A sprayathon and “man chocolate” in the name of charity

by | Sep 1, 2015 | Lifestyle

Witsies from the Knockando Hall of Residence and the Rotaract campus organisation spent last week giving back to the Johannesburg community. They spent the week fundraising for a children’s cancer foundation and also hosted thirty women from the Hillbrow community and surrounding areas at the Knockando residence in Parktown for a day of pampering. 

Witsies from the Knockando residence and Rotaract raised over R6000 last week through a number of events that started with a sprayathon and culminated with the Choc Night event on Friday.

The two groups raised the funds for the CHOC (Children’s Haematology Oncology Clinics), a childhood cancer foundation. Both organisations then teamed up to host 30 disadvantaged women from Hillbrow for a day of pampering.

Ivhani Maselesele, chairperson of the Knockando house committee, said the event showcased poetry, gum boot dancing, modelling, acapella and “Knockando’s 50 shades of chocolate”.

50 SHADES OF CHOCOLATE: "Knockanian men" were auctioned off at the Choc Night event last week Friday night in order to raise funds for a children's cancer foundation. Photo: Provided.

50 SHADES OF CHOCOLATE: “Knockanian men” were auctioned off at the Choc Night event last week Friday night in order to raise funds for a children’s cancer foundation. Photo: Provided.

“It was a night full of chocolate, man chocolate if you know what I mean,” said Nonhlanlha Ncube, the Rotaract committee chairperson. A few “Knockanian men” were auctioned off at the event to raise more funds after the sprayathon which amounted to R 6637.50.

“On one hour of sleep, we had to prepare for the women’s appreciation event, after Choc Night”, Maselesele said.

Thirty women between the ages of 20 and 60 were invited and pampered all day with manicures, massages, lunch and a mini shopping trip.

Some were caregivers at the Maliaka Children’s orphanage, some, grandmothers and others were women from rehab or had previously been abused.

“Because these women now work hard to provide for their children, we collected donated clothes which allowed them to also ‘shop’ at the event,” Ncube said.

SATURDAY SHOPPING: Items of donated clothing was arranged on tables and allowed woman to shop for themselves or family members. Photo: Provided.

SATURDAY SHOPPING: Items of donated clothing was arranged on tables and allowed woman to shop for themselves or family members. Photo: Provided.

The women were treated to gift bags containing sanitary towels, lipstick, lotion and nail polish, among other items, at the end of the day.

“The most amazing thing was realising that we had done exactly what we set out to do when an old gogo said, ‘ooh this young man reminds me of my late husband’, while I was massaging her,” Maselesele said.

Former house committee members attended the events which they described as “very successful and well attended,” and were pleased that the charitable traditions of the organisations have been carried out, since they were started in 2007.

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Wits bus system in a crisis

by | Mar 6, 2015 | News

WITS’ new circuit bus system has come under heavy criticism following a stampede that happened at the Education campus on Sunday.

Wits students were involved in a stampede while trying to board a single bus, apparently serving students from several residences, on Sunday. The incident happened at Wits Education campus where students from various residences had converged to catch a bus to Rosebank as part of a new bus system implemented by Wits Services.

HIGH FOOT TRAFFIC: Witsies wait for the next possible bus at the Yale road bus stop. Photo: Valerie Robinson

HIGH FOOT TRAFFIC: Witsies wait for the next possible bus at the Yale road bus stop. Photo: Valerie Robinson

“The schedule is very inconvenient. What’s even more concerning is the rate at which management keeps making changes without finding out from students how they are affected.”

The new system which came in effect on March 1, requires all res students to travel to Education campus in order to catch a bus to Rosebank. The new arrangement has inconvenienced many commuters.

“On Sunday, the bus left the students who usually catch the bus outside Junction and fetched Junction Residence [students] who have their own bus,” said Nontobeko Nkosi, 2nd year LLB.

Previously, Wits students who stay in the surrounding student accommodations near Junction were picked up by buses on the street. But under the new system the buses now pick up students inside Junction, meaning students who stay in other residences cannot always access the bus.

Wits Vuvuzela has attempted to contact Wits Bus services spokesperson Nicki McGee but has not yet received a response.

House Committee chairperson for Knockando Hall, Ivhani Maselesele, said he’s found the new bus system “convenient” for him. “For the first time, the bus stops at Knockando, it takes us to JCE, where we then take the Rosebank bus. At first, we used to walk to EOH.”

However, Dankie Mokwena, chairperson from Jubilee Hall, said the new system was inconvenient for main campus students.

“The schedule is very inconvenient. What’s even more concerning is the rate at which management keeps making changes without finding out from students how they are affected.”

According to Mokwena, the House committees are trying to find a solution with management.

“We have suggested that there are better solutions and have highlighted the fact that management cannot complain about costs if our fees keep going up every year.”

Changes on new bus schedule became effective from the March 1. These include buses leaving every 30 minutes instead of every 15 under the previous schedule. The only stops for the Rosebank bus, are in Parktown (at Junction Residence and Education Campus). A reverse circuit bus has been on weekends, during the day.