The Minister of Science and Technology, Derek Hanekom, launched the new Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Mathematical and Statistical Sciences at Wits on 1 April 2014. The new CoEs bring to 14 the total number of centres established since 2004 by the Department of Science and Technology (DST) and the National Research Foundation (NRF).
The CoEs take the lead in researching various areas of national interest and are designed to accelerate the delivery of appropriate human resources and knowledge capacity, as well as to enhance the international competitiveness of South African research in pursuit of research excellence and capacity development.
Delivering the keynote address, Hanekom said: "The DST-NRF Centre of Excellence Programme is one of several instruments that are in place to bolster our innovation system. On the one hand, these centres enable us to capitalise on our country's natural advantages, such as large platinum deposits, a clear view of the southern skies, and an incomparably rich array of paleontological fossils. On the other hand, the centres assist in identifying our disciplinary weaknesses or socio-economic threats, and then set about addressing them."
The Minister further said: "Mathematics is the spinal cord of science, engineering and technology development and, as such, it is critical to South Africa's National System of Innovation, and to our future as a competitive, knowledge-based economy. This is most obviously the case, perhaps, in respect of applied and computational mathematics, but these cannot be divorced from pure mathematics; thus it is effectively true of mathematics overall. This is why the National Development Plan places such importance on improving mathematics education from primary school through university, and why we, and the rest of the world for that matter, need increasing numbers of doctorates in mathematics, among other disciplines."
The Director of the CoE in Mathematical and Statistical Sciences, Professor Fazal Mahomed, of the School of Computational and Applied Mathematics at Wits, said: "We always aspired to a CoE since the inception of DECMA (Centre for Differential Equations, Continuum Mechanics and Applications) and we wish to be as inclusive as possible. Our network has grown and we want to sign more MoUs. This CoE gives us an opportunity to push the forefront of research and open up new areas of research."
Professor Ebrahim Momoniat, Head of the School of Computational and Applied Mathematics at Wits, explained the focus of the CoE: "The main research focus of the centre will be under the theme ‘Mathematics of the Earth and Environment’. The main theme is split into two further themes reflecting the pure and applied nature of mathematics. The two themes we have identified are ‘Mathematical Paradigms for Earth and Environment’ and ‘Mathematical, Statistical and Computational Modelling of the Earth and Environment’. It is under these two themes that the centre will bring together the exiting research excellence that exists in universities, research entities and other CoEs to make a major contribution to the National Development Plan, the training of the next generation of scientists and the development of a knowledge-based economy."
The CEO of the NRF, Dr Albert van Jaarsveld, had this to say about the launch of the CoE: "The NRF is extremely excited about the ‘birth’ of this new CoE, with the launch of the Centre of Excellence in Mathematical and Statistical Sciences at the University of the Witwatersrand. This particular CoE adds to the highly successful cohort of nine other DST-NRF CoEs that have been established since 2004. We look forward to the outcomes that this CoE will produce in knowledge advancement for the country, especially with the challenges that we face in mathematics education. We expect to see considerable socio-economic benefits emanating from the centre in future."
The DST/NRF CoE in Mathematical and Statistical Sciences brings to four the number of CoEs hosted by Wits. The other three are the CoE in Strong Materials, the CoE in Paleosciences, and the CoE in Biomedical Tuberculosis Research, co-hosted with the University of Stellenbosch and the University of Cape Town.
According to the report: Review of Mathematical Sciences Research at South African Higher Education Institutions (International Review Panel Report: 2008), research in the mathematical sciences in South Africa suffers from isolation at many levels. The International Review Panel Report asserts that the inward, institution-oriented approach to research in the mathematical sciences needs to be transformed into a national approach.
The new CoE in Mathematical and Statistical Sciences will devote a considerable share of its energy to earth and environmental sciences, bringing much-needed specialised attention to what are some of the most pressing issues of our time. The centre promises to afford us a better understanding of complex, dynamic systems associated with the earth and environmental sciences, and, perhaps more importantly, a better understanding of how to develop a better understanding of such complex systems.
The centre will also contribute directly and indirectly to the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) initiative, from which we anticipate data analysis challenges unlike anything humankind has seen before. It is expected that the volume of data generated by the SKA each day will be of the same order of magnitude as what presently exists throughout the length and breadth of the Internet. Accumulating an ever larger store of data in the hopes of analysing it later is at best a partial answer; more fundamentally, we need to develop methods that will help to assimilate the information rapidly and efficiently in real time, and we expect to see the new Centre of Excellence in Mathematical and Statistical Sciences at the coalface of this exciting challenge.
South Africa's CoEs are training the next generation of South Africans to have the skills and knowledge that will make South Africa a leading knowledge-based economy. This intervention also supports the National Development Plan, which calls for an ambitious expansion of the South African science and technology system.
Fighting for the hearts of the youth
- By Erna van Wyk
The second Wits Great Election Debate held on Thursday night (17 April 2014) draw huge crowds of supporters of the Economic Freedom Fighters, the African National Congress and the Democratic Alliance.
On the panel party representatives: Bonisile Modise (ANC), Mbali Ntuli (DA) and Floyd Shivambu (EFF), battled it out under the theme: Fighting for the hearts of the youth.
This was the second of five televised election debates to be presented by Wits University, eNCA and the Independent Newspaper Group.
The next debate will be held this Thursday, 24 April 2014, at the Linder Auditorium on the University’s Parktown Education Campus. It is themed: Is it the ANC, DA or nothing? and will feature Bantu Holomisa (UDM) vs Lyndall Shope-Mafole (Cope) vs Mkhuleko Hlengwa (IFP).
Visit www.wits.ac.za weekly for information regarding the upcoming debates and how to register. On the night, each debate will be broadcast live between 20:00 and 21:00 on eNCA, channel 403 on DSTV, and facilitated by News Night anchors, Jeremy Maggs or Iman Rappetti.
Daring quest to summit Kili launched
- By Vivienne Rowland
A bid to summit the highest free-standing mountain in Africa, and one of the highest in the world was launched last night when the Kilimanjaro Challenge 2014 kicked off.
Attempted by the Wits Students’ Surgical Society to raise funds for charity, the expedition to climb Mount Kilimanjaro was launched during an information session to encourage students and members of the Wits community to sign up.
The information session was hosted by the Society and guest speakers Sean Disney, world renowned mountaineer, guide and Managing Director of Adventure Dynamics, and Hedley Lewis, Executive Director: Finance and Fundraising at the Smile Foundation.
Disney will lead the daring quest, which is being tackled by the students in aid of the Smile Foundation, a South African non-governmental organisation with a holistic health care vision for children with facial deformities.
The adventure to summit one of the big wonders of the world, set to take place via the Rongai route between 21 and 29 November 2014, aims to raise R500 000 for the Smile Foundation, with each participant required to raise a minimum of R10 000 on their own. A group of about 20 climbers will tackle the 5895 metre peak challenge under the guidance of Disney together with his team of guides and porters to ensure the safety and comfort of the climbers.
“The summit is there for you, but you have to be fit. We will do everything to ensure that you reach your goal of climbing Kilimanjaro. Some people have come back to me and said it was the best thing they have ever done, or in some cases, the worst, but whatever you do, it is up to you,” said Disney.
He explained several aspects of the trip, the climb, the route, gear requirements and health and safety issues. .
Lewis expressed his gratitude on behalf of the Smile Foundation: “I am in absolute awe of every one of you who will do this. The surgeries you will perform in your careers will change perceptions in communities and society. You will make a huge difference through your commitment and we thank you for choosing the Smile Foundation as your charity of choice in this endeavour,” said Lewis.
The Society aims to announce the preliminary group of climbers by next week, and announce the final team in early June. Disney and his team will provide preparation in terms of fitness training and gear requirements. To view the schedule, .
Mount Kilimanjaro, a dormant volcanic mountain in Tanzania, is the highest mountain in Africa and the highest free-standing mountain in the world at 5895 metres above sea level.
The Smile Foundation sets up resources in South Africa to enable children with severe facial deformities to receive treatment and care to be able to eat, speak and develop normally.
Graeme Moore, project coordinator for the Kilimanjaro Challenge 2014, said the adventure is part of the Society’s community outreach projects and to encourage Wits students to do their part for charity.
“We are extremely excited about the challenge and we hope that we reach our aim of raising funds for the Smile Foundation. We hope we can inspire other student societies at Wits to tackle equally challenging initiatives for a good cause,” said Moore.
The eNCA TechReport recently visited the new Tshimologong Precint in Braamfontein, the site of an exciting new-age software skills and innovation hub.
The Precinct is part of an ambitious ICT cluster development programme, Tech-in-Braam, that has swung into action and is making the once dilapidated suburb the new technical heart of South Africa and beyond.
African governments and writers have failed to recognise the opportunities presented by children’s books in re-educating African children about their history and preserving African indigenous languages.
“There is a need to raise the consciousness of writers about the changing role of children’s literature and to draw attention to issues of content,” said delegates attending the 40th Annual Conference of the African Literature Association (ALA) hosted by Wits University.
African governments are in pursuit of the African renaissance which seeks to achieve cultural, scientific, and economic renewal, however, not much attention has been given to literature consumed by the young citizenry of the continent.
“Its value as catalysts for development seems overlooked in national priorities,” said Professor Jasper Onuekwusi from Imo State University in Nigeria.
“Governments have ignored children’s literature both in terms of the need to produce it and the need to give it the critical acclaim that it deserves.”
Fellow panellists agreed saying that it is no wonder that there is a decline in the literacy and numeracy skills of African children. Indigenous languages are the worst affected by the inability of governments to move language policies beyond paper.
Criticism was not only levelled at African governments but also writers who have not risen to the challenges of writing relevant content for children.
Writers of children’s books in Africa have not sufficiently attempted to counter what Chinua Achebe described as “the beautifully packed, package poison imported into the continent in the form of children’s literature,” said Onuekwusi.
He argued that children’s literature is an invaluable tool in inculcating values and tackling core issues such as colonialism, leadership as well as contemporary issues that deal with the environment and gender roles; and yet writers were not tackling these themes.
“If commitment to political development in Africa is an important issue in adult literature it should be more so in children’s literature.”
The story of colonialism needs to be told to all African children at an early stage as these historic events have shaped the self-belief, the self-assessment and all things about the African child.
These complex topics cold be tackled “in a form of a tale which involves carefully chosen characters or narratives built on animal characters,” he explained.
Although conscious not to prescribe to the creatives, co-panellist Ezenwa-Ohaeto, said: “Good children’s literature should arouse a child’s imagination giving him knowledge of the past in relation to the past and imbuing ideals and values necessary for national development.”
Statistics South Africa estimates that over 5.6 million South Africans are under the age of four, while 4.8 million children are aged five to nine years old, and close to 4.6-million are between the ages of 10 and 14 years old.
Onuekwusi said “children account for 45% of Nigeria’s estimated population. Yet today children’s literature is the most neglected genre of African literature.”
Nigeria is making attempts to promote quality books for children.
The University of Uyo’s Professor Ini Uko, who has experience in judging literature competitions in this genre, noted that books should have “appropriate themes, style that the children can relate to and language that is helpful to children” as well as suitable typographical information.
Uko made an appeal to African countries and other prize awarding bodies to invest in initiatives that recognise and encourage children’s literature.
The 40th Annual Conference of the African Literature Association was hosted by the Department of African Literature in the School of Literature, Language and Media at Wits University from 9 to 13 April 2014.
Novelists, artists and academics with a range of literary and cultural interests from the African continent and the international community attended the conference.
Among the keynote speakers were Njabulo Ndebele, novelist and senior research fellow from the Archive and Public Culture Research Initiative at the University of Cape Town; and Simon Gikandi, the Robert Schirmer Professor of English at Princeton University.
One of the leading figures in modern critical institutionalism (institutional economics), Professor Geoffrey Hodgson, will deliver a series of lectures at Wits University next week that will focus on various aspects of his new book Conceptualizing Capitalism – Institutions, Evolution, Future.
Hosted by the Institutions and Political Economy Group (IPEG) of the Wits School of Economic and Business Sciences (SEBS), Hodgson’s talks will take place from Tuesday – Friday (22 – 25 April 2014).
With this lecture series, Professor Hodgson will explain that we still lack a full understanding of capitalism and how it operates. He will show that capitalist institutions such as markets and property are entwined with the legal institutions of the state. This brings a new perspective on the debate between capitalism and socialism.
Hodgson is a Research Professor in Business Studies at the University of Hertfordshire, UK, and editor-in-chief of the Journal of Institutional Economics. He also directs the Group for Research in Organisational Evolution (GROE) at Hertfordshire.
He has authored over 15 books, including his well-known Economics and Institutions: A Manifesto for a Modern Institutional Economics (1988), in which modern “mainstream” economics is criticized, and the call is made to revise economic theory on the new grounds of institutionalism. For more about Hodgson, go to http://www.geoffrey-hodgson.info/index.htm.
Lecture topics and details:
Venue for all lectures: Lachmann Room, New Commerce Building, Braamfontein Campus West
• Law and the state: 22 April 2014, 13:00 – 15:00
• Property, possession and contract: 23 April 2014, 10:00 – 12:00
• Commodity exchange and markets: 24 April 2014, 13:00 – 15:00
• Capitalism, socialism and the state: 25 April 2014, 13:30 – 15:30
Struggle stalwart, Dr Ahmed Kathrada met with students at Wits to share the history of the country and also to remind them of their civic duty to vote in the upcoming elections.
Noting that the youth make up the majority of South African citizens, Kathrada emphasised that the act of voting is essentially about the future and the country that one wants to see.
“The election on the 7th May is about your future. Oldies like us will not be around for that much longer. It is about your future, it is your duty to vote.”
Although students in the audience agreed that voting gives them power, much of the concerns raised during the discussion were about extending their voice beyond the ballot paper and holding leadership accountable.
His answer spoke to the importance of collective action.
“The only way you can make your voices heard is through joining organisations. If you want change, pursue the democratic route to bring about change,” he said.
“Individuals have got all the right to form new organisations if they not satisfied with existing structures.”
Reiterating the calls he made at Wits last year where he urged the youth to rise to the challenges of today, he said that while apartheid was gone the youth had a struggle to wage against poverty, unemployment and diseases.
“The country needs skilled people so that we don’t need to import skills. Every door of learning is now open to us. Play your part in building a non-racial united South Africa.”
As an elder and a member of the ruling party, Kathrada did not escape questions about his impression of the current leadership.
“Individuals come ago. I don’t attach much importance to individuals.” His duty is to follow democratically elected leadership but stressed that he would be worried if leaders departed from policy.
“My adherence is to policy. If there is a departure from the policy, I would be worried. But as far as leadership is concerned, they come and go. As an elected leadership they are my leaders.”
The task of leadership is to “carry on working towards a non-racial, non-sexist democratic South Africa. That is what the leadership has to do.”Kathrada’s visit coincided with a presentation by Maite Nkoane-Mashabane, Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Minister , who addressed students in an adjacent venue. Her speech was themed Celebrating 20 years of South Africa’s democracy: reflections on South African foreign policy.
Changes to undergraduate LLB
- By Wits University
Wits University has approved the plan of the School of Law to discontinue the undergraduate Bachelor of Laws degree (LLB) and to introduce the LLB postgraduate programme.
Following extensive discussions with members of the profession and academic colleagues, the Wits School of Law has decided to discontinue the undergraduate four-year LLB at the end of 2014. From 2015 all students with an interest in law will have to enrol in the postgraduate LLB programme which may take an additional two years for those who have completed the BA Laws or BCom Law. This is informed by the following reasons:
Response from the legal profession: In meetings with law firms and members of the Bar, one assessment was uniformly received – the four-year undergraduate LLB does not adequately prepare students for the legal profession. This was further confirmed at the Society of Law Teachers of Southern Africa Conference held at the Wits School of Law in January 2014. Many point to the lack of maturity or awareness of the graduates to be given stewardship of clients’ affairs. Some firms of attorneys, who regularly recruit our graduates, employ them on the proviso that they complete additional academic qualifications, like such as the Bachelor of Laws Master degree. The proposed postgraduate LLB degree will enhance opportunities for the Wits School of Law graduates.
Completion rate: Our statistics point to the fact that only 30% (higher than the national average of 25%) of students enrolled in the School of Law complete the undergraduate degree in four years. Therefore a significant number take five or more years to complete the degree while a proportion is excluded for failing too many courses. Consequently, the throughput of law graduates is reduced. The proposed postgraduate LLB will ensure that at least one degree is obtained at the university level as students will only be admitted to the School of Law if they are in possession of a prior degree.
Entering the legal profession: It is estimated that about 50% of law graduates do enter the legal profession, if they are successful in securing a position as a candidate attorney. Some are compelled by financial hardship to go to the Bar immediately after graduation and find the learning curve to be too steep. Others enter allied areas such as civil society, international organisations, corporations and academe, to mention a few. The proposed postgraduate LLB degree will enhance opportunities for the Wits School of Law graduates.
“The rationale for the strategy is that a prior degree would already have prepared a prospective law student on the expectations of university education with some level of literacy, numeracy and exposure to the wider issues in South Africa and beyond, that are material in their understanding of law,” expands Professor Vinodh Jaichand, Head of the Wits School of Law.
This would mitigate the risk of exclusions from the study of law with the exposure to new areas of study.
“In addition there are many incomplete discussions on the future of the undergraduate LLB and the reform of legal education. It will be some time before reform takes place,” continues Jaichand.
“In the meanwhile, Wits cannot be a bystander to the challenges faced by law graduates, the legal profession and society,” he says.
The proposed postgraduate LLB will include additional courses in ethics legal research and writing course.
“A course in ethics will assist future lawyers to make the right decision in morally complex issues. While every lawyer is trained in the same way, issues of ethics have been assumed. Indeed, this is an issue of governance in our country today.”
The subject of ethics has also been identified by the Law Society of South Africa as a much needed subject in the law school curriculum.
“Furthermore, our discussions with the profession have identified the need for stronger research and writing skills. The postgraduate LLB will cater for this deficit,” explains Jaichand.
COMMUNIQUÉ TO STAFF AND STUDENTS FROM THE CHAIR OF COUNCIL
Following a protest by a small group of students who sought to secure late registration as an official student organisation ahead of the upcoming national elections, the Vice-Chancellor agreed that an interim solution would be sought through reference of the matter to the Student Representative Council (SRC) and the University Council.
The SRC is responsible for oversight of student affairs through a constitution approved by Council. This constitution prescribes that all student clubs and societies (CSOs) that seek registration must do so through formal application by no later than 30 November each year. There is no negotiability for the SRC on this matter.
A special meeting of the Executive Committee of Council (ExCo) was convened to consider this matter. At issue was whether an administrative provision in the SRC Constitution could be changed if it was a hurdle to upholding the principles of freedom of speech and association and the right to organise, especially in an election period.
The SRC confirmed its support for freedom of expression and association on campus and was agreeable to resolving the situation as soon as possible.
ExCo was in the first instance satisfied that no formal application for registration as a CSO had in this instance been received prior to the deadline of 30 November 2013. Considering its primary obligation to act in the best interests of the University, ExCo resolved:
1. to remove the administrative provision in the SRC Constitution that had unwittingly become a hurdle to the University and the SRC in their quest to support the important principles of Freedom of Expression and Association and the Right to Organise.
2. that this would in the first instance resolve the immediate impasse that had developed in this specific year of National Elections, but would also cater for an inherent problem that new dynamics brought on by new associations in each new academic year are forced to wait for November to apply for recognition.
The matter served before Council at its meeting on Friday, 11 April 2014 and the following were resolved:
1. Council ratified the decision of ExCo to open up the process for CSO registration and to relax the administrative hurdle for a period of three weeks ending 25 April 2014;
2. Council accepts that the SRC had operated within the framework of rules as they existed;
3. Council requires that all CSOs operate within the rules and processes as approved by the University, recognising that these rules and processes create an enabling environment and must be respected by all parties; and
4. Council mandated the SRC together with the Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Finance, Operations and Transformation and the Dean of Students to complete its review of existing rules to ensure that such rules are enabling, fair and consistent with the revised SRC Constitution.
Aspirant lawyers prepare for WTO
- By Buhle Zuma
Are you an aspirant lawyer? Here is your chance to get insight into how trade disputes are handled between countries at the World Trade Organisation (WTO).
The Mandela Institute at the Wits School of Law is hosting the first ever African Regional Round of the International Moot Court Competition on WTO Law. Teams from African universities have descended upon Wits to take part in this ground breaking competition for students in Africa, which kicked off on Monday, 31 March 2014.
The semi-finals today, 2 April 2014, are between the teams from Haramaya University (Ethiopia), Addis Ababa University (Ethiopia), Rhodes University (South Africa) and the National University of Lesotho. Legal arguments by the teams take place between 10h00 and 12h00 while the grand finale takes place from13h30.
The proceedings take place at the Wits Chalsty Centre in the School of Law building on the Braamfontein West Campus. Everyone is welcome to sit in during the legal hearings which are being presented to adjudicators from the business sector, academia and the WTO.
The aim of the competition is to promote the understanding of WTO law across the world and can contribute to capacity building in Africa.
“Up until now an African country has argued a case as a respondent or an applicant before a panel of the World Trade Organisation even though there have been numerous accusations of violations of the WTO agreements by other WTO members,” says Professor Engela Schlemmer from the Wits School of Law.
“We believe that through the participation in this competition a new understanding will develop as to the importance of the WTO in international trade and the role that the dispute settlement body can play; not only for the developed members of the organisation but also for the developing members and especially the African region.”
Teams scoring in the top three from the semi-finals will proceed to represent the continent in Geneva at the European Law Student Association’s (ELSA) International Moot Court Competition on WTO Law. This will be held at the WTO Headquarters in Switzerland.
The gloves are coming off
- By Erna van Wyk
Election fever hit Wits on Thursday night (10 April 2014) when rowdy, cheering supporters from the ANC, the DA and Agang SA filled the Great Hall for the first in a series of five televised Wits Great Election Debates.
The election series is hosted by Wits University and media partners, eNCA and the Independent Newspapers Group.
The gloves came off when ANC Secretary General, Gwede Mantashe, the DA’s Shadow Minister of Trade and Industry, Dr Wilmot James, and the leader of Agang SA, Dr Mamphela Ramphele, had to answer some difficult questions from students, University staff and the public.
Under the theme: How far have we come in 20 years?, the politicians were first given a minute each to state their side before the debate was opened to questions from the audience.
A panel consisting of Wits Vice-Chancellor and Principal, Professor Adam Habib, Daryl Glaser (Associate Professor: Political Studies), Professor Jannie Rossouw (Head: Wits School of Economic and Business Sciences) and Cecilia Russell (Editor: Saturday Star) asked questions ranging from the intellectual differences between poverty and inequality to the size, and possible increase, of the cabinet and government departments.
Students and members of the public also wanted to know whether the Nkandla debacle had dented the image of the ANC and the destroyed the legacy of the late former president Nelson Mandela.
The next debate on Thursday, 17 April 2014, will focus on The Struggle for the Hearts of the Youth, and will feature the EFF’s Floyd Shivambu, the DA’s Lindiwe Mazibuko and Fikile Mbalula from the ANC.
Visit www.wits.ac.za weekly for information regarding the upcoming debates and how to register. On the night, each debate will be broadcast live between 20:00 and 21:00 on eNCA, channel 403 on DSTV, and facilitated by News Night anchors, Jeremy Maggs or Iman Rappetti.
Bob Wekesa: Visiting associate at Wits Journalism
- By Vivienne Rowland
The Wits China Africa Reporting Project, under the auspices of the Wits Department of Journalism and Media Studies recently welcomed a visiting associate.
Bob Wekesa, a Kenyan currently doing his PhD at the Communications University of China was formerly editorial director of Kenya Today, managing editor at Global Village Publishers and has authored two books.
He served as executive chair of the Kenyan Journalists Association and general secretary of the Kenya Union of Journalists. During his three-month stint at the China-Africa Reporting Project, he will be doing research and writing.
Wekesa says his focus on China-Africa relations is in the broader communications arena. “I am particularly pursuing Chinese media diplomacy in Africa the cases of Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa. Two of the products we are developing at the China Africa Reporting Project are a China Africa journalist’s toolkit and a China in Africa media map.”
While at Wits, he has completed two peer reviewed journal papers – one on China-Zambia media engagements and another on East African media reporting on the Forum on China Africa Cooperation – a triennial conference.
He has also participated in a seminar discussion on Chinese media and Africa hosted by the School of Literature, Language and Media discussing how the media and communications have not been left behind in the exponential tightening of relations between the two. This progress bodes well for the partners as the African continent has the largest number of independent states while China as a country has the largest population in the world. In this he shared insights into Chinese media strategies deployed to win hearts and minds in Africa.
Wekesa’s advice to young communicators is simple: make sure that you understand social media.
“The significance of digital media cannot be overemphasised. I think young communicators need to deepen their understanding of new media rather than merely assume that their use of Facebook and Twitter or any other social media amounts to understanding the ever shifting digital media space.”
“Young communicators need to beware of the danger of abandoning the good old theoretical and philosophical underpinning of communications. Digital media is a platform but issues such as ethics, professionalism and methods remain crucial for would-be successful communicators,” says Wekesa.
Wekesa’s tenure at Wits ends later this month.
Nkandla investigation wins Taco Kuiper award
- By Vivienne Rowland
Once more Nkandla grabs the headlines as the amaBhungane investigative team for the Mail & Guardian wins the 8th Taco Kuiper Award for Investigative Journalism – and R200 000 in prize money.
At the awards ceremony held today, Friday 11 April 2014, the convener of the judging panel, Caxton Professor of Journalism and Media Studies at Wits, Anton Harber, praised the winning entry.
“This was undoubtedly the story of the year, in fact of the last five years, and maybe the next five. The presidential spokesperson said they were making a mountain out of a molehill, but in fact it was not them that were making a castle out of a kraal, or a palace out of a homestead, but they did reveal it. Few stories have had, and continue to have, such impact. It was work done by a formidable team,” said Harber.
Reporters Stefaans Brummer, Sam Sole and Vinayak Bhardwai of amaBhungane were at the ceremony to collect their award.
Unable to choose between two excellent entries the judges split the runner-up prize of R100 000 between Joy Summers and Susan Comrie of Carte Blanche for their exposé into City Power’s installation of faulty solar geysers titled Game of Geysers; and Rob Rose, Mzilikazi wa Afrika and Stephan Hofstatter from the Sunday Times for the story that forced the resignation of cabinet minister Dina Pule.
Harber said the judges were proud of the entries, which were a testament to the quality of investigative journalism in South Africa.
“The best of our investigative reporting is truly world class, and the judges were full of admiration for the top contenders. Despite cutbacks in newsrooms, there are journalists playing a crucial role in ensuring accountability in the state and private sectors, who are oiling the machinery of our democracy with a journalism of determination and courage,” said Harber.
“A special mention must be made of the proprietors, publishers and editors who protect this space, and invest in this work. Their contribution to our democracy is invaluable.”
The Taco Kuiper Awards, hosted by the Wits Department of Journalism, are funded by The Valley Trust. Taco Kuiper was a highly successful South African publisher who left a significant part of his estate to the promotion of investigative journalism.
Smaller parties battle it out
- By Wits University
The third Wits Great Election Debate was held on Thursday night (24 April 2014) in the Linder Auditorium on the Parktown Education Campus.
Three smaller parties battled it out to give voters an alternative choice under the theme: Is it the ANC, DA or nothing?
The panel consisted of Bantu Holomisa (UDM) vs Farouk Cassim (Cope) vs Mkhuleko Hlengwa (IFP).
This was the third of five televised election debates to be presented by Wits University, eNCA and the Independent Newspaper Group.
The opening leg of the Varsity Hockey tournament this weekend will take place on Wits’ new turf which has recently been rated as the best in Africa.
The new turf was built at the end of last year, and Wits coach Mark Sanders cannot wait for action to get underway on Saturday as his side look to make a strong start on home soil.
The seasoned Sanders, who has over 20 years of coaching experience under his belt, has been at the helm at Wits for the last two years, and has overseen some pleasing progress during that time.
“I believe that we are on the up and we are the club to be at right now. We finished sixth at USSA last year which is our highest ever position and we made it into the top four of the premier league, where we used to be right at the bottom,” he told varsitysportssa.com.
The Wits coach believes that the development of a high performance gym on campus has been key to his team shedding their tag as a social side and proving that they can challenge the top teams.
“We are a very fit side, we had a very long and productive pre-season so I would say that our conditioning is better than ever,” he said.
When sizing up his team’s chances in the Varsity Hockey tournament, Sanders revealed that they have their sights set on a semi-final spot although he acknowledged that competition will be stiff.
“Tournament hockey is a different kettle of fish and we are a young side, but we have made good progress. For example, we recently lost 4-3 to UJ whereas last year they beat us 8-0,” he said.
Wits have a young and fit side, so they will be looking to play a positive brand of hockey and capitalise on the fact that they start off in front of their home crowd.
“Most of the guys in our squad are between 19 and 22 years old and we play a high-energy game, we like to go forward and score goals so hopefully our enthusiasm will pay off."
“We start off with a huge test against Maties, but it is a big positive that it will be at home so we have to try and make the most of it,” he said.
Sanders said that a player to keep an eye out for is Matthew Povall who plays for Southern Gauteng A, whilst captain and goalkeeper Carl Zondi is also a vital cog in his team.
Watch a video of Wits goalkeepers challenging varsity teams.
Tickets will be available at R20 each at the entrance to the Wits Hockey field, Wits Education Campus,27 St Andrews Road, Parktown.
Date
Day
Time
Game
Team 1
Team 2
TV
03-May
Saturday
10:00
1
NMMU
Kovsies
11:45
2
UCT
Tuks
13:30
3
UJ
Rhodes
15:15
4
Wits
Maties
04-May
Sunday
11:00
5
UCT
Rhodes
12:45
6
NMMU
Wits
14:30
7
UJ
Kovsies
16:15
8
Maties
Tuks
05-May
Monday
13:30
9
UJ
Tuks
√
15:15
10
Maties
Kovsies
√
17:00
11
Rhodes
NMMU
√
18:45
12
Wits
UCT
√
Feedback on Town Hall Meeting
- By Wits University
The Vice-Chancellor and Principal of Wits University, Professor Adam Habib, would like to respond as promised to three issues in particular which were raised by students during the Town Hall Meeting on 8 April 2014.
Esselen Street Residence
The security situation and the bus stop at Esselen Street residence were discussed by the University Executive on Monday, 14 April 2014. It was reported that a meeting had taken place with officials of the Mayor’s Office on Thursday, 10 April 2014 to inform them of the University’s concerns on these and other issues which impact on staff and students at Esselen Street. It was agreed that the matter would be escalated to the City Manager for his urgent attention. The Executive tasked Professor Beatrys Lacquet with formally advising the Mayor and City Manager’s Offices on this matter in writing and requesting their plans for addressing, specifically, the security problem and the need for the bus stop. Professor Rob Moore will follow up on this letter within 24 hours of receipt by the Mayor and City Manager’s Offices. The Vice-Chancellor will provide updates to students. The envisaged timeline for the resolution of these matters is the end of June 2014.
Safety Routes
Maintenance on the safety routes on East and West campuses in terms of lighting and pathway requirements is currently being addressed by Professor Lacquet and the PIMD team. Once this is completed, Professor Lacquet will lead a delegation comprising student representatives, the Dean of Students and the Director of the Sexual Harassment Office on a site visit so that they can further discuss and sign off on the security measures. It is envisaged that this will take place by 5 May 2014. Under the leadership of Professor Lacquet, a team has been set up to explore options to create safe walk routes across the entire University. This team has met to complete the request for proposals on the intercom systems and to map out the routes, in consultation with relevant stakeholders.
Bus Service to Wits Junction
Residents at Wits Junction have requested and received additional bus services which they pay for. In terms of the University’s transport policy, the bus service follows a designated route, from say Wits Junction to Braamfontein Campus East, and does not collect students from other campus residences, for instance the School of Education. In order to ensure that the safety of students on our buses is not compromised, the University’s Campus Control will do spot checks to ensure that students being transported are registered and legitimate users of this service. Any student found to be not a legitimate user of the bus service will face disciplinary action by the University.
Capitalism, socialism and the state
- By Wits University
The Institutions and Political Economy Group (IPEG) of the School of Economic and Business Sciences (SEBS) hosted Professor Geoffrey M. Hodgson, a Research Professor in Business Studies at the University of Hertfordshire, from 22 – 25 April 2014 for a series of talks on his forthcoming book: Conceptualizing Capitalism (University of Chicago Press).
He is one of the leading figures in modern critical institutionalism (institutional economics). With this lecture series, Professor Hodgson explained that we still lack a full understanding of capitalism and how it operates. He highlighted that capitalist institutions such as markets and property are entwined with the legal institutions of the state. This brings a new perspective on the debate between capitalism and socialism.
Hodgson is also the editor-in-chief of the Journal of Institutional Economics and directs the Group for Research in Organisational Evolution (GROE) at Hertfordshire.
He has authored over 15 books, including his well-known Economics and Institutions: A Manifesto for a Modern Institutional Economics (1988), in which modern “mainstream” economics is criticised, and the call is made to revise economic theory on the new grounds of institutionalism. For more about Hodgson, go to http://www.geoffrey-hodgson.info/index.htm.
To listen to Ashraf Garda’s interview with Hodgson on SAfm, click .
His lecture topics were: Law and the state; Property, possession and contract; Commodity exchange and markets; and Capitalism, socialism and the state.
Leading universities talk at Wits
- By Vivienne Rowland
Members of 12 leading world universities converged at Wits last week to discuss culture, environment and political issues of common interest to world cities.
The World Universities World Class University (WC2) Network is a group of about 12 leading universities located in key cities around the globe, committed to understanding better the reciprocal relationship between universities and cities, and the ways in which collaboration between them contributes to better social and economic futures.
Wits University is the only African university to be part of the WC2 Network, established in 2010, and hosted the conference on 24 and 25 March 2014, bringing together top universities located in the heart of major world cities.
The Johannesburg Conference of the WC2 network is located in the context of rapidly evolving urban contexts, and university systems undergoing significant changes. The development imperatives of the South African context provide particularly sharply-defined examples of broader global challenges, and initiatives undertaken in Johannesburg, and at Wits, provide strong complementary perspectives to counterpart initiatives elsewhere globally.
Johannesburg Mayor Parks Tau at the conference speaking on The role of universities in the development of world class cities. “The WC2 Network should look at Johannesburg as an area of development, cooperation and engagement. Wits has areas of direct cooperation with its direct neighbours such as the University of Johannesburg, for example the Gauteng City-Region Observatory and the Johannesburg Centre for Software Engineering,” said Tau.
Other speakers included City Manager ; , Deputy Vice-Chancellor: International and Development at City University London; , Head of the Gauteng Planning Commission and , Director of the Gauteng City-Region Observatory (GCRO).
Professor Rob Moore, Wits Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Advancement and Partnerships, said in his that the WC2 Network gives Wits and South Africa the opportunity to explore a way of not repeating the patterns of the past. “We need to ask: how do we achieve greater distributive justice and confront issues of social justice and a sustainable future?”
Speaking after the conference, Moore said the deliberations of the conference produced much sharper insights into the possibilities and challenges associated with achieving the kind of collaboration that really makes a difference to the design of urban practices.
“Examples from a number of local and international quarters were provided to illustrate ways in which university activities can be turned to address compelling planning problems. Among other things, the example of the GCRO was noted as a particularly powerful example of a city-university partnership with benefits for multiple stakeholders,” said Moore.
Moore said that going into the future the WC2 network will deepen its work in developing deeper insights into the forms of institutional partnership that will advance the respective and reciprocal purposes of city-university partnerships. “This is a significantly under-researched and under-theorised area of work. Further, Wits academics will pursue promising initiatives in the fields of health, urban planning, business and green architecture together with other colleagues in various WC2 member institutions.”
WSG rethink service delivery
- By Erna van Wyk
A new series of Governance Roundtables hosted by the Wits School of Governance (WSG) launched with a bang recently when it presented its first roundtable discussion tackling the contentious issue of service delivery.
Held at the WSG on Wednesday, 9 April 2014, the roundtable started with a panel discussion consisting of: Professor Adam Habib (Wits Vice-Chancellor), Deputy Minister Andries Nel (Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs), Dr Crispian Olver (public policy expert and activist), Professor Mike Muller (National Planning Commission), Trevor Ngwane (scholar activist), Dr Pregs Govender (South African Human Rights Commission) and Lorette Tredoux (South African Local Government Association). The panelists framed the discussion, each focusing on key questions about democracy, citizen entitlement and institutional challenges when it comes to service delivery.
Click for a copy of the programme, biographies and more about the School. Click to read the Governance Roundtable Notes.
Listen to the panelists presentations:
The presentations were followed by roundtable discussions where each table comprised a mix of stakeholders who deliberated on different aspects of the issues.
The School will host more Roundtables in the future that will act as opportunities to bring together a range of different stakeholders and viewpoints to discuss complex and recurring governance challenges. The idea is that the discussion move beyond established debates to think about new ways forward.
Tough questions, frank answers
- By Wits University
The most recent Town Hall Meeting, which took place in the Great Hall on Tuesday, 8 April 2014, gave staff and students an opportunity to ask frank questions of the Vice-Chancellor and Principal, Professor Adam Habib, and the SRC President, Shafee Verachia.
The issues that were raised included unmet requests for bus shelters, student funding and exclusion, discrimmination against international students looking for funding, and the need to peg merit scholarships to student fees, among many others.
Verachia opened the proceedings by giving a brief report from the SRC in which he congratulated all newly elected student leaders. He mentioned that, through the SRC's intervention, students who were promised NSFAS funds which were later withdrawn, had been given full financial packages. He said that the SRC had set themselves a target of raising in excess of R1m to support students who were struggling financially. He mentioned the absence of a safety route on campus, the "inhumane" conditions in Esselen Street Residence, and the lack of bus stops and wifi in some residences as problems that needed to be fixed.
Habib also gave a brief speech in which he addressed the NSFAS issue, saying that although funding had increased dramatically over the last four or five years, it was still not enough and that the University was subject to the Department of Higher Education's rules around disbursement. He mentioned that online registration would be rolled out for the second half of the University's programmes next year. He reassured staff that the University was talking to medical aid service providers to ensure more value for money and that they hoped to finalise options within the next month or two.
Habib also mentioned the wage agreement of last year and said that the University was currently involved in a multi-year wage agreement negotiation. He spoke about the University's challenges with regards to Esselen Street, and also admitted that Wits hadn't invested properly in IT infrastructure and that wifi - and the whole of the University's IT system - would be a big focus of the next 18 months.
First year students in the Department of Social Work have sworn to uphold the highest ethical conduct in their profession binding themselves to the sacred oath that is at the heart of the vocation tasked with dealing with complicated societal issues.
The Department held its oath-taking ceremony today, Wednesday, 16 April 2014. To highlight the significance of the occasion, the Deputy Minister of Health, Dr Gwen Ramokgopa addressed the students. Dignitaries from the South African Council for Social Service Professions, parents and guardians were also present to celebrate this rite of passage for the students.
“Social workers are the key custodians of human rights, especially the protection of rights of the most vulnerable [people] in society. They play a central role to the development of a nation and a community in assisting us to eradicate poverty and achieving equality and prosperity,” said Ramokgopa.
Exalting the fortunes of youth, Ramokgopa told students that the world’s greatest heroes were in their younger years when they made their ground-breaking contributions to society. “Nelson Mandela and Albert Einstein were among those who made their breakthroughs in their youth years,” she said.
“You are at the prime to be innovative. We are looking upon you to develop, research and to innovate solutions to some of the current problems.”
The 2014 social work intake is the biggest class in the history of the University.
Thamsanqa Khanyile and Campion Zharima are among the handful of male students who have gone against the perceived societal curve and chosen social work.
A series of events drove Khanyile to social work starting with his adolescent years. As a young boy, Khanyile often needed a male ear and battled to unburden himself to females. This was when he realised the need for male social workers in the community, a need which became more apparent when he became involved in community programmes.
Zharima shares this view noting that his native country, Zimbabwe “does not have a culture of social work.”
For Nomzamo Bhengu, Chief Director of Governance Support in the Department of Tourism, the role of social workers in the prosperity of the country is more pronounced.
“Tourism is about perceptions and reputation. Therefore, tourists want to visit communities that are safe and functional and social workers are the agents that help us build strong and healthy communities that attract tourists.”
Bhengu was at the ceremony to support her sister in-law, Zanele Bhengu, who is part of the class of 2014.
Focus Day guides future students
- By Wits University
Prospective students turned up in their numbers for the annual Wits Focus Day which is an opportunity to get first-hand information from academic staff and students about study options and possible career paths.
Over 5000 inquisitive high school learners visited campus on Friday, 11 April 2014. Noah Park, a grade 12 learner from Greenside High School, was eager to learn more about medicine while Na Hi Kim discovered that it takes more than a medical degree to be a paediatrician. Although startled by the number of years it takes to qualify as a child health specialist, Kim was delighted to learn that Wits has a high success rate in producing health specialists and sub-specialists.
Kwabekilanga Secondary High School learner, Andile Nkabinde is set on studying aeronautical engineering. So set is he on his career destination that the word “aviator” is embroidered on his matric jacket. Like many around the world, Nkabinde’s interest was piqued following the mystery of the missing Malaysian aircraft MH370 which has triggered many theories. The curious learner was keen to hear the views of Wits aeronautical engineering professors on the missing plane.
Among the guardians and parents who visited campus is Mabu Mamabolo who accompanied her nephew Andrew, a matriculant at the Mokopane Academy School of Excellence. The Mamabolos made the three-hour drive from Limpopo. Aunt Mabu, a logistician, said that she felt it was necessary to visit Wits although the information and application forms are available online.
“I want him to take advantage of the extensive career guidance that is available so that he can make the right decision. If he is certain about his career choice then he will enjoy work and make a difference in his chosen career,” she said.
Noting the differences in access to information and career guidance in South African schools, the Student Enrolment Centre (SENC) at Wits has introduced an online career planner, a tool to assist learners. This can be accessed free of charge at http://www.wits.ac.za/careerplanner/
The success of Focus Day is a joint effort of various departments including the Marketing and Communications Office, SENC and schools from across the five faculties. Key to this is the participation of current Wits students who act as guides across the vast campus and give first-hand account of the Wits programmes and student life.
Matty van Niekerk, a lecturer in the Department of Occupational Therapy said: “Focus Day is an excellent platform for students to showcase the skills that they have acquired in class.”
This was evident in the manner in which third year occupational therapy student, Happy Mofokeng, interacted with Parktown Girls High School learners, Tayyibah Seedat and Raeesah Mulla.
Student's society to climb Kilimanjaro
- By Vivienne Rowland
A group of adventurous Wits students will launch a daring quest in aid of charity next week, for their attempt to summit one of the big wonders of the world, Mount Kilimanjaro.
Dubbed the Kilimanjaro Challenge 2014, the Wits Students’ Surgical Society has decided to tackle the adventure from 21 to 29 November 2014 in aid of the Smile Foundation, a South African charity organisation for children in need.
In a bid to encourage students and members of the Wits community to sign up for the expedition, the Society launches the Kilimanjaro Challenge 2014 on Tuesday, 29 April 2014 at 17h30 in the Main Auditorium of the School of Public Health building, Parktown Education Campus, 27 St Andrews Road, Parktown. All is welcome to attend. RSVP to witssurgicalsociety@gmail.com.
Mount Kilimanjaro, a dormant volcanic mountain in Tanzania, is the highest mountain in Africa and the highest free-standing mountain in the world at 5895 metres above sea level.
The Smile Foundation sets up resources in South Africa to enable children with severe facial deformities to receive treatment and care to be able to eat, speak and develop normally.
Graeme Moore, project coordinator for the Kilimanjaro Challenge 2014, says the adventure is part of the Society’s community outreach projects and to encourage Wits students to do their part for charity.
“We are extremely excited about the challenge and we hope that we reach our aim of raising funds for the Smile Foundation. We hope we can inspire other student societies at Wits to tackle equally challenging initiatives for a good cause,” says Moore.
The Kilimanjaro Challenge 2014 expedition will be led by world renowned mountaineer and guide Sean Disney in conjunction with Adventure Dynamics International.
The Society aims to assemble a team of 20 climbers to summit the 5895 metre peak of Kilimanjaro via the Rongai route. Through sponsorship and donations, they aim to raise R500 000 for the Smile Foundation.
Representatives from the Smile Foundation and the Wits Students’ Surgical Society will be at the launch to encourage other adventurous students to sign up for this daring quest.
The Joburg Centre for Software Engineering (JCSE) at Wits University will be running another ImpaCT Programme in June 2014. Aimed at grade 9- and 10-learners, the Programme aims to encourage students to select a career in a software-related discipline such as computer science, electrical engineering, information systems or information technology. Launched in December 2012, the ImpaCT Programme has expanded from 14 to over 45 learners.
“We run a boot camp to stimulate the interest of learners, particularly those from previously disadvantaged communities, in information and communication technology, and equip them with the necessary information and tools to enter the ICT industry,” said Professor Barry Dwolatzky, Director of the JCSE.
He said that the December boot camp was a huge success with 45 students attending. The JCSE’s first holiday school followed in January 2014, where the students prepared for first term mathematics and English. “We have also had a few weekend tutorials to help with maths and English and are busy preparing for our May school visits and the winter boot camp. We hope to get 25 new grade 9-learners and also have plans to introduce community weekend classes for high school students, who are not on the programme,” Dwolatzky explained.
The Programme includes academic, social and psychological enrichment and helps learners to access bursaries to enter into tertiary education in ICT-related degrees. A key aim is also to promote positive role modeling. The learners are exposed to dynamic individuals in the industry who come from similar backgrounds and passionate Wits University students who tutor them.
Coordinator of the ImpaCT Programme, Xoliswa Ngxanga, said the boot camps are held twice a year with the next one commencing in June 2014. Students spend two weeks during their holidays learning about software development and working on group projects. They are also invited to attend extra lessons on a Saturday in mathematics, science, English and information technology.
“The format works really well and the learners’ marks improve considerably as a result of the extra classes. We also see a marked increase in their confidence, particularly in physical science.”
Ngxanga said the June boot camp will cover all aspects of software development and will encourage students to improve their academic performance and prepare them for university life. “They will learn more about Scratch, HTML, photo editing, Sketch-up and video editing. The course aims to also improve their skills in leadership, problem solving, presentation and study skills, as well as time management.”
Infrastructure needs, resources, the changing skills sets of doctors and the dire need for health care services in rural areas are some of the reasons which necessitate a rethink of the admissions criteria for the MBBCh degree at Wits.
This is according to Professor Adam Habib, Wits Vice-Chancellor and Principal, who was speaking at a public meeting to discuss the current and future admissions criteria and policies for entry into the MBBCh, or medicine degree, which was held on Tuesday, 8 April 2014.
“We need to rethink admissions – we cannot wish our history away and we cannot assume we have an equal playing field. We want to be a globally competitive institution, and we have to ensure that we get the balance right,” said Habib.
“Currently, we are producing less than 30% of the number of doctors needed each year. We need to upgrade our infrastructure and training facilities and aim to establish a successful private-public partnership which will allow us to do that.” Habib alluded to the fact that he mentioned the need for an infrastructure upgrade to the Minister of Health recently.
The Vice-Chancellor was assisted by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Academic and Deputy Principal, Professor Andrew Crouch, and the Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research, Professor Zeblon Vilakazi. Crouch and Vilakazi, together with members of a special task team, have been commissioned to review the admissions criteria.
Crouch presented the current situation pertaining to admissions for the MBBCh degree and said that a review of admissions criteria every few years was a normal process for any institution.
“Our recommendations will be based on fact. Admissions requirements should ideally be reviewed every five years to ensure that they still speak to the needs of society,” said Crouch.
He said that the decision to rethink the admissions criteria for the MBBCh degree was informed by a myriad of factors. The task team found that a biographical questionnaire given to prospective medical students favoured the already privileged students; that the majority of students accepted hailed from urban environments in mainly Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo and Mpumalanga; that without some weighting for education and social disadvantage the racial composition of candidates in the programme would be more than 90% Indian and white candidates; that there was a dire need for health services in rural areas; and that Cuban doctors would soon have to be taken into account.
Habib invited robust discussion and tough questions “to allow the process to be as open as possible and to ensure that we take everything into account when we make a decision on whether to change the admission criteria”.
Audience members asked for clarification and explanations, and made suggestions on matters concerning the nationality of applicants, current scoring criteria, grading, race, Grade 10 and Grade 11 examinations marks to be taken into consideration, credibility of pass rate of admission tests, the possibility of accepting students with a non-science background, a possible face-to-face interview process for applicants and social justice issues, the possibility of evening classes for MBBCh students, and the evaluation of medical degrees obtained abroad, amongst others.
Habib also urged students to exercise their second and third career study options when applying to Wits. “It is important to recognise that young people need to think through what they really want to do with their lives. Utilise your second and third options on your application. Do not see medicine as the only option, you are restricting your own maturity. Medicine is a grand career, but there are many other grand options,” he said.
The Vice-Chancellor took a firm stand on allegations of bribery for spaces in the medical school and said that it was viewed in a very serious light. “If anyone is found to have taken money in exchange for a space for a student to study medicine, that person will be dismissed immediately. If you make a claim to that effect, it will be investigated. If your claim has merit, action will be taken. If you make false allegations found to be without proof, action will be taken against you,” said Habib.
The public discussion was attended by more than 300 members of the public, students and staff members at Wits.
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Pillay wins prize for innovative work
- By Vivienne Rowland
One of Wits’ most celebrated researchers, Professor Viness Pillay, is the winner of the African Academy of Sciences’ Olusegun Obasanjo Prize for his innovative work on designing commercialisable drug delivery technologies.
Pillay, a Fellow of the African Academy of Sciences, is the Director of the Wits Advanced Drug Delivery Platform and the South African National Research Foundation Chair in Pharmaceutical Biomaterials and Polymer-Engineered Drug Delivery Technologies.
The prize will be handed over to Professor Pillay at a special awards ceremony which will be held in Congo, Brazzaville on 16 April 2014. This event will be the major highlight of the 9th Triennial Congress of the African Academy of Sciences, hosted by the President of the Republic of Congo, HE Dennis Sassou N’Guesso. The award will consist of a Gold Medal, a certificate and a cash prize of $5000 (about R52 000).
At the ceremony, Professor Pillay will also present a public lecture on his achievements.The award recognises Pillay’s pioneering work in the development of the RapiDiss Wafer Technology as an innovative way to provide effective anti-retroviral (ARV) drug therapy to children afflicted with HIV/AIDS. The Technology is a highly stable oral formulation that is placed inside the child’s cheek and releases the ARV medication directly into the systemic circulation. There is no need to swallow the wafer with water; neither does it require refrigeration to remain stable. More importantly it also significantly improves the taste and pharmacokinetics of current liquid ARV formulations. This is one of his seminal technologies that have two patents among a suite of over 35 other patents in the field of drug delivery technology.
The RapiDiss Wafer Technology provides an ingenious solution to the daily challenges of administering ARVs to children. Over three million children are living with HIV/AIDS, with the majority in sub-Saharan Africa. Most of the current products are designed for adult use and have poor stability. Efforts to adapt them for paediatric uses have resulted in drug degradation, faulty dosing and poor patient compliance. Pillay’s RapiDiss Wafer Technology targets the most vulnerable patient population, which, even the large multinational pharmaceutical companies have overlooked.
“Innovation involves identifying a challenge and finding a creative solution. Professor Pillay, an African scientist, has shown his ingenuity by designing formulation technologies that can dramatically improve the bioavailability of drugs at a rate and site of drug absorption within the human body. These game-changing innovations resulted from over 20 years of research undertaken by Professor Pillay and his team,” said the President of the AAS, Professor Ahmadou L. Ndiaye.
Professor Pillay said that he feels honoured to be recognised in such a remarkable way.
“As scientists we work hard every day but sometimes we wonder if anybody really notices. I would like to thank the Olusegun Obasanjo Prize Committee for this great initiative of recognising innovation in Africa. It is such a remarkable feeling and honor to be recognised as an African innovator.”
“I feel humbled by this award. As an African innovator, this is a responsibility that I do not take lightly, and continue to endeavor to ensure that we place real African innovations on the map, particularly pharmaceutical product development in order to solve our unique health challenges on the continent,” said Pillay.
It is reported that South Africa loses approximately R1 billion annually due to cybercrime and neither government nor the private sector has the capacity to deal with the onslaught.
The top three factors driving cybercrime are motivated by fame and recognition, financial gain and political gain.
These facts were revealed at a cybersecurity seminar hosted by the Wits School of Governance in partnership with computer giant Microsoft. The South African Minister of State Security, Siyabonga Cwele, delivered the keynote address.
Criminals seem to wield the upper hand over national agencies. Only 5% of members of the South African Police Service were found to be competent in the use of information technology, a matter requiring urgent attention given the importance of these tools in investigating crimes.
Cwele said that government, academia and the private sector need to join hands to prevent and counter cyber-attacks as these undermine the credibility and security of all stakeholders.
When it came to the origin of the cybercrimes against South Africa, the main culprits were Asia, the USA, the Middle East and West Africa. To read Cwele’s address .
Professor Anthony van Nieuwkerk, Head of the Centre for Defense Studies at Wits confirmed that cybersecurity is an understudied and poorly researched discipline.
The aim of the colloquium was to identify an agenda for research, education and policy development in order to enhance cybersecurity. Panels of expert speakers from government, academia and the private sector including presenters from Brazil, the African Union and the European Union explored critical issues on national and regional approaches to cybersecurity, amongst other issues.
The colloquium was held from 27 to 28 March 2014. See .
Who funds our political parties and why?
- By Vivienne Rowland
Wits Journalism, in cooperation with the Right2Know campaign, hosted a political debate on Saturday, 12 April 2014, entitled Is South Africa becoming a one rand one vote democracy?
The debate comprised an expert panel discussion on: Who funds our political parties? What do these funders expect in return? Why do all our political parties keep their donors a secret?
Speakers included Sisonke Msimang from Sonke Gender Justice and a columnist for the Daily Maverick; Greg Solik, coordinator of My Vote Counts, a non-governmental organisation working on political funding; Sithembile Mbete, politics lecturer at the University of Pretoria; Professor Susan Booysen, researcher at Wits; and Lance Greyling, Democratic Alliance MP.
The speakers all agreed that political party funding should be a matter of public record and that it is crucial to the survival of democracy. “It is either full disclosure or none. South Africa has no disclosure. It is disrespectful and challenges democracy. Do not keep your financial records secret,” said Booysen.
The speakers’ viewpoints were followed by a question and answer session between the speakers and members of the public.
Listen to the audio
Launch of CoE in Human Development
- By Wits University
The Deputy Minister of Science and Technology, Advocate Michael Masutha, today (22 April) launched the Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Human Development to ensure a better response to child development challenges in the country.
The CoE is one of five new Department of Science and Technology/National Research Foundation CoEs approved last month by the Minister of Science and Technology, Derek Hanekom, in order to promote collaborative and interdisciplinary research among research-performing institutions, and to provide high-end skills development in priority research areas.
Co-hosted by the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) and the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN), the new CoE will focus on ensuring that children are provided for and receive a better start to life in the country.
According to research, South Africa has very high rates of child poverty. In 2011, 58% of children lived below the lower poverty line (R604 per month). Globally, 171 million children under five were affected by moderate or severe stunting in 2010 – a clear sign of malnutrition, which affects children's physical and cognitive development and capacity to learn. Current trends indicate that by 2015 one in four children under the age of five will suffer from stunted growth.
About 57% of young children in developing countries have no access to preschool – in sub-Saharan Africa the figure is 83% – and children living in the poorest households are up to 10 times less likely to attend early childhood education programmes than those living in the richest.
Masutha said that early childhood development (ECD) was a national priority. The Office of the President had declared this in 2004, and directives had been issued for municipalities to include ECD planning in their integrated development plans. Since then, the 2005 National Integrated Plan for ECD had been published, and the 2007 Children’s Amendment Act had been passed, strengthening government commitment in this important area.
"The CoE will combine the multidisciplinary expertise of established scholars with dedicated research groups working on child development. The team's diverse strengths will enable a better understanding of the challenges in respect of child development in South Africa, improve the country's ability to address these challenges, and advocate for the most cost-effective interventions to give all children the best possible start in life," he said.
Professor Cheryl Potgieter, Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Head of the College of Humanities at UKZN, said that the university welcomed the opportunity to co-host the CoE with Wits.
"Partnerships are the cornerstone of the development framework and essential in mobilising support and investment," said Potgieter. "In line with the Millennium Development Goals, the centre will focus on human capacity, particularly economic participation and health, which will contribute significantly to enhancing and empowering the youth and ultimately all South African citizens."
The research at the centre will help improve decision-makers' understanding of the conditions, dynamics and efficacy of policies among socially and economically marginalised societies in South Africa. This is of particular importance in view of the Millennium Development Goals and continued global efforts to reduce poverty, inequality and discrimination, and promote democracy and human rights.
8th Taco Kuiper Awards to take place
- By Vivienne Rowland
The 8th Taco Kuiper Awards for Investigative Journalism are to be announced next week at a glittering event honouring the tenacious reporters who expose injustices in society.
The awards ceremony, honouring investigative journalists for their sterling work in 2013, will take place at the Rand Club in the Johannesburg CBD on Friday, 11 April 2014.
A top prize of R200 000 awaits the winning entry, for which entries have been received from both print and broadcast media in South Africa.
This year’s guest speaker at the ceremony will be Anabel Hernández, recipient of the Golden Pen of Freedom for her commitment and dedication to investigative reporting that revealed corruption at the highest levels of Mexican society and has placed her life in danger. Hernández, writer of the book Narcoland: The Mexican Drug Lords and Their Godfathers, also writes for several daily newspapers in Mexico.
“The standard, range and depth of this year’s entries surpasses what I have seen before for these awards and fits our guidelines for a distinguished example of investigative reporting,” says Professor Anton Harber, Caxton Professor of Journalism and Media Studies.
The Taco Kuiper Awards, hosted by the Wits Department of Journalism, are funded by The Valley Trust. Taco Kuiper was a highly successful South African publisher who left a significant part of his estate to the promotion of investigative journalism.
As a business journalist and publisher Kuiper knew that exposing matters of public concern which those scrutinised would not want to see disclosed, was an enterprise. As he himself did not shy away from taking on public institutions and profiteers of Apartheid policy, he thought it important to foster and reward investigative journalism in South Africa. It was for this reason that Kuiper, shortly before his death in September 2004, set up a fund for investigative journalism within The Valley Trust. The Trust has partnered with the Wits Journalism Programme to administer the Taco Kuiper Award and Fund.
For more information about the Taco Kuiper Award and Taco Kuiper grants for investigative journalism projects visit www.journalism.co.za/tacokuiper
"Foreign policy has come of age"
- By Vivienne Rowland
South Africa’s foreign policy has come of age in the last 20 years and the country is respected and revered the world over, says International Relations and Cooperation Minister Maite Nkoane-Mashabane.
“Twenty years on, our society has been totally transformed in every sphere since 1994. We have abandoned our shameful past and have steadily moved towards building a new culture based on respect of human rights and dignity. We are no longer an inactive reject and pariah state, but have become a country that plays critical role in Africa, and continues to yield influence in global politics,” said the minister.
Nkoane-Mashabane addressed Wits International Relations students on Thursday, 10 April 2014 which formed part of a career and counselling exhibition hosted by the Department of International Relations and Cooperation. The theme of her address was Celebrating 20 years of South Africa’s democracy: reflections on South African foreign policy.
She said that in the 20 years since the advent of democracy in South Africa, the country has broadened its international reach from 34 missions abroad in 1994 to a staggering 126 missions throughout the world, but with a sharp focus on Africa. “Our international trade has also escalated to higher proportions, playing a key role in the eradication of poverty, unemployment, inequality. But a lot still needs to be done to eliminate this triple challenge.”
“The passing of Comrade Chris was just a year before South Africa could cast aside centuries of discrimination and oppression to form a new society built on the foundation of freedom and democracy on 27 April 1994. The very month in which he died marked the end of apartheid rule and ushered in an introduction of a new Constitutional order, wherein all worked towards a united, non-racial, non-sexist, democratic and prosperous society. It is for this reason that I dare us never to forget that our road to democracy was not that too easy. Many lives were lost. It is the loss of lives of selfless patriots like Comrade Chris that should reminds us never to undermine the depth, strength and meaning of our democracy,” said Nkoane-Mashabane.The event marked the 21st commemoration of the assassination of Chris Hani, the leader of the South African Communist Party and chief of staff of Umkhonto we Sizwe, on 10 April 1993.
The minister elaborated on the relations bilateral and multilateral relationships South Africa has with countries of the South, through its membership with the Non-Aligned Movement, the Group of 77, the India, Brazil, South Africa (IBSA) tripartite, the BRICS (Brazil‚ Russia‚ India‚ China and South Africa) and other important structures.
“Our country has also built and maintained solid bilateral relations with countries of the North. They continue to play an important role in our country’s socio-economic development. Our respect for the rule of international law has been illustrated by our active role and participating in institutions of global governance such as the United Nations, the G20, the G77 and China and the World Trade Organisation. Our participation in all these fora has generated increased visibility, influence and respect for the country globally, and indeed gave a balanced account of our milestones over the past 20 years,” said Nkoane-Mashabane.
In conclusion, the minister urged the students to look forward to the next 20 years with great optimism and make use of all key strategies that have been put in place for the development of the country. “The National Development Plan (NDP) is our roadmap. This plan outlines the type of society we are striving for in 2030, where no one is hungry, where everyone is able to go to school and further their studies if they wish, where work is available, where everyone is making a contribution because each person has been provided with what they need to reach their full potential.”
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The minister’s address coincided with a visit by Dr Ahmed Kathrada, who addressed students in an adjacent venue about his time spent on Robben Island with the late former president Nelson Mandela.
On a night filled with anxiety, excitement and glamorous radio celebrities, VOW FM once again proved its mettle by scooping four awards of its 10 nominations.
The annual MTN Radio Awards were held on Saturday, 12 April 2014 at the Sandton Convention Centre. Voice of Wits radio station walked away with four MTN Radio Awards: News and Actuality Show: Law Focus (Female Miners), Drama Programme: Law Focus: (The Right Stuff and Female Miners), and News and Actuality Producer: Paul McNally (Municipal By Laws and Creches in SA Townships). Mvangeli Nzuza won the Best News Reader (sports) award.
Station manager Mike Smurthwaite said: “It’s absolutely fantastic to obtain awards in recognition of work done, especially when the awards confirm, that in the specific areas you were recognised, you were the best within the industry in the past year … These awards also encompass what a community station is about. Programming that is collaborative and works with its community structures”.
Three of the awards obtained are for programming created in partnership with the Wits Radio Academy and the station. The radio academy is the academic space within Wits University that focuses on radio and is home to the Vow FM radio station.
Xoli Matomela, news editor and executive producer for the Wits Radio Academy, said “A lot of hard work with an amazing team paid off. Law Focus is about making our community legally literate about their rights, that certainly deserves recognition,”
“For all those who were nominated and who won, I as station manager am extremely proud and highly appreciative of their hard work, commitment and dedication,” said Smurthwaite
The MTN Radio Awards aims to recognise excellence in radio and reward those individuals and organisations who combine talent, hard work and skill to ensure that their listeners are compelled.
“We are proud to recognise and honour South Africa’s outstanding radio talent, from in-front-of-the-mic presenters to behind-the-scenes producers,” reads the awards website.
Radio remains a pivotal communication tool in Africa and is the primary medium utilised by South Africans to interact with their world. Consequently, the MTN Radio Awards seeks to motivate radio people and organisations to constantly raise the bar in terms of their performance with a firm focus on keeping their listener engaged.
Wits University and VOW FM is extremely proud and congratulates all the winners and nominees!
