Department of Urban and Regional Planning

Faculty of Science, Engineering and Agriculture
Contact Details
Head of Department
Dr J Chakwizira
Phone: +27 15 962 8585
Email: james.chakwizira@univen.ac.za
About Us
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

The Department of Urban and Regional Planning (DURP) focused on teaching and future to its initiatives towards addressing the issues of planning in a predominantly rural setting, the Limpopo and Mpumalanga Provinces.

The Department devises planning with a bias to rural/countryside planning as opposed to its generalist coverage of planning as a discipline. We believe that the department would best approach this paradigm shift through research centred on the catchment area. i.e. the Limpopo and Mpumalanga Provinces of South Africa.

We foresee the evolution of a Development Planning Consultancy Wing tied in with the overall interests of the School of Environmental Sciences (through the Environmental assessment and advisory Unit) and the university at large. 

Mission

The department offers problem-orientated. Project designed programme which are designed to provide students who wish to pursue career in the built environment with specific focus on urban and regional planning. Students are exposed to physical, economic, social and political forces that shape urban and rural communities.

The programme explores the role of communities, local and national governments as well as the activities of no-governmental and international agencies in the process of development and land use and the impact of these on sustainable use of resources and the environment. The ultimate goal of the programme is to forge functional and intellectual linkage between theory and practice (knowledge and skills) at all levels of planning education.

Programmes
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.

Modules
The Department of Urban and Regional Planning offers the following modules:

Year 1Year 2
Semester 1Semester 2Semester 1Semester 2
URP 1541

URP 1540 (STUDIO)

ERM 1541

URP 1641

MAT 1649

URP 1640 (STUDIO 2)

ERM 1641

URP 2542

URP 2543

URP 2544

ERM 2541

URP 2641

URP 2643

URP 2644

URP 2645

ERM 2641

ECS 1541ECS 1646
ANY 2 OF:

GEO 1520

SOC 1541

PAD 1541

ECO 1541

ANY 2:

GEO 1620

SOC 1541

PAD 1641

ECO 1641

ANY 1 OF:

ECO 2541

PAD 2541

SOC 2541

GEO 2541

ANY 1 OF:

ECO 2641

PAD 2641

SOC 2641

GEO 2641

TOTAL 13 MODULES TOTAL: 11 MODULES 
Year 3Year 4
Semester 1Semester 2Semester 1Semester 2
URP 3544

URP 3545

URP 3546

URP 3548

URP 3644

URP 3645

URP 3646

URP 3647

URP 3648

URP 4740

URP 4541

URP 4542

URP 4544

URP 4644

URP 4648

CHOOSE 1CHOOSE 1CHOOSE 1CHOOSE 1
ERM 3541ERM 3641URP 4543

URP 4545

URP 4546

URP 4641

URP 4642

URP 4647

TOTAL: 09 MODULESTOTAL: 08  MODULES
Short Courses
COURSE TITLE
COURSE LEADER
DURATION
Basic Spatial Planning and Land Use Management

 

Prof Bikam and Mrs Akola
5-day period
Research Methodology (and Report Writing)

 

Mr Gondo and Dr Ingwani
5-day period
Integrated Development Planning for Local Government

 

Mr Makumule and Prof Bikam
5-day period

 

 Project Planning and Management

 

Dr Ingwani and Mr Makumule
5-day period
Rural Development Planning
Mrs Akola
 

5-day period

 

 Integrated land use transport planning

 

Dr James Chakwizira
5-day period
The following is a list of staff in the department of Urban and Regional Planning

Name:MrFulufhedzani VictorMushiana
Designation:Senior Technologist
Qualification:NAT (TECHNIKON NORTHERN GAUTENG), BA (FOREIGN PSE INSTITUTIONS)
Telephone:0159628053
Email:victor.mushiana@univen.ac.za
Office:ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES BUILDIG Building, Office Number, Floor Number


Name:MrThiathu DarrylManenzhe
Designation:P/Time Lect In Urban And Regional Planni
Qualification:MAD (UNIVERSITY OF PRETORIA)
Telephone:0159628000
Email:thiathu.manenzhe@univen.ac.za
Office:ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES BUILDIG Building, Office Number, Floor Number


Name:MrMasala ThomasMakumule
Designation:P/Time Lect In Urban And Regional Planni
Qualification:DIP (UNIVERSITY OF VENDA), BA (UNIVERSITY OF VENDA), BAHON (UNIVERSITY OF VENDA), MSC (UNIVERSITY OF WITWATERSRAND)
Telephone:0159628000
Email:thomas.makumule@univen.ac.za
Office:ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES BUILDIG Building, Office Number, Floor Number


Name:MrNtshengedzeniTshishonga
Designation:P/Time Lect In Urban And Regional Planni
Qualification:MTRP (UNIVERSITY OF PRETORIA), BURP (University of Venda Production)
Telephone:0159628000
Email:ntshengedzeni.tshishonga@univen.ac.za
Office:ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES BUILDIG Building, Office Number, Floor Number


Name:MrMaphari ChristopherMudau
Designation:P/Time Lect In Urban And Regional Planni
Qualification:BJUR (University of Venda Production), LLB (UNIVERSITY OF WITWATERSRAND)
Telephone:0159627594
Email:christopher.mudau@univen.ac.za
Office:ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES BUILDIG Building, Office Number, Floor Number


Name:MissShudufhadzo GodliveMukwevho
Designation:P/Time Lect In Urban And Regional Planni
Qualification:BSC (UNIVERSITY OF VENDA)
Telephone:0159628000
Email:shudufhadzo.mukwevho@univen.ac.za
Office: Building, Office Number, Floor Number


Name:Dr.EmmaculateIngwani
Designation:Lecturer In Urban & Regional Planning
Qualification:DIPEDU (FOREIGN PSE INSTITUTIONS), PDIP (FOREIGN PSE INSTITUTIONS), BED (FOREIGN PSE INSTITUTIONS), MSC (FOREIGN PSE INSTITUTIONS), DPHIL (UNIVERSITY OF STELLENBOSCH)
Telephone:0159628000
Email:emaculate.ingwani@univen.ac.za
Office:ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES BUILDIG Building, Office Number, Floor Number


Name:MrTendayiGondo
Designation:Senior Lecturer In Land Sur, Remote & Pl
Qualification:PDIP (UNIVERSITY OF STELLENBOSCH), MSC (FOREIGN PSE INSTITUTIONS)
Telephone:0159628000
Email:tendayi.gondo@univen.ac.za
Office:ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES BUILDIG Building, Office Number, Floor Number


Name:DrJamesChakwizira
Designation:Prof/Associate/Senior Lecturer
Qualification:DPHIL (University of Venda Production), MPHIL (FOREIGN PSE INSTITUTIONS)
Telephone:0159628585
Email:james.chakwizira@univen.ac.za
Office:ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES BUILDIG Building, Office Number, Floor Number


Name:MrBrightnesRisimati
Designation:Professor Regional And Urban Planning
Qualification:NAT (UNIVERSITY OF JOHANNESBURG), BPROC (UNIVERSITY OF JOHANNESBURG), MTRP (UNIVERSITY OF JOHANNESBURG)
Telephone:0159628000
Email:brightnes.risimati@univen.ac.za
Office:ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES BUILDIG Building, Office Number, Floor Number


Name:MrsAzwidowiMashangu
Designation:Typist Grade I / Clerk Grade Ii
Qualification:DIP (COLLEGE OF VOCATIONAL STUDIES), DIPMAN (SOUTHERN BUSINESS SCHOOL), BBA (SOUTHERN BUSINESS SCHOOL), BADHON (SOUTHERN BUSINESS SCHOOL)
Telephone:0159628000
Email:azwidowi.mashangu@univen.ac.za
Office:ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES BUILDIG Building, Office Number, Floor Number


Name:MrFrankMoffat
Designation:Lecturer
Qualification:MSC (UNIVERSITY OF VENDA), BSCHON (UNIVERSITY OF VENDA), PHD (UNIVERSITY OF VENDA)
Telephone:0159628000
Email:frank.moffat@univen.ac.za
Office: Building, Office Number, Floor Number


Name:MrsShylet AnesuNyamwanza
Designation:Lecturer
Qualification:MSC (UNIVERSITY OF VENDA), BURP (UNIVERSITY OF VENDA)
Telephone:0159628000
Email:Shylet.Nyamwanza@univen.ac.za
Office:ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES BUILDIG Building, Office Number, Floor Number


Name:MissSedzani GraciousTshikunde
Designation:Junior Laboratory Techinician
Qualification:NAT (UNIVERSITY OF JOHANNESBURG)
Telephone:0159628000
Email:Sedzani.tshikunde@univen.ac.za
Office:ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES BUILDIG Building, Office Number, Floor Number


Name:MrNtsieni ColenKhwathisi
Designation:Technician
Qualification:BSHONA (University of Venda Production), MTRP (University of Venda Production)
Telephone:0159628000
Email:ntsieni.khwathisi@univen.ac.za
Office: Building, Office Number, Floor Number


Skip to content