In response to the recent wave of violence perpetrated against women, staff members and students assembled for a day of mourning on the Bellville Campus on Monday.

Dressed in black, the CPUT community gathered in front of the Administration building in show of solidarity to victims and survivors of gender-based violence and to acknowledge the first-year CPUT Nursing Sciences student who was abducted and raped after finishing a shift last week.

Addressing the crowd, Vice-Chancellor, Prof Chris Nhlapo, re-emphasised management’s commitment to zero tolerance for Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and urged students and staffers to join hands and take action.

“Be vigilant of this GBV monster in and outside of university spaces,” said Nhlapo adding that the GBV Emergency Number is 021 959 6550 and Department of Student Affairs’ is 060 980 0286

Nhlapo also emphasised some of the interventions already in place at the institution including the following:

• Thorough vetting of staff during recruitment;
• A basic “green” or safe route through campuses;
• Stronger access controls and CCTV cameras;
• More security patrols, lighting and a rapid response unit on campuses;
• Better monitoring of number plates;
• After hours for the campus clinic and counselling departments and;
• A tribunal and ombudsman for GBV cases;

Female student leaders, representing all campuses, also used the platform to raise their ideas for making their campuses safer for all.

“Ultimately we believe the points being made by female students were valid, and they were discussed at length at a Management Committee meeting held directly after the programme,” Nhlapo later reported in a communique to the university’s community.

Nonkosi Tyolwana, Director: Transformation, Social Cohesion and Diversity, said academic freedom fosters open and public debate over major issues facing society.

 “Your presence today gives the university great courage and hope,” said Tyolwana. “GBV is not just another form of violence. It is a threat to human life. A denial of human dignity. Sadly our female students and staff suffer the most.” 

Ultimately we believe the points being made by female students were valid, and they were discussed at length at a Management Committee meeting held directly after the programme.

Written by Kwanele Butana

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More than 100 participants recently tuned in for the #SafeZone #Equalityforall webinar, which provided a space for discussion on human rights and why we need an inclusive university.

Championed by the HIV/AIDS Unit, the speakers for the online event were: Nonkosi Tyolwana, Director of Transformation, Social Cohesion & Diversity Unit, Dr Nyx McLean, lecturer in the Department of Information Technology and Gender Equality and Inclusivity Working Group member as well as Naythan Kayser: Coordinator: The Office of Leadership and Social Responsibility at UWC and a gender and inclusivity activist. The Central SRC pledged its support for the webinar.

 “Each and every student entering CPUT must feel a sense of belonging and experience our institution as a safe zone,” said Melanie Marais, Head of the HIV/AIDS Unit.

The main messages were:

• Inclusivity means providing equal access to opportunities and resources for people who might otherwise be marginalised or excluded based on their disability, sexual orientation, mental health, HIV status or gender-based violence.
• Why is an inclusive university necessary? Because it is quite simple - it is the right thing to do.
• These conversations need to be part of teaching and learning in curricula and not separate. It is important that student leadership form part of such conversations and inclusivity should be represented on various committees. Engagement with NGOs is also necessary as various stakeholders need to work together to create a transformed community.
• Make no assumptions, use the correct pronouns and, if you do not understand, engage and ask so that you can learn. Often we may have to unlearn. Pronouns are part of the lived experience and respect required for all people. We need open minds as we move forward and create an inclusive environment.
• In order to establish a Safe Zone programme or society at the institution, we need students to become actively involved for it to succeed.

 “An inclusive university is an ethical university. It recognises that exclusion on the basis of identity and lived experience is an act of harm, and so it works to include everyone in its conception of community,” said McLean.

The webinar, which was organised by the Division of Student Affairs (DSA), was attended by academics and class representatives, representatives from political structures, peer educators; HIV/Aids Unit, DSA Student Development officers and Student Counselling.

 “CPUT is truly a beacon for us all in the higher education sector in regards to becoming more equitable and inclusive! The comments from this webinar should be noted for the policy finalisation,” said Kayser.

Written by Ilse Fredericks
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CPUT continues to show its commitment to the fight against Gender-Based Violence (GBV) with members of the Executive Management recently receiving training on GBV and their responsibilities.

Nonkosi Tyolwana, Director for Institutional Transformation, Social Cohesion and Diversity, said the training is the university’s response to the Policy Framework on addressing Gender-Based Violence in higher education and a call by the Department of Higher Education and Training for universities to respond adequately to the scourge of GBV

“This is also in preparation for the rollout of GBV training across the university. CPUT has approved the Terms of Reference for the establishment of a high-level Institutional GBV Committee that is chaired by the Vice-Chancellor and led by EM members. The committee, comprised of Management and the SRC, will be inaugurated at its first meeting soon.”

She said the training, which took place online, was also to map out the GBV roll-out plan across the university

CPUT has partnered with the Western Cape National Prosecuting Authority. The Training is led by Adv. Lizelle Africa and Adv. Mark Kenny of the Western Cape National Prosecuting Authoring (NPA)  

Prof Driekie Hay-Swemmer, Executive Director: Office of the Vice-Chancellor, said the training was revealing, direct and broad-minded.  

“The training was spot-on, alluding to the 21st-century environment during which the broader understanding/characterising of sexual identities were explored/ explained. There is a lot of training that needs to occur – starting from the early childhood development years and accompanying parent support programmes, the basic school education approach and curriculum.” 

The training will be rolled out and cascaded down to all levels.  

Written by Ilse Fredericks
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The Faculty of Business and Management Sciences kicked off the Women’s month celebrations at CPUT with an exciting webinar under the theme: Choose to Challenge.

The event featured a number of trailblazing women including HERS-SA director Brightness Mangolothi, Attorney Rehana Parker, PhD candidate and founder of cultural education brand KroesRocks, Simone Thomas and Ortem Callaghan, a spoken word artist.

Choose to Challenge was the theme for International Women’s Day 2021 and resonated with the Faculty.

In her opening remarks, Nonkosi Tyolwana, Director of CPUT’s Centre for Diversity, Inclusivity and Social Change, said that while there have been important strides in promoting gender equality and women empowerment, “our work is far from finished”.

“That is why today the faculty is working towards a better day for women and girls. And yet this mission of gender equality and women empowerment needs constant nourishing and multi-stakeholder engagement as well as active support both physically, mentally, morally and materially.”

Mangolothi quoted from the Global Gender Gap Report 2020 which showed that it would take almost a century to attain gender parity.

She said the rise of women was not about the fall of men.

“I want you to apply for those positions, I want you to apply for those awards and I want you to mentor women and that’s how we can actually take up spaces.”

Dr Desiree Scholtz, the Faculty’s Assistant Dean: Teaching & Learning and chair of the planning team for the event, said it was hoped that the take-away from the event would be how different women from different backgrounds have chosen to own their space, to share their stories “about how each of us can make a difference to others’ lives in one way or another”.

Senior lecturer, Mandie Richards said the webinar allowed an opportunity for women to reflect on the progressions as well as the limitations, and to share their experiences and power of influence so as to uplift and inspire women.

“The platform is also a reminder that there is a great deal of work which still has to be done so as to challenge the status quo and social injustices, and that as women we need to continue to pay it forward so that we create a future which is inclusive, thereby creating a positive, more diverse future for current and future generations.”

Written by Ilse Fredericks

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CPUT has upped the ante in its fight against Gender-Based Violence (GBV).

In June the institutions’ Executive Management were trained on their responsibilities in handling GBV, now the rest of the CPUT community is in line to receive similar training.

The training roll-out puts CPUT at the forefront of the higher education sector’s response to this societal scourge.

This is because CPUT is the first university to internalise and institutionalise the fight against GBV via its dedicated Sexual and Gender-Based Violence Committee, which is chaired by Vice-Chancellor Prof Chris Nhlapo.

The high-level institutional GBV committee is comprised of delegates from the SRC and Management and aims to ensure accountability, coordination, and leadership of the GBV Policy for Higher Education.

Nonkosi Tyolwana, Director for Institutional Transformation, Social Cohesion and Diversity, says the GBV training will be cascaded through the university committee in the coming few months.

“The training will explore how gender identities are defined in our formative years, and how this resonates in a 21st century context,” says Tyolwana.

“This becomes critical conversations to have with a higher education context when you have young people from all walks of life intermingling for the first time in their lives. We also need to remain aware of the natural power imbalances that can form within a university context. If we arm our students and staff to be conscious of this then they can avoid GBV pitfalls.”

CPUT’s GBV training and the response have been crafted in response to the Western Cape National Prosecuting Authority.

Written by CPUT News
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The Division of Student Affairs (DSA) recently held the Presidential Youth Employment Stimulus (PYES) Programme Graduate Interns Induction Training workshop at the Bellville campus.

The PYES Graduate internship programme officially commenced on 5 July 2023 and will run up until December 2023. On the first day of training at the library seminar room, the graduates were welcomed by Melani-Ann Hara, Student Development Officer at the Student Governance and Leadership Development, who is also a co-ordinator of the DSA Graduate Internship Programme.

The interns also received inspirational words of wisdom from the Acting Dean of Students, Nonkosi Tyolwana. Amongst those present were staff members and Central Student Representative Council members, Xolani Booi and Ramano Mpfunzeni, who provided their messages of support to the graduates.

The 23 Interns were selected from a large number of prospective graduates who applied for the programme from numerous departments such as Project Management, Office Management, Public Relations, Marketing, Journalism, Photography, Events and Sports Science. These interns are funded through the PYES Programme.

The workshop also comprised of presentations from various heads of departments within DSA namely Leanie Brits, Student Counselling; Melanie Swanson, HIV Campus Health; Dr Amanda Ismail, Disability Unit; Sammy Elie, Student Development & Leadership Development; Chris Williams, Student Life and Residential Services and Tumiso Mfisa from Centre for Diversity Inclusivity and Social Change.

Hara said the aims of the presentations were to “educate and provide an overview of the services offered within the DSA”. “The interns were made aware of what is expected of them and [they were] provided with an overview of Vision 2030,” she continued.

“The graduate interns now understand their role in creating awareness to students about the resources that these departments contain, and to fully utilise and develop their network and connection to better their future.”

The second day of training focused on team building and cohesion, with Hara curating various activities and visual aids to help the graduates settle in and “create strong chemistry between the new interns”

Written by CPUT News

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The Division of Student Affairs (DSA) in partnership with the Centre for Diversity, Inclusivity and Social Change (CDISC) and the Convocation recently hosted a successful workshop to conceptualise a holistic and transformative student leadership Incubation programme.

The theme of the workshop was: Preparing and Influencing the next generation Student Leaders: Incubating Change.

The organising team, which included CDISC Transformation Coordinator, Tumiso Mfisasa and Melanii-Ann Hara, Student Development Officer, acknowledged that the university has the mandate to contribute to the development of students to become global citizens who can take the country forward by making valuable inputs economically and socially. However, this can only be achieved in an enabling environment for them.

Acting Dean of Students, Nonkosi Tyolwana, presented the purpose of the symposium in which she talked about transformation and decolonisation across the academic and social architecture of universities.

The workshop was an opportune moment to shape the direction of the incubation programme to respond to this mandate. The Student Leadership Incubation programme also acknowledged that student leaders:

      
• Come from different areas of leadership such as political, academic, economic, spiritual, psychological and professional spheres and there is a need for a holistic approach that enhances graduate attributes across faculties
      
• Are members of society as they reflect their respective communities, and they need to be involved in strategic policies or opportunities available for post-university life to participate as South African, African, and global young citizens amongst others.

In his opening remarks, Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research, Technology, Innovation and Partnerships, Dr David Phaho said: “If we are to develop the capable state envisaged by Nelson Mandela and his Rivonia Trial Immortals, the focused development of student leadership is non-negotiable. The fact that we are specifically looking at students’ leaders is also significant. These are students who out of their own volition are actively involved in university political structures and still advance and do well in their studies will make their development as envisaged by this Workshop a worthwhile investment for any institution and indeed society.”

Reflecting on the workshop, Mfisa said: “The workshop was a huge success as it was able to host 150 participants as well as to launch and consult on the key deliverables in preparing for the next generation of student leaders.” Through the workshop the facilitators and participants developed students as future leaders and provided them with the opportunity to contribute meaningfully to their sphere of leadership interest be it social, academic, cultural, political, psychological, spiritual, economic and entrepreneurship through the five commissions they had.

During the workshop a platform to mentor and develop the upcoming student leaders on campus and prepare them for the world beyond university life was also witnessed. “And through the feedback the participants had provided during engagements proved to be a success as we received support from participants and where we may expand the leadership programme,” Mfisa observed.

“In that way we were able to strengthen the role of student leadership and deepen the principle of participatory democracy while teaching servant leadership values. Whereas we managed to recruit, develop, and nurture senior and aspiring student leaders who display exceptional commitment and passion in various leadership skills which proved a success for the participants.” Mfisa and Hara’s role were to facilitate and oversee all preparations of the workshop, which included liaising with all guests and arranging all workshop needs to make it a success with additional support coming from colleagues and interns within the respective offices.

Written by Aphiwe Boyce

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CPUT Rugby Club will be promoted to Super League A in the 2024 season, which is the highest league in Western Province Club Rugby and a potential pathway for university players into elite rugby.

In 2019 CPUT Rugby Club was promoted to Super League C for the 2020 season, but Covid-19 stopped the team from playing rugby for two years, 2020 to 2021. In 2022 the team started playing in Western Province Club Rugby Super League C. CPUT stayed for only one season in that division and got promoted to Super League B in 2023. In 2023 CPUT Rugby Club started the year playing in Super League B. Again, the club stayed for just one season in this league and got promoted to Super League A for the 2024 season.

“The Super League A is the highest league in the Western Province Club Rugby and in playing in this league it means that our students’ athletes can now play at any professional rugby union when they are scouted. “This will be the greatest opportunity for our student athletes,” said Bulelani Mlakalaka, Sport Development Officer: Rugby, Boxing and Tennis.

“This is a very huge achievement for a club that is just five years old. As the Sport Department this means that we are developing great student athletes and I would also like to thank acting HoD Sport, Mr Zandile Jacobs, for the support and the office of the acting Dean of student affairs, Ms Nonkosi Tyolwana, for believing when I request the support for the student athletes.”

Mlakalaka said they started CPUT rugby club in 2019, when they broke away from merger club, called CPUT Gardens rugby club. “’We had to start from the lowest league and climb our way to the top of the summit (Super League A). This has not been an easy journey because it’s very difficult to keep our student athletes from getting signed by other clubs or universities like UCT, Maties and UWC.”

“I would like to thank the technical team headed by our head coach Mr Alastair Theys, his assistant coach, Mr Jongi Nokwe and all the other supporting coaching staff and the CPUT rugby players for their commitment to the team during difficult times and happy times.”

Theys said: “This Is a phenomenal achievement as it was our first year in the Super League B and we are one of very few teams who has won promotion from the Super B to Super A in their first year of being in the Super B. We have the finals coming up next weekend.

“Even though it has been a very successful past five years for CPUT rugby, it has come with many hurdles and challenges.”

Written by Aphiwe Boyce

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The inaugural Food Security Colloquium served as a platform for meaningful dialogue, signalling CPUT's commitment to addressing food insecurity and fostering a supportive environment for all students.

The event was hosted by the Division of Student Affairs (DSA) and the Centre for Diversity, Inclusivity and Social Change (CDISC) and the theme was: Adopting and Institutional approach to food security.

Dean of Student Affairs, Nonkosi Tyolwana, emphasised the need for a multi-disciplinary approach to tackle the issue of hunger, adding that studies that had been conducted on the topic had few solutions in terms of mitigating the problem.

She said that according to a HEMIS study, more than 60 percent of CPUT students come from indigent families.

There were currently 976 requests from students for food.

She added that the Institutional Transformation Forum, led by Prof Paul Green, had done “pioneer work” and developed the food security concept (immediate and short-term focus).

Mancom approved the concept in 2020 and requested the DSA to lead and coordinate it in collaboration with a number of internal partners.

The Vice-Chancellor constituted the Institutional Food Security Committee, chaired by Prof Joseph Kioko, to ensure that a longer and sustainable approach to address student hunger is institutionalised.

Tyolwana outlined the purpose of the event, which included, among others, gathering information from the CPUT community on solutions to the immediate challenge of food insecurity with immediate, short and long-term solutions; to discuss interventions aimed at reducing food insecurity and to discuss holistic approaches to integrating food security across the university to enhance impact.

Keynote addresses by Green and Kioko highlighted the gravity of food insecurity, not just at CPUT but nationwide. Green highlighted commendable past initiatives such as food gardens and departmental food drives and stressed the need for a formalised approach. He proposed a few strategies for discussion including food banks, voucher programmes and nutritional workshops.

Kioko echoed the sentiment, emphasising the importance of food security in achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. He outlined efforts to address food insecurity, including the acquisition of land near the Wellington Campus as well as a tractor and other implements.

“The aim of buying this was to use it for training agriculture students and whatever is produced by those students can go into feeding themselves and other students.”

The event featured panel discussions on students' experiences with food insecurity and current initiatives to alleviate hunger, as well as a plenary discussion focusing on sustainable solutions.

Key takeaways included the need for project streamlining, including a database of initiatives and a need for a forum to provide structure.

Written by Ilse Fredericks
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Two CPUT boxers who started boxing this year defied the odds as they won their preliminary rounds, quarter finals, semi-finals and went on to win the gold medals at the 2023 University Sports South Africa (USSA) National Boxing Championships, which were recently held at the Major Sports Hall, Bellville Campus.

The two boxers were Anelihle Bukwane and Hosea Mokgatla and CPUT was represented by 13 boxers (10 males and three females) in the three-day tournament. Overall, the hosts, CPUT received three gold medals, two silver and three bronzes. CPUT team manager, Mvemve Mdingi, who is also the USSA Boxing National Secretary, said: “The performance was magnificent considering the fact that majority of these boxers started boxing this year and therefore they are novice boxers.”

Mdingi also acknowledged the presence of USSA National President, Jerry Laka, as well as South African National Boxing Organisation President, Siyabulela Mkhwalo, the former Head of Department: Sports at CPUT. “He [Mkhwalo] congratulated both our performance and the way our competition was well organised.”

He continued: “The CPUT community should look forward to the most exciting year 2024 of boxing. We are pushing to make our institution the hub of boxing champions. We will be starting a boxing league that will feature well-trained boxers from CPUT, University of the Western Cape and Western Cape ranks.

Bulelani Mlakalaka, Sport Development Officer: Rugby, Boxing and Tennis, said: “I must say it’s [a] great honour to do this especially when the events are successful like this USSA Boxing. It’s a lot of work because I must lead a group of my CPUT colleagues coming in from different departments to make sure that we have a successful tournament.” Mlakalaka who was the event organiser, is happy with the achievement of the boxers although “we did not win the tournament, but we won the trophy as one of the best performing universities in the tournament”. Overall CPUT became number four out of the 12 universities.

As an event organiser, he made sure that the event was a success by working in hand to hand with all the stakeholders in the Local Organising Committee (LOC). “As an event organiser you make sure that you uphold the values of the USSA and CPUT by making sure that all the participating universities are happy at all times despite challenges I might had during the planning phase and during the tournament.”

He thanked the CPUT management for allowing Sport Department to host the USSA Boxing event and all of his LOC colleagues for making sure that CPUT hosted one of the best national student athletes’ tournaments. “For our CPUT community, thank you so much for always supporting all your teams. As Sport Department we strive for #OneSmartCPUT.”

Written by Aphiwe Boyce

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The CPUT choir recently released a new song, ‘The Spirit of Cape Peninsula’ which is intended to be the CPUT’s own unique anthem for all CPUT community members to learn and know the song and understand its message of hope and inspiration.

Choir conductor/Director, Vusumzi Tsham, said the song was composed by a South African composer and scholar, Dr Bongani Ndodana-Breen, works at the University of Cape Town’s College of Music as a composition lecturer, Ndodana-Breen is also an associate professor of music. “He wrote the text/lyrics and music respectively.”

“The song in its style is an anthem and the purpose or reason behind the composition was that, CPUT as the institution to have its own unique anthem… We all go through hardships in life, this song reiterates the fighting spirit in each and every one of us. “

Acting Dean of Student Affairs, Nonkosi Tyolwana, said the song will become an intrinsic part of the university’s brand identity and will be sung at graduations, sports games, conferences, and all other events where CPUT is represented. “It is entrenched in CPUT values of ‘ubuntu and ubunye’ – we hope that in future it will completely be the ‘CPUT anthem’ that reflects One Smart CPUT in all CPUT graduations and other high level university events.”

Tyolwana stated that almost all universities have driven away from “Gaudeamus Igitur” and replaced it with songs that reflect patriotism where staff, students and their parents and guardians can associate with .”CPUT followed the trend to ensure that graduations and other university events provide a significant meaning through the song that evokes patriotism and is understood by all.”

As the choir conductor, Tshama prepares the choir for public performances, this includes motivating the choir, teaching them technical knowledge of music and help them shape their identities through music.

“I hope the song will lift the spirits of the CPUT community members and unite them to go face to face with hardships they will encounter in life.” He added that this song is unique because of its style. “It infuses influences that are drawn from the Western and African art music and language. It is not an African piece but a South African piece because of its syncretic styles.”

Tsham continued: “We are living in challenging and difficult times and for us to overcome these challenges we must rely heavily on the arts, music being one of the art-forms. I quote ‘It is not the strength of the body that counts, but the strength of the spirit.’ - J.R.R Tolkien.”

Tyolwana said the song highlights the CPUT as the home to many and a source of inspiration to its staff, students and alumni of CPUT, and “we hope that it becomes an intrinsic feature of the CPUT brand. We also encourage staff, students and alumni to popularise it, learn to sing it and take pride in the lyrics as it embraces CPUT as the place of belonging and pride”.

“We hope that the song serves as an inspiration and motivation for the CPUT community- as this is CPUT Anthem is for the current CPUT communities and generations to come… The choir has worked very hard at rehearsing the song, and I am sure they will do justice to the composition. We also invite students and staff to join the choir as we know students come and go- staff can play a critical role in ensuring that the choir is available throughout the year.”

Written by Aphiwe Boyce

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The Faculty of Business and Management Sciences in collaboration with the Desmond and Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation, Division of Student Affairs and Centre for Diversity, Inclusivity and Social Change recently hosted a Youth Month Commemoration event at Bellville Campus.

The event, themed, “Inspire Hope in the Student of 2024”. drew inspiration from the 1976 youth, who stood up in the hope of creating the tomorrow they envisaged. Manager: Strategic Initiatives and Projects, Andiswa Mrasi, said: “Today, our students are navigating various issues ranging from GBV, youth unemployment, and AI to mention a few. Therefore, this event seeks to encourage the students of 2024 to take up space and turn fear into hope as we work hard to build a better South Africa, Africa, and ultimately, the world we want.”

The event, which was also attended by the Dean of Students, Nonkosi Tyolwana, included a panel discussion, a live performance by a well-known international musician Cairo CPT, poetry, a public lecture on the role of the late great, Archbishop Desmond Tutu during the 1976 student uprising. On behalf of the Desmond and Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation, Charlene Houston said: “The Arch always said to young people: ‘Go on dreaming that we are going to have a different world to the one we live in’”.

She said the quality of education was always an important matter for Archbishop Tutu. Houston said his father was an educator, and he became a teacher. “Both he and Mrs Tutu were teachers until they understood the implications of the newly introduced Bantu Education system. They resigned in protest.” She said young leaders needed to look at what platform they have, what influence they have, and “how you can use that to make a difference”.

Houston added that Tutu always urged the “oldies” to listen to young people and he encouraged youth to use their voices and to take action. “Dream you must, but you also need to take collective action.”

She also reminded the young people that they have “a wonderful heritage, you stand on the shoulders of brave courageous, and righteous people such as the Arch, Mbuyisa Makhubu, and the youth of 1976”. “Hopefully, you participated in the recent national elections. It doesn’t stop there. Learn about the ways to stay involved…. there are many channels to do so formally or informally. As the Arch said, ‘Don’t be infected by the cynicism of oldies who believe this world can become better for all’, The baton is yours to pick up!”

Written by Aphiwe Boyce
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Believe in what you can do, and you will overcome any obstacles in life.

This is the message the new Dean of Student Affairs, Nonkosi Tyolwana, wants to convey to students as she starts her new role.

Tyolwana, joined CPUT in 2018, and previously held the position of Director: Institutional Transformation, Social Cohesion and Diversity.

She continues her message to students as follows:

“Being successful is easy if you choose to do it. It’s okay to make mistakes sometimes. Making mistakes is a great way to learn since you will remember every single one of them and won’t repeat them. Don’t you ever doubt your ability to succeed. You will be the person you want to be and achieve your dreams as long as you work hard for them. Mistakes are inevitable. Always learn from them, and they will help you improve every time.”

Her main priorities as Dean will include the following key issues:

Ensuring the implementation of Division of Student Affairs (DSA) strategy that is aligned to Focus Area 7: Student engagement and experiences: Vision 2030 strategy.

Ensuring the implementation of and monitoring of key departmental student-centric strategic goals to ensure “Oneness and smartness” as a DSA family.

Ensuring the professionalisation of student affairs staff in line with DHET requirements.

Enhancing holistic and transformative development and wellness of our students to enhance access, success and retention.

Ensuring the implementation of Student Parliament to ensure the accountability of the SRC to CPUT community.

Facilitating the Student Leadership Incubation to enhance CPUT’s graduate attributes and prepare them for the life beyond student life.

Eliminating all forms of abuse, harassment, GBV and other forms of discrimination, xenophobia, sexism and other “isms” phobia

In line with this, her favourite quote is by late President Nelson Mandela.

“What counts in life is not the mere fact that we have lived. it is what difference we have made to the lives of others that will determine the significance of the life we lead.”

Outside of work Tyolwana volunteers to do transformative community work and also enjoys reading.

Written by Ilse Fredericks

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