by Staff Reporter | Mar 22, 2013 | News
“Please note that the SIMS, iWits and BI systems will be unavailable on Saturday, 23 March 2013, from 07:00 until 06:00 on Monday, 25 March 2013 for maintenance.
The systems affected during this maintenance period include:
• iRecruitment
• iWits Finance and HR system
• SIMS
• Online Applications
• CAPP
All other systems will be functional. Please note that systems may be brought online as the maintenance work completes earlier than planned. If you have any queries or concerns, please contact ithelp@wits.ac.za or (011) 717-1717.”
by Staff Reporter | Mar 21, 2013 | Featured 1, News
Story and images reproduced with permission of the of the Wits Justice Project. Prisoner A, Ronnie Fakude, is a remand detainee, or a person awaiting trial behind bars. Read Carolyn Raphaely’s original story about Prisoner A on the Wits Justice Project site.
Prisoner A, a paraplegic remand detainee (Photo: supplied)
Carolyn Raphaely, the WJP senior journalist who wrote the story about Prisoner A, Ronnie Fakude, brings us an update on his situation:
The bail application of paraplegic Ronnie Fakude (aka Prisoner A) was heard in Court 26 of the Bloemfontein Regional Court yesterday, and will continue on March 25th.
Fakude has been awaiting trial in Bloemfontein’s Grootvlei prison since December 2011 without even the comfort of a wheelchair – until the recent intervention of the Wits Justice Project and the Free State Association for Physical Disabilities (FSAPD).
With tears running down his face through much of his testimony, the 50-year-old paraplegic in nappies described his life in the prison. He told the court how hard it was for him to cope with the limited bathroom facilities and how difficult it was to keep his wounds clean. He also outlined his health problems, resulting from the poor prison diet.
Fakude has no bowel or bladder control. He also has ulcers, a damaged lung resulting from prison-acquired tuberculosis and is prone to infection because of his compromised lung. He has one kidney and his intestines are sutured because of injuries from the hijacking that caused his paraplegia. Predictably, he also suffers from depression.
Next Monday, Dr Reggie Mabuye, a private medical practitioner sent by the FSAPD to assess Fakude, will testify about his health and his medical requirements. Dr Mabuye will also testify about the medication he prescribed for Fakude.
Fakude has recovered since being placed on a drip two weeks ago but has remained in the hospital section because it is believed to be more comfortable. “The truth is, it’s a converted cell with single beds instead of bunks. It is less crowded than my former cell which housed 88 men because the cell was designed to only accommodate 32.”
Notes Fakude’s lawyer Herklaas Venter: “He looks very weak, still has bed sores and pressure sores and the prison doesn’t supply adequate nappies. However, the State is opposing his bail application because they believe he’s the mastermind behind a number of fraud cases…”
If you would like to help with Fakude’s medical expenses, please make your donation using the following banking details:
BANK ACCOUNT: ABSA, Alice Lane Towers, Sandton
BRANCH CODE: 63-20-05
ACCOUNT NO: 10-4060-3511
REFERENCE: Prisoner A
Please send an email, with your details and amount donated, to the National Council for Persons with Physical Disabilities in South Africa or NCPPDSA (Louise Bettel financialcontroller@ncppdsa.org.za).
by Staff Reporter | Mar 20, 2013 | Featured 1, News
Reproduced with permission of Africacheck.org. See the full article here.
by Julian Rademeyer
The claim that 28 percent of South African schoolgirls are living with HIV started with a remark by Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi, misreported by The Sowetan.
Unquestioned, it has been repeated by media across the country and the world. The true rate is half that.
The Sowetan headline was shocking: “28% of schoolgirls are HIV positive”.
The article that followed read: “At least 28% of schoolgirls are HIV positive while only 4% of young boys are infected with the virus in the country.
“Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi said this was a clear indication that old men were sleeping with young girls – a statistic he said ‘destroyed my soul.’”
The startling claim was picked up by the South African Press Association (Sapa) which ran a piece citing the Sowetan report with the headline: “Nearly a third of schoolgirls have HIV: Motsoaledi”.
Then the story went global
The report was then picked up around the world.
The Independent in the UK: “Over 25% of schoolgirls in South Africa are HIV positive because ‘sugar daddies are taking advantage of them’, says health minister Aaron Motsoaledi.”
Al Jazeera: “HIV rampant among South African schoolgirls. Country’s health minister says more than quarter of schoolgirls HIV positive, because “sugar daddies” exploiting them.”
Xinhua News Agency: “Despite marked progress in curbing the HIV epidemic, a high percentage of schoolgirls are still HIV positive in South Africa, latest figures revealed…Schoolgirls tested HIV positive constitute at least 28 percent of female pupils in schools across the country.”
The figure was also cited in a column in the Sunday Times by influential Talk Radio 702 host Redi Tlhabi. And it continues to gain momentum, carried most recently by the Nigerian Tribune and the Australian website AdelaideNow.
Variations of the story were tweeted and retweeted, posted and reposted hundreds of times on social networking sites Twitter and Facebook.
What the minister actually said
But the story was fatally flawed; an uncritical rehashing of a half-heard statement made by the minister during a “taking Parliament to the people event” in Carolina in Mpumalanga province.
In his address in Carolina, Motsoaledi did indeed refer to a figure of 28%, but only in relation to the findings of an HIV testing and counselling campaign at a small number of hard-hit schools in the Natal Midlands.“The Minister of Health did not say ‘28% of school girls in South Africa are HIV positive,’” his spokesman, Joe Maila, told AfricaCheck.
“The journalist who wrote the story and the agencies that publicised the story got it all wrong.”
Maila said Motsoaledi had referred to a figure of 28% with reference to “a small sample of a few schools in the Natal Midlands”.
The real rate is half what the media said
The most recent statistics, compiled as part of a 2011 HIV and syphilis survey, which was published last year by the Department of Health, indicate that HIV prevalence among young women aged between 15 and 19 was around 12.7% in 2011, a decrease on the previous year’s figure of 14%.
This is less than half the figure in the Sowetan’s headline.
It is even less than the figure (20.5%) for HIV prevalence among pregnant women aged 15-24, a population group who are always likely to have a higher prevalence rate than all schoolgirls, for obvious reasons.
Conclusion – Check before you report a figure
The website JournAIDS.org – which monitors media reporting on HIV and AIDS – has also sharply criticised the Sowetan saying its misinterpretation of Motsoaledi’s comments “points to an urgent need for a culture of fact checking in journalism”.
As we know ourselves, checking these sorts of facts is not always easy. But when a figure is as shocking as the one mistakenly thought to have been given as a national average by the minister, it is important for journalists to check before publishing.
As JournAIDS said, journalists should not simply report what an official says if it contradicts the easily checked facts. We could not say it better ourselves.
Edited by Peter Cunliffe-Jones. Additional research by Ruth Becker
by Staff Reporter | Mar 20, 2013 | News
UPDATE: 20 MARCH 2013
After securing agreement from all relevant sides, Wits Vuvuzela is finally able to publish a series of letters that Dr Last Moyo wrote to Prof Anton Harber in his capacity as the Head of the Department of Journalism which produces the Wits Vuvuzela. In these letters, Moyo details his concerns about the way in which the story of sexual harassment allegations against him were handled.
The official Wits Vuvuzela response:
We do not accept that Wits Vuvuzela behaved unethically or unprofessionally, and we stand by our story. Dr Moyo is concerned that the reporter herself made accusations against him. But stories often originate from the personal experience of reporters and handling potential conflicts of interest can be complex. In this case, we believe that this position needed to be spelt out for the reader, which was why the reporter wrote her own first-person story.
We took the view that it would have been inappropriate to hide the reporter’s position.
We accept that it could have been handled differently, and that it should have been made clear to Dr Moyo that one of his interviewers was in this dual position. However, there is no evidence that this affects the veracity of the story, as she was just one of a number of accusers. Just the opposite: her experience adds weight to the accusations.
The Wits Media Code allows for independent arbitration. If Dr Moyo is not satisfied with our response, he can lay a complaint with the Dean of Students who will then
convene the Media Board to adjudicate on the issue.
LETTER FROM DR LAST MOYO (11 March 2013): Apology and retraction from Vuvuzela
Dear Prof. Harber and the editorial team,
Following my e-mail communication with Professor Harber over the unethical and unprofessional way the news report about the alleged sexual harassment story about me was handled, I have now consulted widely to get other expert opinions about the issue. Indeed, it does seem that the editor of Vuvuzela completely failed to observe the most basic journalism standards and as a result the credibility of the story you published is severely compromised.
That loss of credibility not only affects my interests as the accused, but also those of the complainants. For my part, I would like Vuvuzela to acknowledge publicly the unethical way with which the story was reported and also put an apology to me clearly stating that for those reasons the story’s credibility is in question. I would also request that I be given some space to respond and state my case to the university public against Vuvuzela’s type of reporting. Prof let me kindly tress three important points to you and the editor:
1. As a Media Scholar, I do value and respect Vuvuzela’s editorial independence and autonomy. I however, strongly believe that that independence and autonomy comes with responsibility to discharge journalistic duties professionally. As a student training paper, I believe that if Vuvuzela failed to take reasonable steps to minimise the risk of dishonest, malicious or even biased reporting, this must be openly acknowledged and apologised for as part of student training. Simply put, I have nothing against you Prof Harber as a colleague or advisor to the editorial team. As a colleague, I have and continue to enjoy the most cordial and supportive relationship with you. I am simply demanding that things be done according to rules.
2. I have faith in the Wits’ internal institutional processes in resolving this issue and believe that a fair and honest internal ombudsman would be competent enough to show that Vuvuzela crossed the line, should we get to a point where you think we need to quote third opinion about the ethical question in relation to Vuvuzela’s coverage of my issue. Should you be of that opinion, we could ask those with such competence to speedily set up an internal ombudsman to adjudicate on the issue and propose the way forward. I would be glad if you agree with me on that because it would defer my recourse to external adjudication which may not always work in favour of institutional reputation and professional standing of Wits. We’ve just had enough negative coverage of Wits by the mainstream press in relation to sexual harassment issues and think that time has come for us to reflect on how we solve internal problems.
3. My request for an apology should not be seen as absolving me of the claims made by my alleged accusers. As you know, the university is running a community wide campaign for alleged victims of sexual harassment to come forward and make the reports. My accusers in and out of the story (if there are any) should exercise that right so that a speedy investigation can be made to allow the law to take its course.
Prof. Harber and team, I would be very happy to hear from you about how you think we can resolve this issue. I do not agree that under the circumstances, Vuvuzela took reasonable steps to report my issue professionally. The story fails to meet the most basic test on ethics and by asking the accuser to interview the accused (without disclosure), author the story, take her her personal picture to provide visuals for the story, Vuvuzela totally compromised the biggest fundamental of news reporting. I find this totally dishonest, disingenuous, and reflective of the unscrupulous and self-serving journalism that cannot be allowed to be associated with Vuvuzela as our student training newspaper. I therefore believe that such a story does not merit to lead and direct university and public opinion about my sexual harassment allegations and that under the circumstances must be retracted in public interest and respect for professionalism.
I have copied the Acting Dean and my HoS to this communication so that they can see how I am proposing that we solve this issue internally without any further drama that may be injurious to the image of the university and our collective interests as the university community. I hope that we move on his with speed so that if agreed I can get my apology and space to write my complaints about how my story was covered in the next issue of Vuvuzela. Thank you.
LETTER FROM DR LAST MOYO (9 March 2013): Ethical concern over the sexual harrassment story
Dear Prof Harber,
Thank you for the response Anton. It is not the weight of the story in journalistic terms that I am contesting. Any newspaper would certainly have liked to report such a story. However, I am querying the process of reporting that story. Let me make it clear to you that the student came to my office in her capacity as a journalist from Vuvuzela and NOT an alleged victim of my alleged sexual harassment.
There is a world of difference here. If she had disclosed to me that she was interviewing me as a victim or survivor of my alleged sexual harassment I would not have granted her the interview for the mere reason that it leaves me very vulnerable. An accuser to me is certainly an interested party in the whole story and would have been foolish to grant that interview. So the student journalist did not disclose her full identity to me and nowhere in the story is her double identity fully acknowledged. But suppose it had been, there would still be a major problem based on journalism ethics:
1. How can an accuser be truthful, honest, objective and accurate in reporting the accused? She already stands in a position of symbolic power to frame and report the story in her favor; and to select and exclude material that privileges her allegations.
2. There is also a major risk here. What if the accuser is friends with people that are also making these allegations against me? What would prevent them colluding to fabricate stories against me for one reason or the other?
3. Prof I honestly think that there was an oversight over this issue. Under the circumstances, I think it would have been better to either pass the story to a different newspaper or ask a different reporter in Vuvuzela to report the story.
I am not convinced that the gravity of the matter or numbers of students involved justified overlooking such an important issue. I feel that Vuvuzela was not honest and fair in dealing with this issue. I had a right to be informed that I was being interviewed by an accuser and Vuvuzela did not do so. Vuvuzela had the responsibility to take reasonable steps in minimizing the risk of biased and partial reporting by an interested party.With due respect Prof, I do not think that was done.
LETTER FROM DR LAST MOYO (08 March 2013): Ethical concern over sexual harrassment story
Dear Prof. Harber,
I hope I find you well. I have a complaint of an ethical nature to make about the way the story on sexual allegations against me was covered. I have observed that the complainant is also simultaneously the author of the story and I strongly disagree that this is ethical. Under the circumstances how to do you account for the truthfulness, accuracy, fairness, and objectivity of the story? She has even photographed herself to provide a picture for the story. I strongly object and do not think that it represents professional and responsible journalism.
[hr]
ORIGINAL: 15 MARCH 2013
Media Studies senior lecturer Dr Last Moyo has objected to elements of Vuvuzela’s story last week in which a number of students made allegations of sexual harassment against him.
“The editor of Vuvuzela completely failed to observe the most basic journalism standards and as a result the credibility of the story you published is severely compromised,” Moyo said in a letter to the head of Wits Journalism.
Moyo’s objection was to the fact that the story was written by a student who, herself, had a complaint against him. He said that this student had not made this clear when she put the story to him.
“I believe that Vuvuzela failed to take reasonable steps to minimize the risk of dishonest, malicious or even biased reporting,” Moyo said.On this basis, Moyo has requested an apology and a retraction of the article.
“My request for an apology should not absolve me of the claims made by my alleged accusers,” he said. Moyo has denied the accusations and called for an official inquiry into his conduct.
*Vuvuzela responds: “Stories often originate from the personal experience of reporters and handling potential conflicts of interest can be complex. In this case, we believe that this position needed to be spelt out for the reader, which was why the reporter wrote her own first-person story. We took the view that it would have been inappropriate to hide the reporter’s position.
“We accept that it could have been handled differently, and that it should have been made clear to Dr Moyo that one of his interviewers was in this dual position. However, there is no evidence that this affects the veracity of the story, as she was just one of a number of accusers. Vuvuzela stands by its report.”
by Staff Reporter | Mar 13, 2013 | News
The School of Literature, Languages and Media (SLLM) have announced that a sexual harassment committee has been constituted in order to address concerns, and facilitate a discussion, about sexual harassment among students in the School.
This announcement comes in the wake of allegations against one of the School’s senior lecturers, Dr Last Moyo.
The Wits Vuvuzela last week broke the story of the allegations against Dr Moyo, which he strongly denies. According to the Head of the School, Dr Libby Meintjes, the committee consists of Prof Pumla Gqola (Pumla.gqola@wits.ac.za), Dr Colette Gordon (Colette.gordon@wits.ac.za), Dr Mehita Iqani (Mehita.iqani@wits.ac.za) and Prof Tommaso Milani (Tommaso.milani@wits.ac.za).
Dr Meintjes has encouraged students to approach the committee who will be able to assist students with concerns around sexual harassment and will even assist in approaching the CCDU’s sexual harassment officer, Maria Wanyane. According to Dr Meintjes, members of the committee, “will be able to provide a safe space for students to articulate any concerns.”
Read the official statement from SLLM:
“The School of Literature, Language and Media would like to assure students and staff of the University that it has a policy of zero tolerance with regard to sexual harassment. The School has constituted a Sexual Harassment Committee. This Committee will be calling all students in the School to a meeting to discuss sexual harassment generally: what it is, how to cope with it and what processes are in place to assist students subjected to it. A person familiar with procedures in cases of suspected sexual harassment will be present at the meeting to clarify procedures and answer queries.
The Committee has also been briefed to meet with the Media students as a separate group. Dr Last Moyo has called for a formal investigation into the allegations, and, out of concern for the School’s reputation, has stepped aside as Head of Department and as Assistant Dean of Internationalisation and Partnerships until the findings of the investigation are made known.
The School will always remain centrally concerned with the safety, well-being and professional treatment of its students and staff.”
by Staff Reporter | Mar 10, 2013 | News
Wits Vuvuzela has received two official statements in response to the current investigation into allegations of rape and sexual assault against senior lecturer in Drama Tsepo wa Mamatu.
Read the statement from the ANCYL Wits Branch here.
Read the statement from the statement from the Wits branch of the Democratic Alliance Student Organisation here.
Send us your comments and responses to these statements via email: editor@witsvuvuzela.com or tweeting us: @Wits Vuvuzela. Alternatively you can comment on our Facebook page: WitsVuvuzela.
by Staff Reporter | Mar 1, 2013 | News
First published by WiSER:
Last week Masters Student and Fellow at WiSER, Simphiwe Ngwane, represented Wits University in a mock African Union (AU) debate and public speaking contest, organized by the Africa Institute of South Africa (AISA), simulating the Peace and Security Council.
Simphiwe Ngwane Pic: Wiser.
Simphiwe represented Libya and prepared a seven minute oral presentation around the theme, ‘African Inter-regional Cooperation for Energy Security in Response to Climate Change’ and articulate our country’s policies and definition of a ‘Green Economy’. At the gala dinner following the event the best debate award went to Ms. Marvellous Ndhlovu from the University of Venda (representing Kenya), and Simphiwe was awarded second place.
Simphiwe, Ms Ndhlovu and 2 other students in the top 4, Ms. Itumeleng Mukhovha and Ms. Naledi Modise, were each awarded a Guggenheim Foundation Scholarship to participate in a capacity building programme at Oxford University in July 2013.
The Wits Research Office, the DVC of Research and the Director of the Graduate Support Division have all contrbuted funds towards Simphiwe’s travel expenses to Oxford University so he can take up the grant and represent Wits.
by Staff Reporter | Feb 8, 2013 | News
“Rape has become a part of the collective female consciousness in SA. Women are formally taught how to handle it and informally taught to expect it,” wrote Lisa Golden in October last year, for the Wits Journalism Joburg Justice website.
Last Friday night, Bredasdorp teenager Anene Booysen, was gang raped and brutally murdered. Booysen’s stomach had been cut open, and her entrails strewn around her body.
The gruesome details of Booysen’s murder has thrown the case into the public spotlight, and prompted a national dialogue about rape.
The three men who allegedly raped Booysen will appear in court next week. A crucial part of a successful prosecution in a case of this kind is the J-88 form.
This six-page form details all physical injuries sustained during an attack. It should be completed by a forensic nurse or medical doctor. The form should include a comprehensive questionnaire of the victim’s sexual history and the details of a genital examination. Despite their sensitisation to sexual assault and rape, few women in South Africa are aware of the importance of these six pieces of paper in the prosecution of alleged rapists.
This form is filled out along with the better-known forensic rape kit, which gathers all forensic evidence from the victim such as semen, skin cells or hair.
“The nature of rape means that there are often no witnesses to the crime, leaving only the victim and the accused to give their testimony,” said Golden.
“The J-88 form can become an important part of achieving a successful conviction if filled out properly, and the evidence it provides can be enough to prove beyond reasonable doubt that an accused is guilty of rape.”
The video above details the key aspects of the J-88 form and shows how the required information should be recorded correctly. Read the full story here.
by Staff Reporter | Jan 30, 2013 | Featured 1, News
Lost? Need to learn the names and location of spaces and places on campus? Visit the Wits University website for a virtual tour of the key places and spaces on your campus.
by Staff Reporter | Jan 30, 2013 | Featured 1
A selection of some of the best photos featured in Wits Vuvuzela 2012.
by Staff Reporter | Nov 12, 2012 | News
The Honours in Journalism class of 2012 ended off their academic year by publishing Joburg Justice – an in-depth investigative project that focused on the criminal justice system in South Africa.
Screengrab of the journalism.co.za/joburgjustice Pic: Wits Vuvuzela
The class of 16 spent two weeks researching their stories in and around the city of Johannesburg, and produced a 2000-word story and a multimedia piece. The group was mentored by staff of the Journalism department and the Wits Justice Project. The project focused on the three themes of economic, gender and social justice.
The full length features are listed below:
by Staff Reporter | Sep 27, 2012 | Featured 1, News
The annual Wits Pride Week kicks off at Wits University on Monday 1 October.
PRESS RELEASE:
For the past 18 years South Africa has been making great strides to erase the legacy of apartheid… but what about sexual apartheid?
People from all sexual orientations experience this every day, but not many verbalise their stories.
“Stop Sexual Apartheid”
This is about to change, as the University of the Witwatersrand revs up once again to hosts Wits Pride 2012, the week-long dedication to merge the diverse personalities, sexualities and sexual preferences at Wits.
This year’s offering will also be a testimony to the transformation over the years at Wits as the University celebrates Wits90, the year-long celebration of Wits’ 90th birthday.
The 2012 Wits Pride Week kicks off on Monday, 01 October 2012, portraying the theme “Stop Sexual Apartheid” in various vibrant and creative ways. The main aim is to educate about the injustices of past discrimination, and what we now discriminate against, emulating such oppression.
Hosted by the Wits Transformation Office, Activate, the Gay and Lesbian Archive (GALA), Wits Student Affairs and Wits International Office, Pride Week 2012 hopes to involve all people whether they identify as lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, trans, intersexual and asexual (LGBTIA) or not.
Wits Pride 2011. Pic: Wits Vuvuzela
Anti-homophobia campaign
Wits Pride 2011. Pic: Wits Vuvuzela
In a program bigger and better than any of its predecessors, the Wits Pride anti-homophobia campaign Week will join hands between students and those supportive of LGBTIA issues to show their pride and also to remember the struggle the LGBTIA community has faced in obtaining their rights.
A jam-packed programme which will exhilarate your senses, give you an opportunity to live out your fantasies and make your voice heard against sexual apartheid, will take place until Friday, 5 October 2012, and promises a wealth of sun, fun, education and celebration.
“Internal homophobia, biphobia and transphobia”
“This year’s Pride campaign sees a larger engagement with both the student and staff populace and this is a clear indication that Wits Pride is for all people at the University. The theme of this year’s Pride speaks to the need to address the phenomenon of internal homophobia, biphobia and transphobia.
These issues do not often come to light, and this is a golden opportunity to address them whilst educating around them,” says Anzio Jacobs, Project Manager for Wits Pride 2012.
“Most outrageous and daring outfits”
The colourful celebrations kick off on Monday, 1 October 2012 with the traditional Wits Pride march where everyone is encouraged to come in their most outrageous and daring outfits possible and join in.
This is coupled with the wrapping of the iconic giant bluegum tree on the Gavin Relly green on West Campus in the colours of the LGBTIA flag.
The rest of the week will see the unveiling of art installations on different campuses, teamed with exhibitions, film screenings and lectures and the opening night of the third edition of the thought-provoking and controversial theatre performance FMQ.
Seen at Wits Pride 2011. Pic: Wits Vuvuzela
The pièce de résistance will be the Pride-Wits90 celebrations for all staff members on the Library Lawns, where the celebrations will come to its pinnacle after a week of making merry while having fun and an educational experience.
For more information visit the Wits Pride homepage or join us on Facebook or follow @witspride on Twitter.
