In a proud achievement for the Tshwane University of Technology (TUT), environmental scientist and Faculty of Science lecturer, Dr Cathy Dzerefos, has been awarded the prestigious 2025 Richard Watmough Magaliesberg Conservation Fund by the Mountain Club of South Africa (Magaliesberg Section). The award celebrates her groundbreaking, community-driven efforts to advance environmental and water stewardship within the Magaliesberg Biosphere Reserve.
Named in honour of the late Dr Richard Watmough - an esteemed entomologist and lifelong member of the Mountain Club - the fund supports initiatives that uphold his legacy of protecting the Magaliesberg’s ecological and cultural heritage.
Dr Dzerefos’ project exemplifies TUT’s commitment to Moving from Good to Great by integrating science with cultural knowledge and grassroots participation. Her work embodies the university’s strategic pillar of Community Engagement, which aims to improve education, quality of life and socio-economic development through meaningful collaboration with local communities.
Dr Cathy Dzerefos, has been awarded the prestigious 2025 Richard Watmough Magaliesberg Conservation Fund by the Mountain Club of South Africa (Magaliesberg Section)
Despite being recognised as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, the Magaliesberg faces mounting environmental pressures from mining, urban sprawl, deforestation, water contamination and a shortage of environmental education. In response, Dr Dzerefos has partnered with traditional healer Dr Ephraim Cebisa Mabena to offer a culturally-informed and inclusive solution.
The project seeks to document environmental conditions and community practices at sacred natural sites across a corridor from Mamelodi to Rustenburg Kloof, including Majakaneng Kloof, Barnardsvlei, and the Kgaswane Mountain Reserve. Dr Mabena will facilitate dialogues with traditional healers, church groups, and holy water collectors, examining how spiritual traditions can support sustainable environmental practices.
Utilising a participatory model, Dr Mabena interprets environmental challenges through a cultural and spiritual lens, identifying sacred ecological signs and recommending context-specific responses. Dr Dzerefos ensures rigorous ethical oversight, documentation, and the development of educational tools that can inform land use policy and ecological literacy at local and national levels.
The project, officially launched on 16 June 2025 at Mamelodi Mountain, marked by the symbolic planting of a Dovyalis caffra (Kei apple), was attended by respected scholars Professor Jane Carruthers and Vincent Carruthers, along with representatives from local partners such as WESSA, Magaliesberg Biosphere NPC, Word of Motive, and the Majakaneng Rangers in Mission.
“This project is about restoring our relationship with nature and reawakening a sense of reverence for our sacred landscapes,” Dr Dzerefos said. “With Dr Mabena’s guidance, we hope to safeguard the Magaliesberg’s clean water sources and preserve habitats for leopard, baboons, birds of prey and other native species that are still part of this irreplaceable ecosystem.”
Through this initiative, TUT continues to demonstrate its leadership in environmental science and community development, bridging traditional wisdom and academic research to foster sustainable futures. It is yet another step in the University’s journey from good to great, affirming its role as a catalyst for positive change in South Africa and beyond.