by Roxanne Joseph | Mar 21, 2014 | News
HUMAN RIGHTS: An R2K rally against police brutality in SA earlier today. Photo: Roxanne Joseph
Human Rights Day saw the Right to Know Campaign (R2K) hand over a memorandum calling for an end to police brutality in Joburg, earlier today.
The protest was held in an effort to express outrage at increasing police brutality and the growing attacks on the right to protest, according to R2K staff members.
“No one dies at a protest until the police arrive,” was just one of the slogans displayed on placards by protestors.
Cardboard coffins were lined up right outside the entrance to the Johannesburg Central Police Station, commemorating those who have died from police brutality during protests. Among those remembered were the 36 miners who were killed by police at Marikana in 2012.
Cardboard coffins lined the entrance to the Joburg Central Police Station. Photo: Roxanne Joseph
The station commander, Chester Spies, received and signed the memorandum from R2K staff members and responded by saying he was “very happy to see a peaceful, law-abiding protest” take place on such an important day in South African legacy.
In a statement issued by the organisation just over a week ago they said “the police killings of protestors around the country are a symptom of the growing attacks on the right to protest in South Africa, fuelled by the militarisation of the police and criminalisation of protest”.
Station Commander, Chester Spies signs the R2K memorandum. Photo: Roxanne Joseph
A number of other organisations and NGOs joined the protest, including the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA), the Democratic Left Front (DLF) and Awethu.
“Protest is our only weapon. We will continue to protest because we know no other way,” were the parting words from R2K members.
The R2K campaign was launched in 2010, in response to the Protection of State Information Bill (Secrecy Bill) and has, over the years, broadened its scope to a range of related issues.
by Roxanne Joseph | Mar 20, 2014 | News
THULI TALKS: Public Protector Thuli Madonsela and Wits VC Professor Adam Habib speak about the Nkandla report at Wits earlier today. Photo: Luke Matthews
Public Protector, Advocate Thuli Madonsela likened the current state of affairs in South Africa to the story of Animal Farm at a panel discussion at Wits earlier today.
“All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others,” she said in reference to the Nkandla report, released yesterday.
[pullquote]“Public power should always be exercised within the confines of the law and the public interest.”[/pullquote]
George Orwell’s celebrated novel about a society of animals who are, after getting rid of the humans, left to their own devices is itself a piece of political commentary. The plot of the book was used by Madonsela to demonstrate corruption and an abuse of power in the South African government.
She went on to speak of the critical role of the South African Constitution particularly in the practices of political office bearers and public servants. “Public power should always be exercised within the confines of the law and the public interest.”
Asked by an audience member whether she felt threatened after the release of the report, Madonsela said, “I don’t feel threatened … the state as a state has not attacked me. Most of the time, people in government listen and want to do the right thing.”
A chicken run, an expensives cattle kraal, a fire pool and a two-storey house overlooking an amphitheatre labelled a ‘visitor’s centre,’ were just some of the “security needs” approved and built by Zuma’s architect, Minenhle Makhanya and a team assigned to the Nkandla estate.
WITS NKANDLA PANEL: Professor Steven Friedman, Wits vice chancellor Professor Adam Habib and Public Prosecutor Thuli Madonsela. Photo: Tendai Dube
When asked if she found ethical violations in her investigation, Madonsela responded by saying: “He [Zuma] did give parliament incorrect information, but explained this in a believable manner and so I made a finding in his favour.”
According to Madonsela, “everything (at Nkandla) was done cowboy-style. If the person upstairs wants it, then the law and budget doesn’t matter.”
Madonsela is a Wits graduate, earning her LLB degree from the institution in 1990.
Click here to view the Public Protector’s full report
by Roxanne Joseph | Mar 14, 2014 | News
Res students were among the worst affected on campus by last week’s load shedding, since faulty generators caused them to experience power outages for longer than other areas.
“Some of the East and West campus generators have been faulty from time to time,” according to Rob Sharman, director of Campus Housing & Residence Life.
Residences ready for blackouts
With no lights in their rooms, some Jubilee Hall and Trinity House residents made the trek to West campus which has its own main generator so they could study, while others moved their desks and laptops into the corridors, where backup generators provided light.
Not all residences experienced power cuts. According to Sharman, most of the Parktown residences have not had night-time outages as these were only scheduled “on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6am-12pm, if necessary”.
He explains that residences are not served by one main generator. “The main campus residences are, however, connected to the generator house alongside the Wits Theatre. In addition, Girton, Medhurst, Reith and Wits Junction all have huge permanent generator capacity and Noswal Hall’s lights are all on a new generator.”
[pullquote]“They don’t even have those lamps that most educational institutions have in case of no power. In fact, when there was no power people were congregating outside to share light and have company since there is practically nothing you can do when the power is out”[/pullquote]
The university is also looking at installing generators at Esselen and Braamfontein. Sharman, however, rejected claims of students having to eat dinner off campus due to power outages during dinner time.
All the dining halls have generators and use gas to cook their meals. He said the only problems have been with access to the meal booking system, so students have had to produce their student cards and sign lists to access meals.
Safety, a concern for students
A number of students complained to Wits Vuvuzela of not feeling safe when walking from one part of campus to the other in the dark. However, Campus Control director Rob Kemp said there are a number of security measures in place, advertised on campus and on the university website. “We have 24 hour patrol, on foot and in vehicles, as well as a dog section and during power outages all personnel on duty are put on extra alert.”
There is also a Safe Walk programme available to students. “We encourage students to use it. They just have to phone the control room and request an escort from the library to their res, from the dining hall to their res or anywhere across campus.”
Students remain hesitant about future load shedding
Despite these efforts, many students still have hesitations about future power outages.
“They don’t even have those lamps that most educational institutions have in case of no power. In fact, when there was no power people were congregating outside to share light and have company since there is practically nothing you can do when the power is out,” said Silindokuhle Mavuso, geology and palaeontology honours, who stays in International House residence.
Many will resort to studying in other parts of campus to beat the next series of blackouts.
Sipho Malinga, 2nd year BSc Construction Studies, from Men’s Residence Hall said last time it happened, he couldn’t study and “plans to work on West campus when the load shedding happens again”.
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Wits Vuvuzela: Lights out for Witsies. March 7, 2014
by Roxanne Joseph | Mar 8, 2014 | News
BROKEN GLASS: The window of Braamfontein’s Virgin Mobile was the only sign that the shop had been broken into to early this morning. Photo: Roxanne Joseph
A security guard was held at gunpoint while armed robbers ransacked Braamfontein’s Virgin Mobile shop early this morning.
At 4.30am the robbers pulled up to the shop in a vehicle. One of the thieves threatened a security guard while the others smashed the store’s window and took all of the phones on display inside, according to “Shadrack”, a security guard who works in the area.
Shadrack told Wits Vuvuzela he arrived just after the robbery took place and spoke to the security guard who was threatened.
“I think there were three guys, because one drove the car and kept a look out for the police. The other two broke the glass [of the shop window], took everything and when they heard police sirens, they ran,” Shadrack said.
He said this was the shop’s first break-in.
The shop remained closed all morning with bits of shattered glass lying on the pavement outside beneath the smashed window.
Police and the store manager could not immediately give comment to Wits Vuvuzela.
Braamfontein has undergone changes in the last several years as part of the “Braamfontein Regeneration Project” with new shops like Virgin Mobile moving into the area.
The area is filled with thousands of shoppers on the weekends with the popular Neighbourgoods Market only a block away from the Virgin Mobile where the armed robbery took place.
Shadrack said “there are lots of robberies” on the weekend. He explained that the ATMs attract criminals who offer security guards bribes or distract them to rob people drawing money.
He told Wits Vuvuzela that providing security in the area on the weekend was a “tough job, a very tough job”.
“When this place is filled with people, there’s a lot of theft and if we don’t stop it from happening, they blame us,” he said.
by Roxanne Joseph | Mar 7, 2014 | Featured 1, News
By Roxanne Joseph and Lameez Omarjee
CORRIDOR CRAMMING: Thandeka Shabalala, a 1st year BSc Urban and Regional Planning studies in her res corridor. Photo: Lameez Omarjee
Witsies were left in the dark for nearly four hours yesterday when the first round of load shedding affected large parts of the country.
As part of Block 6 on the City of Johannesburg’s load shedding schedule, the entire campus and surrounding areas were left without power for over four hours. Although accustomed to the process of load shedding, many lecturers and students struggled under the conditions.
[pullquote]Without light in their rooms, students who did not want to make the journey to West Campus in the evening opted to do their work in the res corridors. [/pullquote]
“We were aware of the times because the university had sent out a copy of schedule, so we left campus for about two hours to have lunch”, said Phalo Msila, an associate lecturer in auditing. Commerce, law and management lectures end by lunch time towards the end of the week, leaving only two tutorials after 2pm.
Res students on east campus had to take their study material to west campus when the power went out, from 2pm to 8pm, longer than it had been scheduled for.
Without light in their rooms, students who did not want to make the journey to west campus opted to do their work in the res corridors with some moving a desk into the space to catch some of the light. There are generators in many of the res buildings, but only certain lights in the corridors and foyer come on: individual room lights do not receive generated electricity. Many students felt it was too dangerous to walk across campus by themselves in the dark.
Wits Vuvuzela found Jubilee Hall resident Sibhekiwe Cele, 3rd year BSc Construction Studies, working on an assignment on his computer when the power went out. “It was such an inconvenience to me. I couldn’t finish it.”
Students were eventually forced to eat off campus when the power had not come back on again by dinner time. Rachel Ngidi, 3rd year LLB student and a resident at Trinity House, said it was disturbing, “We had to go out and buy food in the rain … Our phones (batteries) died last night and we couldn’t make calls.”
Unlike day students, res students rely on campus facilities to complete their work after hours.
The load shedding was spread across the city affecting even those students that live off campus.
“I had a chem tutorial that I wanted to finish, but the power was out all the way in Gallo Manor”, complained Ryan Kramer, a 1st year biomedical engineering student.
READ MORE: The load shedding schedule is available on the City of Johannesburg’s website.
