Holding power to account is imperative for functioning democracy
The 19th Taco Kuiper Awards served as a reminder of the vital role investigative journalism plays in holding power to account. The stories uncovered wrongdoing and injustice. The annual awards ceremony hosted by the Wits Centre for Journalism was held at Sakhumzi Zoo lake on Friday, April 11.
News24’s Sikonathi Mantshantsha earned top recognition for his explosive series Waste Land, which revealed the devastating collapse of sewage and sanitation infrastructure in Mogale City Municipality.
Having returned to the newsroom after working for Eskom, Mantshantsha reflected on how much this award means to him. “For me to still get full acceptance back into the newsroom after three years of national service was a great honour, and the fact that nearly a year after coming back, I am awarded like this tops it all, it’s the highlight of my career,” said Mantshantsha.
The runner-up prize went to Dewald Van Rensburg of amaBhungane for his intricate series The Laundry, which investigated an elaborate money-laundering operation involving billions of rands and international networks.
Van Rensburg said, “It is fantastic to have the kind of work we do acknowledged because it is very specialised and it is nice to know that people appreciate it.”
The ceremony also cast a light on the often-unseen burdens borne by journalists and their sources. Bianca Goodson, the Trillian whistleblower who helped expose the dodgy dealings between the Gupta-linked Trillian, Eskom, and Transnet delivered an emotional keynote address.
She spoke about the personal cost of coming forward and extended heartfelt thanks to those who supported her and her daughter throughout the ordeal. “I feel very strongly that if it wasn’t for not just amaBhungane but also other journalists that supported not just my narrative, but everyone else that came together, I don’t think my daughter and I would be here today,” she said.
As the country continues to grapple with corruption, inequality, and systematic failure, the journalists honoured this year demonstrated that there are still those willing to speak truth to power.
FEATURED IMAGE: From left to right: Taco Kuiper Awards convenor, Beauregard Tromp; 2025 winner, Sikonathi Mantshantsha and Taco Kuiper judge, Tom Cloete. Photo: Paul Botes
The newly introduced student contract at Wits is not just a bureaucratic document – it is a silent threat to the academic futures of many.
Disguised as a formality, the student contract introduced in 2025, contains conditions that are not only unjust but it is also out of touch with the lived realities of the very students the institution claims to uplift.
Among its many rigid conditions, the contract states that it is the student’s responsibility to ensure that all fees are paid on time and within the year of study. This includes tuition and accommodation fees, regardless of whether the surety is a parent, the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS), or a bursary sponsor.
According to the 2025 comprehensive university fees book, fees are due and payable by June 30, 2025. Failure to meet the deadline may result in the denial of access to university facilities, libraries, or even student accommodation. Let’s be clear; this policy is unfair, it is punitive, and insensitive to the everyday struggles of students.
A section from the contract outlining the university’s conditions regarding fees. Photo: Nthabiseng Baloyi
Much of the student populace is made up of those from historically disadvantaged and economically vulnerable backgrounds. Some were only able to register through the university’s hardship fund. Others were housed in residences through hardship accommodation because they had nowhere else to go. These are not students who are refusing to pay, they simply cannot afford to.
Equally disappointing is the Wits Student Representative Council’s (SRC) delayed response. It wasn’t until students began raising concerns on social media – after the university’s reminder to students, to sign the contract before the deadline on April 2 – that the SRC finally spoke up on April 1. Why did it take public pressure for them to act? Why were they quiet then? Why are they quiet now?
Many students signed this contract, not because they agreed with it, but because they were scared. Scared of being blocked from registration. Scared of being left behind. Scared of the unknown consequences if they didn’t comply.
A contract signed under duress is not a contract freely entered into. It raises serious ethical questions about informed consent and institutional power.
Deaf Culture takes centre stage through short films, art exhibitions and visual arts.
The Wits Centre for Deaf Studies hosted South Africa’s Deaf Art and Film Festival (DAFF) on March 28, 2025, at the Space Frame Auditorium on the Wits Education Campus in Parktown, providing a platform for hearing-impaired creatives and storytellers to share their culture, identity, and lived experiences.
Sponsors of National Lotteries Commission by DAFF
The event, sponsored by the National Lotteries Commission, brought together members of the Deaf community, students, artists, academics, and allies for an afternoon that was as moving as it was inspiring.
Despite the absence of traditional sound, the festival is far from silent. It bursts with energy and emotion through visual storytelling and physical movement. Live performances include sign language poetry, visual music, and deaf theatre that incorporates bold gestures, expressive faces, and dynamic body language. Dance groups choreograph pieces to vibrations and rhythms felt through the floor, often using lighting cues and visual effects to guide timing.
A major highlight of the event was the screening of work created by 15 deaf interns, who spent the past six months training in a first-of-its-kind film production internship programme launched by the Centre.
Under the guidance of Nenio Mbazima, video producer at the Centre for Deaf Studies and project lead of the internship, these young filmmakers gained skills in cinematography, editing, and storytelling.“The journey hasn’t always been easy, many of them had never touched a camera before, But these interns showed incredible determination, they’ve grown into confident visual storytellers, and their films are not only technically excellent but deeply personal” said Mbazima.
When asked about the vision behind the event, the director of the for Centre for Deaf Studies and the festival’s lead organiser.
Prof. Claudine Storbeck, explained “This is the first time many of these stories are being told by deaf people themselves, in their own language, on their own terms. It’s about recognising Deaf culture not just as a disability narrative, but as a vibrant, creative identity.”
The short films shown were rich in personal narrative, emotion, and creativity, reflecting stories of identity, everyday challenges, and triumphs of deaf individuals in South Africa. The audience responded with enthusiastic applause and emotional engagement and many visibly moved by the film’s messages.
Nenio Mbazima and two interns Nombulelo Dakayi and Linda Majola by Bontle Malowa
One of the interns, Nombulelo Dakayi, shared how being part of the programme has changed her life.
“I was very shy and terrible at filming, but I never saw myself represented in the industry,” she said through a South African Sign Language (SASL) interpreter. “Now, I feel seen. I feel powerful.”
Another intern, Linda Majola, highlighted the importance of telling stories in SASL, “It’s our language, our voice. It’s how we connect with each other and the world,” she said. “Through film, we can show people what it really means to be deaf in South Africa”.
The festival concluded with a graduation ceremony where the interns were awarded certificates of completion, symbolising not just the end of training but the beginning of promising creative careers.
FEATURED IMAGE: The 15 deaf interns in the arts and film production. Photo: Bontle Malowa
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
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A new wellness campaign is raising awareness around food insecurity among university students.
The office of student success (OSS), under the faculty of health science (FHS) has been running a novel campaign, #MakeADifference, since June, which aims to encourage donations towards basic needs care-kits that include food and toiletry supplies that are given to Wits health science students in need, while simultaneously raising awareness of food insecurity in South African universities.
The #MakeADifference campaign was developed by master’s students in community-based counselling psychology (MACC), in partnership with the OSS, a student wellness department.
Erick Kabongo, a MACC student, says the campaign is intended to, “capture different aspects of a students’ well-being” and this includes ensuring access to basic necessities such as food and toiletries.
“Class issues vary and some students get access to things while others don’t. If we aid students with basics such as food and toiletry, we are allowing them to compete fairly within their academic pursuits,” says Boikhutso Maubane, a counselling psychologist at OSS.
Before the campaign launched, the OSS had a food bank that would receive donations irregularly and only catered to a small pool of students who expressed need. “What was important this year was being able to really provide for students, especially during these trying economic times in South Africa,” Maubane told Wits Vuvuzela.
Despite being disrupted by the covid-19 pandemic, the campaign has increased the visibility of the food bank to potential donors as well as students who may need support.
Since June, OSS has distributed over 70 care-kits and has recently received 74 care-kits valued at R200 through a single donation, which will be distributed to students for the remainder of the year. Care-kits consist of non-perishable foods and basic toiletries.
Anelisa Mofokeng , administrator at the OSS, says an average of 10 students fetch a care-kit when available from the office. Students are identified through the health science course coordinators or they approach the OSS independently. There are roughly 70 students who form part of the campaign’s database and receive an email when care-kits are available. The office prioritises self-funding students when distributing care-kits but NSFAS students are not excluded from receiving aid.
Due to the pandemic, the campaign has been forced to function largely online, taking away the ability to engage with the Wits community. However, Maubane says the campaign has still managed to make a difference in this difficult time and it still has a lot to accomplish for the benefit of student communities.
FEATURE IMAGE: The #MakeADifference campaign supports health sciences students in need. Photo: Vetiwe Mamba
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