What started as a favourite pet name inspired a CPUT staff member to enroll towards a doctoral degree. Senior caretaker at Mowbray Campus, Nyaniso Zonke (50), defied hardships to register for the DTech degree in Public Management.

In 2016 Zonke registered for the D-Tech degree but unfortunate circumstances forced him to deregister in 2017. He reregistered in 2019 but the Covid-19 pandemic and its accompanying lockdowns came about in 2020 and he could not collect data for his research and deregistered again.

“When l was growing up my parents use to call me Doctor and l knew when they use that name l would get tea. So that's why l am interested in becoming an official Dr to reclaim what my parents have been saying,” says Zonke.

Born in a remote village in rural Centane, Eastern Cape, Zonke was not born jn hospital. “My mother could not reach hospital,” he says. He adds that a nearby home was used to deliver him instead. He is a member of a family of ten children. “l come after twins, l still have both parents who depend on me for everything,” he says.

He passed matric in 1992 with exemption at Ncedisizwe Senior Secondary School in Centane. “I had to travel an hour on foot to and from school,” remembers Zonke.

“I was motivated by the need to put bread on the table for my family, in order to do that l needed education,” he continues. He then worked as a security guard but his monthly income of R1 500 did not meet his home’s needs. “One day l decided to the quit security job wherein l was paid R1500. 00.I could not take it anymore and decided to take my monthly salary to pay my school fees,”. One other aspect that motivated Zonke to further his studies is that he hoped that one day something better would come his way and get a better salary as he was the only one working at his home.

“I grew up in an area where education was not a matter of interest and that kept me focused and wanted to make a difference,” murmurs Zonke. “My parents were always telling me to study, so they are my pillar of strength. Suffering is what makes me continue.”

He enrolled towards a Diploma in Public Management at CPUT in 2009 and proceeded to a B-Tec degree in Public Management in 2012. Forced him to deregister in 2017. In 2013 Zonke did an M-Tech in Public Management and in 2016 he registered fora D-Tech degree but unfortunate circumstances.

“In 2019, l again registered but Covid-19 came in 2020 and [I]could not collect data from my research” area and had to deregister again, until now which l will register next year,” he said.

Written by Kwanele Butana
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Charging forward with its commitment to an HIV free generation, the CPUT HIV/Aids unit recently held a welcoming ceremony for all its peer educators at Mowbray Campus.

The purpose of this event was to inform new peer educators about the Peer Education program as well as their roles in the HIV/AIDS unit. The event was also for existing peer educators to meet, socialise and share best practices with new ones.

Peer Educators are senior students who are equipped to render a support service to the community on and off-campus. They mobilise students during HIV/Aids awareness campaigns to get tested, and distribute condoms across CPUT campuses.

To kick start the year, the HIV/AIDS unit will be launching an abstinence campaign in conjunction with the Sexually Transmitted Infections Condom Week campaign which commences on Monday (4 February). Peer Educators will be going around campus encouraging abstinence and safer sex practices to all students.

“We want to encourage students to make use of the HIV/AIDS unit and the services that are available to them,” says Alex Semba, acting HOD of the HIV/Aids Unit.

By Kwanele Butana

Written by CPUT News

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The Mowbray Campus recently unveiled an exhibition of the history of teacher training colleges in education in the Western Cape. The exhibition was a timeline of teacher training colleges that dated back to the early 1800’s.

In honour of these training colleges Prof Maureen Robinson, Dean of the Education Faculty and Mr John Lewin, a former lecturer at the Faculty of Education, Johannesburg College of Education and English teacher participated in the unveiling of the exhibition.

Mr John Lewin presented the exhibition to members of staff and guests. “The exhibition was an attempt to signify the three R’s - Remembering, Recognising the contribution of those teachers and Recording the past,” said Mr Lewin.

The exhibition consisted of photos and pictures that portrayed teacher education in that era. It demonstrated the role of different themes such as churches during the teacher training college period. The exhibition displayed origins and closures of teacher training colleges, and how the laws of the country viewed it.

“So little was recorded on teacher training colleges. We appeal to the public who may have anything appropriate in their possession, to contribute to the cause,“ said Mr John Lewin. “Mr Lewin captured more than just a chronology of teacher’s colleges but a deeper connectedness that they had with people.

Each time a college closed there were emotional involvements. Where would we be if colleges were not sabotaged? Teachers now have an unclear identity”, said Dr John Volmink, Principal and CEO of the Cornerstone Christian College who rendered the key-note address.

Professor Robinson is compiling a publication that will remind teachers of their humility and honour the lives of teachers during the era of the teacher training colleges.

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Education students at the Mowbray Campus are teaching large numbers of primary school learners from various communities to swim.

Over a six-week period, more than 80 learners from Observatory Primary School will visit the campus once a week, in order to participate in free swimming lessons.

Human Movement lecturer, Mel Muller, said the swimming lessons have been taking place at the campus for several years and forms part of third year Foundation Phase Students’ Human Movement module.

Muller said all third year students must complete a swimming module, which requires them to master the skill of teaching a child to swim.

Instead of sending the students out to schools to complete this module, Ms Muller said they opted to bring learners to the campus and incorporate them into the Human Movement classes.

This move is proving to be a huge success, both for students and learners.

Muller said students are not only developing their teaching skills through the swimming lessons, but also providing the community with a valuable service.

“The students are experiencing working with children in water. What they have learnt in their first two years, they are now putting into practice,” she said.

Each student is allocated a learner and over the six week period must teach them how to swim.

“They also have to write a progress report on their child,” she said.

Muller said incorporating learners into lessons has also had a major impact on the community over the past few years.

“It is benefiting the community. Every year we teach so many children to swim,” she said.

Learners also have the opportunity to play various balls games with students when at the campus. Muller said this also assist students with how to go about giving lessons at schools.

As a result of the interaction with learners on campus, many CPUT Foundation Phase students hit the ground running when they start their experiential teaching at schools.

By Candes Keating

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The Sport Management Department is not only expanding but planning to tap into the adrenaline-pumping adventure sports industry.

The department, which previously only had offices at the Mowbray campus, has now set up shop at the Wellington Campus.

With a first-year intake of just over 40 students, lecturers at the Wellington campus say the programme is off to a good start.

However, opening a department at the Wellington campus is not the only plan lecturers have in store for this popular course.

As from 2011 students studying Sport Management will have the opportunity to specialise in adventure sports.

From white river rafting to windsurfing, adventure sport is one of the fastest growing industries in the world.

Across the globe, adventurers of all ages are signing up for adventure holidays, adventure tours, extreme sports and adrenalin experiences.

With a global demand in this type of activity, there are now opportunities for extreme sport enthusiasts to start up adventure sports businesses.

The adventure sports module, which is the brainchild of Etienne Joubert, a Sport Management lecturer and adventure sports enthusiasts, will be offered to students in their second and third year.

Joubert, who is coordinating the Sport Management course at the Wellington Campus, said he saw the need to enhance the skills of CPUT students.

“Adventure studies will be an extra module that will give students skills which they can use to specialise in adventure sports,” he said.

The course will have a strong focus on entrepreneurship, thus providing students with the necessary skills to start up adventure sports businesses.

Joubert said while they have a range of facilities at the Wellington campus, they will have to acquire more equipment in order to run the adventure studies module.

“This is going to be a resource intensive course,” he said.

However, adventure sports at the Wellington campus will not only be limited to those studying Sport Management.

Earlier this month, the Student Affairs Department launched the Adventure Club.

Sports Development Officer Tyrone Africa said the club will allow students who are not interested in mainstream sport the opportunity to participate in outdoor activities.

Working hand in hand with Joubert, the club will also benefit those studying Sport Management and give them an opportunity to take their sporting to another level.

Africa said the Adventure Club will not only be for social purposes.

“We want this to be a competitive club,” he said.

Africa said the club will not be limited to a specific sport and that students will have an opportunity to participate in a range of adventure sports, from land to water-based activities.

By Candes Keating 

Written by CPUT News

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The Mowbray Campus is the hub of teaching activities at CPUT and houses the Faculty of Education and Social Sciences.

The faculty produces the largest number of teaching graduates in the Western Cape every year.

The campus is also home to the Department of Sports Management and the state-of-the-art Human Performance Laboratory. The lab is used for research purposes as well as to rehabilitate people with spinal cord injuries.

Getting to and from the campus could never have been an easier as it is situated a stone’s throw away from the railway and bus stations as well a taxi rank.

ROLEPLAY: Education students display their respective cultures during a Culture Day at the Mowbray Campus

The Mowbray campus recently benefitted from a major multi-million Rand revamp which saw the construction of new state-of-the-art lecture theatres, fully equipped laboratories as well as a research unit, which are all accessible to students with mobility disabilities.

The first floor of Viljoenhof Residence has a computer centre to support students with their learning.

Students also have access to a wide range of sport facilities and extra-curricular activities.

Written by Kwanele Butana
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Former Springbok captain Corné Krige encouraged first-year Sport & Leisure Management students to exercise self-discipline as they enter an exciting new chapter in their lives.

During a motivational talk at the Mowbray campus, the rugby legend who is now a successful businessman, encouraged the group to “work hard and play hard”.

“Personal discipline is something you must never let go of. It is when you do the right thing, even if nobody is watching. Be responsible but remember to enjoy yourself.”

Krige said South Africa needs amazing administrators in sport.

“You are the future of sport in South Africa and good luck with that responsibility. You are the future CEOs of Cricket South Africa, in soccer and in rugby, so don’t take it lightly”.

Prof Simeon Davies, Head of the Sport Management Department, said the Department was privileged to have Krige, a former CPUT student, addressing the first-years.

“It demonstrates that an ex-student of CPUT can achieve Springbok status and build the foundation for the team that won the World Cup in Japan under captain Siya Kolisi.

Written by Ilse Fredericks
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From a state-of-the-art computer centre to extensions to the library, the academic lives of students at the Mowbray Campus will never be the same.

From alterations of existing buildings and the building of new facilities, the multi-million rand construction work which is underway will change the campus’ landscape forever.

The new computer centre will consist of six computer venues with the capacity to accommodate more than 400 students, a server centre, offices for technicians, a lift and a parking lot.

In addition to extending the library a new floor is also being built to accommodate a children’s library.

The existing gym is also in for a massive facelift as three air-conditioned lecture rooms will be built on its top and its ablution facilities will be upgraded.

A walkway linking the gym to the main building will also be built.

In the main building, the Dean’s suite will be remodelled and computer rooms renovated to accommodate teaching facilities.

Other construction work includes new paraplegic toilets, a chemistry laboratory and new security entrance.

Dr Ivan November, Assistant Dean of the Education Faculty which is housed at the campus, says the new entrance will improve campus security.

The mega project costs R47.2 million and will be completed in January 2016.

It is part of an almost R600 million investment in infrastructure which was made available by the Department of Higher Education and Training and topped up by the university.

Written by Kwanele Butana

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CPUT’s Mowbray Campus is the hub of teaching activities at CPUT and houses the Faculty of Education and Social Sciences.

The faculty produces the largest number of teaching graduates in the Western Cape every year, many of whom are now teaching at schools and Further Education and Training colleges throughout the country.

The campus is also home to the Department of Sports Management and the state-of-the-art Human Performance Laboratory. Having started operating in 2006, the lab is used for research purposes as well as to rehabilitate people with spinal cord injuries.

One of the people who are benefitting from the lab’s rehabilitation programme and therapy is Andrew Merryweather who suffered a severe injury to his spinal cord during a widely reported violent scuffle in 2006.

The Mowbray campus has benefitted from a major multi-million Rand revamp and now boasts new state-of-the-art lecture theatres, fully equipped laboratories and a research unit which are all accessible to students with mobility disabilities.

The first floor of Viljoenhof Residence houses a computer centre and students also have access to a wide range of sport facilities.

Maps and contact details for the Mowbray Campus

Written by Kwanele Butana
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Mowbray Campus is snuggled in the lively streets of Mowbray, making it easy for students to unlock adventures, fun experiences, new skills and timely support throughout the year.

This campus is home to the Education Faculty which is the largest teacher education contributor in the Western Cape province. At the Mowbray Campus instruction is offered in English, while at the Wellington Campus the undergraduate programme is offered in Afrikaans. The former offers a thrilling journey of unearthing knowledge as students study towards obtaining a qualification that will groom them for their future careers.

These graduates are taught at this well-equipped campus, which is situated in Highbury Road at a short distance away from the Main Road (Mowbray). The campus has modern lecture halls and well-resourced laboratories. Students also have access to study areas with computer facilities and a recently extended library.

The campus is also home to the Centre for International Teacher Education (CITE), which was founded in 2014 with the understanding that teacher preparation and teacher classroom performance are at the heart of enhancing education quality and ensuring that education acts as a vehicle for achieving equity and transformation in society.

CITE’s vision is to generate research capacity and academic outputs in teacher education that inform broader discussions of education transformation in South Africa.

Written by Aphiwe Boyce
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CPUT in partnership with Tshwane University of Technology, the Aga Khan University (Tanzania) and Oxford University has launched a project that uses assessment to improve teaching and learning in schools.

Funded by the United Kingdom’s Economic and Social Sciences Research Council (ESRC), the Assessment for Learning in Africa (AfLA) project aims to provide equitable opportunities for deeper and sustainable teaching and learning in the Foundation Phase through supporting teachers in their assessment practices.

The purpose of the AfLA project is to enhance and support teachers’ use of classroom assessment for learning to improve the learning and teaching of numeracy in the Foundation Phase in disadvantaged schools.

The project will be piloted over a period of two years in the following primary schools in the Cape Winelands Education District: Amstelhof, Alfons, Langabuya, Dalubuhle, Nieuwe Drift and Nederburg.

Addressing a seminar during the recent launch on the Mowbray Campus, Director of CPUT’s Centre for International Teacher Education, Professor Yusuf Sayed, said that a collegial partnership was formed between the district office and CPUT and that all affected stakeholders are looking forward to the collaboration.

Sayed stated that this is one of the times where researchers are implementing a program based on research and which they hope to learn more about.

Professors Therese Hopfenbeck (Oxford University) and Gordon Stobart (University of London) addressed the seminar on the international dimension of AfLA and international perspectives on assessment, respectively.

Tshwane University of Technology’s Professor Anil Kanjee said the project builds on research about the crucial role assessment plays in learning.

Dr Brian Wilson, Head of Curriculum Co-ordination in the Cape Winelands Education District, stressed the need to progress from ‘assessment of learning’ to ‘assessment for learning’ to ultimately ‘assessment as learning’.

Written by Kwanele Butana
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CPUT is the largest university of technology in the region and has a student population of more than 30 000. It has several campuses and satellite sites, stretching from the Cape Town city centre to as far as George in the Southern Cape.

Each campus has unique characteristics and functions.

Did you know:

• The Bellville Campus is home to the world-renowned French South African Institute of Technology, which produced and launched Africa’s first nanosatellite.
• The Cape Town Campus accommodates the university’s largest faculty, the Faculty of Business and Management Sciences.
• The Wellington Campus has become known for producing teachers trained in the Afrikaans medium as well as the next generation of leaders in the agriculture sector.
• The Mowbray Campus annually produces the largest number of teaching graduates in the Western Cape.
• The Athlone Campus and the Worcester and George satellite campuses produce nursing staff for the country’s health sector.
• The Granger Bay Campus is home to the stylish Hotel School Restaurant, which overlooks Robben Island.
• The Roeland Street Building is home to students and staff from Journalism, Photography, Public Relations and Multimedia.

Media City is based on the Foreshore and accommodates students and staff of the Architecture, Town and Regional Planning, and Interior Design schools.

For campus contact details see: http://www.cput.ac.za/about/contact

Written by Ilse Fredericks
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Home to more than 30,000 students, CPUT is the largest university of technology in the region and has several campuses and satellite sites, stretching from the Cape Town city centre to as far as George in the Southern Cape.

Each campus boasts unique characteristics and functions.

Bellville Campus

This campus is the administrative hub of the institution and is home to the following:

• The world renowned French South African Institute of Technology, which produced and launched Africa’s first nanosatellite.
• The Electrical Engineering Building, which is CPUT’s largest teaching and research facility.

Cape Town Campus

The city’s most popular landmark, Table Mountain, is a backdrop to this campus. It accommodates the following:

• The university’s largest faculty, the Faculty of Business and Management Sciences.
• The Faculty of Informatics and Design.
• A select number of courses offered by the Faculties of Applied Sciences and Health and Wellness Sciences are offered on the campus.

Wellington Campus

This campus is situated in the centre of the Boland town and has become known for:

• Producing teachers trained in the Afrikaans medium.
• Training the next generation of leaders in the agriculture sector.

Mowbray Campus

The Faculty of Education recently expanded is facilities with building work completed last year. This campus is renowned for:

• Annually producing the largest number of teaching graduates in the Western Cape.
• The state-of-the-art Human Performance Laboratory and the Centre for International Teacher Education.

Athlone Campus, Worcester and George satellite campuses

• These three campuses produce nursing staff for the country’s health sector.

Granger Bay Campus

The stylish Hotel School Restaurant is the main attraction of this campus, which overlooks Robben Island. It also houses the following:

• The renowned Cape Town Hotel School.
• The Maritime Engineering Department and the Survival Centre.

Groote Schuur and Tygerberg Hospital

• The Department of Medical Imaging and Therapeutic Sciences is located on the premises of Groote Schuur Hospital in Observatory.
• The Dental Sciences Department is based at the Tygerberg Hospital and gives students the opportunity to work directly with patients and medical staff.

Roeland Street Building

• Students and staff from Journalism, Photography, Public Relations and Multimedia call this campus home.

Media City

• Media City is based on the Foreshore and accommodates students and staff of the Architecture, Town and Regional Planning, and Interior Design schools.

For campus contact details see: http://www.cput.ac.za/about-cput/cput-at-a-glance/contact-details

Written by Ilse Fredericks

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CPUT annually delivers the highest number of graduates into the workforce and a large cohort of these is teaching graduates.

These graduates are trained at the well-resourced Mowbray Campus, which is situated in Highbury Road, just off the Mowbray Main Road.

The campus boasts state-of-the-art lecture theatres and fully equipped laboratories. Students also have access to study areas, computer facilities and a library.

The campus is also home to leading educational researchers as well as the Centre for International Teacher Education (CITE), which was founded in 2014.

CITE drives research in teacher education in South Africa and internationally. This cohort of researchers are using their findings to inform discussions between policy-makers, scholars, teachers and the broader public, with the aim to bridge the policy-practice gap in teacher education in South Africa.

The Faculty of Business and Management Sciences also has a presence on the campus, with the offices of the Department of Sports Management located directly opposite the main education building.

The department is renowned for the state-of-the-art Human Performance Laboratory, which is used to rehabilitate people withspinal cord injuries.

View Mowbray Campus maps and contact details

Written by Candes Keating
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Provides coverage for the Engineering and Applied Sciences Faculties; the Bellville and Wellington Campuses, and research and innovation news.

The Faculty of Education recently announced the commencement of a mutual reciprocity collaboration between the faculty academics, students, and Chandigarh University in India.

Clive Brown from the Intermediate Phase at Mowbray Campus said in an era marked by interconnectedness and globalisation, universities worldwide increasingly recognise the value of international collaboration in advancing academic pursuits and nurturing a diverse, inclusive learning environment.

Brown said the CPUT visit to Chandigarh University earlier this year, served as the catalyst for a burgeoning partnership aimed at bridging geographical boundaries and harnessing the collective expertise of educators and learners from diverse cultural backgrounds.”

Dean of the Faculty of Education, Prof Andile Mji, thanked the colleagues from India for being caring hosts to Dr Rolene Liebenberg, Dr Sharon McAuliffe, and Prof Hanlie Dippenaar during their international visit to India.

Brown said developing a transnational collaboration between CPUT and Chandigarh University holds immense importance in fostering global academic exchange and synergy. “Such collaboration can enrich educational experiences by offering diverse perspectives, methodologies, and cultural insights to students and faculty alike. It facilitates the sharing of resources, expertise, and research findings, enhancing the quality and depth of academic programmes and research endeavours.”

He added that transnational collaboration opens avenues for joint projects and initiatives, fostering innovation and addressing complex global challenges through collective efforts. By leveraging the strengths of both institutions, “we can embark on interdisciplinary research endeavours that transcend geographical boundaries and contribute to the advancement of knowledge on a global scale.

This collaboration cultivates a network of international scholars, graduates, and professionals, promoting cross-cultural understanding and facilitating the exchange of ideas and best practices. “Through meaningful engagement and collaboration, we can collectively work towards building a more inclusive, equitable, and sustainable future for education worldwide.

“This partnership underscores the mutual reciprocity between the two countries and institutions in advancing research across transnational spaces. Together, we embark on a journey of discovery, learning, and collaboration that transcends borders and enriches the academic landscape for generations to come.”

Written by CPUT News
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