CPUT staff members and students will join millions around the globe who will celebrate international Mandela Day today.

Held on Mandela’s birthday, 18 July, this event is a global call for individuals to take positive action and change communities for the better.

The event came about in 2009 after the United Nations General Assembly declared Mandela’s birthday, 18 July, as Nelson Mandela International Day. It marks 67 years of his life that he dedicated to the struggle for humanity.

In honour of this great South African leader, CPUT staff members will contribute towards improving literacy at a primary school in the Delft community, by increasing access to books and other appropriate learning materials.

The initiative is being driven by the institution’s Civic Engagement Unit.

CPUT has been participating in this event since its inception and the initiatives rolled out have impacted positively on communities.

Last year, CPUT staff members teamed up with various other organisations to build a crèche in Tafelsig and clean the Sarah Baartman centre in Manenberg, which is home to abused women and children.

Staff members also cleaned the grounds of the Chris Hani High School in Khayelitsha and provided the school with paint supplies.

Written by Candes Keating
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CPUT has established the Civic Engagement Unit, which drive and coordinate community projects in order to develop socially responsive graduates and staff members.

The unit forms an integral part of the Centre for Community Engagement and Work Integrated Learning, which was established in 2009 in response to the 1991 Education White Paper on the Transformation of Higher Education.

The paper calls for all higher education institutions in South Africa to demonstrate greater responsibility and commitment to the socio-economic development of communities.

Manager of this new unit is Buntu Gwija who is no stranger to CPUT. Gwija was a former lecturer in the Faculty of Business and was responsible for driving the CPUT chapter of the Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE).

Gwija, who prior to joining CPUT in May 2010 was involved in political and business ventures, will play a key role in developing and nurturing partnerships between the university and the communities it serve.

“The main role of the Civic Engagement Unit is to provide non-curricula opportunities in social engagement and social responsibility for both staff and students,” said.

Gwija said students’ arrive at CPUT and many become detached of their communities. He said it is thus vital to raise social awareness amongst students and develop a sense of citizenship.

“Civic engagement means working to make a difference in the civic life of our communities and developing the combination of knowledge, skills, values and motivation to makes that difference. It means promoting the quality of life in a community, through both political and non political processes,” he said.

Programmes will range from individual volunteerism to community projects. The unit will also work closely with community organisations, government, faculty managers and the Department of Student Affairs.

Gwija said in line with the CPUT transformation, social cohesion and diversity charter, the unit plans to participate and further redress past injustices through programmes that are educationally meaningful.

Currently they are in the process of compiling a database of civic activities at CPUT and will then move on to establish a forum that will play an advisory role.

“Its main function is to advise on projects that can become educationaly meaningful. We want to make sure that these projects make an impact. The projects must also link to the institution’s vision,” he said.

Gwija also plans to bring a research aspect to the unit, by compiling a database of community problems, which researchers could focus on.

“At the end of it all, we want to acknowledge and pride ourselves with our involvement in community engagement,” he said.

A webpage will soon be launched that will list the unit’s projects, allowing students and staff to become involved in outreach programmes in the true spirit of ‘Ubuntu’.

“These are exciting times for all of us at CPUT,” he said.

Other units in the centre include the Service Learning Unit, which drives the integration of community engagement with teaching, learning and research, and the Co-operative Education Unit, which is responsible for nurturing partnerships that result in students’ experiential training and graduate recruitment opportunities in industry.

Contact the Bellville-based unit at 021 959 6794 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

By Candes Keating

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“You can make a difference.”  This was the message from CPUT’s Chancellor and Minister in the Presidency: National Planning, Dr Trevor Manuel when he visited Mitchell’s Plain recently.

The event for Mitchell’s Plain Bursary and Role-Model Trust was held at Oval North High School earlier this month.

Business Faculty Dean, Professor Mzikayise Binza, head of the Civic Engagement Unit, Buntu Gwija and other CPUT representatives also attended the event.

Dr Manuel urged all former pupils of Mitchell’s Plain High schools to return to the area and “make a difference”.

He also urged role models to help break the poverty cycle, by motivating and providing opportunities for future leaders.

CPUT alumni and current students offered mentorship, financial support, training and placement opportunities and Prof Binza confirmed his faculty’s commitment to the Youth Unemployment Prevention Project.

UNIFIED SUPPORT: (From left) Business Faculty Associate Dean, Ivan van der Heever; Minister Dr Trevor Manuel; Faculty Dean Prof Mzikayisa Binza and Buntu Gwija.

Other initiatives mentioned on the day included the Post-school Opportunity Seminar held at Spine Road High in January, where school leavers were identified to enter the Business Faculty’s Extend Curriculum Programmes. CPUT staff also facilitated the re-registration of former students who could not continue their studies due to financial or other constraints.

CPUT staff and students interested in the project can contact Faiez Dollie on 021 801 1688 or email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

By Thando J. Moiloa

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CPUT’s Service-Learning and Civic Engagement Unit collaborated with the Robben Island Museum (RIM) as part of an initiative to celebrate Mandela Day.

The late President’s birthday, 18 July, was declared as Mandela Day by the United Nations in 2009 and encourages people to spend 67 minutes to support a charity or serve in their local community.

Jacqui Scheepers, Manager of the Service-Learning and Civic Engagement Unit (SLCE) at CPUT, said CPUT and RIM were invited to be part of the Mandela Bridges initiative by the global Ubuntu Leaders Academy, Instituto Pe Antonio Vieira (IPAV) in Portugal.

The initiative aimed to symbolically name 67 bridges around the world as “Mandela Bridges” for Mandela Day and was tested in Lisbon in 2016.

According to the Academy the gesture aimed “to signal one of the dimensions of Mandela's legacy which was his ability to build bridges, no matter how difficult it seemed to be”.

The CPUT and RIM collaboration selected the V & A Waterfront swing bridge near the boardwalk to the RIM ferry. A banner reading “Mandela Bridge (18-7.2020)” and another banner reading “Today’s the day to build bridges” were hung there on Mandela Day.

Scheepers said CPUT’s student Ubuntu Ambassadors were also asked to submit pictures of bridges in their hometowns to symbolise their commitment to ubuntu. The Service-Learning Civic Engagement Unit has been remotely coordinating the activities with students and partners leading to the Mandela Day celebrations.

The initiative coincided with a global E-Summit to promote “shared responsibility” and “global solidarity"” in the fight against Covid-19 given its health, economic, and social consequences. Several world personalities were invited to share their perspectives and proposals on how we can together overcome the impact of Covid-19. The E-Summit was co-chaired by Prof John Volmink, President of the Ubuntu Global Network and former acting Vice-Chancellor of CPUT, and José Ramos Horta, a 1994 Nobel laureate.

The 67 Mandela bridges were presented to the global audience at an on-line conference.  The contributions and reflections of the CPUT’s Student Ubuntu Ambassadors and RIM ambassadors were included in the conference contributions. 

Vuyo Mayongo, RIM’s Programmes officer in the Public Heritage Education Department, believes that “Mandela is a powerful symbol of political imprisonment and representation of those who struggle for freedom under oppressive regimes. RIM communicates Mandela’s ideals and values of freedom, the triumph of the human spirit, democracy, and the culture of human rights through building young ambassadors through nation-building programmes. During this pandemic, Mandela’s leadership still prevails to build our societies”.

Scheepers said she hoped that “students will build their leadership abilities and be encouraged to find ways to construct bridges across the cultural, economic, educational and social divides in our society. The building bridges metaphor resonates with our mission to contribute positively by building social citizenry, servant leadership and the spirit of Ubuntu”.

Written by Ilse Fredericks
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In a bid to strengthen CPUT’s partnerships with industry, private organisations and the community, the institution has set up the Centre for Community Engagement and Work Integrated Learning.

The Centre, which is based at the Bellville campus, will incorporate two units that are already functioning at the institution.

The Service Learning Unit, which drives the integration of community engagement with teaching, learning and research, and the Co-operative Education Unit, which is responsible for nurturing partnerships that result in students’ experiential training and graduate recruitment opportunities in the industry.

The Centre will serve as a link between the university and external community engagement partners. It will also be a clearing house and a central point that will provide evidence-based information for the purpose of institutional and national quality audits.

Heading up this new centre, is Dr Joyce Nduna, the former Director of Community Engagement at Rhodes University.

Dr Nduna is however no stranger to CPUT. She was the institution’s former Head of Community Engagement and Service Learning and has been instrumental in providing opportunities for students to interact with communities.

Dr Nduna said that the move to create the centre is in line with CPUT’s strategic plan which documents Community Engagement as one of its core functions.

”This new centre has been created to ensure that community engagement is implemented according to the CPUT’s community engagement policy which classifies service learning, co-operative education, volunteerism and outreach, as all forms of community engagement” said Dr Nduna.

“The creation of the Centre is also responsive to the 1991 Education White Paper on the Transformation of Higher Education which calls for all higher education institutions in South Africa to demonstrate greater responsibility and commitment to the socio-economic development of communities” she said.

In response to this call, a large number of South African higher education institutions have set up similar centres.

The national call for community engagement in higher education also corresponds with international practices which promote civic engagement in higher education. Such practices include the Talloires Network which is an international association of institutions committed to strengthening the civic roles and social responsibilities of higher education.

While Service Learning and Co-operative Education are course-based and involve credit-bearing educational programmes that provide opportunities for students to interact with communities and businesses, there is a need for the co-ordination of non-credit-bearing community projects that are initiated on a voluntary basis. Consequently, plans are in place to set up a third unit in 2010.

This third unit, which will be called the Civic Engagement Unit, will work closely with Student Development Officers and student societies and clubs.

“We would like to create a home for these community projects in order to develop a sense of civic responsibility amongst students and ensure that CPUT produces well-rounded graduates who are prepared for real life situations”, she said.

Dr Nduna said that other plans for this year include the establishment of a Community Engagement Committee of Senate. She is positive that all the programmes driven by the centre will have a positive impact on students as well as the community.

More information Talloires Network can be obtained from http://www.tufts.edu/talloiresnetwork.

By Candes Keating

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The Civic Engagement Unit recently reflected on the Atlantis Special Economic Zone STEAM Programme, which was launched this year and is led by the Advancement Department.

The purpose of the programme is to assist 40 learners from surrounding schools in Atlantis with Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics (STEM). STEM is high on the agenda of the University, encouraging learners to dispel the negative connotation relating to subjects and careers within the field.

As the world's reliance on technology and innovation grows, so does the demand for individuals to upskill, particularly in the STEM vocations.

Advancement Department director, Calvin Maseko commended the Service-Learning and Civic Engagement Units for a job well done, especially the academy leadership. Maseko said the leadership role which the participating students played in the project was “impressive and student leaders can serve as role models for the learners”. “The Unit staff [members]has created a positive environment where students are respected and affirmed and are provided with spaces to develop their leadership skills and competencies. The student academy should be compulsory for students who wish to occupy leadership roles at the university.”

SLCE Manager, Jacqui Scheepers, said this interdisciplinary community engagement project calls on students to conduct ongoing research, develop activities and then implement through sharing their skills and knowledge. Scheepers said the students also had to work closely with the facilitators and the CE Unit to ensure that all the logistics were put in place like indemnity forms, registers and transport. “As the programme was held early on Saturdays in Atlantis, students had to travel to one pick-up point on the Bellville campus, and then travel to Atlantis. This is an indicator of the dedication, discipline and commitment which the student leaders displayed.”

Recently a reflective workshop was conducted with students from the Community Engagement Student Leadership Academy who were involved in offering tutoring and teacher support throughout the 26 sessions offered to learners this year. The student project leader is Lutendzo Moavi, Sports and Leisure Management student, who is responsible for coordinating the weekly programme and student activities on site. Learners were provided with workshops on Mathematical concepts and Robotics using Lego. The students also accompanied the Learners to the Cape Town Science Centre, which was a learning experience for both groups.

A number of students reflected on the project and were asked what stood out for them. Simphiwe Makhathini indicated that the yearning of the pupils to learn and compete was “admirable and allowed me to think on my feet, accessing the need demand and delivering”.

Atlegang Lekabe, Sports and Events Management student, said: “The project has taught me patience and perseverance. Meeting learners from different backgrounds was a bit challenging. However, what we did as a group was to find ways in which we will be able to relate to the learners, so that they may be comfortable and from there onwards we were able to actively engage and learn from each other. What stood out for me, was a young man who comes from a very troubled household, however the passion he has for his academics inspired me as you would normally find kids from such environments tend not to be interested in academics.”

A student, Sydney Hlongwane, said the project reaffirms the notion that programmes like Atlantis STEAM are defining the future of learning and paving the way for a new generation of thinkers and doers.

Project Lead for Civic Engagement, David Haarhoff, commended all partners inclusive of “our University for their continued efforts in assisting learners to become more comfortable in the STEM subjects”. Haarhoff said offering the exciting activities for the duration of the 26 sessions has provided them with a different perspective and methodology to deal with problem solving and challenges. “Further to this, I am of the opinion that the learners are able to utilise these problem-solving methodologies to assist them to overcome life challenges.” The project will resume in February 2024.

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