by Lameez Omarjee | Apr 14, 2014 | News
There was not much to fault in the performance of the Wits Tang Soo Do team at the South African Championships held at Wits this past weekend. 9 members of the team walked away with an impressive 20 medals among them.
- BATTLE SCARS: Kim Lucas’s hand was injured during a sparring event, but he managed to bag a silver medal for the event at the South African Championships.
Photo: Lameez Omarjee
Winning streak
The team of 13 attributed their success to their instructor, Master Gregory Hart. “He (Hart) always expects us to win. He trains us hard. He trains us to be the best and that is what he expects and that’s what we produce,” said Kim Lucas, chairperson of the club.
[pullquote]“You don’t really notice pain when there’s adrenaline flowing through your veins,”[/pullquote]
Lucas received two silver medals and a gold, but suffered a nasty bash to his hand during one of the sparring (fighting) events, “Someone bashed my finger with a sword.” But he did not notice until the fight was over, “You don’t really notice pain when there’s adrenaline flowing through your veins,” he said. Generally a fight is stopped when there is an injury.
Other team members were lucky to win without any injuries.
Ipeleng Malope took five medals alone. A silver, two bronze and two gold medals. He said he was not intimidated during the competition, especially during the sparring (fighting). “If you feel intimidated, that’s when you lose,” he said.
Shakira Minty won a bronze medal for sparring in only her second tournament.
Other team members who performed well include Robert Makoloane who took two silver medals, Mlami Ncontsa and Candice Lockyear both won silver medals, while Trisha Rajkumar took both a gold medal and bronze medals. Ngwato Kekana received a gold and bronze medals while Kurtis Kavila received two gold medals and a bronze.
The team is now preparing for the next national championships, to be held in Bloemfontein on May 31.
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by Lameez Omarjee | Apr 11, 2014 | Sport
EYE OF THE TIGER: Wits University Tang Soo Do get ready for the South African
Championships this weekend. From Left to right: Lushan Sundram, Robert Makoloane, Master Gregory Hart (trainer), Kim Lucas (Chairperson) and Ngwato Kekana
Photo: Luke Matthews
Members of the Wits Korean martial art, Tang Soo Do, are slaving away in preparation for the South African Championships to be held tomorrow, Saturday, at Old Mutual Sports Hall.
The Tang Soo Do South African Championships is the main event of the year for this martial art, and competitors come from across the country to participate. There are three national tournaments a year, one at Wits and others are held later in the year in Bloemfontein and Nelspruit, according to Titus Masike, vice-chairperson of the club.
Traditional martial art
Tang Soo Do combines traditional Korean martial arts and modern techniques of self-defence such kicking and boxing.
Last year the Wits team excelled, collecting 24 medals in total. Three members qualified for the World Championships and returned with eight medals. Masike said: “[Tang Soo Do] is the best performing martial art club at Wits probably. It is not well-known so we don’t get as much funding as we would like to.” Last weekend the team won 10 medals at the All-styles championships where they competed against Karate and Taekwando style teams.
[pullquote] “Use your mind to push through the limits of your body, to push through the pain and carry on”. [/pullquote]
Masike emphasised the importance of practising forms and stances, working on fitness, cardio and sparring (fighting). He said Tang Soo Do was strategic, “You need to think. It’s not just about overpowering [your opponent].” He said martial arts involved teaching the mind. “Use your mind to push through the limits of your body, to push through the pain and carry on”.
Practice makes perfect
Fitness is one of the key things the members are working on for Saturday. Member of the team, Shakira Minty, an Accounting student, said she was making sure that her fitness was at an acceptable level and that she was physically ready.
To handle the stress of the approaching competition, Kim Lucas, the chairperson of the club said: “A lot of us have been competing for a while so we know what to expect, but for the new people we help them a lot; we make sure they train properly and help them with anything they need”.
Nerves of steel
As for pre-competition nerves, Masike said: “At first, when you are about to get punched, you flinch. It takes a long time to get use to it before you stop [flinching].” Minty said: “Turn nervousness into excitement. Take the nervous energy and tell yourself you are excited. Nerves are normal, they are good.”
The team is positive about the competition. Ngwato Kekana, a Wits graduate has been part of the club the longest. He said: “It’s like any other tournament, just get ready for it.” Lushan Sandrum started competing this year and said: “I’m nervous but excited. There’s nothing not to be excited about.” Robert Makoloane, who use to do Karate before joining Tang Soo Do six months ago said, “I am confident, especially because I got a gold medal in my first Tang Soo Do contest [last weekend].” Their confidence is not unfounded, as proven in the past, the Wits team generally performs well, according to Lucas.
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by Lameez Omarjee | Apr 11, 2014 | News
Whether you are reading journal articles for lectures, or compiling the literature review of your research, the time crunch gets the best of us.
The war against time management is inherent to the student experience. the days of slacking on readings and being the unprepared student at discussions are over.
Wits Vuvuzela set out to find solutions and approached students and lecturers to find the best way to read journal articles under the pressure of a ticking clock.
The results are presented in the infographic.
by Lameez Omarjee | Apr 8, 2014 | Sport
KICKING IT: Kim Lucas and Mlami Ncontsa train for the South African Championships taking place this coming weekend. Photo: Lameez Omarjee
The Wits Tang Soo Do came away with 10 medals at the national all-styles championships in Vanderbjilpark last weekend.
The outstanding performance of the team means that a few of them are now eligible for the world championships in September this year.
Kim Lucas, B.Com student and chairman of the club, explained that competitors who win a gold medal qualify for the world championships but the results are still be to be confirmed.
Ipeleng Malope, 4th year Chemical Engineering, won three medals, one of which was a silver for sparring (fighting). When Wits Vuvuzela asked him why he chose Tang Soo Do as a sport, Malope said, “Because I get to beat people up! Just kidding … It’s a martial art and I need discipline and the fitness [the training provides].”
[pullquote]”Tang Soo Do is a traditional Korean martial art, modified to incorporate modern techniques”[/pullquote]
Lucas won gold and silver medals. Team members Robert Makoloane received gold, Ngwato Kekana walked away with a silver and Lushan Sundram received two bronze medals. Team instructor, and one of the competitors, Tommie Strydom received silver.
Tang Soo Do is a traditional Korean martial art, modified to incorporate modern techniques like kicking, boxing pressure points and grappling. The group is trained by master Gregory Hart and Tommie Strydom, both black belts in the sport. The club is still quite small, and has about 40 active members.
The group is presently training for the South African Championships which takes place on Saturday, March 12 at Old Mutual Sports Hall from 7am to 5pm.
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by Lameez Omarjee | Apr 2, 2014 | Featured 1, News
CELEBRATION: Simphiwe Mazibuko’s family has supported him throughout his studies. Pictured from behind are his father, Buti and sister Ntompifuthi. From left to right are his sisters, Jabulile and Nonkululeko, Simphiwe and his mother Thenji. Photo: Lameez Omarjee
The last born and only son in his family, but the first to walk the steps of the Great Hall and graduate Monday morning, Simphiwe Mazibuko’s five year journey concluded with a BSc in maths, economics and risk.
Supportive family
Like many Witsies’, he was not immune to the challenges that come with the edge. His father, Buti Mazibuko, was a machine operator and mother, Thenji Mazibuko, a florist, worked hard to fund his studies. When it became too expensive for them, his studies were funded by the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS).
Moving to Joburg “was very painful” for his family, according to his eldest sister, Jabulile.
“We were even crying when we left him here, even my dad’s heart was broken. But we knew he would finish because he is a hard worker,” she said.
Jabulile has two children of her own who look up to their uncle Simphiwe and want to study at Wits because of him.
For his family, seeing him graduate makes them proud considering the sacrifices they made. Buti took the day off work to see his son graduate. For his son’s future he hopes “he works and gets a business to provide for his family.”
His mother, Thenji, said she worried when she left Simphiwe at Wits.
“At first I was scared when he went to Wits, that he would get involved with the wrong friends and face peer pressure … but he never did something wrong. He finished. He came to do what he wanted to do. He has been good,” she said.
Mathematical interest
Simphiwe grew up in Duduza township outside of Johannesburg and initially intended to complete a Bachelor of Actuarial Science (BActSci) degree but had to complete an extended BSc programme to qualify for the course. A year after he qualified for actuarial science, he decided to pursue a BSc in mathematical science, economics and risk instead.
[pullquote]“I try and give back, especially when I look at where I come from. I help where I can, use what I know can help.”[/pullquote]
Simphiwe had an interest in maths since high school and when he was in grade nine developed an interest in the field of actuarial science and built up an aptitude for numbers.
“University maths is different to maths in high school, you build a different perspective of maths,” he said. However, the difficulty of his programme has not deterred him and he plans on returning to do his Honours in maths.
Simphiwe said hee always wanted to come to Wits.
“I just saw myself here and not anywhere else I guess,” he said.
During his studies he tutored matric maths for three years. Three of his former students received distinctions in maths at the end of last year.
“I try and give back, especially when I look at where I come from. I help where I can, use what I know can help,” he said.
Simphiwe now works for Santam and divides his time between Johannesburg and Cape Town. He took the day off work to graduate. His sisters, Nonkululeko and Ntompifuthi, said although their brother is serious , he always makes them laugh.
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by Lameez Omarjee | Mar 27, 2014 | News
Transport can become quite an inconvenience for students who don’t have cars. Wits Vuvuzela investigated the different options available for students who want to travel from Wits University to Sandton. Students approached by Wits Vuvuzela prioritised reliability, convenience and affordability when choosing a mode of transport.
The infographic shows the best possible options available to students.
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by Lameez Omarjee | Mar 25, 2014 | News
WORD FROM THE WISE: Outgoing ASC chairperson Sikho Ntshengulana shows new ASC members the ropes.
Photo: Lameez Omarjee
The newly elected Accounting Students Council (ASC) sat in on a meeting with their predecessors on Monday to learn the tools of the trade for when they take office on April, 1. The new members were announced last Thursday after recent elections.
This year the selection process for the members of the ASC was more rigorous than in previous years.
According to Mandisa Makubu, the outgoing secretary, candidates had to submit motivation letters and had the opportunity to present to fellow students. The Student Representative Council (SRC) counted votes, a process that was previously handled by the outgoing ASC. Additionally, in previous years, candidates were given little time to prepare for elections as they were only required to address students for less than a minute long.
Goals of the new ASC
New ASC members intend to prioritise the line of communication between management and the students. Thanda Mthethwa said they hope to “be a firm intermediary between students and the head of school … and build a relationship for students to experience accountability between management and the council.”
Tshepiso Pooe said their aim was to reintroduce student governance. “Students didn’t have a voice last year, we had a council but we couldn’t raise our voices”. He said they wanted to lay a foundation for the school council of 2015. “We have a lot of plans, but if we don’t have functional student governance, we can’t implement those plans … We can’t do everything, we only have one year.”
A word from the outgoing chairperson
Outgoing chairperson, Sikho Ntshengulana, had high expectations for the new ASC, stating they seemed more “committed” due to the “rigorous election process”. Last year, the ASC had to deal with a high turnover of members. Other challenges included not having a “defined space in the School of Accountancy,” said Ntshengulana. According to Ntshengulana they did not have guidance and did not know the role of the student council. “We were not sure where to fit in,” he said.
He said they were not taken as seriously as other student bodies and a lot had to do with the fact that it was a young school council that only started two years ago. However, they have overcome many of their problems. Having a permanently appointed head of school made a difference. “ Professor Nirupa Padia (Head of the School of Accountancy) is sympathetic to our cause,” he said.
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by Lameez Omarjee | Mar 24, 2014 | Featured 1, News
AGAINST ALL ODDS: Jeffrey Choma pictured outside CNS, is one of the few students successfully registered for Wits WiFi services.
Photo: Luke Matthews
By Lameez Omarjee and Rofhiwa Madzena
Despite the introduction of online registration to make the experience “more convenient”, Witsies still complain that administrative processes are tedious and discouraging.
Claiming back money
Sinoxolo Msomi, 3rd year BEconSci, said claiming money back from Wits “just took too long”. It took a month to resolve her issue with the fees office.“Everyone I would talk to would refer me to someone else. They first told me I could claim back money via telephone and just give my bank details but then I found out I had to fill in a form.” She speculated that the cause of the delay was due to the fact that the sum of money was large.
To claim money back, students are required to get a stamped bank statement and verification from their parents or the person or entity that paid their fees, as well as certified copies of their IDs. Students say this means a great deal of running around.
Lengthy waiting periods
Students also complained about the time it took for their cell phones and tablets to be registered for WiFi access on campus. Rosina Mabapa, 3rd year BA, said: “I don’t think it’s amazing, [and] it could be better”. Xolani Hadebe, acting director at Computer and Network Services (CNS) said: “I’m aware that the process of registering online for WiFi access is a tedious one so we are phasing that out.” Students will in future be able to gain access to WiFi using their login details.
Carol Crosley, deputy registrar of enrolment, acknowledged that students are often sent from “pillar to post” because staff did not feel empowered to address issues or make decisions about problems that did not fall within their capacity. But she said staff referred students to people who were better able to solve their problems.
The registration process
Online registration was introduced as a pilot project this year, in order to give students the “freedom and flexibility to register from home”, said Crosley. Some students found it a great improvement.
Bambi Stewart, 3rd year BA, said, “I feel that it’s [online registration] much better now, especially the registration process for BA students because I felt it was the most tedious process ever. I managed to do it in two hours whereas in first year it took me two days, but everything is a bit better now.”
[pullquote]”although online registration was effective in reducing queues, it would not always be possible to remove human interaction entirely.”[/pullquote]
But other students still complained about having to come to campus to reregister manually because their subject choices did not show when they registered online.
Crosley said that, although online registration was effective in reducing queues, it would not always be possible to remove human interaction entirely. Many students still needed career guidance and help with subject choices.
Service survey facilities
Electronic survey facilities are available to measure service delivery at admin points like the Student Enrolment Centre, the Fees Office and some faculties. However, only a small number of students fill in these surveys, according to Crosley.
The majority of students approached by Wits Vuvuzela were either unaware of the survey facilities or were unsure about what they were when they saw them on campus.
International students’ registration
International students have also complained about the services at the Wits International Office.Manager Gita Patel said the process became lengthy when documents had to be sent through to Home Affairs for verification. She added that, because students had to wait for Home Affairs, the office “allows students to register with acknowledgement of receipt [from Home Affairs]”.
Patel also said that it was up to students to follow up with the office to make sure their registration was on track.
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by Lameez Omarjee | Mar 7, 2014 | Featured 1, News
By Roxanne Joseph and Lameez Omarjee
CORRIDOR CRAMMING: Thandeka Shabalala, a 1st year BSc Urban and Regional Planning studies in her res corridor. Photo: Lameez Omarjee
Witsies were left in the dark for nearly four hours yesterday when the first round of load shedding affected large parts of the country.
As part of Block 6 on the City of Johannesburg’s load shedding schedule, the entire campus and surrounding areas were left without power for over four hours. Although accustomed to the process of load shedding, many lecturers and students struggled under the conditions.
[pullquote]Without light in their rooms, students who did not want to make the journey to West Campus in the evening opted to do their work in the res corridors. [/pullquote]
“We were aware of the times because the university had sent out a copy of schedule, so we left campus for about two hours to have lunch”, said Phalo Msila, an associate lecturer in auditing. Commerce, law and management lectures end by lunch time towards the end of the week, leaving only two tutorials after 2pm.
Res students on east campus had to take their study material to west campus when the power went out, from 2pm to 8pm, longer than it had been scheduled for.
Without light in their rooms, students who did not want to make the journey to west campus opted to do their work in the res corridors with some moving a desk into the space to catch some of the light. There are generators in many of the res buildings, but only certain lights in the corridors and foyer come on: individual room lights do not receive generated electricity. Many students felt it was too dangerous to walk across campus by themselves in the dark.
Wits Vuvuzela found Jubilee Hall resident Sibhekiwe Cele, 3rd year BSc Construction Studies, working on an assignment on his computer when the power went out. “It was such an inconvenience to me. I couldn’t finish it.”
Students were eventually forced to eat off campus when the power had not come back on again by dinner time. Rachel Ngidi, 3rd year LLB student and a resident at Trinity House, said it was disturbing, “We had to go out and buy food in the rain … Our phones (batteries) died last night and we couldn’t make calls.”
Unlike day students, res students rely on campus facilities to complete their work after hours.
The load shedding was spread across the city affecting even those students that live off campus.
“I had a chem tutorial that I wanted to finish, but the power was out all the way in Gallo Manor”, complained Ryan Kramer, a 1st year biomedical engineering student.
READ MORE: The load shedding schedule is available on the City of Johannesburg’s website.
by Lameez Omarjee | Mar 7, 2014 | News
Wits economics students Nadia Kruger and Michael Levin were among the winners of the Budget Speech Competition where they showcased some arguments for electricity problems and unemployment.
Kruger, a Masters in Economic Science student came second in the postgraduate category and received a cash prize of R60 000. Levin, a third year BCom Economics and Finance student was placed third in the undergraduate category and received a cash prize of R10 000.
The competition is organised and sponsored by Nedbank and Old Mutual. Economics students were invited to submit an essay, with proposed strategies for economic growth. The competition is aimed to inspire potential, young economists to apply the theory they learn in class to the South African economy. At Wits it is compulsory for third year and honours economics students to participate.
[pullquote]Levin argued that vocational skills development were in short supply in South Africa and it had to be addressed as a short term solution.[/pullquote]
Postgraduates had to find solutions to South Africa’s electricity crisis while considering environmental issues and the effect on small businesses and the economy. Kruger argued that to achieve the goals of the National Development Plan to promote economic growth, an increased supply of reliable and quality electricity was necessary.
Kruger suggested that in the long run more electricity should be provided efficiently, at lower prices by independent power producers of renewable energy. A short term solution should be to keep electricity price increases gradual, to have a minimum effect on the economy. Preferential tariffs for the poor and small businesses should also be introduced, Kruger said.
Undergraduates had to write about the causes of youth unemployment which was particularly high in South Africa, and propose solutions. Levin, a second year at the time, competed with third years.
Levin argued that vocational skills development were in short supply in South Africa and it had to be addressed as a short term solution. Levin explained that the youth wage subsidy is useful to reduce unemployment. It provides a tax break to companies who employ people under a certain age. According to Levin, it made the cost of employing someone lower for a company because the government paid part of the wage, lowering the risk tied to employing a youth.
Winners were announced at the budget speech competition banquet in February, held after the budget speech was presented at Parliament. Some of the highlights for both winners were meeting former and current ministers of finance, Trevor Manuel and Pravin Gordhan. It was also a good opportunity for finalists to network. “It was such a great opportunity to meet my fellow, young economists and to make connections with them. It was really enjoyable,” said Kruger.
Read the winning essays here.
