Professor LenkaBula encourages Western Cape students during registration

Students awaiting assistance in the registration queue at the Unisa Cape Town Campus were surprised and excited when the university’s Principal and Vice-Chancellor (VC), Professor Puleng LenkaBula, and the acting Registrar, Professor Moloko Sepota, paid an impromptu visit. They formed part of the delegation who were in Cape Town from 20 to 24 January to attend the Management Committee Lekgotla. While the Lekgotla was based at an external venue, it was  decided that it was imperative that part of the programme be conducted at the regional office.

Prof LenkaBula, Unisa Principal and Vice-Chancellor, and Motale Nkgoang, Regional Director, engaging with RSRC Chairperson Nomfundo Khumalo

According to Sepota, this decision was motivated by a desire to meet and greet regional colleagues. He also stated that it was important for the university management to be familiar with the regional facilities and to “gain first-hand experience of what staff members and students experience  on a daily basis”.

LenkaBula and Sepota made time to engage with students waiting to be served in the registration queue. The VC had a brief engagement with each student and offered words of encouragement and motivation, especially to those  pursuing their tertiary studies for the first time.

Upon the management delegates’ arrival at the campus, they were enthusiastically welcomed by the newly appointed regional director, Motale Nkgoang, and members of the Western Cape regional choir. The choir performed two songs, “Avulekile amasango” and “Mveli-ngqangi”. According to Zukiswa Maduna, chairperson of the choir, these songs were chosen for their spiritual context. “They symbolise blessings, divine access to the creator and calling to God asking him to be present in all we do,” Maduna explained.

The meaning behind the songs was not lost, as the VC noted after the performance that the delegation was not just welcomed with a song but also a prayer. She further stated that “this prayer was an invitation for us to work collectively, to contribute to our country, to build this university and to ensure that we provide the best opportunities and education for our students and ourselves, and to contribute to society for the better”. She expressed heartfelt gratitude and appreciation on behalf of herself and the delegation.

“It was a great honour to host the Unisa Lekgotla at the Western Cape Region,” said Nkgoang. “Having senior managers of the institution visiting our office was remarkable, as it was engaging and transformative”. Furthermore, he stated that the delegation’s presence “highlighted the power of direct interaction, inspiring and fostering connections with students and staff” and that the VC’s interaction with students demonstrated her genuine interest in their academic journey,  exemplifying Unisa’s commitment to student-centredness.

* By Vicky-Lee Lee Shew, Communication Officer, Western Cape Region