Just a stone’s throw away from affluent suburbs such as Parktown and Auckland Park in Johannesburg is a “poor white” suburb called Fietas. Over 40 years ago, the government forcibly removed many families to make way for a low-cost residential white suburb. These days Fietas is associated with poverty, drugs, prostitution and crime. At the same time, it is home to many families trying to happily survive in often desperate surroundings.
A REMNANT OF THE PAST: The Jan Hofmeyr Community Services on 8th Street, Vrededorp, provides social support for members of the Fietas community, which is home to working-class and poor white families. Photo: Reuven Blignault
An old church stands on 8th Street in Vrededorp, an area informally known as Fietas. Inside is the smell of pap and vegetables steaming at high heat and the sound of knives and forks on old porcelain plates. It is lunchtime at the Jan Hofmeyr community centre. The centre provides social support for members of the Fietas community, which is home to working-class and poor white families.
Until its destruction under the Group Areas Act in the mid-1970s, Fietas was a colourful, vibrant working-class society, with many wealthy and up-and-coming Indian business owners making a profit there. Fietas was also home to African, coloured, Malay and Chinese people, of all faiths, workers and professionals, shopkeepers and artisans.
Fietas boasted mosques, churches, bioscopes, shebeens, schools, sports grounds, corner cafés, dance halls and bazaars. Fietas was an integrated community, not unlike District Six and Sophiatown, and before similar political changes, it became home to both rich and poor.
The area was cleared of “non-whites” by the apartheid government in the 1970s. Many homes were bulldozed and housing for white people was built on some of the land, with large parts remaining undeveloped. The majority of those forcefully removed were moved to Lenasia and Soweto between 1956 and 1977. This led to fierce resistance that continued into the 1980s.
“Fietas has always been a poor area,” said Alan Jeeves, “but, more particularly, a poor white area that still sees segregations that were designed under the apartheid government today.
“If you look at Vrededorp, the area just above 8th Street, you will see that most of the population is white. But the more you head south, towards 14th Street, you will see a change in demographics.” Jeeves is retired as a history lecturer at Wits University and has published several books, including one about Fietas.
INSIDE: The Jan Hofmeyr community centre helps the poor and homeless in the Fietas community by providing everything from food to drug counselling. Photo: Reuven Blignault
‘The old church’
The Jan Hofmeyr community centre (JHCC) diner is housed in the 1895 church on 8th Street. The centre helps the poor and homeless in the Fietas community by providing everything from food to drug counselling.
As one of the only permanent support centres in the area, the JHCC is a hub for people with social and family issues all seeking to better their situations.
Linda Pretorius, 48, used to come to this church as a child. She is now a manager at the Jan Hofmeyr community centre.
“There used to be weddings, christenings and a strong community atmosphere,” said Pretorius. “In the ’70s, we used to play in the streets and we never felt threatened from crime. The streets were beautiful and the buildings were new, yes we were poor, but that did not seem to matter because we lived a happy life.”
Pretorius suggested that political shifts and tensions led to a downfall in her community. “When the late ’80s came around, there was a housing crisis. Many poor people were moved nearby, and many were criminals. People could get drugs more easily and we saw a lot of children in broken homes because of this.”
Originally from the Cape, Pretorius’s family came up to the City of Gold to seek a better life. They managed to find stable employment and a liveable wage.
“This neighbourhood has always had its problems. Drugs, prostitution, crime, these are all reasons why you would not want to live here,” said Pretorius.
Pretorius wanted to get out. She got married and found a stable job. She had a son, who now lives in Fietas and works at a nearby petrol station.
When her son was a teenager, Pretorius moved back to the Cape, leaving him behind. She acknowledges that this was a mistake. A year later her son was hooked on heroin. Ten years ago, in a message she said came directly from the Lord, Pretorius moved back to Johannesburg to help her son. She found solitude in the JHCC and entered her son into a support group.
When her son “became clean”, she decided to stay at the centre and volunteer any way that she could.
She gave up her well-paying job and volunteered at the JHCC, where she has been working ever since.
“It was God who spoke to me one night after praying intensely. He told me to go back to my roots and give back to my old community as they were in need,” said Pretorius.
“I feel as if I can change just one person’s life in my time here, then I have done my job and I have pleased the Lord.”
Other families in Fietas are not as fortunate to share the relief that Pretorius had.
A HELPING HAND: Elizabeth Kuhn, 76, is a cook at the JHCC. A pensioner in a nearby old age home, Kuhn helps to give back to her community by volunteering to cook for free every day. Photo: Reuven Blignault
Social issues and support
Jakes Jacobs, a manager at the JHCC, explained the kinds of support that the centre gives to families in the area.
“There are many young girls who are sex workers. This is either because they need the money to support their family or, most likely, because they need the money for drugs.
“We try our best to support them by providing counselling but, more importantly, to provide them with a way that they can develop skills to find proper work,” said Jacobs.
Joblessness is a visible problem in the area. At the local corner store, there are groups of young, unemployed white men sitting outside, begging for money from those who have bought bread, cigarettes or cellphone air time.
“There is no work for me,” said 22-year-old Chris Swart. “I am very desperate, and the only way I can get money or food is to ask people for it.”
Swart went to the local primary school, Laerskool Piet Van Vuuren, but that was as far as he went.
“My parents couldn’t afford for me to go to high school. My father is a motor mechanic, so I helped him when I finished grade seven.”
Swart says his father was killed in 2010 during a robbery at their home. “My mother didn’t have enough money to keep his business going,” said Swart. “My mother is a nurse at Helen Joseph Hospital and doesn’t earn much.”
“After my father died I got very depressed, so I turned to drugs to help. I have no money, so I have to beg for it. So, yes, I do take drugs, but I am trying to get help … it is hard.
“I go to a drug support group at the JISS centre in Mayfair a few times a week, the people at the Jan Hofmeyr centre said I must go there,” said Swart. “They said I needed a doctor who could help me and there are free psychologists there.”
There are people in the community who share Swart’s story and that is where the JHCC seeks to help.
But there are also families who are just looking to live in a happy home.
The Fietas home
PORRIDGE: Jan Blom, 68, has lived in Fietas for over 40 years. As a young person, he served a five-year sentence for drug possession. Photo: Reuven Blignault
Willem Smit, 43, lives with his family near 8th Street in Fietas.
Smit used to work in an electronics factory as an armature winder. He was laid off after the company collapsed in 2007. He and his family used to live in Newlands but, due to a lack of income, had to move somewhere more affordable.
Smit and his family live in a building called Wilgehof. The building is one of the many low-cost housing projects started in the 1970s, during the rezoning of the area to accommodate working-class white families. As the breadwinner of the family, his wife works as an administrative assistant in town. They have two children, aged five and six.
“I have never lived in the best of areas, but I’m very worried about my kids growing up here,” said Smit. “I’ve seen young school kids sitting on the corner taking drugs in broad daylight. They think it is cool … And if my sons grow up here in that environment then that is not good. We do make use of the Jan Hofmeyr community centre, my children go to the crèche there and, when times are tough, like when we need food, they provide it for us.”
Support groups nearby, such as Islamic Relief in Mayfair, share the same ideas as to why the community of Fietas and neighbouring areas have an ongoing poverty crisis.
“There is definitely a need for aid for those that live in Mayfair and Fietas,” said Abdullah Vawda, coordination manager of Islamic Relief. “But what we are finding in the area is a culture that wishes to remain poor, as aid is merely provided to them. They do not feel the need to find proper work as they make more money begging than they would at work.”
“Even though we want to do God’s will by feeding the community, we can only do so much,” said Jacobs.
“If we provide absolutely everything for them, then there would literally be no hope of the young population in Fietas finding work.”
Community centres in Fietas and Mayfair provide much-needed support for the community as a whole but do not merely feed the community; they encourage members of the community to find proper employment.
The JHCC survives on food donations from many food markets around Johannesburg. The food arrives early in the morning and is prepared for the lunch hour by a group of volunteers.
HELPING OTHERS: Jane Reid, 73, a cook at the JHCC, makes pap and vegetables for those in the centre. Photo: Reuven Blignault
Making a difference
Jane Reid, 73, a cook at the JHCC, makes pap and vegetables for those in the centre. She explained that she loves doing her job. “I grew up in Fietas, so I feel that it is my responsibility to give back to my community like this.
“My mother was a domestic worker for a family in Parktown, but we lived here in Fietas,” said Reid. “I didn’t have a job for many years, and my children were starving. We used to come to the JHCC to get food every day and after a while I stayed working here at Jan Hofmeyr.”
The centre prepares food that is delivered every day at 8am by benefactors such as Food Lovers’ Market. After taking the delivery, a team of eight people work rigorously to prepare food for lunch time. After the doors close at 1pm, the team immediately starts to prepare food for the dinner time rush.
The Jan Hofmeyr community centre estimates it has helped over 200 families in Fietas and neighbouring areas by providing support for them since the year 2000.
THE STRUGGLE: Miriam Sambukwe, 42, comes to the JHCS every day at lunch with her four-year-old daughter. With very little income at home, she finds the support from the centre a godsend. Photo: Reuven Blignault
Counsellor for Ward 58, Barry Jordaan Musesi, is optimistic that progress will be made to better the lives of those who live there.
“The community was highly upset with my predecessor. They accused him of leading Fietas to a slum status similar to Hillbrow or Malvern,” said Musesi. “I hope that I will make a difference in these people’s lives by addressing their concerns.”
“The residents have raised concerns about illegal businesses, panel beaters, slums and the need for mass housing. After many complaints came up of residents saying that the place is dirty and unsafe, we reported this to the City of Jo’burg. Things have since progressed with additional Pikitup cleaners and more police patrolling,” Musesi told Islamic radio station Cii Broadcasting in a separate interview.
Musesi agreed that police presence had not lived up to the community’s expectations in relation to crime prevention. “Crime in Fietas is everywhere and the police are struggling to cope. In the coming few months I will further my discussions with the mayor to discuss better policing, especially during the festive season.”
Even though Musesi says the conditions of Fietas will improve, the opinions of locals such as Linda Pretorius suggest Fietas will not change any time soon. “We can only do so much for this community, and I wish we had a magic wand that could make life better for everybody, but we try to make a difference one person at a time.
“By helping just one person, and making a difference in their life, even just by giving them a loaf of bread, is enough to inspire them to say that there is more to this life, and especially for the children, it gives them hope.”
Pretorius hopes that all South Africans can be inspired by the work of centres like Jan Hofmeyr Community Services, that communities like Fietas can shrug off their negative stereotypes and that the families of Fietas can take the right path, changing for the better.
FEATURED IMAGE: A REMNANT OF THE PAST: The Jan Hofmeyr Community Services on 8th Street, Vrededorp, provides social support for members of the Fietas community, which is home to working-class and poor white families. Photo: Reuven Blignault
POWER SHOT: The clever boy’s Henrico Botes fires a shot towards goal after penetrating the relentless SuperSport defence. Photo: Reuven Blignault.
Since Gavin Hunt left SuperSport United to join Bidvest Wits three seasons ago, there has been talk that he will turn the Students into a title-contending club.
The last time the club won a trophy was the Nedbank Cup in 2010, when Roger De Sa was at the helm.
The team now finds themselves at third place on the PSL table and with a long season still ahead anything is possible.
This is what was at the back of the team’s mind on Tuesday night, when they hoped to record their third successive league victory when they hosted SuperSport United at the Bidvest Stadium.
The Clever Boys played the entire second-half with 10-men, but successfully held on to secure a narrow 1-0 win over Absa Premiership title rivals SuperSport.
Gavin Hunt’s side were in control of the match, and they looked dangerous each timed they surged forward and attacked the visitors.
Jabulani Shongwe scored the only goal of the game before Henrico Botes was sent off for foul play on the cusp of half-time.
Wits played without the suspended Siyabonga Nhlapo, while SuperSport’s Dean Furman also missed as he was still suspended after being sent off against Chiefs in the previous match.
Despite having one player less, the Clever Boys continued to create the better chances and were deserved winners on the night.
But will they go all the way?
Hunt has certainly added quality to his arsenal, spending top dollar on players Daine Klate and Elias Pelembe. Both players were part of Hunt’s SuperSport United outfit during his successful tenure at the club.
Veteran goalkeeper Moeneeb ‘Slimkat’ Josephs may be key to any title challenge, as he has been in good form so far this season, and because the team lacks depth on the bench in the goal keeping department
The team also has star players Phakamani Mahlambi and Liam Jordan, who are both part of the national squad and are tipped to be among South African football’s brightest prospects. Veteran Henrico Botes, has always chipped in with important goals over the past few years.
NEW FUNDING: The Wits school of Public Health will be receiving a massive funding boost to sustain better biological research in Africa. Photo: Stock
The School of Public Health at Wits University will use an approximately R70-million cash injection to develop and improve bio-statistical skills among its researchers.
Biostatistics is the use of statistics in a wide range of topics in biology. In this case, Wits’ research will be geared towards addressing some of the continent’s most difficult health challenges.
The funds will be utilised by the Wits lead Sub-Saharan African Consortium for Advanced Bio-statistical Training, a group of mostly African and some European institutions.
Examples of funded research include genetic analysis of drug-resistant malaria across East and West Africa and developing mental health programmes in countries where there is little or no investment.
The programmes are led from universities and research institutes in Ghana, Kenya, Mali, South Africa, Uganda and Zimbabwe. All the programmes involve collaborations across the continent, including between French-speaking and English-speaking countries and with international research centres.
Professor Tobias Chirwa, of School of Public Health, is one of seven leading African researchers to receive major funding over five years to establish relevant research and training programmes across the continent. The funding comes from the Welcome Trust and the United Kingdom’s Department for International Development (DFID).
Chirwa, is the Head of the Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics. He said on the Wellcome Trust UK’s website: “In many African countries, there is a shortage of well-trained biostatisticians. The few people that are trained are often overwhelmed.
“In order to ensure that data is used to inform public health policy and practice for the benefit of the people in Africa, we need to prioritise training of African postgraduate biostatisticians who can provide the required analysis to a high standard.”
In total, the DELTAS Africa scheme has awarded over £46 million (approximately R92-million) to research over a period of five years.
The Springboks are ready to take on the Rugby World Cup 2015. They will be playing in venues that are usually the hallowed ground of football fanatics.
In the past few months, there has been a lot of controversy surrounding the use of these grounds. Football critics are worried about the damage 22 heavy-set men will cause to the pristine football pitches.
INBOUND: The springboks will be playing across various venues around the UK. In group B, they will be facing Japan, Scotland, Samoa and the USA.
ON THE REBOUND: Wits’ Aleksandar Kocic put pressure on the WSU defence on a break away. Photo: Reuven Blignault
Wits FC will play in their first-ever Varsity Football semi-final after they walked away with a 2-1 win over Walter Sisulu (WSU) at home on Monday.
An elated Wits coach Karabo Mogudi expressed that while he was happy for the team, it has been a stressful week for them.
“Every coach and team wants to win matches, and we are peaking at the right time, but this week was the worst for the players because its test week, I can see a lot of them didn’t sleep. This was evident with the start of the match, we were very poor,” he told Varsity Sport.
Wits started off as the more impressive of the two teams and dominated play in the opening few minutes. Wits’ Gift Baloyi had the game’s first attempt at goal.
The away side held their own though and took the lead with a goal from Bonke Mbadlanyana.
The visitors from the coast pushed forward in the second half and almost achieved the same number of opportunities in front of goal as they did in the first ten minutes of the game.
With a semi-final spot at stake, Wits gained momentum by applying continuous pressure on the WSU defence in the latter part of the game.
Goals by Saluleko Mathonsi and substitute Graeme Dor completed a great comeback in the dying minutes of the game for the home side.
This was the second consecutive fixture where Wits left it till late to secure a victory and have now increased their chances of making the next phase of the competition.
In the previous match, Wits came out firing but were unable to score against Vaal University of Technology (VUT), and managed only a draw.
Wits’ next semi-final match will take place on September 10 against an unconfirmed opponent.
LISTEN: The opening title screen of the documentary explores racism and the language barrier experienced by non-Afrikaans students at Stellenbosch University. Photo: YouTube
A documentary exploring racism and the language barrier experienced by non-Afrikaans students at Stellenbosch University is causing widespread debate from within the university itself to politicians in parliament.
Last week, student organisation Open Stellenbosch, together with Contraband Cape Town, released the short documentary Luister. The documentary explores racism and the language barrier experienced by non-Afrikaans students at Stellenbosch University.
Stellenbosch University’s relations manager Wim de Villiers said he is more than willing to meet with Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Higher Education. This comes after political parties voiced their concerns over a documentary which features student accounts of alleged racism.
The ANC in Parliament expressed outrage on Tuesday over the racist reality at the University that the documentary portrays. Parliament now wants to have an urgent meeting with the institution’s management.
Luister is a 30 minute YouTube documentary showing the lived experiences of more than 30 students and a lecturer at the university who have felt forms of racial prejudice. It also deals with issues of non-transformation at the institution which is still 65% white.
De Villiers said Luister gives the false impression that management isn’t serious about transformation. He added that the University has always taken the issue seriously but highlighted that there also needs to be mutual respect from the students.
Open Stellenbosch responded to the Universities comments saying that they were, “disappointed that even now, confronted with the raw testimony of students talking about our personal lived experiences of racism and violence, the university continues to insist that our voices are a ‘misrepresentation’”.
Since its release on YouTube a few days ago, it has already had over 125,000 views. According to Open Stellenbosch, the group wants to show the public the extent of racism and exclusivity at Stellenbosch University.
“For the past three months we’ve been acting in action against the university to appeal to these issues. We saw the need to draw broader attention that’s why we decided to put ‘Luister’ together.”
“Luister is a film about Afrikaans as a language and a culture. It is a film about the continuing racism that exists within a divided society. It is a film about a group of students whose stories have been ignored. Luister is the Afrikaans word for Listen.” Contraband Cape Town added this description on YouTube.
RAIN LIZARD: Discovered by Wits PhD students, this is artist’s impression of what the newly described Pulanesaura dinosaur would have looked like. Photo: Provided.
A NEW species of dinosaur, the Rain Lizard, discovered in the Free State by a Wits team has revealed an exciting new picture of dinosaur development in South Africa.
Wits PhD student Blair McPhee, described it as a new species after he and Dr Jonah Choiniere, from the Evolutionary Studies Institute at Wits University, worked with a team unravelling the mysteries of the ancient creature.
“We used to think that only two species of dinosaur were present in South Africa. Now we know that the picture was much more complicated, with lots of species present. But the Rain Lizard is still special because it was doing something that all these newly discovered species weren’t,” McPhee said.
The discovery of the new dinosaur, Pulanesaura eocollum, meaning “Rain lizard”, shows the first evidence of dinosaurs making the transition to walking on four legs and browsing on the ground.
Pulanesaura was an early member of the long-necked sauropod lineage of dinosaurs, famously represented by Brontosaurus and has been described as small at about eight metres in length and 5 tonnes in body mass.
“This dinosaur showcases the unexpected diversity of locomotion and feeding strategies present in South Africa 200 million years ago. This has serious implications for how dinosaurs were carving up their ecosystems,” said McPhee.
Why is it called the “Rain lizard”? For one thing, it was pouring while they were excavating the skeleton. “Pulane” was also the childhood nickname of Panie Bremer, daughter of the owner of the farm where the dinosaur’s remains were found. And what does Pulane mean? It is Sesotho for “comes with rain”.
A fight broke out between members of Project W, the Progressive Youth Alliance and Wits Economic Freedom Fighters after the red berets disrupted the SRC Elections debate, causing the organisers cancel the event.
BURSTING WITH SPIRIT: Pumping up the crowd, the Wits cheerleaders are at every match religiously, despite the low fan turn-out. Photo: Rafieka Williams.
With a capacity for 5 000 people, the Bidvest stadium has been barely filled during the past two home games, reaching a peak of about 300 fans, this despite over 2 000 free tickets handed out at lunch times before the pre-match week.
A planned beer garden to drum up excitement for the Wits football team has been cancelled due to time constraints and a lack of commitment from sponsors, the latest example of the team struggling to get support.
Wits is due to play an upcoming home match against the Tshwane University of Technology on Monday. The beer garden is now being planned for the next home game.
The roar of the crowd is enough to inspire any team to victory, but not if there is no crowd. The Wits Sport office is growing ever more concerned at the lack of fan support during this year’s Varsity Football tournament, and is thinking of new ways to gather fans for the Wits team.
“Wits played incredibly well against the NMMU-Madibaz last Monday by winning 1-0 against them, but we were disappointed with the supporter turnout,” said Wits Sports officer Marcus Toerien.
Toerien believes that this lack of spirit derives from a culture the university has institutionalised that favours rugby over football.
“The beginning of the year Varsity Shield tournament (rugby) drew thousands of supporters to the stands of the Wits Rugby stadium,” said Toerien. “Why can’t fans support football in the same way?”
Even though banners and an extensive social media campaign had been put into place, the supporter turnout is poor.
“Other universities where the same tournament is being played have stands filled to capacity … There is a deep lack of spirit amongst Wits supporters.”
“We want to give students a tournament that they love by showing that football at Wits is not just for die hard football fans … It can be enjoyed by everybody.”
With a capacity for 5 000 people, the stadium has been barely filled during the past two home games, reaching a peak of about 300 fans, this despite over 2 000 free tickets handed out at lunch times before the pre-match week.
This lack of support has called into question the lack of spirit at Wits, especially when it comes to football.
“We are urging everyone at Wits, staff and students, to come and support our team every Monday … Without your support, our team will suffer.”
The Varsity Football tournament has been running from July 20 and will end on September 24.
SHOWING INITIATIVE: Project W’s Jamie Mighti stands with a flyer with information about the win-a-car initiative at the Project W office. Photo: Reuven Blignault
Project W will be raffling off a new car to raise over R500 000 funds for students who owe outstanding fees, a move reminiscent of the SRC’s #1million1month campaign at the beginning of the year.
Project W aims to raise the funds for over 1 000 students with unsettled fees with the raffle to be held Friday, August 21. Entrants stand the chance to drive away in a brand new 2015 Volkswagen UP valued at R120 000 donated by a dealership.
The plan to raise these funds has been in the pipeline for the past two years according to Project W’s Jamie Mighti.
“The biggest challenge facing all students is money … All year long the university sends you emails reminding you that you owe them,” said Mighti.
“It’s a struggle to get through university for the average student, but to have this massive financial burden is often the back breaking burden,” said Mighti. “We want to solve the problem of outstanding fees owed at the end of the year, especially for brilliant students who face the prospects of their dreams dying merely for the lack of money.”
To take advantage of the benefits of the campaign, a student needs to approach Project W with evidence that they are under a financial burden, as well as a good academic record.
The three-week long campaign will end with the car raffle draw on the August 21 on the Library lawns at 1:15pm where the winner will drive away with the car.
STAGE SISTERS: The Joburg Theatre’s production of Sister Act stars Candida Mosoma and Kate Normington. Photo: Provided
IF YOU grew up in the 90’s chances are you either saw the Saturday night movie on SABC 3 or if you were in a class and your teacher decided to give you a break by watching a movie, you have seen the film Sister Act.
Multi-award-winning South African director and writer, Janice Honeyman, directs the South African version of the hit musical, based on the hilarious 1992 comedy starring Whoopi Goldberg.
When disco diva “Deloris Van Cartier” (Candida Mosoma) witnesses a murder, she is put in protective custody in the one place the cops are sure she won’t be found, a convent. Disguised as a nun, she finds herself at odds with both the rigid lifestyle and uptight Mother Superior (Kate Normington). Using her unique disco moves and singing talent to inspire the choir, Deloris breathes new life into the church and community but, in doing so, blows her cover.
The production stars an entirely South African cast, imitating American accents. Despite a few accent drops along the way, the performance makes the audience believe that they could be in New York watching the musical’s original Broadway performance.
Normington is another one of the show’s shining stars, who creates a memorable Mother Superior and once again demonstrates her amazing singing abilities. Her rendition of I Haven’t Got a Prayer sent shivers down the spine and will be long remembered.
The musical is packed with Alan Menken’s compositions, and Glenn Slater’s lyrics. These numbers are beautifully framed with stunning costumes and amazing backdrops.
All aspects are flawlessly integrated by an experienced director who appreciates the very pulse of a musical that is cleverly aimed to uplift its audience with an ensemble that works hard.
The band, under Rowan Bakker’s command, never missed a beat, yet the sound was never allowed to drown out the singers.
On the negative side, the music has been changed from the original film, so you will be disappointed if you came to the show to hear familiar favourites such as Petula Clark’s hit, I Will Follow Him. But the ‘non-replica’ production of the musical was written by Whoopi Goldberg, and features new songs that any Sister Act or general musical fan will appreciate.
The stage production has been seen by audiences around the world after premiering on Broadway. The New York Times said of Sister Act: “When the wimples start quivering, the pinched mouths break into sunbeam smiles, and the nuns start rocking to raise the Gothic rafters, all’s right in the kingdom of musical comedy.”
Sister Act will run at The Mandela at the Joburg Theatre until August 16th 2015.
Everything from condoms to toothbrushes can be found at two new vending machines at Senate House and the FNB building on West Campus, though some students have criticised their high prices.
A pack of Disprin, which costs no more than R20 at your local supermarket, will cost you almost double,at R35, at the vending machine.
According to its operator,PharmaShop24, this is not a typical vending machine. It is specially designed to dispense health care products, and your daily medical essentials from A-Z at a simple push of a button.
When students were asked about their opinions about the vending machines, reactions varied.
“I think that these are awesome,” saidMpumelelo Tshabalala, 2nd year BA Law. “There are so many times where I have needed medication, like Panado for a headache, and I’ve had to hike around campus looking for some, this is going to be a huge help.”
Other students were only critical of the machine’s high prices. “I think the prices are way too high for me,” said Ismael Motsoeneng, 1st year BA. “Some prices were not too bad, but I’d rather go somewhere else.”
The company, PharmaShop24, has placed these machines at high traffic points at the university, aiming for high convenience.
PharmaShop24, says that concept and design can be found all over Europe, Japan, USA and now in South Africa.
Initially implemented at Shell service stations around the counter, the South African team has been actively modifying and adapting this concept since early 2012 to introduce it into universities.
Worried about not looking gay enough, or scared you’re serving fake bisexual? In the second episode of our limited-series focused on life and living as a twenty something, the Community Guidelines team analyzes the idea of community from a queer lens, and delving into what it means to have a “queer community” in a country […]
