Department of Urban and Regional Planning

The Department is in the Faculty of Science, Engineering and Agriculture. The Department addresses the professional concerns of Urban and Regional Planning, linking knowledge and action in ways that improve public and private development decisions which affect people, places and the environment with a departmental focus on medium sized centres and rural development. These we do without neglecting to teach the core elements of urban and regional planning.

The restructured courses at the Department focus on a theoretical understanding of urban, regional and rural planning, practical and technical links with both urban and metropolitan areas, the immediate countryside and small town environments as the laboratories for study and studio exercises. The Department also maintains links with active professional planners in both public and private sectors through the regional chapter of the South African Planning Institute (SAPI). The Department aligns teaching and learning based on the recommendations emanating from SAPI, SACPLAN and Department of Rural development in terms of the Planning Professional act 36 of 2002.

Vision

To be the premier Planning School in Southern Africa leading in engaged scholarship that is responsive to socio-economic transformation problems facing local, regional, and international communities today.

Mission

By integrating creative, multidisciplinary, and community-driven solutions into planning practice, the Planning Department/School at the University of Venda offers students diverse opportunities to forge functional and intellectual linkage between theory and practice of knowledge and skills at all levels of urban and regional planning education.

The Department of Urban and Regional planning offers courses/modules leading to professional qualifications.

BURP (Bachelor of Urban and Regional planning). This is a four year full-time professional planning programme.

M.URP (master Urban and regional planning) a two year full time professional degree programme for graduates of environmental sciences, the built environment, economic and management sciences, social and behavioural sciences, and other relevant disciplines or equivalent training.

Ph D: a program of minimum duration of three years

Certificate and Diploma or Postgraduate diploma/certificates

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

BACHELOR OF URBAN AND REGIONAL PLANNING:

Matric passes at symbol E (HG) or D= 50% (SG) or 50% pass in NSC in Mathematics and Physical science, 60 in English and four of the following matric subjects at symbol D=50%(HG) or C=60% pass in NSC in: Accounting; Agricultural Sciences; Biology or Life Sciences; Economics; Geography; or Technical Drawing and a pass of 60%in Home Language and Life Orientation.

Expected Outcomes

The detailed modules and expected competencies are an outcome of inputs from guidelines for the Planning profession by the South African Council of Planners (SACPLAN)

The following critical skills are embedded and underpin all the critical outcomes:

• Problem definition, gathering information and proffering alternatives and collaborative problem solving.
• Written, oral and graphic communications.
• Understanding strategic and synoptic dimensions and the interconnections between different facets of planning.
• Aesthetic dimensions and design awareness.
• The use of information technology (CAD, GIS and the use of the Internet among others).

Furthermore, that the knowledge of a planner must encompass a sound theoretical and applied base of the following areas:

• The nature, purpose and method of planning.
• The environment and development.
• The political and institutional context of planning.

The Department of Urban and Regional Planning has taken into consideration and adopted the above SACPLAN discussion guidelines in the new course modules presented in the following pages.

Professional Ethics in Urban and Regional Planning (SACPLAN accredited)

Name: Dr Emaculate Ingwani
Designation: Senior Lecturer
Qualifications: B. Ed, PDPPM, MSC RUP, PhD Sociology
Affiliation: SACPLAN, SAPI, ZIRUP
Telephone: 0159628635
Email: Emaculate.Ingwani@univen.ac.za
Office: Environmental Sciences Building, 1^st Floor, GE-O4

Name: Tendayi Gondo
Designation: Lecturer
Qualifications: BSc (Hons), MSc, PGDip. HE
Affiliation: ZIRUP
Telephone: 0159628583
Email: Tendayi.Gondo@univen.ac.za
Office: Environmental Sciences Building, 1^st Floor, FO18

Name: Dr Frank Moffat

Designation: Lecturer
Qualifications : BURP, MURP (Distinction), PhD. URP
Affiliation: SACPLAN
Telephone: 0159628584
Email: frank.moffat@univen.ac.za
Office: Environmental Sciences Building, 1^st floor, F019

Name: Ms Shylet Nyamwanza

Designation: Lecturer
Qualifications: BURP, MURP, MSc DP
Affiliation: SACPLAN, SAPI
Telephone: 0159628592
Email: shylet.nyamwanza@univen.ac.za
Office: Environmental Sciences Building, 1^st floor, F027

Name: Tshivhase Funani
Designation: Lecturer
Qualifications: NDip TRP, BURP, MURP, M.GIS&RS, Adv.Cert. MUN-GOV, Cert. PROJ. MAN, Cert. Urban Sustainability
Affiliation: SACPLAN
Telephone: 0159628592
Email: Funani.Tshivhase@univen.ac.za
Office: Environmental Sciences Building, 1^st Floor, FO27

Name: Khwashaba Mmbulaheni

Designation: Lecturer
Qualifications: BSc URP, BSc (Hons) URP, MUS
Affiliation: SACPLAN
Telephone: 0159628485
Email: Mmbulaheni.Khwashaba@univen.ac.za
Office: Environmental Sciences Building, 1^st Floor, FO19

Name: Mr Brightnes Risimati

Designation: nGAP Lecturer
Qualifications: NDip TRP, BTech TRP, MTech, MURP
Affiliation: SACPLAN
Email: brightnes.risimati@univen.ac.za
Office: IPQA Building, Planning Studio 3, 104

Name: Mr Mushiana Victor Fulufhedzani

Designation: Senior Technologist
Qualifications: Cert. Arch Craftsmanship, NDip. Arch., Hons. Arch., M. Arch. and UD
Affiliation: SACAP, SAIAT, SAIBD
Telephone: 0159628053
Email: Victor.Mushiana@univen.ac.za
Environmental Science Building, 1^st Floor, F033

Name: Khwathisi Ntsieni Colins

Designation: Lab Technician
Qualifications: B.URP, M.URP
Affiliation: SACPLAN, SAPI
Telephone: 0159629813
Email: Ntsieni.Khwathisi@univen.ac.za
Office: IPQA Building, Studio 3, 14

Name: Sedzani Gracious Tshikunde

Designation: Junior Laboratory Technician
Qualifications: NDip. TRP, BTech. TRP.
Affiliation: SACPLAN
Telephone: 0159628053
Email: Sedzani.tshikunde@univen.ac.za
Environmental Sciences Building, 1^st Floor, FE10

Name: Ms Mashangu

Designation: Secretary
Qualifications: BBA (Hons)
Telephone: 015962 9213
Email: Azwidowi.Mashangu@univen.ac.za
Environmental Sciences Building, 1^st Floor, Seminar Room 1