by Ray Mahlaka | Jul 19, 2013 | Featured 1, News
Wits is set to transform a cluster of five abandoned buildings in Braamfontein into technology hubs.
The project is called Tshimologong, a Sesotho word for “new beginnings”.
It will be a space for software design, innovation and technological development.
Located near East Campus, the tech hubs will be equipped with advanced internet connectivity, offer technology courses and spaces for the collaboration of new business ideas.
Director of the Wits Joburg Centre for Software Engineering, Prof Barry Dwolatzky, is driving the transformation of this Braamfontein precinct into a technology city.
“It’s not our intention to tear down buildings and rebuild them. It would be too easy and very expensive. We are planning to repurpose existing buildings, as it’s much cheaper and we are trying to show what can be done with old buildings,” Dwolatzky told Wits Vuvuzela.
Braamfontein’s location is favourable to business and the availability of different types of transport make it attractive for hosting the tech hubs.
“Would it make sense to put it [tech hubs] at Sandton or Soweto? Young South Africans are more drawn to Joburg as a place to work, live and play”.
Dwolatzky also said Braamfontein is a city which attracts young, dynamic and smart people.
With a price tag of “R20 to R40 million” the two-phase rollout of tech hubs might sound like a geek’s paradise, or targeted only at Wits students who are techno-savvy, but Dwolatzky said this was not the case.
He said the tech hubs are targeted at “anyone who can get into Braamfontein. From school kids to old people who just want to interact in this space”.
He said the tech hubs in Braamfontein would “create the same energy that Silicon Valley has”.
Dwolatzky raised concerns about Wits being isolated from Braamfontein.
He said people do not acquaint themselves with the city and security concerns have led to the erection of high fences and stricter controls on access cards to campus.
“We are not interacting with our neighbourhood. Part of this project is to get Wits to jump the fence, get Wits to start to operate, not only on our campus but inner city Braamfontein.”
When the tech hubs gain traction and support from the public, Dwolatzky hopes to replicate the model in other provinces and later explore the continent.
by Ray Mahlaka | Jul 19, 2013 | News
By THULETHO ZWANE and RAY MAHLAKA
IN HIS first print interview, newly appointed Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) spokesperson Mbuyiseni Ndlozi has defended the new movement’s founding members from accusations of being “tenderpreneurs” and “dodgy characters”.
Ndlozi, a politics PhD candidate, has defended his new organisation’s leadership against the criticism laid by his former comrades in the Wits ANC Youth League (ANCYL).
Wits SRC vice president Tokelo Nhlapo accused EFF members of having wrongly benefitted from tenders.
“The discomfort that we have is the characters in the EFF where they have benefitted from these things [tenders].”
Ndlozi defended EFF and said the new movement wants the government tendering system to be stopped.
He admits that while EFF founding member Julius Malema was a “tenderpreneur”, Malema has now realised the flaws in the government tender process and wants to end it.
SRC treasurer Justice Nkomo took a swipe at the founding members of EFF, including Malema and businessman Kenny Kunene. He called EFF a “convenience of stomach empowerment for individuals who are politically disgruntled”.
“I don’t take it [EFF] seriously, it’s not a threat to the ANC and outside Wits it’s not a threat to the PYA [Progressive Youth Alliance]” said Nkomo.
Nkomo also affirmed that the South African Students Congress (Sasco) will continue to support the ANC.
Nhlapo said there were no policy differences between the EFF and ANCYL and called the new organisation’s leaders “dodgy”.
“There is no difference between the ANCYL and EFF, the only contradiction is the EFF is spearheaded by dodgy characters. Julius was expelled from the ANCYL. Floyd [Shivambu] was expelled from the ANCYL,” Nhlapo said.
Ndlozi said the allegations that Malema is corrupt are unfounded: “Julius [Malema] is facing corruption charges. He is facing those charges in court, he’s not running away.”
“Julius was never in government. Malema has not had undue influence. The prosecutor needs to prove that,” said Ndlozi.
Malema, founding member of EFF, owes the SA Revenue Service R16-million for unpaid taxes.
[pullquote]“I believe Wits students are of the highest intellect in political analysis. I have faith in Wits students, they are intelligent and they are going to see through them.” [/pullquote]
The public protector, Thuli Madonsela, alleges that Malema made his millions from a fraudulent tender.
Nkomo called EFF a “mickey mouse political party” and said the new movement will not find a place on Wits campus.
“I believe Wits students are of the highest intellect in political analysis. I have faith in Wits students, they are intelligent and they are going to see through them,” said Nkomo.
Ndlozi accused the ANC of “broad churchism” and said people were allowed to join the party who didn’t believe in the principles of the Freedom Charter. This was one of the reasons EFF was formed.
EFF has seven non-negotiable pillars which include the expropriation of land without compensation, the nationalisation of mines and banks, and free education.
“We want to nationalise the mines, we want to nationalise the banks. The banks are enslaving the middle-class through debt. We have to take over the industries and redistribute the land and wealth to all,” said Ndlozi.
Ndlozi said EFF disagrees with the ANC and their alliance partners because of their policies. He said Agang is too dependent on morality and competence. “Agang is based on morals and competence, we offer more than not being corrupt,” said Ndlozi.
The EFF wants a more radical macro-economic framework. He said the Democratic Alliance (DA) is committed to neo-liberalism, commercialisation, privatisation, the flexible labour market and the minimal role of the state.
Wits Vuvuzela asked if EFF will contest the national elections in 2014 but Ndlozi was noncommittal.
“He [Malema] is popular today. Statistical houses show that EFF might win certain provinces. The people say we must run but we must respect internal processes.”
EFF will go to the National Assembly and present their founding manifesto after a conference to be held at the end of this month.
by Ray Mahlaka | Jul 19, 2013 | News
College students who were evicted from their residence in Bramley last week landed up in crowded accommodation after waiting all day. Some students could not get transport to campus and as a result missed tests on Friday.
The Central Johannesburg College (CJC) students were evicted last Tuesday morning by the landlord from their Student Village residential Complex. After CJC fell into arrears for their accomodation according to Aengus Investment properties (AIP).
Inga Matsitsela, a former Bramley resident, told Wits Vuvuzela that he had to sleep in a two-bedroom apartment with four other students following the eviction.
[pullquote]”After all of that I had to sleep in a two bedroom with four other guys,” [/pullquote]
“We waited until late on Tuesday night to get a place to stay. We waited outside Aengus from the morning already. After all of that I had to sleep in a two bedroom with four other guys,” Matsitsela said.
AIP management told Wits Vuvuzela that while the students were evicted from Bramley they were not left homeless.
“AIP ensured that all the affected students were relocated to safe, modern, convenient accommodation in the area.”
Management from AIP added that they were sensitive to the fact that many students were writing tests and exams and that they had tried their best to make sure that minimal disruption occurred.
Matsitsela and other former Bramley residents were moved to Langlaagte, near Soweto. Students had to organise their own transport to college until Friday.
Buses were organised for Friday but arrived late in the day. As a result, Henrich Makuwa missed his end of term mathematics test.
According to a notice by Aengus, students were evicted because of non-payment.
The notice by Aengus to CJC students read as follows: “Please be advised that your institution has failed to pay your accommodation in spite of numerous attempts by yourselves to secure payment.”
The students found this notice the morning of their eviction and had received no prior warning.
“We have received no apology or anything from anyone for the mess that has happened,” said Matsitsela.
Some students have managed to return to Bramley, while others such as Makuwa and Matsitsela are still staying in Langlaagte.
Students who moved back to Bramley said improvements were made to some of the broken doors in the residence.
The first CJC eviction article
ray@witsvuvuzelacom
nolwazi@witsvuvuzela.com
by Ray Mahlaka | Jul 9, 2013 | Featured 1, News
Students queue outside Aengus offices in Braamfontein for accomodation. Photo:Ray Mahlaka
by Ray Mahlaka and Nolwazi Mjwara
SOME Central Johannesburg College (CJC) students with their scant belongings flooded Aengus Investment Properties offices in the hope of finding accommodation this afternoon.
CJC students seeking accommodation were met by a notice which read: “Please be advised that your institution has failed to pay your accommodation in spite of numerous attempts by ourselves to secure payment.”
“The landlord kicked us out and we were moved to Braamfontein where we were told Aengus [Investment Properties] will find us alternative accommodation,” said a student who asked to remain anonymous.
Other students were fortunate to arrange alternative accommodation, and arranged to have a vehicle usher them to their new homes.
Students cram their belongings into a van. Photo: Ray Mahlaka
Wits Vuvuzela was asked to leave the premises when photographing students who queued outside Aengus offices and employees declined to comment on accommodation issues.
Students said they had been waiting outside the offices since 8am for updates about their accommodation.
Inga Matsitsela, who was evicted said he was not sure where he was going to sleep tonight. He added that CJC has failed them.
Students with their belongings on the street. Photo:Ray Mahlaka
Earlier this year Wits Vuvuzela reported on protests by CJC students, as they accused Aengus Property Holdings of favouring Wits students who allegedly paid more for rent.
CJC students said they lived at Bramley building before their eviction.
“Our landlord said they don’t want to see us there, then transport came and brought us to Aengus offices. We had to queue this morning and only allocated accommodation if we appeared on the Aengus list”, said another student.
The Aengus list refers to students who have covered by CJC in terms of acommodation list for according to some of the students queuing outside Aengus offices.
The names of students are allocated accomodation are read out in the “Aengus list”. Photo: Ray Mahlaka
“I still have exams at school, now I have to worry about accommodation problems,” expressed an angry student who declined to be named.
Related article:
Wits Vuvuzela: Wits students butt heads with Aengus
by Ray Mahlaka | May 30, 2013 | Featured 1, News
IN A rare display of commitment to gay people, a Catholic church in Braamfontein has opened its doors to a homosexual support group.
The lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex (LGBTI) support group has been meeting fortnightly at the Holy Trinity Catholic Church near Wits to talk about their concerns and struggles and to give each other emotional support from a Christian perspective.
Outside Holy Trinity Church. Photo:Leigh-ann Carey
“The LGBTI group was formed five years ago when some parishioners came to tell me that do I know that there were gay people coming here and they feel marginalised and could we do something for them,” said Father Russell Pollitt, head parish priest at the church.
Group co-ordinator Dumisani Dube said they are not a “charity organisation” and the main aim of the group was to provide emotional support.
According to Pollitt, the Catholic Church is “quite traditional” in its views of homosexuality. However, he said there is a diversity of views within the church.
The Catholic Church has no issues with homosexual orientation, but it does not accept the “practice or lifestyle of homosexuality, i.e. any physical activity is taboo and not acceptable,” said Pollitt.
He adds: “I think the problem with religion is that we don’t think things through. We tend to think things in black and white…whereas human life is really grey.”
Pollitt also said there are discrepancies between what religion upholds and experiences of people.
Finding refuge in the church
Zacharia Kudumela, a member of the support group, recently discovered Holy Trinity after visiting “every church you could think of”.
“I found out about the church weeks ago and I liked it as they accept the LGBTI community. I felt that I belonged at the church. Most churches do not accept the LGBTI community and look down upon us and accuse us of sexual immorality.”
Kudumela said other churches he has visited avoided the topic of homosexuality.
“I’ve had good and bad experiences. At Holy Trinity, I have found a home. I feel like I can now hear the gospel of God, without any judgement.”
Resistance to the church
Pollitt said the road to embracing the LGBTI group at the church was met with anxiety. There was conflict with some church authorities and in some instances he received letters from people who disapproved or denounced the church’s stance on homosexuality.
“People were initially afraid…one or two people decided to go somewhere else because they felt I was trying to make this into a gay church… This place looks after many marginalised people…people left out from churches, because there is some stigma attached to them,” Pollitt said.
Dube said that people came to terms with the existence of the group and supported their cause as the “ministry is getting stronger by the day”.
Perception shift towards homosexuality
Pollitt said there has been a shift in perceptions on homosexuality as people would be uncomfortable if the words “gay and lesbian” were mentioned at his church years ago. But attitudes were changing and homosexuality “is not a big deal” anymore.
“Some people still feel uncomfortable. There was a guy who walked out of the church recently when he saw pamphlets at the door. He said it’s disgusting [that this] was happening in the church,” he said.
Pollitt said he would be happy to share the LGBTI programme for other congregations to also welcome homosexual people. However, he said no other Catholic church has approached him yet.
He does not believe the Catholic Church would change its opinion on homosexuality, as the church’s definition of marriage is that it is between a man and woman and “any sexual activity should be in the context of marriage”.
by Ray Mahlaka | May 30, 2013 | News
WITS mining students are divided about their employment prospects in a mining sector beset with economic problems.
The mining sector has been plagued by labour unrests, declining commodity prices, high electricity costs and shrinking profits. Mining companies are also cutting jobs in a bid to reduce costs.
The gold price has fallen by about 20% so far this year. According to the South African Institute of Race Relations (SAIRR) the mining industry lost over R10-billion in production during the strikes in 2012-2013 financial year.
However, the economic instability in the mining sector has not rattled some Witsies.
“Every company has to go through something, it goes up and down. I’m used to it. The industry is quite big in South Africa; there are a lot of resources out there that have not been explored yet,” said Andy Vuthuza 3rd year geology student.
“The country does need engineers and we will have jobs,” Therance Ralebalala 3rdyear mining engineering.
Chief economist at Efficient Group, Dawie Roodt agrees: “Despite the problems in the mining sector the rest of the country has a huge shortage of skills…The rest of the economy has enough capacity to absorb just about all graduates over time”.
Roodt said that the mining industry would not return to its previous highs as other sectors in the economy have grown bigger than the mining sector.
“Chances are that mining will recover from its current low when we see an acceleration in [the] global economy again. But I am afraid labour issues as well as policy issues will remain a challenge,” Roodt told Wits Vuvuzela.
Mining consultant at Cadiz Corporate Solutions Peter Major said mining is now ‘so risky’ as investment in South Africa and mining companies are “reducing production in order to try and stay profitable”.
Thabang Bhili 2nd year mining engineering said after Lonmin’s Marikana massacre companies are reluctant to offer bursaries and employment.
Bhili also said mining students who are recipients of mining company bursaries are guaranteed jobs after graduation compared to students who personally foot the bill for their studies.
Major said there are always jobs for mining graduates in the country, even though mining companies are not creating jobs due to current economic pressures.
by Emelia Motsai and Ray Mahlaka
editor@witsvuvuzela.com
by Ray Mahlaka | May 17, 2013 | News, Sport
Members of the Wits Tang Soo Do club with their medals from the Bloemfontein national championships.
Photo:Ray Mahlaka.
THE WITS Tang Soo Do club were the dominant contenders in a national championship in Bloemfontein recently when they snatched 23 medals and won the tournament overall.
Tang Soo Do is a Korean martial art which involves hand and kicking techniques similar to taekwondo.
The team were among 150 participants and, according to Wits Tang Soo Do coach, Gregory Hart, it was “competitive with strong guys”. “There were 20 people in each category, age and belt levels and the competition standards were high.”
[pullquote]“It really is a great achievement”[/pullquote]
Wits brought home 23 medals in total. Three bronze and three silvers as a team; four individuals won gold medals, five won silver and eight bagged bronze.
“It really is a great achievement. It’s quite a good return on investment. They all did very well,” said Hart.
Wits Tang Soo Do club member Titus Masike said the team’s performance in Bloemfontein was successful, but further acknowledged they could have done better.“We don’t have a lot of gold [medals], but we would love to have a lot of gold come through.”
At the South African championships in February, six club members qualified to compete in the world championships in the Netherlands in October. However, only three are going because of the cost involved.
Hart said in order to qualify for the world championships, individuals had to win a gold medal at the SA Champs. The three who are going will be sent to a training camp in Nelspruit, in July, where they will be put through a series of tests.
Hart said the main challenges the club faced were team members balancing their academic studies and commitment to the sport. However, Hart said the Tang Soo Do club at Wits was growing and people were finding interest in the club.
by Ray Mahlaka | May 17, 2013 | News
By Caro Malherbe and Ray Mahlaka.
SEXUAL harassment allegations against Wits university lecturers have dented the university’s reputation. At least three academic staff members have been suspended for alleged sexual harassment and have been put on special leave, pending an inquiry.
Wits spokesperson Shirona Patel said the coverage of the sexual harassment cases in the media has cost thousands of rands in reputation damage.[pullquote align=”right”]”Reputation is everything in academia as well as the world of corporate and consumer brands”[/pullquote]
“We have adopted an open and transparent approach pertaining to this matter, without compromising the legal processes underway…However, we can facilitate the communication as much as we like, but if we do not fix the real problems in our system, these issues will recur,” Patel said.
Communication strategist Sarah Britten said that in a country where people are aware of gender based violence, institutions such as Wits should be criticising society.
“Scandals like this [sexual harassment] could scare off potential students and staff and cost Wits money in lost fees and the inability to attract the best academics. “Reputation is everything in academia as well as the world of corporate and consumer brands and this has been damaging,” Britten told Wits Vuvuzela.
Britten said that the Sunday Times article on senior drama lecturer Tsepo wa Mamatu will linger in people’s memories. “In cases like this, it’s important to create the perception of transparency and swift action. I’m not sure they have actually done this,” she said.
Word of mouth can harm the reputation of the university more than the reported stories in the media, said Britten.
Public relations consultant Chris Vick said the university has been “relatively successful” in demonstrating that it will not tolerate sexual harassment. “But the key is to maintain momentum by formulating and announcing steps, such as policies and practices, to ensure this does not happen again and to communicate these to students, in particular, in a convincing way.”
Students’ thoughts
Melissa Lowrens, 2nd year BA, said she felt the scandals that were exposed this year have caused “irreparable damage to Wits’ reputation.”
Lowrens said people often tell her: “Oh, that school that was in the paper for sexual harassment.” However, Imra Schaik, 2nd year BA General, said that he remains a proud Witsie even after the scandals. “My friends who are at UJ [University of Johannesburg] still think I’m a boss for getting into Wits.”
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by Ray Mahlaka | May 14, 2013 | Featured 1, News
From left to right: WBS Director and Head of School Professor Wendy Ngoma, Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe, Vice Chancellor Professor Adam Habib. Photo: Nokuthula Manyathi
By Ray Mahlaka and Nokuthula Manyathi
SOUTH Africa’s Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe is trying to find remedies for the country’s socio-economic problem.
He addressed the Wits Business School (WBS) Alumni annual general meeting yesterday.
Motlanthe was joined by the incoming Vice Chancellor Professor Adam Habib and WBS Director and Head of School Professor Wendy Ngoma.
Habib, in his introduction, said Motlanthe was a thoughtful leader who governed with integrity.
“The one [Motlanthe] I would regard as the one with the greatest integrity. Few politicians are as liked and respected and are willing to engage,” added Habib.
In his address Motlanthe wanted to interact with the audience; to find out how South African citizens could heal all aspects of the country for the sake of their future and economy.
Economic dilemma, labour productivity, universities and development ambitions
Motlanthe raised the following questions: “What is the nature of our current economic dilemma, how can our nation improve labour productivity, what role can the universities play in South Africa’s development ambitions, can the private sector do more than it’s currently doing to help South Africa achieve the set goals?”
Unemployment, poverty and inequality were considered by Motlanthe as a “triple challenge” to the government’s development goals.[pullquote]“The Deputy President doesn’t want to lecture, but facilitate a debate and a conversation”[/pullquote]
He also argued that the shadow of apartheid had not fully receded in South Africa.
On the current economic climate, Motlanthe said there was little investment in new production and that South Africa was becoming a consumer economy.
“We are disindustrialising…labour productivity has declined by 42% since 1993,” said Motlanthe.
The decline in labour productivity was a point of concern to Motlanthe because he considered labour production as the fundamental ingredient to economic growth.
Solutions to South Africa’s socio-economic problems
In trying to find effective solutions Motlanthe supported the objectives of the National Development Plan (NDP) and also suggested greater investment into the education system.
“The NDP has been accepted as the roadmap to growth in South Africa and laid out the parameters to contribute to a shared vision,” said Motlanthe.
He also said the long-term solutions to our socio economic problems were based on having a sound education system.
“Universities are well positioned to contribute to South African challenges. Universities must become the core of innovation. We need closer ties between universities and government,” Motlanthe said.
As part of creating effective solutions Motlanthe urged the private sector to be more involved in mentorship and in social development programmes.
“More than any point in our history does the private sector have more to contribute,” he said.
In his closing remarks Motlanthe said continuing conversations between South African citizens and the government were the stepping stones to finding long-term solutions.
Habib said the aim of hosting the WBS forum was to create a free space where members of corporate, [Wits] staff and student community can engage with the Deputy President on the broader issues currently plaguing the country.
“The Deputy President doesn’t want to lecture, but facilitate a debate and a conversation…We will never address problems unless we learn to talk openly beyond institutional boundaries,” said Habib.
by Ray Mahlaka | May 2, 2013 | Featured 1, News
TO celebrate a hundred years of Gerard Sekoto’s life, the Wits Art Museum (WAM) is staging a retrospective of his artwork in an exhibition titled Song for Sekoto 1930-2013.
In collaboration with the Gerard Sekoto Foundation, WAM brings an intimate and exclusive display of Sekoto’s celebrated pieces. Some which have been brought overseas, loaned from the Johannesburg Art Gallery and private collectors.
Gerard Sekoto’s artworks inspired by Sophiatown. Photo: Palesa Radebe. Copyright Gerard Sekoto Foundation.
“He [Sekoto] is an important artist for South Africa for many different reasons. We now have an opportunity to see an overview of his life as well as why his work is important and that’s what the exhibition is about,” Education Curator Leigh Blanckenberg said.
Wits Vuvuzela was invited to tour the exhibition that tells the story of Sekoto’s formative brush with art, life in the now defunct Sophiatown and District Six, his humble childhood, famous political statements through paintings and his unfinished artworks.
It took the Gerard Sekoto Foundation 10 years to put together the exhibition which is staged in a salon style.
Commemorating the Natives Land Act
South Africa also marks a hundred years of the controversial 1913 Natives Land Act this year that segregated white and black people from living in the same areas and disposessed black Africans of land. Blanckenberg said WAM will in future commemorate this milestone.
Sekoto himself was notorious for using his craft to make political statements, among them the devastating results of the Natives Land Act that features in his painting Song of a Pick (1946).
The painting depicts Sekoto’s feelings about the dire conditions of black people and the lives of the working class in areas such as Sophiatown, Eastwood and District Six – which Sekoto lived in and was the common theme in his paintings.
One of Sekoto’s more famous paintings Dawn (1944), tells of the dawn of new time in the country, also features in the exhibition.
The painting depicts a woman with a child hanging down her neck, which hangs at the end of the museum’s ramp.
About the prolific painter
Sekoto, a self-taught painter, carved a successful career for himself at a time where few black people chose to enter the art profession.
In a self imposed exile move to Paris, Sekoto left South Africa to remove himself from a racially tumultuous country and to leverage art opportunities in a foreign land.
In Paris he learned creative art and was immensely inspired by post impression art.
“He missed home. He was passionate about South Africa but he never came back. So there is an element of sadness in the story…which is seen in the narrative of this exhibition…he also paints in a positive way,” she said.
Political statements through Sekoto’s art pieces
Blanckenberg said of Sekoto’s political statements through his work: “He said it wasn’t intentional, he argued that he wasn’t a political artist but you can’t really say that he wasn’t. He spent most of his life in Paris, about over 40 years, self imposed exile… He never wanted to come back either.”
“He painted a subject matter of South Africa despite the fact that he was in Paris and he could have chosen a subject matter of what he saw around him. And based on memories and media, a lot of his work came back and was bought. He did make heavy political statements,” she said.
The exhibition’s offering
In tandem with Sekoto’s artworks, WAM also documents his life as a poet, musician and author of children’s books with original handwritten transcripts and an honorary doctorate awarded to him by Wits University.
The exhibition will run for five weeks from 24 April- 2 June on Wednesdays to Sunday.
The museum also runs educational programmes on Sekoto.
by Ray Mahlaka | Apr 25, 2013 | Featured 1, News
Public Protector Thuli Madonsela speaks on governance and regulations in South Africa at the Wits Business School. Photo: Ray Mahlaka
PUBLIC Protector Thuli Madonsela said there were areas where public sector wrongdoings are due to acts of collusion with private sector actors.
Speaking about governance and regulation in South Africa at the Wits Business School (WBS), Madonsela also touched on corruption in the country, governance and the contentious Protection of State Information Bill (POSIB).
“Where there is corruption, it is principally a matter of collusion between private persons and state actors. Clearly a lot of the corruption that concerns us as a nation involves huge amounts of money particularly in the state procurement system,” Madonsela said.
Madonsela said that her office has been asked to put the spotlight on the country’s health system.
Chief among the problems in the health sector, Madonsela noted are the “uncaring attitudes by health professionals and procurement irregularities, including corruption, leading to lack of medical supplies and essential hospital equipment”.
In fighting corruption in the country, Madonsela recognised the importance of the media and academic community to her office.
“The contribution of the media and the academic community in promoting public dialogue on the place and role of my office in our democracy as well as specific activities, including reports, can never be over emphasised”, she said.
On the day when the national assembly in parliament approved the Protection of State Information Bill, dubbed the “Secrecy Bill” in media circles, Madonsela said that there have been improvements in the bill, as the act now offers protection to whistle-blowers.
She encouraged whistleblowers to step forward and provide information to her office. “We have persistently called for the strengthening of whistle-blower protection…We use all available legislative powers of my office to ensure such protection”.
On governance in the country, Madosnela said that good governance involves the exercise of transparency by entrusted power.
She added: “Good decisions are obviously those made in the best interests of the people that have entrusted the decision-makers with power and the broader stakeholder community”.
Madonsela urged citizens to not turn a blind eye to corruption.
“It is said that evil prospers not because of the might of evil people but because of the silence of good people…There can be no true peace anywhere as long as there is injustice somewhere”.
by Ray Mahlaka | Apr 19, 2013 | Featured 1, Sport
BIDVEST Wits’ hopes for a top four spot were dealt a blow when they lost 2-1 to Platinum Stars on Wednesday in an ABSA Premiership match at the Bidvest Stadium.
The opening minutes of the match were characterised by strong defending as both teams fought to keep a clean sheet.
Bakwena wasted plenty of scoring opportunities with the team from Rustenburg shooting largely off-target and Bidvest Wits goalkeeper Emille Baron in fine form.
The Clever Boys, however, were first on the score sheet in the first half courtesy of striker Ryan Chapman, who out-foxed the Platinum Stars’ defence, scoring his sixth and Wits’ 25th goal of the season.
The home team was emboldened by the goal and went in search for a second, with Bryce Moon coming close with a right-footed attempt, as Bidvest continued to rattle Platinum Stars’ defence. Wits ended the first half the stronger team, finding spaces in the Stars back-line with ease.
The match was not shy of fouls with referee Daniel Bennet forced into awarding a number of penalties.
Close to half time, Wits was awarded a penalty after Thomas Gumede’s mis-timed tackle on Bidvest captain Sibusiso Vilakazi. To the home crowd’s dismay, Vilakazi’s spot-kick was saved by Stars goalkeeper Siyabonga Mpontshane.
The Clever Boys were made to pay for the miss when Platinum Stars midfielder Mogakolodi Ngele netted the equaliser on the stroke of half time.
Platinum Stars made the momentum count when Ngele scored his second of the night, this time from the penalty spot after a hand-ball by Bidvest.
Bidvest Wits’ Asive Langwe missed numerous opportunities to bring the team’s score higher and he was eventually substituted in the 75th minute.
The rest of the half was marred by fouls and scrappy play by both teams and ended in victory for the visitors from Rustenburg.
Three additional minutes were added to the 90-minute match, but proved useless for the Clever Boys and sealing a victory for the Bakwena.
Platinum Stars is now positioned second in the Premier Soccer League standings, while Bidvest Wits is in sixth place. Wits is one point off a top four spot with five more rounds left to play in the league.
