For Muslims all over the world Ramadan is a time of sacrifice and reflection.
What is Ramadan?
Anwar Jhetam from the Muslim Students Association said Ramadan marks the ninth month in the Islamic calendar.
This is the month in which it is believed the holy Qu’ran was revealed, said Jhetam.
“It is a month of fasting and increased worship to develop a closer relationship with God. Ramadan is a month of reflection and self development,” he said.
During this month Muslims fast from dawn to dusk and abstain from “food, drink and sex with one’s spouse”, said Jhetam. The fast is broken after dusk at which point people are allowed to indulge in the above.
Students and fasting
While the rest of the students go about their day, munching this and that, Muslim students have to wake up before sunrise to have breakfast and fast throughout the day until about 5.30pm.
Romy Dasoo, 1st year Engineering, said she is finding fasting while attending university very difficult.
Allahu Akbar: Muslim students pictured at the University of Johannesburg, reciting a sunset prayer before breaking fast on Tuesday evening. The Wits and UJ Muslim student associations broke their fast together at a Ramadan Iftar dinner. Photo: Caro Malherbe
She has class from 8am to 5pm. “I end up breaking fast later, due to traffic,” she said.
Third year physiology student, Imraan Ballim, said: “Apart from the weird gastric sounds, it’s quite cool.”
Ballim believes the month of Ramadan is a very spiritual experience. “You engage more with religion and what it means,” said Ballim.
He also believes the introspection aspect of the fast makes it worthwhile. [pullquote align=”right”]”It becomes easier with time as you aren’t distracted by having to eat or drink”[/pullquote]
Dasoo wishes she was more spiritual because the month would mean more to her and added that she admires students who are very spiritual.
Many students are quite aware of the difficulty of having to concentrate on an empty stomach.
Ballim agreed the first few days are difficult but said it becomes easier with time as you aren’t distracted by having to eat or drink.
Shared experience
Many Muslim students also get together to pray in the afternoon.
Ballim said this is a “nice experience because everyone gets together” and shares in the religion. Breaking fast is another good experience, as people gather with their families to feast on food they have been wilfully avoiding all day.
Special concessions are made for pregnant women, children, the sick and people who will be travelling at the time.
“They are permitted to abstain from the fast and can fast at a later date,” said Jhetam.
“At the heart of the fast is drawing closer to God during this special time,” he added, saying that students should use this time to develop character traits and habits that they will carry with them long after this religious period is over.
LE GOOD LIFE: Samkele Kaase and Karabo Ntshweng having fun in studio. Photo: Pheladi Sethusa
Two great minds and voices have come together to bring Witsies and all those in Braamfie ‘the good life’ on VoWfm.
La Bonne what?
[pullquote]”We want to expose Joburg in its entirety”[/pullquote] La Bonne Vie is the French phrase for ‘good life’ and is now the name of a lifestyle and entertainment show hosted by Karabo Ntshweng and Samkele Kaase.
“We want to expose Joburg in its entirety,” said Ntshweng. She added that they want to give students a taste of the good life that falls within their budget.
Kaase and Ntshweng said that they went about doing this by attending events, informing people about events and having weekly give-aways. Events and places that students previously might not have had access to or just didn’t know about.
Kaase said that they connect with the people who own all the hotspots in Braam and make their proposals for deals and give-aways for the show.
Who’s it for?
Kaase said: “The show is very androgynous. People often assume that lifestyle shows are for women.” The pair added that they are about reaching out to students in the Braamfontein area who want to make things happen for themselves.
Natural progression
The co-hosts have always wanted to work together and this show was the natural progression of their professional relationship. Ntshweng said that they have both been at VoW for a long time and that they wanted to host an “entertaining talk show” that did more than just play popular music.
Kaase is still a student at Wits and Ntshweng now works at a popular Johannesburg radio station.
Witsies can catch La Bonne Vie on Thursdays at 7pm and podcasts are going to be available on VoW’s website from this week onwards.
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.
SRC President Sibulele Mgudlwa wrote a ‘closed’ letter to the the white friend he wishes he had. Below is the letter that was published on his blog.
FRANK TALK: SRC President Sibulele Mgudlwa. Photo: Mia Swart
Dear White Friend,
Firstly, you will note, by now, that this is actually an open letter. For this, I apologize; I simply could not contain and stop myself from falling into this new trend of open letters.
I do hope that it will not deter you from taking its contents to heart, for all that is written here is from the depths of my heart.
You will also note that you do not exist. Indeed, I do not have a white friend, at least not a human one. But I’ve been thinking about having one a lot lately and so this is the first step I am taking to getting one. And so I write this closed letter which is open in order to share with you why we are not friends yet and why it will be difficult to maintain a friendship should we start one. [pullquote align=”right”]”I assumed that I’m just racist”[/pullquote]
I must say that it is quite surprising that I’ve never had a white friend even though I attended what most people would call “white schools” throughout my life.
I mean, mathematically speaking, I should have had at least one white friend in my life. When this realisation came to me, I assumed that I’m just racist. However, more thought on this issue led me to believe that I am simply suffering from an incorrigible personality characterized by traces of mild ignorance and largely baseless stereotypes. For me and many other young people out there, it becomes hard to transcend beyond one’s religious, tribal, cultural and economic caste and tap into unknown territories.
This mild ignorance is further underpinned by different, largely ill-formed opinions on many issues.
And so, to me you’re a white, Christian boy who has a little sister named Mary Ann (named after your granny who’s in Australia). Your tuition fees are probably all paid up and you don’t have residence fees because you commute every day in your comfortable, petite car. Can you not see that any relationship with you will be hard because I’m a traditional man who believes in those scary things called ancestors, who has four siblings brought up by uneducated parents with a mother who doesn’t work? I see this family of mine once a year and I live at a self-catering residence (and I am in debt, naturally).
[pullquote]”This mild ignorance is further underpinned by different, largely ill-formed opinions on many issues”[/pullquote] I will admit that at times I feel bitter towards you because of your privileges and this deters me from seeking a meaningful friendship with you.
Now, I had a chat about this with my younger brother (who exists), and he asked me why I can’t I simply educate myself to rise above these stereotypes. And this also made me somewhat bitter. Why can’t you make an effort to befriend me?
Why must it be me, with all my baggage in life that makes an effort? Why can’t you write me a closed open letter?
Perhaps this letter demonstrates my intention to indeed defeat my insecurities and reach out to you. Perhaps this letter is a way for me to air frustrations?
I have against you and other white people like you. Perhaps I need a white friend for financial benefit which includes getting a lift to Bree Taxi Rank whenever necessary.
One thing is for sure though; I think the time has come for me to have a white friend.
Your Black Friend.
Sibulele Mgudlwa is the president of the Wits Student Representative Council.
PARKED IN: Students in wheelchairs would not be able to access this ramp outside the School of the Arts as a driver decided to turn into a parking bay. Photo: Pheladi Sethusa
By Liesl Frankson and Pheladi Sethusa
It’s easy for able-bodied students to forget that navigating the world without sight or the ability to walk can be very tough.
Students in wheelchairs and students who cannot see have to carefully map out their routes to classes, residences and the like.
If they are met by even one obstacle on that route on a certain day, they have to think on their feet.
Cuthbert Ramatlo of the Disability Unit on campus said blind students with guide dogs would be stranded in such an instance, as their dogs only know one specific route.
The Disability Interest Group meets two to three times a year to discuss issues which constantly comes up is access to campus for disabled students.
One of the major issues around this is often a lack of clear signage indicating suitable entrances, parking areas and toilets.
Vandalism
Wits Vuvuzela walked around to investigate access and wheelchair friendly routes on campus.
Some signs were vandalised while others were not clearly marked or visible.
Along with this a wheelchair lift at the School of Arts had been vandalised, forcing students who use this entrance to go through the after hour’s back door.
One of the backdoor entrances that students in wheelchairs have to use. Photo: Pheladi Sethusa
“Often we think of back door access for people with disabilities and that’s really wrong because it’s basically going back to discrimination when there were different doors for different races,” said Duncan Yates secretary of the Disability Interest Group.
Yusuf Talia, BSc final year, a student who uses a wheelchair said: “There are some limitations at older buildings, like elevators that make certain places inaccessible”.
Along with this he said weathered paving made for tricky navigation and this problem was intensified when going uphill.
Easy access
To tackle access issues the unit has started developing interactive maps which will show easy access areas around campus for disabled students.
Yates said the map would be a living map that grows as the university changes.
The access map system aims to make online and printed maps available for disabled students, staff and visitors to make their experience at Wits more pleasant.
Students and staff will be able to flag areas on the maps online that are not easily accessible or where they may be experiencing problems.
In addition to the new mapping system the disability unit also provides training for staff and bus drivers. One of the achievements they are proud of is the dedicated Wits bus with access for disabled students.
The unit aims to respond to all student suggestions and complaints.
Talia confirmed this and said most buildings and areas are accommodating, if one lives at res the disability unit generally makes a plan for students to be comfortable.
ON THE JOB: Business as usual for Wits cleaner. Photo: Pheladi Sethusa
Desperate to keep their jobs, Wits cleaners say they signed contracts which they were not given time to read – making them all temporary workers for the next three months.
New company
Ukweza took over from Supercare as the new company to whom Wits has outsourced its cleaning services. Cleaners have claimed for years that Supercare treated them unfairly. Wits Vuvuzela spoke to several cleaners about the new contracts, which were signed during the university break.
New contracts [pullquote]“We had no time to read the contracts, but we were scared to lose our jobs so we just signed”[/pullquote]
Maggie* said all the workers were called in on a Saturday to sign the new contracts. The workers were not given copies of the contracts or even given time to read through what they were signing.
“We had no time to read the contracts, but we were scared to lose our jobs so we just signed,” said a visibly upset Johanna*. Once they had signed, she said they were given a thick document to take home and read through. It set out the terms of their contracts.
Temporary work
Only at this point did the cleaners realise they would be working on a temporary basis for three months, after which permanent positions would be given.
Agnes* who has worked at Wits for 13 years found this unfair, especially because the contract said they could be dismissed without warning during those three months. “I have been here for 13 years, how can I be a temp?”
Tokelo Nhlapo from the Workers’ Solidarity Committee said the new contracts also contained a clause which allowed the workers to be body-searched, something he thought would allow for “poor working conditions”.
The workers were forced to sign because they were desperate for employment, he said. They were left especially vulnerable because contract workers were not allowed to have a union. “The university is taking advantage of structural unemployment,” said Nhlapo.
Clauses and responses
Nhlapo also made these allegations on twitter. He was engaged by the vice chancellor, Prof Adam Habib, who replied: “Deliberately lying serves no purpose but destroys Wits reputation.”
Besides the brief interaction on twitter, Nhlapo said Habib and Prof Tawana Kupe had been reluctant to engage with the Workers’ Solidarity Committee, because it was not a “recognised body” in the university structure. “We will continue to engage them. If they don’t listen we will engage students.”
A source from Ukweza management, who asked not to be identified, said: “No-one forced them to sign. They could have left when Supercare left.”
He added that no-one could say whether Ukweza was good or bad yet. “As for the body searching, it hasn’t been implemented so I can’t say anything about that.”
Kupe told Wits Vuvuzela that the allegations made by Nhlapo and the cleaners were not true.
“We would not condone such a practice because we are committed to the upholding worker’s rights and protecting them from abuse,” Kupe said.
He added that fixed term contracts do not automatically make the workers temporary workers. Kupe said the university would engage the Workers’ Solidarity Committee after they took measures “to regularise their status.”
*Names have been changed since the workers requested that their identities be protected.
South Africans on the twitterverse were glued to their screens at 3pm today, waiting for an important announcement that was going to be made by President Jacob Zuma.
This reshuffle seemed to be a let down to those who had watched the announcement with bated breath. it was also the fourth one that has happened while the President has been in office
Changes to the National Executive included the firing of Minister of Communications Dina Pule and Minister of Human Settlements Tokyo Sexwale. The former was replaced by Yunus Karrim and the latter by Connie September.
Radio practitioners from all over the country, continent and the world came together last week to discuss and debate the future of radio at this year’s Joburg Radio Days conference.
The conference hosted by the Wits Radio Academy at the Wits Club ran for three days from 3 July. The three days drew speakers from community, commercial and public radio stations who presented their ideas on how to revive the industry and shared their experiences of the industry.[pullquote]“There needs to be a shift from talking at people to talking to people,”[/pullquote]
The conference kicked off with a welcome address by Wits Vice Chancellor, Prof Adam Habib. Habib admitted that he knew very little about radio but said that it was a vital platform to the democratic process. He added that like the university, radio was all about the circulation of ideas and conversations.
A further welcome and opening of the conference was proffered by Prof Franz Kruger, director of the Wits Radio Academy. “There needs to be a shift from talking at people to talking to people,” said Kruger. This powerful statement was referenced widely by many speakers throughout the rest of the day.
The first night’s entertainment was provided by the Stone Age Souls – a South African alternative band. At the dinner a handbook entitled ‘The Community Radio Station’ written by Kruger, VoWfm station manager Mike Smurthwaite, and Romanus Monji was launched.
Prof Adam Habib, Wits vice-Chancellor welcomes speakers and delegates to the Joburg Radio Days conference. Photo: Dinesh Balliah
The future of radio seemed to be one of the constant themes that dominated discussions at the conference. Subjects like online radio, future audiences and technological advancements were discussed.
“Thinking about the future of radio means admitting that we know nothing about what the future looks like,” stated Randall Abrahams managing director of Universal Music South Africa.
Other speakers did not hold back when it came to thinking about the future of radio, many offered advice on how to achieve convergence that could boost the longevity of the radio industry.
Ravi Naidoo, station manager at Highveld Stereo said that incorporating social media makes on air radio content live longer than the allotted three hours it has on air.
Will radio survive the digital era?
On the issue of radio surviving the digital era – most agreed that it would. Nick Grubb of Kagiso Media was most apt saying that it would survive because, “Radio is about real human relationships”.
That said a lot of exciting things are happening in the digital sphere. Streaming services like Simfy Africa allow people to personalise their online radio experience.
VoWfm set up a ‘pop-up’ studio to bradcast from outside the conference venue. Photo: Emelia Motsai
Along with this the advent of internet radio stations has changed the game a bit. These stations can start up in less than a week and reach people across the country without facing the same red tape as traditional radio stations would and do.
Community radio stations were also discussed quite widely, one of the most illuminating of these sessions focused on campus radio stations.
Loutjie van der Merwe, station manager at TuksFm – one of the most successful campus radio stations in the country, highlighted the need for campus radio stations not to compete with one another but to focus on transferring knowledge between stations.
Macphersson Mutale from UnzaFM in Lusaka mentioned the power that the youth had through campus radio stations, students in Lusaka engage with politicians via their radio station for instance.
A very strong comment was made by Smurthwaite, he said that radio lacked innovation and that “most commercial stations sound like my iPod with a voice”.
Radio in war zones
The challenges that radio stations of all kinds face were also a hot topic. Shoddy management and licensing issues seemed common. Uncommon and more problematic were stations that were in war zones and other ‘undemocratic’ areas.
Jacques Kokonyange of Radio Muugano in the Congo said that it was difficult trying to balance what the rebels wanted and what the government wanted.
He also mentioned that they are threatened when their broadcasts aren’t favourable. “To protect ourselves we do not broadcast live or take any calls,” said Kokonyange.
While all these discussions were going on, the event managed to trend on twitter – adding much value to argument of the necessity of convergence in radio.
VoWFM dispelled the myth about radio lacking innovation by setting up a pop-up radio station outside the event venue.
Some of the most influential South African journalists gathered at the Sol Kerzner auditorium at the University of Johannesburg on Saturday, to discuss various topics under the media freedom umbrella. The topics ranged from government propaganda to secrecy laws and beyond.
Inside the belly of the beast
Keynote speaker and host of Faultlines on Al Jazeera, Josh Rushing spoke candidly about being a marine and a journalist.
“I was inside Al Jazeera, inside the military and inside the Bush administration – I had a unique vantage point,” said Rushing.
In 2003, Rushing was with Central Command and tasked with speaking to the media about the invasion in Iraq. A controversial documentary, Control Room, showed Rushing speaking about the invasion. The Pentagon muzzled his attempts to speak about the documentary, so he resigned after 14 years of service.
It was at this point that Rushing helped to start up Al Jazeera English. Rushing explained that Al Jazeera had always been vilified as being the mouthpiece for Al-Qaeda and he resigned so he could speak about what it wasn’t.
Power corrupts
Rushing said that the Obama administration is possibly the least transparent and most aggressive towards the media. “When he (Obama) was a senator, he championed media freedom,” lamented Rushing.
He explained that the U.S Espionage Act of 1917 has been used seven times under Obama’s watch. Rushing said that even though President Obama may have good intentions: “All power leads to abuse at some point.”
He touched on data mining and how companies like Apple and Google are colluding with the current administration to store people’s data.
Secrecy laws back home
A panel consisting of Nic Dawes, William Bird and Ylva Rodney-Gumede spoke about secrecy laws and how they would possibly affect journalism in South Africa. [pullquote]“People can classify information that should not be classified in the first place”[/pullquote]
Dawes explained that the amendments that had been to the Protection of State Information Bill since its inception were great, but didn’t cure the concerns he had with the bill. But was happy that: “We’ve made freedom of information a broad public debate,” he said.
Bird was less optimistic and bluntly said the bill as it stood was “evil, old apartheid stuff”. He said the fact that people’s travel schedules could be classified was a problem, when someone like President Obama’s schedule is available online for the world to see.
“People can classify information that should not be classified in the first place,” bemoaned Bird.
Mzilikazi wa Afrika said that the bill would be problematic for journalists. He highlighted the contradictory message being sent by government.
“On one hand they have hotlines for people to call in and report corruption and other such crimes and on the other they are saying if you blow the whistle, we will send you to jail,” he said.
Media attorney and moderator of the panel, Dario Milo jokingly said he calls it the “some Secrecy Bill”, after the amendments that have been made. To which Rodney-Gumede replied, “great the SS Bill”.
Public Protector
“Journalism allows people to have oversight over the people they have entrusted with power,” said public protector, advocate Thuli Mandonsela.
She also highlighted the parallels between her office and investigative journalism, namely the investigative aspect and the role they play in strengthening our democracy.
The role of investigative journalism
Adriaan Basson, deputy editor of the City Press said that the success of investigative journalism cannot be measured against prosecutions. “What happens after investigations is not our job,” said Basson.
He went on to list three ways in which investigative journalism could be improved. Firstly, the stories of the victims of corruption need to be told. The impact of corruption needs to be highlighted to empower people. “It’s not about us, it’s about them,” said Basson.
Secondly journalists need to experiment with new technologies and data journalism to make their stories appeal to people. Lastly, “Get off twitter and get into the Corolla,” said Basson.
Mzilikazi wa Afrika of the Sunday Times agreed with Basson and explained how he had found two of his award winning stories by way of not sitting behind his desk waiting for news.
Piet Rampedi of The Star said that threats and intimidation from the top are the price you pay “if you dare to do investigative journalism”.
Investigativejournalism isn’t a special category, “just great journalism” expressed an audience member.
Dodge propaganda and spin
Justice Malala, host of The Justice Factor oneNCA spoke about the media “falling” for government propaganda and government spin doctors. [pullquote align=”right”] “For four years we ran after the theatrics of politics and ignored the important things,”[/pullquote]
Malala spoke out against the way the media is easily distracted and gave the example of Julius Malema. “For four years we ran after the theatrics of politics and ignored the important things,” he said.
He expressed the need for journalists and the media to start talking about institutions as opposed to speaking about isolated incidents, incidents that people often forget about. “We forget sometimes, I also forget and go with the noise,” added Malala.
Senior researcher at Wits Journalism and panelist, Glenda Daniels disagreed with Malala and said that the media doesn’t just fall for spin and that there is a lot of continuity in media stories, giving the example of the Gupta scandal.
NOTHING TO SEE: The Friendly Supermarket at the Matrix looks set to remain closed. Photo: Pheladi Sethusa
The friendly Supermarket in the Matrix has been visibly out of business for the past three weeks – with no stock or signs of trade in the shop.
Shop closure
[pullquote]“Alles is deurmakaar [everything is in chaos].” .[/pullquote]Approached for an explanation, owner of the franchise, Johan Mostert spoke candidly to Wits Vuvuzela about his problems, which he claimed resulted from an increase in rental.
However, he later retracted his statement and warned the reporter not to mention his name. He claimed information he had shared had already reached the landlord and it was now a legal matter.
Mostert said the lights at his shop had been turned off because he had defaulted on his rent payments for two months. This was a result of a rent increase, effective from March 1.
“Alles is deurmakaar [everything is in chaos].” He added that enough was enough.
Landlord Jackie Meyer of RFC Group could not be reached for comment after numerous attempts by Wits Vuvuzela.
Now what?
Another Matrix shop owner, who asked to remain anonymous, said her shop had been extremely busy since the supermarket had closed down and she had been forced to bring in more stock.
She said she had heard rumours that rent had been the reason for the closure. “The rent here is very expensive. The rates are like those at a shopping centre.”
Shop owners explained that every shop at the Matrix pays different rates – calculated on the size of the shop. There was an increase of about 10% every year, a shop owner revealed. They are allowed 2 months free of rent during July and December, when the university broke for holidays.
Jackie Mung, owner of the Chinese Shop said: “Everyone has to pay rent. Once you agree you must pay.” Mung conceded that rent was expensive, but the Matrix was not a special case. Even if he moved somewhere else, he would have to pay rent and operational costs.
He said he was happy with the way he had been treated by management over the 10 years his shop had been operating.
Eyebrows have been raised sky high in response to a lunch hosted by lawyers investigating sexual harassment charges at Wits.
Lawyers from Bowman Gilfillan invited a group of the harassment “victims” to an intimate lunch at Papa Vino’s in Rosebank last week – a move that many are saying is a little out of kilter with professional practice.
Email invitation
The email invitation sent by Bowman Gilfillan said: “We thought it fitting to arrange a lunch for all students affected by sexual harassment at Wits where all of us can meet in an informal setting and provide support for one another.”
It was made clear they would not be asking any questions related to the various sexual harassment cases at the lunch.
The lunch by the firm might have been very innocent in its intent but the ethical implications need to be taken into account, according to some legal experts.
Ethical considerations
Dr Murray Wesson, lecturer at the School of Law, University of Western Sydney said the lunch was “in bad practice”.
“Lawyers should not confer with multiple witnesses at [pullquote]Lawyers should not confer with multiple witnesses at the same time about issues that may be contentious at a subsequent hearing.[/pullquote]the same time about issues that may be contentious at a subsequent hearing. The reason is that this may give rise to collusion or the appearance of collusion,” said Wesson.
Wesson said while the invitation states that people will not be interviewed at the lunch, it also says that students will be able to drive discussions with one another. His concerns are around the fact that in such a relaxed and informal setting, conversation could lead to the allegations of the various cases.
Wits Centre for Ethics director Professor Lucy Allias said she found the lunch “strange”. She added that she did not understand how the invitation could be considered appropriate.
She said: “It seems to me very strange to invite victims of a highly personal, potentially extremely traumatic kind of abuse to a joint social event.”
One of the students, or accusers, who was invited but did not attend said: “I don’t want to be with other victims, all of us sitting around and feeling sorry for ourselves.”
Response Wits Vuvuzela contacted Kirti Menon to get the University’s comment, she said: “I don’t think the venue is relevant and at this stage in the university investigations I would not like to comment further.” Wits Vuvuzela had been told that the sexual harassment cases are currently being wrapped up and the final reports will be out by the end of the month.
Fifth year Wits medical students have learnt some harsh lessons about the conditions at public hospitals this year, after doing their practicals at Charlotte Maxeke Hospital.
Shortages
“The shortage of resources and supplies is a real concern for me,” said Massillon Phasha. Doctors had to improvise and work with whatever was available, she said, because they did not have the necessary equipment and medicine. This meant patients did not get the best treatment possible.
“The lab tests one can request are limited and results for specimens sent for pathology assessment take a long time to get back. All these factors largely influence the management of the patients.
Concerns voiced
“I have voiced my concerns to the doctors, but unfortunately there is not much that they can do about it because this is largely due to shortage of funds. So unless we can get the government to give the hospitals more money, there is almost nothing we can do,” said Pasha.
Keabetsoe Phello said she had never voiced her concerns as she was too scared.
Daily activities
Medical students go to the academic hospital as part of their fifth year studies, but do not manage patients.
“We help where we can under supervision from a doctor, but our duty in the hospital is to learn,” said Pasha.
On a typical day the students do everything from being tutored by doctors on specific subjects to running basic diagnostic tests, and they could even assist in delivering a baby, depending what rounds they are doing that day.
Despite the poor conditions, students appreciate the learning experience. Pasha said she was grateful to be at Charlotte Maxeke because she was able to learn a lot. She said she believed the doctors were doing their best despite the difficult working conditions.
Phello said she loved being part of a team and getting a “sneak peak as to what life after med school entails”.
All hospitals had problems when it came to resources and facilities, she said. But despite these, and the fact that medical students work hard, with no pay, she still loved her job.
“I could never imagine myself doing anything else. In some cases we do almost the same amount of work as the interns, yet we do not get paid. And some other medical disciplines, pharmacy and nurses to name a few, get paid a wage for working.”
The students will be stationed at the hospital until November 2014.
Since her announcement as the Democratic Alliance’s mayoral candidate for Johannesburg, Helen Zille has dominated national headlines. In this bonus episode of We Should Be Writing podcast, hosts Lulah Mapiye and Bonolo Mokonoto dissect a media meet-and-greet with the mayoral hopeful. From her extensive political résumé to her controversial public utterance, we examine why the Democratic Alliance has chosen Hellen Zille as their candidate for the 2027 local mayoral elections. Additionally, […]
