With the new academic year in full swing, one student is showing Witsies a new way to manage stress through the power of hypnosis and the art of trance.
Tevin Sutcliffe, Psychology Honours student and aspiring hypnotherapist has been guiding Witsies into relaxing trances to combat the various stresses posed by student life.
Hypnosis is a powerful tool, because it allows participants to access their subconscious minds incredibly quickly.
Surrendering control isn’t terrifying and can help solve deep-seated problems says Sutcliffe.
Before the start of term, Tevin Sutcliffe began offering free guided hypnosis sessions to students on campus to practice his craft, inform them about the benefits of hypnosis, and – most importantly – teach stressed-out Witsies how to take a step back and relax.
Sutcliffe is currently completing his Honours in Psychology at Wits University and says that his initial interest in how hypnosis can positively impact mental health is what sparked his journey into the field. During his postgraduate studies, Sutcliffe wants to explore the power of hypnosis on the mind, aiming to destigmatise the practice and make it more accessible.
Sutcliffe focussing volunteer Shay Moodley’s attention after exiting a trance. Photo: Tristan Monzeglio
In a 2023 study spanning seventeen South African universities, 37.1% of the 70,000 surveyed students reported symptoms of anxiety. Sutcliffe explains that because people tend to live in a “constant state of anxiety” without ever addressing it, they often don’t realise how much pressure they put themselves under – mentally and physically. He asserts that even hypnotising someone for just five minutes gives them an “incredible” rest “which they haven’t felt in a long time”.
Moments after completing his session, volunteer Liam Nuns, a second-year Game Design student, stated that all the “little aches” and “tension[s]” which had built up in his body throughout the day felt like they were completely “gone”.
Wits Vuvuzela observed Sutcliffe hold these sessions with eager Witsies just off to the side of the pond next to the law lawns. This serene environment, away from set the chaotic parts of campus, set the scene for Sutcliffe’s calm inductions, gently guiding volunteers into a heightened state of relaxation. He instructed them to close their eyes and steered their focus to all the sounds surrounding them, like the gentle lapping of the pond and other students mumbling in the background. Then suddenly, Sutcliffe would tell volunteers to “sleep”, using a rapid induction technique to shock them into a trance-like state. Once in this state, volunteers are more susceptible to suggestions from the hypnotist.
At this point, many performing hypnotists use this state for entertainment purposes, influencing volunteers to behave abnormally for a brief period. Derren Brown, for example, is a mentalist who has gained notoriety for various publicity stunts taking advantage of people in this hypnotic state, manipulating people to walk into traffic, or convincing a man that he’s an assassin whose target is comedian Stephen Fry.
However, for hypnotists like Sutcliffe, this state’s functionality doesn’t end here.
An aspiring hypnotherapist, Sutcliffe believes that hypnosis is a “shortcut to accessing the unconscious mind,” allowing people to confront issues at their source. He likens our brains to computers, explaining that hypnosis enables us to bypass our “user-interface,” or conscious mind, and “go directly to the “back-end” to troubleshoot the problems in our code.
Sutcliffe making volunteer Camagu Zwane’s fingers move together on their own. Photo: Tristan Monzeglio
On the surface, giving up control of one’s mind to another person can seem intimidating. After experiencing his hands move together on their own and his feet stick to the ground during Sutcliffe’s visual demonstration, Mncedisi Buthelezi, a first year Engineering student, said that being hypnotised was “scary,” as he couldn’t help but think: “what’s going on with my body?”
Sutcliffe admits that this feeling of vulnerability is understandable, but that ultimately “if you have a problem with susceptibility, then you’re surrounded by the wrong people”. He claims that “susceptibility is incredible”, because if he gives people the suggestions they “actually want”, it can give them more control of their minds and can allow them to make changes much quicker.
Another volunteer, Lwanda Tshangela, a second year Game Design student, was conflicted before being guided into a hypnotic state, saying that he “didn’t believe in it at first”, because his only understanding of hypnosis previously came from movies. After the experience, Tshangela said he was “more relaxed”, because the hypnosis made him feel like he was “borderline sleeping”, yet “still aware of what was going on”.
Sutcliffe guiding (left to right) Lwanda Tshangela and Liam Nuns through a hypnotic state. Photo: Tristan Monzeglio
Much to her surprise, Nuha Suffla, a fourth year Engineering student, initially thought Sutcliffe might make her pass out or dance uncontrollably but found the process surprisingly similar to techniques used by her own therapist, such as fostering mindfulness through safe spaces and mind palaces.
For students, Sutcliffe sees hypnosis as an incredibly powerful tool for dealing with stress, because the deeply relaxed state it creates can be recaptured with practice.
Volunteer Thubelihle Mthethwa, a first year Engineering student, said being hypnotised felt “like a dream” and wanted to be able to return to that state. Sutcliffe therefore provided Mthethwa with a trigger word to associate with the feeling of trance so that Mthethwa could access it again with relative ease.
Thubelihle Mthethwa receiving a trigger word to return to this trance-like state. Photo: Tristan Monzeglio
The start of a new year can be stressful for students for a variety of reasons, which – if not addressed with adequate care and attention – can put a significant strain on their mental health.
Sutcliffe explained: “What you do in hypnosis is you teach them how to relax every part of their body. So not just the muscles, not just their physical body, also their mind”. He believes wholeheartedly that if more people knew the truth about hypnosis, it could be used as an easily accessible and tangible solution for anyone who needs to recentre their mind in a world where it’s so easy to get caught up in all the chaos.
FEATURED IMAGE: As part of his rapid induction technique, hypnotist Tevin Sutcliffe guides (left to right) Thubelihle Mthethwa, Mncedisi Buthelezi and Kanya Shabangu into a state of relaxation. Photo: Tristan Monzeglio
As an overwrought Johannesburg continues to address rampant apartheid hang-ups, the responsibility of ensuring citizens’ equitable access to mental healthcare often falls on under-resourced, overburdened, yet empathetic providersstruggling to meet demand.
If you’re looking for mental health support in Johannesburg, where exactly should you turn? Should you ask people you know for help – and would they judge if you did? Should you head to the nearest clinic, unsure if they’d assist with an invisible problem? What if you can’t afford help or medication? What if you’d rather look up alternative options online? How would you know the right service to select when seemingly infinite options appear in a Google search for “psychologist Johannesburg”? Although it’s been 30 years since the end of apartheid, South Africa’s young democracy is still trying to escape the shadows left by unjust and inhumane policies. These shadows not only obscure economic equality, but persist through generational trauma, haunting the collective psyche of South Africans to this day. To explore how Johannesburg, the country’s most-populated city, could set a national blueprint ensuring adequate mental healthcare access, we must first understand the people behind the service who navigate through troubled waters, trying to make a difference.
The promises of post-apartheid mental healthcare
For South Africa to overcome its traumatic past, it is essential for all citizens to have equitable access to mental healthcare. This principle was acknowledged by the country’s first democratically elected government and is clearly articulated in the policies it introduced.
On December 10 1996, then president Nelson Mandela signed the newly drafted South African Constitution, which became the “highest law of the land”, acting as the direct reference and regulator of all subsequent laws and policies. The Bill of Rights, contained in its second chapter, was drafted as a tool to define and monitor South African citizens’ human rights. Two enshrined rights that concern the state of mental healthcare are the right to “equality” and the right to “human dignity”. These are essential reference points, because they highlight the emphasis the government placed on ensuring that all citizens have equal access to adequate healthcare.
This broad emphasis on health was refined to address mental health concerns with the passing of the Mental Health Care Act in 2002. Among other stipulations, the Act promised to ensure that “various categories of mental health care users” were granted “[co-ordinated] access to mental health”. It also aimed to integrate mental healthcare “into the general health services environment”. For countless generations, previous governments blatantly mistreated the majority of South Africa’s citizens; in contrast, the introduction of these regulations acted as a sign of the new government’s solidarity with them.
However, despite these various renewed governmental policies, the tangible challenges that South Africans continue to face on a day-to-day basis, whether crime, economic pressures or systemic inequality, can muddy the public’s idea of mental healthcare. Because mental health is largely intangible, “fixing” a mental health issue feels more like a luxury than a necessity. This reticence to seek help means that 75% of South Africans actively struggling with mental illnesses do not receive the help they need. Meanwhile, the abundance of everyday stressors can be exacerbated by people’s mental health issues, trapping these seemingly dissimilar problems in an indefinite loop of re-aggravation.
Figure 1: A representation highlighting the disparity between need and access to mental healthcare in South Africa and Gauteng. This is layered on top of a silhouette of an old mining headgear on the outskirts of Johannesburg CBD, with an image of a brain intersecting it.
In 2023 South Africa ranked third last of all measured countries by average mental health quotient, which is an online assessment tool used to “provide [a] comprehensive assessment of mental wellbeing”. The Mental State of the World report also found that South Africa had the second-highest proportion of respondents classified as “distressed or struggling”. These rankings are concerning, particularly considering the emphasis placed on improving the quality of, and access to, mental healthcare in the previous decades.
The incongruence between well-meaning government policies introduced in the hopeful past, and the current reality of overwhelming mental health issues that have not been addressed, is a theme that has persisted in Johannesburg and manifests in damaging ways.
Life Esidimeni: How to learn from the recent past
There is no mental-health policy failure in Johannesburg in the past 30 years that stands out as glaringly as the Life Esidimeni tragedy, when the most vulnerable people in society were neglected and left to rot as a consequence of government action.
In 2015, the Gauteng department of health cut ties with the Life Esidimeni hospital, which provided extended care and housing to thousands of psychiatric patients. The department of health aimed to relocate these patients to various nongovernmental organisations (NGOs) across the province. This decision followed the department of health’srecently introduced Mental Health Policy Framework, which, from 2013 until 2020, aimed to develop “community-based” mental health services like NGOs by deinstitutionalising mental healthcare services like Life Esidimeni hospital. However, this decision could also be explained more simply by the department’s need to “save costs”.
In a vacuum, these promises of governmental support and collaboration with NGOs appear to be beneficial developments for impoverished communities struggling to provide adequate healthcare. However, in reality the NGOs these patients were relocated to were not properly screened, either being woefully under-equipped or “fraudulently approved” to house psychiatric patients. This ignored the department’s framework to ensure citizens with access to adequate mental health services through “[the establishment of] a monitoring and evaluation system”. This mass rehousing ultimately resulted in 144 psychiatric patients dying from neglect and improper care.
This lack of mental healthcare access and resources is particularly damning given that the Life Esidimeni tragedy occurred in Gauteng, South Africa’s wealthiest province, which houses 45% of all registered South African mental health professionals.
Figure 2: A graphic representing how even with the overwhelming proportion of mental health professionals operating in Gauteng, the province is still under-equipped. The graph is layered over an image of the Johannesburg skyline, with a gamma brain wave intersecting it.
In the aftermath of the tragedy, the department of health’s revised Mental Health Framework, has sought to address the issues overlooked by the previous framework, now promising to ensure that “community mental health services will be scaled up to match recommended national norms”. Recently, Gauteng MEC for health and wellness, Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko, also committed almost half a billion rand to “improve mental-healthcare infrastructure and services across the province” this financial year.
A renewed focus on mental-health services appears to be a step in the right direction for Johannesburg. However, will this promise truly serve to assist those on the front lines of mental healthcare in the city, or will it simply prove empty once again?
Policy and regulations touting to improve mental healthcare access are an important first step, but they cannot stand on their own. The implementation of these ideas in real-world scenarios is the true test and, to understand the context in which they are applied, one must first understand the different types of mental healthcare in Johannesburg, as well as the various challenges the people running these facilities face.
The pathways to recovery
Unlike physical ailments, because mental illnesses are often ‘invisible’, it can be more difficult to grasp and confront them. The first step on the road to recovery is identifying the problem and realising the need to address it. The next step is often the most challenging: accepting that doing so requires external help. It can prove difficult to ask for help due to a variety of cultural and societal norms that create stigmas around mental healthcare.
Mental health stigma is rife throughout society: one place where they commonly persist and do much harm is within tertiary institutions. Universities are educational spaces, meant to inform and prepare students to tackle problems they face in the real world. However, according to the University of the Witwatersrand’s (Wits) Counselling and Careers Development Unit (CCDU), it is an ongoing process to deconstruct these stigmas during the time in people’s lives when they need the most mental-health attention. According to a study on adolescent mental health, it was found that 75% of people with mental illnesses develop their disorder before turning 24.
Figure 3: A set of self-help tips geared towards vulnerable students. This guide is layered on top of a silhouette of Johannesburg’s skyline with an image of a smiling sun intersecting it.
The CCDU is a free counselling service offered to Wits students, aimed at addressing mental-health concerns, as well as providing academic assistance and preparing students for life outside campus.
“People think that when you are seen coming to CCDU… you have problems,” says Lynette Sikhakhane, a CCDU psychologist. Sikhakhane says what stops many students from seeking out the CCDU is that “culturally… there’s a belief that you man up” instead of admitting to needing help. Highlighting a major misconception about therapy, Sikhakhane states that many students expect therapy to instantly “fix” their problems, when it is actually an incremental process of enabling self-understanding.
CCDU advocacy team leader, Vinoba Krishna says the unit aims “to incorporate the voices of students” into the mental-health assistance it provides. Part of this is dispelling misinformed expectations around counselling and therapy through effective communication and psychoeducation, as outlined in Higher Health’s mental health programme.
Krishna states that, despite the CCDU’s best intentions, “we aren’t able to do the work just by ourselves”, because of a lack of direct funding for mental health. He also emphasises the need to collaborate with “different stakeholders on and off campus” to ensure the best results for students.
A CCDU sign outside of their head offices on Wits West Campus. Photo: Tristan Monzeglio
The South African Depression and Anxiety Group (Sadag) has similar aspirations to help people in need and destigmatise mental health in South Africa in the face of limited resources. Sadag is a non-profit organisation that provides counselling via 24-hour toll-free emergency helplines and community-driven initiatives.
Fatima Seedat, a Sadag development manager, says that for all South Africans to have equitable access to mental healthcare “a collective effort” is required from the government, civil society and NGOs. Seedat argues it is impossible to follow the “beautiful strategic framework” outlined by the government when “every year the healthcare budget decreases”.
The lack of funding available to Sadag and other mental-health providers highlights the inequality of access South Africans face. Naledi Nzimande, a Sadag volunteer councillor, says that “the most challenging calls” are when she wants to refer callers to professional help, but there aren’t any mental health resources nearby. Stephanie Gladwin, also a Sadag volunteer councillor, reiterates that the level of mental healthcare individuals receive is, in many ways, directly tied to levels of income. “If you’ve got money, it’s not a problem… South Africa has some fantastic mental-health professionals – it’s just reaching them that’s the only issue,” she says.
SADAG Volunteer Counsellor, Tevin Sutcliffe, on the phone to a hotline caller. Photo: Tristan Monzeglio
To combat this unequal access, Sadag has installed counselling containers in Diepsloot and Ivory Park, where they offer face-to-face counselling inside converted shipping containers. Seedat says this project aims “to fill the gap where it’s needed” in vulnerable spaces in Johannesburg.
When comparing mental-healthcare access in the public and private sectors, the disparity between funding and resources is stark. For example, about 80% of South African psychiatrists work in private practice. Although most South Africans access mental healthcare through the public sector, private mental-health services that offer specialised solutions to fill niche gaps in care are also important.
A video covering SADAG’s community based care and, specifically, their Counselling Container project. Video: Tristan Monzeglio
Private music therapist, Graeme Sacks, who operates in Parktown, believes his practice enables him to be sensitive to his client’s needs. “We’re all musical beings… [and music therapy] is a wonderful way to tap into people’s emotions,” he says.
As Sacks puts it, music therapy is an “evidence-based practice”, which uses “music towards clinical goals”, but in practice it’s less stringent. He says, as a music therapist, it’s about concerning yourself with “the situation that [clients have] grown up in” by “trying to find out about their culture, their musical taste”, without ever “imposing our stuff on them”.
This tailored approach to therapy offers clients individualised care and, if music therapy were available in the public sector, it would be a practical means to provide many South Africans with the specific help they require. Sacks says that “most medical aids don’t pay for arts therapies” and that, currently, “there are no arts therapists in public health”. This absence of access to arts therapy is a missed opportunity for the public healthcare system to provide equitable access to a niche form of specialised care.
Music Therapist, Graeme Sacks, playing piano in his office where he treats all manner of people with the power of music. Photo: Tristan Monzeglio
Some specialised care in the public sector is available, at Johannesburg’s Tara Hospital, which is a publicly funded psychiatric hospital. It provides specialised care to referred patients who cannot be adequately treated at secondary and tertiary hospitals.
Senior occupational therapist and acting assistant director at Tara, Savannah Levi, believes that in Johannesburg, and South Africa at large, “What’s so hard about accessing mental healthcare, is that there are so many points, but none of those points correlate or integrate with each other.” Levi argues that the policies and ideas meant to integrate a variety of services are based on sound frameworks, but their lack of real-world implementation highlights the “disconnect” between theoretical and practical application.
Levi says Tara’s specialised service offers “a very protective environment for the patients”, meaning that sometimes they “don’t want to leave”. This highlights the benefit that specialised care affords people in need which, in theory, all citizens should have access to. However, Tara has only 140 beds and limited staff due to the high level of training requirements and capped job availability.
Outside of Tara Hospital in Hurlingham, with Sandton in the background. Photo: Tristan Monzeglio
A new destination
Despite the government’s multiple continued failings in the broad mental-health landscape, hope still persists in those people willing to take up the struggle. Mental-healthcare providers aren’t required only to help people experiencing mental anguish, they’re expected to do so while juggling external economic and cultural challenges, on top of taking care of themselves. Although well-meaning mental health policies are important, what’s even more important is that they are actually implemented. In the best interests of the South African citizens, it is essential for all stakeholders to minimise confusion and collaborate towards a single goal, so that the people who need help the most are not forgotten.
FEATURED IMAGE: COLLAGE: Nelson Mandela Bridge heading into Johannesburg CBD, an image of a Recovery Unit sign inside Milpark Hospital, and a box or reference documents intended to help SADAG counsellers deal with depressed adolescent callers. Photo: Tristan Monzeglio
As factories, wildfires and endless streams of commuters cover the air with smog, Wits students face the consequences of Johannesburg’s incessant air pollution.
With Wits Main Campus in Braamfontein located on the cusp of the Johannesburg CBD and the industrial zones scattered around the city centre, Air Quality Index (AQI) measurements highlight the impact of polluting factors in the area.
FEATURED IMAGE: Infographic highlighting the air quality measurements in the areas surrounding the Johannesburg CBD. Created by: Tristan Monzeglio
Here’s what to expect from airlines if your trips are ever forcefully put on hold, and how to arrive at your destination without too many battle scars.
Besides the obvious inconvenience caused by delayed and cancelled flights, the process of rebooking can be equally stressful . I was recently in this situation, and I couldn’t help but worry that making the wrong move, or taking too long figuring things out might leave me stranded in a foreign country. In this guide I will explain how not to make the same mistakes I did in my recent travels.
During the winter break, I went to visit my family in Italy and was meant to return on Sunday July 14, the day before third term. However, because of air traffic at Zürich Airport, I missed my connecting flight back to Johannesburg. Twelve hours of travel turned into sixty, and I only arrived on the morning of Wednesday July 17.
The suitcase, boarding pass and South African Passport I had with me all times during my delay. Photo: Tristan Monzeglio
In a situation like this, the first thing you should do – besides trying your best to keep calm – is understand your rights as a passenger. Depending on where in the world you’re flying and who regulates said region, you can expect differing forms of compensation if your travels are delayed for an extended period.
For example, according to Regulation (EC) No 261/2004, when flying from European Union (EU) countries, or with EU-based airline carriers, you’re entitled to between EUR 200 and EUR 600 in compensation. This depends on the distance of your flight, as well as if you can prove that your carrier was at fault for the delay, and not due to an “extraordinary circumstance”. Unfortunately, because of this legal loophole, my compensation is pending indefinitely.
Now that you know what you’re entitled to, ask a flight attendant where the nearest transfer desk is (there may also be an airport map you can download to help you navigate any winding corridors and sprawls of other lost passengers). Transfer desks are where you report your situation and request to be rebooked, if you haven’t been automatically rebooked by your carrier.
On that note, transfer desks are the worst part of any airport, only really serving frustrated travellers desperate to get home. Bickering, insults and profanity surrounded most of the transfer desks I encountered, as well as swells of queue-cutters and exasperated faces. I was automatically rebooked by my carrier, Swiss Air, but I still needed to find the transfer desk because I had mistakenly been re-routed to Johannesburg via John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York.
Thankfully, I instead ended up heading home via Addis Ababa, and arriving in Ethiopia was like a breath of fresh air in comparison to Zürich. The Swiss are notorious for their administrative ability, but, in my experience, the lack of organisation mixed with a widely shared superiority complex amongst many Swiss Air employees made my time in Zürich excessively grating.
My layover in Addis Ababa, however, was markedly more positive. Efficient and friendly service made the twelve hours spent in Ethiopia fly by. Ethiopian Airways have won best African airline seven years in a row and, in my experience, their attention to detail and care for their clients put Swiss Air to shame.
As confused travellers, there is a tendency to allow those who are in charge to dictate your experience. Following these steps may help you regain some semblance of control in the chaos that consumes all airports. Learning from my own missteps, I hope I have been able provide some guidance and respite to any other novice travellers who might feel lost or overwhelmed.
FEATURED IMAGE: Example of a Flight Information Display System (FIDS) in an airport. Photo: Adobe Stock
Two dedicated Wits Chess Club members have been chosen to compete in world university championships between June 25 and 30, 2024.
At the end of June 2024, unlike most Wits students who will be taking time off to recover from an intense exam period, Amy Wallace and Lovers Mthembu will be in Uganda, representing South Africa at the FISU World University Championships for Mind Sports.
Wallace and Mthembu both made the top ten in the University Sports South Africa (USSA) open tournament and were subsequently placed in the top four of their age groups in the USSA closed tournament. Mthembu placed first in the USSA closed tournament, while Wallace placed fourth, allowing them to qualify for South Africa’s FISU chess team that will compete this year.
Wallace and Mthembu both started playing chess early in life. Mthembu said his brother introduced him to chess in 2016 and instantly became “curious about the game” and “just picked it up quickly”.
Wallace on the other hand, started playing chess in 2011 when her mother, the chess teacher at her primary school, introduced the game to her.
From left to right, Amy Wallace and Lovers Mthembu proudly representing the Wits Chess Club at the Wits Sports Conference Centre at Sturrock Park. Photo: Tristan Monzeglio
Wallace described her style of chess as “attacking” and classified herself as a “very tactical player”. She also cited Hikaru Nakamura as one of the chess players she enjoys watching and studying, because of his unique style of play and his entertaining YouTube videos.
Mthembu said he is “patient, but at the same time… aggressive” when playing chess, and “look[s] up” to chess grandmaster, Fabiano Caruana, because of the similarities in their style of play.
Both Wallace and Mthembu have been a part of the Wits Chess Club since the start of their degrees. Mthembu even said he signed up for the club during orientation week.
Wallace describes the Wits Chess Club as being full of people and teammates who are always willing to offer “emotional support”.
When asked what advice he would give students interested in improving their chess skills, Mthembu suggested that they adopt a balanced approach. He said that although he now prefers “studying chess more than playing chess”, one must do both.
Mthembu said that as “you play more tournaments… you can be exposed to a lot of different styles” and use this experience to adapt your game.
Wallace echoed this by highlighting the importance of putting whatever you learn into practice, by “playing online constantly” as well as joining the Wits Chess Club, which runs a “training programme”.
Mthembu stressed that the chess community has never made him feel “excluded”. Wallace agreed that the chess community is generally “accepting”, as “they don’t care about where you come from, your background, or anything like that”.
However, she stressed that “as a female there are some stigmas”, like a many male players who “think that it’s easier for females to get places”, because of certain lowered standards and “rating criteria for tournaments”.
However, she said gendered stigmas remain. Firstly, rating criterion is lowered for women, which leads male players to think “that it is easier for females to get places,” Wallace said.
Secondly, most tournaments have a “best girl prize”, something which others participants and brings their merit into question. Wallace said, women “just want to play, and if we get a prize, we get a prize”.
Frustration and petty arguments were the winners of the day, at summit meant to strengthen democratic practices among the youth.
On the morning of Saturday May 10 2024, a youth summit was hosted by the Ahmed Kathrada Foundation (AKF) in the New Commerce Building at Wits University.
On the cusp of the 2024 elections, this summit aimed to host constructive political discussions between political party representatives about topics relevant to the more than fifty young attendees. However, said discourse quickly devolved into chaos as tempers flared.
The discussion devolved into a frenzy once Economic Freedom Front (EFF) representative, Nyakallo Mokoena derailed proceedings, by arguing that Anele Mda, an independent candidate, should not be given a platform, because she was late to the summit and “did not respect their time”.
This resulted in rage-filled arguments between Mda and the Mokoena, with representatives from the Democratic Alliance and the African National Congress drawn into the fray.
The summit was only able to continue after groups of the audience began to sing in unison, crossing political boundaries in pursuit of a singular goal – to calm the intense situation and get the summit back on track.
The representatives attending the summit, from right to left: Mark Surgeon (Freedom Front Plus), Nyakallo Mokoena (Economic Freedom Fighters), Henry Masuku (BOSA), Nicholas Nyati (Democratic Alliance), and Phathutshedzo Nthulane (ANC). Independent candidate Anele Mda is absent from the photo due to arriving late. Photo: Tristan Monzeglio
A question-and-answer session followed these discussions, where grade 11 student, Precious Hadebe, stated that the audience was “not here for [the representatives] to throw shots at each other”. She specifically criticised the EFF for providing “no solutions” and for continuing to “attack other parties”.
Mokoena, again interrupted the summit, arguing that Mda’s tardiness was representative of how the country is running out of time to make necessary changes.
This resulted in another extended chaotic interruption, which resulted in the Build One South Africa (BOSA) representative walking out on the summit during the lunch break.
After walking out, BOSA’s Henry Masuku, told Wits Vuvuzela that although he “appreciate[s]” the opportunity to have these sorts of discussions, he is concerned about the political leaders who “deflect questions” and “don’t have a real plan of action”.
According to a media release from the AKF, this summit aimed to help “develop young leaders” who are politically “active” and “conscious” and understand their role in “strengthening democracy in South Africa”.
Despite the disarray, the AKF did achieve its goal and informed the youth about their pivotal role in South African democracy, but not in the way it intended.
The audience’s ability to quell the chaotic bickering that ensued by standing united in song is indicative of how these issues could be solved by the youth in the future: collaboratively and with a singular goal of helping one another in the face of adversity.
FEATURED IMAGE: EFF member holds face of women in the foreground, as audience floods the stage at chaotic Ahmed Kathrada Foundation youth summit. Photo: Tristan Monzeglio
In the ever-evolving music streaming landscape, how can listeners balance costs and morals when deciding on how to listen to their favourite artists?
Choosing a platform to listen to music in 2024 has been made difficult; not only by the abundance of options at audiences’ fingertips, but by also lingering concerns regarding fair compensation for artists’ work.
The growth of music streaming in the past decade has empowered artists to reach much larger audiences however, they have been short-changed when it comes to earning streaming royalties.
An example of a student study set-up, while music is being streamed in the background. Photo: Tristan Monzeglio
A common misconception about the royalties afforded to artists is that they are solely dependent on the number of streams a particular song generates. However, the royalties paid out to artists are determined by their streaming performance relative to the overall streaming revenue generated by a platform. This means that as platforms make more revenue, there is a “bigger royalties pie to share” for artists, but their individual success is not necessarily the main determining factor for the revenue they ultimately receive.
Royalty rates also change based on different countries’ “own set of payout rates”. This is due to the difference in subscription prices offered in countries across the world. For example, in America, a Spotify Student subscription costs $5.99 (R112.28) per month, while in South Africa the same student subscription costs R34.99 per month.
Many streaming platforms offer various tiers with differing price points, respectively. However, this means if you listen to the same song on a Spotify Student plan, by virtue of its lower subscription price, an artist will make less money from your stream than from a Spotify Premium subscriber.
This can pose a dilemma, especially for university students who want to best support the artists they care about, but may not be able or willing to pay a higher price for essentially the same product.
According to VIRPP, as of 2023, Tidal offers the highest average royalty rate for artists at R0.24 (as of May 3, 2024, 1 USD equals 18.54 ZAR) per stream, followed by Apple Music at R0.15 per stream. On the other hand, Spotify at R0.059 and YouTube Music at R0.037 per stream, a fraction of what Apple Music offers.
Streaming Platform
Average Payout per Stream
Tidal
$0.01284 (R0.24)
Apple Music
$0.008 (R0.15)
Amazon Music
$0.00402 (R0.074)
Spotify
$0.00318 (R0.059)
YouTube Music
$0.002 (R0.037)
Pandora
$0.00133 (R0.025)
Deezer
$0.0011 (R0.020)
Figure 1: A table comparing how much major streaming platforms pay artists per listen, adapted from VIRPP to include rand values.
Average royalty rates calculations such as these are generally accepted as accurate, but they are merely estimates and not wholly accurate representations for every platform or artist. In addition, as these companies are driven by profits, there is a tendency to promote artists that are already successful, while disincentivising those trying to make a name for themselves.
One could also argue that larger platforms compensate artists for their relatively low royalty rate by offering a larger user-base and untapped audience. However, much of their discoverability, is tied to curated playlists, based on a collected user data and algorithms. This still promotes selected artists and makes it more difficult for new artists to develop organically.
Some artists choose to circumvent larger streaming services altogether. For example, Cindy Lee’s Diamond Jubilee – a critically acclaimed psychedelic pop album released this year – is only available for free on the band’s official website and can only be streamed on YouTube.
Figure 2: Cindy Lee’s Diamond Jubilee album cover.
However, the band is requesting $30 CAD (R405,71) donations for those wishing to show their support.
As a Spotify user, I feel conflicted. My personal experience using the app has been mostly positive, and I have created various playlists and discovered thousands of songs and artists I love. However, every time I open the app, part of me can’t let go of the fact that I am contributing more to the bottom-line of a large company than to the artists I listen to.
I feel it is only fair as a music consumer to pay artists what they deserve for delivering us their musical products, which – in many cases – can transcend their form as mere pieces of art into impactful feelings and memories that help us narrate our lives.
That is why I feel it is important to learn about the streaming platforms so we can make informed choices that align with our differing views and values.
For individuals wishing to support artists they care about most effectively, more direct avenues for purchasing might be preferable. For example, on platforms like Bandcamp that allow artists to self-publish and set their own prices may be the most ethical way to support artists. For buying digital copies of music, audiences also have the option to use iTunes for a more diverse catalogue.
Wits University students showed-off their skills as they fought for bragging rights this weekend in inter-res, e-sports tournament.
On Saturday, April 20, Wits E-Sports hosted their second annual Inter-res EAFC24 Tournament at Wits Sturrock Park. After multiple hours of fierce competition, the Barnato Hall residence prevailed and emerged as winners on the day, taking home a custom Wits E-Sports trophy.
Wits E-Sports is a club that “promotes mind sports and electronic sports at the university”. Whilst EAFC24 is the world’s premiere football simulation game. The tournament followed a 1v1 knockout format, which was seeded based on the number of registrations from each res.
Packed into the Pete Suzman Conference Venue, sixteen participants representing Men’s Res, Knockando Hall and Barnato Hall attended the event. Players huddled around multiple gaming setups, watching attentively as participants made key tactical tweaks to try and gain an upper hand.
A Barnato Hall representative, Asanda Kubheka, stated that the tournament acted as a “bonding session” for residence members, where students could “get to know each other” and make new friends as they battled together for top spot.
A challenger from Knockando Hall, Thapelo Tlowana, agreed, saying “it’s a way to bring all the res’ together”.
(From left to right) Asanda Kubheka, Thapelo Tlowana, Silindele Nobadula and Tevin Julius representing their respective residences in the EAFC24 tournament. Photo: Tristan Monzeglio
Off to the side of the action, tournament organisers also set up a table providing snacks for challengers taking a break between bouts. Wits E-Sports chairperson, Sibusiso Khumalo, stressed how they aim to make this tournament “a tradition” and a stand-out date to remember in each residences’ busy calendars.
Khumalo also mentioned tournaments like this allow Wits E-Sport to scout and identify skilled individuals to possibly join their competitive team, which will be entered into the University Sport South Africa (USSA) E-Sport Championships in August this year.
Tebogo Rabothata, Wits E-Sport Sports Officer, added that he believes that “[building] from the ground” will allow Wits E-Sport to become more competitive and will open opportunities to invite professional E-Sport teams like Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs to participate in tournaments hosted by the department.
An intense game taking place in the Pete Suzman Conference Venue. Photo: Tristan Monzeglio
Wits E-Sport events co-ordinator, Sean Sesing, emphasised how focused Wits E-Sports is on “[getting] more females into the space”. Rabothata added that he aims to “diversify” the club and mentioned that amongst all the E-Sports teams he manages, female membership increased exponentially, from no members last year, to fifteen members in 2024.
Importantly, Rabothata also thinks that the tournament equips students with a “space… to de-stress” during a busy time of the year and “forget about the books” for a little while. This is echoed by Khumalo, who said Wits E-Sports has helped individuals find their passion outside of academics and enabled them to improve their skills in this regard.
FEATURED IMAGE: The Wits E-Sports EAFC24 trophy in the foreground, as Wits residences compete for first place. Photo: Tristan Monzeglio
How do bookshops on Wits campus compare as they aim to fulfil student’s academic needs whilst keeping prices affordable?
Buying textbooks can be a stressful exercise for most students; as most of these books do not come cheap. But what is the role of bookstores when it comes to the final price tag? Wits Vuvuzela investigated by speaking to two main bookshops on campus to find out how they set up their prices.
I.H. Pentz Campus Bookshop, situated just outside of the Matrix, was founded in 1992 on Wits campus and operates as a sole proprietor. Van Schaik Bookstore meanwhile can be found at the heart of the Matrix. The original Van Schaik Bookstore was founded in 1914 in Pretoria, and currently operates as a private company.
Van Schaik has been owned by “a syndicate of private equity investors and a pension fund” since 2013. This Wits branch is one of 70 retail stores owned by Van Schaik across Southern Africa. I.H. Pentz, on the other hand, receives no outside funding and is therefore dependent on the business it generates on Wits campus.
When asked how they set up their prices, I.H. Pentz spokesperson said they look at public retail prices to determine their own. He said the business aims to supply students with a “specialised” service and attempt to “cater for everything”, from prescribed books to more obscure research and leisure reading titles.
I.H. Pentz carries 15 000 individual titles as part of its “curated collection”, and even holds books that they are aware “don’t justify shelf space” to provide students with as much variety as possible. They also deal with new, as well as second-hand books as a budget-friendly alternative.
On the other hand, manager of the Van Schaik Wits branch, Mmabosigo Makolomakwa said that they only deal with “brand new books”. The titles and the price they carry are determined by the Van Schaik head office and attempt to streamline student’s acquisition of prescribed books.
In 2019, the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) abandoned their awarding of book vouchers as it found that students would trade these vouchers for cash. They dealt with the issue by giving students with a book allowance. Currently the allocation stands at R5 460 per annum. However, since NSFAS started giving students cash directly, I.H. Pentz said their “textbook sales have gone down”.
Figure 1: A comparative graph displaying how the NSFAS learning materials allowance has increased, versus the South African inflation rate as determined by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) from 2019 to 2024.
Meanwhile, Makolomakwa believes that the allowance is too low and makes students “opt for second-hand” books over more “expensive” new titles. Makolomakwa added that if you are an accounting student, there is a chance “you’re not going to get all your books”.
Depending on the type of subjects an accounting student decides to study, if they opt for brand new books, they could roughly be putting themselves in an R8 000 hole. This trumps the R5 460 learning materials allowance provided by NSFAS – and necessitates the purchasing of second-hand titles.
In some cases, however, buying second-hand titles may not be an option if new versions of textbooks are released every year. For example, if a student is doing tax accounting, they require South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA) Student Handbook packs that release new versions of textbooks every year.
Figure 2: A tabulated representation of the prices of the annually released SAICA Student Handbook: Volume 2 on online retailers Loot.co.za and Lexisnexis.co.za.
I.H. Pentz, on the other hand, believes that the allowance is “fair” because of the second-hand option they provide. For example, a brand-new copy of Biology: A Global Approach, Global Edition sells for R1 440 at I.H. Pentz, whilst you can buy it for R400 second-hand. The shop also regularly runs sales on second-hand books that can be bought for anywhere between R40 and R100.
Second-hand books on sale outside of I.H. Pentz for discounted prices. Photo: Tristan Monzeglio
Although Van Schaik Wits branch’s prices are dictated by their head office, Makolomakwa says she always listens to feedback from students and compares prices of online retailers like Takealot to make price their prices competitive.
Online retailers like Loot and Takealot appear to have cheaper textbook options than I.H. Pentz and Van Schaik for more widely accessible textbooks, but these initial prices do not account for delivery fees – and more obscure textbooks can be almost double the price.
Figure 3: Groupings of bar charts that comparing the prices of specific textbooks from different retailers: I.H. Pentz Campus Bookshop, Van Schaik Bookstore, Takealot.com and Loot.co.za.
The prices of textbooks vary heavily across retailers; and there is no clear winner when it comes to the affordability of new textbooks. However, because I.H. Pentz sells second-hand books, they have the upper hand on Van Schaik when it comes to providing students with cheaper options.
FEATURED IMAGE: I.H. Pentz Campus Bookshop and Van Schaik Bookstore on Wits Campus. Photo: Tristan Monzeglio
Wits societies’ joint initiative allows for anyone and everyone to show their solidarity with Palestine through the clothes on their backs or keffiyehs around their necks.
The Palestine Solidarity Committee (PSC) and the Muslim Students Association (MSA) are encouraging Wits University students to wear Palestinian items and colours during Israel Apartheid Month in March 2024, as the situation in the region deteriorates further.
This year a global effort has been made by the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement to stretch Israel Apartheid Week (IAW) over a month, which has been adopted by the PSC and MSA. Traditionally, IAW occurs during the week of Human Rights Day in South Africa.
Muhammed Suliman, MSA chairperson lamented that although “you have Human Rights Day… everyone fails to see the human rights violations that [are] ongoing” in Palestine right now. According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, the total Palestinian death toll has climbed to over 32000, an injury toll of over 78000 and a further two million citizens have been displaced.
Abdullah Omar, an MSA Da’wah Committee member said the ongoing situation in Palestine is an “atrocity” that is an example of “what apartheid (in South Africa) could have been”, had it never ended.
Two Wits University students heeding the PSC call on the library lawns. Photo: Tristan Monzeglio
A PSC flag utilising watermelon symbolism and has “resistance is not terrorism” written on it. Photo: Tristan Monzeglio
Suliman said “the Palestine issue is not a religious one… it’s a humanitarian issue”. Academic Officer for the PSC, Noxolo Nxele, said “there’s a lot more to talk about and a lot more people to talk to” and this simple initiative is their effort to expand on the calls for a ceasefire while raising awareness.
Noxolo said there are a vast array of Palestinian resistance symbols (watermelons, olives and keys), that students can use to show their support for Palestine. From what Wits Vuvuzela has observed this week, there have been multiple students wearing keffiyehs and displaying watermelon themed flags in a show of solidarity.
The representatives from the PSC and the MSA also stressed that much more attention and support from Wits is required regarding the promotion of this initiative, as well as others of its kind.
In a statement, the university was only willing to comment on applications made by Wits PSC and the South African Union of Jewish Students, and said all planned events and demonstrations by either society was “approved in line with the University’s policies and procedures”.
FEATURED IMAGE: A Wits student wearing a black and white keffiyeh. Photo: Tristan Monzeglio
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