by Percy Matshoba | Apr 11, 2014 | Opinion
Percy Matshoba
Photo: TJ Lemon
As an East campus dweller and a West campus trespasser, I used to find that being recognised as a credible student did not come easy.
I always felt compelled to prove my intelligence, particularly on the side where the sun sets. In my first year as a Witsie, I discovered there was an unspoken hierarchy between the different Wits campuses, and East campus was at the bottom. You won’t find this status on notice boards, and there’s no statistic to back it up. It is simply implied by our over-the-bridge neighbours, in questions like: “Do you even need to study?” or in comments like: “I wish I was a BA student, you guys sit on the grass all day”.
After a year of desperation, I enrolled in a commerce course in which our lecturer would often warn us that if we failed, we could always enrol in a BA course. It wasn’t that I was unsure of my choice or that I did not have a sense of direction, it was that I had allowed my insecurities to dim my light. I did not want to be an accountant or an actuary, despite the pay. I did not find the idea of being a lawyer appealing. I knew exactly what I wanted. I wanted to inspire, inform and to simply “write what I like”.
After many years of dodging questions like: “What are you studying”? Or “Is there a big market for what you’re studying?” I have found that my choice of study was not what I needed to alter to appease the unimpressed. It was my response to their attitudes. Mine needed to be the weapon which broke the ignorance.
The war between east and west has its source in our country’s education system, which esteems some courses over others. This arrogance has led to companies funding only the faculties which are home to those esteemed subjects. Our attitude as a country has created a clear divide. The fact that there is a divide between the Wits campuses is merely the symptom of a wider problem, not the root of it. I have learnt that I don’t want to be valued because of what I do or how much I earn. I want to be valued because of what I contribute to society.
Mother Teresa once said: “I can do things you cannot, you can do things I cannot; together we can do great things.”
by Ilanit Chernick | Mar 24, 2014 | News
TEXTING: Wits Vuvuzela’s Tracey Ruff illustrates the dangers of texting and driving.
The seemingly innocent and fun mobile device poses hidden dangers to students walking and driving on campus.
Wits Vuvuzela conducted a snap “car count” for about three hours on Yale Road. We found nineteen out of fifty-three drivers driving through traffic lights and pedestrian crossings without checking for pedestrians because they were using their cell phones.
According to a number of articles in The Independent Online, an increase in users of social networks such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram has caused an alarming number of people to grow addicted to cellphone use.
People are reportedly unable to get through a few hours without texting, tweeting or accessing Facebook. One of the dangers this poses is to drivers as well as pedestrians.
[pullquote] “it is just a matter of time before a serious accident occurs as a result of driving and texting”[/pullquote]”
Campus Control Security and Liaison manager, Lucky Khumela said Yale Road is one of the busiest streets on campus and this phone obsession is “an accident waiting to happen”.
Khumela, a former police officer, said he thinks the high number of “car-related incidents are orchestrated by cell phone use while driving”.
He said cell phones are seldom reported as the cause of an incident as offenders and victims know it is against the law to drive and use a cell phone.
Khumela said most accidents on campus are relatively minor and include bumper bashings, cars reversing out of parking bays or booms closing on vehicles.
“But there have been near misses in the past and it is just a matter of time before a serious accident occurs as a result of driving and texting,” he said.
He made it clear that students crossing roads are sometimes also to blame for the near accidents on campus because they too are on their cell phones and not watching the road when crossing. He also stressed that students must not cross roads at undesignated places because this could be even more dangerous.
“Students must not just cross the road without checking because it is a pedestrian crossing. They must make sure vehicles are slowing or stopping.”
Khumela said Campus Control will propose a plan to fine people driving and texting on campus in the near future.
There are two road safety initiatives currently in place on campus. These are traffic officers who direct traffic on the main roads in the university during peak times and officers who ticket those parked illegally.
Campus Control, together with the SRC, is in the final stages of planning a safety week on campus. Road safety will be a core part of this initiative.
ilanit@witsvuvuzela.com
by Roxanne Joseph | Mar 20, 2014 | News
THULI TALKS: Public Protector Thuli Madonsela and Wits VC Professor Adam Habib speak about the Nkandla report at Wits earlier today. Photo: Luke Matthews
Public Protector, Advocate Thuli Madonsela likened the current state of affairs in South Africa to the story of Animal Farm at a panel discussion at Wits earlier today.
“All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others,” she said in reference to the Nkandla report, released yesterday.
[pullquote]“Public power should always be exercised within the confines of the law and the public interest.”[/pullquote]
George Orwell’s celebrated novel about a society of animals who are, after getting rid of the humans, left to their own devices is itself a piece of political commentary. The plot of the book was used by Madonsela to demonstrate corruption and an abuse of power in the South African government.
She went on to speak of the critical role of the South African Constitution particularly in the practices of political office bearers and public servants. “Public power should always be exercised within the confines of the law and the public interest.”
Asked by an audience member whether she felt threatened after the release of the report, Madonsela said, “I don’t feel threatened … the state as a state has not attacked me. Most of the time, people in government listen and want to do the right thing.”
A chicken run, an expensives cattle kraal, a fire pool and a two-storey house overlooking an amphitheatre labelled a ‘visitor’s centre,’ were just some of the “security needs” approved and built by Zuma’s architect, Minenhle Makhanya and a team assigned to the Nkandla estate.
WITS NKANDLA PANEL: Professor Steven Friedman, Wits vice chancellor Professor Adam Habib and Public Prosecutor Thuli Madonsela. Photo: Tendai Dube
When asked if she found ethical violations in her investigation, Madonsela responded by saying: “He [Zuma] did give parliament incorrect information, but explained this in a believable manner and so I made a finding in his favour.”
According to Madonsela, “everything (at Nkandla) was done cowboy-style. If the person upstairs wants it, then the law and budget doesn’t matter.”
Madonsela is a Wits graduate, earning her LLB degree from the institution in 1990.
Click here to view the Public Protector’s full report
by Rofhiwa Madzena | Mar 14, 2014 | Featured 1
DRAMA for Life (DFL) received eight Naledi Theatre Award nominations for two of its productions and one for a student who shined in her debut performance.
The Productions
Hayani and Through Positive Eyes were directed by Warren Nebe, the head of DFL. Nebe said a lot of hard work goes into producing work that is recognised by the prestigious theatre. He added “[there needs] to be a great deal of commitment and personal investment” to make the productions good.
Another element that makes the productions successful is that they deal with personal stories about real people.
Nebe said, “The challenge, then, is to be respectful to those who offer stories and present them in an honest and open way with integrity”.
Being nominated for the Naledi Theatre Awards has created many opportunities for DFL. Nebe said it’s easier to approach funders for productions and to improve on the “laboratory space for students to create art through performance”. He added that the department is taken more seriously in South Africa and internationally with this kind of recognition.
SHINING BRIGHT: Faith Busika, best newcomer nominee for the Naledi Theatre Awards, talks about the challenges with portraying true stories on stage.
Photo by: Rofhiwa Madzena
Best Newcomer
Faith Busika, a masters student at Wits, was nominated for best newcomer for her role in Through Positive Eyes. Busika enjoyed the aspect of being able to perform real stories of people, which she said is different from playing a created character. She said, “What made the performance good was its human context and the endless rehearsals where your every emotions were watched to make sure you’re authentic on stage”. She also said, “The production opened me up as an individual [and also] opened other doors to act in this genre”.
The Competition
The other productions that DFL was up against included mainstream productions which include some of the best actors and directors in South Africa. Other nominations include best ensemble, cutting edge production, best male performer, best musical score, and best new South African script.
The award ceremony will be on March 17 at the Lyric Theatre at Gold Reef City.
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by Emelia Motsai | Feb 21, 2014 | Featured 1, News
ROCKIN’ ROBOTS: Wearing a motion capture suit Jonathan Crossley is able to synhroniose the electronic with the acoustic sounds from his guitar. Photo: Emelia Motsai
WITS PHD student has created a robotic guitar that could end musicians’ dilemma- choosing between electronic and traditional musical instruments.
Jonathan Crossley, a music lecturer and PHD student at Wits, created the robotic device by combining an ordinary guitar with a motion capture suit similar to that used to create special effects in movies. But instead of generating images, the suit enables him to manipulate the sounds he makes while playing his guitar. This allows him to synchronise the electronic with the acoustic.
[pullquote align=”right”]The computer then creates a different sound from that motion, resulting in a unique effect for every motion[/pullquote]
“Then [with an old guitar] you could not change the sound in multiple ways while you were playing. The [robotic] guitar allows you to do that. You are still performing and improvising but you are enabling it through technology now,” said Crossley.
The suit maps out the different motions that the performers make while playing and sends them to a computer. The computer then creates a different sound from that motion, resulting in a unique effect for every motion.
More than a guitar
“The guitar itself has three outputs and 60 different controls built-in, a normal guitar only has one output and three controls. It has three digital delays, ring modular and mic input.”
According to Crossley, his invention was not unique. The real innovation was in how he is using it to extend the sound of the guitar.The robotic guitar is Crossley’s PHD thesis and he will be playing for his assessors in a show on February 22, at Wits. This will be the guitar’s first outing in South Africa and is open to the public.Crossley demonstrated his guitar for Wits Vuvuzela. The sound was…unique and little bit like random noise. However, Crossley said the music produced by the robotic guitar will make sense when performed with other musical instruments, as will be case in the February 22 show.
Mixing the old with the new
Crossley said it had taken four years from conceptualizing the idea to where it is right now. He bought the motion-capture suit from a company in the United Kingdom. He had initially wanted to build the suit himself but realized it would cost much less to buy it. Crossley has been playing guitar for 31 years and said that he made the robotic guitar because he wanted to combine the old with the new.
“Rather than say, ‘Well now, I’m going to stop playing the guitar and I’m going to stand behind a laptop’, you can do both,” he said.
For more information on Crossley’s robotic guitar, including performances with this unique instrument, visit his website at www.jonathancrossley.co.za.
by Palesa Radebe | Feb 14, 2014 | News
Love is in the air, it’s Valentines’ Day. There are those out there who can’t stand the day with its cringe-worthy adverts, plastic roses, chocolates , big white and red teddy bears and then there are hopeless romantics who love everything about the day. #teamvuvu went out on campus to hear what Witsies thought of the Valentines’ Day.
by Emelia Motsai | Feb 3, 2014 | News
Nelson Mandela received an honorary doctorate in law from Wits University in 1991. Pic: Wits University.
Nelson Mandela has left about R100 000 to Wits University in his will. This was revealed earlier today at a reading of the will in Houghton.
“The University of the Witwatersrand is honoured and deeply appreciative to learn that it is a beneficiary of former president Nelson Mandela’s legacy, and we are indeed humbled that he chose to remember the University in his will,” said Wits vice-chancellor, Professor Adam Habib.
The Clarkebury Institute, Fort Hare University and Orlando West High School also received the same amount from the former statesman who passed away on 05 December, 2013. Mandela studied law at Wits University in 1943 and received a honorary doctorate in law from the university in 1991.
“Wits accepts this generous bequest from one of our most illustrious alumni and commits to using it to address the development of higher education in South Africa,”
Habib also said the university understood that the “endowment brings with it a tremendous responsibility, given the character and legacy of our great leader and his commitment to the transformative power of education.
“Thank you, Tata, for remembering us in your will – you live on in our memory and in our lives”
The will was read by Deputy Chief Justice and Wits University chancellor, Dikgang Moseneke. Mandela’s estate is said to be worth around R46 million.
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by Caro Malherbe | Nov 12, 2013 | Indepth2013
What do we really know about small Chinese businesses in Johannesburg? We might think of red lanterns, black-bean pastries, herbal teas, doll-like chiffon dresses and a fat, golden cat with a metronome paw. We delve a little deeper and speak to Chinese business owners about their struggles to fit in – and their struggles to get out.
Johannesburg is home to a vast number of small Chinese businesses. Crown Mines, Cyrildene and various China Malls around the city are recognised as a nexus for all small Chinese traders. Generally offering a good deal, not many have explored how they came to be here.
Chinese traders have a distinctive way of managing their money. Not entirely integrated into the South African banking system or the tax system, Chinese business owners feel targeted and unsafe in this country.
The history of the Chinese trader
Alexander Chou is a Taiwanese diplomat at the Taipei Liaison Office of South Africa. Speaking with a slight American twang, he paints a picture of the unhappy Chinese merchant in South Africa.
“Even today there is a large group of Chinese in Johannesburg waiting for more gold to be found, wanting ‘to make it big.”
Small Chinese businesses developed when independent Chinese immigrants started coming to South Africa in 1870, says Chou. Unlike indentured Chinese slaves who were forced to work for a fixed term and salary in the mines, these independent immigrants were prohibited from obtaining mining contracts so they turned to trade instead.
During a more recent wave of immigration, Steve Yeh arrived in South Africa with his family in 1991 when he was 10. His uncle’s family had already settled in Johannesburg and was convinced that more gold would be discovered. Chou confirmed this by saying that even today there is a large group of Chinese in Johannesburg waiting for more gold to be found, wanting “to make it big”.
During apartheid Chinese traders were affected by the Group Areas Act of 1950 and forced to operate from areas designated as “non-white”. These small businesses catered exclusively for the black community.
Although apartheid has been officially over for almost 20 years, Chinese traders still seem to be separated from the rest of Johannesburg, choosing to do business in specific areas.
“Asians are not safe in this country”
Yeh works as a general manager and head of security at China Mart in the Crown Mines area of Johannesburg. He is a South African citizen but desperately wants to return to Taipei, Taiwan, with his wife and child.
“Asians are not safe in this country,” Yeh says. He feels that Chinese people are specifically targeted by criminals in Johannesburg. “It’s because we don’t like banks.”
The miserable merchant
According to Chou, Chinese traders do not plan to stay in Johannesburg forever. He says, if there is one thing to understand about the Chinese, it is that they are not scared to face hard times. Most Chinese put a great emphasis on education and working hard for their families, unlike other cultures.
“They will live off vegetables for the rest of their lives, to be able to afford a good education for their children. White people are so selfish. They will never sacrifice anything. They will never give to their brothers and sisters. Each and every one lives for themselves,” he says.
The honorary white
Skilled Taiwanese traders came to South Africa in large numbers between 1970 and 1990. South Africa saw Taiwan’s potential to help increase foreign investment and provided incentives to start up manufacturing companies in the rural and industrial areas of Johannesburg. This also helped the apartheid government keep non-whites out of urban Johannesburg as the Taiwanese businesses provided jobs for them outside the city.
These Taiwanese traders were given “honorary white” status. They were exempted from segregation legislation. The benefits did not seem to last long, though, as many Taiwanese immigrants later decided to leave. This was due to the lack of job opportunities, the increase in crime, difficulties with South African labour legislation and strict laws on importing goods. In 1998, South Africa also officially recognised the People’s Republic of China, which created a strong economic relationship between the two countries, yet subsequently alienated people of Taiwanese origin.
“They [Taiwanese immigrants] were so well skilled, but they couldn’t find jobs. The unions did nothing to protect them and the South African government flushed away their investment like one flushes a stool,” Chou says.
Yeh explains the Taiwanese attitude towards government officials: In Taiwan, if someone doesn’t get an answer within 15 minutes of inquiring at official state institutions, the head of the department will have a big problem, “to the point where he might even be asked to step down. We as citizens pay your [government officials] salary. If you are not capable then you must step the hell down!”
Avoiding tax
Yeh says Chinese merchants do not trust the South African government. They do not want to pay tax or be “on the record”.
Almost all of the small business owners in Cyrildene only accept cash. Yeh says small Chinese businesses are “barely getting by” and they do not want to have to pay extra for bank charges. Instead they choose to have a substantial amount of cash on hand daily which makes them “easy targets” for robbery, says Yeh.
China Mall in Crown Mines is a hub for Chinese wholesalers. Surrounded by containers, it is where most Chinese small business owners come to purchase goods in bulk for their stores in other areas of Johannesburg.
“I have to stay here, thanks to your home affairs.”
“A family that comes to Johannesburg to make money doesn’t want to lose money by becoming involved in the tax system when they know it is all corrupt,” says Frank Zhang, a restaurateur and clothing shop owner.
Zhang explains that when traders come to China Mall to purchase goods, they are spending hundreds of thousands of rands in cash at a time. “There is no way they will swipe for that and lose money from the bank charges.
“Of course this makes them vulnerable to crime because then, criminals know they have large amounts of cash on them. That is why many people will live behind, or very close to, their business,” says Zhang.
Recognised, registered and taxed
It is not only bank charges that prevent Chinese traders from making use of bank services. Like Yeh, who says he still has not received his South African passport, which he applied for 15 years ago, many Chinese traders have a non-resident status. “I have to stay here, thanks to your home affairs,” says Yeh.
This makes opening a bank account difficult and further removes Chinese traders from the South African business network.
According to Anile Hlalukana from the South African Revenue Services (SARS), a small Chinese business owner can only be taxed if they are registered as a sole trader with SARS.To make use of card machines, they would need a business bank account and the only way to get one is to be registered as a business with SARS.
Alycia Jacobs, a business banker at Standard Bank, says as long as someone is receiving a monthly income in South Africa, foreign or not, they have to be taxed. “Where does the money go if they don’t have a bank account? Are they sending it abroad? Are they keeping it in their homes? They must have an account.”
Zhang says some small Chinese traders register their businesses under the name of a company to get a tax number. This company will usually be associated with a freighting or shipping firm. Traders can then open a bank account for their business which they use “for show” as all major money transactions are done in cash only.
Unhappy in Johannesburg
For the most part, Chou believes Chinese and Taiwanese people living in Johannesburg live unhappily. He says crime is rife, unions do not protect them and, if they study and become professionals, there are no jobs for them in South Africa.
“Sacrifice for the betterment of your family is part of the Chinese spirit.”
Chou says: “Since this country has managed to deter all Chinese and Taiwanese manufacturers, some of the manufacturers decided to settle down and become importers. They know the language, and it’s easier than trying to get into the industrial division here.”
South Africa is my home
Zhang sees himself as part of a small percentage of the Chinese in South Africa who have made this country their home. “Every country has its problems and there is crime everywhere. I laugh when they try to rob me.”
Both he and his wife are from northern China. Their eight-year-old daughter is the only Chinese pupil in her school and, according to her dad, she is excelling academically and does not have any problems socially. Zhang has bought a house in Bramley, a suburb of Johannesburg, and is very happy with his job.
Yeh feels differently, “You have to consider where a person comes from to understand why they feel the way they do about being in South Africa.
“Northern China can be compared to a Zulu homeland. So do the math, what is better? If you come from a shitty place, you will love it here in South Africa. If you come from Shanghai, this place is a shithole.”
Self-sacrifice
“Have you ever been in poverty all your life? Have you ever been so hungry that your hands shake automatically? Where you wake up in the next morning and think: ‘Hmm, I just made another day’? Well, the fat guy sitting in front of you used to be in that situation. For us, sacrifice is a virtue, something to be proud of. Something you don’t enjoy, but something that you have to do. Sacrifice for the betterment of your family is part of the Chinese spirit,” says Chou.
Yeh agrees that it is part of the Chinese culture to suffer in silence in the hope that your children will have a better future. “Up until the age of 30 we are living for ourselves. After that we get married, we have kids. That is when the weight of our responsibility shifts. We don’t live for ourselves anymore, our kids come first. Our children are the ones who will carry our family name. They are the ones who will carry on what we leave behind,” he says.
Chou explains the Chinese philosophy on work. “The Chinese and Taiwanese alike work hard, they will do anything to make money. They will sacrifice their family life and their joys.”
He says he knows of a family in Cyrildene who owns a small supermarket. The five family members live together in one room behind their store. They share one toilet and use a bucket of water to wash as they do not have a shower or bath. The family sleeps on a double bunk bed with the parents at the bottom and their two adolescent children and 32-year-old cousin on top.
“To the Chinese, these are mere hardships to go through to taste the fruit of success. In your eyes it is suffering but to them it is living. They will sell anything, all in one store, as long as they can make a profit,” says Chou.
Gordon Lee came to Johannesburg and started a nursery called Golden Rod, which has grown over the years to the point that its net value is currently R15-million.
Lee has two children who went to university in South Africa and are both very successful in their respective industries. Because jobs are scarce, he says, his son moved to Australia to work as an engineer and his daughter moved to England. He has no family in South Africa but closing up shop to be closer to his children is virtually out of the question for him.
“The reason I stayed on is, if I close it up, I will lose everything,” Lee says.
The business of family
Simon Hong, a curtain and bedding store owner at China Discount Mall in Randburg, says he sends money to his parents in China every month. “When that money arrives it is a sign that everything is well and good and that you are thankful to have been brought up in a way where you can be a successful business owner.”
Eva Lang and her husband own a small Chinese business in Cyrildene. She lives in South Africa with her six-month-old baby and manages their family business while her husband lives in China. Her husband sees Lang and their child twice a year when he comes to South Africa to monitor the progress of his business.
Chou explains that this kind of lifestyle may not be ideal and can cause strain on family life, but it is part of the Chinese culture to have a “spirit filled with hope for tomorrow”.
“Often the reason they stay is that they believe they have little or no choice.”
“There are many people in South Africa who are poverty-stricken and live under the worst circumstances. But they are at least in a community, with their loved ones,” says Chou. The reason the Chinese do not mind going through hardships is because they live in the hope that things will get better – unlike South Africans, who don’t see their future improving, according to Chou.
Today, some Chinese small business owners in Johannesburg may be unhappy with their situation but there seems to be very little they can do to get out of it. Often the reason they stay is that they believe they have little or no choice. Whether they are suffering or embracing South African culture, they just want a better life for themselves and their children.
Chinese culture, their traditions and history influence the way they do business. Chou strongly believes that other cultures can learn a lot from the Chinese and what they prioritise in life. Although they emphasise financial success, their professional goals also lie in education.
Small Chinese traders are part of the community that makes Johannesburg the diverse city it is today, a city that houses many different cultures, each with its own story of how they came to be here. It is these merchants and migrants who are often overlooked and whose stories make Johannesburg distinctive.
FEATURED IMAGE: Supplied
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by Prelene Singh | Sep 17, 2013 | Sport
After 31 matches, 87 goals and 23 wins, Tuks came out on top with a 4-1 win in the final game against the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University last night.
It was an explosive finale to the inaugural Varsity Football challenge. Out of the eight teams who participated in the 2013 Varsity Football challenge the two remaining teams, the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU) went head-to-head with Tuks from the University of Pretoria in the final.
NMMU, otherwise known as the Madibaz, had a solid defence in the first half of the game. They put their bodies on the line in an attempt at good defense against the home team.
With an atmospheric kick-off for the home team, Tuks plunged their way into dominating ball possession in the first 20 minutes of the game. The Madibaz probed on the edges, and by the 15 minute of the game all the jittery nerves had become a thing of the past.
Tuks tried hard to turn all their defences into attacks and in the 20th minute, defender Lawrence Ntswane opened up the scoring lines by executing a perfect header straight into the goal post. Madibaz goalie Lyndsay Jennings had no chance at stopping the ball just creeping in.
[pullquote align=”right”]“It’s very pleasing and a wonderful thing that has happened for SA rugby and it’s a nice step from school level to professional level.”[/pullquote]
The Madibaz saw their best moment of attack in the first half when centrefold Lukhanyo Rasmeni from Port Elizabeth chanced a direct shot at goal, however with a disappointing result.
To end the first half off perfectly, 22 year-old defender Claudio Barreiro scored the second goal for Tuks in the 44th minute of the game.
Evangelos Vellios, coach for Tuks said: “It’s very pleasing and a wonderful thing that has happened for SA rugby and it’s a nice step from school level to professional level.”
The second half saw the Madibaz return with fighting spirits with quick and nippy kicks and clear strategy for goal attack.
[pullquote]“ We pulled something out of the hat and we definitely saved the best for last.”[/pullquote]
Although Madibaz came back with fighting spirits they were unable to prevent Tuks from scoring their third goal in the 72nd minute of the game. Mbogeni Masilela pushed Tuks to a well deserved three goals. Masilela has scored a total of three goals himself in this tournament.
NMMU decided to make their first change of the game. Alexander Owusu was sent to the bench with number 25 Bradley Peterson replacing him.
Peterson, watching out for the counter attack along with Leroy van Rensburg, a player who was underestimated, together with a joint effort managed to score the first the goal for NMMU in the 77th minute of the game.
Although the Madibaz came back fighting, Tuks brought the game home on their own turf when Masilela once again performed his magic, and with effortless pace and shot the fourth goal for Tuks perfectly into the post in last minute of the game.
The post-match ceremony saw trophies being handed to the champions by Dennis Mumble, Professor Julian Smith and Sports Minister Fikile Mbalula.
Player of the Tournament was “Scara” Mnyamane from NWU Mafikeng and man of the match was Jarryd van der Berg who said: “ We pulled something out of the hat and we definitely saved the best for last.”
Tristyn Coetsee, goalkeeper for Tuks won the Debonairs Dynamite Goalkeeper prize and the Samsung Super Striker went to Niven Kops from NMMU who said: “We are going back to the drawing boards.”
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by Mia Swart | Aug 28, 2013 | News
WORKING TOGETHER: Habib discusses how ‘we’ can build a stronger university
Photo: Ray Mahlaka
Wits plans to offer ten new scholarships to talented first year students.
The ‘Vice chancellor Equality Scholarships’ is the brainchild of Professor Adam Habib and will be presented to 10 students from the most marginalised schools.
The scholarship will be similar to the current merit scholarships that the university offers.
Habib said each the qualifying student would receive about R 100 000 in funding.
The students’ study fees and residence fees will be paid in full throughout their degree, as long as they attain a certain level of performance.
If the students pass their first year at the university, their second year will be paid as well. Habib said the rationale of the scholarship is that any university must be a home for talented students, whatever their degree.
“That’s a bloody good student”
“Our thing is, if you’re going to be a nationally responsible university, a university of this country, you must be able to make sure you have a home for poor people as much as you are a home for rich people. And that means you are taking talented students.”
Habib said it can’t be expected of a marginalised student or someone who comes from a marginalised school to compete on an equal footing with somebody from a private school, so Wits wants to equalise the playing field.
[pullquote align=”right”]You must be able to make sure you have a home for poor people as much as you are a home for rich people[/pullquote]
“If you have got five A’s or four A’s from a student who is in a school that does not even have laboratories, that’s a bloody good student. And so they must be given a shot.” The scholarships will be an attempt on Wits’s part as a public institution to address inequality in society. Funds for the scholarships will come from Wits and donors.
Although 10 new scholarships are planned for future first years, Wits is also driving a new scholarship fund for postgraduate students. Habib said the idea for the postgraduate funds was similar to the idea for the equality scholarship funds, “to address the needs as a society”.
Wits currently has 9 800 postgraduate students, which is about 30% of the total student population.
by Prelene Singh | Apr 5, 2013 | News
The university has awarded a retired maths professor with a gold medal in recognition of his contribution to the university and broader community.
Prof Kantilal Naik received the medal during the Faculty of Science’s graduation ceremony at the end of March.
Naik said: “I was totally surprised when our head of the school, Professor Momoniat, sent an email to our staff announcing that the university is going to award me a gold medal . I could not believe it! I had tears in my eyes.”
The Wits Council awards gold medals to a person who has made a noteworthy contribution to the university or made an exceptional impact on the community.
Naik has been involved with the Azaadville Hindu Seva Samaj for almost 32 years.
He was the acting chairperson and honorary secretary and is on the student governing body of Ahmed Timol Secondary School. He has also worked with the Yusuf Dadoo Primary School in Azaadville.
Naik hopes to have further input in the academic and administrative areas of the School of Computational and Applied Mathematics as Honorary Adjunct Professor.
The Tyranny of Apartheid Regime is the title of Naik’s upcoming book which deals with his detention with the late Ahmed Timol at what was then John Vorster Square, by the security police in 1971.
The book describes the torture and tyranny he faced during apartheid. “My hands were totally immobilised from the wrists. I could not use my hands for almost four months,” said Naik.
“I had no hope at all that our motherland will ever become free from this tyranny of the nationalist government. But it happened,” Naik said.
Before joining Wits as a senior tutor, initially in the statistics department, Naik was a science teacher and later moved to the Transvaal College of Education where he lectured physical science.
In 1986 Naik was moved to the Department of Computational and Applied Mathematics and was later promoted to senior lecturer in the department. Naik retired in December 2003 and was appointed honorary adjunct professor of this department until 2015.
