keeping it short in a bid not to disrupt examinations, activations are curtailed to happen between 1pm and 2pm on the District Six and Bellville campuses. These include traditional dancing, poetry, drumming and interaction with an MC around the concept of Africanness.

Mowbray campus, look out for dancers to visit your campus between 12 pm and 1pm.

Granger Bay campus will be visited by the dancers between 2pm and 3pm.

All campuses should keep an eye out for a huge, travelling poster of Africa. International students are invited to place a pin on the map to show us where their hometown is situated.

On a more academic note, Fundani hosts the second Decolonisation Seminar tomorrow in the Seminar Hall on Bellville Campus. Entitled “Struggle for Epistemic Freedom in Africa: Deprovincialization and Decolonization” the seminar starts at 12.00 pm.

Professor Sabelo Ndlovu of Unisa will deliver the keynote address and Siya Sabata, CPUT lecturer responsible for the development of graduate attributes and curriculum transformation, will respond.

There is something to suite everyone’s mood this Africa Day so come and share in the celebration.

Written by Theresa Smith
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The Division of Student Affairs (DSA) wrapped up Africa month with a celebration at the Granger Bay Campus, including an exhibition of African artifacts.

Guests proudly donned their diverse tradition attires while information sharing about the importance of the Africa Day was also on the agenda.

The DSA’s intention with hosting Africa Day was to commemorate and affirm the Division’s commitment to the CPUT vision 2030, in promoting the ‘oneness and smartness’. Commemorating Africa Day was crucial given that it allowed a platform for conversations. “In our quest to partner with relevant stakeholders to build relationships and enhance strong relationships between local and international students, Africa Day provided a platform to engage on common continental issues, this was done through conversations, exhibitions, learning from each country and providing opportunities that can benefit students and staff,” said Njabulo Maphumulo, Deputy Dean of Student Affairs.

The outdoor festivities included performance by a marimba band, African traditional dance groups and African countries craft stalls and exhibition. There was a screening of the “Preserving Khwe/Xam Heritage, a creative expression.

In his opening address, Vice-Chancellor, Prof Chris Nhlapo, said Africa Day was an exciting annual event where the institution joins other Africans in celebrating the mother continent, its rich resources, its astonishing beauty, and its profound cultural diversity. “This is an important day to us as it gives us a very rare opportunity to reflect and to talk about issues affecting us as Africans. It’s an opportunity to reaffirm our commitment to work collectively with other institutions on the continent and promote responsible internationalisation.”

Prof Simphiwe Sesanti from the Faculty of Education, University of the Western Cape, also took to the stage and shared his views on: Contextualising Africa Day and its meaning in the Higher Education Context. There were also messages of support from the diplomatic community, which included Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Angola.

The keynote speaker, Honourable Alvin Botes, Deputy Minister, International Relations and Cooperation, delivered his presentation on celebrating Africa Day through education, innovation and culture”. Alfonce Ngasirmoi from Kenya and Milka Bazeka, a Democratic Republic of Congo native, both shared their experiences of students and staff in a higher education context.

Reflecting on the event, Maphumulo said it was a major success, given that it was a unique project that combined the academic project by the Cape Town Hotel School Hospitality students who showcased their culinary skills as they prepared African cuisine during the day. “The event was further a success as it showcased the rich culture and diversity of our students who displayed their talents through music, traditional dance and cuisine.”

Written by Aphiwe Boyce
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The Department of Architectural Technology and Interior Design celebrated Africa Day with an exhibition titled: Tribal Identities of South Africa.

Held at 80 Roeland Street, this vibrant event provided students with a platform to connect with fellow artists, faculty members, departmental lecturers, and visitors, while sharing the rich narratives and artistic journeys of their cultural tribes and identities.

The exhibition sought to honour the diverse cultural heritage of South Africa's tribal communities, which are a vital part of the nation's identity. Visual artists from the department were invited to participate in this unique showcase of artistic expression and cultural appreciation.

The preparations for the exhibition sparked significant interest among students, eager to express their cultural identities through art. This enthusiasm was palpable at the opening, where the audience warmly received the artworks, igniting curiosity about future exhibitions.

Staff and students shared their positive experiences. Staff member, Rezah Mogamat commented: "I think it was an awesome initiative. One of the students came to chat to me in private afterwards to say how glad he was to partake in this initiative. The hidden talent hey!!"

Students also reflected on their participation. Raeesah Toefy remarked: "It was overall a great experience. I feel like I could've spent more time on making my art piece look better, but I had fun painting it and researching about my culture. It was a learning curve for me which I enjoyed."

Raeesah added: "Yes, I would participate again. Life is all about risks and experiences, and exhibiting artwork is a fun and great experience. Even if you're new to the field or not too confident about your art pieces, you'll only get better at it."

In his opening address at the exhibition, Head of Department, Rayner Moodley, said: “As Archbishop Desmond Tutu said, ‘We are not people of one book, one truth, or one way. We are people of many books, many truths, and many ways…”"

Moodley thanked students for their enthusiasm in partaking in this exhibition and encouraged them to embrace their heritage and let it inspire their creativity and innovation.

Written by Ilse Fredericks
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