Celebrating art can be about letting the art speak for itself, despite the artists internal doubts.
Wits Vuvuzela’s Ofentse Tladi doing what she loves most. Photo: Siyanda Mthethwa
As a writer, I consider what I do to be art, every sentence and turning over of a word a new brush stroke on the page in front of me.
In April 2013, I sat behind the my study desk and instead of scrambling through the never-ending Grade 5 maths homework, I wrote my very first story. It was not planned, the pen just kept going, writer’s block non-existent concept in my head at that point.
What stared back at me in that moment were pages and pages of what I now consider the worst thing to have ever been possibly written in human existence. A story about a girl trying to find herself amid her family’s chaos.
A story I’ve now learnt to partially like or at least, appreciate as a starting point. A story that now sits, cramped in the cupboard with many other pieces. Pieces that have probably long cried out to be heard but have been overshadowed by doubt, fear and many other endless reasons.
Doubt and fear – words that have somehow been ingrained in the minds of artists. Something is just never good enough, interesting enough, anything enough to be shared. It’s this constant battle between the artist and the art itself to be heard.
Your “April 2013” days have long passed now, and like the Grade 5 maths homework, you have to scramble through the very essence of what you do, the very essence of who you are.
To me, celebrating art is about learning to let your work speak for itself in its current state. To let readers, viewers and consumers delve deep in the imperfections of your creations and find beauty in that. It’s about building the trust you have in yourself as an artist and within the work you produce. It’s about attempting to revisit those “April 2013” days.
As a writer, when last did you sit and simply write a piece? When last have you blocked out the thousands of reasons your mind automates that make it ridiculously hard to simply just write? When last have you given your work a platform, a chance, a moment to simply just exist?
For art to be art, it must be born, with or without the doubt, the fear or the endless scrambling. It matters because it speaks. It is its own.
Wits SRC has appointed an acting president to deal with the leadership vacuum; pending an arbitration process of their former student leader
A mediation process between seven suspended students, including former Student Representative Counsil (SRC) president Aphiwe Mnyamana and the university has collapsed last week on May, 22,2023. This is after the two could not reach an agreement on a suitable way forward.
The seven, which includes other members of the SRC were suspended in earlier March following violent protests over accommodation on campus.
On April 20, the SRC and University released a joint statement stating that their suspension orders have been reformulated in terms of the University’s rules to allow them to continue with their academic programmes with immediate effect. This recent collapse still means the seven are still allowed to continue with their studies.
Following the collapse of the process, Wits university spokesperson Shirona Patel told Wits Vuvuzela that: “Please note that Mr Mnyamana is no longer the SRC President. His suspension terms were amended to allow him to attend class and to stay in residence, but not to hold any leadership position.”
In order to deal with the leadership vacuum, the SRC has elected a new acting President Kabelo Phungwayo, who previously was Treasurer general of the SRC. Wits SRC compliance officer, Karabo Matloga said: “The SRC sits in important committees that take decisions which affects students, we therefore needed to ensure we have an individual who will be able to represent the students view in the delegated committees such as university council, Senate and forum where the SRC has an opportunity to express grievances and contribute to change that is in the student’s best interest,”
After the mediation process collapsed, Mnyamana released a statement on his Twitter page saying: “We hung our heads in horror and terror as we walked out of their boardrooms because once again, we had fallen into the illusion that we were negotiating with people”.
He furthermore went to say “To silence us[SRC] is not enough, to suspend us will never be enough. We the elected representatives of the students at Wits University are not shaken. We remain evermore resolute in ensuring the realization of the right to free education”.
Despite this collapse, Mnyamana explained that he is currently waiting for a hearing that will be taking place on June 17, 2023; and a meeting will be held with students to update them on the intense months the SRC underwent and what this means as a way forward for the student community.
FEATURED IMAGE: Wits SRC members with Dali Mpofu after the mediation meeting. Photo: Supplied.
At least 23 Kids from disadvantaged backgrounds affected by facial abnormalities and severe burns, will have their lives changed through surgery at the Nelson Mandela Children’s Hospital
Smile Foundation has partnered with Sensodyne and Lancelot to perform reconstructive surgeries on 23 children at Nelson Mandela Children’s Hospital (NMCH) from May 7 to 14.
The foundation is currently based in 12 of South Africa’s leading hospitals where they host smile weeks to assist disadvantaged children who are affected by facial abnormalities and severe burns with life-changing surgeries.
Smile Foundation CEO, Kim Robertson-Smith said, “each child deserves to live a normal life and not be bullied at school.” The foundation has done 1066 procedures in the past 12 months; however, this week, the foundation is focusing on children based at the NMCH.
Most children will be undergoing cleft lip and palate repair surgery except for five-year-old burns survivor Nonhlanhla Zwane and another child who is undergoing full ear reconstructive surgery.
The non-profit organization started 23 years ago when Nelson Mandela requested assistance for a child who could not smile — and it has since kept the late president’s legacy alive by continuing to assist children with these specific surgeries.
This week, Wits Vuvuzela visited the hospital to meet with parents and kids who were waiting for their surgeries and those that have completed theirs. Mother of nine months old Ayama was gleaming with joy holding her baby who was still in pain from her cleft lip surgery, which took place on Monday.
She expressed that her excitement was because her baby will finally be able to breastfeed as she previously could not latch onto her breast.
Southern African director of the Smile foundation, Sibusisiwe Yona succumbed to tears as she mentioned that “every 3 minutes there´s a child being born with a cleft.”
Clinical Director Pinky Chirwa holding nine months old Ayama who just had her cleft lip surgery. Photo: Sfundo Parakozov
Meanwhile, mother of Nonhlanhla, Smangele Zwane was anxiously anticipating the tissue expander surgery (for skin reparation) on her daughter. Nonhlanhla was only nine months old when she almost lost her life in a house fire which took her grandparents and cousin. She was in the Intensive Care Unit and managed to recover but lost her ear, some of her fingers and part of her nose before her first birthday. The surgery is especially significant as this month is National Burn Safety awareness.
Smangele Zwane preparing her daughter, Nonhlanhla for her tissue expander surgery. Photo: Sfundo Parakozov
Smith added that they have been working closely with the Wits Surgical Society (WSS) to train them on how to treat burns. “They [WSS] climb Kilimanjaro and host events where they raise funds and that all goes to the smile foundation so it’s really incredible,” said Smith. “We’re hoping that they can assist by going out into communities and educating them further on preventing and treating burns properly.” She added that most people go to the hospital weeks later after being burned which is not advisable because the burn continues to expand.
The Public Relations Manager of NMCH, Ayabulela Poro took the visitors on a tour and explained that the hospital is designed according to the children’s imagination. “We hosted workshops with the kids and asked them about their thoughts about being in a hospital, they did some drawings hence the doodles on the hospital walls.”
“You´ll notice the proximity of this hospital to the Wits education campus, that’s because [the land] was donated by Wits as a result of their cooperation with the Nelson Mandela Foundation and this was initially a hockey field.” Said Poro.
FEATURED IMAGE:Plastic and Reconstructive surgeon, Dr. Sheree Koonin performing tissues expander surgery on burns survivor Nonhlanhla Zwane. Photo: Sfundo Parakozov
Award-winning ‘Kgosigadi’ is grateful for the four-year nurturing she got at the Wits radio station.
VowFM presenter Boipelo Hlapane has joined the recently launched North-West-based commercial radio station, YouFM. Hlapane, also known as Kgosigadi, will co-host a breakfast show, starting on Monday, April 3.
YouFM made the announcement on their Twitter page on Friday, March 24, along with that of other additions to the station’s team.
Hlapane (28) said that the appointment came as no surprise to her. “The work I did at VowFM speaks for itself.” As a recipient of the station’s people’s person choice award in 2020, she believes that the technical skills she acquired at the Academy of Sound Engineering are what separate her from the typical radio host.
She joined Vow in 2018 as a stand-in presenter, after resigning from the International Hotel School in Sandton as a student representative. She went on to get a stable slot on Area Code as a co-host with Boipelo Mooketsi, and by the time she left, had also been presenter for That Lunch Show, VowFM Drive and Breakfast Punch.
She heads to YouFM with intentions to repeat what earned her the South African Radio Award for best daytime show in 2021. “I took over That Lunch Show, and a year later it won an award. The style and voice I introduced earned me recognition,” Hlapane says.
Boipelo ‘Kgosigadi’ Hlapane (front) poses with her then co-host, Ayanda Ntuli, during VowFM Drive in 2022. Photo: VowFM Twitter page (@vowfm)
In 2022, she was nominated again for the best daytime show and for the best daytime show presenter on VowFM Drive. Although she walked away empty-handed that time, she was not discouraged. “I had to remember that sometimes you must let what you love be your killer.”
She leaves VowFM after a short introduction to the listeners of Breakfast Punch. Hlapane is filledwith a lot of gratitude towards the station: “[VowFM] will forever be home.”
VowFM programme manager Junior Malinga told Wits Vuvuzela that the radio station is a door opener for anyone with a passion for radio. “[VowFM] gives inexperienced interns necessary skills and trains their brain to start treating working in radio as an actual job.”
The show she will be co-hosting alongside Dj Ankletap, YOUR Mornings with Malume Tap will air Monday to Friday, from 5am to 9am, on FM 89.8 to FM 103.9, youfm.co.za, DStv channel 842 or the YouFM app.
FEATURED IMAGE: Boipelo Hlapane in front of a poster announcing her imminent arrival at YouFM. Photo: YouFM Twitter page (@YOUFM89)
With the majority of the Wits community vaccinated, it seems the university has been able to successfully implement its vaccine policy within a short number of weeks.
“I think supporting young people is the most important responsibility that people with over 50 years of life experience have. It is an easy investment in the future of society.”
In this episode, we explore the feasibility of social housing for students, and the advantages and disadvantages that the inner city offers to the development of a student precinct.
