Israel adds to the already harrowing death toll of media workers reporting from Palestine.
Journalists Against Apartheid take a moment to commemorate lost Al-Jazeera colleagues.
Anas al-Sharif was among the six journalists recently targeted by Israel.
South African journalists and supporters emphasise the need for the media to speak up and to report the truth.
It was a sombre and almost muted affair, as a handful of South African journalists gathered on August 14, to honour slain colleagues in Palestine.
Journalists Against Apartheid gathered outside the Al-Jazeera office in Auckland Park, holding candles, placards and some draped in keffiyehs to remember those who have been killed by Israeli forces.
Journalist holding a candle in commemoration of lost media workers in Gaza. Photo: Ekta Seebran
Housed in a tent outside Gaza City’s al-Shifa hospital, Anas al-Sharif, a Palestinian journalist for Al-Jazeera Arabic, along with colleagues Mohammed Qreiqeh, Ibrahim Zaher, Mohammed Noufal, and freelance journalists Mohammed al-Khalid and Momen Aliwa, were killed in a targeted Israeli airstrike.
Israel admitted to targeting al-Sharif on the belief that he was the head of a Hamas terrorist cell but has yet to produce any evidence of this.
Faseegah Davids, coordinator of the Palestine Solidarity Committee, said, “making people feel powerless is the tool of the oppressor, journalists being silenced and killed in Gaza are used to misguide the world in terms of narrative and truth. But we know the truth. They have already been exposed.”
Since October 2023, 272 journalists and media workers have been killed in Israel.
Placards made by supporters. Photo: Ekta SeebranSupporters taking a moment of silence for the lost journalists. Photo: Ekta Seebran
Josephine Kloekner, freelance journalist and organiser of the vigil, said, “It’s not a time we can just be hesitating, because all our colleagues are dying, we have to show our faces and speak up, because if we don’t, who will do it for us.”
The gathering heard voices from not only journalists and supporters of Palestine, but also from media workers on the field sent a message to be read to the crowd, which said:
“The target is truth. We knew them not as bylines, but as friends, as colleagues. Whenever we could get coffee, we shared it with them […] We ran towards danger, not away from it, because we are fearless. But in actual fact, we live in fear. It’s our natural state, and we know that the world must see. We mourn today, but we pick up our cameras tomorrow […] We can never allow Gaza to die without us.”
FEATURED IMAGE: Photos of Al-Jazeera journalists killed on 10 August 2025. Photo: Ekta Seebran.
Though information and communication technologies (ICTs) broaden our reach, with its evolution emerges the monster that is technology facilitated gender-based violence.
Technology Facilitated Gender-Based Violence (TFGBV) plagues youth in the digital age.
Lack of education, adequate law enforcement, and ability to identify the cyber abuse allows the problem to persist.
The Wits Gender Equity Office works separately from government, allowing for increased reporting of abuse by student.
In a move to increase awareness about TFGBV, Wits students have joined the youth-led initiative, SafeDigitalVoices, to combat the persistence of cyber-stalking, non-consensual image sharing, and online harassment, in the digital age.
TFGBV is a term which addresses the problem of abuse, exploitation, and harassment through digital platforms, including dating apps and social media. As it is a relatively new concept, but an important one at that, education on TFGBV is minimal and as a result, many do not know how to identify it.
It is important to know the “difference between a joke and being violated,” said Dr. Aretha Asakitikpi, coordinator of the SafeDigitalVoices TFGBV course. She explained that TFGBV is ‘internalised’, describing that it has become normalised in popular culture.
Jazz Selektor and SafeDigitalVoices member, Buntu, spoke to Wits Vuvuzela about her experience. “I experienced it a lot during 2017 and ‘18 because of the way that my boobs look. I went through so much backlash on social media which led me to deactivating my Facebook account,” she said.
This brings to light the problem of reporting TFGBV and the consequent challenges of law enforcement. Dr. Asakitikpi says that, “law enforcement understand the physical,” but not the intangible. Cyber bullying cannot be seen or touched.
Many of these cases go unreported. According to Dr. Asakitikpi, this is because youth don’t often tell elders, such as their parents or the authorities, due to fear of being shamed, misunderstood, and even ignored.
“Technology is growing faster than our laws,” Asakitikpi said. She described a case she came across during her research in which a respondent reported being stalked online and was met with negligence due to lack of training on the new age beast.
“They didn’t know what to do,” she explained.
Wits Vuvuzela spoke to Bhekamndeni Mkwanazi, a staff member at the Wits Gender Equity Office (GEO), who argued that the GEO is more effective than government law enforcement because they “use an inquisitorial approach, we ensure that we keep the complainant safer and also the respondent,” explaining a belief in restorative justice rather than solely punishment.
“We conscientise them, so whenever they do come back to the university, they’re better people than what they were,” he said.
Identifying and reporting TFGBV is extremely important, not only to protect the subject of the harm, but to hold perpetrators accountable, working toward combatting online norms that are causing or perpetuating harmful behaviours.
To report TFGBV cases you can email them at: info.geo@wits.ac.za, or call the crisis hotline: 0800 111 331. They are also available on Facebook: witsgeo and X: @WitsGEO.
FEATURED IMAGE: Image of the TFGBV awareness team, working with SafeDigitalVoices. Photo: Dipalesa Letuka.
The women of Medhurst Hall celebrate nipples, unashamed and free.
Wits’ Medhurst Hall challenged societal norms by going braless for a week during Women’s Month.
Their “Stick It To The Stigma” campaign encouraged women to feel proud of their nipples being seen.
Decades of conditioning forged deep insecurities, but this movement guided women towards self-love and acceptance.
Some women can remember the day vividly. Not the first time they wore a bra – that may be lost to the blur of childhood – but the day it truly became a thing. The gentle wire that eventually dug into flesh, the adjustable straps that always slipped, the sheer relief of unhooking it at the end of a long day, feeling their ribs expand, their shoulders drop. For many women, this is an intimate familiarity with a garment that dictates, rather than conforms.
Yet, for one week in August, students at Medhurst Hall, a Wits all-female residence, spent time loosening the tight knot of insecurity by freeing their nipples in honour of Women’s Month.
Their ‘Stick It To The Stigma’ campaign embraced the notion that women’s breasts are not deficiencies to be concealed or corrected, but rather celebrated.
As Kgothatso Kgowa, Academic Officer of the Medhurst Hall House Committee, puts it: “The idea that women must wear bras every day is a social norm, not a necessity. It’s rooted in patriarchy, media influence, and myths about health, leading even women to shame others for going braless.”
This sentiment echoes what has simmered for decades, from the “bra burners” of the past to the contemporary “free the nipple” movement.
“Boobs come in all shapes, sizes and personalities and that is exactly what makes them amazing,” mused Tokollo Matsaung, a resident of Medhurst Hall.
Her words tackle years of ingrained self-consciousness, “For so long,” she continues, “older generations quietly passed down shame and silence around our bodies, like we had to hide or fix what was never broken. But the truth is, your boobs aren’t wrong, society’s narrow lens is. Let them exist proudly.”
For Disebo Mokoena, another resident, this movement holds personal significance. “I started wearing a bra when I was young,” she recounts. “The minute my mom saw that I have breasts, she started to buy me bras.”
This early training, a common experience for many women, established a rigid framework. “You grow up with that mentality that I have to wear a bra because what are people going to say if I don’t?”
And the cycle of judgment often continues: “When we see girls not wearing a bra, we judge them because it was instilled when we were young that a woman should not go out with her nipples showing.” However, Mokoena now perceives a new trajectory. “I feel like this whole movement teaches us to love and appreciate our bodies the way they are.”
Through Instagram, Medhurst Hall reminds girls that: “You are powerful. You are enough. And you absolutely rock.” A joyful proclamation to “Stick It To The Stigma!” and, to allow their bodies to breathe free.
FEATURED IMAGE: From left to right: Medhurst residents Owam Madontsela, Lebogang Masemola, Kgothatso Kgowa posing with their nipples free.Photo: Supplied/Medhurst Hall
The FlySafair strike caused anxiety amongst students from outside the Gauteng Province.
FlySafair pilots were on a strike, which disrupted schedules and cancelled some flights.
Some students who live outside of Gauteng rely on the low-cost carrier.
Students had to use buses and taxis to travel long distances, with increased travel times to boot.
The longest aviation strike in South African history finally came to an end on August 1, 2025. Over 200 FlySafair pilots under the Solidarity trade union were striking for better working conditions and remuneration.
A one-day strike notice turned into a two-week strike, which led to disrupted flight schedules and cancellations.
Wits students were not excluded from these disruptions as they had to fly back to Johannesburg after recess in their home provinces to begin classes on Monday, July 21, the same day the strike started.
“In the absence of FlySafair, I had to choose between seven hours in a bus or five in a taxi from Durban. I chose a taxi, I had no better alternatives,” said Lizwilenkosi Mthiyane, a Theatre and Performance student.
Travelling from Johannesburg to Cape Town using a bus takes approximately 20 hours, which is why Esona Ngqebe, an Accounting Science student, was not looking forward to doing it again.
“FlySafair is not the most comfortable airline out there, but it’s better than going to Cape Town in a bus. I had to book a bus ticket coming back to Joburg in July. The drive took forever. I am glad their [FlySafair] strike is over,” said Ngqebe.
FlySafair has been operating fully for just over a week, with flight prices starting from R470. Now that the strike has come to an end, students will not have to worry about their travelling costs.
FEATURED IMAGE: A student complaining about travelling in a bus for hours from Joburg to Cape Town. Photo: Lulah Mapiye
The Johannesburg City Library welcomes the public back after a five-year hiatus, following relentless pressure from activist groups.
Iconic Johannesburg City Library reopens, celebrating its 90th anniversary with a major renovation.
This comes after years of public frustration and protests over delayed repairs.
Despite the reopening, the library’s future Saturday hours remain in jeopardy due to ongoing labour disputes.
Despite the chilly morning, a warmth of excitement filled the City of Johannesburg (CoJ) as the iconic Johannesburg City Library (JCL) reopened its doors on Saturday, August 9.
A rush of bodies, from excited children to cheery adults, pushed past the throng of media and officials, eager to once again bask in the smell of old and new books.
Following major renovations by the Johannesburg Development Agency (JDA), five years after its closure, the landmark also celebrated its 90th anniversary on August 6.
The reopening was partially possible due to activist groups like the Johannesburg Crisis Alliance (JCA), and the Johannesburg Heritage Foundation (JHF), who were the loudest voices since the library’s closure in 2020.
“This is a facility that belongs to us. It was only when we shouted that they [CoJ and JDA] started working. So protest matters. Don’t let anyone tell you to shut up!” said Flo Bird, founder of the JHF.
Reopening on Woman’s Day was significant, as the city paid tribute to Anna Hester Smith, the library’s first female librarian from 1960 to 1975.
Officiated by Executive Mayor Cllr Dada Morero, the ceremony was a reminder of the power of community.
Pandemic related lockdowns were not the issue, the real problem arose when the CoJ and JDA found that due to structural issues, the building was non-compliant to fire safety systems, electrical faults, and had water leakages.
But years passed without an update and JHF complained that they seemed not to be in a hurry to do timely renovations.
The JDA’s CEO, Themba Mathibe, said the refurbishment preserved the library’s heritage while integrating modern infrastructure including structural repairs from upgraded electrical and security systems, to refreshed reading rooms and archival storage.
Many were in awe, their eyes and hands scanning the aisles of tall, stacked shelves.
Among them was the Deputy Speaker of the Johannesburg Student Council, Mpilo Kunene, who said, “The library is going to be a place where I can be myself and progress my knowledge as a student.”
He looks forward to the youth loving the space as much as he does, yearning for them to engage with the books they have been denied.
Yunus Chamda, coordinator of the JCA, fondly recalls that , “Having been a high school student in the 70s, this library really was the place, on Saturdays, to come and do school research work.” However, Sicelo Tshisa, manager of the library’s Integrated Library System (ILS), confirmed that the facility will only be open to the public Monday to Friday from August 11.
JHF is pushing for Saturday library hours, but still are corroborating with authorities who blame labour union issues for the delay.
FEATURED IMAGE: The Johannesburg City Library located at the corner of Albertina Sisulu Road and Pixley Ka Isaka Seme Street in Johannesburg’s CBD. Photo: Lukholo Mazibuko
South Africa’s falling birth rate is not an accident, it’s a choice as women’s aspirations are reshaping the future.
South Africa’s declining birth rate is more than just a statistic; it is a powerful indicator of a societal shift, driven by women demanding more for themselves.
According to the latest Mid-Year Population Estimates (MYPE) 2025 report by Stats SA, the Total Fertility Rate (TFR) in 2025 has fallen to an average of 2,21 children per woman, down from its peak in 2008 at 2,78 children per woman on average.
This downward trend is further supported in a recent study by Microtrends, which states that the South African birth rate for 2025 is 18.50 births per one thousand people, which is a 1.32% decline from 2024’s 18.75 births per one thousand people.
This decline is not merely a demographic trend, but signals societal transformation. There has been a mental and cultural shift in the attitudes towards parenthood. More and more South African women are choosing to delay or even relinquish having children altogether.
Research firm Eighty20 attribute this decline to a number of reasons including but not limited to: better access to healthcare and family planning, delayed marriages, and the cost of raising children. Most importantly, women have improved access to education.
With the scarcity of jobs and rising cost of living, raising a child is becoming increasingly expensive, especially in a country like South Africa where the high youth unemployment rate remains a critical issue.
It raises a particularly important question: can we truly afford the lives we imagine for ourselves, let alone for the next generation?
Historically, success for women was defined by marriage and bearing children, but traditional norms are now being challenged. The meaning of success has been redefined for the new generation of South African women.
As women make more informed choices, a new set of priorities is emerging. Many are now putting their education, careers, and personal growth first and pursuing financial independence, which these days is often referred to as ‘chasing the bag’.
While children are often considered a blessing, it would be irresponsible not to acknowledge the immense responsibility and personal sacrifice that come with raising a child. Parenting is a full-time commitment that often falls disproportionately on women. In a society where support systems are limited, many are questioning the feasibility of bringing a child into the world, not only for themselves but also for the child.
These cultural shifts are not just unique to South Africa, they echo global feminist movements such as South Korea’s 4B Movement, where women opt out of dating, marriage, sexual relations with men, and having children.
Although South African women may not fully embrace this approach, the underlying desire for autonomy and personal freedom is an indicator of how traditional norms are being challenged worldwide.
While it is important to celebrate the growing autonomy of South African women, we must also consider the implications for future generations. According to a report by The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), declining birth rates often lead to ageing populations and eventually, shrinking workforces. Over time, societies may be faced with strained economic systems and social services such as grants and pension funds.
Whether women choose to embrace motherhood or not, at the heart of this transformation lies a simple, undeniable truth: women want more for themselves – they want better.
The Outreach Committee of the Johannesburg Junior Council opened Women’s Month with a Women’s empowerment conference.
The outreach committee of the Johannesburg Junior Council hosted a Women’s Day open discussion to raise funds for the Chayil Foundation.
Women from different backgrounds and professions were invited to sit on a panel with the purpose of initiating conversation amongst women and fellow councillors.
The event was themed “The Power of Her Voice”.
The Johannesburg Junior Council (JJC ) opened Women’s Month on August 2 with a female empowerment forum themed The Power of Her Voice.
The forum was created with the intention of inspiring women in the wider Johannesburg area to understand that they have the potential to affect change by speaking up against injustices that affect women, while simultaneously raising funds for the Chayil Foundation, a non-profit organisation created to up-skill and empower women and the youth through health and rehabilitation programs, food and clothing drives and youth mentorship.
Among the panelists were Tebogo Makgatho, chief executive officer of Netcampus, Karen Landi, Kingsmead’s director of service and Robyn Le Roux, the founder of the Chayil Foundation.
Despite Le Roux’s efforts in Eldorado Park, her foundation’s headquarters were broken into by thieves who took her cooking utensils and other means essential to the running of the foundation. The funds raised at the women’s forum will be donated to the foundation to replace some of what was lost in the burglary.
The outreach community, along with the JJC struck a great balance between uplifting the Chayil Foundation and providing a space for women to educate and empower other women as well as any Johannesburg residents who were in attendance.
“The vision for this event was just to bring together people to have a space where we can have open conversation,” said Lesedi Moletsane, head of the JJC’s outreach committee.
We’ve had incredible speakers come here tonight and share their lived experiences. In the world women’s voices a lot of the time are not necessarily listened to and are put aside. Just giving the women, the opportunity to speak is truly transformative,” said Moletsane.
The Power of Her Voice forum is part one of a two-part initiative to bring awareness to women’s struggles and issues during Women’s Month. The second part of this initiative will be a march on the August 10 in Parktown.
According to Oliver Bouilliart, co- mayor of the JJC, the events have been structured this way “to create awareness around what Women’s Day is truly for, but beyond that capture the essence of what Women’s Day truly is. Bouilliart believes that Women’s Month is the perfect time to have both these events to influence public discourse and inspire the exploration of topics that might be otherwise considered taboo.
From her extensive experience in the information, communications, technology and services industry, Tebogo Makgatho encouraged all the women to study the way AI will be used in their dream careers, as a way to better prepare themselves. Karen Landi candidly opened up about her experience being hijacked and provided the attendees with tools to rise up and overcome trauma. Lastly, Robyn Le Roux spoke about her journey to founding the Chayil Foundation and provided tips on how young people can engage in community outreach in the absence of resources.
“May we leave here not only inspired but deeply committed to advocacy, to equity and to unity,” Moletsane said in her closing remarks. “Not just during Women’s Month, but during every conversation, every classroom and every community we return to.”
The planned march for August 10 will begin outside Parktown Boys High School at 11am. Marchers will pass through St. Andrews and Hillside Road in Parktown and then end back at Parktown Boys.
FEATURED IMAGE: A photo of two members of the outreach committee hosting the evening. Photo: Secaba Molete
Rising meat prices in June 2025 are pushing up food inflation and increasing living costs, adding strain to Wits students’ budgets.
South Africa’s annual inflation rate increased by 0.2 percentage points to 3% in June 2025.
Food inflation for meat and vegetables is driving the rise with increasing beef prices up by over 21.2% year-on-year.
Wits students say rising prices are forcing them to change what and where they eat.
Students at Wits University are feeling the impact of rising food prices, with many reporting that they have had to skip meals, switch to cheaper meat options, and avoid campus shops. The price hikes are placing added pressure on already stretched student budgets, forcing some to reduce how often they buy groceries.
Although inflation remains at the lower end of the South African Reserve Bank’s 3% to 6% target range, the latest consumer price index (CPI) data confirms what students have already been experiencing: rising food prices, especially for meat and vegetables, are putting pressure on their budgets. In June 2025, Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) recorded a 3.0% year-on-year CPI increase, up from 2.8% in May, with food inflation leading the surge.
Zuko Bangela, a Master of Finance student, said meat has become unaffordable. “Beef used to be my go-to, but now I buy pork and chicken instead. The braai plate I used to get in Braamfontein has gone up twice this year,” he said. “What used to be a weekly treat, I now only have twice a month.”
Food inflation reached 5.1% in June 2025, its highest level in 15 months. Stats SA reports that stewing beef prices alone rose by more than 21% compared to last year, the highest since 2017. Vegetables like beetroot, lettuce, and carrots also saw big price jumps, while cereals and dairy provided some relief.
For Khutso Mahlaela, a third-year law student, the cost of groceries has changed how he shops. “I used to buy meat from Pick n Pay, but now I go to Roots Butchery for better prices. Some items like mince and sausage are just not worth it anymore. Wits needs cheaper options on campus. OK Express is too expensive, and the prices are unreasonable,” he said.
Economists say this trend puts the most pressure on poor households and students.
“Students spend a bigger share of their income on food. When meat and vegetables become more expensive, it hits them the hardest,” said Dr Kenneth Creamer, an economics lecturer at Wits University.
We’ve had outbreaks in South Africa that impact beef prices. Good farming conditions and proper infrastructure can help keep food prices low.”
For now, students say they are adjusting and hoping things get better soon. “We’re always budgeting,” said Bangela. “But it’s getting harder to stretch the same amount of money.”
In the space of just a few weeks, South Africa has been shaken by a flurry of political scandals, arrests, assassinations, and suspensions that read like the script of a crime thriller. But this is not fiction. From the corridors of government to the backrooms of political parties, we are witnessing either the collapse of our democratic institutions or the long-overdue reckoning with the criminalisation of politics. The real question is: is the rot finally being exposed?
One of the explosive claims made by KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi was that when Vusumuzi “Cat” Matlala was arrested, police discovered messages on his devices indicating he was receiving inside information from police “fixers”, including meetings arranged with suspended Police Minister Senzo Mchunu.
Cat Matlala, a name tied to shady tenders, including one linked to murdered whistleblower Babita Deokaran, has most recently received a tender with Tshwane SAPS. His case is not an outlier. It is part of a wider, disturbing pattern: police officials enabling criminal syndicates, with political figures complicit in the cover-up.
The suspension of Minister of Police Senzo Mchunu following Mkhwanazi’s damning claims is only the beginning. It is alleged that Mchunu protected criminal networks within the police turning the justice system into the very problem it should be solving. Journalist Mandy Wiener has called the positions of police minister and national commissioner a “poisoned chalice” and these revelations seem to prove it. Yet the idea of high-ranking police figures colluding with criminals is not new. Think Jackie Selebi and Radovan Krejcir. This is a cycle we have seen before.
Shortly after Mchunu’s suspension, Patriotic Alliance (PA) deputy leader Kenny Kunene, until recently a PR councillor in the City of Johannesburg, was found in the company of Katiso “KT” Molefe, the alleged mastermind behind DJ Sumbody’s assassination. Kunene claimed he was escorting a journalist – yet that journalist has never reported on what would have been the scoop of a lifetime: Kunene being found at Molefe’s house during the arrest.
Kunene resigned, and the mayor has claimed the city’s “hands are tied.” This incident is yet another glimpse into the entanglement of political office and gangsterism.
Meanwhile, Gauteng Police Commissioner Fannie Masemola is reported to have attempted to intervene in Matlala’s arrest corroborating Mkhwanazi’s assertion that parts of the police are proverbially in bed with criminals. The system is protecting itself.
This past week, the Minister of Higher Education, Nobuhle Nkabane, resigned after being accused of lying to Parliament’s portfolio committee regarding the appointment of SETA board members. Her resignation means she escapes the very accountability that parliamentary oversight was supposed to ensure.
These are not isolated incidents. The list grows longer: the assassination of whistleblowers and construction mafia figures, allegations within the ANC, U.S. Treasury sanctions, and a justice system that increasingly appears either captured or hollowed out.
It is no coincidence that as state capacity erodes, criminal networks rise. The ANC, weakened and divided, can no longer police its own ranks let alone govern ethically. Political office is being used to legitimise criminal empires. Today’s councillors were yesterday’s construction mafia bosses. And tomorrow’s ministers? Who knows.
So what? This erosion of the line between politics and crime puts South Africa on the brink. As citizens lose faith in democratic systems, they may begin to embrace authoritarianism or strongman figures who promise order through force. The Patriotic Alliance’s recent calls to reinstate the death penalty while its leaders are under scrutiny are telling.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has responded by firing some implicated officials and promising yet another commission of inquiry. But after years of unattended recommendations gathering dust on his desk, society has little reason to believe that justice will follow.
Firoz Cachalia, a former ANC politician and now a Wits law professor, has been appointed interim Police Minister. He enters a poisoned environment, one where few believe the rule of law still applies evenly. Will he win public confidence in a country where institutions seem broken?
This last month has exposed a web of criminality so vast and interconnected that each new scandal feels less shocking than the last. Viewed in isolation, these incidents may appear as individual failures but step back, and the picture becomes clearer: a democracy under siege from within.
We cannot afford to normalise this rot. The fight against corruption must be unrelenting – not just for the sake of good governance, but for the survival of our democracy.
On Saturday, August 2, the Wits School of Mathematics, in collaboration with the Origins Centre, hosted an informative lecture that re-centred the value of mathematics to honour two black South African mathematicians who obtained their doctorates in mathematics during the apartheid era.
Prof. Nongxa was keynote speaker at a lecture hosted by the Wits School of Mathematics in celebration of National Science Week.
The lecture was meant to promote the value and accessibility of mathematics.
Professors Ismail Mohamed and Joe Mokoena were also remembered for having earned doctorates in mathematics during apartheid, in the face of especially formidable challenges to Black higher education.
Professor Ismail Mohamed and Dr Joe Mokoena. Both professors are Wits alumni who defied systemic discrimination to obtain their doctoral degrees in mathematics-in an era where Black South Africans were deliberately excluded from higher education and academic opportunities.
Delivering the keynote address was Professor Loyiso Nongxa, former Vice-Chancellor of Wits and a leading figure in South African mathematics. With humour and humility, Prof. Nongxa reminded the audience full of young learners that mathematics is not just about numbers and equations. “Mathematics is a powerful language. It is about creativity, identity, resilience, and possibility,” he said.
Nongxa shared how Dr Mokoena completed much of his PhD research alone, in isolation, at a time when formal academic support was withheld from Black scholars. Similarly, Prof. Mohamed was denied a position as a mathematics lecturer because it would “upset the National Party” — a reminder of how apartheid weaponised education.
Yet both men persisted, earning qualifications that remain rare among Black South Africans in STEM. Their stories are not just about academic brilliance, but about resistance using mathematics as a form of intellectual protest.
While South Africa celebrates its National Science Week 2025 from August 4 to 9, the country is forced to come to terms with a growing problem in its school system: a persistent drop in mathematics enrolment and performance amongst students. Literacy in mathematics is more crucial than ever, not just for STEM professionals, but for the future of the nation itself.
South Africa’s relationship with mathematics remains troubled. According to the Daily Maverick fewer than 40% of matriculants now take pure mathematics, and many are steered toward mathematical literacy.
In some cases, educators, and school administrators themselves push learners toward mathematical literacy to protect their respective school performance statistics, often perpetuating the cycle where fewer learners are exposed to advanced mathematical thinking.
This has disproportionately affected Black students, especially girls, who are already underrepresented in STEM fields and often face the compounded burden of both racial and gender bias.
In his closing remarks, Prof. Nongxa emphasised the need to tell these stories more often — not just during National Science Week, but in everyday classrooms and conversations. “There is no written history of how mathematics evolved in South Africa. We have a responsibility not just as mathematicians, but as a society — to make that history visible.” he said.
FEATURED IMAGE:South Africa celebrates its National Science Week 2025 from August 4 to 9 by Bontle Malowa .
Artificial Intelligence (AI) offers undeniable convenience, but at what cost to our environment?
Excessive use of AI negatively impacts the global carbon footprint.
Search engines like Ecosia, which operates on renewable energy, may pave the way for a carbon-negative future.
Students are divided between choosing Ecosia over ChatGPT, as the AI tool provides an ease that Ecosia has not yet replicated.
In a recent investigation by TheDaily Maverick it was found that a whole generation is using ChatGPT or other large language models (LLMS) to secure their degrees. Not only posing a threat to academic integrity, but the environment as well.
Wits Vuvuzela spoke to Professor David Phaho, Director of the African Energy Leadership Centre and Discipline at Wits University, about AI and the global carbon footprint.
“They require 99.99% availability, implying that the energy sources which are available should be available at all times. You cannot switch on the sun at will. So, at the moment they [tech companies] are huge consumers of gas, oil, and coal, contributing to CO2 [carbon dioxide] emissions,” he said.
It is estimated that the data centre’s LLMs like ChatGPT and Claude operate from, use the same amount of water in a single day as 30,000 residential homes would. Data centre’s use freshwater to cool their servers.
In Berlin, Germany, circa 2009, the non-profit organisation and search engine, ‘Ecosia’ was born. Though not popular at the time of inception, increased climate change awareness has made it a sustainable alternative for young people.
Ecosia uses renewable solar energy to power its servers and invests 80% of its profits in planting trees to reduce CO2 levels in the atmosphere.
Phaho said the problem with companies using non-renewable energy rather than renewable energy is not cost, but accessibility. He said what is needed is, “policy at government level to incentivise [the] private sector to invest in renewable energy coupled with energy storage, because if you can store energy when the sun is shining, you can continue powering.”
Nokwanda Ndlovu, a member of the Wits Climate Justice Charter Movement (CJCM), is a recent adopter. “It was not too long ago that I discovered Ecosia as I only learnt about AI contributing to carbon emissions about a month or two ago through a course on sustainability, before this I did not use AI often,” she said.
“With this knowledge,” she added, “I’m not choosing it [AI].”
Another Wits CJCM member, Khavisani Annah Mhlarhi, said: “I think as students we associate activism with being on the ground fighting for justice, which is always good, but you can contribute to the fight in subtle ways, like doing an Ecosia Search instead on using AI or Google.”
Though even with this goal, students default to ChatGPT for convenience.
Despite knowing about the carbon emissions, Mhlarhi uses AI to check the grammar on her assignments. “We need ChatGPT to survive,” she said.
So, what does this mean for the future of climate activism? Will more students make environmentally conscious decisions, or will AI persist because of the ease it brings?
FEATURED IMAGE: A hand holding a magnifying glass and through it seeing the ChatGPT logo. Source: ChatGPT logo sourced from Wikipedia. Graphic: Ekta Seebran.
The new initiative faces resource constraints, relying on donations to keep students fed.
Sizanani aims to feed non-funded students, as well as those in catered and hardship accommodations who can’t afford to book meals at the dining hall.
Each programme serves roughly 130 to 170 attendees, according to the project’s register.
But to operate weekly for a full year, the project would need an estimated R156,000.
Hunger is a silent crisis on campus. For many, lunchtime is a time of uncertainty, not a meal. While some can afford takeout meals at the Matrix or catering at dining halls, others wonder where their next meal will come from.
In May 2025, a Wits Vuvuzela student journalist reported that Sizanani Legacy Project launched their first weekend meal programme at Wits Citizenship and Community Outreach’s (WCCO) kitchen.
Sizanani aims to feed students on weekends who live in catered and hardship accommodation and can’t afford to book meals or aren’t funded. Filling a much needed gap.
The WCCO already provides limited daily food parcels, food banks, and maintains gardens, but it is not enough.
Two months later, four more weekends were hosted, including its most recent on Saturday, July 26, serving sandwiches and Sunday, July 27, serving bread and soup.
According to the register, each program serves roughly 130 to 170 attendees.
Each weekend, Sizanani spends up toR1500 on ingredients and cleaning supplies like hairnets, gloves, and aprons.
Wits Vuvuzela asked Sizanani’s internal affairs manager, Tshwarelo Mafuyeka if they could afford to host on a more regular basis.
“We honestly don’t have enough funds to operate to the extent that we would like,” said Mafuyeka.
He expressed the desire to cook everyweekend, but as an independent student-led initiative, resources are tight.
It would cost R156,000 to cover weekend operations – Saturdays and Sundays, every week – for a full year, Mafuyeka estimates.
However, the project remains optimistic due to additional support.
Campus Housing & Residence Life (CHRL) facilitated communication from several off-campus residences to Sizanani.
This brought South Point, Respublica (Yale Village), Focus 1, AFCHO, Dunwell, and Life Student Apartments on board as donors.
“Notably, Respublica gave the project 1500 noodle packs,” praised Mafuyeka.
The director of CHRL was not available for comment in time for publication, however, Mafuyeka reinforced that CHRL also assisted with “transportation or goodies for events.”
Sizanani also looked at other ventures for help. A Noodle Drive, as one of their initiatives, prompted Wits residents to donate noodles from March till July. Barnato Hall, Girton Hall and Reith Hall were the three top contributors, collectively donating over 200 packets.
Evidently, Sizanani wants Witsies to feed their minds with knowledge without going hungry in the process. Sign up for weekend drives open every Thursday.
FEATURED IMAGE: Volunteers dishing out cooked food into the lunchboxes of attendees at WCCO’s kitchen. Photo: Lukholo Mazibuko
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