Congratulations to the SoCEE Prize giving awardees!
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"..the prize giving ceremony is a celebration of the diligence and hard work of our students"
On Wednesday evening, 20 August 2025, the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment held its annual Prize Giving Ceremony in The Great Hall.
The Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Research & Innovation, Professor Lynn Morris, gave the welcome and opening address. She mentioned that Professor Anne Fitchett, Retired Honorary Associate Professor in the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Wits (SoCEE), was one of two winners in the Engineering Research Capacity Development category of the prestigious NSFT-South32 awards.
The Dean of the Faculty, Professor Thokozani Majozi, in his address, mentioned that the ceremony is a celebration of the diligence and hard work of our students.
The Master of Ceremonies, Ms Sandra Maape, engaged the audience, successfully kept the event running smoothly and ensured the programme was followed. She asked the audience to join her in the following war cry:
- Sandra: “Witsies!”
- Awardees’ response: "We are the best!";
- Sandra: “What do we do?”
- Awardees’ response: "We achieve!"
The keynote speaker, Dr Thulani Dlamini, CEO of Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), addressed the prize-winners, their families, staff members and sponsors. Dr Dlamini emphasised a phrase from the popular movie Dead Poets Society, "Carpe Diem" ("Seize the day"), to remind the awardees that they too can change the world.
The awards for the SoCEE were presented by the Head of School, Professor Adesola IIemobade.
Prize-winners also had the opportunity to take photos on stage with the sponsors in attendance, listed below:
- Sibusiso Hlatswayo (Chryso Siant-Gobain)
- Ms Mevashnee Naidoo (Knight-Piésold)
- Thabo Hlabela (Institute of Municipal Engineering of South Africa, IMESA)
- Dr Jean van Laar (Integrated Post Graduate Industry Partnership, IPGIP)
- Ms Mathapelo More and Mr. Kobus van der Merwe (The South African Institution of Civil Engineering, SAICE).
The school expresses its gratitude to our generous sponsors.
| Monty Thovhakale - SoCEE winner with the most prizes | |
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Our Schools’ 2024 prize-winners are:
Kagiso Moima
Desmond Midgley-Knight Piésold Prize for Hydrology for the third-year student with the highest mark in the Hydrology course
Kagiso Moima
Chryso Prize in Construction Materials for the third-year student with the highest mark in the Construction Materials course
Akhanani Mbiyake
IMESA Prize in Infrastructure Engineering for the third- year student with the highest mark of in the Transport Engineering course
Bettina Köstlin and Mathebe Bopape
Chryso Prize - Investigation Project in Cement and Concrete Materials Engineering for the two final-year students in the Investigation Project in Cement and Concrete Materials Engineering course with the highest mark
Bettina Köstlin, Mathebe Bopape, Siphumelele Qithi and Thabo Sibiya
SAICE Structural Division Engineering Prize for the four most outstanding final-year Civil Engineering Design Project students, specializing in Structural Engineering
Abubakar Amisi
SAICE Integrated Resource Management Prize for the final-year Civil Engineering student with the highest mark in the Integrated Resource Management course
Lizo Khuzwayo and Mathapelo Mabulana
The Alan Kemp Prize for Innovation in Structural Engineering for the two final-year students with the highest mark in the Investigational Project in Structural Engineering course.
Bandile Makha and Monty Thovhakale
Mathews / Integrated Post Graduate Industry Partnership (IPGIP) Award for the two most outstanding final-year students in the Civil Engineering Investigational Project course.
Tinashe Musada
Jere Jennings Prize in Civil Engineering for the first-year Civil Engineering student with the highest Weighted Average Mark.
Malwande Magwaza
Jere Jennings Prize in Civil Engineering for the second-year Civil Engineering student with the highest Weighted Average Mark.
Nyasha Chikomwe
Jere Jennings Prize in Civil Engineering for the third-year Civil Engineering student with the highest Weighted Average Mark.
Professor Majozi, delivered the vote of thanks, expressing his gratitude to everyone who made the event a success.