South Africa’s qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup has sparked familiar excitement among fans. For many, it brings back memories of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. A tournament widely remembered as one of the most iconic in modern football history and the first ever hosted on African soil.
But 2026 is not 2010.
The upcoming tournament, hosted across the United States, Mexico, and Canada, arrives in a vastly different global climate. While FIFA has spearheaded the expanded format as a celebration of global football, fans have raised growing concerns about whether the World Cup will remain truly accessible to the people who give it life—the fans.
A major concern is accessibility. Reports and human rights organisations have warned that visa restrictions and immigration policies in the United States could make it difficult for fans from certain countries to attend matches (Amnesty International on travel restriction). While all qualified teams are expected to participate, supporters from parts of Africa, the Middle East, and other regions may still face financial and administrative restrictions that limit their ability to travel.
Another growing issue? Cost. Rising inflation, expensive accommodation, and long-distance travel mean that attending the World Cup is becoming increasingly unaffordable for ordinary fans. What was once a global gathering of football cultures risks shifting toward a more commercialised experience shaped by tourism markets and corporate access.
Alongside these concerns, FIFA’s cultural strategy appears increasingly rooted in nostalgia. The return of global music icon Shakira to World Cup discussions following her legendary 2010 anthem Waka Waka (This Time for Africa) has reignited excitement among fans. Music has always been central to football’s identity, and Shakira’s presence connects the present tournament to one of its most celebrated eras.
However, this raises a deeper question: is nostalgia being used to mask growing concerns about the tournament itself?
There is no doubt that the 2026 World Cup will be one of the largest sporting events ever staged. But scale is not the same as spirit. Football’s power has always come from its people, travelling supporters, emotional crowds, and global accessibility. Without that, the World Cup risks losing the very identity that made it the world’s game.
As excitement builds, one question remains unavoidable: what is a World Cup, if the world itself cannot fully be there?
FEATURED IMAGE: Shakira in concert in Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy, Paris in 2010. Photo by: Oouinouin. Graphic by: Sanele Sithole
Former Auditor-General Terence Nombembe takes the chair at Wits Council, bringing a legacy of accountability to the university’s top governing structure.
Terence Nombembe, a key figure in South Africa’s fight against state capture, was appointed Chairperson of the Wits Council on 6 May 2026.
Nombembe has been a member of the Council since 2021, providing him with years of insight into the university’s complex financial and policy landscape.
SRC Deputy President Sibusiso Ngele expressed hope that Nombembe’s history with student leadership will lead to a positive future for the university.
The University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) has officially appointed former Auditor-General and Zondo Commission investigator Terence Nombembe as the Chairperson of the Wits Council. The move, announced on 6 May 2026, brings a world-renowned expert in accountability to the university’s highest governing body.
A legacy of oversight
Nombembe is no stranger to high-stakes governance. Before his election to the Chair this month, he served as a member of the Wits Council for five years, starting in 2021. His professional pedigree is rooted in transparency; he served as South Africa’s Auditor-General from 2006 to 2013 and later as the Head of Investigations for the Zondo Commission into State Capture.
Beyond his public office, Nombembe has held influential roles as the CEO of the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA) and served on the board of the WWF South Africa. His career has been defined by a zero-tolerance approach to financial mismanagement, a background that Sibusiso Ngele, Deputy President of the Wits SRC, considers a vital asset.
“He is very familiar with Wits’ proceedings and the Council in general,” Ngele said. “That background is very important for the institution’s future.”
While the appointment of an “integrity expert” carries significant weight, Ngele was careful to define the boundaries of the Council’s power. He noted that while the Council approves major policy, financial rules, and documentation, the day-to-day management of the university remains the responsibility of the Vice-Chancellor.
Ngele noted that Nombembe’s role is primarily one of oversight rather than executive action, emphasising that the entire Council structure, not just the Chair, is responsible for implementing the university’s approvals. “As much as he is [the] Chair, it’s not very executive decisions that he has [to make]; it’s the whole structure that’s responsible for that implementation,” Ngele explained.
Addressing sensitive issues
When asked if Nombembe’s history of holding institutions accountable would change how management interacts with student leadership on sensitive topics, such as campus infrastructure, Ngele admitted the answer is not simple.
“It would be very difficult to answer that question,” Ngele stated. However, he remained hopeful that Nombembe’s track record would lead to a more collaborative environment. “Given his history with the SRC, I think we can really hope for a great future ahead for Wits,” Ngele concluded.
Waiting for the full picture
At the time of publication, other top members of the SRC executive, including President Gilbert Nchabeleng and Treasurer General Sonwabo Mhlahlo, had not yet commented regarding their specific expectations for Nombembe’s term.
As Nombembe settles into the chair, the student body will be watching to see how his high-level expertise in accountability translates into the tangible student experience on the ground.
FEATURED IMAGE: Picture of the Great Hall at the University of Witwatersrand. Photo: Daniella Ripamonti
More than 3 300 students attended the university’s first Witsies Got Talent competition, where sold-out crowds, cheering audiences, and standout performances transformed the Great Hall into a celebration of student talent
Ntando Qangule won the competition and R30 000, followed by Zinhle Zonke Bhebhe with R20 000 and Luke Scrase with R10 000.
Singing, poetry, dance, and audience participation turned the finale into a celebration of student talent and campus life.
Cheers echoed across the Great Hall on Saturday evening as students chanted Ntando Qangule’s name before she had even stepped onto the stage.
Moments later, the third-year Bachelor of Arts in Theatre and Performance student delivered the singing performance that would win her the first Witsies Got Talent title and R30 000 in prize money.
The grand finale, hosted by Campus Housing and Residence Life on May 9, brought together the competition’s top 12 finalists after 137 students initially entered.
Qangule, who said she had been feeling ill before the performance, credited feedback from judges in previous rounds for helping shape her final act. “Perform. You’re not just here to sing. We know you have a voice, but perform,” she said, recalling the advice she received during the competition.
Poet Zinhle Zonke Bhebhe placed second and received R20 000, while second-year LLB student Luke Scrase secured third place and R10 000 for his tap-dancing performance.
The top three winners of Witsies Got Talent 2026 pose with their prize cheques at the Great Hall on May 9. From left are third-place winner Luke Scrase, first-place winner Ntando Qangule and second-place winner Zinhle Bhebhe alongside sponsors and organisers. Photo: Asisipho Lynette Mpahleni
Students fill the Great Hall during the sold-out Witsies Got Talent grand finale hosted by Campus Housing and Residence Life. Photo: Asisipho Lynette Mpahleni
Hosts Simon Bopape (left) and Khayalethu Xaba engage the audience during the Witsies Got Talent grand finale at the Great Hall. Photo: Asisipho Lynette Mpahleni
From left are judges Dr Moloi, Thembisile Mathebula, Vuyolwethu Matiwane and Sibusiso Mkhize during the Witsies Got Talent grand finale at the Great Hall. Photo: Asisipho Lynette Mpahleni
The winner of the Wooden Mic Talent 2026, Promise Ntshudisane, known as Dese Ke Star, shakes judge Sibusiso Mkhize’s hand. Photo: Asisipho Lynette Mpahleni
One of the standout moments of the night came from Scrase’s tap dancing routine, which left judge Vuyolwethu Matiwane admitting that she had forgotten to write down a score because she was so captivated by the performance.
“Audiences are not always open-minded enough to appreciate something like tap… but the judges and the audience really got into it, and I could not be more grateful,” Scrase later told Wits Vuvuzela.
The finale featured performances from Angelic Voices of Buffness, Luke Scrase, Kira Attfield-Fuchs, Zinhle Zonke Bhebhe, Munei Nthai, Nandi Moyo, Asibonge Ntuli, Ogomotseng Gaonathebe, Dineo Modisane, Raiders 6, Cebisile Banda, and Ntando Qangule.
Audience participation remained high throughout the evening as students sang, danced, and competed for prizes handed out by hosts Simon Bopape and actor Khayalethu Xaba. Fourth-year BA Theatre and Performance student Asibonge Ntuli also received a standing ovation before she even began performing her original song.
Celebrity performances from Aymos, Soweto’s Finest, and Clemour Ngobeni added to the atmosphere as judges Dr Moloi, Vuyolwethu Matiwane, Thembisile Mathebula, and Sibusiso Mkhize evaluated performances ranging from singing and poetry to dance and visual art.
Campus Housing and Residence Life organiser, Mr Maphumulo, said the initiative aimed to create opportunities for students beyond the classroom.
“The talent show is critical because it addresses several issues, such as alternative entertainment, raises awareness about drug/alcohol free residence communities, and most of all, mental health. The show not only gives a platform but also allows students to have a healthy competition amongst themselves,” he said.
Promise Ntshudisane, known as Dese Ke Star, won the Wooden Mic Talent 2026 category, a comedy-focused category created mainly for entertainment.
Alongside cash prizes, finalists also received Pick n Pay vouchers, sponsored trips, and opportunities to perform at future university events.
As the crowd slowly emptied from the Great Hall, students were still replaying performances, singing lyrics, and debating their favourite acts from the night.
FEATURED IMAGE: Witsies Got Talent 2026 winners Luke Scrase, Ntando Qangule, and Zinhle Bhebhe pose with their prize cheques after the grand finale at the Great Hall. Photo: Asisipho Lynette Mpahleni
Wits University reclaims African narratives through the South African premiere of Kancícà at the Digital Dome, proving 8K innovation is a powerful tool for cultural memory and heritage.
The Wits Anglo American Digital Dome is pivoting from its traditional scientific roots to become a hub for African mythology and storytelling.
Kancícà utilises high-end gaming engines and 360-degree 8K animation, positioning Wits at the global forefront of immersive digital production.
The project serves as a “portal” for students to explore the future of work, AI, and African leadership within the global digital ecosystem.
The interior of the Anglo American Digital Dome. Photo: Supplied
While the Johannesburg Planetarium officially completed its R90-million transformation into the Wits Anglo American Digital Dome in November 2024, a recent premiere suggests the facility is entering a new era of cultural significance.
On 8 May, the Dome hosted the South African premiere of Kancícà, an immersive experience that moves beyond traditional astronomy to signal a turning point for how the continent tells its own stories. The launch positions Wits as a leading hub for cutting-edge digital experiences rather than a mere consumer of Western technology.
Dr Moumita Aich, instrumental in the Dome’s research integration, notes that 8K full-dome technology allows for a “shared emotional experience,” emphasising that this technology creates new forms of public engagement while preserving heritage.
“The scale and detail make African histories and traditions feel alive and immediate,” says Aich. “In this way, the Dome becomes more than a scientific space: it becomes a place for cultural memory and reimagining African narratives through immersive storytelling.”
Festival director Alby Michaels explains that Kancícà focuses on creating work “by Africans, for Africans, and especially through an African lens”. The production uniquely utilised Unreal Engine, a high-end gaming engine, to render 2D and 3D animation for the full-dome experience. “It opens up the doors for more experimentation… so that we can become the leaders in our own narratives,” Michaels says.
For Wits students, Michaels sees the Dome as a laboratory for the “future of work”. “I’m hoping an engagement like this will open a little door, even a portal, for imagining the future in a better way for all of us,” he told Wits Vuvuzela.
Audience members from outside of Wits, Constant Volschenk and Bongiwe Ndulula, highlight the immersive nature of the dome, which relies on a 35-degree viewing angle in reclining seats. “The main scenes are in front of you, and the surrounding is the background of the scene,” says Volschenk. Ndulula was particularly moved by a spiritual scene involving a boat in a storm, noting that the 360-degree view offers a vital shift in perspective.
Following its premiere, the programme is now open to the public at the Wits Anglo American Digital Dome from 25 April to August 2026. As Aich suggests, if you have not yet watched this wonderful show, it is a necessary gateway into the future of African digital heritage.
FEATURED IMAGE: Exterior picture of the Anglo American Digital Dome. Photo: Daniella Ripamonti
The Melville Art Mile reactivates the creative heritage of the suburb.
Once a month, the Melville Art Mile creates a walkable art experience in the heart of student life in Johannesburg, Melville.
Artists, are given the opportunity to exhibit their work in a way that is accessible to all.
Melville is reclaiming its spot as Johannesburg’s creativity hub.
Ask anyone who has been a university student in Johannesburg; they have been to or at least heard of Melville. From the cute cafes to the busy bars to the grand graffiti adorning almost every crevice of the area, Melville creates a vibrant, friendly atmosphere that differs from its neighbouring suburbs.
The suburb has begun to center itself as Johannesburg’s creativity hub. Student culture has shifted the legacy of the environment from a quiet, calm Afrikaaner area to the lively, artsy dynamic it has become.
One event captures the soul of the suburb, the Melville Art Mile, a monthly event along the Melville Strip.
Canvases spill out onto the streets, loud laughter can be heard all around, and handmade trinkets are on display. This is the scene that greeted me when I visited on Thursday, May 7. The event invites people to enjoy a night of art, music, and community by providing an accessible way to curate and consume art, a welcome detour, especially for students.
Artwork by Indoni on exhibit at Melville Art Mile. Photo by: Kerese Govender
The Melville Art Mile offers opportunities for young emerging artists to display their work. This provides them with the push they might need to fulfil their dreams. A singular compliment on their brushstrokes from a stranger or even a few new followers on Instagram, is sometimes all it takes to get one foot out the door.
Many artists credited Melville in their artistic journeys as this environment is one of the only places that one can paint without anyone disturbing them, in reference to graffiti art. “Melville has always been known as an artist sanctuary.” Aubrey Moloto, the founder of Melville Art Mile, told this reporter.
Thalia Ngcobo, a young artist with work on display at the event, shared, “This is a great opportunity especially for those who are starting out, because starting out is scary. Doing this is the first step in your career.”
The Melville Art Mile is considered an “open market for artists because there’s nowhere in Johannesburg where you are able to sell your artworks to a public audience and receive all the comission,” Moloto explained while discussing the benefits of exhibiting at this event. “All you need to do is fill out an online form that can be found via the organisation’s social media pages and wait to be selected. Melville artists and businesses are prioritised as “this is for them, by them,” he further commented.
Artist Alex Dibakwane and his artwork, Ancestral Disputes, on exhibit at Melville Art Mile. Photo by: Kerese Govender
Moloto shared that the initiative of the organisation is to remind the city as well as everyone around it that Melville, at its core, is a creative space. Another goal is to boost the economy of the area.
Every turn that you take, every street you walk down, and every exhibit you enter, shows you exactly what Melville is becoming – a space for creatives to exist without (too much) worry.
The neighbourhood is more than just its dangerous reputation. Moloto hopes to “shake that narrative” through the First Thursday monthly Melville Art Mile events. The organisation’s driving force is to regenerate Melville’s creative roots and bring back life to the local businesses by boosting the economy and providing work for everyone in the neighbourhood, from students to residents to artists.
“Melville is a great example of what Johannesburg should be,” explained Neil Badenhorst, a frequent attendee at Melville Art Mile.
According to event attendees, art has a pretentious culture attached to it. In theory, art is meant to be something accessible and interactive, a source of community. However, in practice, it has become a very clinical experience. The welcoming and vivid feel has been disrupted by an elitist and alienating crowd.
Yet, this is not the case in Melville. In Melville, art is for everyone.
It belongs to those who cannot afford a ticket to an art gallery. It belongs to those who can sketch in their sleep. It belongs to those who do not understand the difference between acrylic, watercolour, or gouache. It belongs to those who can mould a block of clay into a masterpiece.
FEATURED IMAGE: Attendee looking at artwork on display at the Melville Art Mile. Photo by: Kerese Govender.
University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) Women’s Rugby showed early-season resilience and unity despite a 27-0 opening defeat to Zondi Women’s Rugby club on Saturday.
Wits Women’s Rugby opened their 2026 league season with a 27-0 defeat to Zondi Women’s Rugby Club at Wits Rugby Stadium.
Despite the loss, Wits showed resilience, strong defensive organisation, and growing team unity throughout the match.
The match reflected the continued growth of the Wits Women’s Rugby programme since its establishment in 2019.
The Wits Women’s Rugby team opened their league season at Wits Rugby Stadium on Saturday May 9, 2026, producing a spirited performance against a physically dominant Zondi side in a match that tested both their structure and resolve.
From kick-off at 13:20, Wits showed intensity at the breakdown, organised defensive sets, and confidence in possession despite sustained early pressure from the visitors. Zondi controlled the territory for much of the first half, scoring their first try midway through after winning a turnover inside Wits’ 22. Wits responded with improved defensive organisation and stronger carries, matching Zondi’s physicality in several exchanges. Zondi added another try just before half-time to take a 10-0 lead into the break, but the Wits team continued to contest every phase with discipline and commitment.
Their strongest moments came in defense, where disciplined communication and collective organisation reflected the side’s growing cohesion. Even during difficult phases of play, players responded to the coach’s instructions, quickly regrouping after errors and maintaining their defensive structure under pressure.
Pinned deep in their own half on several occasions, Wits absorbed repeated phases of pressure through committed tackling and strong on-field communication. The forward pack showed determination in the scrums, while ball carriers consistently worked hard to gain metres in contact despite Zondi’s physical dominance.
Wits Women’s Rugby forwards contest possession during a scrum against Zondi in their opening league fixture at Wits Rugby Stadium on Saturday. Photo: Alice Dhlamini
The second half brought renewed energy from the home side. Substitutions lifted the tempo, defensive organisation improved, and Wits showed greater confidence in building play. A yellow card during a crucial stage shifted momentum further in Zondi’s favour, but Wits still maintained their intensity and rate throughout.
Even as the scoreline widened, the home side continued fighting until the final whistle, earning respect from supporters and coaches alike for their commitment.
Captain Nikitha Dlabane, a final-year biomedical sciences student, said the performance reflected the growing unity developing within a relatively inexperienced Wits side, explaining that despite the pressure of the occasion, the players “stayed together as a team” and continuously encouraged one another throughout the match. She added that the side drew confidence from strong scrummaging, effective carries, and organised defensive folding, although she acknowledged that there is still room for improvement as the squad continues to develop.
“This game was tough because a lot of our girls are very new,” she said, “but we stayed together as a team. We encouraged each other all the way, and I feel like that is what makes the team.”
Dlabane also highlighted the technical aspects that gave Wits confidence during the match.
Head coach Winsdon Grootboom praised his side’s “never-say-dying attitude” despite the defeat, highlighting the determination shown by a squad that included “six or seven women” making their first rugby appearance. Although he admitted that “pressure creates mistakes” at crucial stages of the match, Grootboom said he was encouraged by the way the players “fought until the end” and continued trying to execute the structures and patterns they had worked on in training.
The Wits Women’s Rugby team warm up ahead of their season opener against Zondi Women’s Rugby Club at Wits Rugby Stadium on May 9, 2026. Photo: Alice Dhlamini
Wits player Mamokgopane Tsotetsi, a second-year industrial engineering student, said preparation played an important role in helping the team remain composed ahead of the fixture, with the squad focusing on “scrums, structures, lineouts, and all the basics” during training. She added that constant communication and encouragement on the field helped the side maintain its intensity during difficult passages of play.
Beyond the result, the fixture reflected the growing visibility of women’s rugby at Wits, with supporters highlighting the significance of women’s presence in a traditionally male-dominated sport. Second-year Bachelor of Arts student in South African Sign Language and political studies, Tshimangadzo Sigoba, described it as “refreshing seeing women taking up space in rugby,” while supporter One Segano noted that women’s rugby is gaining greater exposure and media attention on campus.
The crowd responded loudly throughout the afternoon, particularly after Zondi’s opening try, as tension built with Wits searching for opportunities to break through defensively. A Wits injury late in the match added further intensity to an already physical encounter, while the home side’s number one forward stood out with powerful ball carries and strong work around contact areas.
While the scoreboard may not have favoured Wits, the match stood as a testament to the team’s rapid progress and the rising profile of women’s rugby at the university since its establishment in 2019. As the season unfolds, the Wits Women’s Rugby team looks set to continue inspiring players and supporters alike with their unwavering determination.
A graphic highlighting Wits Women’s Rugby’s season opener against Zondi Women’s Rugby Club reflects the team’s resilience, unity, and determination despite a challenging start to the season. Graphic: Emmanuel Molebatsi
FEATURED IMAGE: Wits Women’s Rugby players chase down a Zondi ball carrier during their league opener at Wits Rugby Stadium on May 9, 2026. Despite a 27-0 defeat, Wits showed defensive resilience and growing cohesion throughout the match. Photo: Alice Dhlamini
A unique Mother’s Day storytelling event at Melville Koppies used African folklore to reconnect adults with childhood, motherhood, and tradition.
A Mother’s Day storytelling at Melville Koppies, Sunday 10 May.
It was a unique Mother’s Day experience where mothers could embrace their inner child.
Grace compared the process of the smelters to what motherhood is and showed us how it relates to mothers and what they go through.
As the birds chirped and the cold morning wind rushed through the branches at the Melville Koppies Nature Reserve, attendees made their way up the hill towards the lecture hut; they were in for an exciting time ahead. “A lot of people here come to me and say, ‘I haven’t had a story being told to me in 50/60 years and it just lit up my life’. And all the adults came to me after today’s storytelling and said, ‘I was a child again, thank you so much,” said Merle Grace, the voluntary storyteller at Melville Koppies Nature Reserve.
Grace had prepared two stories: an anti-colonial African parable titled “Fly Eagle Fly,” retold by Christopher Gregorowski, and ‘Kasanko’s Dream’ by Gcina Mhlophe about ironmaking. chosen specifically for Mother’s Day. “I wanted a story about something female and strong, that is not on the knows, and I found the story ‘Kasanko’s Dream’” said Grace. “I thought it was the perfect Mother’s Day story, because the process of ironmaking and fertility were seen as very similar in those days,” she said.
Merle Grace telling the story ‘Kasanko’s Dream’ on Mother’s Day. Photo: Chrislyn Majiedt
Grace, upon conducting research, found out that smelters, like the one they have on the Melville Koppie, were used for ironmaking. The process was seen as a holy and sacred process of making something out of what seems like nothing. The furnace was often symbolically linked to a woman’s womb, as both were believed to produce life and strength through hidden processes.
Iron was formed inside the furnace where no one could see the transformation taking place until the final product emerged, in the same way that a baby develops unseen inside a mother’s womb. To Grace’s understanding, the ritual around fertility and smelting were very similar for the iron Age farmers and miners 500 years ago.
Smelters were used to extract iron from iron-bearing rocks by heating the ore in a furnace with burning charcoal. Early African settlers such as the Sotho and Tswana built clay furnaces, often symbolic of a womb and the birthing process of iron. The settlers would refine and shape the metal into specific tools and weapons.
“What’s very special about sitting here is while she is telling a story the birds just start singing, there is always a bird doing something so you really feel like you are in a different place,” says Jenny Grice, acting chairperson and head guide and primary event coordinator for the Melville Koppies Management Committee. The combination of nature and storytelling made the audience forget that they were in the city, and everyone just embraced the moment.
Grace kept the audience on their toes – quite literally – by having them stretch and jump between the stories, to allow for one story to sink in and to prepare for the next one. Everyone gladly joined her and laughed in between stretches. She captivated the audience, whose eyes locked on her as she spoke.
Through storytelling, connecting with nature and embracing their inner child, the audience experienced a truly different kind of Mother’s Day –one that felt deeply meaningful and extra special.
“This was the most interesting Mother’s Day,” said one of the women in attendance when the storytelling was complete. The attendees were eager to speak to Grace after, most of them thanking her for the wonderful experience and the opportunity to embrace their inner child.
Feature Image: Merle Grace a voluntary storyteller at Melville Koppies Nature Reserve pointing at the trees. Photo: Chrislyn Majiedt
As the cold begins to settle and the due dates creep closer, the Wits Hindu Students Society creates a home away from home by hosting a Thunee tournament on campus.
The Wits HSS recently held its annual Thunee tournament.
Prizes were up for grabs ranging from R200 to R1000.
The aim of the tournament was to preserve the culture of the game and create a community for its players.
With money to be won and a game you love to play, what could be more exciting? On Friday, May 8, the Wits HSS hosted its annual Thunee tournament at the Margo Steele building.
Up for grabs – R1000 for first place, R400 for second place, and R200 for third place. These prizes are a culmination of the money raised by entry fee tickets, which cost R100 per team.
The game dates back to the 1860s, when Indian indentured labourers arrived to work on the sugar cane fields in what was then known as Natal. A game that helped them find connection and preserve culture amid their enslavement in a strange land.
Even though the game has evolved since, all you need is three of your best friends or complete strangers and a special pack of 28 Playing Cards.
“To continue hosting these tournaments will play a very big part in keeping Thunee alive at Wits, because naturally certain things skip generations, and we’re trying to prevent that.” explained Aadit Aheer, the former chairperson of Wits HSS.
The tournament was not just limited to Wits students but also open to members of the community. There were three teams made up of self-named ‘uncles.’
Five hours. Two calm initial rounds. A captivating quarterfinal. A chilling semi-final. A crazily competitive final.
While the game is about tricking opponents and reaching a total of 105 first, it is also about communication—how well you and your partner know each other, what a slight eyebrow raise, or nostril flare could mean.
As the tournament shifted from a fun night with friends to an intense evening of eye contact, smack talk and cards hitting the table, only four teams remained.
It was Uncles 3 versus Call & Loss, and Uncles 2 versus EN-SYNC.
The entire crowd peaking over their shoulders as they played for the top prize.
The night ended with Uncles 3 winning first place, Call & Loss taking second place and Uncles 2 coming in third.
The winners of first and third place graciously donated their prizes to the Wits HSS Temple and a first year they had played against, respectively.
Directions to Thunee tournament. Photo by: Kerese Govender
A hand of cards held by a player. Photo by: Kerese Govender
Names of teams playing in the tournament and a pack of cards. Photo by: Kerese Govender
Second place winners of the Thunee tournament, Savani Govender and Ashen Naidoo. Photo by: Kerese Govender
Deck of special cards for Thunee tournament. Photo by: Kerese Govender
Winners of Thunee tournament, Colonel Lionel Chetty and Kevin Peramaul, with the chairperson of the Wits HSS, Ushdir Singh. Photo by: Kerese Govender
“We would like to give this money back to charity,” said Colonel Lionel Chetty, member of Uncles 3. “For us, it is not just a game. It brings people together.” he further commented.
Thunee is more than just a game. It is the beginning of friendships. All it takes is one look at the table to your left, a quick question, “You know how to jol thunee?” and the rest is history. It serves as a semblance of home for those who leave everything and everyone, they know, to attend Wits. Whether it is at your grandparents’ dining room table or at the Matrix, the game lives on.
FEATURED IMAGE: Directions to Thunee Tournament. Photo by: Kerese Govender
Wits E-Hub Market Day turned the Library Lawns into a lively marketplace where students put their entrepreneurial feet first.
Wits E-Hub Market Day gives student entrepreneurs an opportunity to sell products, test ideas, and build visibility on campus,
With South Africa’s youth unemployment rate at 46.1%, more students are turning side hustles into viable income streams while still studying.
Student-led businesses like Ilanga Coils show how personal experiences are being turned into scalable ventures, supported by campus entrepreneurship spaces.
Image of crochet handbags by Eddies Craft
Decorated stalls lined at the Wits University Library Lawns as students moved between vendors selling jewellery, bags, new tech innovations, candles, henna art and sweet treats. Behind one table, third-year year Accounting Sciences student Tassy Mabuza was already close to selling out of his, Barebites, sweets from his business, Sweetplug co.
The Wits Entrepreneurship-Hub (E-hub) supports students interested in starting and growing businesses. Based at the Matrix Building on campus, the hub provides networking opportunities, pitching sessions, market days and co-working spaces for collaboration and ideation. Faith Njoko, project co-ordinater at E-Hub,says through weekly business events and entrepreneurship programmes, they help students gain practical business experience outside of the classroom. A vital bridge between academic study and the realities of running a business for many students.
Through initiatives such as the recent Market Day, students can test products, interact directly with customers and build brand visibility within the campus community.
Beyond the lively atmosphere, the event reflects a growing culture of entrepreneurship among young South Africans and students navigating a difficult economy and rising youth unemployment. According to Statistics South Africa, the country’s official unemployment rate rose to 32.9% in the first quarter of 2025, while youth unemployment among people aged 15 to 34 reached 46.1%. Against this backdrop, side hustles are becoming more than temporary trends for students. From haircare brands and food businesses to fashion and creative services, many young people are using entrepreneurship to create opportunities for themselves.
This growing entrepreneurial culture is largely solution driven, with students identifying everyday problems and developing businesses that respond to real needs within their communities.
Image of iLanga Coils Hair Products
One of the student entrepreneurs at the market, Nomusa Khambule, turned a personal struggle with natural hair into a growing business while completing her master’s degree in management specialising in entrepreneurship and new venture creation. Khambule’s Ilanga Coils was born in 2022 after she struggled to find products that worked for her own hair. Drawing from her science background, she started experimenting with ingredients and formulas before officially launching the business in 2023. “What started as solving my own problem became something much bigger once people started responding positively to the products,” she said.
Since then, the brand has expanded beyond campus markets and recently collaborated on a campaign with Absa, a milestone Khambule said validated the potential of student owned businesses. However, balancing postgraduate studies and entrepreneurship has not been easy. Khambule rejected the idea of “perfect balance”, saying that running a business while studying requires constant prioritisation. “Some days school needs more attention, and other days the business comes first,” she explained.
Despite the challenges, Khambule said physical market events remain important because customers can directly experience the products before purchasing them. “For haircare especially, people want to touch, smell and try products before buying them,” she said.
Additionally, she said that “markets help build trust and visibility.” Although Ilanga Coils is now profitable, Khambule said scaling production remains one of her biggest hurdles as she still operates from her kitchen. She hopes to eventually expand the brand into a recognised African cosmetics company.
Image of Snowflicker Studios Candles
As the market slowly began to quiet down, students packed away the last of their products after a day of sales and networking. For many of them, the businesses displayed on the library lawns are more than temporary side hustles, they mark the beginning of long-term ambitions.
FEATURED IMAGE: Image of Tassy Mabuza, founder of Sweetplug co at the E-Hub market showcase. Photo: Nqobile Mtshali
Today, apartheid-era spatial planning and car-centric design continues to shape commuting in Johannesburg, as cycling reemerges as an affordable and sustainable way to move around.
Johannesburg, South Africa’s most populous city, has a long and complex history with bicycles. Today, commuting is a daily struggle shaped by Apartheid, inequality, and inadequate infrastructure – factors which make cycling a difficult option for many.
A 2025 News24 report, citing the World Bank, revealed that “low-income commuters spend more than 50% of their earnings to get to work.” The bicycle is a tool for affordability, sustainability and freedom. However, in a city designed for cars, we need to reimagine urban space, to make it safer for pedestrians and cyclists while integrating public transport.
In the early 1900s, Johannesburg was celebrated as a cycling city. In an article published in the Guardian, Njogu Morgan, a postdoctoral research fellow at Wits University, quoted a 1903 newspaper stating that “nearly every third inhabitant rides a bicycle.” For white residents, cycling was fashionable and modern. However, for black residents, bicycles were often a necessity, but their freedom to ride was restricted and policed.
By the 1930s, rising incomes from the gold economy led to many white residents buying cars, and motoring became a symbol of wealth. Under apartheid, spatial segregation forcedblack workers into distant townships, far from job opportunities. Cycling became associated with black-working class commuters and was stigmatised as a ‘poor man’s mode of transport’.
Since, unsafe roads, long distances and investments in highways pushed bicycles aside completely. By the mid-1990s cycling had almost disappeared from the streets.
Modern Johannesburg was designed around cars instead of people. Urban Planner Phano Liphoto documented his morning journey on TikTok, his story sparked hundreds of responses from people who faced similar situations of waking at 4am and returning home after dark.
Commuter cycling is re-emerging as a cheaper and more environmentally friendly alternative, and it’s becoming increasingly popular among students, including myself. I’m fortunate to live relatively close to Wits University, making cycling a practical option. Many people told me it would be impossible to commute by bike in Johannesburg, warning that, especially as a white woman, it would be far too dangerous. Yet, I have found the city is absolutely cyclable, though it is far from being well supported.
With very few dedicated cycles lanes, and those that do exist are often blocked by taxis and cars. Bike lanes that had been introduced in the 2010s were criticised as “luxuries for the rich”, even though evidence showed lower-income workers were the main cyclists. Many cycle lanes are just painted on the ground, and according to a 13-year-old study “painted bike lanes without physical barriers are often more dangerous than nothing at all.”
On my route to campus, a cycle lane suddenly appears along a busy road, only to disappear in the middle of traffic. But, with some planning and the use of back streets, cycling is manageable and a great option. There are also groups, such as Banditz Bicycle Club and Girls on Bikes, that are advocating for more people to take up commuter cycling, offering affordable bikes and helping to map safer routes. Groups like Young Urbanists have proposed low-cost upgrades and protection, including in their “Stage 01 of Reclaiming Our Cycling Lanes ”briefing for Cape Town.
Transport experts argue that a cycling infrastructure cannot succeed on its own. Stigma also remains a concern. As Morgan explores in the book Anxious Joburg there is a complex relationship between identify and transport and “identities are constructed through transport behaviour.”
As Director of Wits University’s Centre for Diversity Studies, Professor Nicky Falkof, stated in an interview on YouTube, “There also needs to be a significant shift where people stop thinking bicycles are a lower-class form of transport.” This highlights the link between transport and identity and explains why bike lanes often go unused. They were built without broader cultural and systemic support.
Reclaiming the bicycle is not just about transport, it is about ending spatial violence and redesigning cities to prioritise people. While South Africa faces challenges from its past, there is an opportunity to build a more inclusive and connected urban space.
As a fashion design graduate, I view the Met Gala with a more demanding eye than the average spectator. I look for textile innovation and historical literacy. When the 2026 theme was announced as “Costume Art,” I was ecstatic. It was a call to treat the human form as a canvas.
This theme offered a limitless playground, yet the evening proved to be a game of hits and misses. While some evolved the silhouette, others simply slapped a painting onto fabric. True “Costume Art” requires transformation, and only a handful truly understood the assignment.
However, one cannot discuss the artistry on the steps without acknowledging the tension on the streets. The evening’s opulence faced heavy scrutiny as Jeff Bezos served as honorary chair. The record-breaking $42 million (R701.87 million) proceeds drew criticism, with protesters outside highlighting the disparity between the gala’s excess and Amazon’s labour controversies. This corporate undertone, marked by the notable absences of stars like Bella Hadid, Zendaya and New York’s mayor, Zohran Mamdani, left the event feeling more like a private billionaire function than a cultural zeitgeist.
So I followed with that unease at the back of my mind, but with my eye and pen poised.
The ‘almost’gallery: honourable mentions
These looks were undeniably stunning and technically brilliant, but they missed my top spots because they felt a bit too ‘safe’, or in one case, incomplete, compared to the architectural risks taken by my favourites.
Laura Harrier (Di Petsa): A masterclass in ‘wet look’ draping that turned her into a Greek marble statue, though the silhouette felt familiar.
Kendall Jenner (Gap Studio): A sophisticated take on the Winged Victory of Samothrace. Had she worn her monumental wings on the carpet rather than just in the museum photos, she would have secured the win.
As stunning as those classic references were, a few attendees truly understood the assignment, transforming the body into a living canvas in ways that felt entirely new.
The masterpieces: when fashion becomes art
Emma Chamberlain set the bar in custom Casey Cadwallader for Mugler. Drawing from Van Gogh’s impasto techniques, the gown utilised hand-painted resin and moulded silk to capture the tactile texture of a canvas come to life. She didn’t just wear art; she embodied the medium of painting itself.
Yu-Chi Lyra Kuo provided a moment of monochromatic brilliance, channelling the Winged Victory through Jean Paul Gaultier’s architectural pleating. The atelier transformed soft fabric into chiselled marble, celebrating the artisan’s ability to turn textile into stone.
Sabine Getty offered a haunting metaphor for the decay of art. The Ashi Studio bodice featured surrealist hands that seemed to sculpt her form, while the shredded silk skirt appeared to unravel like an ancient, deteriorating canvas. It was a masterclass in using deconstructivism to tell a story of loss.
Anok Yai, in Balenciaga, delivered the night’s most profound transformation, coating her skin in bronze pigment to embody the ‘Blac Madonna’. While others wore art-inspired gowns, Yai used her skin as the medium. It was a powerful reminder that fashion can re-contextualise the human body as a sacred object.
However, the brilliance of these living masterpieces only made the night’s failures more glaring.
The unfinished canvases
Simone Ashley’s Stella McCartney gown felt pedestrian. The body-chain aesthetic lacked innovation and failed to engage with the theme’s sculptural possibilities. Similarly, Kim Kardashian prioritised her signature cinched branding over thematic exploration. Her Allen Jones collaboration felt more like high-budget cosplay than the “Living Sculpture” it aimed to be.
The evening’s most egregious oversight came from Deborah Roberts, who arrived in a Christopher John Rogers gown she had already debuted at the 2022 New York City Ballet. For an event centred on innovation, re-wearing a years-old socialite gown felt dismissive of the Met’s prestige.
Finally, Zoë Kravitz in Saint Laurent was a masterclass in the mundane. A basic black lace gown offers zero artistic provocation in this context. For a designer, the lack of innovation is jarring; it wasn’t “bad” fashion, it was absence of a vision.
Ultimately, the 2026 Met Gala proved that when you give designers the world as their canvas, the results are polarising. We saw the heights of technical brilliance, where fabric was manipulated to look like marble or wet oil paint, and we saw the lows of creative stagnation, where ‘basic’ was the order of the day.
As a journalist and a designer, I believe the Met Gala should be the one night where ‘wearability’ is the last thing on anyone’s mind. We want to be challenged; we want to see the boundaries of the human form pushed until they break. This year showed us that while anyone can wear a dress, very few can truly embody a masterpiece.
For those who dared to treat their bodies as a canvas, the result was nothing short of legendary. For the rest? There’s always next year’s exhibition.
Vuvu rating: 6.9/10
FEATURED IMAGE: Rough fashion illustration, edited by AI. Graphic by: Daniella Ripamonti
At Wits, decolonisation remains incomplete as English dominance continues to limit true multilingual inclusion in learning and assessment.
In 2015, during the #FeesMustFall movement, South African universities were forced into a reckoning that extends beyond protest and policy reform. At the University of the Witwatersrand, this moment led to a language policy that introduced English, isiZulu, Sesotho, and South African Sign Language (SASL) into its academic framework. Yet, as Wits advances through its 2023 Strategic Framework, a plan guiding the university’s goals around transformation, inclusion, research, and global competitiveness, though a contradiction remains: the institution speaks of decolonising knowledge while leaving the language of learning largely unchanged.
Decolonisation without linguistic transformation is incomplete. A curriculum may diversify its content but if access to knowledge remains dependent on English, exclusion is not removed but relocated into the medium of instruction. This dynamic can be understood through what Miranda Fricker terms epistemic injustice, which is a condition in which certain forms of knowledge are undervalued because of the language in which they are expressed. In this context, students are not excluded from knowing, but from having their knowledge fully recognised unless it is articulated in English.
As Steve Biko warned, “the most potent weapon in the hands of the oppressor is the mind of the oppressed”, a condition sustained not only through content, but through the very language in which knowledge is delivered and recognised. His insistence that education must cultivate critical consciousness rather than reproduce subordination sharpens this argument: when students are compelled to translate their intellectual lives into English to be legible, the system does not liberate thought; it disciplines it.
This is not abstract. In lecture halls across Wits, language shapes how students learn and are assessed. In science and health sciences courses, students encounter, process, and are tested on complex ideas in English, even when understanding often begins in other languages during peer discussion. Learning in familiar languages can improve comprehension, participation, and confidence, reduce cognitive load and also allow students to engage more fully with complex material.
In engineering tutorials, students switch to isiZulu or Sesotho in order to unpack difficult concepts, only for that cognitive work to disappear in formal assessment, where only English counts. In Sociolinguistics, this is understood as code-switching, a skilled practice rather than a deficiency. What appears as hesitation is, in reality, intellectual labour: students are learning disciplinary content while translating it across linguistic systems; a demand not equally placed on all. They are not struggling with content; they are performing unpaid intellectual labour to make that content legible within a single dominant language.
Wits visibly acknowledges four languages on campus signage, raising questions about the absence of South Africa’s other official languages in learning and assessment. Photo: Alice Dhlamini.
This extends beyond technical disciplines and reflects a broader experience across faculties where language shapes who can fully access knowledge.
As third-year industrial engineering student Tshedza Tsiololi explains, “some engineering terms, such as dynamic system or torque, do not translate easily into everyday language… This makes learning time-consuming, especially in the absence of accessible translation tools”. This translation process carries material consequences. When comprehension is delayed, so too is performance, affecting assessment outcomes, time to completion, and the cost of education. Language barriers are therefore not only pedagogical concerns but structural inefficiencies.
The result is not a lack of understanding but a delay in it. Students carry an invisible cognitive burden, constantly translating their thinking. Language cannot be treated as a secondary issue in curriculum reform.
Language shapes how knowledge is accessed, processed, and recognised. When a medical student must translate reasoning to communicate with a patient, or an engineering student is assessed in a language that can flatten thinking processes, language becomes a gatekeeping mechanism. Yet the persistence of English is often justified through its role in global academia. While not unfounded, this argument is incomplete. Countries such as Germany, Japan, and South Korea demonstrate that strong language production can occur in national languages alongside English. Multilingualism is not a barrier to global relevance but a source of intellectual flexibility.
Wits’ current approach reflects both progress and limitations. As noted by the Head of African Languages, Dr Soyiso Khetoa, “the university’s focus on English, South African Sign Language, isiZulu, and Sesotho is informed by demographic research”. Institutional efforts, such as language-learning applications, support isiZulu acquisition. However, this raises a deeper question: what happens to students whose linguistic identities fall outside these dominant categories?
A comparative perspective complicates this further. In Tanzania, the adoption of Swahili under Julius Nyerere aimed to democratise education and strengthen national identity. This model significantly expanded access and participation at foundational levels, enabling students to learn in a familiar linguistic context. While access improved at foundational levels, challenges emerged in higher education, including limited technical terminology. This illustrates that linguistic transformation is both possible and complex, requiring sustained commitment rather than selective implementation.
Accommodation based on geographic prevalence may be efficient, but it is not neutral. It creates new margins. Students who speak other African Languages remain excluded, not because their languages lack value, but because they fall outside institutional feasibility. In this way, multilingualism risks becoming selective rather than transformative. South Africa’s own history offers parallels. Institutions such as Stellenbosch University and the University of Pretoria have shown that full academic systems can be developed in Afrikaans, raising the question of why similar levels of investment have not been extended to African languages in a democratic context, while also revealing how language can function as both inclusion and exclusion.
Bert van Pinxteren argues that expanding the language of learning is expensive and complex. “Developing academic terminology in African languages, training staff, and redesigning assessments require time and resources”, he notes. These challenges are real, but difficulty is not a justification for permanence. Technology tools, from translation software to AI-assisted terminology development, are reshaping what is feasible. The limitation is increasingly institutional: whether universities are willing to invest in systems that reflect their students’ realities.
When African languages are used informally for explanation but excluded from formal assessment, universities reinforce a hierarchy where legitimacy remains tied to English. Inclusion becomes conditional.
Restricted-access signage at Wits mirrors ongoing debates around who is fully recognised within the university’s linguistic and academic spaces. Photo: Alice Dhlamini.
The 2015 policy was a meaningful step, but without implementation, it risks becoming symbolic. If students must translate their intellectual lives into one dominant language to be recognised, decolonisation remains incomplete. The issue is the distinction between symbolic and material transformation: policy signals intent, but assessment determines whose knowledge is legitimised.
A serious commitment to transformation does not require abandoning English. It requires building multilingual academic systems where English is one of several legitimate languages of learning. This could include bilingual modules, expanded language support, and discipline-specific terminology across a broader range of African languages.
And perhaps the most uncomfortable question is this: must students once again protest to be heard? The 2015 moment demonstrated that institutional change often follows student pressure. If language remains a barrier, it raises concerns about whether dialogue alone is sufficient.
Decolonisation, if it is to mean anything, must be a dialogue, not only between institution and student, but between languages themselves. The question is not whether English will remain at Wits; it will. The question is whether students will continue to think in multiple languages but be recognised in only one language. Until students can be recognised in the languages in which they think, decolonisation remains a translation exercise, not a transformation. More fundamentally, it is whether Wits is willing to move from being a university that is merely in Africa to one that is truly of Africa.
FEATURED IMAGE: A student points toward an emergency assembly point at Wits, symbolising urgent questions around language, access, and transformation in higher education. Photo: Alice Dhlamini.
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, […]
