A child should see a bookstore before they see a tavern

by | Oct 16, 2017 | Featured 1, Lifestyle

ALL LOCAL: African Flavour houses local literature from African Authors                                                                                                                                                                               Photo: Kayleen Morgan 

African Flavour , a new bookstore which recently opened  its doors on De Korte Street, Braamfontein, gives students an opportunity to make money. by selling their published books.
The bookstore offers 100% local content with African books written by African authors.

Fortiscue Helepi, who co-owns the shop with his wife Nokuthula, said the only criteria they have for the books and authors that are sold is that they should be a local writer from Africa.
“We are not gatekeepers of stories, only marketers of them,” he said. This allows students who have published books to sell them at African Flavour and make an income from their literature.
Helepi said that the store sells books according to the price recommended by the author or publisher with the store keeping 30% of the sale amount and the author gaining 70%.

Masters student in geography and environmental studies, Mafule Moswane’s books, A Learners Guide to Academic Success and Katrina and Other Untold Stories, are currently on sale at African
Flavour. Moswane said that he “strongly encourages” students who are writers and have a story to tell, to sell their work through African Flavour.

“The store assists African authors who do not have a platform and we need more places which fit the vision to sell African books written by African authors.”

The bookstore greets you with warmth and smooth jazz music playing in the background upon arrival. Helepi said the store is their second establishment with the first one being in Vanderbijlpark. He added that the Braamfontein establishment was opened because they realised that people were travelling from Johannesburg to Vanderbijlpark to buy books.

“The vision for African Flavour is to create a market for more people to read books they can relate to,” he said. Helepi said that it was unfortunate that in our current society people invest more in alcohol than they do in reading.
He added that the challenge for him is to expand so far across the country that “a child should see a bookstore before they see a tavern.”

First-time customer, Amigo Makhubele, who works in Braamfontein said he was happy to see an array of books in African languages, but was especially pleased to find Nelson Mandela’s Long Walk to Freedom in Xitsonga.
“This is good. I’ll definitely come back to get more books for my collection at home,” he said.

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Private security offers temporary solution to Noswal Hall’s woes

by | Oct 14, 2017 | Featured 1, Featured 2, News

WITS UNIVERSITY deployed private security outside Noswal Hall residence on September 27 in response to safety complaints raised by students in April.

The residents told Wits Vuvuzela in April that they felt like they were under siege and subjected to constant sexual bullying, the alleged selling and abuse of drugs, gambling, littering and noise pollution. The house committee requested the university to fence the residence as a solution.

Wits Chief Operating Officer, Fana Sibanyoni told Wits Vuvuzela that the university has no intentions to fence the residence because it is not allowed in terms of municipality by-laws.

The new private security company has stopped people from sitting on the benches outside.

Rosebank College student, Karabo Kubheka, said that being denied access to sit on the benches outside the residence is unfair. “It is a public area. They are public benches, they are for the public and for everyone to use. It’s not fair for them [Wits] to deny us that right,” he said.

A Noswal Hall resident who preferred not to be named told Wits Vuvuzela that it is great that Wits has deployed private security, however it is frustrating that they [residents] are also not allowed to stand outside the residence. “We pay fees to occupy the space, why are we not allowed to sit outside,” she said.

Sibanyoni said that the deployment of security outside the residence is a temporary solution subject to Rosebank College and the City of Johannesburg fulfilling their jurisdictional duties. Although Noswal is Wits property the benches are on the pavement are the municipality’s property and they are a popular spot for Rosebank College students.   He added the temporary solution has been effective as the safety complaints have decreased.

Vice-chairperson of Noswal Hall Lekaota Mokoena said that the temporary security solution is effective. “The crowd is not there anymore,” he said.

He added that they were told by the university that the deployment of security outside the residence is illegal. “They wanted to remove them [security]. We said no, let the city come here and tell us that what we are doing is illegal, and give us an alternative solution,” he said.

Mokoena added that they are worried about whether Wits will keep up with the costs of the security because it is expensive. He added that the house committee still wants to fence the residence.

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Wits Vuvuzela, Noswal Hall residents subjected to ‘spanking’ and worse, April 7.

Witsie’s shine at global summit

by | Oct 11, 2017 | Featured 1, Featured 2, Lifestyle

TWO WITS students represented South Africa at the annual One Young World Summit hosted in Bogotá, Colombia last week.

The annual summit brings together young talented leaders from 196 countries from global and national companies, NGOs and universities to debate, share and formulate innovative solutions to global issues.

photo: Provided

THE WITS EDGE: Tefo Mokhine and Nkululeko Tselane at the One Young World Summit.                                                       Photo: Provided

Third year mining engineering student, Tefo Mokhine, and fourth year law student, Nkululeko Tselane, were selected based on their leadership qualities, entrepreneurship skills, civic engagement and the work they have done in their communities.

Mokhine told Wits Vuvuzela that he was the only one who represented a student business club from South Africa called the Young African Global Entrepreneurs Club (YAGEC). The business club was created last year by a Wits student, Diketso Phokungwane. “Representing YAGEC was an honour for me, our aim is to expand our network of entrepreneurs from across Africa and the world,” Mokhine said.

Mokhine was a delegate speaker and shared the stage with former Public Protector Advocate Thuli Mandonsela and the CEO of Emergent Telecom Ventures, Mahommed Amersi. “It was a really humbling and great learning curve, having to address 1 300 people is not a small feat at all. I learned a lot about the experience and happenings of many other countries. I feel empowered and more learned now,” said Mokhine.

Tselane told Wits vuvuzela that the experience was eye opening. “I did not know the problems that people in Tunisia and Tanzania face. Engaging with African’s experiencing different problems was eye opening,” he said

Phokungwane said that Mokhine representing the club internationally is a first major step. “Having that world stage and being the only business club to do so from South Africa presents a huge stepping stone form us,” Phokungwane said.

 

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