In a display of skill and tenacity, Wits University’s Kudus swept the North-West University (NWU) Eagles in a friendly tennis match, dominating every game and showcasing their prowess on the court.
Under the golden sunlight of a perfect Saturday morning on July 27, the Wits Tennis Club hosted a friendly yet fiercely competitive match against the NWU Eagles from Mafikeng at the Wits Tennis courts, Bozzoli Pavilion.
Spectators filled the stands—students, parents, and community members alike- drawn by the promise of an exciting clash.
As the first serve soared through the air, it was clear this was going to be an intense match. Both teams displayed unwavering focus and sportsmanship.
With 18 matches played across four courts, the level of competition was undeniably high, Wits University quickly showcased their dominance, racking up an impressive 36 points to NWU’s 2.
Coaches and players engage in a discussion after a friendly tennis match. Photo: Lona Sokanyile
The matches provided a learning experience for players, “today was my first day playing against Wits, the game was very educational, I have learnt a lot” said NWU tennis player Otsile Modue
Kudus head coach Sylvester Zungu said his team’s victory is a testament of their relentless hard work and dedication. “It was not easy as we all know that they are students and they have to juggle around going to school and coming to practice,” he said.
Spectator, George Slambee, who watched every game, said, “today, tennis won we didn’t come here to see who would win or lose, this venture between Wits and NWU was an absolute success, and as parents, this is what we want to see”.
The players left the court with new experiences and lessons, the spectators with thrilling memories and both teams with a strengthened bond.
FEATURED IMAGE: Keletso Mmako, Wits tennis player leaps to return a shot during a match. Photo: Lona Sokanyile
The #FeesMustFall protests have left institutions of higher learning with a hefty R800 million bill in damage to infrastructure and the hiring of extra security. Higher Education Minister Naledi Pandor revealed this on Wednesday, August 8, in a written reply to a question posed by a Democratic Alliance (DA) member of parliament.
The Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) arrived at the figure after requesting submissions from all institutions to cover damage caused by the protests from 2015-2017. DHET then compiled a detailed report of the figures it obtained from each university. The report further broke down the figures according to year and the details of the damage provided.
Wits University told Wits Vuvuzela that it reported an estimated R25 million worth of damage for 2015 – 2017, whereas, according to the DHET report, Wits reported R28 million worth of damage in 2015 but none for 2016 and 2017.
Wits Vuvuzela sought clarification from the university for these discrepancies, however, seemingly no-one can provide the answers.
Buhle Zuma, the university spokesperson, didn’t answer questions relating to: how the sum was calculated; the details of the damage and costs that were considered in the final figure; and how the university separated the cost of #FeesMustFall related damage from damage that was not related to protests.
She also couldn’t explain the absence of a 2016 figure when there is documented evidence of damage to Solomon Mahlangu House and a fire on the second floor of the Wartenweiler Library.
DHET spokesperson, Lunga Nqgengelele said that there were no standard criteria used to determine the cost and each university used its own criteria to determine the amount of damage created by #FeesMustFall protests.
“We assumed the universities would be the best positioned to determine which criteria to use when calculating the amount,” Nqgengelele told Wits Vuvuzela.
Some universities, such as North West University, included the cost of additional private security while others only included infrastructure damage.
NWU recorded the highest costs, which are estimated to have been R198 million. This was largely a result of two buildings being set alight on the Mafikeng campus in February 2016, resulting in the university being temporarily shut down. This damage amounted to R151 million in the 2015-2016 financial year.
NWU spokesperson Louis Jacobs said that the university compiled its final figure using incident reports they had sent to their insurers. “These are all student unrest related, distinguished from routine damage,” Jacobs told Wits Vuvuzela.
Nqgengelele added that the cost had severely set back the government’s programme to provide education. “Money is not freely available; we will have to take it from somewhere else. I won’t be surprised if students wake up tomorrow and protest not having a library meanwhile they burnt the library down,” he said.
FEATURED IMAGE: Graffiti from the #FeesMustFall protests, which reads ‘#Asinamali” can still be found around Wits campuses.
Photo: Naledi Mashishi
STILL KICKING: Wits FC is steadily trying to ascend to their place as champions of university league football. The team is currently participating in the varsity football league, where they have won two out of five matches.
It was a season of drawing or losing for Wits university senior men’s team until two matches ago when they managed to start an unexpected winning streak.
It started off as a shaky campaign for the Wits side in July when they suffered a goalless loss against both North West University and Tshwane University of Technology. The season seemed like it would be something that would end in tears for Wits supporters.
At that point it looked as though Wits was leaving the tournament the same way they did in 2013 – bombed out with the worst loss to TUT, 3-0.
The change for the Wits side came in Round 5 when they brought the momentum of the UP Tuks side to a screeching halt.
Tuks had won two matches in a row, and suffered only one loss in the season so far. But their streak was stopped by Wits FC with a 2-1 win.
Round 6 also saw Wits beat the Vaal University of Technology 2-1 on their home turf infamously known as the slaughter house.
This sudden but welcome change of events leaves Wits at 4th place on the Varsity Football Log with one more match to go before the semi-final round.
Wits will meet Walter Sisulu University on Monday evening at the Bidvest Wits Stadium. Kick-off is at 6pm.
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