The new Dean of the Faculty of Informatics and Design, Prof Tembisa Ngqondi, is passionate about human capacity development and looks forward to making a contribution to the university and to communities.

Even as a young girl in primary school, Ngqondi displayed leadership skills and volunteered for different leadership roles. She grew up in Ladysmith in KwaZulu-Natal, where her father worked as a miner, and later moved to Peddie (Engqushwa) in the Eastern Cape.

“Before I finished my matric I worked as a maid but I went back to school to finish my matric and then I continued with my studies. I would never have imagined that I would one day end up as a Dean but by the grace of God, who directs our steps, I did.

“I never had the mindset of not succeeding. As a maid I was doing everything excellently.  My goal was to be excellent in everything I was doing. Even at that time my madam would hear my voice when I said my journey would not end there,” she says.

She joins CPUT from the University of Mpumalanga where she was the Head of the School of Computing and Mathematical Sciences.

“Being part of a new university, I had an opportunity to shape the school and write new qualifications for the university in the ICT (Information & Communications Technology) space. I was heading the school which consists of ICT programmes and service modules (Mathematics and End User Computing/Hospitality Information Systems).”

Before joining the University of Mpumalanga she was the Head of the Applied Informatics Department at Walter Sisulu University where she played a leading role in merger processes.

About her new role, Ngqondi says she is both excited and nervous.

“I’m excited and a little bit nervous to start a new position and stepping into the big shoes of the former dean. I’m really looking forward to making a contribution to the university and so excited to make a contribution to communities.”

She adds that she is joining the university at a difficult time as a result of the pandemic but Ngqondi believes that as a woman in ICT she, with her team in the Faculty, can look into different ways of trying to bring solutions in terms of teaching and learning, research and engagement.

“It is not just my journey; it is our journey and we have to look at the university’s vision and make sure we reach the goals of the university.”

On her first day at CPUT, Ngqondi received a warm welcome from her predecessor, Prof Johannes Cronje, who welcomed her with a bunch of flowers.

Written by Ilse Fredericks

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Women in the Faculty of Informatics and Design were inspired to unleash their greatness during a recent luncheon.

The event included poetry and music performances and a keynote address by well-known business and human capital strategist, Thandi J Mabena, who spoke about resilience and unity.

Dr Sisanda Nkoala, the Faculty’s Language and Transformation Coordinator, welcomed the attendees and said: “Today is really about celebrating you and your contribution to the faculty”.

Dean of the Faculty, Prof Tembisa Ngqondi, said it was a very special day for the Faculty.

“Unleashing greatness is not something you do in one day. It’s a journey that marks the steps of your success.”

She remembered the women who suffered for the country’s liberation.

“One thing that they had in common was that they were speaking the same voice. They had one vision and one mission. Their one mission was to liberate women in our country.”

She said those women understood the importance of women in a community.

“If we can adopt the solidarity spirit that these women had adopted, for them to be able to cheer each other and making sure that they are actually contributing into the country’s economy and the country’s well-being, we can walk together as one voice as FID and we will make a difference in our university.

She encouraged the women to be change agents.

Mabena, who is also a part-time lecturer at the University of Stellenbosch Business School and an accredited Gallup Strengths Coach with the International Coaching Federation, spoke about resilience and unity.

She said women in academia face several challenges including the multiple roles and responsibilities that they have as well as safety in the workplace.

Mabena encouraged the women to “keep your vision”, even when things were difficult and to start looking after each other.

“When we make mistakes and we fall, learn from your mistakes and avoid self-pity.”

She continued: “Commit to Excellence all the time. Give your best at times. This will train the world to give you the best.”

Written by Ilse Fredericks
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The Department of Urban and Regional Planning, with the support of the Faculty of Informatics and Design, hopes to make a long-lasting impact on a Langa-based orphan village.

In pursuance of the vision of the institution and faculty, the Dean of the Faculty of Informatics and Design, Prof Tembisa Ngqondi, tasked the department with conceptualising and implementing a humanitarian initiative in the manner of ‘67-minutes for Mandela’.

The resultant initiative is centred on improving the quality of life of 20 children who are housed at the Siyaphambili Orphan Village.

With the backing of the faculty, the department decided to adopt the home to ensure that that the relationship has a long-term impact, particularly in terms of skills development.

Five staff members, an alumnus and 25 urban and regional planning students recently visited the Siyaphambili Orphan Village to deliver various goods, including toiletries, sanitary items, food, clothing, soccer balls and skipping ropes.

They also lent a hand in the preparation of the meals for the children and cleaning the house and the yard.

Lecturer,Kwena Letsoalo said: “This outreach effort serves as a big step towards achieving the objective of forming partnerships between CPUT and communities, and in the process preparing the students for their roles as change agents who enhance the well-being of community members.”

During the handover of the goods, Prof Masilonyane Mokhele, Head of the Department of Urban and Regional Planning, said: “As planners, we always strive to improve the conditions of communities, hence we decided to visit the Siyaphambili Orphanage home to share the little that we have. We believe this should not be a one-off event, so today is just the start – we will definitely come back.”

Siphokazi Xameni, the manager and caregiver at the orphanage responded: “Thank you, CPUT. It’s the little things that make a huge difference. I normally tell people that it is not always about material things but just giving your time. You have blown me away because we really need these, and when I spoke to Mzi (Mzingisi Muluse, (Department of Urban and Regional Planning’s Technician), he acted as if it’s something small.”

Dominic Stanford (CPUT Urban and Regional Planning alumnus) was ecstatic and noted: “The outreach initiative was a great success! I believe it provided the students with a sense of purpose. Initiatives like these tie back to the essence of our profession - collaborating and improving the lives of community members. Like the caregiver at the Siyaphambili Orphan Village said, it is not just about giving out material things, but rather about sharing and giving space to the children.”

Speaking on behalf of the third-year students, Siyamthanda Malawana said “We were very touched by this experience as we got to know more about the reasons children are placed in the orphanage. As much as we would have loved to spend more time with the children, we are extremely happy and appreciative of the moments we shared with them.”

Second-year student, Khanyisile Jubeju, said: “Providing a clean, safe and secure place for children is very important and I was honoured to be a part of the visit. I helped clean up the place, and seeing the gratitude was eye-opening. I had an amazing experience. In urban and regional planning, there is an emphasis on working with people and I feel that this was a great way to connect with the community.”

First-year student, Zoleka Malamba was moved by visit.

“I had a medley of emotions flowing through my body. I felt thankful for being part of this initiative. I would like to express my gratitude to the department for such an eye-opening opportunity. From the entire first-year group, our hearts are singing gratitude, Kwande!”

Written by CPUT News
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The Dean of the Faculty of Informatics and Design, Prof Tembisa Ngqondi, recently hosted a special awards ceremony to celebrate student achievers in the Faculty.

About 70 students from the faculty’s five departments – Information Technology, Media, Urban and Regional Planning, Architectural Technology and Interior Design and Applied Design – were honoured during the ceremony, which was held on the District Six Campus.

Ngqondi said the awards are “a form of recognition of outstanding performance”.

“We just want to say as a faculty we recognise excellence.”

She said the event was also an appreciation of hard work and an encouragement “to please continue to do what you are doing well”.

“You are now role models and you are going to become mentors.”

Ngqondi said the achievements would not have been possible without the hard work of the lecturers and thanked them for their dedication.

The work produced by students were also showcased during the event.

Written by Ilse Fredericks
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Fashion Design students put their best foot forward during a recent event where their designs were showcased.

The theme of the event, which was held at SARETEC, was Building a better future through Entrepreneurial, creative technological design.

Guests were welcomed by Prof Tembisa Ngqondi, Dean of the Faculty of Informatics and Design, who said the event marked the launch of the Faculty’s Future Entrepreneur Programme, aimed at empowering students in creative fields to be entrepreneurs.

The event was also a celebration of women and Ngqondi said women were still struggling to enter the world of business.

Students were given the opportunity to showcase their work, which attendees could purchase.

Ngqondi said the second phase of the project would involve getting Information Technology students involved to create a platform for selling the products.

She said the Design Department didn’t hesitate to take the idea on board and worked to make it a success. She also thanked the Technology Transfer Office for their support.

The guest speaker at the event was Brian Mntongana, Executive Creative Director at Woolworths.

Mntongana told students that when he started “we were not privileged enough to have industry speakers sharing their knowledge”.

“Creativity, your passion, and your vision are the beacons guiding us into exciting futures. As we continue to weave the thread of innovation, remember that your contributions are invaluable, your potential limitless and your impact is profound. Remember that the world is constantly changing, we cannot be one-trick ponies anymore. You need to constantly evolve; you need to learn but you also need to unlearn, and you need to upskill yourself.”

Written by Ilse Fredericks

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In honour of the commitment, involvement, and leadership contributions of the postgraduate and undergraduate Student Quality Desks (SQDs) within the institutional Quality Management Systems (QMS), the Quality Management Directorate (QMD) recently hosted a Leadership Award dinner at the Cape Town Hotel School.

In his opening address, QMD Director, Dr Siyanda Makaula, emphasised  the significance of involving students in all aspects of institutional QMS, aligning it with the strategic focus on smart student engagement outlined in focus area 7 of the CPUT Vision 2030. Makaula said QMD employs three key approaches: collaborative, participative and reflexive to engage students holistically in the institutional QMS.

He stated that while the SQDs are distinct from the Student Representative Council (SRC), their leadership roles in promoting quality and transformation within their respective faculties deserve acknowledgment.  Makaula emphasised QMD's commitment to “valuing students' voices, creating a foundation for students to be active co-creators of knowledge within the University academic community”.

The SQD representatives graciously shared their experiences and journeys, reflecting on how their perception of “quality” has significantly expanded over time. The Dean: Faculty of Applied Science, Prof Joseph Kioko, commended the QMD for involving students in their activities. Kioko offered encouragement to the SQD members, advising them to appreciate their leadership roles as preparation for assuming social leadership responsibilities in the future.

The Dean: Faculty of Informatics and Design, Prof Tembisa Ngqondi, also applauded the SQDs for their leadership, urging them to continue in their commitment to maintaining quality standards.

Also present was Faculty Quality Forum chairpersons, Prof Desiree Scholtz from the Faculty of Business and Management Sciences, Prof Anna Dippenaar from the Faculty of Education, and Prof Bingwen Yan from the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment, each sharing insightful remarks, contributing to the overall significance of the occasion.

The head of the Business Innovation and Incubation Centre (BIIC), Prof Michael Twum-Darko provided an overview of BIIC and presented innovative opportunities to the SQDs. This collaboration aims to make the entire CPUT student body aware of the business innovations facilitated by BIIC.

In recognition of the leadership capabilities and active participation of SQD members in the 2023 academic year, QMD and Ngqondi presented Leadership Achievement Awards to SQD leaders.

Written by Aphiwe Boyce
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