by Liesl Frankson | May 16, 2013 | News
Director General of Higher Education and Training Gwebs Qonde told a workshop in Pretoria this year that the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) planned to follow through with their plans for a Central Application system in 2014.
What this means is that institutions of higher learning, like Wits, will lose their power to decide on student loans. The new system will allow students to apply for financial aid either directly to NSFAS or a central body created for this purpose.
The system aims to create and maintain effective admin to improve student’s access to NSFAS through direct forms of communication like cellphones, the internet and social media. Money will be paid directly into the accounts of students for transport, accommodation, tuition and food, and by so doing NSFAS will be keeping a close watch on expenditure.
Qonde said that NSFAS was inefficient because its systems were outdated and they needed to be adapted as a result of corrupt and inefficient officials in some institutions. The programme will ultimately reposition the whole of NSFAS to provide more effective financial aid that is able to cover more students and improve the recovery rate for the loans thus allowing NSFAS to fulfill its mandate.
However some officials doubt the proposed new system because thousands of beneficiaries do not complete their courses. NSFAS plans to counter this situation with supporting programmes in collaboration with universities and other stakeholders to give students the best chance of graduating.
Wits Vuvuzela asked the Manager of Financial aid and Scholarships at Wits, Busisiwe Sithole, for comment on the new system. She declined to comment stating, “I do not have answers or comments on the New Centralized system as we have not started to use it.”
Additional Resources
Wits Vuvuzela March 28 2011: Financial Aid Funding late again
Wits Vuvuzela March 26 2012: No money, no food
by Liesl Frankson | May 16, 2013 | News
The cold winter months are fast approaching and as temperatures drop, the numbers for people caught in the icy grip of colds and flu’s go up.
Flu season in the Southern Hemisphere begins from May and lasts until October every year according to the World Health Organisation’s Global Influenza Surveillance network.
A possible explanation for the relationship between the influenza virus and winter is humidity. Researchers have found that the virus survives best at extremely high and low humidity, the type you would find indoors during the winter.
One way to combat the survival of the flu virus in the air and on the surfaces in your home this winter is with the help of a humidifier. When it comes to preventing and treating cold and flu symptoms there is a lot that can be done.
Flu vaccinations are one of the most popular preventative measures and most pharmacies and doctors’ surgeries offer this service in the run up to the flu season. The Campus Health and Wellness Clinic offers flu vaccinations to students at a cost of R55. According to Campus Health the vaccinations are already out of stock because many students flock to get their seasonal jab before winter kicks in.
If you have not been able to get your flu vaccination, you can still try and ward off colds and flu’s by following home remedies like increasing your intake of vitamin C. This can be done with a vitamin C supplement or eating foods that are high in vitamin C like red bell peppers, oranges or strawberries.
One of the most important things to remember during this season is practicing good cold & flu etiquette if you really want to keep the flu at bay. Washing your hands regularly, coughing into a tissue or your sleeve and not into your bare hands can help prevent the spread of colds and flu’s.
Additional Resources
Wits Vuvuzela April 15 2011: Influenza can be prevented this Winter
News24.com February 2013: Flu-Proof your home
Pressportal.co.za May 2013: Flu Season Etiquette- What you need to know about flu and the office
by Liesl Frankson | May 16, 2013 | Featured 1, News
Anusha Yadav creator of the Inidan Memory Project interacting with attendees of the presentation on Wednesday. Photo: Liesl Frankson
Wits hosted a presentation on the Indian Memory Project on Wednesday as part of the 2013 Indiafrica Festival that took place this week.
The project is an online, curated, visual and oral history archive that traces the personal history of the Indian subcontinent, its people, cultures, developments and much more. This is done with the help of contributors who send images and letters from family archives.
The event was an interactive session with the creator of the Indian Memory Project Anusha Yadav and members from the Centre for Indian Studies in Africa. Yadav presented a selection from the project, along with the narratives as an example of what the project has been able to bring to light.
The Indian Memory Project and Indian History
Yadav believes this initiative is able to offer a more precise history of the subcontinent, because these stories are the missing links in the history that has been taught. Many things have been left out of the history books or added in and looking at ordinary pictures offers a comprehensive insight into people’s lives.
“It traces the history of the country, by tracing the history of families,” said Yadav. According to Yadav this project can help people resolve their past and live with a little more pride.
“I believe India suffers from very low self esteem about itself and when I started Indian Memory Project I worked to show pride.”
The Indian Memory Project and Africa
The section of the project presented was made up of many stories of people who had ties not only to India but also to Africa. The organizers of the event and the entire Indiafrica initiative felt that India and Africa share similar histories and they are connected by similar hopes and aspirations.
With this in mind “The Indian Memory Project helps us to understand this past and the better we know the past the faster the future can develop” said Yadav.
The project is not only made up of pictures of people’s family lives, but contributors have also sent in pictures of their college lives, work lives, the start of businesses and pictures of other things they feel has a place in history or a story to tell.
Wits Vuvuzela May 16 2013: Celebrating 100 years of Bollywood
by Liesl Frankson | May 10, 2013 | Featured 1, Sport
Esselen Trumps: Esselen goes for gold against Girton House
THE ESSELEN netball team’s fast-placed play proved too much for rivals Girton House, leaving them victorious 20-12 after their Tuesday match at Dig Field. The fast paced match left Girton struggling to keep up as Esselen dominated the first three quarters with a solid goal shooting team.Esselen members Palesa Choma and Nomfundo Koloi worked well together and used every opportunity to score goals. Their defence was also solid and managed to keep the Girton shooters at bay.
Goalkeeper Mpho Mokoena was a force to be reckoned with in the Girton shooting circle, often retrieving the ball before Girton could score.
Girton felt the pressure and were sloppy with their passes, often losing balls they should have used to their advantage. After a stern talking to from the coach, Girton’s defence appeared stronger in the third quarter. This kept Esselen on their toes with Girton goalkeeper Kwezi Katamzi becoming a formidable foe for Esselen goalshooter Nomfundo Koloi. While their defence was on point, Girton still had difficulty driving the game forward towards their goals.
The last quarter of the game intensified as both teams made efforts to win the match. Girton gave it their all and matched the Esselen pace. They made solid advances to their goal posts, scoring a couple of goals and giving Esselen a run for their money.As the pressure mounted Esselen started to panic and become careless with their passes. However, this they found their feet again, kept their defence strong and eventually came out victorious.
The Esselen and Girton match wereone of several played this week in the Wits internal netball league. Other teams that came out on top include Wits Junction with a 20-12 victory over Reith and Jubilee with a 27-8 victory over Barnato.
Mavoda suffered a crushing 2-43 defeat against Medics, the 2012 champions.
Braamfontein Centre and David Webster played a smooth game that left David Webster victorious 19-12. The match between Sunnyside and Medhurst was postponed.
The next round of the league continues on April 14 at 6pm on West Campus at the Dig Field.
by Liesl Frankson | Apr 26, 2013 | News
Wits University participated in the first ever global screening of a new climate change documentary Thin Ice on Monday night.
The documentary was released on Earth day in line with the 2013 theme “the face of climate change.” The selected theme aims to tell the world the stories of people, animals, and places affected by climate change.
Thin Ice addresses the other side of the climate change coin by looking at the great lengths scientists go to, in order to understand our planets changing climates. The purpose of the documentary, amongst other things, is to show how far reaching human activity can be on the environment. .
The makers of the documentary felt that the topic of climate change has come under fire in recent years. The making of the film would not only document but also put a face to climate change science. “A group of us have produced another film about climate science but in this one, scientists do the talking” said Peter Barret, team leader for the film project.
The 40 researchers and scientists in the film can be seen discussing and studying changes in the atmosphere, oceans and ice sheets. They made use of measurements and computer modelling, which took place across four continents and the ocean.
This year over one billion people in 192 countries participated in Earth day, including South Africa. South African National Parks (SANParks) was one of many organisations that hosted an Earth day event.
They promoted and reinforced the popular reduce, reuse, recycle concept with tips and advice as well as climate change and global warming facts. This week many offices around the country also celebrated green office week in commemoration of Earth day.
Earth day was first celebrated on April 22 1970 making this year the 43rd anniversary. The first Earth day took place in the USA when 20 million people took to the streets to protest against the damage that was being done with oil spills and carbon emissions and their right to a clean sustainable environment.
by Liesl Frankson | Apr 19, 2013 | News
The Department of Social Development held an oath taking ceremony for first-year social work students at Wits yesterday.
The event was attended by the South African Social Service Professions (SASSP), the Faculty of Humanities, The Department of Social Work and The Minister of Social Development, Bathabile Dlamini who delivered the keynote address.
The ceremony is an annual event and involves students taking a solemn declaration before their peers, parents and lecturers to honour the social work profession and always adhere to the ethical code of the profession as contained in the Social Service Professions Act.
This year Dlamini underlined issues of importance in the social work industry. She emphasized one aspect in particular that is important if students are to call themselves complete professionals one day “students must treat their clients regardless of social standing with respect and dignity.”
She congratulated and thanked the students for their choice of profession and explained the importance of the role of the social work profession in society. “The public expects high quality, responsive services delivered by well trained and competent social workers and rightly so.”
Dlamini also used the occasion to highlight the South African Veteran Social Workers Forum that was launched last year. The forum will serve as a support structure to newly qualified social work professionals, who can use the expertise of retired social workers offering mentoring through the forum.
by Liesl Frankson | Apr 19, 2013 | News
The deep dramatic melodies of the piano reverberated around the room and I felt this uncomfortable feeling in my chest as if my heart was fluttering. My eyes began to water and I felt as if I had a giant marble in my throat as I looked into her eyes and saw, glistening in the light, what looked like the glaze of tears.
I always tell people to listen to all kinds of music as I do but this was my first experience at a classical music concert. WitsMusic hosted a classical music concert in the Atrium on Tuesday night showcasing the talent of classical musicians from around the country.
It was an hour long event that took me on a rollercoaster ride of emotions and imagery in my mind. I always imagined that my first live encounter with classical music would involve a big theatre and an orchestra numbering near the hundreds, but this concert was exactly the opposite.
The Atrium is a small cosy venue, with a lowered stage no more than 10 feet away allowing the audience of 102 to look straight at the performers. The soft, warm glow of the orange lighting against the wood of the stage added to the intimate feel of the evening as if we were in a room lit with hundreds of candles.
It was the second act of the evening with Michele Corbin, a Soprano, and, pianist from Tri Hemany, Malcolm Nay that almost brought me to tears last night. Corbin evoked emotion around the room with the powerful range of her voice and expressions on her face as she bellowed out a song or, “chanson” as it’s called in the opera world that recalled past memories of love.
As I looked around the room I couldn’t help but notice the small audience had very few young people who weren’t arts and music students there to support their teachers and family members. It got me thinking about why more young people aren’t open to the experience of classical music.
Deejaying and creating beats on computer programmes with synthesizers and other music creating gadgets is more the choice of the younger generation today, and perhaps taking things back to basics with real instruments is the best place to start on the path to rue musical appreciation. Even my partner who doesn’t consider himself much of a classical music kind of guy was visibly moved to a point where he declared the evening “cool”.
It’s one thing to listen to classical music on the radio or a CD but to have a live classical experience is quite different, with nothing but instruments classical artists paint pictures in your mind, and if you surrender to the melodies and allow the music to engulf you, you may just discover a deeply emotional or creative part of you, you never knew existed.
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by Liesl Frankson | Mar 26, 2013 | News
A new career management portal was launched in Johannesburg today with the intention of matchmaking graduates with prospective employers.
The South African Institute of Chartered Accountants SAICA launched their new jobs portal in the hope that the platform will address the difficulties people experience in finding work and managing their careers in today’s tough economic circumstances. CEO Matsobane Matlwa says he hopes the facility will help bring qualified jobs seekers and businesses who seek skills together.
Career Suite is an online career and talent management platform for accounting and finance professionals and graduates. SAICA’s Chief Information Officer Rakesh Beekum explained that subscription to Career Suite is free, and open to all accounting, audit, tax and finance professionals participating in all levels of finance and business whether they are SAICA members or not.
Beekum explained “Once you’ve registered with a Career Suite profile, you will have access to a range of career development tools.” Graduates will be able to access articles and videos on managing their career, managing talent effectively and managing their performance. They will also be able to access mentors and coaches through the portal as well as conduct competency and psychometric assessments.
The portal offers graduates the opportunity to make the maximum impact on potential employers by not only being able to upload a detailed CV but also a photo and video. According to Beekum the portal will teach graduates how to sell themselves in 30 seconds. He said “We’ve also thought of making CV’s sexier with the formats and themes we’ve made available.”
The Career Suite portal will be available in mobile format with an application you can download on iPhone and Android operating smart phones. An application for BlackBerry is not yet available but according to Beekum SAICA this should be available sometime in the near future.
by Liesl Frankson | Mar 15, 2013 | News
UPGRADES to the Paediatric Casualty Unit (PCU) at Charlotte Maxeke Academic Hospital will get a boost with the help of a fundraiser headlined by a well-known author.
Gerald Garner, a registered tour guide and author of Spaces & Places 2.0-JoburgPlaces will be giving a talk at the Wits Club on March 16 on the topic of places in Johannesburg and the rebirth of the city.
The fundraiser with Garner will cost R350 per person and starts at noon. The cost includes a welcome drink, entertainment and a buffet lunch. The fundraiser was organised by the Wits Paediatric Fund.
According to Lebogang Ngwatle, the development manager of the Wits Paediatric Fund, Garner was the perfect person for this fundraiser because his topic is relevant to Johannesburg. It will focus on how the city is being revamped and they hope to be able to do the same for the PCU.
The unit is old and in need of the basics such as chairs for staff and patients, as well as for doctors in the consultation rooms.
The doctor’s room in the unit is in need of a new bed, a couch, a study desk and lamp.
A shower and toilet need to be added to the room, because doctors have to stay overnight and are currently using public toilets in the mornings.
The children’s play area also needs attention as it does not have any tables, chairs, sofas and toys.
The playhouse needs to be fully refurbished with a fresh coat of paint and a new floor.
When asked about their target amount, Ngwatle said the estimated about R40,000 was needed for the
They have so far raised R20 000, bringing them halfway to their rough target.
Dr Yola Soundy, head of the PCU, believes “anything will help”.
The Wits Paediatric Fund serves the paediatric units of the Wits Medical School’s three teaching hospitals, Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital, Rahima Moosa Mother and Child Hospital and Charlotte Maxeke Academic Hospital.
by Liesl Frankson | Mar 15, 2013 | Sport
PRESSING ON: Mathew Povall (left) and Stewart Barry (Right) battling it out on Tuesday night’s heated Premier League hockey final. Wits lost the match, and ultimately the league, 6-7 to the Crusaders. Photo: Liesl Frankson
IN A heated match filled with disputes and foot infringements, the Wits Hockey men lost their final indoor Premier League match 6-7 against the Crusaders at the Fourways Indoor Stadium on Tuesday night.
Wits got off to an aggressive start, playing at a high tempo which paid off when Devon Campbell got past the Crusaders goal keeper and scored the first field goal for the match five minutes into the game.
Crusaders responded five minutes later when they won a penalty corner and used a slip variation at the top of the D that got past Wits’ defence and goal keeper to equalise.
Crusaders went on to take the lead with a well set-up field goal by Stewart Barry in the 15th minute to go 2-1 up.
Tensions were high with umpires constantly blowing their whistles for foot infringements and things became heated.
Coaches from both sides had to calm players and encourage them to get back in the game and stop disputing the umpire’s calls.
Amid all the tension and pressure, Wits were awarded a penalty in the 19th minute which Barry Morisse forcefully struck past the Crusaders’ goalkeeper to equalise for the home team.
Not even a minute later, Jaryd Povall slammed in a field goal giving Wits a 3-2 lead. Crusaders answered shortly after with an equally aggressive field goal from Kish Chetty, levelling the score at half-time.
The second half started off with the same tenacity. The Crusaders won a penalty corner which they used to take the lead. Two minutes later they added to their lead with a quick field goal from Stewart Barry, his second for the night, putting the score at 5-3.
Devon Campbell resurrected Wits’ hopes when he brought the sides level with two unsaveable field goals in quick succession in the 28th and 30th minutes respectively.
A repeat performance from Barry Morisse pulled Wits ahead four minutes later with a goal taken from a penalty stroke.
However, Wits could not hold on to their lead and conceded a pair of penalty corners, in the 35th and 38th minutes. The Crusaders used them to equalise and ultimately took the 7-6 victory over Wits.
Published in Wits VUvuzela, 6th edition, March 15.
by Liesl Frankson | Mar 11, 2013 | Featured 1, Sport
Wits men digging deep against Quantum on Saturday afternoon’s opening matches for the Gauteng Volleyball Union League.
Wits played host to the opening of the Gauteng Volleyball Union League this weekend but lost their first match against the Vaal University of Technology (VUT).
The activities started off at lunch with the Wits woman’s volleyball team taking on VUT. The girls showed good form and fought hard with Zinhle Kunene injuring her knee in the process. However this was all to no avail as the Wits side lost all sets giving VUT a 3-0 victory.
It seemed as though Wits could not shake their misfortune when the Wits men’s volleyball team faced off against Quantum Volleyball Club in the late afternoon. The Wits men also showed good form and appeared to be a good challenge when they were warming up earlier in the day. They struggled to break through Quantum’s formidable front row though and eventually lost their match, 3-0.
Kunene, vice-chairperson of the Wits Volleyball Team expects the club to grow in stature especially because they are looking to launch beach volleyball at the beginning of the second block. “We’re looking to launch beach volleyball as soon as we have fixed the court. We are already there we just need lighting, more sand and court lining.”
