As stories of poor service delivery regularly grab front-page headlines CPUT Public Management students and staff are determined not to fall into that rut.

The call for efficient government staff and effective service delivery was made at the launch of the South African Association of Public Administration and Management (SAAPAM) and was echoed by politicians, government officials and academics.

SAAPAM is a national body that promotes good governance through the advancement of professionalism, scholarship and practice in Public Management. The establishment of a provincial arm of the association was initiated by the Faculty of Business.

Speaking at the launch, which took place at the Cape Town campus, Provincial Minister of Cultural Affairs and Sport, Dr Ivan Meyer, said CPUT students have the potential to bring about much-needed change in the public administration sector.

He said those who go on to take up positions in government must remember that their key function is to serve the people.

His call for better service delivery was backed by Prof Mzikayise Binza, Dean of the Faculty of Business.

“There must be a culture of responsibility. You are in an office with the essence of serving people,” said Prof Binza.

Prof Isioma Ile, from the School of Governance at the University of Western Cape, said the public management sector is in crisis and that students should grab the opportunity to make a drastic change.

CRISIS: Prof Isioma Ile, from the School of Governance at the University of Western Cape, said the public management sector is in crisis.

“As scholars of public administration, we can touch millions of lives, but we don’t realize this. We must begin to take our profession seriously. We must go back to the basics,” she said.

Public Management lecturer, Peter Veeran, who is the provincial head of SAAPAM, said the association will be open to students from all higher education institutions in the province.

The association will host seminars, workshops and training sessions with students on issues of service delivery in the workplace.

“We want to develop a cadre of students who will go into the public sector and who will provide an efficient and effective service,” said Veeran.

LAUNCH: Representatives from CPUT and SAAPAM. CPUT was presented with a plaque from the National SAAPAM organisation.

By Candes Keating

Written by CPUT News
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CPUT’s Graduate Centre for Management (GCM) recently held its 2009 Certificate Ceremonies at the Barkly Davies Building on Mowbray Campus.

On 24 November 2009, 159 students’ hard work paid off when they received certificates for completing four different courses at the Somerset Square Campus.

The courses included Certificate in Management Practice, Public Management, Secretarial and Administrative Practice and Travel and Tourism.

Carly Steyn, representing Daan de Goede, Head of Department of the GCM within the Faculty of Business, delivered the welcoming speech.

Addressing the students, she said: “A Certificate Award Ceremony of this nature reminds us of the value and importance of education and privilege of a tertiary education.

“You have now all the benefits and exposure to higher education and we trust that you will continue your studies, as and when you are able, and we hope to welcome you back to CPUT.”

Bukelwa Mbalane who works for the City of Cape Town as a Health and Safety Training Coordinator and is also a CPUT alumnus was the guest speaker.

Mbalane studied her BTech: Business Administration at CPUT after completing a four-year nursing qualification.

Mbalane said: “Don’t take what you have achieved today for granted. Take it from me; you will make it out there in life. You must always be positive.

“Studying here helped me to be where I am today. I have a middle-management position and I am able to implement policies when needs be. On top of that, I sit in strategic planning meetings and they give me a chance to put into practice what I have learnt here.”

Four students were recognised as top achievers from four different courses.

Dudley Davids scooped the award for Certificate: Management Practice while Neo Poss was awarded the Certificate: Public Management.

Nosiviwe Plam was awarded the Certificate: Secretarial and Administrative Practice and Angela Pan walked away with an award for Certificate: Travel and Tourism Management.

Schalk van der Merwe, acting Dean at the Faculty of Business, delivered his congratulatory message and said: “I congratulate you all on your achievements. I trust that CPUT has given you a firm grasp and a good understanding of the knowledge and hard work that is required to succeed.”

Encouraging the students to always striving for excellence, Van der Merwe said nothing worthwhile in life comes cheap. “Be proud of what you have achieved and CPUT is also proud of you,” said Van der Merwe.

The GCM Certificate Programmes have been operating since 2004. For each course, students are required to finish five subjects in order to graduate at the end of the year.

GCM is introducing a new course next year titled Certificate in Applied Accounting.

One of the lecturers at GCM, Mbuso Tshaka, said: “2009 has been a very good year as we had brilliant students. They were highly committed and always had an imagination of things to the extent that they have arrived to this day.

“Our aim is to open a second stream of student recruitment within the Faculty of Business as that helps the students to get first time qualification in a form of a certificate in which we prepare them for the world of work.”

On 10 December 2009 GCM held another Certificate Award Ceremony, where 245 students were granted certificates.

The students received certificates for completing Assessor Training, End-user Computing, Event Coordination, Event Management, Even Organising Principles, Introduction to Project Management 1, Project Management 1, Public Relations 1, Tourist Guiding, Train the Trainer and Single Residential Property courses.

By Andiswa Dantile

Written by CPUT News
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No less than nine Masters (MTech) degrees and one doctoral (DTech) degree were conferred today in front of an exuberant audience at this year’s fourth and final Faculty of Business graduation ceremony.

A delighted Robertson Khan Tengeh not only received his doctorate in Public Management but also a standing ovation from dignitaries like Vice Chancellor L V Mazwi-Tanga, Dean of the Business Faculty, Prof Binza and guest speaker Ms Xoliswa Daku-Calana.

Daku-Calana is the CEO of DCI Holdings, a company focused on property development and strategic project management in the public sector.

She explained her recipe for certain success, including the importance of self-belief and forgetting negative thoughts and fear of failure.

She also spoke of the value of hard work and leaving nothing to chance, and most importantly – not expecting any hand-outs in achieving one’s goals.

Also honoured at the ceremony was Dean’s Medallist, Jennifer Katsch, who received her National Diploma in Event Management with an aggregate of 84.48% over her three years of study.

Graduation continues this evening on the Bellville Campus where the Faculty of Health and Wellness Sciences will confer certificates, diplomas, BTech and Mtech degrees on graduates in the Departments of Radiography, Dental Technology, Somatology and Emergency Medical Care, amongst others.

BY JAN WEINTROB

Written by CPUT News
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A determined graduate has overcome a mobility disability and other challenges to obtain his BTech: Public Management degree.

Andile Magqabi was capped on Wednesday during the Faculty of Business and Management Sciences’ graduation ceremony.

He is wheelchair-bound and became paralysed after surviving a shooting incident in Gugulethu in December 2015. He completed his diploma at CPUT in 2016 and says that’s when things changed completely.

Accessing facilities on campus was a challenge as some lecture rooms were not accessible by wheelchair.

“Nonetheless, there were friends and classmates who were willing to assist me,” adds the Alice-born graduate. “The lecturers were understanding and gave me additional time to complete assessments.”

He says his lecturers were very supportive of his academic development and general welfare. “They would give me time off to see doctors and email me lecture notes when I missed class.”

He also thanks the Disability Unit for assisting differently abled students by listening and attending to their concerns.

“CPUT taught me self-discipline, respect and meaning to the axiom that whatever you’re going through in life you’re not alone,” recalls the Sandenberg Residence’s senior student.

“I went to church for the first time here at CPUT and learnt that God is able and willing and that where there’s a will there’s a way.”

He thanks his parents and friends as well his lecturers Altee Whittaker and Dr Stan Cronje, who is a pillar of strength in Andile’s life and a parent not only to him but to the rest of the students.

He says differently abled students fear going to school because of the pressure to perform from able-bodied students and more can be done to make facilities accessible to wheelchair bound and visually-impaired students.

Written by Kwanele Butana
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