Department of Occupational Therapy People
Head of Department
Position: Head of Department
Qualifications: PhD(UWC), MPH (UWC), PGDip HPEL (FPD) & BSc OT (UWC)
Email: tmthembu@uwc.ac.za
Tel: 021 959 9340
Publications: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=o-HGKpkAAAAJ&hl=en
Biography
Prof Thuli Godfrey Mthembu is the first Black Head of the Department of Occupational Therapy at the University of the Western Cape. He is an Associate Professor in the Department of Occupational Therapy within the Faculty of Community and Health Sciences at the University. He holds a BSc in Occupational Therapy, a Master’s degree in Public Health, a Postgraduate Diploma in Health Professions Education and Leadership, and a Doctorate from the University of the Western Cape. His doctoral research explored how spirituality and spiritual care can be integrated into Occupational Therapy education.
After graduating, Prof Mthembu completed his community service year as an occupational therapist at Shongwe Hospital. He remained at the same hospital, where he eventually became Chief Occupational Therapist. During his time there, he worked across various departments, including medical, surgical, paediatrics, junior, neonatal, and the Outpatient Department. He also provided occupational therapy services as part of community outreach and home visits, contributing to the strengthening of Primary Health Care. Prof Mthembu joined the University of the Western Cape in February 2011 as a lecturer, teaching undergraduate students in areas such as chronic diseases, trauma, healthcare ethics, and occupational therapy for older adults and individuals across all stages of development.
Currently, he teaches second-, third-, and fourth-year undergraduate students, as well as supervising postgraduate students. His research interests include spirituality and spiritual care, vulnerable youth, older adults with chronic diseases, occupational legacies in families, aging and resilience, and youth development. His recent work focuses on the social transformation of youth Not in Education, Employment, or Training (NEET). Prof Mthembu has established strong international collaborative research partnerships with colleagues from the USA, Norway, Belgium, and Malawi. In 2018, he became a Fellow of the Sub-Saharan Africa FAIMER Regional Institute (SAFRI). He has been the recipient of both the National Research Foundation’s Thuthuka Grant (2015) and Black Academics Advancement Programme (BAAP) funding (2018), which have supported the development of his research profile. He has published numerous articles in accredited national and international journals and has been invited as a guest speaker at various local and international conferences and symposia.
Prof Mthembu draws inspiration from his own lived experiences, often sharing with students and colleagues: “If I did it in life, you can do it, as long as we work together and lift each other.” He believes that everyone has the potential to work hard, and that no matter how difficult life may be, we can strive for better outcomes through willingness and connection as social and occupational beings.
Qualifications: PhD(UWC), MPH (UWC), PGDip HPEL (FPD) & BSc OT (UWC)
Email: tmthembu@uwc.ac.za
Tel: 021 959 9340
Publications: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=o-HGKpkAAAAJ&hl=en
Biography
Prof Thuli Godfrey Mthembu is the first Black Head of the Department of Occupational Therapy at the University of the Western Cape. He is an Associate Professor in the Department of Occupational Therapy within the Faculty of Community and Health Sciences at the University. He holds a BSc in Occupational Therapy, a Master’s degree in Public Health, a Postgraduate Diploma in Health Professions Education and Leadership, and a Doctorate from the University of the Western Cape. His doctoral research explored how spirituality and spiritual care can be integrated into Occupational Therapy education.
After graduating, Prof Mthembu completed his community service year as an occupational therapist at Shongwe Hospital. He remained at the same hospital, where he eventually became Chief Occupational Therapist. During his time there, he worked across various departments, including medical, surgical, paediatrics, junior, neonatal, and the Outpatient Department. He also provided occupational therapy services as part of community outreach and home visits, contributing to the strengthening of Primary Health Care. Prof Mthembu joined the University of the Western Cape in February 2011 as a lecturer, teaching undergraduate students in areas such as chronic diseases, trauma, healthcare ethics, and occupational therapy for older adults and individuals across all stages of development.
Currently, he teaches second-, third-, and fourth-year undergraduate students, as well as supervising postgraduate students. His research interests include spirituality and spiritual care, vulnerable youth, older adults with chronic diseases, occupational legacies in families, aging and resilience, and youth development. His recent work focuses on the social transformation of youth Not in Education, Employment, or Training (NEET). Prof Mthembu has established strong international collaborative research partnerships with colleagues from the USA, Norway, Belgium, and Malawi. In 2018, he became a Fellow of the Sub-Saharan Africa FAIMER Regional Institute (SAFRI). He has been the recipient of both the National Research Foundation’s Thuthuka Grant (2015) and Black Academics Advancement Programme (BAAP) funding (2018), which have supported the development of his research profile. He has published numerous articles in accredited national and international journals and has been invited as a guest speaker at various local and international conferences and symposia.
Prof Mthembu draws inspiration from his own lived experiences, often sharing with students and colleagues: “If I did it in life, you can do it, as long as we work together and lift each other.” He believes that everyone has the potential to work hard, and that no matter how difficult life may be, we can strive for better outcomes through willingness and connection as social and occupational beings.
Academic and Administrative Staff
Position: Professor
Qualifications: BSc.OT (Wits); MSc.OT (UCT; PhD (UCT)
Email: lwegner@uwc.ac.za
Tel: 021 959 9340
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9415-119X
Biography
Prof Lisa Wegner is Emeritus Professor in the Department of Occupational Therapy at the University of the Western Cape. She has 33 years of experience as an academic and occupational therapy educator. After graduating from the University of the Witwatersrand, Prof Wegner worked as a clinical occupational therapist at Lentegeur Hospital for several years. She then took up a position at UWC in 1992. Currently she supervises postgraduate students and engages in research. Her research targets social transformation of vulnerable youth and focuses on adolescents and youth at risk, risk behaviour and resilience, positive youth development, and leisure engagement. She is a C2-rated researcher with the National Research Foundation of South Africa and has published her work in scientific journals and books, and presented at international and national conferences. Prof Wegner is inspired by her work with young people to shape them as future occupational therapists and change agents in society. She believes in a positive mindset, creating win-win opportunities, learning from one’s mistakes and being a life-long learner.
Qualifications: BSc.OT (Wits); MSc.OT (UCT; PhD (UCT)
Email: lwegner@uwc.ac.za
Tel: 021 959 9340
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9415-119X
Biography
Prof Lisa Wegner is Emeritus Professor in the Department of Occupational Therapy at the University of the Western Cape. She has 33 years of experience as an academic and occupational therapy educator. After graduating from the University of the Witwatersrand, Prof Wegner worked as a clinical occupational therapist at Lentegeur Hospital for several years. She then took up a position at UWC in 1992. Currently she supervises postgraduate students and engages in research. Her research targets social transformation of vulnerable youth and focuses on adolescents and youth at risk, risk behaviour and resilience, positive youth development, and leisure engagement. She is a C2-rated researcher with the National Research Foundation of South Africa and has published her work in scientific journals and books, and presented at international and national conferences. Prof Wegner is inspired by her work with young people to shape them as future occupational therapists and change agents in society. She believes in a positive mindset, creating win-win opportunities, learning from one’s mistakes and being a life-long learner.
Position: Postgraduate Coordinator
Qualification: BSc OT, MPH, PGD Disability studies, PhD Email: lhess@uwc.ac.za Tel: 021 959 3929
Qualification: BSc OT, MPH, PGD Disability studies, PhD Email: lhess@uwc.ac.za Tel: 021 959 3929
Biography
Prof Lucia Hess-April has 25 years of experience as an academic at UWC. She taught different modules at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels as well as inter-professional modules. She also mentor students in research at honour’s, master’s and doctoral levels. Her academic identity is shaped by my professional experience and research in learning and teaching with a focus on social justice and social responsiveness, critical disability studies and community-based rehabilitation. She is recognised as an experienced occupational therapy educator and academic and regularly accept invitations as external examiner for undergraduate and postgraduate students across the universities in South Africa and participated in organising and planning continued professional development activities for the Faculty of community and Health Sciences, The Department of Occupational Therapy and Occupational Therapy Association of South Africa (OTASA), and act as reviewer for several scientific journals.Position: Lecturer
Qualifications: MSc OT, BSc OT
Email: tdutoit@uwc.ac.za
Tel: 021 959 9519
In June 2022, she was accepted into the scholarship programme - New Generations of Academics Programme (nGAP) – offered by the Department of Higher Education at the University of the Western Cape (UWC). She is conducting her PhD research on: “Developing a framework for the transition into employment within the open labour market for persons with mild and moderate intellectual disability in South Africa”. She has worked in the NGO sector for most of her working career within the field of mental health.
Her experience lies within project management, programme development, national disability-related training, training course development and developing innovative initiatives within the mental health field. She believes that OTs are well positioned and appropriately skilled to play pivotal roles in a variety of different contexts, including non-traditional OT roles, to make a meaningful and impactful difference in the lives of others.
She wishes to see the employment landscape change in South Africa to become more inclusive of persons with intellectual disability and hopes to make meaningful research contributions towards this end.
Qualifications: MSc OT, BSc OT
Email: tdutoit@uwc.ac.za
Tel: 021 959 9519
Biography
Taryn du Toit is a lecturer within the Department of Occupational Therapy at the University of the Western Cape in Cape Town, South Africa.In June 2022, she was accepted into the scholarship programme - New Generations of Academics Programme (nGAP) – offered by the Department of Higher Education at the University of the Western Cape (UWC). She is conducting her PhD research on: “Developing a framework for the transition into employment within the open labour market for persons with mild and moderate intellectual disability in South Africa”. She has worked in the NGO sector for most of her working career within the field of mental health.
Her experience lies within project management, programme development, national disability-related training, training course development and developing innovative initiatives within the mental health field. She believes that OTs are well positioned and appropriately skilled to play pivotal roles in a variety of different contexts, including non-traditional OT roles, to make a meaningful and impactful difference in the lives of others.
She wishes to see the employment landscape change in South Africa to become more inclusive of persons with intellectual disability and hopes to make meaningful research contributions towards this end.
Position: Lecturer Qualifications: BSc.OT (UCT), NDT (Basic & Paediatrics), MECI (UP), PhD (UWC) Email: alswart@uwc.ac.za Biography Dr Aziza Kalam is a lecturer and supervisor at the Department of Occupational Therapy at the University of the Western Cape (UWC) in Cape Town, South Africa since September 1998. She holds a master’s degree in Early Childhood Intervention from the University of Pretoria and a PhD from UWC entitled: The design and implementation of an occupation-based community development programme with women in a low socio-economic community, to address their health-risk factors for NCDs. Dr Kalam’s professional experience and teaching focus on Neurodevelopmental techniques and Paediatrics.
Position: Lecturer Qualifications: BSc.OT (UWC); M. ECI (UP); PhD candidate (UWC) Email: ffirfirey@uwc.ac.za Tel: (021) 959-3930 Ms Farhana Jaffer is a Lecturer in the Department of Occupational Therapy at the University of the Western Cape. After graduating from the University of the Western Cape, Ms Jaffer worked as a clinical occupational therapist in both the private and public sector. She began supervising UWC OT students in 2004 with her main focus on psychiatry. She has taught undergraduate students in the areas of psychiatry and mental health, groups, human occupation and activity analysis. Ms Jaffer is currently engaged in her PhD with the focus on Learning and Teaching.
Position: Lecturer
Qualifications: BSc Occupational Therapy Degree (UWC), a MA in Early Childhood Intervention (UP) and a BA Honours in Psychology (UNISA)
Tel: +27 21 959 3155
Email: tbell@uwc.ac.za
Her passion in Occupational Therapy is in Mental Health across all ages and students’ professional and personal development.
Qualifications: BSc Occupational Therapy Degree (UWC), a MA in Early Childhood Intervention (UP) and a BA Honours in Psychology (UNISA)
Tel: +27 21 959 3155
Email: tbell@uwc.ac.za
Biography
After graduating, Teneil Bell worked in various private practices until she started working for the UWC OT department in 2009. She was appointment as a permanent lecturer in 2011. She is a lecturer with the department and specialises in mental health. She is also involved in fieldwork modules for senior students as well as the Fieldwork Support Class and mentoring project.Her passion in Occupational Therapy is in Mental Health across all ages and students’ professional and personal development.
Position: Lecturer Qualification: BSc.OT (UWC) and MSc.OT candidate (UWC) Tel: +27 21 959 3151 Email: mealexander@uwc.ac.za
Biography
Megan Alexander is an Associate lecturer in the Department of Occupational Therapy at the University of the Western Cape. She is currently in the process of completing her Masters degree in the area of community development. The title of her masters theses is: Exploring how being a beneficiary of charity may facilitate occupational choice and decision making: a critical ethnography. After graduating from the University of the Western Cape, Megan Alexander worked within a hand and upper limb rehabilitation private practise, servicing N1 city hospital as well as Vincent Pallotti Hospital. Here she worked with people from all ages who sustained hand and upper limb injuries ranging from amputations, neurological injuries and fractures. While based at Vincent Pallotti Hospital she also worked in the sub acute setting mostly with orthopaedic related clients. Megan was also the Occupational Therapist representative within the multidisciplinary amputations clinic at Chin and Partners private practise, one of the largest orthotic and prosthetic practices within South Africa. In the year 2020, she took up a teaching post in the module Trauma and Disease within a contract position at the University of the Western Cape and joined the department within a permanent position in mid 2020. In this new position she adopted the role of the community development and community engagement representative within the department. Here she connects, nurtures and maintains new, and existing community relationships with various organisations and stakeholders. Currently she is teaching within the areas of community development, human occupation, and occupational therapy with adolescents and older adults, health promotion and within fieldwork supervision across 3rd and 4th year students. Megan Alexander is inspired by the hope found in generations of new developing Occupational Therapists with novel ideas and fresh perspectives to inform and transform the occupation and our country. She believes that each individual has something valuable to contribute and that all experiences pleasant and unpleasant, are opportunities for personal growth and learning. She believes that students need to be provided with a safe and engaging learning environment where they are encouraged to question, and challenge situations in order to develop their own critical thinking abilities. She believes in working together as a community, as a village always uplifting and supporting each other in the spirit of Ubuntu.Position: Lecturer Qualifications: B.OT, M.OT, PhD Candidate (SU) Email: alswart@uwc.ac.za Biography Alicia Swart is a lecturer in the Department of Occupational Therapy within the Faculty of Community and Health Sciences at the University of the Western Cape. She has extensive experience and a strong clinical foundation within the field of adult neurology and spinal cord injury rehabilitation with the focus of improving client’s participation in their chosen occupations. She completed her Master’s degree via course work focused on work practice. Her research focus includes remote work for persons with spinal cord injuries discussed through an occupational justice lens. She is further interested in re-envisioning patient education programmes in clinical setting, moving towards co-creation and experiential learning to improve health education and occupational engagement among clients with SCI. Her work has been presented nationally and internationally. Alicia is a PhD candidate at Stellenbosch University and her focus is on clinical documentation and the link to evidence-based interventions within interdisciplinary rehabilitation. In her clinical practice, working in diverse settings across South Africa, she has coordinated several impactful clinical and operational projects focused on improving continuity of care for service users and improve support structures for clinicians. She is actively involved in professional development and standing committees within the field. Alicia is passionate about the nuanced approach and unique contribution that occupational therapy offers in physical rehabilitation and its broader impact on individuals and communities.
Position: Administration Assistant Qualifications: National Diploma Management Assistant (North link College); Project Management (CPUT); ADM (UWC); PGDIP (UWC) Tel: +2721 959-9349 Email: nmhamhi@uwc.ac.za
Biography
Nomawabo Mhamhi is an Administrative Assistant in the Department of Occupational Therapy at the University of the Western Cape. She started working in the education sector in 2009. After graduating from college, she worked at False Bay College as a Senior Administration Clerk for several years doing student registration and managing the examination process. She started working for the University of the Western Cape in May 2019, as an Administrative Assistant in the Occupational Therapy Department. She engages with students in fieldwork, assisting them with audio-visual requirements, using video cameras, editing video clips for them and assisting them with preparing well for their examinations. She also assists with the registration process and general departmental administration including managing student records. She really likes her job as it makes her feel happy to serve students in preparing for their future careers.Position: Postgraduate Studies Administrator Tel: +27121 959 3647 Email: mwarner@uwc.ac.za
Position: Administrative Officer Qualifications: ADM (UWC) Email: slhaupt@uwc.ac.za Tel: 021 959 3151 Biography Sandy-Leanne Van Eeden is an experienced Administrative Officer in the Department of Occupational Therapy at the University of the Western Cape. With over 15 years of administrative expertise in the higher education sector, she plays a pivotal role in ensuring the smooth operation of departmental activities, supporting both academic staff and students. Known for her efficiency, professionalism, and attention to detail, Sandy-Leanne has received formal recognition for her outstanding contribution to academic administration and her consistently positive attitude. Her commitment to service excellence and her deep understanding of university processes make her an invaluable member of the department.
