by Percy Matshoba | May 12, 2014 | Featured 1, Lifestyle
Braamies enjoying African Blended coffees and free Wi-Fi. Photo: Percy Matshoba
Braamfontein locals know this store as the one with the old, red Mini Cooper inside it.
Branson Centre, its official name, is the store that offers a cup of java that has could have its origins in as far afield as Rwanda served under exotic names like The Dictator.
Serviced by Motherland Coffee, the coffee-shop part of the Virgin Mobile store, dares to be bold and different in the coffee-drinking experience.
Beverages with personality
With the names of their beverages ranging from ice d’Ivoire invented in Cote d’Ivoire and The Dictator that comes with a slogan “Make your day, Obey you”, it’s no wonder that young, hip, urbanites are attracted to the shop.
The coffee is also sourced according to fair trade practices which ensure ethical and fair practices in farming and sourcing coffee on the African continent.
There is also the pull of free Wi-Fi which is a sure bet in attracting student patrons but with a small cup of coffee costing around R22 and the larger at R35, it is likely that usually cash-strapped student customers are leaving the store with a thirst.
Wits Vuvuzela visited the store at various times on four separate occasions and in all instances, the store was unusually quiet. Manager of the coffee-shop Webster Ndebele sees an increase in foot-traffic over the weekends as tourists passing by from the Neighborgoods market pop in for a cup of coffee. Most tourists admire the style,” he said.
To celebrate these visitors from abroad, the shop has created the ”Tourists” – the name for coffee laced with the varieties of European syrups.
The store opened last October and has even managed to make it into the Guinness Book of Records for cramming the most number of people – 25 – into the little Mini Cooper.
RELATED ARTICLES:
by Percy Matshoba | May 11, 2014 | Featured 1
I WON’T BE PUNISHED: Tokelo Nhlapo, one of the Wits 11, is fighting his sentence of 130 hours of community service. Image: File
UPDATE: Tokelo Nhlapo has confirmed via Twitter that he received 130 hours of community service and not 80 as reported in this article.
The statementreleased by the vice-chancelllor Prof Habib last year indicated that while all of the Wits11 received 80 hours of community service, “one of these students has further been found guilty of not obeying a lawful instruction issued by a University employee, and will be required to perform an additional 50 hours of community service for this offence.”
The identity of this student was not known to Wits Vuvuzela previously. We apologise for the error.
ORIGINAL STORY:
Some members of the “Wits 11” – the students disciplined last year after they disrupted a concert by an Israeli pianist – have agreed to accept their punishments, in spite of declarations to the contrary.
The Wits 11 were charged and found guilty of misconduct for interrupting a concert by pianist Yossi Reshef, as part of a pro-Palestinian protest, and were ordered to perform 80 hours of community service.
Tokelo Nhlapo and Pearl Pillay told Wits Vuvuzela the Wits 11 were united in opposition to their sentences. Pillay said the Wits 11 were not going to comply with the sentence because the ruling was “unfair”.
However, Wits spokesperson Kanina Foss said Wits 11 member Apelele Pindani had already made arrangements with the office of the vice chancellor to complete her prescribed community service.
If Pindani did not, she “will not be issued a certificate of good conduct”, which was necessary if the law student wished to practice in the legal profession, said Foss.
“Some people have complied and some people haven’t complied with the requirements of the sentencing.”
”
Contacted by Wits Vuvuzela, Pindani declined to comment on her own punishment, but confirmed the Wits 11 were divided over complying with their punishments. “Some people have complied and some people haven’t complied with the requirements of the sentencing.”
Foss said the university expected the Wits 11 to comply with their sentences before they finished their degrees. “The university would expect the students to complete the community service as soon as possible, but definitely before they complete their studies.”
But Pillay said she did not believe refusing to complete her community service would hinder her graduation. She said the judgement against them did not state that non-compliance would mean they could not complete their degrees.
Nhlapo told Wits Vuvuzela the 11 were pursuing every option available to continue to fight the sentence. He said they were in contact with a Constitutional Court judge, who was willing to review their case.
“We are not prepared to do business with Zionists who kill Palestinian women and children.” Nhlapo said the university had used a policy dating from 1988 to charge the Wits 11. He believed the ruling was illegal and unconstitutional in the new South Africa.
Nhlapo, Pillay and Pindani were SRC members when they protested the pianist’s appearance in 2013. Other SRC members Sibulele Mgudlwa, Joy Phiri, Tasneem Essop, Justice Nkomo, Klaas Mokgomole and Norman Mashegoane as well as Wits students, Mbuyiseni Ndlozi and Feziwe Ndwayana, were also found guilty of misconduct for their part in the protest and all were ordered to perform 80 hours of community service.
RELATED ARTICLES:
by Percy Matshoba | May 3, 2014 | News
Clashing colour pallets, unconventional paintings and purposeful misspellings on the wall are a few of the things that catch your eye when you enter Anti-Est.
Braamfontein’s newest hotspot, located on the trendy Juta Street, aims to enforce the concepts of ‘unlearning’, free thinking and originality.
GIRL ON TOP: Manager, Roxanne Read says Anti-Est is more than a bar, it is a movement. Photo: Palesa Tshandu
Manager Roxanne Read said the establishment intends on challenging conformity by turning the lounge/bar into a place “where young artists can help challenge the culture of googling and encourage society to be accustomed to asking relevant questions and to move away from the norm.”
The bar has set the trend by creating rectangular shaped pizzas that are enveloped in unconventional packaging printed in eccentric statements that “fit the concept” of non-conformity.
A fresh range of cocktails and ‘uncommercial’ music created solely for the enjoyment of its audience is the way in which Anti entertains its customers every Wednesday to Saturday.
Read said the Neighbourgoods Market hosts more than 6000 people every Saturday and Anti benefits from this foot traffic, allowing the establishment to showcase its space and ensuring that Joburgers participate in its movement.
MIXOLOGIST: A barman gets your drinks ready while you soak in cool jazzy tunes. Photo: Palesa Tshandu
Anti is owned by four people: Nathan Reddy, Paul Shafer, Adam Levy and David Cohen, who, as a collective aim to eradicate the conventional thinking in society.
“At the end of the day we want to push people’s buttons, but at the same time allow them to demonstrate their crazy ideas sing this space as a platform,” said Read.
RELATED POSTS:
by Percy Matshoba | May 2, 2014 | Featured 1
HEADING TO THE USA: Former Witsie Shandukani Mulaudzi is hoping to head to Columbia University next year. Photo: Dinesh Balliah.
A former Wits Vuvuzela journalist raised R10 000 on Facebook in less than 12 hours for her enrollment fee to Columbia University.
Shandukani Mulaudzi, had been offered a place in the Master in Science in Journalism program at Columbia but could not afford the enrollment fee.
She told Wits Vuvuzela that she started an event on the popular social media platform asking her friends to help raise funds for her fees after she was denied an application for a bank loan.
She said her page was shared on various platforms by her friends and journalist Nechama Brodie, who then helped by reaching out to potential sponsors.
“I had pretty much tried everything and had no other option,” Mulaudzi said. “In less than a couple of hours I started getting money in my account.”
She said although she was sceptical about posting her banking details online she took a leap of faith as she was given 24 hours to pay her enrollment fee.
Mulaudzi has now opened up a group to serve “as a platform to share links to scholarships and potential donors” for her and her friend, Nokuthula Manyathi (also a former Wits Vuvuzela journalist).
“After the first drive to help me raise funds for my registration I realised that reaching out via social media can be very helpful,” she wrote on her Facebookpage.
by Percy Matshoba | May 2, 2014 | News
WE REFUSE: Tokelo Nhlapo, one of the Wits 11 says the group will not comply with the community service sentence. Photo: Nolwazi Mjwara
The Wits 11, students disciplined by Wits University for the disruption of a concert last year, are maintaining their refusal to carry out their sentence.
The students were charged with, and found guilty of, misconduct after interrupting the Yossi Reshef concert (held at Wits) and ordered to do 80 hours of community service. But according to the vice-chancellor’s office, only one of the eleven is making arrangements to do so.
“We are not prepared to do business with Zionists who kill Palestinian women and children” said Tokelo Nhlapo, one of the students.
Nhlapo said the university used a policy from 1988 to charge them and believes the ruling was illegal and unconstitutional in the new South Africa.
He told Wits Vuvuzela that the 11 are pursuing every option available. “We are in contact with a constitutional judge who is willing to review our charge,” he said.
According to an email from the vice-chancellor’s office signed by Kanina Foss (acting communications manager), the Wits 11 risk not completing their degrees if the community service is not carried out. They “will not be deemed to have met the requirements of the University for completion of their degrees” if they do not comply with their sentence, read the email.
In response, Nhlapo told Wits Vuvuzela he does not believe that the university will succeed in sentencing them for a crime they did not commit. He said, “We believe what we did was in the interest of the University.”
He added that one of the 11, Aphelele Phindani, already graduated in March and therefore they “refuse to comply with every fibre in their bodies.”
RELATED ARTICLES:
- Wits Vuvuzela, Israel vs SRC, May 2013
- Wits Vuvuzela, Wits 11 cry foul play at hearing, July 2013
- Wits Vuvuzela, Wits 11 complain VC is “player and referee”, July 2013
- Wits Vuvuzela, Community service for Wits 11, January 17, 2014
- Wits Vuvuzela, Wits 11 defy “bogus” punishment, February 7, 2014
by Percy Matshoba | Apr 24, 2014 | Sport
Matome Kadi, Bidvest Wits striker, runs down the line in an eventful 0-0 draw with Kaizer Chiefs. Photo: Luca Kotton
Bidvest Wits showed impressive form last night, keeping the visitors Kaizer Chiefs away from a victory they so desperately wanted.
The Clever Boys drew 0-0 in the Absa Premier League match against AmaKhosi at the Bidvest Wits Stadium, last night.
The Clever Boys supporters jumped for joy 61 minutes into the game when Sithembiso Ngcobo’s finish from Sibusiso Vilakazi resulted in what seemed to be a goal, but this joy was short-lived, as the goal was ruled out for an offside. This highlight of the match summed up the dominance of ball possession by Bidvest Wits.
The first 10 minutes of the game consisted of many goal attempts by both teams and one free kick for the Clever Boys. Chiefs striker, Simphiwe Tshabalala crossed and missed yet another chance to bring victory to Amakhosi.
Shortly after, Amos Ngcobo almost hit the target for the Clever Boys but this was met by a good save by Amakhosi captain, Itumeleng Khune.
[pullquote] “The Kaizer Chiefs and Bidvest Wits fans set the tone for the game from the start, with the Bidvest Wits band leading vibrant songs of encouragement from the sidelines and the sound of vuvuzelas blasting from both the blue and gold bloods. “[/pullquote]
The Kaizer Chiefs and Bidvest Wits fans set the tone for the game from the start, with the Bidvest Wits band leading vibrant songs of encouragement from the sidelines and the sound of vuvuzelas blasting from both the blue and gold ends.
In hopes of gaining victory Chief’s Siboniso Gaxa passed the ball to George Lebese who flared his lines and missed the ball. Minutes later the host made a change sending in Calvin Kadi and benching Asive Langwe. In response to Lebese’s miss, Chiefs followed the same strategy and sent him out in exchange for George Maluleka.
In what looked like a tug of war 30 minutes into the match, Vilakazi, the Clever Boys captain’s attempted to shoot for the target and was hindered by the defense of Masilela. In response to this Vilakazi tripped Masilela in pursuit of the ball and earned Chiefs a corner kick.
The Clever Boys used their home ground advantage making the AmaKhosi boys struggle as Bidvest Wits striker Papy Faty finished with a shot which was unfortunately above the bar.
In an exciting turn of events Chiefs almost scored an own goal but Khune diverted the ball away from the goals.
Half time saw both teams with no goals and the Clever Boys with more attempts at goal and dominant ball position. The second half of the match was similar to the first with both the blue and gold bloods fighting to win the match.
The remaining 20 minutes of the match showed a fighting spirit for the Amakhosi but the Clever Boys kept their guard up. Bidvest Wits retained dominant ball position from the beginning of the match until the end and as a result Kwanda Mngonyama was honored as the man of the match.
by Percy Matshoba | Apr 24, 2014 | Lifestyle
DREAMER: Adam Levy, an ordinary man with extraordinary hopes for the city.
Photo: Percy Matshoba
From a corporate and militant feel prior to 1994 to a vibrant multicultural hub two decades later, Adam Levy tells Wits Vuvuzela how Braamfontein got its groove back.
Levy is the owner of Play Braamfontein, a company that enables entrepreneurs to revamp Braamfontein’s image. From retro coffee shops like The Post on 70 Juta, playful clothing shops like SupremeBeing to beach parties on now-famous rooftops, Braamfontein has seen a cultural revival in recent years
The aroma of coffee, tall colourful buildings, art galleries and inspiring new business people rushing in and out of Braamfontein has become the order of the day in this rising village.
When Wits Vuvuzela asked Levy ‘why Braamfontein,’ his answer was a firm one. “Why not Braamfontein?” He says he got his inspiration from traveling the world and experiencing a model of what a city should feel like. He said although Braamfontein is a small environment in the city, he was motivated to turn it into a “vibrant multicultural space” that people from all walks of life could enjoy.
[pullquote]“On Saturday, it’s like the suburb jumped on a ship and decided to come to the city”[/pullquote]
Levy said the city of Johannesburg has always lacked a relationship with its people and Braamfontein is transforming into a more cosmopolitan space that interacts with people living and working in the area.
“I had very little opportunity to play in the city, there was no feeling of liveliness, hence Play Braamfontein.”
The manager of The Post coffee shop Shannon Schmidt said people were a lot more sceptical about coming to Braamfontein in 2010, when Post first opened but that has since changed. “On Saturday, it’s like the suburb jumped on a ship and decided to come to the city”, he said.
Schmidt said new businesses has attracted more people and has also shown Joburgers that the city can be a fun place.
Schmidt said Play Braamfontein is transforming the city into living area, a lively place night or day and has enabled entrepreneurs to “take back the city”.
“It has become a place to live, to work, to school, to shop and so much more.”
Now Joburgers do not have to look at movie scenes shot in New York and think ‘I want to have a life like that’, they can have that experience right at home.
by Percy Matshoba | Apr 11, 2014 | Opinion
We look forward to celebrating 20 years of democracy with mixed feelings.
There seems to be some erosion of democracy: attacks on the office of the public protector, criticisms of the judiciary and the independent media are among some concerns.
Twenty years ago, we were hungry for change and inspired by the freedom icon Nelson Mandela. There was an idealism in the air, a time of hope. Hope for the future. A bright future.
Many of the past freedom fighters, heroes who carried the dream of Freedom are no longer with us.
The death of Madiba together with endemic corruption is slowly killing our hope.
A number of parties campaigning for this year’s election are claiming that their manifestos will be the anecdote that will restore that hope and dream of the future.
We hope it’s not too late.
The youth’s attitude to these manifestos is cynical. Can you blame us? We, the not quite born-frees, born just before 1994, the early twenty ‘somethings’ are continuously disappointed.
We are not experiencing the patriotism and pride, we feel we should. We have been disappointed countless times by our leaders who act without any accountability, for example the recent Nkandlagate scandal.
There is nothing compelling in the country, nothing impressive, that induces patriotism, for us youth. Look at the huge unemployment figures for youth in the country.
We would like to believe however that hope is still buried in our hearts, somewhere, waiting to be released.
We want to believe that no matter how bleak it may all seem, change is possible.
We want to believe that our freedom was not fought for in vain and because of that we will celebrate these past two decades as though they are our last.
We want to reminisce on all the wonderful tales that narrate South Africa’s long walk to freedom.
We want to cross our fingers and hope that we choose wisely at the polls, but above all we need to remember that this country is ours. What it becomes in the next two decades is our responsibility.
Mark Twain once said “Loyalty to the country always. Loyalty to the government when it deserves it”.
We hope that in the next 20 years we will confidently say that we strived and worked together for a democracy that South Africa deserves.
by Percy Matshoba | Apr 11, 2014 | Opinion
Percy Matshoba
Photo: TJ Lemon
As an East campus dweller and a West campus trespasser, I used to find that being recognised as a credible student did not come easy.
I always felt compelled to prove my intelligence, particularly on the side where the sun sets. In my first year as a Witsie, I discovered there was an unspoken hierarchy between the different Wits campuses, and East campus was at the bottom. You won’t find this status on notice boards, and there’s no statistic to back it up. It is simply implied by our over-the-bridge neighbours, in questions like: “Do you even need to study?” or in comments like: “I wish I was a BA student, you guys sit on the grass all day”.
After a year of desperation, I enrolled in a commerce course in which our lecturer would often warn us that if we failed, we could always enrol in a BA course. It wasn’t that I was unsure of my choice or that I did not have a sense of direction, it was that I had allowed my insecurities to dim my light. I did not want to be an accountant or an actuary, despite the pay. I did not find the idea of being a lawyer appealing. I knew exactly what I wanted. I wanted to inspire, inform and to simply “write what I like”.
After many years of dodging questions like: “What are you studying”? Or “Is there a big market for what you’re studying?” I have found that my choice of study was not what I needed to alter to appease the unimpressed. It was my response to their attitudes. Mine needed to be the weapon which broke the ignorance.
The war between east and west has its source in our country’s education system, which esteems some courses over others. This arrogance has led to companies funding only the faculties which are home to those esteemed subjects. Our attitude as a country has created a clear divide. The fact that there is a divide between the Wits campuses is merely the symptom of a wider problem, not the root of it. I have learnt that I don’t want to be valued because of what I do or how much I earn. I want to be valued because of what I contribute to society.
Mother Teresa once said: “I can do things you cannot, you can do things I cannot; together we can do great things.”
by Percy Matshoba | Mar 28, 2014 | Featured 1
UPDATE: Jila, the clothing store vendor, claims that he found the abandoned cellphone on a chair at the Wits Theatre. According to Jila, he held onto the phone for 2 hours waiting for the owner to return but then decided he was going to keep the phone. He erased all the data on the phone so he could keep it for himself.
ORIGINAL STORY, 25.03.14:
IN SHOCK: Campbell Meas holding the phone that she almost lost.Photo: Percy Matshoba
A vintage clothing store vendor on Wits campus has defended his theft of a drama student’s cell phone last week, explaining that he “belongs to the marginalised class.”
Third-year Drama student Campbell Meas was having lunch with her friends at the Wits Theatre when Jila—who is well-known around campus for his vintage clothing—approached her table to sell his wares.
Meas was interested in the clothes but did not buy any at the time. She asked Jila, if he had a website or Facebook page where she could see more of his clothing.
Jila lamented to Meas about his “misfortune” because he did not have a smartphone to take online pictures of his clothing. He told Meas he wanted to sell his clothing on social media.
Jila then left the table. Meas and her friends finished lunch and she returned to class. However, she received a shock when she realised that her phone was missing. Meas tried calling the number but the call went straight to voicemail.
“That’s how I knew it was stolen,” she said.
Meas suspected Jila had stolen her phone. A mutual acquaintance confirmed they had seen Jila with a new phone that fit the description of Meas’ blue Samsung S4.
[pullquote]“I do not feel any remorse … she should be more careful” [/pullquote].
Through the mutual acquaintance Meas was able to phone Jila, who readily admitted that he had stolen her phone. After some negotiation, he agreed to return it.
Meas said Jila brought back the phone. However instead of apologising he “gave me a lecture” about being more careful.
When contacted by Wits Vuvuzela, Jila not only admitted to taking the phone but said it was “important” that his actions be reported on because they were an example of “social class issues”.
Jila defended the theft to Wits Vuvuzela and said it was not an act of “gangsterism”. He said that the incident highlighted the differences in social classes on campus since Jila “belongs to the marginalised class”.
Jila said he planned on selling the phone because he needed the money. He said his encounter with Meas showed how different social classes “prioritise”.
“I didn’t think about being a Good Samaritan when I took the phone,” he said. “I saw a solution to my problem.”
Jila told Wits Vuvuzela that he was not sorry for taking Meas phone.
“I do not feel any remorse … she should be more careful,” he said
by Percy Matshoba | Mar 24, 2014 | Featured 1
I’M INNOCENT: the choreographer and lead actress of the play ‘Speak Sign Love’ Amy de Wet says they are being wrongly accused by the deaf community.
Photo: Percy Matshoba
THE Wits deaf community are up in arms over a new play they say ignores their culture and violates their values.The community has accused the producers of Speak Sign Love, a play about the romantic relationship between a deaf woman and a hearing man, of refusing to cast a deaf person in the leading role.
Amy de Wet, the co-creator of the play, said Speak Sign Love aimed to raise awareness about the communication barriers between the deaf and hearing.
She defended the casting of the play and said “circumstances, logistics and deadlines” did not allow for the production to cast a deaf actor. De Wet herself was ultimately cast in the lead role of a deaf woman.
Chelsea van der Merwe was a co-creator of the play but left the production in protest because she believed the play misrepresented the deaf. She said she proposed deaf actors who could be auditioned for roles but was turned down.
“We had initially cast deaf members and they later cast an all hearing cast,” van der Merwe said.
[pullquote]“Deaf people are capable of speaking for themselves … the deaf community had historically been represented by people who did not understand deaf culture.”[/pullquote]
Dr Michiko Kaneko, head of the Wits South African Sign Language (SASL) department, said the production was inconsiderate to the deaf community as they did not involve deaf people in the play.
“Deaf people are capable of speaking for themselves” she said. Kaneko said that the deaf community had historically been represented by people who did not understand deaf culture. She said hearing people should not portray deaf characters.
“It’s the same thing as a white person representing a black person,” Kaneko said.
Members of the Wits community have been expressing their anger over the production, particularly on social media.
“That is unfair that deaf people never get a chance to perform in theatre. Hearing people always achieve things and we as deaf people are neglected. We feel used for our language,” said Dalene Maasdorp, a member of the Wits deaf community.
“I feel like they are only mocking our language.”
De Wet defended herself from the complaints and said the Wits deaf community was angry because they had wanted a platform for deaf students to participate in. She said that the production made efforts to find a deaf actor but was not successful.
“The accusations on our social networks are false,” de Wet said.
Some members of the deaf community took to defacing posters promoting Speak Sign Love with stickers criticising the production.
“This production is strongly OPPOSED by staff and students at Wits SOUTH AFRICAN SIGN LANGUAGE department as it is in contradiction of the values and principles of the Deaf community,” read the stickers.
Kaneko said that while the claims on the stickers were true—the production is not endorsed by her department—the stickers were not sanctioned by Wits SASL.
De Wet said she had approached the SASL department concerning the stickers on their posters. She said the people who put the stickers on their posters had not yet been found, however, she was not on a “witch hunt” for the perpetrators.
Kaneko said that while Speak Sign Love said it had consulted deaf people, their production accreditation did not support this claim.
De Wet said that she was not an expert on deaf culture but had taken a course in sign language and did research prior to creating the play.
De Wet said she had published on the production’s Facebook page that she was open to discuss the deaf community’s concerns but had not received a response. She said it was “ironic” that the deaf community was accusing the production of misrepresenting their culture before the play had even been launched.
“There has been a lot of accusations and a lot of problems but no one has ever seen the show,” de Wet said.
by Percy Matshoba | Mar 14, 2014 | Featured 1
LISTEN TO ME: A South African Union of Jewish Students (SAUJS) and pro-Palestinian supporters and Wits Palestinian Solidarity Committee (PSC) members involved in a heated argument on the library lawns during IAW on Wednesday.
Photo: Nqobile Dludla
ISRAEL Apartheid Week (IAW) at Wits was marked by several simmering arguments, many requiring the intervention of Campus Control to resolve.
In the past, IAW was marked by vandalism, protests and demonstrations. Last year, a concert by an Israeli pianist was disrupted by Wits students protesting for Palestine.
This year, Vice Chancellor Adam Habib authorised both IAW as well as pro-Israel events to take place at the same time and asked for both sides to show tolerance for the other.
“The university is granting permission for these events in the interests of allowing for the expression of diverse viewpoints and reasoned debate on issues confronting society,” Habib said in a statement.
Wits Palestinian Solidarity Committee member Tasneem Essop told Wits Vuvuzela they were not satisfied with the arrangement because they had applied for their event first.
“I struggle to see why we should have to share our spaces,’ she said. “The university is reckless and inconsiderate in doing this because we put our application in first.”
Student groups were left sharing university space to get their messages across, though the sharing often emphasised how divided the two sides were. The organisations were both able to set up tents and placards on the library lawns. However, they initially quarrelled over where their respective tents could be positioned.
The wall outside the Matrix was similarly divided, with the SA Union of Jewish Students (SAUJS) decorating one side and the Wits PSC the other. An additional pro-Palestinian message, “Boycott Apartheid Israel”, was also spray painted on the back of the wall. Campus Control officers were stationed at the wall around the clock to prevent vandalism.
One exception to this sharing was the tunnel separating East and West campus which was decorated only with SAUJS graffiti. Essop said PSC had planned on also decorating the tunnel but were not able to find a graffiti artist in time.
The theme of the SAUJS events was “Wings of Peace”, while the motto of the Wits PSC was “Boycott Apartheid Israel”.
Despite the concurrent events, there was little engagement between SAUJS and PSC members beyond arguments.
On Monday, PSC and SAUJS members had a heated argument over the former’s loud hammering during a lecture organised by the latter. The argument ended only after the intervention of Campus Control.
During the week, Wits PSC set up a finger-painting station where students could put a stamp on a piece of cloth that was in the shape of the Palestinian flag. Meanwhile, SAUJS displayed pictures and held talks with the aim of promoting their stance.
