CPUT BTech Surface Design student was recognised as one of South Africa’s promising up-and-coming designers when she was awarded the first runner up prize for her throw design at the second annual House and Leisure Green Designers at Woolworths Competition.

House and Leisure magazine and Woolworths joined forces to sponsor this competition, which highlights ecofriendly design techniques across a variety of products.

For a seven-month period, House and Leisure featured the creations of students from various tertiary design institutions and the final products were displayed at their stand at the Design Indaba Expo that was held at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC) from 26 to 28 February 2010.

On 25 February 2010, the winners were announced from a group of 10 finalists and Nandi’s was the only design selected from the throw category.

Students from seven different design schools were given the task of taking green prototypes from conceptualisation to creation and also to source appropriate manufacturers to help them create their products.

Nandi, who hails from the Eastern Cape town of Cofimvaba heard about the competition last year from her lecturer, Elna Lubbe, who used the competition as a third year class assignment.

The CPUT students were mentored by Melissa Kerkhoff, owner of Lula Fabrics.

Seeing this rare opportunity, Nandi said she decided to apply her mind and focus on her love of textiles in this project, which took several months to complete.

When asked what inspired her original handmade design, she said: “I took my cultural roots into consideration and researched the design techniques of the Xhosa people”.

Using the smocking sewing technique, she interpreted geometric diamond shape, typically found in Xhosa clothing and jewellery to create her throw made from an undyed cotton blend fabric.

The colours of the threads used in the throw also have a symbolic meaning of growth (green), wealth (red) and maturity (yellow) in the Xhosa tradition.

Nandi shared that she is passionate about recycling and using natural products.

“I am very conscious of the effect that manufacturing has on the environment, so I want to focus on creating functional designs that are reusable,” said Nandi.

Along with the other top three winners, Nandi walked away with an Apple MacBook computer, a R1000 Woolworths gift voucher and will have her throw manufactured and sold at selected Woolworths stores throughout the country.

Currently, Nandi is participating in a three-month internship programme at Woolworths Homeware Department, where she is mentored on several design projects by Paul Duncan (head of homeware) and Lynne Harris.

She completes the programme in April and is also working on manufacturing her product through a community-based organisation, Learn to Earn in Khayelitsha, which teaches skills that unemployed people can use to create a small business.

Her BTech thesis research topic will focus on designing homeware products inspired by Cubism from recycled wood.

By Thando J. Moiloa

Photograph (left) An elated achiever, Nolwazi Nandi, BTech Surface Design student at CPUT (right) The prize-winning throw design, inspired by the indigenous Xhosa design style

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The CPUT Hotel School recently made a mark on the culinary world with the inclusion of their unique recipes in a rooibos-inspired cookbook.

The cookbook, titled A Touch of Rooibos, received a bronze award for best cookbook in the world and was also voted the best single subject cookbook in South Africa at the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards in Paris, France, earlier this year.

The cookbook was published by the Rooibos Company Limited and offers over 100 original recipes from fourteen of South Africa’s leading chefs, with four CPUT chefs having contributed their original recipes.

The chefs ranged from professional restaurant chefs to culinary lecturers who were selected for their shared passion for local cuisine and local ingredients.

Rooibos Ltd., whose head offices are located in Clanwilliam in the Cedarberg region of the Western Cape Province where the rooibos plant grows abundantly, approached the Hotel School two years ago for to get the chefs involved in recipe development for the book.

The CPUT chef team, comprising culinary lecturers Mariette Hattingh, Nina Septoe, Sarah Withey, Clinton Bonhomme and Executive Sous Chef for the Hotel School Jerome Peters was then selected and tasked with the job of developing rooibos inspired recipes.

Some of the contributing chefs already had their own rooibos recipes, but most contributors took up the challenge of developing new recipes especially for the book.

“We were each given a liberal brief to develop a recipe, like a starter, main course, beverage or dessert that uses rooibos tea as an ingredient, so that gave us the freedom to be original with our creations,” said Mariette Hattingh, a pastry chef who submitted a malva pudding recipe.

The aim of the book was to promote the cooking versatility of rooibos tea and inspire new culinary creations, while placing an emphasis on the tea’s health and wellness benefits.

This compilation has a wide variety of recipes and styles that makes can be used for special occasions and preparing everyday meals.

Hattingh added: “Working on this project has been very inspirational and rewarding for me and I’ve started using rooibos more often in my cooking. There’s nothing that can’t be made with rooibos.”

Hattingh has also been featured twice in the culinary slot of the Afrikaans lifestyle programme Pasella on SABC 2 and uses the rooibos recipes in her teaching practice.

A Touch of Rooibos is available locally both in English and Afrikaans and has even been adapted for the international market, where rooibos tea is gaining popularity as one of the country’s biggest exports.

The book is also due to be exhibited later this year in a special exhibition of food and wine books from South Africa, and all other countries of the African Continent at the Cape Town Book Fair.

By Thando J. Moiloa

Photograph: The CPUT culinary team (from left) Nina Septoe, Jerome Peters and Mariette Hattingh

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The Public Relations Management (PRM) academic Department at CPUT is taking integrated learning to a new dimension by adopting a cutting-edge style to experiential learning.

One such experiential learning project is an in-house PR agency called STREAMLINE, which was recently launched by the PRM Media Studies Office.

“The concept of the agency is in keeping with the trend to integrate the academic understanding of PR and that of industry,” said Monique Boucher, who is setting up the project as a Graduate Assistant within the Media Studies Office.

Boucher obtained her BTech degree in Public Relations Management cum laude from the institution while working as the assistant to the head of the PRM department, Prof Johann van der Merwe.

According to Boucher, the idea for the agency came through casual chats with Marian Pike, Senior Lecturer: Media Studies, while working at CPUT last year.

An idea was mentioned in one of the PR BTech classes of a university in the USA that structured their final year of PR study as an in-house agency/consultancy. This prompted Pike and Boucher to think about developing an agency think-tank.

The idea was then adopted by the PRM department and Boucher was asked to set up the agency and make it a viable experience from which students can benefit.

Last year, she set up PR Chatbox, a blog site for PR students, graduates and staff. Boucher also manages the PR students’ and graduates’ Facebook group and regularly updates the PR Chatbox link on the popular social networking site Twitter.

“We select our clients based on CPUT’s Social Responsibility Index programme development and community needs,” Boucher said.

“We are also motivated to keep up with industry trends and feed these back into the PRM programme to benefit of our department and students,” she added.

Some of the main projects that the agency is involved in include JAG Rugby, a non-profit organisation that brings rugby to children in underprivileged communities, for whom they are developing a social media strategy.

In addition, the agency facilitated a limited number of PR students to conduct market research for a business feasibility study in Franschhoek.

STREAMLINE invites committed PR students with a sound academic record to apply for positions as PR Assistants for the agency on a volunteer basis.

This mentorship opportunity in practical PR activities will allow students at all levels to improve their skills and graduate with relevant and holistic industry related experience.

To find out more about STREAMLINE, visit www.streamlinepr.wordpress.com or email Monique Boucher at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

By Thando J. Moiloa

Photo The STREAMLINE Office Team: (left to right) Monique Boucher, Graduate Assistant, Jade Snyman, third year PRM student intern; Rifqah Abrahams, Junior Lecturer: Media Studies and Marian Pike, Senior Lecturer: Media Studies

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A student in Architectural Technology at CPUT, Marla Bekondo Plunkett, was recently awarded a study grant for an architectural drawing that he submitted for the Georgian Group Architectural Drawing Prize 2008.

The awards were presented by HRH The Prince of Wales at a ceremony at the Ritz Hotel, Piccadilly, United Kingdom on 26 November 2008.

The competition is organised annually by the Georgian Group, a London-based British charity founded in 1937 to preserve Georgian buildings, monuments and landscapes.

The 2008 event was held conjunction with The Prince’s Drawing School and the Traditional Architecture Group of the Royal Institute of British Architects, to celebrate the Georgian Group’s patron HRH The Prince of Wales’ sixtieth birthday. Competition entries were exhibited at Fitzroy Square in London during the week leading up to the Prince’s birthday.

Hailing from Cameroon, Plunkett was encouraged to enter the competition by his History of Architecture lecturer John Samuels, who noticed Plunkett’s talent during coursework practicals.

Plunkett’s submission, the only entry from CPUT, was submitted for the competition in September 2008 and was amongst ten finalists to be shortlisted and subsequently to receive the title of ‘commended entry’.

Overall, out of over 240 entries received, Plunkett was the only international student architect to be placed fifth in the amateur measured drawing category.

The entrants, being professionals and students alike, had to sketch the exterior or interior of an existing Georgian building.

For the purposes of the competition, the term ‘Georgian building’ referred to architectural structures that were completed in the period 1660 to 1840.

The building chosen as the subject of Plunkett’s series of drawings was an old municipal building in Tokai, one of Cape Town’s Southern Suburbs.

According to the Georgian Group, the aim of the architectural drawing competition is to promote and reward excellence in technical drawing and to encourage a close study and understanding of Georgian buildings.

The competition was open to British subjects and to all citizens of the British Commonwealth, British Overseas Territories, Crown Dependencies and the USA under 40 years of age.

The Architectural Technology course offered at CPUT aims to equip students with independent technological innovations, researching skills and the capability to perform professional architectural services in technology, design and management in the public and private sectors of the built environment.

To learn more about the Architectural Technology course at CPUT, contact the Faculty of Informatics and design at +27 +21 460 3136.

By: Thando J. Moiloa, Department of Marketing and Communication

Photographs: Architectural Technology student Marla Bekondo Plunkett; HRH The Prince of Wales examines one of the competition entries.

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CPUT recently hosted a one-day seminar at the Bellville campus IT Centre with the aim of gathering a number of local entrepreneurs to share the challenges they faced when starting up their now-successful businesses.

The workshop, titled Beyond the Starting Blocks, took place on Wednesday, 13 May 2009 and was a collaborative effort between CPUT, Stellenbosch University and the University of Cape Town (UCT).

This regional workshop, was funded by the Innovation Fund, and is part of the National Innovation Challenge (NIC) Student Business Plan Competition. It was co-ordinated locally by George Mvalo, Manager: Institutional Transformation and Diversity, who was the Project Manager on behalf of CPUT.

The Innovation Fund is an instrument of the national government Department of Science and Technology (DST) established in 1999 for the funding of innovative science, engineeringand technology development programmes and is managed on behalf of the DST by the National Research Foundation (NRF).

To open the seminar, Dr Andrew Bailey, who is joint Project Manager on behalf of the University of Cape Town and Intellectual Property (IP) Manager for Research Contracts and IP Services in the Research and Innovation Department at UCT, started off proceedings with a welcome and introduction. He explained the purpose of the day’s discussions and highlighted the main aim of “giving young entrepreneurs insight into starting and maintaining a successful business”.

Guest speakers included Dr Greg Starke (DISA Vascular), Dr Justin Devine (Synexa Life Sciences), Ali Brey (Hot Platinum (Pty) Ltd – a spin-off of a UCT/CPUT’s research project) and Retief Krige (Retief Krige Industrial Designers CC), who each gave inspirational and engaging presentations to the group, detailing their challenges from drawing up a sound business plan; finding reliable interested funders; patenting one’s idea/product to developing new concepts and products for the changing market.

One of the greatest outcomes of the day was the information sharing that took place between experts and amateurs in the business arena, with many young entrepreneurs finding mentors amongst the panel members.

Working hand-in-hand with the government, the Innovation Fund aims to improve the lives of South Africans by helping anyone with ideas for technological innovation to enter the business world and contribute to its positive growth.

The Innovation Fund is mandated to promote technological innovation through investing in late - stage research and development, Intellectual Property protection and commercialisation of novel and inventive South African technologies.

Annually, the National Innovation Challenge (NIC) hosts the Student Business Plan Competition which presents tertiary students – particularly those with a keen interest in entrepreneurship – with an opportunity to present their unique and innovative technological business concept to a panel of experts to be judged.

The most outstanding ideas submitted will then have the opportunity to be researched, developed, showcased and ultimately commercialised through the Innovation Fund.

Some of the criteria used to judge the entries include how the student originated the business idea; whether the idea is marketable; where would the entrepreneur obtain financial support and would the business service/product be sustainable in a changing economy?

To find out more information on the National Innovation Challenge, visit the Innovation Fund’s site at http://www.innovationfund.ac.za , the CPUT NIC sign-up site at http://active.cput.ac.za/nic or contact the Office of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research, Innovation and Technology on 021 959 6203/6242.

By: Thando J. Moiloa

Photo: George Mvalo of CPUT (second from left) with the Joint Project Managers and guest speakers at the NIC workshop.

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The Faculty of Informatics and Design has officially launched its new Master of Business Systems (MBS) programme at CPUT.

This innovative systems management qualification will be formally introduced this year as part of the reviewed curriculum and will be a joint degree programme with Germany ’s Hochschule Wismar University of Applied Sciences, Technology, Business and Design.

The official launch function was co-hosted on 13 July 2009 by CPUT Vice-Chancellor Prof Vuyisa Mazwi-Tanga and Prof Dr Norbert Gruenwald, Rector of Wismar University, at the Roeland Street Campus in Cape Town .

The MBS launch was also attended by Jorg-Werner Marquart, Consul General of the Federal Republic of Germany and other representatives of Wismar University.

During the rest of the week, MBS students attended a series of informative lectures and discussions outlining the programme.

The decision to collaborate with Wismar University was the result of a discussion between Prof Mazwi-Tanga and Prof Dr Roger Silberberg who acts as the project co-ordinator for Innovation Africa, the research-oriented organisation which promotes innovation by creating partnerships between companies and institutions.

Prof Dr Silberberg began his presentation with an explanation about the need for the new management qualification, where the qualification fits into the business environment and what it is supposed to achieve.

He stated that the qualification aimed to address challenges faced by businesses worldwide such as expansion, balancing global aspirations and local needs, maintaining proper quality standards and ensuring sustainability.

Prof Dr Gruenwald went onto expand on the co-operation agreement between CPUT and his institution, whereby students would spend a semester at Wismar University being exposed to a high level of practical research of proven business systems, which can then be applied in industry on their return to South Africa .

According to Dean of Informatics and Design Prof Johannes Cronje, it is intended that the MBS will provide both a local and an international perspective, backed by a substantial research effort undertaken by both institutions.

“We expect our graduates to make a significant contribution to their organisations, their communities and to the country,” Prof Dr Silberberg concluded.

By Thando J. Moiloa

Photo: Attending the MBS programme launch were (from left) Prof Anthony Staak (CPUT Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Academic); Prof Vuyisa Mazwi-Tanga (CPUT Vice-Chancellor); Prof Dr Roger Silberberg (Innovation Africa); Representative from Wismar University of Technology, Business and Design, Germany; Prof Johannes Cronje (Dean of Informatics and Design Faculty, CPUT); Prof Dr Norbert Gruenwald (Rector: Wismar University of Technology, Business and Design) and Jorg-Werner Marquardt (Consul General of the Federal Republic of Germany).

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CPUT, in conjunction with the South African Technology Network (SATN), recently hosted the second SATN Annual Conference from 15 to 17 July 2009 at the University’s Bellville Campus.

The conference, themed ‘ Technological Innovation at Universities in South Africa: Towards Industrial and Socio-Economic Development,’ covered a variety of issues pertaining to Universities of Technology (UoTs) and included an address by Minister of Science and Technology Naledi Pandor.

SATN was established in 2005 by CPUT, Central University of Technology (CUT), Durban University of Technology (DUT), Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) and Vaal University of Technology (VUT). Some of its objectives are to promote the development of national education and training policies, to advance the mobility and employability of UoT students and to endorse academic quality by building strong UoTs.

Forming an integral part of this year’s two-day conference programme was an exhibition by the network of UoTs and industry representatives from different disciplines, professional levels and provinces.

The exhibition was officially declared open by Prof Roy du Pré (SATN Chairperson and DUT’s Vice-Chancellor). In his opening address, Prof du Pré outlined the purpose of the conference and touched on the ‘place and role of UoTs in the Higher Education Sector’ both locally and globally.

CPUT Vice-Chancellor Prof Vuyisa Mazwi-Tanga delivered a warm welcoming address, speaking of the importance of “celebrating positive gains” made by the UoTs in the Higher Education Sector and making use of such gatherings to benchmark CPUT with other similarly oriented and structured institutions.

One of the most prominent guest speakers, Minister of Science and Technology Naledi Pandor, delivered a riveting address on the topic of merging, developing and strengthening ties between UoTs in the sector and government through structures like the National Technology Innovation Agency.

The Minister also emphasised that institutions should also be ready to produce a high level of technically skilled graduates that will contribute to developing technologies locally to benefit our economy and society at large.

Among the keynote speakers were Judy Backhouse (Director: Monitoring and Advice, Council on Higher Education), Dr Engela van Staden (Director: Strategic Management Support, TUT), Dr Tamara Wanker (Senior Policy Advisor: International Affairs, Netherlands Association for Universities of Applied Sciences), Hans Hoving (HBO Council), Prof Dr Ulrich Holzbaur (Aalen University of Applied Sciences) and Dr David Phaho (CEO: Tshumisano Trust).

The conference ended with the launch of the second edition of the SATN academic journal, with an informative address from Dr Steve Ehrmann (Vice-President, The TLT Group, Washington DC).

For more information about SATN programmes and initiatives, visit the SATN website at http://satnonline.net.

To view Minister Pandor's SATN conference address, click here.

By Thando J. Moiloa

Photo: (clockwise) Science and Technology Minister Naledi Pandor greets students from SATN member Central University of Technology at their institution's exhibition stand; Prof Roy du Pré (SATN Chairperson and DUT Vice-Chancellor), stands alongside Minister Naledi Pandor and CPUT Vice-Chancellor Prof Vuyisa Mazwi-Tanga; Prof Roy du Pré formally declares the exhibition open; Visitors view the CPUT F’SATI stand at the exhibition.

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The CPUT Green Team, mentored by Student Development Officer Annette Grobler, recently completed a successful beach clean-up in support of the national Earth Hour 2010 campaign.

The Green Team’s exercise took place at Strandfontein Beach near Muizenberg on 27 March 2010 in an effort to contribute to improving the marine environment by clearing beach pollution.

The Earth Hour campaign is an annual initiative supported by the World Wildlife Foundation (WWF) that encourages communities, towns and cities to turn off their lights for one hour sending a powerful message on the impact of global climate change.

The Green Team, headed by a third-year Environmental Management student Kombole Chiyana, is in its second year of operation and all its initiatives are supported by the institution’s Green Forum chaired by Leanne Seelinger, an Environmental Management lecturer.

It was established as a part of the students’ interest in preserving the environment and contribution to reducing the carbon footprint, in keeping with the WWF’s mandate.

On the day, the group of about 30 students from various disciplines and levels of study collected over 40 bags mainly containing plastic derived products, in spite of the rain.

During the exercise, Chiyana was able to demonstrate to the group how the litter affects the environment and how anyone can apply practical solutions to the growing pollution problem, such as recycling items made from plastic, glass and paper.

According to Grobler, “Beach pollution is a global environmental problem that threatens the wildlife and inhibits the natural cycle of development of marine life.”

She added: “The recent increase in density of large debris stranded on South African beaches is a major cause for concern, and plastic makes up a majority of the debris found on our beaches.”

Grobler mentioned that the group will be embarking on a number of new projects in the coming months, such as starting a worm bin that will produce compost to be sold, and the profits will be ploughed back into more green initiatives.

Other activities include planting trees on the Bellville campus in support of Arbor Week in September and arranging mountain hiking route clean-ups later this year.

Those wishing to get involved in Green Team activities can contact Anette Grobler at 021 460 3499 or e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

By: Thando J. Moiloa

Photograph: Members of the Green Team tackle the litter on Strandfontein Beach in support of Earth Hour 2010.

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Last month, libraries across the CPUT campuses commemorated South African Library Week along with other members of the Library and Information Association of South Africa (LIASA).

From 16 to 21 March, libraries throughout the country held activity-based celebrations in order to promote library and information services under the theme: “Access for all @ your Library”.

This theme expresses the human right that all should have access to expressions of knowledge, creativity and intellectual activity, and be able to express their thoughts in public.

The week-long commemoration is an important date on the national calendar when all types of libraries across the country use the period to highlight the role that libraries play in a democratic society.

Elvira Lottering, Transactions Librarian at the CPUT Bellville campus library said their aim for this year’s commemoration was to, “show our users that we care and to promote a culture of reading among them”.

This was successfully achieved by the generous book donation of over 1000 academic and non-academic titles received from a partnership with Van Schaik Publishers.

The books were handed out to students over the course of the week.

Lottering said: “Students are amazed that we were actually giving books away. One student was so surprised. He asked me several times if we were really giving the books away for free. This was the general reaction from our users – disbelief, amazement and gratitude”.

The South African Library Week 2009 was officially launched at the Bessie Head Library in Pietermaritzburg, hosted by the Kwa-Zulu Natal Branch of LIASA.

LIASA’s vision is to celebrate a truly national Library Week, which would embrace all types of libraries and all kinds of users and potential users.

In 2001, LIASA initiated a drive to have the week recognised by government as a commemorative period on par with other important days, when all types of libraries across the country would use it to market their services to the community.

A year later, South African Library Week was adopted as part of the national commemorative and public holiday calendar.

The week within which 20 March falls is celebrated as South African Library Week and the date was selected to correlate to the establishment of the South African Public Library, now known as the National Library of South Africa (based in Cape Town), and proclaimed by government on 20 March 1818.

South African Library Week is now a fixture on the country's national calendar of commemorative days.

By Thando J. Moiloa

Photo: Circulation Librarian Ms Nombeko Mashiya and elated students who received donated books from Van Schaik Publishers during Library Week commemoration

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CPUT Libraries welcomes its new Director, Dr Elisha R.T. Chiware.

Before joining CPUT, Dr Chiware was a senior lecturer in Library and Information Science, focusing on Information Technology at the University of Namibia.

He was previously Library Director at Chinhoyi University of Technology and Senior Systems Librarian at Africa University both in Zimbabwe.

Chiware has also worked as an Assistant Librarian at both the Universities of Zimbabwe and Botswana.

Hailing from Zimbabwe, Chiware completed his primary education in his birth country and obtained his A-Levels in the United Kingdom, before returning to the University of Zimbabwe to graduate with a BA degree in Political Science and Economic History.

Having sparked his love for education, Chiware went onto to obtain a Masters degree in Library Science (Indiana University, Bloomington, USA) and more recently his PhD in Information Science (University of Pretoria).

When asked what the vision of his new challenge that lay ahead, Chiware expressed that he wanted to focus on “efficient and effective service delivery and the growth of the CPUT Libraries into a world class library and information service.”

Chiware added, “The merger provides a rare opportunity to build a diverse library and information service which, if managed effectively, can be the bedrock of a sound technological university education at CPUT and in the country.”

“Furthermore I want to see CPUT library staff grow and realise their potential through university-wide information delivery projects and engage in focused library service delivery research activities.”

But more importantly, Chiware emphasised that he wishes to see the “information resource base (both in print and electronic) grow to meet the teaching, research and learning needs of all the faculties and departments in the university.”

Dr Chiware has close to twenty published articles, conference papers and proceedings, references in industry books and edited books.

He has also served on the editorial board for the Journal of Information Technology for Development and has reviewed articles for the International Journal of Library and Information Science.

In addition, Chiware has taken on consultancy work for projects across the SADC region and abroad.

By Thando J. Moiloa

Photo: CPUT Libraries Director Dr Elisha R.T. Chiware.

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From 7 to 18 September 2009, the staff and Peer Educators of the HIV/AIDS Unit hosted the year’s second Voluntary Counseling and Testing Campus Drive.

For this VCT Drive, a new site was added to the campaign, namely Athlone Western Cape Nursing College. Other sites participating in the VCT drive included Cape Town, Bellville, Mowbray, Granger Bay and Tygerberg Campuses as well as various student residences.

VCT campus drives are done in collaboration with a service provider (in this case Action Against AIDS) who provides the nursing personnel, lay counselors and test kits.

They are funded by the Provincial Department of Health.

The HIV/AIDS Unit collaborated with the Campus Clinic to whom clients who tested positive were referred and the Student Counseling Service which provides interns and standby psychological services for crises situations.

A total 1,306 clients were counseled for the HIV test of which 1302 were tested for HIV (99.8%).

The recent VCT Drive showed a marked increase in the number of staff members who were tested for HIV. This staff increase for the HIV test can be attributed to the HIV/AIDS Unit’s initiative of introducing the workplace Peer Education Programme where the VCT campus drive was marketed by staff Peer Educators.

Dr Ashraf Mohammed, Director of the HIV/AIDS Unit, said: ""The success of this VCT Campus Drive if we would have received an extra bonus if there would have been an increase in male uptake for VCT.”

By Thando J. Moiloa and the HIV AIDS Unit

Photo: A student is tested, after receiving professional counseling, during the VCT campus drive at the Cape Town campus student centre

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On 20 August 2009 the CPUT chapter of the Golden Key International Honour Society was officially launched at with the induction of over fifty new members at an evening ceremony on Bellville Campus.

CPUT is the first University of Technology (UoT) in the country to become a member of this non-profit international academic honour society, with the Central University of Technology, Free State launching its chapter in 2010.

CPUT is also one of three other provincial member institutions, namely the Universities of Stellenbosch, Cape Town and the Western Cape, who hosted their new member induction ceremonies earlier that week.

Golden Key South Africa’s Director, Charlene Günter, was present at the ceremony, along with national Chapter Relations Officer Hope Khoza, who recognised both honorary and new members on the night.

Also in attendance was Anda Bici, a member of the CPUT’s Central Student Representative Council who was instrumental in bringing the idea to the attention of the Dean of Students and Alumni Office.

Günter welcomed the guests and shared vital information to inductees, such as application for the new executive committee and receiving correspondence or electronic updates.

During the ceremony the Golden Key Chapter awards were announced with Theunis Botha, a BTech: Engineering graduate now studying towards an MTech qualification, receiving an accolade for his outstanding academic achievements.

Student Affairs and Services Transformation Manager Sam Henkeman and Alumni Officer Nandipha Madadasana were also awarded honourary life-time memberships to the Society, due to their pioneering work in successfully launching the CPUT chapter.

Another heart-warming story was that of Miriam Owusu Sekyere, an international MTech: Oncology Nursing student, whose family travelled from Ghana to celebrate this milestone with her.

Henkeman then went onto read the Golden Key Charge, a pledge of commitment to service and leadership for newly inducted ‘key holders’.

According to Henkeman, the newly formed chapter creates the prospect of turning the tide for CPUT’s undergraduate students to excel academically and obtain international scholarship opportunities.

“It also opens a door to corporate partnerships for the institutions, where experiential learning and co-operative education can take place,” he added.

Golden Key’s local partners include corporations like Rand Merchant Bank, Sasol, Investec, BMW, Unilever and the Public Investment Corporation.

This ceremony formally marks the inception of the CPUT chapter, which entitles the institution to select two representatives to form part of the local chapters’ delegation at the 2010 Golden Key International Conference in Salt Lake City, USA.

The conference affords delegations with an opportunity for cultural exchange, where each country hosts a presentation highlighting the unique work that their chapters are involved in.

The Golden Key initiative is the result of a partnership between the Transformation and Diversity Office and the Alumni division of the Advancement Office and was embarked upon to acknowledge and reward academic excellence amongst the top 15% of undergraduate CPUT students.

At CPUT, the Golden Key initiative forms part of a bigger student-driven project under development that is aimed at creating a better sense of belonging, unity and developing an ethos among members of the campus communities.

Presently, Golden Key has over 300 chapters at institutions of higher learning across seven countries and boasts national representation with chapters in four out of South Africa’s nine provinces.

By: Thando J. Moiloa

Photo: (top right) Director of Golden Key South Africa Charlene Gunter, Student Affairs and Services Transformation Manager Sam Henkeman and Chapter Relations Officer at Golden Key South Africa Hope Khoza.(bottom) The new 'key holders' gather for a group photo after the ceremony.

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The world renowned Golden Key International Honour Society is due to be launched at CPUT in the third quarter of 2009.
The CPUT chapter will acknowledge and reward academic excellence among the top 15%of the university’s BTech and postgraduate students.

Golden Key, founded in the USA over 30 years, is one of the world’s largest academic honour societies. CPUT is the country’s first University of Technology to join this prestigious group.

Membership of the Society is by invitation only. The Society includes students in all fields of study and is based solely on an objective evaluation of the students’ academic achievements, with the primary goal being to enable members to realise their potential. The initiative is being co-ordinated by Transformation Manager Sam Henkeman and Alumni Officer Nandipha Madadasana, who will act as the University’s Golden Key chapter advisors.

In preparation for the launch, a preliminary information session was held on Cape Town Campus on 26 May 2009 in order to inform shortlisted students about the benefits of accepting the invitation to the Society.

After being welcomed by Madadasana, the students were addressed by Golden Key South Africa’s Johannesburg-based Director Charlene Günter, who explained the purpose of the Society and answered student questions. Henkeman closed the session and the Dean of Students gave thanks to those who had attended.

The Golden Key initiative forms part of a bigger student driven project being developed, which is aimed at creating a sense of belonging, unity and developing a common identity among members of the CPUT community.

To date, the Golden Key Society has over 370 chapters at colleges and universities in seven countries including the USA, South Africa, Australia, Canada, Malaysia, New Zealand and United Arab Emirates.

In South Africa there are chapters at the University of Cape Town , Stellenbosch University , University of the Free-State, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University , Rhodes University , University of Pretoria , University of Johannesburg and the University of the Witwatersrand .

Governed by an international Board of Directors, the Society offers more than $500,000 annually in scholarships and awards to its members, along with a variety of other opportunities, both in the academic and career fields.

A number of Golden Key chapters are involved in a wide variety of volunteer projects in their local communities such as Habitat for Humanity, Terry Fox Run, Make a Difference Day and various literacy service opportunities.

The Society’s membership stretches beyond academic recognition. Some of the offered benefits include graduate career assistance, scholarships, an online career centre, as well as leadership, community service and networking opportunities.

Golden Key South Africa is also an institutional member of the International Education Association of South Africa (IEASA) and an affiliate member of the South African Graduate Recruiters Association (SAGRA).

By Thando J. Moiloa

Photo: Attending the Golden Key preliminary information session, along with the shortlisted student achievers, were (third from left to sixth from left) Alumni Officer Nandipha Madadasana, Transformation Manager Samuel Henkeman, Charlene Günter of the Golden Key International Honour Society and Dean of Students Cora Njoli-Motale.

Written by CPUT News
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Popular regional radio station Good Hope FM recently visited CPUT as part of their search to find a ‘Radio DJ Champ 2010’.

CPUT students were encouraged to come and audition for the position of Radio DJ Champ, which includes a year-long contract to co-host a radio show with Ebrahiem Inglis, better known to listeners as ‘Ebi I’.

The competition auditions, which drew many students’ attention and were well attended, kicked off on 18 and 19 February 2010 at the Bellville Campus and concluded on 15 and 22 February 2010 at the Cape Town Campus.

Criteria for entrants included them having a broad general knowledge, a radio-friendly voice; being able to articulate, having a sense a humour, being able to take a stand, expressing a personal opinion and being able to defend and share their own views.

A major draw-card for the large crowds was renowned breakfast DJ Nigel Pierce and his colleague DJ Ready D, who acted as Good Hope FM judges.

On the first day of auditions, entrants participated in an open mic session. Judges then chose selected students who returned on day two to test their ad-libbing ability.

Journalism student Graeme Rauberheimer won the auditions for the Bellville campus and Nosipho Tisani, a Public Relations Management student, came first at the Cape Town auditions.

The comments from the judges were that they chose Rauberheimer for his natural appeal behind the microphone. Tisani was selected for her exuberance, clear voice and originality.

The Good Hope FM team visited the University of Cape Town, Stellenbosch University and the University of the Western Cape during the two-week long competition which concluded on 26 February 2010.

All finalists will attend a series of workshops in March, where they will acquire radio presenting skills and receive individual voice coaching as part of the development programme.

The finalists from each campus will get an opportunity to co-host a show with Ebi I before the judges choose an overall winner.

By Thando J. Moiloa

Photo: CPUT Students attend the Cape Town Campus leg of the Good Hope FM Radio DJ Champ 2010 competition.

Written by CPUT News

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