by Mia Swart | Aug 12, 2013 | News
TWO new universities in Nelspruit and Kimberley, which will open their doors next year, will get a helping hand from Wits University in planning their infrastructures and academic programmes.
The department of higher education and training (DHET) has approached Wits Campus Development and Planning (CDP) to help with project management for the University of Mpumalanga and the Sol Plaatje University in the Northern Cape.
“We will be developing capacity and project managing the infrastructure and the academic programmes to empower the new universities until they can take over the programme,” said Emannuel Prinsloo, director of CDP.
“It’s a fascinating challenge. There is no book on the shelf called ‘How to build universities for dummies’.
The Wits CDP will put together a team of specialists to implement the academic programmes and to develop the institutional capacity needed. Prinsloo said the DHET approached Wits CDP because they were happy with their progress and delivery of their projects.
[pullquote align=”right”]“They need time to settle, to find their niche.” [/pullquote]
Wits CDP would not physically manage the construction of the two new universities, as the CDP still had its own work to complete at Wits, said Prinsloo. The two universities would not be funded or cross-subsidised by Wits or other universities.
Architectural design competitions for the buildings have been launched. Designs would be judged on the amount of green building implementation.
“It’s about orientating the building for its affordability and sustainability.”
He said the University of Mpumalanga would be built on a “greenfield site”, which meant there were no existing buildings
on the site.
New buildings would be constructed for the Sol Plaatje University in Kimberley. Urban renewal would also take place, which meant old and derelict buildings would be renovated.
The new universities would have more residences than was currently the norm at universities. While plans for the construction of the new universities are in full swing, the universities will need a little longer to reach the level of established universities.
Deputy Vice Chancellor Prof Andrew Crouch said it would take some time for the two universities to reach the same level of excellence of older, established universities, unless they had unlimited resources. Crouch said it normally took fi ve to 10 years for a university to become properly established, both in infrastructure and academics.
“Any new university is like a child that grows up, it’s not an adult overnight,” said Crouch. “They need time to settle, to find
their niche.”
@MiaSwart777
by Mia Swart | Aug 2, 2013 | News
WITS University and the Gauteng Department of Health have signed an accord to tackle health delivery at four hospitals that form part of Wits’ teaching platform.
Wits vice chancellor, Adam Habib, Minister of Health, Dr Aaron Motsoaledi and Gauteng health member of the executive committee (MEC), Hope Papo, signed a developmental accord last
week.
The four hospitals are the Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital, Helen Joseph Academic Hospital, Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital and the Rahima Moosa Mother and Child Hospital. In the accord, Wits and Gauteng Health pledged to address obstacles to health delivery and “to ensure the availability and functionality of equipment and consumables” at these hospitals.
[pullquote align=”right”]”…the event was ‘a historical moment” for Wits, the Gauteng health department and the ministry.[/pullquote]
According to Prof Ahmed Wadee, the dean of Health Sciences, the clinicians in the faculty initiated the agreement. “The university is committed to and would like to ensure that
hospital supplies and equipment are made available for patient care and for teaching and training,” said Wadee.
Doctors from the university will be part of the task team that will monitor the implementation of drug supplies and equipment. Practising medical students will benefit from the improved teaching facilities and will experience a more conducive learning environment. Approximately one thousand medical students are doing their practicals at these hospitals, Wadee said.
According to a statement, the objective of the accord is for the department and the university to work together towards better healthcare and the training of healthcare professionals. In the statement Habib said Wits doctors contribute towards keeping the health system alive and “…the event was ‘a historical moment” for Wits, the Gauteng health department and the ministry.
He said it symbolised how “decisive and committed leadership teams can engage and resolve issues of concern to the benefit of all parties and South African citizens as a whole”.
Wits will not be donating any funds to address the needs of these hospitals. The national department of health would fund equipment and other supplies.
Wadee said there was an extensive list of equipment and supplies needed by the hospital.
by Mia Swart | Jul 30, 2013 | Featured 1, News
DIG IN: Andrew van der Heever shows Wits Vuvuzela journalist Liesl Frankson how to excavate an archeological site. Photo: Pheladi Sethusa
Ever dreamt of being Indiana Jones?
As part of National Science Week,
The Wits Origins Centre offers children and students the chance to be an archaeologist for a day as part of their “Discovering the Past” exhibition.
ROCK ON: Van der Heever explains the process involved in finding objects. Photo: Pheladi Sethusa
Kids and adults of all ages have the chance to spend time at “The Dig” in the South African Rock Museum where they can dig through different layers of earth to uncover different, but genuine artefacts in the simulated digs. More than 150 people have already visited the centre since the exhibition opened on Saturday. During the course of National Science Week visitors can also tour the museum for free.
Andrew van der Heever, MA in Archaeology, and collection manager of about one million artifacts in the museum, guides school pupils and students to dig, stop, map and screen their archaeological finds.
According to van der Heever, archaeologists cannot just take the objects out of the dig before mapping it. “Context is the most important, how the artifact formed how it fell into place. the environment also gives context,” he said.
One of the aims of the project is to attract children and students of all ages. Van der Heever said not many people know about archaeology, as it is not taught in schools. “The idea is to get youngsters involved. If you get more people into archaeology, you can get more funding.”
Although sciences such as Engineering, Biology and Physics receive the bulk of funding and interest, the Archaeology third years are very passionate about the profession.
Archaeology forms part of van der Heever’s love of history. Monica Gumede, 3rd year Archaeology, fell in love with archaeology after she met the archaeological legends at Wits such as David Lewis-Williams, went to the veld schools and got first hand experience of archaeology and digs. Now she has never been as passionate about anything else.
by Mia Swart | Jul 30, 2013 | Featured 1, News
By Mia Swart and Pheladi Sethusa.
This week is National Science Week in South Africa. Wits Senate House Concourse is playing host to a number of stalls during the week, to showcase some great innovations by young scientists at Wits.
by Mia Swart | Jul 19, 2013 | Featured 1
MOVED TO ACTION: Thandeka Sibiya, 3rd year Law, views the exhibition the Wits Volunteer Programme set up at Senate House. The pictures of students helping others all year round inspired Witsies to join them and help others beyond Mandela Day. Photo: Pheladi Sethusa
A PICTURE does indeed paint a thousand words, as hundreds of Witsies signed up for volunteer programmes during the University of the Witwatersrand Wits Volunteer Programme’s (WVP) first annual photo exhibition in conjunction with Mandela Day.
WVP launched the exhibition on Monday ahead of the former president’s 95th birthday. Images of the different volunteer programmes were displayed in the Senate concourse. Written on whiteboard by students were phrases of “No crime, no rape” and “Compassion” for Mandela Day.
“Every day can be a Mandela Day if you work consistently throughout the year and do your bit for the community,” said Karuna Singh, student liaison and support officer from the Student Development and Leadership Unit.
[pullquote align=”right”]”You become civic-minded when you become involved in working with other people.”[/pullquote]
“It [the photo exhibition] is a way to expose what you do and it’s a way to honour and recognise your contribution in the programmes. Only through pictures are you able to see what volunteers are doing.”
About 350 students had signed up for the different projects on Monday and Tuesday alone.
The most popular projects are those based near campus, such as the tutoring at Christ Church Care Centre, Guild Cottage and the Twilight Children’s Home. Other projects include collections of food and clothes and the soup kitchens that run during the week.
Singh said she wants to inspire other students to realise they can be responsible citizens by being civic-minded. “You become civic-minded when you become involved in working with other people.”
New Volunteers
Third-year LLB Daisy Meyer is the logistics director of a volunteer programme, African Sports and Scholastic Initiative for Students in Townships (ASSIST), that is based in Alexandra township. She said the tutoring programme is not just about helping the kids with their homework, volunteers helped in other aspects of the children’s lives as well.
“We realise the importance of mentoring kids. There is a need for motivation. The point is education does not stand on its own,” Meyer said.
Thato Mosimo, 2nd year Mathematical Sciences, signed up at ASSIST on Tuesday. He chose ASSIST as his first volunteering programme because of his mathematical abilities. Mosimo would like to see the kids he helps in the tutoring programme achieve good marks and “to see other kids get to Wits”.
First-year BA Revonia Molelekwa signed up for the shelter, education and blood drive programmes. A volunteer veteran, Molelekwa volunteers at children’s homes and shelters in her hometown Tembisa during the holidays.
“Personally I think helping out and reaching out to people is my way of giving back.”
by Mia Swart | May 17, 2013 | News
NEW LOOK: Wits marketing are designing a new brand for the buses that will replace the “Witrs 90 Celebration” design. Photo: Mia Swart
By Caro Malherbe and Mia Swart.
The Wits marketing and communications department is changing the branding on Wits buses – but students feel the money would be better spent on maintenance and internal improvements.
Marketing manager at Wits, Ferna Clarkson said they were in the early stages of designing new branding for the outside of buses. The 90 Years of Celebration branding was outdated, but there had been no resources, such as time and manpower, until now.
Clarkson said that no repairs would be done to the interior of the buses at this stage. But many students feel that updating the exterior branding of buses seems insignificant compared to the repairs that need to be done.
Students told Wits Vuvuzela the condition of the buses was not bad but, if money was to be spent, they would prefer it to be spent on improving the interior of the buses. They complained mainly of breakdowns and broken seats.
Wits Vuvuzela caught a bus to the Wits Education Campus last week and reported that the hinges of both front seats were unclipped. These seats are meant for “disabled students and students with limited mobility”.
Mazvita Moyo, 1st year Medicine, said the conditions were generally not that bad, except for peak times. “But in every bus, there’s a broken seat. If it’s a full bus, people are going to sit on the broken seats…if you want to get to class on time.”
Mtwakazi Bula, 2nd year Medicine, said the bus timetables were “hard to read. Make it user-friendly and more accessible”.
Unclipped seats
According to Wits Operations Manager for Transport, Sue-Ann Reed: “The seats of the buses are checked every evening when the buses are cleaned and inspected. We have observed that the seats do at times unclip when the students stand up.”
The plastic clips under the seats were being replaced with steel brackets, which would prevent the seats from becoming unclipped.
Reed said the buses were serviced regularly. A safety inspection was done every 14 days and a brake test every 30 days. All the buses were sent for roadworthy tests every six months as required by legislation. Minor repairs and maintenance checks were done by the mechanics onsite when required.
Bus driver Freddy Mabasa said there were sometimes problems with the buses, but there were mechanics on standby to assist the drivers. If drivers experienced problems, spare buses were available.
Clarkson said the branding of the buses was paid for by Luxliner Coaches, as a service to Wits. But the artwork and design of the branding was decided and provided by Wits Marketing Department.
Luxliner have started to remove the old branding. Some buses have been spray-painted white in preparation for the new branding.
“We are hoping to receive the final artwork and design from Wits Marketing Department in time for the branding to be completed during the June/July vacation period, as fewer buses will be needed,” said Reed.
by Mia Swart | May 17, 2013 | News
WHILE University of the Witwatersrand students were signing pledges for an anti-gender based violence awareness campaign, a male member of the Student Representative Council verbally abused a female Wits Vuvuzela reporter.
Tokelo Nhlapo, SRC vice president internal, swore and shouted at journalist Emelia Motsai before other students told him to back away.
Motsai covered the campaign on Friday for Wits Vuvuzela. She was approached by Nhlapo who showed her a copy of the Wits Vuvuzela opinion article she had written.
“He shouted ‘Fuck the hell out of here’ and he shouted I must never take their pictures again”, she said.
According to Nhlapo, the reason for the outburst was an opinion piece written by Motsai that argued the SRC was using the students to further their own cause. Nhlapo said he was “taken aback”.
SRC secretary Tasneem Essop confirmed the outburst but said she didn’t think it was a gender-based incident. “It was an incident based out of anger based on a certain article,” she said.
Nhlapo admitted that he should have addressed his issues with Motsai better. “What was meant to be an attack on her views became an attack on her as a person,” he said.
“I acted out of frustration, anger and impulse. My act was foolish and I will apologise.”
Nhlapo said his outburst was personal and not in his capacity as SRC vice president. “It was me. I was hurt. I personally felt anger about the article.”
SRC president Sibulele Mgudlwa said the SRC denounced any form of assault, verbal or otherwise, on anyone.
by Mia Swart | May 10, 2013 | News
By Emelia Motsai and Mia Swart
WITS students have found themselves divided and confused by competing petitions between the Democratic Alliance Student Organisation (Daso) and the Progressive Youth Alliance-dominated Student Representative Council.
On Wednesday, the SRC was asking students to sign a petition demanding misconduct charges against 11 students, including nine SRC members, be dropped. At the same time Daso was petitioning for the charges against the eleven students to not be dropped.
The students were charged for contravention of the university’s code of conduct. The group was charged after disrupting a musical recital by Israeli-born pianist Yossi Reshef on March 12 as part of a protest during Israel Apartheid Week.
The SRC said they want the charges against them dropped because university management was attacking their right to protest. Daso disagrees with this claim.
“We do not think the SRC is above the code of conduct that students need to comply with. We believe that they should be disciplined,” said chairperson of DASO Wits, Dikeledi Selowa.
The organisations petitioned on both Main and Education campus. Selowa said they planned to get about 2 000 signatures for the petition. The SRC had endorsements for their petition from more than 100 organisations as well as asking students to sign.
HOT IN HERE: Sibulele Mgudlwa, president of the WITS Student Representative Council, and Dikeledi Selowa, chairperson of the Wits Democratic Alliance Student Organisation (Daso) debate about the matter of charges against the SRC being dropped. Mgudlwa mocked Daso and said he felt so unthreatened by their petition that he would sign it just to increase their numbers, if he was not acting in his capacity as SRC president. Photo: Prelene Singh
The SRC asked students to sign their petition in support of the right to protest against issues that students are unhappy with such as housing.
A Daso representative told students: “The SRC must not have its own mandate. They must have a student mandate. They must be held accountable for their actions. We don’t have a problem with the protest. The issue is the manner.”
While the organisations stuck to their beliefs, students were divided over which petition to sign.
Perplexed students
Kirsten Chetty, 1st year LLB signed the Daso petition because: “The SRC shouldn’t have boycotted that way. You can make your opinions known, but to enforce it in that manner is wrong.”
Hunadi Mogaladi, 1st year Medicine, signed the SRC petition: “One of our human rights is free speech. If you are not letting people protest, then it undermines that right,” she said.
One student who signed the Daso petition, Ilanet Chernick , was one of the attendees at the concert on March 12. Chernick described her experience of the protest as “horrible”.
She signed the Daso petition because she believes the SRC should be held accountable and “cannot be allowed to get off”. Chernick, who is Jewish, said a lot of friction has arisen between Jewish students and the Wits Muslim Student Association.
But other students were confused about the petitions they were signing. “I don’t even know why I signed,” said a student just after putting her name to the Daso petition.
Her friend also signed the Daso petition, but soon afterwards asked for it to be taken off. “I thought it was for Palestine so I signed,” she said.
Another girl signed the SRC petition and then she told her friend to do the same because “the SRC was protesting against a lecturer who was charged for attempted rape.”
An SRC member corrected her.
While some students were signing the Daso petition sheets, other students refused to sign the sheet and said because the petition was organized by the “opposition” it might be biased.
by Mia Swart | May 10, 2013 | News
The Wits Student Representative Council (SRC) is pulling out all the stops to get misconduct charges dropped that could result in the dissolution of the SRC.
SURVIVOR SRC: SRC President Sibulele Mgudlwa claims intimidation. Photo: Mia Swart
The incident under scrutiny relates to the disruption of a musical recital by the Israeli born pianist Yossi Reshef. The disruption was part of a protest during Israeli Apartheid Week. Nine members of the executive of the SRC are charged for not going through proper processes for protests, creating a hostile environment and refusing to obey orders from the university.
These are among other charges such as pushing members of university security, aggressively stomping feet, shouting, chanting, failing to respect the rights and freedom of the attendees at the concert. In addition, they “demeaned and/or humiliated and/or created an environment of intolerance”.
SRC president, Sibulele Mgudlwa said: “According to the SRC constitution if you are found guilty, then you can’t be a member of the SRC.”
Outgoing Vice Chancellor Loyiso Nongxa, issued a statement saying senior counsel has been appointed to act in lieu of a student discipline committee to chair the hearing, and to carry out all of its functions. And “as such, he or she will make a decision as to whether or not to publish details of the disciplinary proceedings”.[pullquote]“It’s just an environment that is not conducive to student governance.” [/pullquote]
Nongxa said if someone is found guilty, the person presiding decides on “the appropriate sanction”.
The SRC as a whole could not be disbanded, but it will work on a “case by case” basis. If enough members are found guilty and asked to step down, re-elections could be held or the vice chancellor can appoint a temporary SRC council.
SRC Vice President External, Joy Phiri said: “Finding a guilty verdict directly suggests that it is inappropriate for student leaders to fight just causes and that in itself is a negative message that I don’t think the university wants to tag along to.”
Phiri said that the charged members would take all the legal recourse in their power. SRC vice president internal , Tokelo Nhlapo suggested that they won’t just step down but will appeal the case.
Mgudlwa said: “It’s an intimidating experience and it really hampers how you do your job.” He added that students come and ask for assistance but between assisting students, the SRC have to address the charges, organize protests, put together press releases and organize responses.
It’s just an environment that is not conducive to student governance.”
If there was an emergency SRC, it would take a whole month to organise as new nominations of candidates have to be called for, as well as submissions and manifestos.
The university has to check whether the students are registered students at Wits and if they are legitimate and credible candidates. After the nominations have been approved, the circuses and the voting process would follow.
It now has more than 100 endorsements to call for the university to drop the charges against them. The endorsements come from a range of organisations including the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) and South African Students Congress (Sasco).
by Mia Swart | May 3, 2013 | News
by Pheladi Sethusa and Mia Swart.
Public holidays are an issue of contention in South Africa. Some religious groups feel that they are being discriminated against and their public holidays are not fairly represented.
Wits Vuvuzela asked Witsies for their thoughts on the matter.
by Mia Swart | Apr 30, 2013 | News
by Mia Swart | Apr 26, 2013 | News
QUEUING QUEST: Commuters wait to catch a ride on the next taxi in Jorrisen Street. Other waiting commuters decided to rather take one of the working Metro buses (Background). Photo: Mia Swart
CONTINUING bus strikes are leaving Wits students queuing for hours for transport and arriveing late to classes.
Bus drivers have been striking since last week Friday. Striking Putco and Rea Vaya bus drivers were joined on Wednesday by long-distance luxury liners.
Witsies who normally use the buses were forced to use alternative transport methods this week to get to campus and back home while others were stuck in unusually long queues to catch their taxi ride home.
Palesa Motaung, 2nd year BA Media Studies and Politics, said it was an inconvenience as she came late for her morning classes.
Motaung waited an hour for a taxi and it took two hours for her to get to campus. “The lines were super-super long. I totally hated it,” she said.
“There aren’t enough taxis obviously.”[pullquote align=”right”]“And the bus is cheaper.” [/pullquote]
Motaung said the taxi drivers were trying to overload the taxis to help people get to work and school and to make more money. But the people protested as they waited long too long in the queue and did not want to sit four people in a row and uncomfortably.
First year BA Nancy Hakizimana normally takes the Rea Vaya bus to the Gautrain station but this week she had to walk to and from Park Station.
Khabonina Masango, 2nd year BA Politics, who also usually takes the Rea Vaya buses, had to take taxis this week. Masango said if the strike persisted she would be “sad and irritated”. She likes the Rea Vaya buses as they are very convenient, safe and clean.“And the bus is cheaper,” Masango added.
The bus strikes are currently causing taxis to carry more passengers. Bree taxi rank manager Vusi Sithole said the influx of passengers is hectic because they have to get additional vehicles from other taxi rank branches to accommodate everyone.
Sithole said they realise the strike is causing problems for the commuters. “We are doing our best to help the commuters.”
But the taxi drivers are not happy with the overload of work. Taxi driver Herbert Thuko said “the work is taking its toll” on the drivers.
“We are very frustrated because the taxi bosses expect more money from us because there are more commuters,” said Thuko.“It is expected of us to make more trips to make more money.”
Finance24 reported on Tuesday that the South African Transport and Allied Workers’ Union (Satawu) is demanding a wage increase of 18% with additional allowances for housing, night shift and long-distance journeys. The Commuter Bus Employers Organisation is offering a 6.5% wage increase.
Employers and the unions met on Wednesday at the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration to try and resolve the strike. But Eye Witness News reported that Satawu had said the talks had deadlocked.
