According to crime statistics, the Fordsburg and Mayfair areas are two of the safest foreign-inhabited areas in Johannesburg. The Muslims in the area, which is increasing yearly, believe it is because of their peaceful nature. Can this be true?
Mayfair and Fordsburg have become places where refugees, asylum seekers and immigrants from the world come to find and protect one another.
For Mayfair, an area rich with foreign businesses and residents, the once “whites only” zone went through two xenophobic waves virtually unscathed.
Some residents, such as Amir Sheikh, have hailed the area as a safe haven for foreigners because of the peacefulness of Muslims, who make up the majority of the population.
Others though, still look over their shoulders and hold on tight to their children when walking in the streets and complain that ordinary crime is on the rise.
Somalis first foreigners
The vast majority of Somalis immigrated to this area in the early 1990s as their home country burnt with civil war.
Luckily for these families, there were many Indian people of Islamic faith already living in the area.
This was partly due to a court judgment in the 1980s against apartheid’s Group Areas Act. A court ruled that Indian people could not be evicted under the Act if they bought or rented properties in Mayfair as the state couldn’t provide adequate alternative accommodation.
The wealthy and well-established Muslim Indians in the area helped the Somalis who shared their faith through one of the five pillars of Islam, zakāh . Zakāhis an annual payment made under Islamic law on certain types of property and used for charitable and religious resolves.
Bursary administrator for the South African National Zakah Fund (SANZAF) Nqobani Mbanjwea talking to a possible donor via telephone from the Mint Street, Fordsburg, office. Photo: Anlerie de Wet
These Indians then took “shares” from their businesses and spread them among the destitute of the Muslim community, which included the Somalis.
As the years went by, foreign nationals from many different countries (most of which were Muslim) found solidarity living in the Mayfair and Fordsburg area, which had become increasingly commercial.
In Central Road you can find a spaza shop owned by a Bangladeshi, a clothing store owned by an Egyptian and a takeaway owned by an Indian. In the same street you would see Zimbabweans working as sales ladies and Mozambicans as chefs.
Somali Hussein Hussin in his mechanic and auto-electrical workshop, Al Maka, in Langerman Street, Mayfair. His trade is wanted more in South Africa than in his home country. Photo: Anlerie de Wet
“The truck at the borders already know to drop them [foreigners] here,” said Sheikh.
As to why the foreigners choose to settle in this area, local immigration practitioner Pieter Britz gave two reasons: The area has a lot of work for them as immigrants and some of their families are already living there.
Sheikh, however, believes foreign Muslim people choose to start their new lives in the area because “it is the only area close to the CBD that hosts people of Islamic faith”. This allows Muslims there the freedom to work and still practise their religion, such as taking breaks from work during the day to pray at a mosque.
Relatively safer?
According to Sheikh the crime rate in the area has dropped over the years, since his arrival in 2003, which he believes is due to the rising number of Muslims in the area as they are “peaceful people”.
Although the crime statistics in the area dropped to a recorded low in 2013, it increased 15% in the past two years.
Egyptian Salama Elshereef and his cousin have been working and living in Fordsburg since 2006. They followed their family here after they came to the country in 1997.
“Egyptian people here have a lot of businesses in all Islamic areas in South Africa. They helped me work my way up to owning a business.”
Elshereef agreed with Sheikh that the area became safer and more peaceful as the number of Muslims in the area grew.
“Where there are Muslims you will always feel safe,” said Elshereef, but contradictory to this statement he also noted that crimes of all sorts have shot up since the beginning of 2015.
“Crime is coming back to the area because it is getting business. Lots of foreign markets are getting busier, making more money and the thieves know,” said Elshereef.
Even with the belief that crime in the area has increased, Elshereef would still rather stay here than go back to Egypt.
“In Egypt life is better when talking about safety, but business here is better and I feel better near my family … that’s why I came here for them, not because I believe it’s safer,” said Elshereef.
Egyptian Salama Elshereef waiting for customers at his Muslim clothing store, Ameera’s Fashions, on the corner of Central Road and Dolly Rhadebe. Photo: Anlerie de Wet
Zimbabwean Vanessa Chalmers said the area with all the different foreigners is “mostly friendly”.
Although “in all honesty” Chalmers said it is safer in her home country but “the economy, schooling systems and technologies are better in South Africa”.
The 21-year-old Chalmers said the area isn’t that violent although “there is always this one bum that is looking for trouble”.
‘There is fighting all the time. Shooting and stealing’
Ethiopian Hadra Ahmed is a newcomer to the vibrant foreigners’ hub. She came to South Africa in 2009 and, after living and working in Durban with her brother for five years, she moved to Mayfair in August to get married. Her fiancé owns a bistro and has been in the area for two years but she is not comfortable with the idea of living here.
“This is not [a] good area to raise kids,” Ahmed said before talking about her young daughter and her second child, which is on the way.
Ahmed went on to talk about how a Pakistani guy was hijacked on the corner of Bird Street and 9th Avenue, in front of the restaurant she has her coffee stall in.
“There is fighting all the time. Shooting and stealing. They stole the man’s car and drove back to shoot him.”
Although she believes the criminals to be South African, she doesn’t think they killed the man because he was a foreigner. “People here from all nations get attacked and killed, even South Africans.
“I like this country, but I’m scared when xenophobic attacks happen,” said Ahmed. Only bruises and an empty shop remained when her brother was attacked in Durban in 2008 with the first xenophobic wave.
“Here it is safer, but attacks still happen.”
Yet, she would rather stay here than go back home. “Life here is better, we do own business. There we can’t” due to economic conditions,” Ahmed explained.
Sheikh said he knows of one xenophobic attack that took place within the Fordsburg/Mayfair area. A Somali man was strangled to death in Carr Street in front of his garage in May 2008. Nothing was stolen.
Anti-foreigner sentiments were again spread in 2012 by a group that called themselves the South African Blacks Association, according to a media report.
The group circulated pamphlets and letters in the area warning foreigners that “we are coming for you”.
Gift of the Givers worker Fadia Jacobs on her way from the Mint Street, Fordsburg, office to go to a needy family in the area. Photo: Anlerie de Wet
They threatened to rape and kill foreign women along with the following: “We will burn your houses, your so-called luxury cars, we will kill your fucken [sic] puppies [children] and burn down your shops.”
As xenophobic violence affected South Africa in 2015, Mayfair’s Christ Church set up a refugee camp on its grounds with the support of Gift of the Givers, an African disaster relief organisation, and the community.
“This is truly a safe haven for us foreigners because when the xenophobic attacks happened other foreigners came here to find shelter,” said Sheikh.
Amir’s view of South Africa as hospitable and receptive has not changed due to the xenophobic attacks.
“The same person that gives you space to trade and doesn’t know your country of origin cannot actually be a xenophobe. Still there are people that cling to the element and claim things when there are tensions somewhere.”
Non-Muslims also welcome
Britz and his practice assist roughly 30 to 40 immigrants a month.
“I find that our clients integrate into the area easily … They have strength in numbers and know people here, they speak the same languages and know the same type of socialistic statuses.” Then again, most of his clients are Muslims.
Muslim women waiting for friends before going to the mosque for Friday afternoon prayers. Photo: Anlerie de Wet
However, Sheikh said that while the area is dominated by Muslims, non-Muslims are also welcome.
“Non-Muslims have no difficulty coming into the community… we co-exist well,” said Sheikh.
He explained that people from the SADC region come to live and trade in the area.
“[It] doesn’t mean when you [are] of other faith that you are not accepted and accommodated into the community.” To strengthen his point, Sheikh used the example of the area’s ward counsellor, Barry Musesi, being “a black Christian from Limpopo”.
Although, over the years Sheikh has noted a change in pattern as the Muslims, especially the foreigners, are no longer as united in the area as they used to be.
“There is some inter-Islam racism and dislikes. There are talks about Somalis taking over everything … and a fear that we own most of the businesses in the area.”
Yet he believes that even with all the cultural differences they are still more united through Islam – with an understanding that their interactions are mutually beneficial.
Zimbabwean waitress Vanessa Chalmers wiping plates before Calisto’s Portuguese restaurant opened at 12pm on a Friday afternoon. Photo: Anlerie de Wet
But as a Zimbabwean Christian, Chalmers finds it difficult to integrate into the community, purely because of the tightly knit Muslim groups. She has been working in Fordsburg at Calisto’s Portuguese Restaurant for the past two months. She has been in the country from the beginning of 2015 to study accounting through South Africa’s distance university Unisa.
“Some of the Muslims are not that friendly, but with my work you are forced to get along with them. I found that if you are not of their kind, you are not seen as human.”
Other than her feeling uncomfortable in the presence of Muslims, she said she gets along well with all the other foreigners in the area.
Chalmers’s colleague, Gunjan Sur, has been in South Africa for five months under an “asylum seeker” status – although his life was not in danger in his home country. His travel agent in India allegedly told him the status was the same as a five-year work permit. She was wrong and he can no longer get hold of her.
Although Sur is stuck in South Africa, he sometimes forgets because “there are people here from my country and from Bangladesh and Pakistan who follow different religions. I feel at home here”.
Nonetheless, despite some struggles and disputes, many foreigners still come to this area for protection and to build better lives for themselves. Compared to other areas where foreigners are found in great numbers, such as Hillbrow and Yeoville, this area still statistically remains one of the safest.
Whether Muslims are connected to the higher levels of safety for foreigners or not, the Fordsburg and Mayfair areas serve as the definition of a “rainbow nation” for many foreigners.
FEATURED IMAGE: Gift of the Givers worker Fadia Jacobs on her way from the Mint Street, Fordsburg, office to go to a needy family in the area. Photo: Anlerie de Wet
South Africans and rugby fans around the world are shocked at the Springboks’ unexpected loss against Japan.
Japan’s Karne Hesketh placing the ball over the chalk line for the winning try against the Springboks Saturday night. Photo: Charlie Crowhurst
South Africa’s two time Rugby World Cup winning Springboks took on the underdog team of Japan on Saturday and lost.
Before the start of the first of the Pool B matches everyone knew this game would be historical as it was the first time these two sides met. To the surprise of rugby fanatics around the world, including that of Japan, the Asian side pulled well-deserved 32-34 win out of the bag in extra time.
“We let the country down, we let ourselves down…no excuses,” said Springbok head coach Heyneke Meyer.
Before the game Japan only won one out of their 24 matches in their RWC bids, whereas South Africa only lost four out of their 25 games.
From the kick-off Japan was on the Boks with every move they made putting pressure with their ability to get to the break-down faster than the green and gold.
They played tactically well and made good use of every opportunity the Boks gave them with penalties.
Although the Japanese displayed incredible rugby, one might say the Springboks’ starting XV were definitely not of the caliber that the world is use to.
Meyer chose to play heavy and slow players expecting Japan would be a walk-over win of at least 40 points, but he played right into Japan’s coach, Eddie Jones’ hands.
Springbok captain, Jean de Villiers was at a loss for words after the games, but commended the Japanese side for a fantastic game.
Never before has a team conceded this many points against South Africa in a RWC match.
Unless South Africa wins the rest of their pool games with two bonus points the Boks will be going home much sooner than expected.
They will be taking on an even tougher opposition in the form of Samoa next Saturday. If they lose this game their campaign for the cup is over.
Agency for New Agenda only used the application to bar the Springboks from the World Cup as a ‘tactic’ to get SARU and the Minister of Sport to talk about transformation.
Agency for New Agenda leader, Tshidiso Mokhoanatse in the Pretoria High Court on Wednesday, after withdrawing his application to bar the Springboks from leaving the country. Photo: Anlerie de Wet
Agency for New Agenda withdrew their application to bar the Springboks from going to the Rugby World Cup, at the Pretoria High Court on Wednesday.
The relatively unknown political party’s leader, Tshidiso Mokhoanatse made an urgent order to the court last week to keep the national rugby team from participating in the World Cup in England later this month, arguing that the South African Rugby Union hasn’t met transformation requirements.
“The application was just a tactical move to get them [SARU] to work with us,” said Mokhoanatse.
He said he wants the Springboks to go to the World Cup, but SARU and the Minister of Sport must come to the table when it comes to transformation.
Although the interdict against the Boks has been withdrawn, the ANA still wants the court to order that communities must be allowed to get involved in the transformation process of the sport -as set out in Rule 16A.
Mokhoanatse said the ANA sees today as a victory as it is a step closer to their goal to “remove the authority in charge to make way for the constitution.”
The matter of ANA’s order on Rule 16A will be settled outside the court at a later date, giving the Boks need to prepare on a camp this weekend and ultimately participate in the World Cup.
The Clever Boys came back from a spirit dampening loss against Mamelodi Sundowns last week to taking the third spot on the log after showing Maritzburg United how its done.
PERFECT BOOT: Bidvest Wits debutant and goal scorer, Kris Bright trying to break the defence of opponents, Maritzburg United. Photo: Anlerie de Wet
ROUND THREE of the Absa Premiership saw Bidvest Wits beat their KwaZulu-Natal guests at home Wednesday night and slide into a familiar third place on the rankings.
Maritzburg United’s captain Ashley Hartog made a visible effort to keep the players forged in Jozi from scoring, but two powerful goals flew past him and his team.
After what was a very slow start for the Clever Boys with a couple of failed open shots at goal, New Zealander Kris Bright scored a beauty from Daine Klaite’s corner kick.
Bright had a massive game and worked well with Elias Pelembe and Sibusiso Vilakazi until he was sent to rest in the middle of the second half.
Wits kicked-off the second half with Vilakazi’s right boot directing the ball past the Maritzburg goalie, Virgil Vries, to stretch the home side’s lead to 2-0. This goal came two minutes after the start of the half with a great assist from debutant Bright.
With many attempts at goal none of the teams seemed to be able to score after Vilakazi’s success, leaving the final score at 2-0.
The discipline in this game was something to strive for in the rest of the season. There were only a total of three yellow cards between the two teams as Wits already had five yellows against them from two games and Maritzburg a troubling 13.
Wits managed to move-up the rankings from 10th to 3rd with six points, just below their Ajax Cape Town rivals. But the Maritzburg boys failed to sway away from their 15th position.
Although the Clever Boys’ performance is a step-up from that of their 4-2 defeat last week against Mamelodi Sundowns, they still failed to convert a couple of easy opportunities. They won’t get away with these slip-ups as easily when they face the calibre of Ajax this Saturday in the MTN 8 semi-finals.
Bidvest Wits will be taking on AmaTuks in their next Absa Premiership round on September 13 in Pretoria.
A fight broke out between Project W members and Wits EFF after the red berets disrupted the SRC Elections debate, making the organisers cancel the event.
ROUND ONE: Wits EFF member on the Great Hall stage after the fight with Project W broke out. Photo Litalethu Zidepa
The Wits SRC Elections candidates’ debate was cancelled Tuesday afternoon when Wits EFF took over the stage chanting “NO SRC.”
Members of Wits EFF were singing and dancing outside the Great Hall before the debate and as the crowds started filling the hall they marched inside and onto the stage.
Wits EFF Secretary, Mbe Mbhele said the party believes the university is not listening to the students. “We feel the SRC is just a body that is meant to legitimise the university…but it doesn’t necessarily change anything because the people campaign against the same things every year.”
Mbhele explained issues such as the bus service has been brought up in campaigns since 2005 and “students are still complaining 10 years later.”
They continued to disrupt proceedings of the debate as the candidates from each party silently looked on from their seats on stage.
Campus Control arrived and stood by, while the organisers were seen going backstage with Campus Control’s Head of Investigations, Michael Mahada.
Soon after all the campaign managers were called backstage for an emergency meeting. When the group came out deputy chief electoral officer, Thembi Dlamini told Wits Vuvuzela the debate was cancelled based on a “collective decision”.
WATCH:
A tussle broke out on stage between Project W members and those of Wits EFF. Dismissed former SRC president, Mcebo Dlamini was allegedly seen trying to intervene and break off the fight. As Project W tried to get Wits EFF of off the stage, some PYA members physically got involved in the fight against Project W.
Campus Control escorted students out of the hall and locked the doors.
“I am utterly disappointed by the commontion that was caused specifically by the EFF,” said DASO campaign manager, Simphiwe Mbonani.
Mbonani complained the EFF didn’t give the parties a chance to tell students why they should vote for them.
The debate was meant to give the 2015/2016 candidates the opportunity to campaign within their student parties.
Justice Edwin Cameron wants people who affiliate with LGBTIQA+ to come out for their cause against prejudice.
By Anlerie de Wet
LGBTIQA+ JUSTICE: Justice Edwin Cameron at the ACTIVATE Wits monthly talk. Photo: Anlerie de Wet
Justice Edwin Cameron supported the ACTIVATE Wits monthly pride talk on Friday by talking about how sexual orientation is a very complex matter in Africa.
Cameron, who came out in 1982, believes South Africa is the leading light in Africa in terms of same gender relationship acceptance, but he believes there is still a long road ahead.
He said because South Africa was the first in Africa to have a sexual orientation clause in it’s constitution, it has a responsibility to the LGBTI community to be “visible where they can, as visibility is pivotal to our fight.”
“They need to come out.”
The Justice urges the people to use the opportunities set in place by the legislative environment in the country to promote the cause of equality for all sexualities.
Cameron explained to the audience that Africa faces tremendous odds because “it faces different patriarchal hierarchies.”
He praised the progress of certain activists in the United States and of those in countries such as Malawi where it is illegal to be in a same sex relationship. The progress that has been made in Africa is irreversible, but people are still being imprisoned and assaulted for their sexuality, said Cameron.
There were members of the ACTIVATE Wits executive committee who were present at the event and still in the closet. Cameron used this case as an example that there is still much to be done to ensure that every person who identifies themselves as LGBTI fell safe to talk to their parents and communities about their sexuality.
Although things may be easier now than twenty years ago, the road ahead “may have more bloodshed, hatred and incarceration, but the road is ours,” said Cameron.
A writer for a cause and the cause is her own. She just wants her honours certificate in her hands.
By Anlerie de Wet
WRITING RITES: Thobeka Sinxo is raising money for a bus ticket to collect her honours certificate from Wits. Photo: Provided
A young woman sits down to drown out the township noise and begins to string some words together. She wants to tell the story of a Pan-African feminist, her story.
The story of how against all odds she graduated from university. But unlike many graduates, she didn’t have the money to get her degree at graduation. So now she is writing a book to raise money to fetch the symbol of her hard work.
Thobeka Sinxo, 25, grew-up in Motherwell, Eastern Cape. With the township bustling outside, it was difficult for her to study. She was regularly teased as being a goody-two-shoes when refusing to go with the other girls to the tavern. With no friends growing up, her studies became her main focus and her hard work paid off.
“When I got into Wits it was like a miracle! An achievement,” Sinxo said.
She received a partial government scholarship to pay for her accommodation in Johannesburg and a merit award paid her fees.
With the finances sorted, she went off to the city of gold to study Applied Drama and Theatre. After years of hard work she ticked all the boxes and completed her honours degree last year.
But now Sinxo is back in Motherwell, unemployed and without the certificate to back her qualification. Wits doesn’t post the certificates and she doesn’t have the money to courier it to the Eastern Cape, never mind to afford a bus ticket to fetch it herself.
Determined, Sinxo sprang into action and is raising funds by selling a book compiled with eight short stories and 13 poems she documented in her diary since she was nine-years-old. She plans to use the proceeds from the sale to get her honours degree and academic transcript.
This partly fictionalised book called Ezintakeni (A Literary Rite of Passage) embodies the image of strong Pan-African women with feminist ideals.
Last year Sinxo went through a traditional ceremony for Xhosa women and researched the idea of the rite of passage in modern times.
“I realised that certain values have been lost in this modern day and females don’t maintain agency over their own bodies and take harassment,” she said.
In her short stories and poems she confronts the “lack of moral values” Xhosa girls are faced with and tries to promote the independence of women, including her own. “Writing this book I got to move into another part of myself, the part wanting to be independent.”
Thobeka finished the 50 page book last week and put it in an E-book format to sell each copy for R50. With each copy she sells her dream of her certificate in hand becomes more of a reality.
Wits University students receive their first semester results close to the start of the second semester. As a result, many complain that they go through unnecessary stress over their holidays waiting for marks to be released. The university says the long procedure is to the benefit of the students.
Wits University prides itself in its complicated and lengthy marking procedure, but students complain about the long wait to receive marks.
First-year architecture student Siphokazi William, who received the majority of her marks last Friday, said it is stressful to wait so long for results. “I want to know if I passed and move on.”
William and her fellow classmates only received their mathematics marks on Tuesday, July 21, a day after the start of the new semester. The posting of the results on a noticeboard went more than 10 days beyond the requirement of the university’s Senate Standing Order.
One of the reasons the marking process is so long is due to the external marking process used by Wits, according to the Dean of Humanities, Professor Ruksana Osman.
She explained that “50% of all course work of undergraduates and postgraduates must be externally marked”, in order to focus on students at risk sooner than later.
Another issue delaying results is the new system of online access to marks.
With the use of two systems to submit the results online, “interfacing” takes a lot of time, according to Head of Academic Information and Systems Unit, Maggie Maseka. “We had a few glitches here and there we picked-up and will fix, but 96% of students didn’t have a problem getting their marks.”
Wits Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic), Professor Andrew Crouch, said there were two faculties that asked for an extension delaying the release of marks. In one case there was a lecturer who did not submit their marks on time and who currently faces disciplinary action.
Generally the university staff believes there has been a great improvement to the marks system in the past couple of years.
“We have a fairly complex procedure to follow, but it is to the benefit of the students,” said Crouch.
But why are you angry with me for being blessed? Or are you just jealous? I am not to blame for your misfortunes. I had nothing to do with the struggles your family went through and are still experiencing. I was still bouncing around in my father’s testicles when Groot Krokodil and the other apartheid lunatics were in power.
My black peers have been spitting out the phrase ‘privileged white people’ with disgust at student political protests and even in classrooms, as if it is the biggest sin of the Ten Commandments. They link every issue from unpaid workers to the presence of a certain statue to the besotted phrase.
The phrase seems like a generalisation that ALL white people are undeservedly rich and because all black people aren’t (another generalisation) they are to blame for black people’s problems.
Regularly I am the focus point of nasty looks when engaging in certain conversations about the struggles in South African society and more often than not get excluded.
They say I am ignorant about the topic at hand. “You are a privileged white girl, you don’t know.”
If you think your information is more correct than mine then please educate me. SHARE the information. Let’s have a discussion and do something about the problem.
What you are doing now is called segregation.
I understand that most white people are better-off financially than other races because of the injustices of our past. There are several policies in place now to rectify the racial inequality caused by apartheid and it will take more than 20 years to achieve it.
People need to understand it is our generation that can set right the inequality problems but you first have to graduate and yes, start at the bottom of the food chain once you start working. Just like I have to.
So don’t be unfriendly and cut me out of conversations because I’m blessed, especially if you are privileged enough to be at university. You wouldn’t be so blatantly rude to a privileged black girl.
I am blessed, because my grease monkey mechanic father and safety conscious nurse of a mother thought ahead to save the little they had to be able to give me what they never had: a tertiary education and a debt free start to life. They worked their way up for more than a decade, both staying committed to the companies they started with until they were noticed and promoted.
I don’t have an iPhone or live in Sandton (like certain black people I know), but I have what I need and a little more to buy some chips now again to settle the munchies.
So I for one will not apologise for being able to practice my basic human rights of being housed, educated and fed. Why should I, when I am working just as hard alongside every student to one day give my kids the same privileges?
Wits Gymnastics may not be attending the USSA tournament over a demand for a fee of R1500 per gymnast by Wits Sport. Wits Sport has argued the club hasn’t done its part in fundraising and must now step up to the plate.
HOOLA HOOPING:Senior Wits gymnast Makgotso Tibane showed impressive structure and skills doing her first competition in rhythmic gymnastics in the hoops section early May. Photo: Anlerie de Wet
Wits Gymnastics athletes were left disappointed when they learned will not receive funding from Wits Sport to attend the University Sport South Africa (USSA) tournament this June.
Wits head of sport, Adrian Carter, notified the club’s co-chairperson, Nonkululeko Mdluli earlier this week that the club has not met funding requirements to attend the USSA Gymnastics tournament end of June in Potchefstroom unless each competing member coughed up R1 500. The athletes were only given three days to raise the money.
“We understand that there isn’t a lot of money and that we need to make a contribution, but three days is too short notice for students to pay such a large amount,” said Mdluli.
Carter said the gymnastics club knew since the end of February when they handed in their USSA budget, allegedly late, indicating the direct cost of R2 275 per student, of which each student would contribute R898. “They haven’t paid in their contribution nor did they meet the required fundraising amount,” said Carter.
Mdluli sent an official response on behalf of the club to Carter’s request, stating they have raised R25 656 from registration fees, a welcome braai and yet to be sold T-shirts. According to the response, over a 100 members registration fees brought the club R24 561. However, Carter said it would be unfair to allow the 14 gymnasts who qualified for USSA to use funds intended to benefit the entire club.
The gymnastics club’s USSA budget was R44 400, the club has R54 000 in their reserve account. According to Carter the money budgeted for transport is insufficient and the actual total cost to send 14 gymnasts to USSA would be more than R50 000.00.
“I’m trying to be fair as possible, but I’m not going to give this club R50 000 and leave less than R4 000 in the reserve for next year’s group to struggle,” said Carter.
Mdluli further protested that they were “thrown in the deep end” with Carter’s new financial system and there was no training from Wits Sport on how to approach businesses for sponsorship or how to draft a sponsorship proposal.
But Carter said Wits Gymnastics could have come to him for help at any time.
“Any club could’ve come to me earlier in the year to ask for help with sponsorship issues. Some took the initiative, but the gymnastics club didn’t,” said Carter.
Wits Gymnastics club is now facing cutting the list of members going to USSA or staying home altogether. Carter and the Gymnastics Committee are meeting next week once more to try and find a solution for the club to go to Potchefstroom in just two weeks’ time.
The prevalence of Social Media has meant that ‘online violence’ has become an issue that needs to be grappled with. Wits hosted a discussion to find a tactical way of handling and countering this.
ONLINE VIOLENCE: Wits transformation manager Pura Mgolombane (right) opening the discussion on violence on online spaces and before introducing Nyx Mclean (middle) and Thoko-Jean Chilenga (left) as two of the speakers.
Wits Transformation and Employment Equity Office hosted a discussion focusing on online spaces as platforms for ongoing violence yesterday afternoon.
It was necessary for a discussion about violence on social media because it is becoming a common problem at Wits, according to transformation manager Pura Mgolombane.
“Wits University is not sure how to deal with these kinds of situations.”
The discussion panel included Professor Tommaso Milani, Thoko-Jean Chilenga representing #TransformWits and Nyx McLean a co-editor of HOLAA.
The line between online violence and freedom of expression was discussed as Milani argued that “absolute freedom of speech doesn’t exist as there are laws that prevent it.”
Mgolombane explained that Wits encourages the Bill of Rights and its limitations on freedom of speech. “We cannot allow people of Wits to insult or discriminate, but we can do more to clarify the lines between free speech and violence,” said Mgolombane.
“People are scared of online spaces as it can fall over to private physical space,” said Chilenga.
According to Chilenga, who met with the Black Students Movement (BSM) from Rhodes University during the #RhodesMustFall protests earlier this year, when BSM posted on social media they received threats. “People should be held accountable for things they say and do online as much as you would want them to be held accountable in a physical space,” said Chilenga.
McLean argued that social media is not just a platform for resistance, but it is also for people looking for “affirmation of existence.”
“People do serious emotional psychological harm if someone attacks someone who can only use pages [social media] for interaction and support,” said Mclean. She continued explaining that people keep looking over their shoulder when receiving a threat as there is no way of knowing whether or not to take it seriously.
Mgolombane believes the problem won’t be necessarily solved by rules, but value systems that people ascribe to such as students and staff who take up the values of Wits when they join the university.
If you are a romantic or just trying to build your credibility as one, here are some places on Wits East and West Campuses where you can ignite the flame or keep it burning.
Many students look for love and find it on campus. Witsies can grow that love by taking that special person to the romantic spots on campus.
1. Impress your date by taking her/him to the Olives & Plates on West Campus. The old architecture, fountain and beautiful garden makes this spot perfect for a romantic date.
2. The grassy comfort and towering trees on West Campus lawn is the perfect setting to have a picnic or just relax with your Boo Boo.
3. Have a smooch on the bridge when the waterfall on West Campus comes to life during summer and spring.
4. Feeling passionate? head to one of the quieter libraries for a little lunch time hanky-panky.
5. The fountain in front of the William Cullen Library on East Campus has a romantic tone with an intriguing garden with pink roses. Go sit on the benches and take in the picturesque scene.
Worried about not looking gay enough, or scared you’re serving fake bisexual? In the second episode of our limited-series focused on life and living as a twenty something, the Community Guidelines team analyzes the idea of community from a queer lens, and delving into what it means to have a “queer community” in a country […]
