The Department of Student Affairs has gone the extra mile to assist students since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Deputy Dean of Students, Tulani Nkuntse, said that from 1 March to 18 April, the university has initiated a number of programmes, including Health Cluster activities, busing students home ahead of lockdown, accommodating students who could not go home, student counselling and general residence activities. When President Cyril Ramaphosa announced that SA would go into lockdown, it was decided that it would be in (residence) students’ best interests if they returned to their families for the duration of the lockdown period.

Nkuntse said 941 students were transported by CPUT chartered buses and 9 719 went home voluntarily. A total of 1853 students chose to remain on campus.

“There is good provision of services to ensure the hygiene of residences [such as] procuring and securing protective equipment, sanitisers and gloves, good containment with no positive cases reported thus far.”

The Student Health Clinic works in tandem with the Western Cape Department of Health and the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) in Cape Town as they follow the World Health Organisation, National Department of Health and NICD Protocols in the management of suspected and confirmed Coronavirus cases. “All suspected, confirmed cases and close contacts at CPUT campuses can be reported telephonically to the student health clinic with the following detail:

• Name and surname of suspected case/patient
• Contact number and alternative number
• Date of start of symptoms

The deputy dean added that anti-microbial (antibiotics) treatment is not advised for COVID-19 cases unless there is good reason to do so e.g. secondary bacterial infections.   He said the university has increased access to staff members for students in all activities and that students can send emails to request counselling. Student counsellors can call to follow up.

Nkuntse said students have been adhering to lockdown rules as required and there has been greater access control at campus gates.

“This period has challenged us to look deeply and we fast-tracked the thinking around the services we provide as student affairs and how we need to reimagine student affairs for the university of the future. We have acted in the best way possible. We continue to look for ways to improve during this uncertain time but in all we do; we have our students at the centre of it all. [We are] quite happy with the progress made thus far. We were able to really, in a short space of time [we] come up with and implemented concrete plans to ensure that we respond in a responsible manner. We continue to make more strides to ensure that our interventions yield the desired results,” Nkuntse said.

Emergency contact person is Andries Slinger; *60247 or 076 229 0298

Written by Aphiwe Boyce
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CPUT Environmental Health (EH) students have been the first to heed the call from the International Federation of Environmental Health to produce video clips about EH.

Made in conjunction with the Film and Video Department the EH students produced a five-minute insert demystifying the profession and explaining its importance.

The first screening of the clip was done to a high profile audience including representatives from the National Department of Health, Health Professions Council of South Africa, South African Institute of Environmental Health as well as the City of Cape Town and all the District Municipalities in the Western Cape Province.

Vice-Chancellor Dr Prins Nevhutalu reminded the audience of his mission at CPUT which is to produce socially responsible students who care about people and the planet before profit.

“Environmental Health is very important and I am very glad the university offers it because it is an issue of human rights,” he says.

Each year World Environmental Health Day adopts a theme with this years’ being “Addressing Environmental Health Inequalities” and a world-wide call for EH students to produce video clips was issued in an attempt to raise awareness of this critical issue.

Chairperson of the Professional Board for Environmental Health Jerry Chaka commended the students for being the first in South Africa to do so.

“Study further and make us proud. Contribute to the EH body of knowledge.”

Written by Lauren Kansley
Tel: +27 21 953 8646
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Liaises with the media and writes press releases about interesting developments at CPUT.

CPUT lecturer Mike Agenbag will play a key role in developing processes that will improve the quality of environmental services rendered to the South African public.

An expert in Environmental Health, Agenbag has been appointed to serve on the South African Environmental Health Services Delivery Review Task Team (EHSDRTT).

The task team was set up by the National Department of Health, following the enactment of the National Health Act 2003 and the subsequent decentralization of environmental health services to municipalities.

Agenbag, who is based in the Department of Environmental and Occupational Studies, will bring a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the task team, having served on various other national committees.

Along with other experts in the field, Agenbag says they will investigate the current state of the delivery of environmental health services by district and metropolitan municipalities. Thereafter they will compile a report for the Ministers highlighting their findings as well as recommendations and options to ensure the delivery of quality environmental health services.

He says the task at hand is crucial for the wellbeing of communities.

“The purpose of environmental health is to prevent people from ending up in hospital,” says Agenbag.

“We need to move towards preventative health care.”

Agenbag says this can only be successfully achieved through the proper and adequate roll-out of environmental services by district and metropolitan municipalities.

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.

Dr Terrence Carter, Deputy Director-General at the National Department of Health, congratulated the graduates of the Health and Wellness Sciences for formally joining the ranks of the medical profession.

Addressing last night’s graduation ceremony as a guest speaker at the Bellville Campus, Carter said being a health worker is a unique privilege to serve humanity since many people still do not have access to basic health services.

He challenged the graduates to fulfil the World Health Organization’s declaration that recognizes the attainment of the highest level of health services as a human right.

 He told them that putting the interests of their patients first was a noble principle and encouraged them to strive to be the best they can be.

“Be the best of whatever you are, it is not by size that you win or fail,” he told the packed hall.

Graduates Abongile Nomafeje and Siphosonke Nothwala said the experience was life-changing for them.

“It feels like I am born again, because initially this looked impossible. It’s not about how fast it could happen, but the fact that it has happened eventually that excites me the most,” said Abongile.

“Despite the struggles at home and at school I managed to achieve this, it doesn’t feel like myself but as from tonight I know everything is possible,”said Siphosonke.

This morning hundreds of diplomas and degrees will be conferred to graduates in the Business Faculty and the ceremony will be addressed by Joel Dikgole, CEO of the Wholesale & Retail SETA as a guest speaker.  

Written by Kwanele Butana
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