by Leigh-Ann Carey | May 10, 2013 | News
Zulu girl is a Pedi man. Just in case you are confused – the Diary of a Zulu Girl blog went viral with 650 000 views in just two weeks. The writer is being approached by production houses, which will turn the blog into a script for a TV series.
The blog is about a young girl from rural KwaZulu-Natal who moves to Johannesburg, studies at Wits University and has a blast with older foreign men.
Mike Maphoto, the now famous blogger, is a law graduate from the University of Cape Town. He told Wits Vuvuzela he had no real plan to write the blog. He was sitting with friends and they were talking about girls they know who had changed after high school and now dated older foreign men.
“Thandeka is representative of a lot of girls, not just girls from Wits or UJ, even a girl from an EFT College” he said. Maphoto added that people always expect girls who study at UJ to be more corrupt than Wits girls, but this was clichéd because he knew girls from Wits that dated older men for money.
An extract from the blog reads: “Now like I said I did not grow up in a village. On the contrary I grew up in a small town. Had DSTV and all the perks people in big cities and flushing toilets etc don’t even get clever on me. I was also on the verge of getting my license using my mother’s old Tazz, so I was well off compared to many people”.
Diary of a Zulu girl is a story about Thandeka Mhkize, a young woman studying Law at Wits University hoping to find independence, freedom and identity. At the beginning she’s uncomfortable with the idea of hanging out with older rich foreign men but eventually gets used to the idea
The views on the blog skyrocketed from about 30 00 views to 650 000: “I didn’t think my blog would blow up”, Maphoto said about the endless attention he has been receiving from the media”
When asked why KZN and not rural Northern Cape or Limpopo, He replied: “There are more Zulu people than any other tribe in the country and it is a proven fact that Johannesburg is attractive to Zulus and Thandeka being Zulu made a lot of sense for me.
Many of his followers feel cheated that a man would tell the story of a woman.
“This blog is based on what is happening in reality, like I said I had no real intention to write this blog, it was just born out of a conversation I was having with my boys,” Maphoto said.
by Leigh-Ann Carey | Apr 12, 2013 | News
Three third-year Wits accounting students qualified as the youngest team to take part in the 2013 KPMG International Case Study Challenge (KICC) in Madrid, Spain.
Talira Naidoo, Jimmy Moyaha and Kamal Singhala, all studying B.Acc Sc, entered the challenge as individuals but went to Spain as a team to represent South Africa. The team consisted of four students, three of which are the Witsies along with a student from the North-West University.
The team left for Spain on the March 30 and returned on April 7
They were all competitors of the KICC title. “It was interesting; I met lots of people from different backgrounds and levels of their careers. The trip gave me a different perspective,” said Naidoo, the only female competitor from South Africa.
Team South African went through a challenge that spread over a period of three months. They were announced as a team on February 5 and were coached for three Saturdays from February till their departure to Spain. The entrants entered the competition at the end of 2012. In preparing for the finals, the students received training from KPMG.
The South African competitors did not win the competition, but they agreed it was a wonderful experience and have learned a lot.
It was a learning experience and an eye-opener. “I believe that it is a step forward in career development and I have gained personal skills,” said Moyaha.
The Wits School of Accountancy said it was extremely proud of its three students and wished them all the best for their trip and competition abroad.
Singhala described his trip to Spain as an amazing one. “I have acquired life skills that any other normal student would not have. I also got to rub shoulder with the crème de la crème at KPMG.”
by Leigh-Ann Carey | Apr 5, 2013 | Featured 1, Sport
Bidvest Wits and SuperSport United battled the weather and each other to draw, 0-0, in the Absa Premiership match on Tuesday at the Bidvest Wits Stadium.
Wits attempted the first goal when midfielder Sibusiso Vilakazi struck fifteen minutes into the match only to have it saved by SuperSport goalie Ronwen Williams.
Wits missed another opportunity to take the lead 30 minutes into the match as right full back Bryce Moon got the ball in for midfielder Pay Faty who kicked the ball into the net only to be called off-side.
The Clever Boys had great ball possession throughout the match with plenty of opportunities to score but were frequently penalised for being off-side.
While Wits played played aggressively, but Supersport fought back.
In the 34th minute of the game Sibusiso Vilakazi hit a header, but it wasn’t enough to get to score as the shot missed the goal by only centimetres.
The second half started off at a slower pace. Wits centre back S’boniso Gumede played a few SuperSport players and went for a shot but the Clever Boys were again called off-side.
Fifteen minutes into the second half it began raining like cats and dogs, leaving the pitch slippery and making it difficult for both Bidvest Wits and SuperSport United to play to their full.
Bidvest centre back Siboniso Gumede centre missed out on a possible goal, losing the chance to take the lead against SuperSport.
SuperSport United gave a strong defence against the Clever Boys, ensuring Wits got no balls go through the net. The Clever Boys also performed solid defence, with the visitors failing to score a goal despite having won the Absa Premiership three times consecutively.
Bidvest Wits and SuperSport United are at fourth and fifth place respectively on the PSL Log.
Both Bidvest Wits and SuperSport went into Tuesday’s match separated by only a point with Wits having 32 points and SuperSport United with 31 points. They will keep their rankings following the draw.
by Leigh-Ann Carey | Mar 1, 2013 | News
DOZENS of friends and comrades gathered to remember former student politician and activist Shimi Matlala on Tuesday.
Songs of the struggle were sung by those gathered who came to the Umthombo U1 building to pay their respects.
Matlata died on the February 20 at the Sizwe Tropical Diseases Hospital in Edenvale. The former law student was diagnosed with tuberculosis in June 2012 and was not able to return after a year and semester. Matlata served on the sub-committee of legal affairs and education, where his passion lay.
His comrades were consistent in describing the kind of person he was, he was known as the guy who always wore a hat and red t-shirt.
SRC President Sibulele Mgudlwa said Matlata’s death came as a shock.
Mgudlwa said Matlala was a die-hard activist, a friend, a cadre, brother and visionary who fought against financial and academic exclusion at Wits.
A friend and co-worker, Justice Nkomo, described Matlala as a communist, self-less leader and intellect that was not trying to be popular but was out to make a difference. Nkomo added that Matlala’s death should not be mourned but his life should be celebrated.
His funeral service will take place at Sekhukhune in Limpopo Province on Saturday.
