No room for hundreds of applicants for Wits Enterprise business course

by | Feb 5, 2019 | Featured 1

An email meant for 50 recipients was leaked on social media resulting in over 1000 applications for a short-term certificate course.   

WITS ENTERPRISE has been inundated with applicants after a privately sent communique went viral on social media on the weekend of February1-3, and resulted in over 1000 applications for the less than 100 available spots.

The course being offered on the email is a fully funded programme in Business Management which is a three-month certificate course. The email was sent to around 50 students associated with the organisation, but was leaked on social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook and gathered huge attention over the weekend.

The organisation has been flooded with applications since the release of the email and warns that many will be left disappointed. Business development and short course manager Melissa Moodley said that the programme could only accept around 100 students although they had now received over 1000 inquiries.

Moodley told Wits Vuvuzela that although the confusion has backlogged the organisation it had opened a window of opportunity. She says that the bulk of applicants were parents interested in the course for their children.

“We are getting a lot of calls from parents who are concerned about their kids sitting at home. So for us there’s this whole group of students that we’ve been missing out on and now they’re coming to us.

“The communique was intended for a very, very specific group of kids. So what happened was that it was shared outside of the group and seeing what happens with things going viral, we have had a number of the public looking to get involved,” she added. 

The programme aims to prepare unemployed youth between the ages 18 to 35 looking to go into the workplace and assist them in navigating their way through the business landscape.

The staff of nine at the Wits Enterprise offices was busy fielding phone calls all Monday morning as interested parties inquired about the programme.

Klaas Mokgomole, a former Wits student and current netball coach, sought the opportunity to assist one of his netball players, Nolwazi Dube.

“A friend sent it over WhatsApp and I immediately thought of [Nolwazi]. She has been looking for a school and hasn’t had any luck yet. I don’t want her to sit around all year so this will keep her busy.”

Dube, who matriculated last year from Barnato Park High School, is looking to go into sports management but sees this as an opportunity to study irrespective of the field.

“I want to learn more and be knowledgeable. I want to get a job and I can only do that if I study,” the 18-year-old said.

Wits Enterprise will only allow a limited number of students to register for the course from 10am to 12pm on Wednesday, February 6.

FEATURED IMAGE: Wits Enterprise warns that limited availability will likely mean thousands will be rejected for fully funded programme Photo: Tshego Mokgabudi

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Protests mar first day of classes at Wits

by | Feb 4, 2019 | Featured 1

Classes at Wits University were disrupted on the first day of the academic year.

Members of the Wits SRC lead a protest on the Wits main campus in Braamfontein. Photo: Onke Ngcuka.

A GROUP of about 200 students, led by the Wits Student Representative Council (SRC), disrupted lectures on Monday morning, February 4, in an attempt to shut down the Wits main campus.

The SRC said the protest was in response to a statement released by the university on Sunday, saying only students with debts of R10 000 and less would be allowed to register for 2019.

“As per the Council-approved concessions for 2019 below, only students who owe the university R10 000 or less will be allowed to roll over their debt and to register this year. These students will also be required to sign an Acknowledgement of Debt form and make arrangements with the university to pay off the debt,” read the statement, signed by vice principal Andrew Crouch.

It said the university could not afford “to allow student debt to accumulate as this will result in the university not remaining financially sustainable”.

The statement contradicted what was agreed at a meeting held on Thursday, January 31, according to the SRC, which says the figure agreed to was R100 000.

SRC president Sisanda Mbolekwa told Wits Vuvuzela that, “We met with the dean (of students, Jerome September) on Thursday, we tabled our demands to the vice principal as well. He (Crouch) agreed to these concessions, come Sunday night he releases a counter-statement telling students they can’t register anymore.”

However, according to Crouch, agreements reached at Thursday’s meeting only applied to the Hardship Fund.

The protesting students congregated inside Solomon Mahlangu House before storming lecture halls across East Campus.

One lecturer, Nompumelelo Seme, showed solidarity with the protesting students who entered her property law lecture in Umthombo building, by adjourning her class.

“I think that as property law students and law students in general, we should be concerned more about justice,” Seme told her class.

“These are causes we cannot turn a blind eye to. I apologise to those of you who feel a sense of discomfort but these are real issues,” she added.

The protesters then proceeded to West Campus where they clashed with private security and disrupted lectures at the Science Stadium before returning to Solomon Mahlangu to debrief.

The SRC has vowed to continue with the protests until the university reverses its decision.

“We’re saying that no students should be in class while other students are excluded and not registered, that’s why we are going around classes. No classes must happen until our demands are met,” Mbolekwa said.

Gauteng health department fails to pay medical interns

by | Jan 31, 2019 | Featured 1

Bureaucratic bungle leaves new doctors fearing the worst about working in public hospitals.

Newly graduated doctors who just started their internships at Gauteng government hospitals have not been paid their January salaries as a result of a technical glitch, according to the health department.

Medical interns at hospitals in Gauteng could only expect to be paid in February, the Gauteng Department of Health announced this week.

In a statement released on Thursday, January 31, the Head of the Department Mkhululi Lukhele said, “There was a delay in the creation of the post due to the additional interns and community service that Gauteng Department of Health requested to accommodate.

“Despite the shortcomings as stated above, the Head of Department has arranged for additional supplementary payment runs to accommodate appointments that would be delayed.”

Medical interns took to social media this past week to share their grievances and to plead for assistance.

Wits graduate Rhadika Patel, who began her medical internship this year at Charlotte Maxeke Academic Hospital, said that the lack of communication surrounding the issue was frustrating.

“HR hasn’t told us anything. We had no idea until earlier this week that we were not going to get paid. They say the issue is that we haven’t been logged onto the system, but it has been a month now,” she said.

Patel and other interns have contacted the South African Medical Association (SAMA) and say that they have received feedback.

In a communique shared with the nearly 50 interns at Charlotte Maxeke, SAMA expressed concern and informed the interns that after speaking to the Director-General of Health they would be paid by Friday, February 1.

“SAMA further made contact with Provincial Heads of Department to ascertain as to whether payment will indeed be effected and received an affirmation in that regard that payment will be made timeously,” the statement read.

Patel told Wits Vuvuzela that it has been difficult for these interns to begin their lives after varsity because of this delay.

“Especially for those who have had to move towns. Making the jump from student to intern is very difficult, there are so many new expenses. As well, January is a very tough month because you just come out of the festive period. So it is really frustrating because a lot of people have to pay for rent and transport expenses,” Patel added.

FEATURED IMAGE: Medical graduates have had a financially challenging start to their internships. Photo: Tshego Mokgabudi

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Braam crowd administers mob justice to suspected car thief

by | Jan 31, 2019 | Featured 1

By: Phumi Ramalepe

Red traffic light stops suspect in his tracks.

‘Die, thief!’ The suspect was brought back to the scene of the alleged crime for more punishment.
Photo: Phumi Ramalepe

A MAN was attacked by a mob in Braamfontein after it was alleged that he had stolen a parked vehicle outside the construction site opposite the Wits Art Museum (WAM) on Thursday morning, January 31.

A Wits Campus Protection Service security guard at WAM who asked not to be named, said he had witnessed the crime and so did numerous construction workers.  

The suspect allegedly got into a white Nissan NP200 which was parked outside the South Point construction site at the corner of Jorissen and Bertha streets, while the owner was delivering documents to the site manager, and drove off. 

“[The construction workers] together with the owner, became hysterical. They saw him from above and they started screaming,” he told Wits Vuvuzela.

The screams were heard by passers-by who saw the suspect driving off in the vehicle.

“The traffic lights closed and he (suspect) drove into an Uber. He then got out of the stationary car and ran away,” the security guard said. 

Spokesperson for the Hillbrow Police Station, detective Mduduzi Zondo, confirmed that a case of attempted theft had been opened.

“The owner was alerted by bystanders who saw the attempted vehicle robbery at around 11:00 and told him people were trying to steal his vehicle,” he said.

“There were three suspects all in all. Two were in a getaway car, a maroon [Renault] Clio. We are investigating and following leads that will lead us to the other two being arrested,” said Zondo.

The 43-year-old suspect was seen fleeing the scene by Wits Vuvuzela and running towards De Korte Street with a large crowd of people pursuing him.

Moments later, the man was brought back to the scene of the alleged crime by the crowd. He was bleeding from the head, arms and legs from the blows of the pursuers.  

“This beating is not enough. Pour petrol on him so we can burn him,” shouted some in the mob.

The beating continued outside WAM for some time until the police arrived some 30 minutes later, apprehended him and took him to the Hillbrow Clinic.  

FEATURED IMAGE: ‘Die, thief!’ The suspect was brought back to the scene of the alleged crime for more punishment. Photo: Phumi Ramalape

Thumbs down for system to register for res at Wits

by | Jan 31, 2019 | Featured 1, News

By Naledi Mashishi and Onke Ngcuka

First years and parents forced to bake in the sun in long lines as a result of new centralised residence registration system.

WITS’s new centralised residence registration system that was supposed to be “more convenient” has had the opposite effect as first-year residence students and their parents were left distraught after queuing for hours in the sun on Saturday, January 26.

The system, implemented on the day, placed services from the Fees, Financial Aid and Information and Communications Technology offices under one roof, at Flower Hall, West Campus.

The centralised system was also meant to ensure the verification process and the residence registration took place in the same building.

Wits University communications officer Buhle Zuma told Wits Vuvuzela that, “The new registration system sought to ease the challenges encountered by first year res students when registering. Previously, first year students would have to visit various service units to complete their registration. This was frustrating for students unfamiliar with the university.”

All packed and nowhere to go: The line for registration extended from the Flower Hall towards the Wits Science stadium.
Photo: Onke Ngcuka

A parent, Sithabile Ntombela from Durban, who had waited in line from 12pm until after 4pm told Wits Vuvuzela that she had expected to wait a maximum of an hour.

“If this was [University of] Zululand, Fort Hare or Walter Sisulu University, I would expect this, but not Wits. The other universities are previously disadvantaged. Wits has developed technology, so I wouldn’t expect this from Wits. There was no visibility from the assistants. There are assistants but very few, so you end up in the wrong queue,” Ntombela said.

Zuma said that 28 staff members from Campus Housing and 18 from other service units, as well as 35 assistants were helping with the registration, and Wits Protection Services was also present.

However, there were few visible assistants outside Flower Hall in the morning, and in the afternoon there appeared to be no more than 10 that were ushering parents and students into the different lines.

Medhurst Residence House Committee member, Nobuhle Nkosi, told Wits Vuvuzela that the All Residence Council and Residence House Committees were not consulted in the decision-making process, and that both committees opposed the new centralised system at the Residence Leadership Camp held on January 21-25 where they first heard of it.

“The new system doesn’t take into account the students…It disadvantages the students that come from far by buses and taxis as they usually leave their bags at res but now they have to stand in long lines with their bags,” Nkosi said. “It’s already crowded when people register at their reses, now imagine all those people under one roof.”

Nkosi added that the Medhurst House Committee was expecting to welcome 80 – 90 students on Saturday but only 20 had arrived by 3pm.

“People were hungry when they got here, people were crying and parents were complaining,” Nkosi said.

Hot and bothered: Students and parents bake in the sun as they queue to register.
Photo: Onke Ngcuka

Zuma said that the registration process didn’t close at 4pm as advertised, but had been extended to 6:45pm.

“Our challenge on the day was the number of students who did not apply for residence and those whose application was still pending and thus contributing to long queues,” Zuma said.

At 9.41pm on Saturday, the university tweeted an apology from its official account.

“Wits University and the Dean of Student Affairs apologises to all parents and students for the inconvenience caused by the new res system for first year students. We acknowledge the delays and the long queues and we will review the process going forward,” the tweet said.

According to Zuma, the university is doing a full review of the registration process and will consider suggestions from the Wits community.

FEATURED IMAGE: Students and their parents waited for long hours to be registered for their residence in the new centralised registration system. Photo: Onke Ngcuka

New halaal eatery opens at Wits

by | Jan 30, 2019 | Featured 1

By Naledi Mashishi

Halaal food outlet Jimmy’s Varsity has opened for business on Wits West Campus.

A new halaal eatery has opened on campus. Jimmy’s Varsity, a subsidiary of the Jimmy’s Group franchise, opened its doors on West Campus for the first time on Thursday, 24 January.

Jimmy’s is owned by the family of a Wits BCom student, and primarily serves sandwiches, burgers, and grilled chicken. Tasneem Gani said that her family had decided to open Jimmy’s Varsity after she had been unhappy with the halaal food options on campus.

“I noticed the food on campus wasn’t up to standard and used to go off campus to get food often,” she told Wits Vuvuzela.

The family approached Wits Student Services after a tender was issued by the university at the end of October 2018 for a new halaal eatery. Gani said that her family worked throughout November and December to open the outlet.

 “We needed good cheap food for students and this is a completely redesigned menu. We’ve lowered our prices and still kept the quality of the food. The average meal here is R42 which is comparable to res meal prices,” she said.

The outlet will also deliver food across Main Campus and is still working on deliveries to the Education and Medical campuses.

Nicholas Matthes, Wits deputy director of retail and catering, said that of the six tender proposals that were submitted to the university, only two adhered to the halaal requirements. Jimmy’s Varsity was the only one which responded to the price point requirements as well.

Matthes said that the university is continuously working to improve the quality of the food on campus. “We undertake surveys and ensure that we continuously improve retail mix offering in line with retail strategy, students and university community population and industry trends,” he said.

Former BCom Accounting student, Bilal Ismail, said that the quality of the food was far higher than that of the previous eateries he had been to on campus.

“The food [at a previous outlet] was stale sometimes, but here, so far so good. The food is good and the chips are fresh and tasty,” he said.

FEATURED IMAGE: Jimmy’s Varsity is a new food outlet which gives the Wits community more halaal options on campus.

Photo: Naledi Mashishi.

One common course for all first-year engineering students

by | Jan 29, 2019 | Featured 1

By Naledi Mashishi

First-year engineering students will now complete the Common First Year course which will teach core subjects equally across the board.

STARTING in 2019, all first-year engineering students, regardless of branch of engineering, will begin their studies with the new Common First Year (CFY) course which will teach core subjects such as science and maths equally across all branches.

Although students are still expected to register for a specific branch from first year, the new CFY course means that students who choose to change branches in second year, will now be able to do so without taking an additional year.

The different engineering branches at Wits include: architecture and planning; civil and environmental engineering; chemical and metallurgical engineering; construction economics and management; electrical and information engineering; mechanical, industrial and aeronautical engineering; and mining.

Executive dean of the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment, Prof Ian Jandrell, told Wits Vuvuzela that in addition to maths and science, the new course will include communications, problem solving, understanding the engineering profession, and design.

First-years will also be expected to complete a Humanities course. “[This is] speaking to the growing need for engineers to be cognisant of their role in society right from the very start of their university career,” Jandrell said.

The CFY course will be assessed by a team of academics across all the faculty’s schools, under the oversight of the Academic Development Unit. According to Jandrell, there will be continuous assessments, dedicated test weeks after the Autumn and Spring breaks, and the final assessment at the end of the year, will be done through the submission of portfolios.

“Students whose overall result is between 45 and 49% will be invited to an oral exam, but this is the only exam for the course,” he said.

Third-year BSc metallurgic engineering student, Asakundwi Ramurafhi, said that the introduction of the CFY was an improvement on the previous years.

“The differing first year [courses] put people at a disadvantage in second year because of the differing intensities of the courses. I wish we had had a joint first year for the more difficult courses like maths to make second and third year easier,” she said.

Jandrell said that the CFY course aimed to produce a “21st century engineer” who can work across boundaries, is confident in their own abilities, and is willing to learn and serve in society.

FEATURED PHOTO: The Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment is introducing a Common First Year course for all first-year engineering student.

Photo: File