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The Leading Women of Central University of Technology
Resolute to succeed as the new Registrar
By Kamogelo Seekoei
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New university Registrar, Dr Sally Dzingwa, taking on one of the most challenging roles of her career, yet being resolute to succeed.
The newly appointed Registrar of the Central University of Technology, Dr Sally Dzingwa, is determined to contribute positively to the strategic objectives of the institution. She was recently appointed by the university council replacing Dr Nothemba Mrwetyana who retired after 40 years of service in the higher education sector.
She admits that the sector is confronted with several unprecedented contestations, some are internal some external.
This has made her more resolute increase access to students and position the university as one of to the best producers of top graduates in the country.
“As the university’s Registrar, I look forward to working with everyone who aspires to grow the university, to being part of this strong leadership which is resolute on achieving CUT’s aspirations, ” says Dr Dzingwa.
“I am a resilient proponent of student success and so I would like to see CUT students taking advantage of their academic qualifications and being countered as entrepreneurs, employable graduates, and economic drivers in South Africa, ” she states.
Dr Dzingwa holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of KwaZulu-Natal; a Master of Administration in research, and a Doctor of Administration (PhD) both also from the University of KwaZulu-Natal.
She held two critical portfolios respectively at the Vaal University of Technology as Deputy Registrar for Enrolment Services from 2012 to 2018 and Senior Deputy Registrar for Strategic Enrolment Management between 2018 and 2021.
Her passion and love for the higher education sector inspired her to pursue a career in academics.
As a mother having to navigate work and study at the same time was difficult, however she was resolute, and extremely persistent in achieving her goals.
“I am results driven, so what motivates me is that one can’t give up because things are not bringing expected results, situations may be challenging even complex, therefore require some courageous reflection, readjustments, navigating those portholes, but we continue to take charge and keep going forward, ” concludes Dr Dzingwa.
Validating traditional medicine for modern use
By Kamogelo Seekoei
African indigenous medicines have throughout history received scorn, even though they are essentially the source of many boxed medicines we consume today. According to Dr Idah Tichaidza Manduna, who is a senior researcher in the Centre for Applied Food Sustainability and Biotechnology (CAFSaB) at the Central University of Technology, Free State, historically the use of plant medicines especially, was not taken seriously in some circles because most of the information was not written down as it was only passed down by oral tradition from generation to generation and because of the lack of scientific evidence of its efficacy.
“In fact, medicinal plants are the basis of modern drugs. For example, Aspirin was developed from the traditional use of the willow tree and many drugs used for cancer treatment are based on medicinal plants. Modern drugs evolved as people gained more understanding of the compounds found in the medicinal plants and their effects, ” she asserts.
At the CAFSaB her work gives credence to traditional medicines by providing scientific justification for the use of these medicines to treat disease. Through the involvement of scientific research and researchers such as Dr Manduna, this reputation has drastically diminished. Dr Manduna admits that she is proud advocate for indigenous medicines and vegetables.
She says these resources have been used by our people for generations and are part of our heritage. The mother and wife started her career as Cubatrained Biology teacher but later decided to focus on Botany and obtained an MSc in Botany (University of Fort Hare South Africa) and DSc in Botany from Colegio de Postgraduados (COLPOS, Mexico).
She has worked as a lecturer at Walter Sisulu University. The impact of her work has created enough common knowledge that now sees more people packaging indigenous plants and creating a market for them.
However, I have a number of concerns about this trend. The knowledge holders, the custodians of the knowledge or the resources do not always benefit from the boom in marketing of medicinal plants.
Blazing a trail In her sector
By Kamogelo Seekoei
It has been just over 30 years of service for this engineering trailblazer. From starting out as a training engineering technician in 1980s, Prof Lize Theron has come a long way in a male dominated industry.
For several years she was the only female lecturer and the first person to do it with a PhD in the civil engineering department at the Central University of Technology. If this does not set her apart then nothing does.
Today she is one of few women in the faculty –a good sign for the institution and the sector. She is also a conduit for postgraduate students wanting to follow her path having supervised a total of 15 students at varying levels of qualification. She is also the lead of the Soil Mechanics Research Group, which assess or investigate foundation problems, especially in RDP houses, due to heaving clays in the Free State.
It is for this research project that for there years in a row, Prof Theron received the J.E. Jennings award from the Geotechnical Division of the South African Institution of Civil Engineering between 2017 and 2019. A feat achieved by no one else.
“What a few people know about me is that I was one of the first group of students to enrol for the civil engineering diploma at the then TFS (Technikon Free State). I was also part of the first group to obtain my diploma and national higher dip. After I joined CUT I was first to obtain a MTech, as well the first lecturer with a PhD, only female lecturer in civil engineering department for about 20years, ” she says.
But this is not her highest honours; the awards she has received over the years are the actual accolades of her contribution to the industry.
Embracing women in science
By Kamogelo Seekoei
The imbalance between men and women in the science and technology sector is unlikely to be remedied unless organisations, schools and universities work together to change entrenched perceptions about the tech industry.
According to PwC, in South Africa the proportion of females to males who graduate with STEM-related (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) degrees is out of kilter. As a result, there is a significantly smaller pool of female STEM talent, restricting the potential of South Africa’s technology sector.
Dr Ritu Bhagwandeen, a chemistry lecturer at the Central University of Technology’s Welkom campus, has dedicated her life's work to assist in closing this gender gap. Although the science and technology sector has made advances to include women and embrace their contribution to the sector, she believes that more can definitely still be done.
Dr Bhagwandeen, who is also departmental manager; Mathematics, Science & Technology Education Welkom Faculty of Humanities, says although men and women bring their own uniqueness to the sector more can still be done to open up the sector for women.
She believes however that anyone coming into the sector should be ready to give it their all. “If you are a person who takes shortcut then this is not the sector for you. There is no easy route to achieving something. It takes dedication, discipline, drive and hard work and dignity, ” she declares. Dr Bhagwandeen reveals that her aspirations for the sector is seeing young people being trained in science and technology.
“For me it goes beyond just bringing women into the sector, it is about bringing young minds. It is really immaterial which gender makes a contribution to the sector because each gender brings their uniqueness to the table, ” she says.
Dr Bhagwandeen is originally from India and was one of eight children in her family and says a women’s independence and education were held in high regard by her academic parents.
“We were taught that a woman has to be educated and independent so that is important for me. As a woman once you have studied you should be financially and emotionally independent. You must not depend on a man to do things for you, ” she asserts.
We believe that we can neither achieve our Vision 2030 without advancing the development of women at CUT, nor build the future we want without their full participation in leadership positions. For this reason, we strongly believe in empowering and encouraging women to step up and occupy leadership positions.
Prof. Henk de Jager Vice-Chancellor and Principal
