TWO people injured and hospitalised after police opened fire on protester’s and students outside UJ in Soweto, yesterday afternoon. Following Obama’s arrival in the country masses of people flocked outside the Town hall meeting to protest Obama’s visit to the country.
Protester’s objected to issues surrounding the war in Afghanistan and issues around global warming and the US not signing the Kyoto Protocol, which aims to reduce the amount of greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere.
Witnesses at the scene tweet about what they saw happen between protester’s and the police. Tasneem Essop, the secretary for the Wits SRC tweeted that within the crowd of protester’s was students, including Wits students.
The question here is whether the police were justified in opening fire on South African citizens for voicing their opinion in the name of protecting US President Barak Obama.
Tokelo Nhlapo, a member of the Wits SRC was among the protester’s yesterday. In this picture we see police escorting him away and an enraged Nhlapo not looking pleased.
Members of the public further express their concern and objection to the amount of money the South African government has spent to accommodate Obama into the country. SABC News reported that many people protested because of the US supporting Israel and the involvement of the US military in the war in Irag and Afghanistan. UJ students protested against the University awarding Obama with an honorary doctorate.
Yeah so the government recently spent R900 million on accommodating Barack Obama in this country..I do not know the purpose of his visit but I do know that an unbelievable amount of families could of been housed and fed with that money and even relieved of poverty..and the mere thought of it being spent on a president that I don’t see contributing significantly to our people, sickens me..
USA President Barack Obama’s first visit to South Africa has received a lot of outcry over the past few days. Several labour unions, political movements and civil society bodies will stage protests and pickets during Obama’s two-day official visit. Some University of Johannesburg students will also protest against UJ’s decision to award Obama an honorary doctorate. The anti-Obama protests are aimed at Washington’s support for Israel and the US military involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan. President Jacob Zuma said government would not stop planned mass protests against Obama’s visit this weekend.
What do you make of Obama’s visit to SA? (Comments to be broadcast on SABC News)
WALKING THE CATWALK: Masego Maponyane doing what he does best. Photo: Provided
Mesego Maponyane, son of Marks Maponyane, completed his Media Studies degree at Wits only last year, yet has already been featured on Top Billing and named Cosmopolitan’s sexiest man, and is set on making his mark as a media personality.
Fondly known to other Witsies as Maps, he now lives in the mother city and is known for his modelling and television presenting. He is working as a creative director on a new men’s wear suit range, Augustine, leading the design team within local clothing brand.
“It’s quite a step for me, but I’m excited to see what we can come up with.”
He also has plans to move back to Johannesburg to shoot a movie. But he said he was “unable to release any information about the movie at this moment.”
He has written columns for GQ, Glamour and advice pieces for Cosmo. His latest piece for Cosmo appears in the May issue under the headline The Big Question – about the “romance boundary” for men. He has also acted in art films and appeared in TV commercials.
Maponyane studied English, French, Media Studies and International Human Rights. “I enjoyed it very much because it was all academically orientated and that made it easier to work and study at the same time.”
He came from humble beginnings in Protea North, Soweto, where he lived until the age of four. His family later moved to Naturena in Johannesburg south. He attended St John’s College and King Edward Preparatory School.
“My parents taught me to earn everything I desired in life … I was very fortunate that they sacrificed a lot to send me to two great schools.”
[pullquote align=”right”]“Challenge yourself, take few risks. Work out what you want, put in the hours, gain experience by being persistent and applying yourself, then make things happen.”[/pullquote]
Maponyane attributed the kind of person he is to his upbringing and the morals and values his parents instilled in him. “My parents were always hardworking, savvy and very supportive.”
Asked about his five year plan, he said he liked to “make plans by setting up a list of goals”, which could be achieved in a certain amount of time.
“It’s key to keeping me focused and preventing my head from getting lost in the clouds by delusions of looming grandeur.”
Ever the proud Witsie, Maponyane has kept up with campus news. He shared his opinion on the sexual harassment issue,
“This is something that has occurred behind closed doors in institutions for decades … it is a bit of a surprise and somewhat of a let-down when it’s happening right under your nose with staff that you trust.”
Some of the things Maponyane enjoys best are travelling, writing, playing sport to keep fit, cooking and spending time with friends. He is also a keen fashion enthusiast and readily shares advice for men and women. He had these tips for Wits Vuvuzela:
“Don’t limit yourself on having set outfits or you will end getting bored of your clothes … Mix and match your clothes and wear your clothes with confidence and dress for your body type.”
And a final message for Witsies: “Challenge yourself, take few risks. Work out what you want, put in the hours, gain experience by being persistent and applying yourself, then make things happen.”
The movie Chalte Chalte which stars Bollywood’s most famous actors Shah Rukh Khan and Rani Mukerjee, to be shown at the Wits Theatre on May 17th at 6:30pm. Photo: Provided
A BURST of bright colours, contemporary dance and music overcomes the minds of the Indian diaspora who are gripped by Bollywood movies and assert their culture through this prolific film industry.
The movies of legendary actors such as Amitabh Bachan, Hema Malini, Dharmendra, Rheka and largely known Shah Rukh Khan have been shown this past week. These movies included Shool, Naseem, Achoot Kanya, Dharavi and Chalte Chalte.
Director of Wits Theatre, Gita Pather who also headed the event said,“movies are not just movies, they connect [Indians] to their family and their culture.”
INDIAFRICA Competition
The event is also part of the INDIAFRICA competition. The Wits business school will host the finals of the second INDIAFRICA Business Venture Competition. INDIAFRICA: A Shared Future is a unique people to people initiative that aims at engaging multiple stakeholders in India and Africa through contests, fellowships, discussions, events, collaborative projects and cultural exchanges.
The film line-up was compiled by Prof Dilip Menon, a lecturer in the Centre for Indian studies at the university and a Bollywood lover. The entire event is being publicised by Catherine Pisanti who also had a hand in choosing the movie Chalte Chalte as she is a die-hard fan of movie star Shah Rukh Khan.
[pullquote align=”right”]“movies are not just movies, they connect [Indians] to their family and their culture.”[/pullquote]
What to expect from the film festival
The film selection aimed to portray a blend of blockbuster films; art films and themes related to social division in Indian society, forbidden love and poverty in India.
Pather, whose parents met in a recording studio said, “movies are not just movies, they connect [Indians] to their family and their culture.” Pather grew up in a vibrant Indian family which was totally immersed in the culture of Bollywood film and dance.
Pather explained that she and her family used to go to Adam’s cinema in Chatsworth, Durban, which still exists today, to get their dose of romance, action, thrill and dance from the Bollywood movies.
“My sisters and I used to get dressed up in the Indian attire, play the music we loved and put on a full-fledged concert in our living-rooms,” said Pather.
Bollywood is not just a film industry, there are vivid memories and emotions attached to these films, especially when the older generation are considered.
“We have to watch the music we play in my mother’s house as she can burst out into tears at any time,” said Pather.
CREEPY CRAWLEY: Robin Cook third year BSc holding a venomous centipede. Photo: Prelene Singh
If you want to see the most amazing bugs ever, then you have to visit the “Yebo Gogga Yebo amablomo” annual exhibition at the Oppenheimer Life Sciences building on east campus. It’s open till this Sunday, 12 May.
From cockroaches, slimy worms, snails, enclosed animal embryos to even and rhino poo these were all on display in the Life sciences museum to much awestruck school children visiting.
This is an environmental and educational exhibition held by the School of Animal, Plants and Environmental Studies. “Yebo Gogga Yebo amablomo” annual exhibition aims to educate the youth about the natural world and to increase awareness of nature conservation.
“Yebo Gogga aims to enable as many children as much access to as many interesting species in nature,” said Cheryl Dehning, the exhibition organiser.
Bugs, worms, animal skeletons, rocks and insects of all species were all on display at the Oppenheimer Life Sciences building on Wednesday morning.
“Today there are ten schools and about 700 children attending the tour. We expect over 1 000 children tomorrow and some nature groups and party groups over the weekend,” Dehning said.
Children came from different schools and arrived at the university where they were assigned guides who took them on 20 minute tours across all the stations set up by the different organisations.
The tour guides were all Witsies who study BSc or Master of Science in Medicine at the university.
“The guides receive a t-shirt after six hours of volunteer work at the exhibition and they can also get a certificate of community service which will aid in their credits,” said Donald Mccallum the exhibition director.
The organisations involved in Yebo Gogga are external and internal members of the expo. There were student representatives from Wits to help. The science and geology departments had exhibition stands on display. Also in attendance to display their wares, were the spider and butterfly clubs, Rand Water, Adler Museum and Joburg Parks and Zoo.
“This is the 14th year Yebo Gogga has been running and the day is going okay, the children are quite excited by what the exhibition has to offer,” said Mccallum.
All the children were given workbooks which had questions they had to complete in order to get them thinking critically about what they were learning.
Michael Snodgrass, a grade seven pupil from King Edward Preparatory School, said, “The expo is fun, except for the work.”
In the coming year Yebo Gogga “aims to reach and get into contact with township schools […] these schools are not able to come to the expo because of financial and transport issues,” said Dehning.
Street Rhythm and McDonalds are doing a campus wide tour to find the best DJ and dance crew in the country.
On May 2, 2013 DJ Spectacular, DJ Euphonik and DJ Naves were at Wits University to showcase the top four DJ’s and dance crews thus far in the competition. In the coming weeks they will be at other campuses around the country.
Wits University held its second shavathon today during lunch in front of Umthombo. Students of all faculties gathered to show their support for cancer survivors and sufferers.
‘Take Away Cancer’ is an initiative by students of Wits university who hold these events in order to raise money for cancer research with all the proceeds go to CANSA (Cancer Association of South Africa).
The shavathon attracted an equal amount of men and women. But the majority who shaved their heads were men. Women students indulged in highlighting their hair with various colours of spray. Tarryn Human, community mobiliser for the CANSA Houghton office said if women shaved their heads, their hair would be parcelled and sent to make wigs and weaves out of them for cancer patients.
All participants were given a pink ribbon, symbolic of cancer and more specifically breast cancer. With the ribbon came a Shavathon card which was traded in after the shave/spray for a free ice-cream. Photo: Prelene Singh
Thomas Geffen, 2nd year BA said he was shaving his head because it was for a good cause and worth it. Photo: Prelene Singh
A Wits student who shaved his head as it was a quick haircut for him and he simultaneoulsy ended up shaving his beard off too. Photo: Prelene Singh
Adrian Song, 1st Biokinetics health science, decided to spray his hair in support of the shavathon. Photo: Prelene Singh
Some ladies and gentlemen decided to get creative and sprayed some interesting designs on the hair. Photo: Prelene Singh
After getting their hair sprayed or shaved, students handed in their shavathon card to the Casablanca Silly Buggers tent and were given a free ice-cream for their contribution. Photo: Prelene Singh
Thato Benedict, founder and chairman of Take Away Cancer and also a maths and economics Witsie started this initiative after his mother passed away in 2011 from cervical cancer. Photo: Prelene Singh
In the mission statement for Take Away Cancer it stated this initiative aims to be the equivalent of love life by 2022 said Benedict. “We aim to have a mobile clinic on campus for women who live in residence and all women on campus to have free mammograms done”, Benedict said.
The team of Take Away Cancer who helped out at the shavathon today. Photo: Prelene Singh
Professor Tommaso Milani giving a Safe Zones talk. Photo: Prelene Singh.
A TALK about the “Safe Zones” campaign launched by the transformation office was given today by Prof Tommaso Milani in Umthombo 11.
Milani who is an associate professor of linguistics in the School of Language, Literature and Media (SLLM), spoke about the safe zones project, which is a Wits transformation initiative funded by the Carnegie Corporation in New York.
Milani said the safe zones project is an anti-homophobic practice which addresses issues around gender, sexuality and the making of a public space for the Wits community to be comfortable to speak out about their sexual preference.
The initiatives trains ‘allies’ [allies are academics, staff and students of the university] on issues around lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex people (LGBTI) and the problems they face. Safe Zones seeks to increase understanding and awareness of LGBTI on campus and alleviate rising rates of homophobia (from the Wits safe zones Proposal 2011).
“You should never be ashamed of your sexuality – never”, said Milani. He went on to explain that sexual behaviour and sexual harassment need to be addressed more often in the university and in the country. “Sexual harassment happens because of silence” he said.
The “queer” in the title of the talk refers to “an act of defiance”, and “queer” supports the LGBTI theory, said Milani.
We need to think academically about the meaning of queer and critically understand how [sexual] identity categories are used and for what purpose said Milani.
Milani said, “I am a gay man and a queer scholar” and “academics do research about who we are and what we are passionate about,” Milani said this was why he was passionate about the project. “Sexuality will never be an act of surrender,” he added.
Milani also stressed the difference between homosexuality and being gay. “Gay is an identity and homosexuality is a practice”, said Milani.
Safe Zones is a Wits initiative and Wits University is the only university in the country which does not only host a gay pride festival but also sponsors it.
INTERNATIONAL relations lecturer Dr Lord Mawuko-Yevugah has been placed on special leave following an investigation.Social Sciences head of school Prof Shahid Vawda said Mawuko-Yevugah had been put on leave about two weeks ago and would “be back as soon as the investigation is over”.
Vawda could not confirm the details or the nature of the investigation. He said he had not recieved formal confirmation of the nature of the allegations or the investigation.
Vawda said the investigation could be in relation to any form of misconduct such as sexual harassment, racial discrimination or gender-related issues.
He told Wits Vuvuzela to approach the Wits legal office for any further information or comments regarding the investigation.
Wits Vuvuzela was unable to reach the Wits legal office for comment. The communications office referred the paper to Wits employee relations.
Director of Employee Relations, Elaine Milton, said she could not rule out that the pending investigation was unrelated to sexual harassment. Milton referred further questions to the legal office.
When contacted Mawuko-Yevugah said he was on “personal leave” due to ill health since his return to the country from his trip to Ghana.
“I don’t know how long I will be away for but I will be back,” said Mawuko-Yevugah.
Administrative officer for the international relations department, Hilda Potgieter, said Mawuko-Yevugah “had taken personal and family leave”.
Potgieter said a contingency plan had been implemented to ensure students did not miss lectures and were not inconvenienced by Mawuko-Yevugah’s sudden absence.
“New lecturers have been assigned,” said Potgieter.
Mawuko-Yevugah is one of at least four lecturers who have been put on special leave by the university in the past two months, pending investigations.
Following Mawuko-Yevugah’s sudden absence, social science students were left confused and approached Wits Vuvuzela to express their concern.
Mawuko-Yevugah who teaches international relations subjects to undergraduates, postgraduates and Wits Plus students, joined Wits University in June 2011. He holds a PhD from Alberta University in Canada, with a specialisation in international and comparative political economy.
Protesters united at Wits University today to show their solidarity for victims of sexual violence in South Africa in an event that took place at other universities around the country.
At 6am this morning protestors at Rhodes University in Grahamstown gathered in preparation for the Silent protest. The silent protest started at Rhodes 6 years ago where about 100 people joined. This year 1500 protesters marched from Alec Mullins at Rhodes and 1150 showed support at Wits University.
This is Wits’ first year joining in the silent protest along with UKZN, UCT and Fort Hare.
Protestors marching from the amic deck to the great hall. Photo: Pheladi Sethusa
The protest kicked off at 8am outside the Wits Matrix where purple t-shirts were distributed and mouths were taped. People who were gagged were silenced and could not eat, drink or talk until they broke their silence at 3pm. The march started at the bottom of Amic Deck, proceeded down to the Commerce, Law and Management building.
The protesters then marched up Yale road, turned left at the traffic circle, past the old mutual sports building, the matrix and Umthombo building. It then proceeded outside senate house towards Dulce and came to a stop in the senate house concourse.
During the silent procession, all that could be heard was footsteps of the marchers as they held hands in symbolic support of each other. Saddened, red eyes could be spotted among the protestors. The thick, grey mist that loomed over campus throughout the day seemed to mirror protestors feelings of pain and uneasiness, and an overriding sense of anxiety could be felt walking with these rape victims.
Protestors were addressed by three speakers. Lauren Gmeiner, intern psychologist at CCDU, gave shocking statistics of sexual violence in South Africa. “ore than 65 000 sexual crimes were reported in South Africa in 2012. One out of 25 women report sexual violence to the police, according SAPS”. “Rape limits human potential – it silences them,” said Gmeiner.
A rape survivor, Tumi, spoke out about her experience of working through the psychological repercussions of sexual violence. “A woman is raped every 17 seconds in South Africa,” Tumi said.
Actress and activist, Rosie Motene spoke about her experience of physical abuse. Motene took the crowd through the traumatic encounter when she was in university and her boyfriend beat her, leaving her with a cracked rib, a blue eye, bruises and cuts.
Motene said the words of her family and friends, that “It’s not your fault, we are with you,” got her through her struggle. Motene addressed the issue of sexual violence within the university and said, “These stories were swept under the carpet for too long,” and that is the problem. Motene empahsised that students had “a right to be protected.”
“Always make sure your candle is burning bright” said Motene.
Kelly Gillespie, lecturer in the Anthropology department, spoke about sex being pleasurable and not crossing the “bright, red, neon line” of consent. Gillespie said, “ 1 in 3 women will be raped in her lifetime”.
Amid the speakers, 48 rapes between December 27, 2012 and March 14, 2013 were read out to the protestors.
The die-in was then held where people lay down on the floor in silence to give an image of how many people are affected by rape, and how many lose their lives to sexual violence.
A sense of comfort and intimacy filled the room as victims cried, held each other and supported each other. It became a safe place to speak out about their experiences.
The protest ended with Drama 4 Life students performing a realistc skit of the psychological state of victims post-rape, and the courage it takes to remove the tape and break your silence.
Victims then broke their silence by removing the tape from the mouths and went on to a debrief where they reflected on the events of the day.
Sleeping students in the 24-hour section of Wartenweiler library at about 4am
While the university administration defends its right to renovate its Savernake residence, for millions of rands, students continue sleeping in the libraries as winter rapidly approaches.
The ongoing problem of students sleeping in libraries has not been resolved yet even though the news has recently been in the mainstream media.
Meanwhile the students are playing musical chairs ducking and diving from security.
When Wits Vuvuzela camped out in Wartenweiler library last week till 9pm to see if students can hide out in the library, we found that students can dodge security and sleep under desks and in toilets till the next morning. A security guard, who chose to be anonymous, verified this.
The Wartenweiler library closes at 9pm and only the 24-hour section is open.
Prof Tawana Kupe, Deputy Vice Chancellor for finance and operations said students could not sleep or stay in the library after it has closed because the library is fully alarmed. Kupe said he had not received any reports of wrongdoing in the library.
President of the SRC, Sibulele Mgudlwa, said he had seen students sleeping in Wartenweiler, Commerce, Law and Management (CLM) 24-hour section, CLM FNB, Wits Science Stadium and at CNS. Mgudlwa said, “Everyone is aware of this problem and no one is willing to assist in resolving it”.
SRC seeks to identify people sleeping in libraries and direct them to the assistant Dean of CLM, Pam Townsend and the University Registrar or the Dean of Students, Prem Coopoo.
The SRC said it did not have funds to help students with accommodation.
A 2nd year LLB, Craig Gumbo who has witnessed sleeping students in libraries said, “A white student used to sleep in the printing room every night. He used the same clothes and carried washing powder with him”.
In a media briefing held to address the issue of Savernake, contrasted to the problem of homeless students, among other issues, Adam Habib, incoming Vice Chancellor said, “These two issues need to be addressed separately” and “it is unfortunate to put the two together.”
“We will try our utmost best to identify, intervene and assist these students.”
Kupe said in a newsletter: “In this budget, Wits will spend about R65-million from its own coffers on financial aid and scholarships (up from R59 million in 2012), in addition to administering over R162 million in National Student Financial Aid Scheme funding and other bursaries and scholarships.”
The university administration did not give any concrete ideas about how it would solve the problem of the homeless students.
The schedule of events for the silent protest at Wits. Image: Dinesh Balliah.
PROTESTS of solidarity for victims of sexual violence will take centre stage next week at Wits University.
On April 19 Wits will be participate in a nationwide university campaign along with Rhodes University, University of Cape Town, University of KwaZulu-Natal and Fort Hare University, to create safe spaces for survivors to be heard.
The gathering will start on the lawns on East Campus at 8am.
Thousands are brutally raped and murdered annually while the tragedy gets lost in the numbers. Like the taped mouths, the purpose of a ‘die-in’ is to create another visual cue, allowing people to imagine the statistics. The protest asks the public to be still and imagine how many lives are lost, to become the embodiment of that loss for a short time in order to honour the dead and recommit the living to action to end the violence.
The protest is pro-survivor rather than anti-offender event. The aim of the protest is to provide a visual impact of the statistic that only one in nine people who experience sexual violence report the crime.
A ‘die-in’ will be conducted during lunch hour where all protesters gather and refocus particularly as protesters are unable to eat lunch. It is a means of showing how many people are affected by sexual violence.
Students will remove the tape on their mouths and share their stories and experiences while sharing refreshments together in a breaking of the silence.
The protest is open to the university and anyone can register to participate and support the cause. Students can register at the Counselling and Careers Development Unit (CCDU) office or the Student Development and Leadership Unit (SDLU) office where they will receive a t-shirt and tape upon registration.
There are different ways to participate in the day-long protest. People can volunteer to be silent and wear a t-shirt with ‘sexual violence causes silence’ on the front and an explanation on the back with their mouths taped all day, no food or water allowed.
Otherwise they can wear t-shirts with ‘rape survivor’ on the front and an explanation on the back or t-shirts with ‘STOP violence against women: the power of change is in our hands’ on the front and an explanation on the back.
Crime statistics released by government reveal that more than 65000 sexual assaults were reported in South Africa in the last year. From these reports only 6.5% are successfully prosecuted and less than half of 1% of perpetrators will serve jail-time.
The university has awarded a retired maths professor with a gold medal in recognition of his contribution to the university and broader community.
Prof Kantilal Naik received the medal during the Faculty of Science’s graduation ceremony at the end of March.
Naik said: “I was totally surprised when our head of the school, Professor Momoniat, sent an email to our staff announcing that the university is going to award me a gold medal . I could not believe it! I had tears in my eyes.”
The Wits Council awards gold medals to a person who has made a noteworthy contribution to the university or made an exceptional impact on the community.
Naik has been involved with the Azaadville Hindu Seva Samaj for almost 32 years.
He was the acting chairperson and honorary secretary and is on the student governing body of Ahmed Timol Secondary School. He has also worked with the Yusuf Dadoo Primary School in Azaadville.
Naik hopes to have further input in the academic and administrative areas of the School of Computational and Applied Mathematics as Honorary Adjunct Professor.
The Tyranny of Apartheid Regime is the title of Naik’s upcoming book which deals with his detention with the late Ahmed Timol at what was then John Vorster Square, by the security police in 1971.
The book describes the torture and tyranny he faced during apartheid. “My hands were totally immobilised from the wrists. I could not use my hands for almost four months,” said Naik.
“I had no hope at all that our motherland will ever become free from this tyranny of the nationalist government. But it happened,” Naik said.
Before joining Wits as a senior tutor, initially in the statistics department, Naik was a science teacher and later moved to the Transvaal College of Education where he lectured physical science.
In 1986 Naik was moved to the Department of Computational and Applied Mathematics and was later promoted to senior lecturer in the department. Naik retired in December 2003 and was appointed honorary adjunct professor of this department until 2015.
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, […]
President Obama takes questions at a town hall meeting with young African leaders in Johannesburg, South Africa. pic.twitter.com/jAO01r5Roy
