by Tshepo Tshabalala | Apr 15, 2011 | Featured 1, News
International students face expulsion if they do not submit their student permits by the end of the month.
Wits International Office service manager Gita Patel emphasised that students who fail to engage with the WIO before April 30 will be deregistered.
“All students are advised to report to the WIO by April 25 to ensure their application is on the priority list,” she said.
According to Patel, the university has 2350 registered international students, of which 2165 are from the continent. The office says there are 80 submissions still outstanding. “Students should collect their permits or get an update on the progress from home affairs before [the Easter weekend] April 25,” says Patel.
Home Affairs spokesperson Ronnie Mamoepa says when applying for a study permit the applicant must indicate, among others, the institution of study, the course to be studied, its duration, as well as the address at which the applicant will reside.
Liabella Belchoir, a first year student from Angola, says she applied for a study permit in November and has still not received it.
“The last time I went to check if my permit was ready was at the end of March, which was the previous deadline, but home affairs said my permit was still not ready.”
Mampoepa says the turnaround time for the finalisation of a temporary residence permit, which includes study permits, is 30 days.
by Tshepo Tshabalala | Apr 15, 2011 | Featured 1, News
The Wits ladies hockey team beat Vaal University of Technology A side 1-0 in the last 20 seconds of the game on Sunday afternoon.
Both teams had a slow start in this first game of the season. In the first half neither team looked strong enough to win the game. Most of the game was played in the middle of the field with both teams having almost equal possession of the ball.
Wits had numerous chances to put the ball at the back of the net, but the opposition’s defence was airtight. Wits received a number of short corners but were unable to net the goals. Both teams failed to find the back of the net at the end of the first half after a glove save made by goalkeeper, Martene Esteves, who was on debut for the first side.
In the second half, Wits’s attack was stronger than the first half when they took to the field – goalkeeper-less for the first 10 minutes due to the Esteves’s health problem. Wits continued to attack strongly, dominating the opposition’s half and controlling much of the game. The Wits centre link and captain, Jules Cass, was instrumental in keeping the game in VUT’s half with the help of right link Priantha Reddy.
Wits was given a penalty after a scuffle in VUT’s circle. Cass flicked her penalty stroke wide off the posts with 15 minutes left on the clock. The game was set to end on a goalless draw after numerous short and long corners. A moment of sheer opportunistic brilliance saw Demi du Toit run a free hit from outside the circle and pass the ball off to Jaime Martin who deflected a goal 30 seconds before full-time to win the strongly contested game.
The Wits team bagged three points on the log to start off their season.
The Wits men’s first team was thrashed 9 -0 by Wanderers, a team that has won the Men’s Premier League for four consecutive years.
Caption: Wits Center link and captain Jules Cass, dribble’s her way past VUT players while Stefanie Koch looks on. Wits won the game 1-0.
by Tshepo Tshabalala | Apr 9, 2011 | News
Sex work activists encouraged an exciting and controversial talk in a “sex, culture and society” anthropology lecture on Friday, March 24.
Motsamai Mofokeng, a representative of sex worker movement Sisonke, was invited by professor Robert Thornton to a learning conversation with the students.
Thornton said anthropology has been in the forefront of research about sex and “the best way to learn about how other people think and how other cultures and situations work is to talk to real people doing real things”.
The students were very keen to discuss the topic. They asked a variety of questions, exceeding the lecture time.
“I am sure that there are religious and conservative students in the class, but all of them seem willing to learn and to open their minds,” said Thornton, adding that Witsies are very open to sex debates.
Rochelle Makweya, a 3rd year BA psychology student, said she enjoyed the lecture because it is something that affects all students.
“I think students everywhere are doing it, people everywhere are doing it. Maybe it’s not a direct transaction but there is some form of prostitution taking place [at Wits],” she said.
Her classmate Tammy said she felt uncomfortable due to the way in which the topic was discussed. “This, in my opinion, is a topic which could have engendered strong debate.
“However I felt that within this lecture the language used was crude, disrespectful and the topic was handled far too casually,” she said.
Teaching assistant Ziyad Choonara, who is a volunteer at Sisonke, said our society is very judgemental. “People in South Africa, they are not free when it comes to sex.
“People must try and be curious about it, try to understand what is going on, especially students,” he said.
Students were expecting a sex worker as a guest. Thornton said they tried but were unable to bring a female sex worker into the class, so “perhaps another time”.
Sisonke’s activists fight for the decriminalization of sex work in South Africa.
About a month ago a psychology professor at Northwestern University in Chicago allowed a couple to engage a live sex demonstration in an optional after-class lecture. The couple who performed the act were part of a group invited by the professor to discuss bondage and sexual fetishes. – NEWS 24
by Tshepo Tshabalala | Apr 8, 2011 | News
I’m sure you have noticed Sonke workers pruning the bushes on the lawns and Supercare workers mopping the bathroom floors. But did you know that they are not allowed to use the spaces which they spend their time and energy keeping clean?
These workers are outsourced by Wits to companies. But should we care? Should students engage with issues like outsourced workers on campus?
Workers’ issues are about justice and equality, concepts that we explore during our academic life. Outsourced workers provide key services for this institution. Not much learning could take place without them. Yet how much do we know about workers or the conditions under which they work?
Outsourced workers are subject to a number of rules on campus. My concern is with the role that the university plays in enforcing such laws. Wits recently turned the Matrix basement into a locker and dining room for Outsourced workers. This means that they are not allowed to eat or store their belongings anywhere else, even if they work at bottom end of West campus.
PIMD is the university’s department responsible for dealing with outsourced workers. A senior manager at PIMD is under investigation for allegations of racism. Workers are understandably frustrated as this process began in early November. An investigation into allegations of racism against students and staff in 2009 was resolved within 3 months. Why is the university not applying the same level of urgency when outsourced workers are involved?
There are other concerns. For example, workers are not allowed to meet collectively on campus to discuss their grievances. They are told to meet at their official places of employment. For Supercare workers, that means going to Bryanston. They should be able to meet freely and collectively at their workplace.
Should it matter that workers are not paid directly by Wits? These rules come from both Wits and Outsourced companies. As students, can we sit by and watch this happen? By not raising our voices against this treatment of workers, are we complicit? If Wits is my university, then Wits is the university of the Workers. They should be treated as an integral part of the Wits community.
As a leading intellectual institution, I would have thought that Wits would lead by example.
As students, we should call for an end to outsourcing.
It is time we hold Wits accountable.
by Tshepo Tshabalala | Apr 8, 2011 | News
HOME affairs has responded to the country’s outcry about the sudden price increase of identity and passport documents.
The department has confirmed that a second copy of an ID will cost R120 more after the tariff increase from R20.
“It is important to understand that the first issue of an ID is free of charge so the poor or any South African receives their ID free of charge,” said home affairs director general Mkuseli Apleni .
Apleni says the idea is to encourage South Africans to value their IDs, in the same way they would value their bank card, driver’s licence and other important documents.
Passports will cost R210 more because of additional security features which cost the department more to produce and to ensure that criminal elements are not able to reproduce them or use them for illegal activities at home or abroad.
“I feel robbed of an extra R200 by home affairs,” said medical biochemistry masters student Katlego Sojane.
He was one of the many people standing in the long queues last week Thursday to beat the price increase, but was unsuccessful.
“We feel that the amount of R400 is reasonable and the passport is now more valuable and secure,” said home affairs spokesperson Ronnie Mamoepa.
Third year law student Dineo Phala says that the passport price is too high, especially if a passport expires every 10 years and can easily get stolen when travelling abroad.
Home affairs minister Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma has admitted that people are also not very careful when they are capturing the data for passports and ID documents.
“I had a query when I was at the passport division – to do with an unabridged birth certificate and information not being captured correctly. On one ID the father’s first name was used rather than the surname which simply means that someone did not quality control this product before it was sent out,” says Dlamini-Zuma adding that this is an area the department needs to work on.
The director general also stated that the department has introduced forms in triplicate. “I get one, the other is left in the office and one goes to Head Office. So if you come to us sand say my name was spelt incorrectly we have proof of what was submitted.”
by Tshepo Tshabalala | Apr 1, 2011 | News
A Braamfontein parking system, implemented by Ace Parking Services in December last year, now requires motorists to pay upfront for parking on the side of the road.
- MONEY CHANGING HANDS: Motorists in Braamfontein will now have to pay an upfront rate of R3.75 minutes if they want to park on the side of the road. Photo:Brendan Roane
Ace Parking marshal Matthews Magaga said the kerbside parking costs R3.75 for 30 minutes and motorists are only allowed to park fora maximum ofone to two hours, depending on the road.
Former computer auditing student at Wits, Yalli Kopele, who was parking on Jorissen Street for the first time since the system was implemented, said “I don’t understand it, we live in a country full of fraud, I don’t trust it.”
She said R3.75 for 30 minutes is “ridiculous” and she will not be using the bays again.
Themba Nkosi, a car g
uard who has worked in Braamfontein since 1999, said the new parking system in the area had affected his life.
Nkosi said Ace Parking took away his income. “I now have no job; I don’t even have a grade 7 [education qualification].
“Before, I could earn R60-70 a
day on quiet days and R100-110 on busy days; now I am lucky if I have R20 at the end of the day to buy food and support myfamily.”
Nkosi said he can only work between 8am and 8.30am before the Ace Parking marshals and the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD) “chase [him] away”.
Owner and managing director of Ace Parking Services, Juliet Paulsen, said car guards in the area were given first preference when her company was hiring marshals.
She said “many have come and many have gone” and believes the car guards were “used to working for themselves and did not like being regulated” by a company.
Nkosi said he was never approached by Ace Parking to work for them and believes the new marshals do not earn enough to make a living because they only receive a 15% commission on the cars they process.
The JMPD can give motorists who refuse to pay an official traffic fine.
by Tshepo Tshabalala | Mar 31, 2011 | Featured 1, News
Funds of R44-million have been donated to the Wits Students Equity and Talent Management Unit (SETMU).
The Department of Science and Technology (DST) youth division donated the funds for a five-year term to nurture talented science and mathematics high school pupils.
Talent for Science, Engineering and Technology Careers deputy director, Bersan Lesch, said, “We want to excite people about science and identify and nurture talent which is the aim of this programme. We want to make people follow science because of the shortage in the country of such skills.”
Wits ran a pilot project which attracted the DST. “We selected Wits to run the programme because of the manner they ran the project and the synergy the DST saw within the university’s SETMU,” said Lesch.
GOLDEN HANDSHAKE: Bersan Lesch hands over the partnership agreement to Zena Richards of Setmu Photo: Tshepo Tshabalala
The programme selects 300 top students in the country and it helps them develop science and mathematics skills. It prepares pupils from grades 10 to 12 to study towards university qualifications in science and maths fields.
“Ninety percent of the 300 students should be in the science programme, we don’t want the wrong people to enter the programme. They must already have the interest in science and maths, and the ability. We want to prepare the learners for university,” Lesch said.
Pupils are chosen from 255 schools nationally selected by the DST that have competed well in the science Olympiads. Eighteen other schools were adopted by the department where they nurture the students they want.
Setmu director Zena Richards said: “Just to reiterate what the vice-chancellor said in 2006 is that investing in talent is a national resource, if we don’t do that, we won’t engage in nation building activities.”
The university hosts three residential camps a year. Pupils will be taught how to design programmes and how to think and develop concepts within the science, maths and language fields. They also spend the week on res to experience campus life and attend workshops.
The camps also cater for pupils who want to study other courses in other faculties.
by Tshepo Tshabalala | Mar 31, 2011 | News
THIRD year students registered for the Psych 3001 (Abnormal Psychology) course had their semester test called off and some of them say “departmental incompetence is to blame”.
The test was scheduled for Monday, March 28 after lunch and was called off when it was discovered that there were not enough question papers for each student. The test was then rescheduled for Wednesday, March 30 but changed again to “communicate with students as to when a more mutually agreed time would be to write”.
A psychology student who wanted to remain anonymous said: “How can, at an institution such as Wits, there not be enough test question papers printed for every student.
“The psychology department as a whole is incompetent because even when it comes to receiving assessment results and essay marks they do not stick to their own deadlines.
“There is also ineffective communication because even though the class rep [representative] was SMSed to say that the test would not be on Wednesday as initially said, not every student got the notification.”
Another psychology student, Lunga Thabethe, said: “I don’t blame the lecturer because he hands out the amount of papers he receives from the department.
“The department works under pressure, therefore labelling them as incompetent is an unfair reflection. Also it is the first time this has occurred in my three years at Wits.”
Head of the psychology department, Prof Andrew Thatcher, said: “I see and understand students’ concerns so we will have to agree with the students when the test can be written as it is one of two faculty requirement assessments.
“I was told by admin that 195 question papers were copied as we have approximately 193 registered students.
“We have so far communicated with the class rep and sent e-mails to some of the students whose address we have and we will do our best to deal with students’ concerns”.
In the Wednesday lecture, the course coordinator Prof Karen Milner apologised to students and it was then decided that the test would be re-written on Monday, April 4.
by Tshepo Tshabalala | Mar 28, 2011 | News
I recently finished reading a book called After Tears by Nic Mhlongo. It is about a young man who failed to complete his four-year law qualification at UCT. At his lowest point he tried to hide his academic transcript from his mother – the one person in the world who had complete faith in him.
Like many young people, he had dreams and ambitions. In the beginning he thought he had it all figured out. However, the real world showed him how wrong he was and at university he chose to lose his way.
As the first child ever to attend university in the family, all the pressure was on him to bring home the qualification and, of course, the money. Advo, as the community of Naturena, south of Johannesburg, called him, had been absolutely lazy and his results were dismal, illustrating the truth of the saying: “What you give is what you get.” He gave nothing and got nothing.
Four years of university were wasted. His mother was struggling to pay for his studies and the family expected him to find a job as they believed their breadwinner was now a graduate. Advo was now on his own, with no one but his reflection to answer to. In retrospect, he should have seen the signs.
It reminds me of my undergraduate years, sitting in lectures, disinterested in what the lecturer was talking about, and where this would take me in the near future. All I was interested in was the thought that by studying towards a degree I would make money, make my parents happy and fit in with my peers. What I didn’t do was ask whether any of this would make me content.
The truth is, it didn’t and I focused my attention on other social quests. Hanging out with friends, drinking, pursuing girls, clubbing – ways of escaping from my unhappiness and the pure boredom of studying, which I did not enjoy.
The lessons I learnt from Mhlongo’s book are those that so many of us learn, sadly, the hard way. Many of you have probably had the same experience or are en route there. I changed courses and surrounded myself with the right friends which gave me a different perspective of life.
It is vital to follow your heart in decisions that you make as an individual. Following your own heart and being true to yourself makes the journey of life more fulfilling because you will create your own path and ultimately your own happiness
by Tshepo Tshabalala | Mar 28, 2011 | News
NILZ is a name that will soon be on everyone’s lips as he is rapidly leaving his mark on Joburg’s hip-hop scene.
He has performed at the Black Orchid for the Dance Hall event, at The Car Wash in Yeoville, as well as a Poets Anonymous event.
Now emceeing under the Black Diamond Club, NILZ (23) has been writing poetry and doing what he loves since childhood.
“First and foremost I am a poet,” NILZ says, “all hip-hop is really is poetry with a beat. I don’t see myself as a musician, but as a poet who gets his message across with the help of music.”
His message is one of acceptance and understanding. NILZ believes that American culture has influenced many aspects of our lives here in South Africa, most notably our music scene. He however feels that we should be moving away from any “American” style of hip-hop and create a unique identity.
“We hear 50-Cent and Jay Z rapping about driving Bentleys and drinking Crystal but I don’t do that and nor does anyone I know. Therefore we have to speak about what we can relate to and by association what the people can relate to.
“If I’m up on stage boasting about things that the audience can’t relate to, I’ll lose them, and so will my message.”
Part of that message is to challenge conventional perceptions that we all have. NILZ is a tall and lanky guy who wears glasses. He has been affectionately been called the ‘Hip-Hop Nerd’, a nickname he considers a compliment.
“I’m not trying to be anyone else but myself. I don’t try and aspire to imitate or mimic anyone in the world. If I already have a nickname it means people are remembering me. Hip-hop is culture before it is a genre of music. If I can represent that culture in my own unique way then I have already won.”
It is artists like NILZ who prove that South Africa is heading in the right direction in terms of establishing a unique identity.
“We are riding a wave of optimism at the moment. It’s high time that we start seeing this country as something to be proud of. We no longer need to follow other people’s standards. We are now setting our own.”
NILZ is currently recording with Black Diamond Club and has a new single Big Bang Theory.
Check out the NILZ Facebook page for upcoming gig info and for previews of his tracks.
by Tshepo Tshabalala | Mar 25, 2011 | News
AFTER 2 years Barnato students are still complaining about pigeons breeding in the residence roof.
Branato’s roof makes a perfect nesting site and apparently the floor by the entrance area is constantly stained with pigeons’ droppings. Residents say the birds are dirty and annoying.
On Monday March 14, Thato Kolobe, a Barnato resident, said she saw a dead pigeon near the entrance. By the following morning the dead bird had not yet been removed.
Lindokhule Mthombeni, another resident at Barnato, claims the cleaning team waste a lot of water every morning washing the stains away, but by lunch time the floor is dirty all over again and it stinks. She would rather not have the pigeons around but she doesn’t believe she has a choice.
Barnato’s house committee is not planning on solving the problem. Chairperson Kwaku Adzatia said “it’s a wild life issue” and the pigeons can’t be blamed, so “people must try and be careful”.
Adzatia has been there since 2009 and, according to him, the accommodation office has tried to come up with solutions but nothing has worked because the birds just moved to another part of the residence.
According to Robert Sharman, head of residence life, there has been a recent proposal involving the installation of fine netting under the trusses upon which the pigeons roost at night. This should prevent the birds from nesting at the site.
Dr Craig Symes, whose research at Wits school of animal, plant and environmental sciences covers ornithological topics, said pigeons on campus don’t pose a health hazard. However, “in areas where faeces may accumulate beneath roosts it may become unhygienic”.
According to Miriam Buthelezi, team leader of Caravone Cleaning Services, the company in charge of cleaning the residence, the stained floor is hose washed four times a week.
Gina Arena, a masters student at Wits avian physiological ecology lab, said pigeons might carry diseases but not at a level that should worry students.
Symes said screens can be put around buildings to restrict pigeons’ access and architects can be taught how to design buildings unfriendly to birds.
by Tshepo Tshabalala | Mar 18, 2011 | Featured 1, News
Golden Key Wits Chapter held their annual corporate breakfast at Roedean School in Parktown last Saturday.
The event was organised for students to create networks with professionals from various fields of employment to gain a
Early birds: Golden Key members, Industry corporates and Wits Chapter Advisor, Lamese Abrahams share a moment during the corporate breakfast at Rodean School on Saturday. Photo: Tshepo Tshabalala
better understanding of their own career path.
Golden Key is an internationally recognised, non-profit organisation affiliated with over 370 universities throughout Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia, India, the United States and South Africa. It is the world’s largest honour society and is a mission-focused, values-based and demographics-driven organisation.
Director of Golden Key South Africa, Charlene Gunter, addressed the students on the importance of Golden Key membership and encouraged them to continue working hard.
Gunter explained that membership was only by invitation and that it was based on academic merit. “Membership is limited to the top 15% of degree students from all courses of study who have completed one year of study at a university.”
Chapter vice president Puso Thahane said: “We as students tend to think that corporates need students, but there is a balance, both parties need each other.”
McKinsey and Company consultant Benay Sager shared his experience of being part of the company’s team, which enabled him to travel the world, while still a student.
Derick Mohlala, president of Golden Key Wits Chapter, said: “We met our objective of networking. It was an opportunity for students to find out first hand [the] information [about] their career path from corporates.”
Six Wits alumni who graduated two years ago also attended the event which was unusual as many students forget about the association once they get jobs.
Honorary members include former Reserve Bank governor Tito Mboweni, Bill Cosby, and Minister in the Presidency Trevor Manual.
“We [are] trying to expose members and non-members to opportunities that are not easily accessible – irrespective of the degree a student holds,” said Mohlala.
