“A society that discourages critical thinking is unwittingly admitting that its foundations can’t survive honest examination.” – Kalen Dion
During my Undergraduate degree, I was assigned a group presentation on France’s foreign policy. It was a layered topic: one that required days of research and rigorous group meetings. One of my group mates, however, insisted on using ChatGPT to write her entire speech.
Unluckily for her, our professor happened to be an expert in French policy. Like a bloodhound, he sniffed out numerous inaccuracies in her speech. In front of the entire class, she had spewed flimsy words, inaccurate facts and false statistics from ChatGPT mindlessly. She presented the information as confidently as if she herself wrote it.
Ask anyone and they’ve probably used AI at least once. It’s so deeply entrenched in our everyday lives; it’s inescapable. When you write an email, an AI suggestion pops up recommending what to say. When you open Instagram, you’re bombarded with a surge of AI-generated reels. Even something as simple as a Google search has an automatic AI summary built in.
AI has burrowed itself so deeply into every channel of our lives that it has become difficult to imagine life without it. But is AI training us to be passive consumers of information?
A study by MIT Media Lab revealed that participants who had used AI to write their essays showed extremely low brain activity compared to those that didn’t. This was largely because they were not actively engaging with any of the material; they were simply parroting it. Ultimately, the tool that was built to supplement our thinking is, in many cases, actually replacing it.
This has dangerous repercussions for human development. If we blindly consume content generated by AI, what else will we be blind to?
In George Orwell’s infamous 1984, he depicts a totalitarian society in which independent thought is abolished under the dictatorship of Big Brother. At the time, it seemed like a fictional dystopia, a far-off tale too outrageous to be taken seriously. Now, it has bled into our reality.
It was Steve Biko who once said, “The greatest weapon in the hand of the oppressor is the mind of the oppressed.”
We must hold onto our vigilance. We must sharpen our minds. The world is undergoing a rapid digital shift. Our ability to think, to question what we know so that we are not mindless followers becomes our greatest and most potent weapon.
FEATURED IMAGE: Headshot of Jamie Ho, this week’s editor.
Wits students win their second film competition despite facing finance, logistics, and resource challenges.
Three Wit students won the Nikon ZR Filmmaker Challenge 2026.
As part of the competition, their film was premiered in the SK IMAX Cinema in the Mall of Africa.
The trio plans to start a joint film company.
Three Wits film and television students won the 2026 Nikon ZR Filmmaker Challenge for their short film, Threads of a Memory, which was screened as part of the competition at the SK IMAX Cinema in the Mall of Africa on March, 24.
The three, Sesethu Ledwaba, Blessing Tsebe and Hanani Mbam were partly sponsored by Nikon South Africa who provided them with a Nikon ZR camera and three lenses.
Photo of the three winners with film equipment. Photo: Zebrena Ralph
The trio told Wits Vuvuzela that they competed against some renowned filmmakers in a selection process that they saw only the best eight films being premiered at the Ster Kineker IMAX Cinema.
They had the task of outsourcing their own lighting and tripods which they got from the Wits Film and Television Department. On top of this, they funded their own transport, props, and food for their crew by doing side jobs as students, completing production in just three days. Mbam told Wits Vuvuzela that, “luckily for me I had been working at my res from January, so at least that money I was able to make made things a little easier.”
This win comes after the trio won the Italian-South African Short Film Competition in 2025 with their film, The Art of Tricolore.
Speaking to Wits Vuvuzela, Tsebe said, “It shows that we are a winning formula to some point.”
Despite the Nikon ZR Filmmaker Challenge not having a cash prize, the trio won the Nikon ZR camera, which is a high-performance professional camera.
“It’s better than money” said Tsebe who added that they plan to use it to create more of their own films as a joint film company.
FEATURED IMAGE: Photo of the three winners with film equipment. Photo: Zebrena Ralph
What does it mean for queer individuals to see themselves on screen, and who decides how their stories are told?
Queer visibility is rising, but control of stories remains a challenge.
Panellists argue that outsider narratives still reduce queer lives to stereotypes and trauma.
The queer is encouraged to tell their own stories, and for audiences to engage more critically with queer content.
At a panel hosted during the Human Rights Festival on March 28, filmmakers, writers, and journalists argued that while queer visibility in South African media has improved, control over those narratives remains contested.
The discussion was organised by documentary filmmaker and narrative justice activist Bev Palesa Ditsie. It brought together creatives, including scriptwriter and director Oratile Mogoje, journalist Matuba Mahlatjie, film writer and activist Mondi Motadi, and reality TV director Olwethu Mlotshwa.
While queer characters appear on screen, panellists stressed that visibility does not equal representation. The panellists emphasized that stories are still often shaped by people outside the community, resulting in portrayals that lean on trauma, stereotypes, or side characters rather than full, complex lives.
“Visibility also comes with vulnerability,” said Mahlatjie. “If it’s not done thoughtfully, then we are vulnerable as queer people.”
These portrayals, the panel argued, do more than misinform audiences as they also shape how queer people see themselves. Narratives that frame queerness as tragic or marginal can discourage self-expression, particularly for those still navigating their identities.
But the issue is not only about creators. Audiences’ response to queer characters determines which stories survive.
Mogoje pointed to a cycle where authentic queer stories struggle to gain traction because they are not always embraced by mainstream viewers. “The biggest culprit is the audience,” he said, sharing that rejection at this level can limit what gets funded and produced.
For queer creatives, this lack of control is deeply felt. “We are not in charge of our own stories,” said Mlotshwa, highlighting the resistance that often meets narratives that challenge dominant or heteronormative perspectives.
Despite these challenges, the panel pointed to emerging alternatives. Platforms such as YouTube help queer storytellers bypass traditional gatekeepers, creating space for more nuanced and self-defined narratives.
30 years into democracy, queer people are no longer invisible on South African screens. But as the discussion made clear, the question is no longer just about being seen; it is about being fairly represented and being in control.
The answer, panellists suggested, lies in shifting power where audiences question the stories that they consume, queer creatives are supported, and space is created for communities to tell their own stories, on their own terms.
FEATURED IMAGE: A photo of panellists engaging in a discussion on queer representation in film, hosted by House of Ditsie. Photo: Bev Ditsie/Supplied
Anglo American, African Rainbow Minerals, and Oppenheimer Memorial Trust donate millions but is it philanthropy or power play?
Mining-linked donations are funding new buildings and research at Wits University.
Some students and experts worry these gifts give companies too much influence.
The debate is growing over who controls public universities and whose values are reflected.
What do Duncan Wanblad, Patrice Motsepe and Nicky Oppenheimer have in common? They represent corporate interests that have embedded themselves into the heart of Wits University. With millions tied to South Africa’s contested mining industry, these power players are funding high-profile projects that promise innovation and progress.
Oppenheimer’s family trust committed R15 million over five years to fund the African Future Studies Initiative, Motsepe’s African Rainbow Minerals (ARM) sponsored R20 million into research for the engineering school, and under Wanblad’s leadership, Anglo American spent R90 million to transform Wits’ planetarium into the corporate-branded Digital Dome. Their philanthropy raises a pressing question: When mining companies fund public universities, do academics look through a telescope or a company lens?
The uncomfortable truth
Behind the gleaming new facilities and bold promises lies an uncomfortable truth – corporate donations to universities are not always neutral acts of generosity. The Oppenheimer family made their fortune from diamond mines that fuelled colonial exploitation. Just last month, ARM faced protests over claims it sold coal to Israel, GroundUp reported. Anglo American, on the other hand, promotes sustainability goals while remaining one of the world’s biggest coal producers, according to its website. These companies pour millions into the institution while their mines keep digging. Do they shape the future or protect a violent and extractive past?
The Wits African Rainbow Minerals Building, renamed in 2023 after a R20 million donation from one of South Africa’s largest mining companies. Photo: Rivaldo Jantjies
What’s given?
Headquartered in the economic hub of London with a secondary listing on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange, Anglo American’s R90 million commitments granted the company naming rights to the new digital dome that opened to the public early this year, placing its brand at the centre of a major academic and public institution. In 2024, the company was ranked 654th on the Forbes Global 2000 list of the world’s largest companies.
Speaking about their shared legacy of advancing both mining and education, which has shaped Johannesburg and South Africa, Anglo American South Africa said, “The relationship between Wits University and Anglo American started in 1896 when the university, then known as the South African School of Mines in Kimberley, offered services to De Beers.
The new Wits Anglo American Digital Dome is more than just a facility – it’s a symbol of what’s possible when we unite in our vision to shape a better future through education, technology and innovation.” At the same time, Professor Zeblon Vilakazi (FRS), Vice-Chancellor and Principal of Wits University, told Wits News: “Through the Wits Anglo American Digital Dome, we hope to continue inspiring people from various disciplines, including those working in climate modelling, artificial intelligence and the digital arts.”
The Wits Anglo American Digital Dome, unveiled in 2024, was funded through a R90 million donation from the mining giant. Photo: Rivaldo Jantjies
In 2023, Wits University announced a partnership with one of the nation’s leading coal suppliers, African Rainbow Minerals. The JSE-listed corporation’s R20 million endowment is backing research that connects mining to the future — exploring energy transitions, automation, and the digital technologies that are transforming how resources are extracted and utilised. This partnership saw the company replace the then Chamber of Mines Building on the Braamfontein West Campus, facing the M1 highway, renaming it to the Wits African Rainbow Minerals Building. ARM selected Wits University for this partnership because “it is one of the globally respected academic institutions and the home of the Mining Precinct, a key hub where industry leaders can engage and ensure the mining sector’s contributions are recognised by both students and the broader academic community,” ARM said in a statement.
Plaque outside the Wits African Rainbow Minerals Building, unveiled in 2023 to mark the renaming of the former Chamber of Mines Building following ARM’s donation. Photo: Rivaldo Jantjies
In the third quarter of 2021, the Oppenheimer Memorial Trust (OMT) donated R15 million to the African Future Studies Initiative at Wits University. The partnership was announced as a five-year commitment to support university research focused on challenges in Africa. The OMT was founded in 1957 by Harry Oppenheimer to honour his father, Ernst Oppenheimer. The memorial trust, established by the Oppenheimer family, is connected to Nicky Oppenheimer — the family’s heir and Africa’s third-richest person, with a net worth of $10.5 billion, according to Forbes’ real-time billionaire rankings.
At the time of the announcement, Tracey Webster, Chief Executive Officer of OMT, told Wits News, “The Oppenheimer Memorial Trust has a long tradition of investing in higher education and building the local academy. Given the ever-changing context we live in, it is imperative that we focus on developing a generation of researchers, scientists and academics that will ensure South Africa remains competitive and relevant in the 21st Century.” These contributions follow earlier markers of the family’s legacy at the university, including the Ernest Oppenheimer Hall of Residence, established in 1967, and the Oppenheimer Life Sciences Building. The trust did not respond to a request for comment from Wits Vuvuzela.
This bar graph shows the value of donations made to Wits University by major mining-linked donors between 2021 and 2024, highlighting contributions from the Oppenheimer Memorial Trust, African Rainbow Minerals, and Anglo American. Graphic: Rivaldo Jantjies
Who Really Benefits from University Donations?
Professor Imraan Valodia, Professor of Economics, Pro Vice-Chancellor of Climate, Sustainability and Inequality, and Director of the Southern Centre for Inequality Studies at Wits, said donations to universities often come with multiple motivations. Some alumni give because they benefited from the education they received. Others do it for tax reasons or because they want their names attached to buildings or projects. “A third reason may be the companies that have benefited from having a university related to their business feel that they need to contribute to that university,” he said, pointing to the long-standing relationship between Wits and the mining sector.
While this funding can support important academic work and help students, it also raises questions about influence. “There is of course, always a danger that by accepting these sorts of donations, universities may become beholden to these wealthy people’s interests,” Valodia explained. He noted that Wits has a Naming Policy to guide how donations are handled and believes that the university’s academic and management decisions remain independent. However, he warns that the risks are real, especially when donors or even governments try to shape what universities teach or research. This is now playing out in the United States, where debates at Harvard and Columbia University highlight how both private and political interests can pressure universities.
Tlhompo Thogomusi, a fourth-year LLB student and chairperson of the Wits EFF Student Command, sees these donations as more than just financial support. He argues that philanthropy from mining magnates is “a form of tokenism,” used to legitimise their power and wealth while “distracting from the exploitative nature of their business practices.” For Thogomusi, this isn’t just about naming rights — it’s about the consolidation of class power and ideological control. “Exploitation is a fundamental aspect of this relationship,” he says, suggesting that the financial support from powerful donors helps shape the university’s intellectual space and may even silence criticism. In this view, such relationships are not neutral; they reflect the broader struggle over who gets to shape public knowledge and values.
Inside the Wits Anglo American Digital Dome, launched in 2024. Photo: Rivaldo Jantjies
Living with it
The deals are signed in boardrooms, but the consequences play out in lecture halls. For many students, the university’s partnerships with mining giants aren’t abstract — they are part of daily life. Walking past buildings named after billionaires whose wealth came from extractive industries feels jarring, especially for students from communities affected by mining. According to a student who asked to remain anonymous, “It’s hard to sit in a lecture about inequality in a building named after someone who profited from it.” The university’s efforts to position itself as a future-facing institution are complicated by a past — and present — that many students are still reckoning with.
The money flows in, new buildings fill the skyline, and the questions keep piling up. In a city built on the profits of mining, the past still casts a long shadow. As universities align with major industry players, students and academics are left wondering who really shapes the future, and who pays the price.
FEATURED IMAGE: The Oppenheimer Life Sciences Building at Wits University, named after one of South Africa’s most prominent mining families. Photo: Rivaldo Jantjies
The university acknowledges that “a graduation ceremony is a major life event and we understand that many graduands were disappointed by the events that transpired”.
Wits moves to a cloud software that can host the full scope of the university community using the platform at once, without strain, that offers a modern, easy-to-use interface.
The covid-19 pandemic that is gripping the world has prompted the transformation of the teaching practice curriculum in South Africa, introducing a new challenge for student teachers.(more…)
Since her announcement as the Democratic Alliance’s mayoral candidate for Johannesburg, Helen Zille has dominated national headlines. In this bonus episode of We Should Be Writing podcast, hosts Lulah Mapiye and Bonolo Mokonoto dissect a media meet-and-greet with the mayoral hopeful. From her extensive political résumé to her controversial public utterance, we examine why the Democratic Alliance has chosen Hellen Zille as their candidate for the 2027 local mayoral elections. Additionally, […]
