Mandela University received four awards at the conference hosted by the University of the Western Cape in partnership with the Association of Colleges and University Housing Officers-international (acuho-i), with the theme "Role of the 4th Industrial Revolution in Higher Education".
In addition to the university as a whole winning the award for being the Greenest Campus, BSc Geoscience graduate Adelaide Musemesi won two awards, namely for Social Entrepreneurship and Community Outreach as well as Social Impact. Fourth-year Quantity Surveying student Mashapula Ragophala won the Green Ambassador of the year award (female student category) in South Africa.
The Green Campus Initiative seeks to advocate and raise awareness on green living and measures to take in terms of sustaining green living within campuses. The society was first introduced at Mandela University in 2011 after it was conceptualised during the United Nations climate change conference in South Africa.
Our university was also the first university to host the Green Campus Conference.
Staff members involved in the society include Student Housing’s Vuyiswa Mentile-Gozongo, Shirani Nhlangwini, Athabile Xuba and Infrastructure Services & Sustainability’s Dr Andre Hefer.
Green Campus Initiative (GCI) leaders, from left, Bathandwa Dywili (Laboria Residence House Committee member), Usanda Samela (Deputy Chairperson), Zamile Magocoba (Solomon Mahlangu Residence House Committee Member), Luvo Cakwebe (Chairperson), Sinegomso Xwayi (Secretary General), Mashapula Ragophala (Deputy Chairperson 2018) and Charles Makari (Events Coordinator).