by Bongiwe Tutu | May 13, 2014 | News
SAVING WOMEN: Dr Srila Roy, criticises the work of NGOs in India which fail to provide viable solutions to the problems faced by marginalised women. PHOTO: Bongiwe Tutu
Marginalised Indian women are not likely to improve their lives through the intervention of NGOs (non-governmental organisations).
This is in the opinion of Dr Srila Roy who spoke at a seminar entitled ‘Saving Women from Themselves’, held this afternoon at Wits University.
Roy, Wits Sociology senior lecturer, reflected on her experiences at an event in Eastern India at the end of 2011, which was hosted by an NGO protecting young women from coerced marriages.
Women’s rights
6000 women from 40 villages were involved in the event but while the NGO was encouraging girls to go to school, they were not concerned with the state of the schooling system.
“The NGOs constantly say ‘send your girls to school. Young girls must no longer be coerced into marriage, they must go to school’, But when I asked them how the schools are, they said to me; there is nothing there.”
“It’s either the NGOs were disingenuous or really removed from their context”
Roy said that the schools are poorly resourced, there is a lack of teachers, poor infrastructure and high expenses which are unaffordable to the students. “So what exactly are they going there to do if they’re not learning?” she asked.
“It’s either the NGOs were disingenuous or really removed from their context,” Roy said.
The problem is that few or no NGOs focus on women’s education and literacy, she explained. The reason behind this was because Indian NGOs are micro-financed and focused on economic development.
The NGOs are getting small loans to start businesses and the goal is to generate more money.
“NGOs just want a quick fix,” Roy said.
The market therefore becomes the criteria, and having objectives such as educating young children would not generate any money for them as such, she explained.
The seminar discussions soon turned from India to the South African context.
South African women
A young South African Muslim woman and a Wits student said she could relate to the experiences of young Indian women.
She that of a group of 12 South African girls of Indian descent in her Polokwane matric class, she is the only one that has not yet married.
But she still believes that it is important not generalise: “We can’t assume by educating women they won’t choose to get married at a young age … a number of educated people make ‘morally unsound’ decisions,” she said.
“Education is only one of the solutions” she added.
by Bongiwe Tutu | May 7, 2014 | News
GENERATIONS VOTE TOGETHER: Wits SRC President Shafee Verachia chats with his grandmother Fatima Verachia as they go into the Malboro Gardens voting station. PHOTO: Bongiwe Tutu.
22-year-old Shafee Verachia took his 86-year-old grandmother Fatima, by the hand, as they walked to the Malboro Gardens voting station early this morning.
The Wits SRC (Students Representatives Council) President, wearing African National Congress (ANC) party regalia, made it a family affair, as he joined his grandmother, aunt and brother at the polling station.
“It’s the first election where we are staying with granny so we have brought her to vote with us,” he said.
Fatima Verachia, 86, said in a trembling voice, “I am voting for the ANC, for Mandela, and his legacy.”
“Mandela?” asked Shafee,
“Yes, Mandela,” granny replied,
“And what about Zuma granny?” asked Zubair.
“Yes, Zuma,” she replied after a short breath.
Granny did not say much in words but her thoughts drew expressions of confidence on her face.
Verachia’s 62-year-old aunt Amiena Verachia said she was born during the oppressive regime in South Africa and the freedom that came 20 years ago was the reason for her ANC vote.
First-time voter Verachia says in his childhood he heard a lot of stories about the oppressive South Africa. “Hearing these stories drew an impact in our lives, and I think our generation sees that as something special,” he said.
POLITICAL LINES: Fatima Verachia, 86, accompanied by her grandchildren Zubair Verachia, 23 (left) and Shafee Verachia, 22 (right) to the Malboro Gardens voting station. PHOTO: Bongiwe Tutu.
“I think it’s because of my father, Hussain Verachia, who was in the ANC during the 80s,” said 23-year-old Zubair. He explained their father was part of the struggle and that may have influenced their granny. “There might even be something more that we may not know” the elder brother added.
“Personally, it’s about honouring the generation before me, they made the sacrifices for me to have this right to make this vote today,” said the SRC President.
Zubair Verachia begged to differ with his family on the matter of who they were voting for: “I don’t know who I am going to vote for yet”, he said, explaining that he had a problem with corruption in the ANC.
“At the same time I don’t think South Africa is ready for the DA (Democratic Alliance), as it does not have the empowerment for non-whites as the ANC does,” says Zubair.
He explained that his initial problem was, regardless of ANC’s reach to middle and working class people, most of the leaders in the party used a lot of money for their own benefit.
“I believe in what the ANC stands for, not what it’s become” he said.
by Bongiwe Tutu | May 6, 2014 | News
When South Africans head to the polls in just over seven hours from now, stringent measures have been put in place to ensure their safety.
The South African Police Services (SAPS) are taking a “zero tolerance” approach to criminal activities related to the elections.
SAPS spokesperson Solomon Makgale spoke to Wits Vuvuzela earlier today and said: “We will not tolerate any activities by criminals who intend to disrupt the elections.”
Police officers will be monitoring polling stations and people who are found to be in possession of dangerous weapons, firearms and alcohol will be dealt with, he added.
Makgale said if one is found guilty of these charges, they may face a jail term of up to 5 years, or be fined anything up to R100 000.
“Everyone has a right to vote and no one may interfere with that right,” he said.
The National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure (Natjoints) have reported that 63 people have been arrested to date in cases related to various contraventions of the Electoral Act.
These offences include public violence, intimidation, assault with intent to cause grievously bodily harm, common assault, malicious damage to property, including the unlawful removal of posters.
“Those who break the law will be arrested and prosecuted” Makgale said.
Makgale said that political parties are free to campaign wherever they would like to, “we will not allow the creation of no-go zones” he said. According to the IEC (Independent Electoral Commission), political parties are only to campaign until midnight tonight.
The police are not allowed to be inside the area where booths are located, unless requested by the electoral officer in charge of that station. But SAPS officers will partol the perimeters of the stations and stand guard at the gates.
While an official number has not been made available, media reports suggest that close to 200 000 police officers will be deployed for the elections alone.
by Bongiwe Tutu | Apr 25, 2014 | News
African males suffer the most discrimination in higher education, the Gauteng Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) said on Thursday.
The organisation claimed the share of African males in higher education had been stuck at 28 percent since 2000. The party said it planned on writing a report evaluating racial and gender imbalances in higher education institutions in Gauteng.
The EFF made this claim at a press briefing headlined by its candidate for premier, Dali Mpofu, in Braamfontein.
The EFF said that if it won election in Gauteng, it would immediately implement a 100-day plan that includes holding a “youth summit” made up of young people from across the province.
Mpofu said the EFF would launch “Youth Entrepreneur Centres” that would offer free office space and Wifi access to youth business.
Mpofu said Wifi stations would be set up within the 100 days all over Gauteng, “institutions and centres will have to apply and consultations will be held, we will then prioritise it according to where it is needed.”
OPTIMISTIC: EFF Gauteng premier candidate Dali Mpofu addressing the media on issues relating to the elections and the 100 day plan for province.
by Bongiwe Tutu | Mar 28, 2014 | Featured 1, News
Students from the Wits Education campus have raised their unhappiness about the allocation of the Funza Lushaka bursary. Many education students want to know why they did not receive the Funza Lushaka bursary and how the funds are allocated.
ACADEMIC RESULTS: A student from the School of Education believed that this high aggregate was enough for the Funza Lushaka bursary to be granted. Photo: Bongiwe Tutu
Some of the education students shared their frustrations on the Wits Education Student Council Facebook group page.
“Only less than 20 second year students got Funza, this is not fair,” Gavin Kay Mothopone said. A fellow student, Zandile Zandi Xaba, agreed saying, “Eish this is so not fair yazi”.
A second-year education student, who did not want to be named, told Wits Vuvuzela that she did not understand how she was not granted the bursary this year since her average mark was 72%, a result she believes should have resulted in a bursary.
Not every student can be awarded the bursary
The administrator of the Funza Lushaka bursary, Mfundo Mbatha, said there was little the university could do about the student’s complaints. “The bursary is not ours, it is a government bursary and so the government determines the policy to improve the supply of teachers,” she said.
Prof Graham Hall of the Education school said the Funza Lushaka bursary was intended to address the shortage of teachers in the country and the bursary conditions change every other year due to the demand and supply of teachers. He said that the bursary now prefers students who will teach “foundation phase”–meaning grade zero to three—in an applied African language, as well as those who will teach technology and pure mathematics.
“There are conditions for the bursary and not every student can be awarded it,” Hall said.
Mbatha stated that a lack of funds were a regular problem, “every year I have to attend to re-applicants first and then attend to the new applicants.”
“But there is really nothing we can do as the university, as we take what we get from government and try to assist the students as much as we can,” Mbatha added.
Mbatha said that students need to understand that the bursary prioritises a high academic performance. Students disadvantage themselves when they change their majors from what they applied to teach for Funza, within their education degrees. She said that while Wits staff explains the academic curriculum to the board, the final decision on the distribution of the funds was made by government.
