by Lameez Omarjee | Aug 8, 2014 | Opinion
Nomalanga Mkhize is a lecturer in the history department at Rhodes University. She is a project coordinator for non-governmental organisation Save Our Schools and writes books for children in African languages. With Women’s Day nearly upon us, she speaks to Wits Vuvuzela about women in society and gender equality.
Given that it has been 20 years of democracy, have we made progress in developing women’s roles in society and enforcing their rights?
Yes and no. We have made a lot of progress particularly in terms of reproductive rights, free basic health care to pregnant women, bringing certain discriminatory aspects of customary and religious laws in line with the constitution, creating opportunities for women in the workplace.
However, we also remain a very violent and unequal society and women usually bear the brunt of that depending on their class position and living conditions.
Rhodes University lecturer and activist, Dr Nomalanga Mkhize.
What can be done to improve the equality of women in society?
There is no one single answer, but we need a framework that recognizes that patriarchal cultures and attitudes are the root of the problem, we can’t see the problems women face outside of changing the culture that sees them as secondary to men, particularly in the private sphere of the home and relationships.
But if we had a single solution to free women, it is to give them economic independence so they can have greater choice and control over their lives.
Is the standard of education for girls at an acceptable level?
The quality of education for the majority of children in South Africa is unacceptable. Regardless of whether they are boys or girls, our children are not getting an education that will give them future choices.
Of course girls face specific problems with regard to education relating to lack of recognition of menstrual rights and stigma when falling pregnant while still at school.
Do you think social media platforms are effective in communicating campaigns about education?
No they are not. They raise awareness amongst a small group of people but rarely translate into the real world.
How do you feel about the #WearTheDoek campaign?
I think it’s stupid and offensive. Whoever came up with that idea is insulting women across this country and should be embarrassed.
What do you think are more progressive campaigns?
There are many campaigns, I will highlight one. There are campaigns and research led by the like of the Rural Women’s Movement and feminists such as Nomboniso Gasa to fight against laws such as the Traditional Courts Bill that discriminate against rural residents and particularly women.
by Lameez Omarjee | Jul 31, 2014 | Featured 1, News
NATIONAL EDGE?: A recruiter explains to Witsies their available options for their career applications. Photo: Lameez Omarjee
International students can forget about applying for jobs in South Africa, unless they have an identity document (ID) or work permit. This was the general message at a careers fair, held earlier today at the Old Mutual Sports Hall at Wits.
The Counselling and Careers Developmental Unit’s (CCDU) graduate recruitment programme organised the fair for students from across all faculties but there was little on offer for students from outside South Africa.
Limited choices
International student Tinashe Chuchu, Masters in Marketing, attended the fair to look for potential recruiters and employment opportunities. He said the fair was a good initiative by Wits, however his choices are limited given his degree and nationality.
“There were a wide variety of opportunities for engineering students, social sciences students and commerce students,” he said. However he was turned away by companies who were not looking foreign students. “I left out all the banks, for obvious reasons. They do not take anyone who is not South African,” Chuchu said.
“I think the labour department puts (sic) regulations for companies to fulfil quotas,” he said. In his own experience of looking for jobs, Chuchu found that there were positions advertised for international students, but only for specific and scarce skills sets.
Laws and regulations
Kwame Owusu-Ansah, masters in Chemical Engineering, shared Chuchu’s views. Although there were many opportunities, Owusu-Ansah said some of them were very “shaky”. You can apply for some positions, but then you have to make sure you can get a work permit.
“I have a wide variety of choices because I’m an engineer. But until they find out I’m an international student, it slashes by three quarters.”
“Initially if you got an offer there would be an opportunity for you to get a permit. But now you may get an offer, and not a get permit”
He explained that South African labour regulations are more stringent than in previous years. “They often refuse permits for international students, even if they give you an offer,” he said.
Lloyd Uta, an international student completing his Masters in Marketing, found companies that were looking for applicants from South Africa and abroad. Those were big multi-national companies and a few smaller companies looking to increase their human capital, he said.
However, Uta admits, “Choices are limited. I have to keep switching between what I want to do (marketing) and what I can do (IT),” to find job openings.
Employers voice
Amos Kova, a graduate recruitment manager at a bank explained why applicants had to be South African citizens, “We believe that we have an obligation to South Africa”.
Bohlale Paile, also a graduate recruitment manager at a bank said: “We don’t take international students at this point. We did before, but we ran into problems when it came to getting work permits”.
She explained that the Department of Labour required recruiters to motivate why non-South African citizens were chosen over South African citizens.
The motivation process and applications for work permits take time, which holds international graduates back from starting the graduate programme timeously.
Raj Naran, the Career Development Educator and Team Leader Career Services at CCDU said this year, the careers fair was open to everybody. “It does not have a specific focus.”
Companies came from industries where there was a shortage in a skills set, such as “accounting, engineering and commerce” he said.
Naran added that students should earn their jobs, develop themselves and prepare well, “and certainly, academic records play a role”.
Another careers fair is scheduled for September this year.
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by Lameez Omarjee | Jul 30, 2014 | News
BRIGHT STAR: Arthur Motolla from AIESEC Wits with the Rising Star trophy. Photo: Lameez Omarjee
A global student leadership organisation has recognised its Wits chapter through an award that also acknowledges the work of its members.
AIESEC Wits (an acronym in French for the International Association of Students in Economic and Commercial Sciences) received the Rising Star Award during the June leadership summit (JLS) held at Port Elizabeth’s Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMU).
The award recognised the efforts of Witsies from the society were involved in travel and leadership conferences, during the winter break, which allowed the chapter to fulfill the required number of exchanges and projects within a twelve month period.
AIESEC brings together student leaders from across the world towards the betterment of society as a whole.
Leadership summit
Ten students from Wits attended the five-day JLS which brought together chapters from a number of different universities.
The summit focused on the relevance of African talent and explored leadership in South Africa within AIESEC, according to Onthatile Nataboge, 4th year BEd and president of AIESEC Wits.
Arthur Motolla, 1st year BA student, attended the JLS for the first time. He said speakers stressed the importance of embracing Africa’s mosaic of cultures instead of striving for a unique African identity.
“Opportunity lies with the disadvantaged. That is where opportunities lie for entrepreneurs. That is where you can expect the most amount of growth,” he said as he reflected on the things he learned at the summit.
“I am still overwhelmed by JLS,” exclaimed Duduetsang Mmeti, 2nd year LLB. She explained that students were encouraged to contribute African solutions to African problems.
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by Lameez Omarjee | Jul 25, 2014 | Featured 1
Photo: Lameez Omarjee
With dreads hanging over his eyes and a backpack, Moshe Mashela looks like a typical student. However, this third year BCom Law student has a cool job as part-time staff manager at a bookstore.
What are some of the challenges you face in juggling a part-time job and university?
The biggest challenge is time and energy. You have less time for school, but you manage your time properly. Luckily, shifts are flexible.
What are some of the difficulties of the job?
It’s retail so there are difficult customers. The worst ones try to get their way by shouting at or insulting staff. One of their favourite lines is: “Call your manager.” Most people are nice and reasonable. The women are pretty decent, although you sometimes get hit on by old men and women, which is not cool.
A challenge is when people describe books they are looking for too vaguely. We just plain don’t have a mental index of blue books with red writing about a lady or a cat, so we usually tell them there’s not much we can do without a title or an author, or a key word at least. No matter how vague a description, we’ll still do our best to help them find it.
What are some of the best things about this job?
Interacting with people. You meet really nice people at bookstores and you have to get to know them to know what kind of books they like, and recommend something else they might like. You also learn a lot from them. They end up recommending books to you. The staff, which has become more of a family than anything else. The books, obviously the books. And, I’m not going to lie, it helps to have an income.
Any funny stories while you’ve been at work?
There’s this little boy, he sincerely thinks that he’s a wizard, and is convinced that we’re hiding our “real” spell books somewhere, and keeps asking for them. There was a lady once who asked for a book she saw in a dream. People sometimes get mixed up and ask for books by Jane Eyre, or when the next installment of Anne Frank’s diary will be released.
by Lameez Omarjee | Jul 25, 2014 | Featured 1
MUSIC AND LYRICS: Ritesh Ajoodha’s research on using Darwin’s Theory of Evolution to compose music will be published in IGI Global’s Encyclopaedia of Information Science and Technology. Photo: Lameez Omarjee
Music is an art, but throw in Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution and natural selection and you could scientifically create a melody pleasing to the ear. Computer science student Ritesh Ajoodha has combined his love for science and music to develop a novel approach to composing.
Evolutionary music
Ajoodha said that concepts of evolution and genetic mutations in humans could be applied to music. “You have a bunch of random melodies generated in space and we have them cross [as if they were reproducing].”
The outcome is a cross between the melodies, with possible evolutionary operations occurring. The pieces are evaluated by the computer programme, and “the good pieces survive and the bad ones will be eliminated from the space”.
If this process continues for hundreds of generations, “we can produce something aesthetically pleasing”, he said. Ajoodha ran this algorithm for up to 500 generations of music and managed to generate a sample. “The music sounded natural,” he said.
But, computers cannot compose creatively. “A computer doesn’t have emotion … so we need to mimic the process using genetic algorithms to generate creativity because the computer has none.”
Under the supervision of Richard Klein and Maria Jakovljevic, Ajoodha mechanically recreated the process of a classical composition. The positive outcome of his research means the results will be published in the third edition of IGI Global’s Encyclopaedia of Information Science and Technology at the end of July.
Love of music
Ajoodha was taught to play the harmonium, by his mother at the age of eight. He spent six years with his piano teacher Andrew Francis, and later Diane Coutts, who is regarded as one of the best piano teachers and performers in South Africa.
“The biggest thing I learnt from her about music was that it is very mechanical,” Ajoodha said. He said this contributed to his honours work.
“Since I already had a structured background in music theory, it became easy to combine my two interests.”
Ajoodha did a BSc majoring in Computer Science and Mathematics and worked on his music qualifications parallel to his studies at Wits. “Since I already had a structured background in music theory, it became easy to combine my two interests.”
His current research is also inspired by music. It is another novel method to automatically detect genres and to improve information retrieval systems in computers.
Having completed his honours in computer science with distinction, Ajoodha plans on completing his PhD thesis on automated music genre classification before working.
Although he denies being a musical prodigy, when he is not playing the piano, he turns his attention to the violin. He is fond of video games, but not Guitar Hero. “I have the real deal,” he joked.
When asked about his greatest achievements, he said, “Every day I like to push the limits and achieve something new. This morning I learnt an amazing classical piece by Felix Mendelssohn called ‘Rondo Capriccioso’. Currently this is my greatest achievement, however, it will probably change tomorrow.”
As for his musical role models, he said, “All the people I look up to are dead, with the exception of my phenomenal piano teacher”, listing Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Rachmaninov and Chopin.
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by Lameez Omarjee | Jul 23, 2014 | News
WARMING UP: Speakers Ayabonga Cawe and Jane Barrett share a quick chat about youth unemployment ahead of their discussion at the dialogue held at the Origins Centre on Tuesday, July 22. Photo: Lameez Omarjee
A national minimum wage will not make a difference in inequality and poverty in South Africa, according to Ayabonga Cawe. Cawe was speaking at a policy dialogue hosted by Young Economists for Africa last night at the Wits Origins Centre which focused on the need for a national minimum wage policy.
A “national minimum wage should be accompanied with other social protection measures,” explained the Rethink Africa chairperson. These include a social wage subsidised by government to provide free housing, free health care and free education. These measures would then affect savings, investments and consumption.
Asset transfers are another option through the restoration of the ownership of land, the economy and access to markets in the economy for the previously disadvantaged.
“People can’t build (their) lives without assets,” Cawe said.
“People are employed but they are still caught in a poverty trap”
He also said that the national minimum wage will never be effective unless backlogs in development are dealt with and productivity is increased. He stressed that people need an incentive, possibly even a stake in profits, to be productive.
Despite arguments that a national minimum wage would give the country a bad image and may deter investments, Cawe defended the proposal. “People are employed but they are still caught in a poverty trap”. A national minimum wage will allow for social reproduction he said.
Jane Barrett, policy research officer at the South African Transport and Allied Workers’ Union also supported the proposed national mimumum wage and told Wits Vuvuzela, it is necessary “to bring simplicity and regularity to the regulation of wages at the bottom.”
According to Barrett, a national minimum wage is more effective in reducing inequality, than reducing the high pay for executives.
Taku Fundira, senior researcher at Studies in Poverty and Inequality Institute, suggested that “social protection policies should be strengthened.”
He told Wits Vuvuzela that South Africans should consider a basic income grant as an option.
In South Africa there is an “unemployed generation aged between 18 and 59” that will never receive a certain or reasonable income until the age of retirement, when they would qualify for a pension grant. He explained that a minimum wage could absorb unemployment.
Fundira also encouraged good infrastructure, a powerful labour force and a flawless trade flow to attract investment. “This is a redistribution policy, we take away from business to empower lower income earners. The policy should be clear and transparent and enforceable.”
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by Lameez Omarjee | Jun 29, 2014 | News
It’s mid-winter and Witsies are feeling the cold and the pinch of staying warm with heaters.
In an effort to keep warm, energy consumption is at its highest between 5pm and 8pm, according to statistics by Power Alert. This infographic shows effective ways to keep warm, while reducing your electricity consumption.
by Lameez Omarjee | Jun 29, 2014 | News
If this storify does not load automatically, please click here.
https://storify.com/WitsVuvuzela/12-things-to-do-this-holiday
by Lameez Omarjee | Jun 19, 2014 | Featured 1
Health sciences students launched a new society dedicated to creating awareness about inequalities in healthcare. Photo: Provided.
Wits health science students launched the Student Advocates for Health society (StAH) at the Parktown campus last night. The society reflects the awareness of these students of the socio-economic factors affecting the quality of healthcare in South Africa.
The idea for the organisation came about when a group of students doing shifts at a local hospital were outraged by a poster indicating that some patients were denied HIV treatment.
“We saw the social inequality and did not know how to do anything about it. We [health science students] don’t know what’s happening in the world, we don’t know what politics mean. This organisation is to inform students about the realities of what is happening in hospitals,” said one of the founders, Ndumiso Mathebula, 4th year MBBCh.
The society plans to facilitate opportunities for students to work with organisations like Section27, Doctors Without Borders, the Wits Citizenship Community Outreach, the Wits Transformation Office and the Treatment Action Campaign . Students will learn different skills of advocacy, said Mathebula.
Empowered students
Neo Mkhaba, 4th year MBBCh and StAH media officer, said as advocates, health science students would be empowered to “identify problems and come up with solutions that are comprehensive and sustainable.”
“We need more people to step into the darkness, because someone has to turn on the light.”
Joseph Tewson, anatomy honours, said: “I get very excited when things happen on campus. We are a very laid-back generation. We need more of this on campus. We need more people to step into the darkness, because someone has to turn on the light.”
Lesnè Pucjlowski, 3rd year MBBCh was keen on standing up for her patients, “I’m really just interested in standing up for my patients’ human rights. Our patients are important and their needs are important and I am happy that StAH will give me the opportunity to be proactive.”
Cybil Mulundi, 4th year MBBCh, wants to implement what she learns at StAH in her future career: “I am here to learn how doctors can make patients more aware of their human rights and make sure they are not taken advantage of.”
Monique Losper, 4th year MBBCh, added: “I would like to find out how to create a better relationship between doctors and patients in our careers going forward. I am expecting StAH to help enhance awareness of rights and responsibilities so that patients can receive good healthcare.”
The organisers used the event to commemorate the youth of 1976, who died for what they believed in, said Mkhaba. The same spirit of activism should be carried by this generation, but it should not be destructive, emphasised Mathebula. In the past, people had to destroy to get their freedom, he told Wits Vuvuzela.
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by Lameez Omarjee | Jun 12, 2014 | Sport
by Lameez Omarjee | Jun 12, 2014 | Sport
NEW KID IN TOWN: World Cup mascot Fuleco will become a familiar sight in the coming weeks of the tournament which starts tonight. Graphic: FIFA
Tonight, the one of the world’s biggest sporting showcases kicks off in Brazil. The 2014 FIFA World Cup opening ceremony will launch football’s biggest international spectacle and despite the absence of South Africa’s Bafana Bafana, Witsies are still looking forward to the month-long tournament.
“I am really excited about the World Cup. We wait four years to witness the best players competing against each other. A part of me is sad that South Africa won’t be participating in this World Cup,” said Phelelani Mpanza, Masters Business Sciences.
“I see Spain defending this one. They play really good football, but as an African, I will be supporting Ghana. BaGhana BaChana!”, added Mpanza.
“I think this is probably going to be one of the most competitive World Cups ever, which makes it highly unpredictable. But I think Brazil might take it this time around,” said Lloyd Uta, Masters Business Sciences, Marketing.
Some Witsies pledged their allegiance to African teams. “I’m supporting Ghana because it’s the closest one to home and they play good soccer,” said Pretty Makgabo, final year BAccSci.
Makgabo was excited about watching her favourite players, “I am looking forward to seeing Boateng, Gyan and Essien on the field.”
Makgabo is also looking forward to the opening ceremony, “I love those,” she said.
The European teams have a number of Witsies behind them. “I’m with Germany. I think Brazil is a cliche. I think Germany deserves to take it this time, Brazil has taken it too many times so personally I now have Brazil fatigue,” said Tinashe Chuchu, Masters Business Sciences.
Obakeng Motshome, final year BAccSci, is also keen on Germany. “I like their style of football. They really play to the whistle, they’ll keep scoring until the referee blows the final whistle.” Motshome expects an all-European final between Spain and Germany. “It would also be great to have the first European team to win the World Cup in South America,” he said.
Some Witsies were spoilt for choice. “I’m supporting Brazil, Germany, Portugal and Netherlands in that order,” said Hitekani Makhubele, final year BCom.
Makhubele holds a soft spot for Brazil as she says, “I got introduced to football in 2002, when I was 11 years old. And Brazil was wearing yellow which is my favourite colour.” She has been loyal to them since, “through two more World Cups and everything in between. I am expecting home ground advantage to make them go super saiyan… loyalties will be tested but Brazil to the end,” she said.
The opening ceremony will be televised later this evening with the first match between hosts Brazil and Croatia starting at 10pm, local time.
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by Lameez Omarjee | Jun 6, 2014 | News
HARD TIMES: Education students on the Funza Lushaka bursary have been struggling to make ends meet this past semester. Photo: Lameez Omarjee
Wits students in the education faculty have been going hungry as their allowance for the semester quickly ran out.
The students are recipients of the Funza Lushaka bursary, but have only been given R7000 for the entire semester, due to delays in discharging the bursary funds.
“It’s bad, I don’t have any food. I’ve become a nuisance to people, it’s really bad,” said Thando Sibiya, 2nd year BEd. I don’t know what I’m going to eat. How do they expect you to live? How am I supposed to write exams?”
Students told Wits Vuvuzela that the problem was not that there was no money; but that the payments were irregular. Unlike the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS), Funza Lushaka monies are not made available on a monthly basis.
Delayed payments
Bursary officer at Education Campus, Mfundo Mbatha said payments were delayed because Funza Lushaka funds were not ready at the beginning of the year.
“Funza Lushaka is a government initiative. We have to wait for monies to be moved from National Treasury to Financial Aid,” she said. The allowances given to students at the beginning of the year were borrowed from Wits Financial Aid because the government financial year only starts in March.
Mbatha said students received R5000 at the beginning of the year for their books. He added that students were asked by email and posters “to spend the money mindfully.”
Some time after, the bursars were given R2000 for “teaching experience”, where students go out to schools for practical training, under the supervision of a qualified teacher.
Sibiya said he spent his allowance of R2000 buy formal clothing and on transport costs for the teaching experience. “Coming back here is like coming back to poverty.”
Mbatha said they tried to pay students monthly in the past but it did not work because Funza Lushaka is not like NSFAS. “Funza Lushaka has been operating this way for years,” she said. Every year at the end of June or July, students receive the first lump sum and a second one in September.
Bursars overspending
Mbatha said the students experience difficulties when they spend more than the allocated bursary amount of R75000 per year. “Students are to use money at their own discretion,” she said. When students spend more than the allocated bursary amount, at the end of the year they end up owing close to R10000.
In response to allegations that students were not given warnings in advance, Mbatha said, “We put up posters and they [students] don’t even bother to read them.”
Nonhlanhla Moholane, 3rd year BEd said, “We were warned well in advance to sort ourselves out, but not everyone has the means to sustain themselves from January to July.”
Ayshah Essop, 1st year BEd said she was awarded the Funza Lushaka bursary but because payments were late she decided to accept a bursary from the South African National Zakah Fund (SANZAF) instead. “I took the SANZAF fund because Funza [Lushaka] pays late, they only pay when the first semester is over.”
Sihle Nsibande, 2nd year BEd said, “I was on Funza Lushaka last year. Previous people who were on Funza [Lushaka] told me you first get R5000. Then after two or three months you get R18000.” The remaining monies are paid out over a number of months, according to Nsibande.
“Coming back here is like coming back to poverty.”
The delayed payments were not a problem for Nsibande because he lives at home and can depend on his parents.
“I was expecting it, but it’s different for people in different circumstances. I’m at home, I’m provided for. Other people live at res. Maybe if I was at res I would also be complaining because I’d have to take care of myself.” He also said that new students on the bursary do not know how processes work
In the meantime, Wits education lecturer Bheki Zungu, who is involved with student affairs in conjunction with the Transformation Office, has been collecting food donations and distributing them among needy students. Education Students Council (ESC) chairperson Lebang Nong has confirmed that students will receive a lump sum payment by June 30.
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