Facilities management course graduates celebrated by DCAS, CPUT

A group of municipal facilities management staff from around the Western Cape have been empowered to continue serving their communities, through a partnership between the Western Cape Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport (DCAS) and the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT).

The students completed a Facilities Management Short Course through the institution in 2020 and on Thursday 18 November 2021 they were recognized for their achievement at a graduation ceremony. Minister Anroux Marais, Head of Department Guy Redman and Chief Director Lyndon Bouah were in attendance to congratulate the recipients.

The course came about in 2014 as a result of a meeting between DCAS and CPUT and is the only accredited course to cover facilities and events management in South Africa. Dr Lyndon Bouah, the Chief Director for Sport and Recreation at DCAS, explained the importance of partnerships between government departments and tertiary education institutions, and the impact made by good facilities management.

“In 2008 the “Check Agreement” was signed by the premier at that stage, all the provincial heads of departments and the rectors of the various universities in the Western Cape. That agreement said that we as government will work with the tertiary sector to take better decisions. When the government takes decisions, we must have an informed basis. That informed basis must come from research, from the university sector. I’ve learned through the years that the town will prosper if the town and gown work together. The check agreement is an important document for us and what we are doing here today is a consequence of that agreement,” Dr Bouah said.

“When you open the national strategic sport and recreation plan, the first of seven strategic enablers listed is facilities. To get to an active and winning nation, you must have facilities. If we don’t have facilities you can’t have events, you can’t bid for the FIFA 2010 World Cup. Next year, September 2022, Cape Town Stadium will host of the Rugby Sevens World Cup for men and women, in October the World Hockey Masters will be happening at Hartleyvale and other venues in Cape Town, in 2024 the Tug of War World Cup will take place in Mossel Bay, and then we have also been granted the right to host the 2027 Cricket World Cup with Namibia and Zimbabwe. Those events could not be granted to us if we didn’t have correct facilities. Your facilities need to be top notch, world class to be awarded those type of events.” 

Minister Anroux Marais delivered the keynote speech at the ceremony and handed the graduates their certificates.

“It gives me great pleasure to join you at this auspicious occasion as we celebrate those who have completed the Facilities Management Course with CPUT. Through partnerships of this nature between CPUT, the Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport, the Western Cape Government and the various district municipalities, the province as a whole is enabled to safely move forward in events and facilities management, all of which is much needed in the current climate,” Minister Marais said. “Thank you to all involved, particularly the students, for uplifting the communities you all call home and improving on the management of the events and facilities across the province. It indeed does assist us in maintaining our status as the leading events province in South Africa.”

DCAS will continue to support this partnership to enable the province to continue offering world-class sporting facilities.