The FSEA Executive Board members and HR Directorate representatives during the workshop
Mrs Julia Sigama, Faculty Manager of Faculty of Science, Engineering and Agriculture
Opening the session, Mrs Julia Sigama, Faculty Manager, expressed her appreciation for the one-on-one capacity-building initiative and encouraged active participation from all attendees. She not-ed the importance of understanding HR matters in improving workplace efficiency and relations.
Prof Pascal Bessong, Research Professor, delivering welcome remarks
Representing the Executive Dean, Prof Natasha Potgieter, Prof Pascal Bessong stressed the importance of equipping staff with knowledge of HR policies and practices. He em-phasised that familiarity with these issues empowers staff to better manage workplace conflicts and contributes to a more effective and collaborative working environment.
Mr Kenneth Mphaphuli, Head Organisational Development and Training
Mr Kenneth Mphaphuli provided a detailed overview of the Organisational Develop-ment and Training Unit, focusing on its role in supporting individual and institutional per-formance. He highlighted three core areas: Learning and Development, Talent Manage-ment, and Performance Management and underscored the importance of aligning staff performance with the university’s strategic goals. He also advised Heads of Department (HoDs) to consult HR when planning new posts and emphasised that Performance Man-agement Systems (PMS) should be developmental tools, not punitive measures. While performance should be rewarded, the ultimate goal is continuous staff improvement.
Ms Velencia Maupye, presenting on the Transformation Unit’s initiatives
Ms Velencia Maupye expanded on the unit’s strategic role in institutional transformation and the development of the 2026–2030 Strategic Plan. She outlined key focus areas, including em-ployment equity, diversity, inclusion, and the Gender Desk. She stressed the unit’s respon-sibility in implementing employment equity policies and addressing gender-based violence (GBV) in the workplace in alignment with national higher education transformation efforts.
Mrs Lucette Muila, Head: Compensation
Ms Lucette Muila presented updates on the HR Payroll Project, stressing the close connec-tion between HR and the Compensation Department. She shared the 2020 remuneration policy, which is due for revision, and called for staff input during the review process. Ms Mui-la also discussed the Provident and Spouse Fund, encouraging staff to update their benefi-ciary nominations and verify monthly deductions. She urged all faculty members to down-load and compare their April and May pay slips to identify and report any discrepancies to HR.
Mr Victor Sigama, Head: HR Operations
Mr Victor Sigama, Head of HR Operations, delivered remarks on behalf of HR Di-rector Mrs Uanda Ndou. He affirmed HR’s commitment to supporting the uni-versity community and aligning its services with UNIVEN’s strategic goals.
Continuing with HR Operations, Mr Victor Sigama detailed the critical sup-port role of the HR Operations unit throughout the employee lifecycle. He out-lined core areas, including the HR Business Partner (HRBP) model, HR Informa-tion Systems (HRIS), Records Management, and the HR Administration Hub. He noted that the HRBP model is vital in connecting faculties and administrative depart-ments with the HR Directorate, ensuring responsive and strategic HR service delivery.
Mr Sigama further highlighted HR’s role as a change leader, employee advocate, and administrative expert. He provided updates on faculty staffing, including the appoint-ment of 40 part-time lecturers, two New Generation of Academics Programme (NGap) lecturers, and 190 demonstrators. He also mentioned outstanding HR issues such as finalising faculty board terms of reference, the appointment of HoDs, and the im-plementation of the staff plan. On automation, Mr Sigama showcased several digi-tised HR processes including e-Recruitment, salary advances, part-time claims, onboarding, remission of fees, and the online helpdesk. He also mentioned available digital resources such as the MIS portal, I-Enabler, HR dashboard, and HR website.
Adv Rudzani Makhema Head: Employee Relations
Advocate Rudzani Makhema concluded the presentations with a session on employ-ee relations, emphasising the importance of understanding the disciplinary code and managing grievances effectively. He guided faculty HoDs on how to handle com-plaints and resolve conflicts within their departments. Additionally, he reminded all staff members of the importance of adhering to the university’s code of conduct. He also highlighted the wellness programmes offered by HR to support staff well-being.
Dr Sphiwe Mhlongo, HoD: Earth Sciences
Delivering the vote of thanks, Dr Sphiwe Mhlongo praised the strong turnout and ac-tive engagement of participants, citing them as indicators of the workshop’s suc-cess. He expressed heartfelt gratitude to the HR team for their informative pre-sentations and to the Office of the Executive Dean for organising the session. Dr Mhlongo concluded by acknowledging the workshop’s contribution to strengthen-ing the role of HR in achieving the University of Venda’s broader strategic objectives.
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University of Venda
Tel: 082 868 2218 / 082 868 1811
