Calling the (behavioural) shots over vaccines
It will take 67% of the population to be vaccinated to reach herd immunity; here is how those still reluctant can be persuaded to join in.
Vaccine nationalism and migration
Implications for the (mis)management of Covid-19 in South Africa.
Covid-19 policy briefs must be realistic: a review by young southern African scientists
African leaders can make strategies to fight COVID-19 more accessible to the people.
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A wealth tax for South Africa
New paper shares details on how to implement a wealth tax in South Africa.
Update 62: Our collective responsibility
Update on the latest Covid-19 testing and infection of staff and students.
Welcome message from our new VC, Professor Zeblon Vilakazi
Professor Vilakazi assumed office on 1 January 2021 and looks forward to stewarding the University in his capacity as the Vice-Chancellor and Principal:
South Africa failed to get its act together on vaccines
Critics of the South African government argue that it has done too little too late to secure vaccines, and that it doesn't have a proper roll-out plan in place.
SA's vaccine strategy mistakes
Pasha 91: Blunders that left South Africa trailing in the vaccine stakes
Huge gap between SA's 4IR strategy and what commission recommends
Huge gap between SA's 4IR strategy and what commission recommends
Wits scientists artificially infect mosquitoes with human malaria to advance treatment
Wits scientists and local and global partners have artificially infected mosquitoes with human malaria and identified a new chemical compound to treat malaria.
Why the state’s new toys won’t help South Africa’s response to Covid-19
Drones, dinghies and an army helicopter - the new toys are diverting resources, and diverting attention.
Towards herd immunity from Covid-19: Costing a vaccine strategy for South Africa
This article examines and estimates the financial implications of a vaccine strategy with a goal of achieving herd immunity.
Mining's year ahead will demand deep innovation
Mining's immediate future is to be impacted not just by economic cycles or established trends, but by structural issues demanding urgent and deep innovation.
Building Africa's AI initiative
Considerations behind the largest and most complex undertaking of its kind in Africa’s history.
How sub-Saharan Africa can rethink its approach to agriculture
Governments should explore technologies like global positioning systems and blockchain for use in the registration of land rights.
Vaccines for South Africa. Now
It is distressing to hear senior officials increasingly talking down the prospects for the availability and usefulness of Covid-19 vaccines in South Africa.
Update 61: Adjusted level 3 implications
Implications of adjusted Level 3 regulations for staff and students.
Higher education reconsidered
Beyond the pandemic and possibilities for new knowledge architectures.
All you should know about where we are with Covid-19 vaccines
What are the urgent steps that South Africans need to take to prepare for a timeous life-saving roll out of vaccines?
AI helps to identify new Covid-19 hotspots in Gauteng
Gauteng Government, IBM Research and Wits University are fighting the pandemic with artificial intelligence.
Annual SoAP exhibition goes online
For the first time, the Wits School of Architecture and Planning (SoAP) held its End of Year School Show online.
Species across the globe at risk
Changes in fire activity are threatening more than 4 400 species globally.
Covid-19 Update 60: Infection Summary
Update on the latest Covid-19 testing and infection of staff and students.
Health Sciences graduation ceremonies go virtual
Wits University has taken all graduation ceremonies online, following the President’s announcement on Monday night.
Witsies receive 2020 L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science Award
The L'Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science Programme has recognised two female Wits scientists for their groundbreaking research.
Farewell Professor Adam Habib
Vice-Chancellor and Principal, Professor Adam Habib, will leave Wits University at the end of December 2020.
2020 Graduations: Wits honours national heroes, lauds graduates
Almost 10 000 students graduate from Wits in 2020.
South Africa’s electricity supply: what’s tripping the switch
The longer government dithers over how Eskom's debt will be paid, the bigger the problem becomes.
Pioneering research and innovation through the Nairobi Alliance
An innovative research partnership with the potential to transform lives and support communities across the world has launched today.
Plans for learning and teaching in 2021
In 2021 many forms of support will be available to help staff and students transition from Emergency Remote Teaching and Learning (ERT&L) to online pedagogy.
Covid-19 Update 59: Infection Summary
Update on the latest Covid-19 testing and infection of staff and students.
First peer-reviewed results of phase 3 human trials of Oxford Covid-19 vaccine demonstrate efficacy
For the first time, Covid-19 vaccine phase 3 human trial results have been peer-reviewed and published in a scientific journal.
-members,-Linah-Sesheba,-Dr-Zena-Richards,-Daniel-Chosi-and-Arthee-Roopnarain_600x300.jpg "SETMU, winners of the 2020 VC’s Academic Citizenship Team Award: Linah Sesheba, Dr Zena Richards, Daniel Chosi and Arthee Roopnarain")
Wits’ shining stars celebrated
Professor Adam Habib, Wits Vice-Chancellor and Principal conferred awards to exceptional staff members at the University.
Huge money boost for Planetary and Space Science Project
Wits plays key role in securing funding to develop Planetary and Space Science projects in Africa.
PhD student receives major international grant at CERN
Humphry Tlou, a physics PhD student at Wits, is one of two students to be awarded with the CERN ATLAS PhD grant.
Fake news and misinformation kill
How can you trust what you are told about Covid-19?
Wits mourns the passing of Professor Belinda Bozzoli
The University of the Witwatersrand has learnt with sadness of the passing of Professor Belinda Bozzoli, an illustrious academic and strategic leader.
Covid-19 Update 58: Advice from Scientists Collective
Update on the latest Covid-19 testing and infection of staff and students.
Wits recognised by international body for leadership in nuclear science
Wits University has been endorsed by the prestigious International Nuclear Management Academy for its Nuclear Technology Leadership Programme.
Earthquakes in South Africa
Pasha 78: Listen to Professor Ray Durrheim talk about the risk of earthquakes.
Wits develops AI project with York University to tackle COVID-19 in Africa
The International Development and Research Centre (IDRC) grants $1.25 Million to the project.
The hunt for an HIV vaccine
Unique insights from an inspiring cohort of women in South Africa.
Why it’s important to keep diagnosing and treating HIV during the COVID-19 pandemic
To focus purely on combating one pandemic, the effects of other morbidity and mortality on healthcare systems will be seen for a long time to come.
Managing HIV and diabetes together: South African patients tell their stories
Care for patients with more than one disease is fragmented and uncoordinated. This is can cost patients time, effort and lost wages.
Decolonising Evaluation - a new MOOC
Wits University has added a new course to its free, online WitsX/edX learning platform.
Why reading is crucial for economic growth
Reading is a stepladder out of poverty, not only for individuals, but also for entire countries.
Covid-19 Update 57: Infection summary
Update on the latest Covid-19 testing and infection of staff and students.
Daytime sightings of aardvarks show troubled times in the Kalahari
Aardvarks are nocturnal animals but climate change is altering that and it's a problem.
Critical support for waste reclaimers during pandemic
The donation of personal protective equipment and a truck will ensure the safety of waste reclaimers.
Witsies head to national entrepreneurship intervarsity finals
Three students will represent Wits at the national entrepreneurship intervarsity competition.
Student tech start-up seizes market gap
Four Witsies are on a mission to promote locally produced branded merchandise.
Wits University physicist wins top South African physics award
The Gold Medal from the South African Institute of Physics is the greatest distinction that is conferred in South Africa for achievements in Physics.
Study unveils complexity and vast diversity of Africa’s genetic variation
It is essential to add genomic data from all global populations - including Africa. This will ensure that everyone can benefit from the advances in health.
Wits University statement on Oxford Covid-19 vaccine results in UK and Brazil populations
Scientists at Wits University are encouraged by results announced today by colleagues at the University of Oxford in collaboration with AstraZeneca.
Meet KuduBot
KuduBot is Wits University’s chatbot set to enhance student services by providing quick and convenient support to student enquiries.
Have your say about life in Gauteng
One of the most significant social surveys in Gauteng is now underway.
Maths geniuses battle it out in competition
Five hundred Maths stars from across the country participated in the 2020 Wits Maths Competition.
SA’s main opposition party caught in an unenviable political bind
The problem for the DA is not one of policy. There is real substance in its commitment to substituting racial criteria for overcoming historical disadvantage.
How real BEE can help ordinary folk
BEE has only benefited a handful of politically connected black political capitalists, a select group of white-owned big business, financiers and law firms.
The postgraduate blueprint for a future that works
Register for postgraduate study at Wits University and be part of the future of exciting possibilities.
Witsie receives grant to develop early-career research managers
Research manager, Caryn McNamara, one of more than 50 international grantees to help develop research management professionals.
Century-old theory disproved
Scientists disprove the theory about animals’ ear canals and posture.
Auditor-general Kimi Makwetu: an exceptional and true civil servant
Makwetu embodied the values of integrity, selflessness, humility and hard work. He steadfastly believed in the South African constitution.
Bizos had Matla a Tlou: The strength of an elephant
Remembering Advocate George Bizos.
Important breakthrough in HIV prevention
Our findings suggest that cabotegravir is much more effective than Truvada in preventing HIV infection in women.
Diabetes: we need more and better trained nurses
Healthcare providers and governments must recognise the need to invest in diabetes nurse education and training.
Eight ways to get people to be more active
Being physically active is largely not an individual choice, but a result of what funds, spaces, places and opportunities that are available.
Understanding violent protest in SA
There are individual activists and political groupings who believe violent action is legitimate and use the circumstances to actively drive such behaviour.
Covid-19: Update 56 - Infection summary
Update on the latest Covid-19 testing and infection of staff and students.
Witsies cement their ideas to minimise construction waste
Two engineering students used their final year projects to study the possibilities of using rubble clay-brick masonry as part of the sand in fresh concrete.
HIV study shows new injection is more effective than current daily HIV pill to prevent HIV in women
Early unblinding of the of long-acting cabotegravir (CAB LA) is a milestone for prevention of HIV among women in sub Saharan Africa.
Exploring practical ways to proactively address gender based harm at Wits
A conversation with student leaders, activists, academics, researchers and Wits officials proposes proactive and practical ways to tackle gender-based harm.
Real-time data is critical for detecting outbreaks
South Africa is testing digital technology to detect outbreaks of respiratory diseases.
School maths: where do we go wrong
What maths researchers learnt from the mistakes made by pupils in ‘top’ South African schools.
Moribund Council on Higher Education is immobilising academic agility
Quality assurance entities are immobilising the system and hindering the ability of more students to access online education.
Gauteng Community of Practice for Research Ethics and Integrity launched
Wits is amongst the universities in Gauteng to establish this voluntary body, a platform to address common problems in the research ethics and integrity sphere.
Wits-French partnerships strengthened
Commitments focus on innovation and the creative engagement with new technologies.
Africa’s first 5G Innovation Lab
Wits, Huawei and rain jointly launch Africa's first 5G laboratory at the Wits Tshimologong Digital Innovation Precinct.
Biomimicry control for Covid diagnostics
Wits researchers develop solution to improve accuracy and safety of Covid-19 testing.
South Africa’s waning economic fortunes demand harsh policy adjustments: who will bear the brunt?
Resolution of the fiscal crisis depends on faster economic growth which must be led by private investment.
Major new African genome study finds varieties that inform African history, migration and immunity
Wits geneticists and partners publish groundbreaking study that informs African population history, environmental adaptation, and susceptibility to disease.
GCRF START grant fulfilling a vision
Exciting new research at Wits made possible through the GCRF START grant.
Human trafficking and the danger of sensationalising belief over fact
We must resist the convenience of labelling every social ill as “trafficking” and radically reducing the militarisation and securitisation of national borders.
African gaming takes centre stage at Fak’ugesi Festival
Highly anticipated and specially curated Fak’ugesi Arcade programme unveiled.
Wits researcher receives $150 000 Jennifer Ward Oppenheimer grant
Wits conservation scientist, Dr Bernard Coetzee received the prestigious Jennifer Ward Oppenheimer grant for his work on light pollution.
EIE Virtual Open Day 2020
The School of Electrical and Information Engineering (EIE) recently held its Open Day online for the first time.
Anticipating a 'second wave'
Covid-19: When and how South Africa should try to prevent or mitigate it.
What South Africans must do to avoid a resurgence of COVID-19 infections
It is key to continue high-impact non-pharmaceutical interventions that will not impede economic activity, but limit the spread of COVID-19.
Covid-19 pandemic drives need for policy brief on physical activity for health in Africa
More than ever, the Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted the need to prioritise physical activity as an imperative for public health in Africa.
Fak’ugesi Festival 2020 unveils exciting Heritage & Technology Programme
The 2020 Fak’ugesi African Digital Innovation Festival will run for one month from 20 October to 20 November 2020.
New threats to media freedom come from unexpected directions
Journalists need to hold firmly to the ethical standards that assure audiences their work is reliable and credible.
Young Nigerians rise up to demand a different kind of freedom
For young Nigerian protesters, ENDSARS is as much an expression of a will to modernity as it is a yearning to be treated with dignity.
New global health research to reduce the impacts of Covid-19 across low- and middle-income countries
Wits Health Consortium divisions - PRICELESS-SA, Agincourt and Ezintsha - secure grant in association with Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
, Zakhele Ndala (School of Chemistry) and Leigh Crymble (Wits Business School)_600x300.jpg "Wits PhD Winners: Tamlyn Naidu (Chemical and Metallurgical Engineering), Zakhele Ndala (School of Chemistry) and Leigh Crymble (Wits Business School)")
Wits PhD Seminar Winners
Finalists at Wits’ first cross-faculty PhD Seminar kept judges and audiences on the edge.
Chinese businesses donate personal protective equipment to Wits students
Members of the Chinese community in South Africa open their hearts to Wits students to protect them from Covid-19.
Climate research is critical in Africa: how to make it more visible
The threats of climate change to plants, animals and people in Africa mean that the continent is an excellent place for biometeorological research.
South African community wins right to access mining application. But who will win the war?
Clashes between mining companies and communities are often about the age-old question of whether mining can benefit the many or only a selected few.
Changes in South Africa’s rainfall seasons could affect farming and water resources
Trends across the different rainfall zones can be linked to changes recorded for large-scale climate systems.
Capping executive pay is the key to stop money-guzzling SOEs from ruining SA
Excessive remuneration at failing state-owned entities provides no incentive to become accountable.
Anxiety in Johannesburg: new views on a global south city
Johannesburg is not the most anxious or dangerous city in the world but a valuable site for thinking about how anxiety structures our lives.
Explainer: what’s behind the locust swarms damaging crops in southern Africa
Locust outbreaks are driven by unusual climatic conditions.
Playtime in Soweto: what mothers said about activity for toddlers
The women in our study knew that play was important, although they didn't see it as an independent behaviour to be encouraged or promoted.
Trial to test if measles, mumps, rubella vaccine protects healthcare workers against Covid-19
The measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccine may strengthen immune response to viral infections, including SARS-CoV-2, which causes Covid-19.
Wits secures R150 million endowment for the missing middle
The University secures R150 million endowment for deserving students, one of the largest donations ever made for the benefit of the University.
Book takes Sterkfontein fossils to the world
Paleoanthropologists have published a book on the fossils excavated from Sterkfontein Caves for the benefit of the global scientific community.
Dietary migration of Kruger's Impala rivals the geographical migration of the Serengeti wildebeest
Research shows seasonal dietary changes increase the abundances of savanna herbivore species.
Investigative journalists sharpen their tools
Africa’s biggest gathering of muckrakers returns.
Diamonds are a quantum scientist’s best friend
The discovery of triplet spin superconductivity in diamonds has the potential to revolutionise the high-tech industry.
Covid-19 Update 48 - Return to campus under lockdown level 1
Covid-19 policies and protocols pertaining to lockdown level 1.
Ezintsha study provides new data on current ART regimens with concerns about weight gain
The SA ADVANCE study of the potency and safety of SA's commonly used antiretroviral treatment regimens has published new safety data, especially on weight gain.
Depression and mental health issues skyrocket
Our results show that the prevalence of depressive symptoms seems to have doubled between 2017 and June 2020 (Covid-19 era).
The she-cession
Wave 2 of the Nids-Cram survey shows how women have fared with the gradual reopening of SA’s economy as the lockdown levels are eased.
How social distancing during a pandemic affects the elderly in rural South Africa
Socialising is essential for brain health in the elderly in rural South Africa – has lockdown affected their cognitive function?
Wits Professor of public health in rural South Africa wins international alumni award
Wits Professor Kathleen Kahn has received the 2020 Alumni Award of Merit from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.A.
10 years of broadcasting for VOW FM
Voice of Wits FM marks 10 years of great radio and growth.
How social security could make life better in SA after COVID-19
Emergency relief measures were operational for six months and are due to end soon. But the impacts of COVID-19 will be felt long after.
Wits Professor wins top chemistry prize
Professor Charles de Koning is awarded the South African Chemistry Institute’s (SACI) gold medal and gets inducted as a Fellow of SACI.
Transforming African health systems to embrace diversity
Westernised health systems are dominant in Africa, a situation that calls for transformation to embrace more diverse forms of healing.
Wits researcher writes book on the evolutionary origins of life and death
Durand uses cell death as a lens through which to examine the interconnectedness of life and death.
PhD competition a showcase of vibrant scholarship
Wits’ first cross-faculty PhD competition promises to be a festival of invigorating and innovative ideas.
Fak’ugesi Festival 2020: #POWERTOTHEPIXEL
A virtual feast of Africa’s best creative digital workshops, talks, pitches and digital art exhibitions.
Covid 19 Update 47 - Preparing to return to campus under Lockdown Level 1
The Senior Executive Team (SET) met this week and agreed in principle to the coordinated return of more students and staff to our campuses from 5 October 2020.
Land reform is central to SA's quest for social justice
South Africa’s land reform policies need to embrace social, economic and ecological sustainability.
Journalism makes blunders but still feeds democracy: an insider’s view
Media self-criticism is not just important to improve journalism, it is a political, professional and moral imperative.
Municipalities have to clean up their acts. If they don’t, post-Covid SA will explode
Local governments must gather the political will to fight corruption, inefficiency as finances dwindle, but they’ll need help.
Southern Africa is anxious about post-Brexit trade talks
Here’s why South Africa and its neighbours are anxious about EU and UK post-Brexit trade talks.
Wits PhD students take leadership roles at the European laboratory CERN
The two students have also been awarded highly competitive fellowships for their outstanding work.
Wits scientist on global commission that cautions against using gene-edited embryos for pregnancy
Wits Professor of Human Genetics Michèle Ramsay has contributed to the international report on Heritable Human Genome Editing released in the UK on 3 September.
Social work paper finalist in Global Undergraduate Awards
When Bilqees Mahomed decided to study the factors that hinder the treatment of mental health, she didn’t anticipate that it would have a ripple effect.
New MOOC: Root Canal Preparation
Wits University has added a new course to its free, online WitsX/edX learning platform.
White elephant schools reveal lack of progress
School that cannot be occupied by learners and teachers, and stand out as white elephants in the communities in which they have been built.
We can prevent procurement fraud by deploying 4IR technologies
The Covid-19 pandemic has brought to the fore just how endemic corruption has become.
Covid-19 Update 46 - Level 1 is here
We welcome the news that South Africa will move to national lockdown level 1 from Monday, 21 September 2020.
Work from home reserved for the privileged few in SA
Digital divides ensure that only 11% of households have access to the internet.
Student project goes to Dutch Design Week
The work of Joshil Naran, a masters in Architecture student, has been selected to showcase at a global festival for creatives and innovators.
A keen eye on facts saved this biodiverse wetland for now: threats to be aware of
Court victory by an NGO against municipality has laid bare the red tape and misgovernance that often burdens the process of issuing water licenses.
America’s inflection point: four key things Africa must watch for
Many political issues in the 2020 US election are domestic. But black resistance to white supremacy has long had global repercussions.
Wits University resumes vaccinating in the Oxford Covid-19 vaccine trial
Wits University has resumed vaccinating in the Oxford Covid-19 vaccine trial currently also underway in the UK, Brazil and the U.S.
Covid-19 policy: Public engagement is crucial
A balancing act between scientific data and health and broader socioeconomic implications is needed when policymakers prioritise interventions and measures.
Why halting the COVID-19 vaccine trial is part of the process
The experience of the Oxford vaccine and the measures put into place are not unusual. Many phase one and phase two clinical trials have holding rules.
A new app helps COVID-19 frontline workers with mental health
Pasha 80: Fighting the coronavirus can put severe strain on a person’s mental health.
A hero has fallen - rest in peace Advocate George Bizos
Rest in peace Advocate Bizos, knowing that you have left a lasting legacy in gifting freedom to our people.
SRC nominations off on a good start
The call for candidates to run for the SRC General Election has yielded positive results with nearly 58 nominations submitted to the Wits Electoral Office.
Wits University pauses Oxford Covid-19 vaccine trial as part of standard regulatory procedure
Wits University will pause the Covid-19 vaccine trial it is running with the University of Oxford following a medical event in a volunteer in the UK.
The claim that SA’s economy has declined by 51% is a misrepresentation of the facts
South Africa’s Gross Domestic Product has not halved as reported by several publications and commentators over the past 24 hours.
Solid, altruistic global leadership is the only way to face future crises and win
Covid-19 has taught us that investing in health security research, preparedness and responsiveness, nationally, regionally and globally, is critical.
Why Africa needs to be involved in the development of Covid-19 vaccines
Understanding the epidemiology of Covid-19 and moving forward would be critical to determining policy on the need to adopt interventions.
Covid-19 Symposium: Meeting the challenge
Symposium to focus on key challenges in dealing with a delayed but explosive unfolding of Covid-19 in parts of Africa.
Where have all the flowers gone? A final climate crisis warning
South Africa’s climate science is not an allegory, but an echo of the final warning to all of us about a worsening climate-driven future.
The truth has been captured by corrupt, opportunistic SA leaders
Many public figures increasingly, not only outrightly lie on public platforms, but dress up lies as if these are truths.
Malfunctioning SOEs urgently need citizen shareholder activists
Ordinary citizens, consumers and civil society must play more active roles as shareholders of state-owned enterprises.
Grass on ash: uncovering 200,000 year old beds from South Africa
Before 200,000 years ago, close to the origin of our species, people used ash as layers for broad-leaved grasses to build their beds.
Lessons on cemetery design from Johannesburg
Municipalities are forced to identify new cemetery planning models that are environmentally sensitive and consistent with diverse cultural practises.
Covid-19 Update 45: Policies and Protocols - All you need to know
All staff and students are reminded of the approved Wits Covid-19 policy, Emergency Response Plan and other associated protocols.
Eminent Wits epidemiologist elected to African Academy of Sciences
Professor Shane Norris has been elected as a Fellow of the African Academy of Sciences (AAS) for his work on the developmental origins of health and disease.
GCRO map shows more women get Covid-19 in Gauteng
More women (56%) than men are testing positive for COVID-19 in Gauteng.
African research support: here’s one programme that’s working
Less than 1% of the world’s research is produced in Africa, and we urgently need to build stronger health research capacity.
Curios.ty 10, #Mood, explores mental health now and in the next decade
By 2030, mental health will be the single largest global challenge we will face (World Health Organization).
How are you really doing? #MOOD
Life as we know it has changed due to the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) which has irrevocably altered the way we live, work, behave, think and feel.
A moment in time
Wits postgraduate students in Medical Anthropology share the effects of living under lockdown amidst the global Covid-19 pandemic.
Is South Africa driving us mad?
We live in a state of constant high alert in South Africa. The effect on us is profound but an environment like this also builds resilience.
Putting a number on mental health costs
Mental health costs should be counted in people, not rands and cents.
Mental gymnastics
What’s the best thing you can do for your brain today? Move!
Save you sanity with sleep
Lack of sleep can wreak havoc on your physical health and mental wellbeing – and may have implications for people living with HIV.
The comfort of the Arts
The arts evoke emotion. How do we harness them for wellbeing?
Rock on!
Music is thought to be one of the ways that our ancient ancestors expressed their emotions – and may well have led to early languages.
Can tech save our sanity?
Promising technological and online innovations could be crucial in combating the world’s alarming mental health statistics.
Teaming-up at home
Our dependence on technology brought on by Covid-19 makes cognitive and emotional demands that, unaddressed, threaten our mental wellbeing.
Over ruled – How the head trumps the heart
Our brain is a complex organ – it keeps us breathing, helps us pull our hands from a fire, and keeps our emotions, fears and dreams in check.
The Crocodile Rock
Pay close attention the next time you play a Bach concerto to your pet crocodile. If you look closely, you might just see him tapping his toes to the rhythm.
Traditional answers to mind-body-spirit questions
Indigenous knowledge is critical in helping people cope with mental health issues that western medicine may not address.
How your tribe affects your vibe
We are influenced by those with whom we most closely associate, in terms of our ideologies, political positions and prejudices. Covid-19 exposed who we are.
Madness, she wrote
The feminisation of madness is persistent and pervasive as are forms of Othering across societies.
Feelings about fathers
The role of the father in the family or, more specifically, his absence, has profound implications for the mental wellbeing of his offspring.
Balancing two worlds
PROFILE: Few things evoke frustration like the feeling that you’re not being heard. Dr Nomfundo Moroe lends an ear and empathy to the Deaf community.
Whiter workplace wellness?
Mental health is set to become a global crisis by 2030. Creating a caring, nurturing culture in your workplace can save employers and employees a lot of stress.
Our ageing brains: Concentrating on dementia
Strong social networks can go a long way to assist people living with forms of dementia, such as Alzheimer's.
Understanding suicide
Suicide risk may start in the womb and studies also connect it to factors including smoking, social media and social inequality.
Concentrating on ADHD
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a long phrase to describe a short attention span. In students, ADHD can severely impact academic performance.
The right to die
Q&A: Professor of Philosophy, Kevin Behrens explains why euthanasia is not simply a matter of life and death.
Building a better understanding of disability
People with disabilities, be they physical or mental, are often treated differently, which may affect their mental wellness. How to remove the social barriers.
Facing feelings that fuel power relations
Critical Diversity Studies scholar, Adanma Yisa, explains why automated emotional responses shield us from confronting criticism can undermine reconciliation.
Lockdown blues
COLUMN: Every lockdown has a silver lining, Schalk Mouton discovers as he roller-coasters through the emotional demands of living in isolation.
History has no end
Former student leader and now Professor of Law, Firoz Cachalia, reflects on the mood before Nelson Mandela was released from prison 30 years ago.
Education sector joins forces to strengthen Teaching Practicals during COVID-19 and beyond
All thanks to a nation-wide project, current and future cohorts of student teachers will be better equipped when they step into the classroom.
Post-Covid Africa will have to save itself. It is a terrifying task
African countries, with their lack of quality leaders, weak states and little fiscal reserves face economic, political and social disorder.
Covid-19 and climate emergency: A painful irony
The coronavirus is a moment to be humble and realise our finitude in a wondrous and infinite natural order.
Child trafficking and child migration
A new discussion is needed to separate myths from reality.
How inequality is produced and reproduced generationally
The story of a working man who lived through apartheid – and his struggles after it ended.
Covid-19 Update 44 – The Move to Level Two
Level two will allow more staff and students to return to campus. Faculties will invite carefully selected cohorts of students to return.
South Africa’s second COVID-19 vaccine trial explained
Pasha 78: Listen to Professor Shabir Madhi, explaining how the new vaccine trial will work
What archaeology tells us about the music and sounds made by Africa’s ancestors
Music has been part and parcel of humanity for a long time. There is scant evidence of music or sound producing artefacts from southern Africa.
Wits Associate Professor joins South African Young Academy of Science
Jennifer Fitchett, an Associate Professor of Physical Geography at Wits has been selected as a member of the South African Young Academy of Science (SAYAS).
Sibanye-Stillwater and Wits collaborate on face shields project
Sibanye-Stillwater collaborates with Wits to produce face shields for frontline health workers in the Group’s South African operations.
Shudufhadzho Musida: A Miss SA public favourite
Wits student, Shudufhadzo Musida is amongst many hopefuls vying for the 2020 Miss SA crown.
Catching killers, empowering women
Wits Journalism lecturer Dr Nechama Brodie turned her PhD on femicide into a book and won a grant to develop a Homicide Media Tracker based on her research.
How lockdown has affected the health of South Africa's poor
Poor populations bore a disproportionately higher burden of poor health.
-600x300.png "Wits Agincourt nurse Olivia Khosa tests a child in rural Bushbuckridge for COVID for the PHIRST study")
Study on SARS-CoV-2 transmission by asymptomatic people in rural and urban SA
How many people in one household contract SARS-CoV-2, transmit it without having symptoms, and how does this virus interact with other pathogens in the home?
Appoint a war Cabinet now to tackle Covid-19 crises
SA should fire the current Cabinet and set up a national “emergency” one with the best talents in the country prevent it from plunging down the cliff.
Covid 19: Scientific excellence will help explore new frontiers
When university resources are scarce, building and sustaining equitable research excellence should be paramount.
Covid-19 Update 42 - The phased return of students and staff to campuses
Wits’ protocols remain in place, and only students and staff with the requisite permits and permissions will be allowed entry to campuses.
Wits ranked first in Africa
Wits is top of the class in the 2020 Academic Ranking of World Universities.
Wits University begins its second Covid-19 vaccine trial in South Africa
Wits is the lead institution in South Africa for a second Covid-19 vaccine trial and will begin screening participants for the NVX-CoV2373 trial today.
200 000 years ago, humans preferred to kip cozy
Humans prepared beds to sleep on right at the dawn of our species – over 200 000 years ago.
Post Covid-19: What would universities look like?
Three South African vice-chancellors paint a post-COVID picture for universities.
Now is the time to lay a firmer school maths foundation
Covid-19's lockdown leads maths scores particularly being badly affected but a return to core concepts could be the answer to a pre-pandemic problem.
Repression in Zimbabwe exposes South Africa’s weakness
The time is long past that Pretoria's admonitions of bad behaviour by Zimbabwe's leaders are backed by a credible threat of sanction and punishment.
Pandemic underscores burden women carry doing paid and unpaid reproductive labour
Women’s extended working days have become normalised, despite the adverse effects on their progression within the labour market and general well-being.
South African policy isn’t connecting child nutrition and sanitation
There is no clear delineation of roles and responsibilities relating to the integration of clean water, sanitation, safe hygiene and nutritional status.
Wits African Literature lecturer and poet awarded fellowship to advance racial equity
Dr Danai Mupotsa is one of 20 leading change-makers selected by the Atlantic Fellows for Racial Equity (AFRE).
Accounting, governance and integrated thinking
Special Report by the Wits School of Accounting on how companies should manage the Covid-19 pandemic.
Engineering student’s book wins award
Wits student, Musawenkosi Nyati has published an award-winning book, Mobile App Development.
Covid-19 Expert Advice #3: Testing for Covid-19? All you need to know about antibody tests
The third in a series of expert advisories on how to respond to Covid-19 which will be published from time to time by Maverick Citizen.
Covid-19 Expert Advice #2: Practical guidance on disinfecting
This is the second of a series of Expert Advisories on how to respond to Covid-19 which will be published from time to time by Maverick Citizen.
Covid-19 Expert Advice #1: How long should I isolate or quarantine for?
This is the first of a series of expert advisories on how to respond to Covid-19 which will be published from time to time by Maverick Citizen.
Inspiring the next generation of African scientists – Sikhumbuzo Masina’s story
"If there is inspiration and collaboration, there is learning, and learning can be passed on," says Sikhumbuzo Masina, PhD candidate.
Investigating energy materials for efficient and cost effective conversion of sunlight into electric
Alternative energy at increased efficiency with lower cost and improved environmental footprints has a domino effect on socio-economic landscape.
Sustainable solutions to the energy challenge
“Our vision one day is to see such fuel cells commercialised and distributed around Africa and the rest of the world," says Sikhumbuzo Masina, PhD candidate.
Wits students dominate global supercomputing competition
Despite Covid-19, Wits students won second place with their applications to aide analysis of Covid-19 data in the competition held online for the first time.
Male mosquito odours reveal how mozzies mate
For the first time, scientists have identified male mosquito-specific pheromones that influence mating rituals.
Fast tracking the critical task of building South Africa’s digital economy
South Africa lags behind the rest of the world when it comes to embracing the digital economy.
Plans for a dam across the Nile triggered a war in 1956: will it happen again?
Egypt has long defended its right, under colonial era agreements, to stop nine of the upstream countries from using Nile water.
Wits experts to speak at international symposium on climate and environmental factors in COVID-19
Symposium coincides with the publication of their article on environmental drivers and the potential seasonality of COVID-19.
Studying from home
It’s a mixture of feelings as students face the impact of Covid-19 on their studies, exams, research and careers.
Hat-trick of wins for Witsies at Science Oscars
Three Witsies in human genetics, economic geology, and public health research data respectively have won National Science and Technology Forum (NSTF) awards.
Sharing a secret … the quantum way
Wits Researchers demonstrate a new quantum approach for sharing a secret amongst many parties, setting a new record for the highest dimensions and parties.
Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) vaccination of pregnant women could prevent pneumonia in babies
Immunising pregnant women with a potential vaccine against RSV could prevent the most common cause of pneumonia in their babies.
What drove Asia’s economic success stories, and what should Africa emulate?
The remarkable economic transformation of Asia in recent decades has attracted global attention.
Actuarial Science student bags Adrian Gore Fellowship
Jimmy Yuan, an Actuarial Science student, is the recipient of the 2020 Adrian Gore Fellowship Award (AGF) offered by Discovery.
South Africans aren’t wearing masks or keeping their distance. This needs to change
Changing social norms in a short amount of time is difficult, and a one-size-fits all policy is unlikely to have the desired effect.
Maurice Radebe appointed as the Head of the Wits Business School
The University of the Witwatersrand is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr Maurice Radebe as the new Head and Director of the Wits Business School (WBS).
Africa’s research capacity is growing. That’s good news for pandemic response efforts
Investments are starting to help grow the African continent's science preparedness.
Why one of three African candidates fits the bill as the new head of the WTO
Africa accounts for nearly 27% of the World Trade Organisation's membership and 35% of members from developing countries, but an African has never run it.
Covid-19: Women are bearing more costs and receiving fewer benefits
Even though women have suffered two thirds of the job losses since February, men have received two thirds of Covid-19 grants (65%).
Kenya’s internet balloons could help to bridge the digital divide
Kenya's new internet balloons could help to get more Kenyans online and drive new industry.
On decolonising teaching practices, not just the syllabus
An African literature lecturer shares how embodied teaching can help students feel that their lives and stories matter.
Journalism of Drum’s heyday remains cause for celebration – 70 years later
The magazine grew to be the largest circulation publication for black readers in South Africa, and expanded to include East and West African editions.
Independence is at the heart of the African Development Bank’s ability to be effective
There is concern over the growing influence of non-regional players in decision making at the regional bank.
Antarctica more widely impacted by humans than previously thought
Data from 2.7 million human activity records show just how extensive human use of Antarctica has been over the last 200 years.
Wits Surgery Skills Centre trains specialists for Africa
In August 2017 the first ever temporal bone surgical skills workshop took place at Wits University.
Opposition parties struggle with how to play a Covid-19 role
South Africa’s opposition parties appear to be confused, chasing shadows or paralysed by the enormity of the Covid-19 crisis.
How to protect yourself against increased cyber threats
With the onset of the Coronavirus/Covid-19 pandemic, working and studying remotely have increased the risk of cybercrime.
Gauteng universities consortium launch urban research nodes to inform response to Covid-19 hotspots
The South African Population Research Infrastructure Network (SAPRIN) has launched two new urban research nodes to improve response to Covid-19.
Wits University senior clinicians volunteer for Covid-19 vaccine trial
Senior clinicians in the Faculty of Health Sciences at Wits University have volunteered to participate in South Africa’s first Covid-19 vaccine trial.
Covid-19 Update (36): It's in our hands
Witsies, please take care, adhere to social distancing and follow Covid-19 protocols.
Professor Segal and Dr Kani lauded for outstanding service
Wits University has awarded honorary doctorates to two distinguished South Africans for advancing humankind through their respective fields.
COVID-19 vaccine trial in South Africa: everything you need to know
Not enough clinical research is being done in Africa. This has repercussions for when interventions become available and effective in high income countries.
Technology brings change but labour can shape its direction
Increased capital investment and productivity need not result in job losses. Industrial policy can link investment incentives to job preservation and creation.
SA faces devastating multiple social impact
Government urgently needs an integrated Covid-19 response to deal with mental illness, violence and crime.
Daytime aardvark sightings are a sign of troubled times
Wits researchers find that aardvarks feeding in the daytime during droughts might be starving.
New MOOC: Mining for development - The taxation linkage
Free, online WitsX/edX learning platform offers "Mining for Development - the taxation linkage" course.
Covid-19 Update 34 – Phase 2: The return of students to campus
Students who are scheduled to return as part of phase 2, will return in mid-July.
Covid-19 update (35): Second phase of reopening
Phased return of more academic, professional and support staff and students to campuses.
Wits Jazz lecturer premieres album at virtual National Arts Festival
Dr Jonathan Crossley launches 433 Eros with his band, Deep Spacer, at the 2020 virtual National Arts Festival (vNAF).
Lockdowns and freedoms
SA had to have a hard lockdown because we don’t trust our government. Little since has made us change our minds.
More money for COVID-19 but SA lacks a spending strategy
South Africa's public health system has been allocated R21.5 billion more to fight the Covid-19 pandemic but there's no strategy to guide how it should be used.
Wits students showcase South African electronics research at top international workshop
ACES 2020 ATLAS CMS Electronics is the state-of-the-art international electronics conference for Large Hadron Collider LHC upgrades at CERN.
Ideological responses, traditional economic theory won't lift SA out out of Covid-19 slump
South Africa will have to prioritise new business, employment and growth based on the current and new domestic and global needs unleashed by Covid-19.
Distance, Dose, Dispersion: Experts’ guide on Covid-19 risks in South Africa and how to manage them
Understand the three things that can make the most difference to easing the lockdown and reopening South Africa with the least risk.
SA's budget for COVID-19 fails to pave way for more equal society
The budget is one of the key tools that government has to effect meaningful change.
Top nuclear physicist to lead Wits
Professor Zeblon Vilakazi appointed as the Wits Vice-Chancellor and Principal from 1 January 2021
The first Covid-19 vaccine trial in South Africa begins
The first participants in South Africa's first clinical trial for a vaccine against Covid-19 will be vaccinated this week.
SA needs to block transmission routes to get Covid-19 under control
Testing and tracing has not been at a level needed to suppress the spread and must now focus on containing opportunities for super-spreading and transmissions.
Covid-19: The full economic impact will only be known later
South Africa needs to focus urgently on how COVID-19 will reshape its labour market.
African countries need to seize opportunities created by US-China tensions
African policymakers should safeguard their right to choose from the widest possible range of technologies that suit their countries’ development needs.
Decade-long study shows why South Africa needs to stop stereotyping young black men
Young black men are often viewed through a criminal lens. An 11-year-long study of adolescent men in a South African township upends the stereotypes.
Society is not ready to safely reopen schools and education centres
Government is steaming ahead with the reopening of schools. This is an overly hasty, ill-considered step for a number of reasons.
So you think investing in fever screening can curb the spread of COVID-19? Think again
Detecting fever requires measuring core body temperature. Screening measures the body's surface temperature.
Does alcohol have an undisclosed African heritage?
Until now the search for early evidence of alcohol has fixated on residue analysis.
Learning from South Africa: reconstructing rainfall seasonality in Australia
Examining old vegetation sediments to learn about shifting weather patterns and climate change.
South Africa needs a new governance model post-Covid-19
South Africa’s governance model, the way the country is run, is broken.
Covid-19 update (33) - Secure gateway enables teaching and learning
Students and staff members who have not already done so, must complete the student survey or staff survey before 8pm on Thursday, 11 June 2020.
Pure ethos, the ultimate sacrifice and the pursuit of justice
It’s been 30 years since Nelson Mandela walked out of prison towards democracy but justice still eludes the late Neil Aggett.
Climate change, biodiversity loss and other global ills share root causes
By identifying the roots of global ills there's an opportunity for coordinated action as countries lay new pathways for a post-Covid world.
PhD student’s study on the state of magma in crustal reservoirs published in Nature Communications
The study challenges a recently-emerged paradigm that magma chambers are huge masses of crystals with just a very small amount of melt.
Exploring the Indian Ocean as a rich archive of history
The Indian Ocean provides a new way of looking at world history that has been dominated by European accounts.
What sets good and bad leaders apart in the coronavirus era
It is no accident that those leaders who have responded worst to this crisis have been the main sources of countless conspiracy theories and misinformation.
It’s time to talk about coronavirus symptoms
Pasha 66 - The Conversation Africa's podcast series focus on questions arising from the symptoms of people who have contracted the coronavirus.
Witsies selected to attend Economics Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting
Two Wits Master’s students from the School of Economics and Finance will attend the prestigious Lindau meeting.
Covid-19 (Update 32) - Wits Screening APP goes live
Self-screening form on the app is for staff members with permits to be on campus, and students who have been invited to return to campus only.
Challenge accepted: bringing a science paper to life through video
Professor Lee Berger accepts a challenge in science communications to turn a science paper into an interesting video lecture.
Wits thanks SA Post Office for delivering laptops to students
SA Post Office enables online learning through the delivery of almost 5 000 laptops to Wits students across the country.
Dedicated dozen nominated for science oscars
Twelve Wits scientists across disciplines have been nominated for NSTF-South 32 Research Awards, known as the 'Science Oscars', and eight are finalists.
South Africa must get ready for an inevitable loosening of trade ties with the US
South Africa should use its remaining AGOA window to find other export markets and retool its economy - as US economic attitude towards Africa hardens.
The false ideas surrounding the coronavirus
Pasha 66 - The Conversation Africa's podcast series focus on "Coronavirus conspiracy theories and myths".
Sub-Saharan Africa needs to plug local knowledge gap to up its anti-COVID-19 game
Africa needs to be better prepared to deal with future pandemics; starting with a re-assessment of how countries invest in – and support – local research.
Lesotho’s new leader faces enormous hurdles ensuring peace and political stability
Moeketsi Majoro’s installation as Prime Minister is welcome. But it does not guarantee much needed political stability in an era of complex coalition politics.
We tracked Soweto mothers-to-be to find out more about diet and obesity patterns
Two thirds of South African women are overweight or obese and their babies are three times more likely to become obese themselves.
Almost 16-million people allowed back to work
New level 3 regulations mark an important strategic shift in the government’s approach to the coronavirus pandemic.
Stop random Covid-19 testing and sort out the backlog
The testing backlog and proposed testing strategies outside hospital settings are threatening patient management and compromising health care workers’ safety.
The world is flat: Covid-19 becomes the driving force for 4IR
The most profound change is the accelerated of way in which digital transformation and the Fourth Industrial Revolution have moved at warp speed.
Covid-19 Update (31) - The phased return of students and staff to campuses
Information regarding the staggered approach adopted for a phased return to ensure wellbeing and safety of students and staff.
Long-term Data Access for 2020 - Wits partners with Vodacom
New initiative provides students with data to access selected URLs through the Wits network.
How to discover your own fossil site
Discovering a fossil site takes a lot of hard work and a little bit of luck. Professor Lee Berger describes the clues that led him to the discovery of Malapa.
The long arm and short legs wars
Professor Lee Berger explores the origins of the this great debate and examines the arguments of the terrestrialists and the arborealists.
Wits students’ research on cover of leading world optics journal
Wits Master’s students create best practice guide for efficient and accurate use of DMDs in structured light laboratories.
Dubious remedies will not decolonise Africa
So-called African solutions that are often uncritically accepted as ‘good’ do nothing for the continent
Covid-19 Update (30) - Wits Prepares for the return of some students
Final year students and other identified groups of students expected to return to campus from 8 June 2020.
Support for Professor Glenda Gray
Statement of Support for Professor Glenda Gray and the Principle of Academic Freedom of Speech.
Juggling work and family during lockdown
Three staff members from the Faculty of Science share their experiences of lockdown.
Dr Dalia Saad awarded prestigious FLAIR fellowship
School of Chemistry researcher, Dr Dalia Saad, is a recipient of the 2020 FLAIR research fellowship.
Economic policy remains hotly contested in South Africa: this detailed history shows why
Book sheds new light on the evolution of the economic policy of the African National Congress, South Africa's governing party.
The impact of Gladysvale
Gladysvale is known for its impact on the dating of cave sites in Africa and has produced some of the most spectacular faunal remains of extinct animals.
Covid-19 Update (29) - Students to receive an additional 15GB of data for next 15 days
The four telecommunications companies agree to extend the provision of data to students for another 15 days.
GeneXpert testing platform for TB repurposed to accelerate testing for Covid-19
Efforts to test for Covid-19 in SA have been boosted through repurposing the Cepheid GeneXpert® Systems, originally designed to test for tuberculosis (TB).
A Question of Numbers
Does the fossil sample for Australopithecus africanus only represent one species. Professor Lee Berger takes on this sticky question.
JCSE Listening Circle Series
Join South Africa’s Grand Geek’ and leading digital experts as they explore Africa’s Digital Future.
Africa Day in the time of Covid-19
Wits Vice-Chancellor and Principal Professor Adam Habib is part of a panel discussion commemorating Africa Month.
A new, fairer economy is possible, but that would mean sacrifice
That Covid-19, the lockdown and whatever will come after will have had a lasting and devastating impact on our economy seems indisputable.
Why arguments against quantitative easing hold no water
The Reserve Bank should be allowed to buy more government bonds and securities to support the liquidity of the banking system.
What a bone arrowhead from South Africa reveals about ancient human cognition
The artefact closely resembles thousands of bone arrowheads used by the indigenous San hunter-gatherers from the 18th to the 20th centuries.
Why more must be done to fight bogus COVID-19 cure claims
Authorities around the world can do more to ensure that correct information and messages on the pandemic reach everybody.
The arrival of British settlers 200 years ago continues to cast a shadow over South Africa
It is not hard to see the roots of 20th century apartheid policies in the legacy of the British settlers.
South Africa’s COVID-19 strategy needs updating: here’s why and how
South Africa should base its COVID-19 mitigation strategy on the premise that the pandemic will last for two years unless a vaccine is developed before then.
What South Africa needs to forge a resilient social compact for Covid-19
Ramaphosa's call for a new social compact will fall on deaf ears unless there are some fundamental changes to the way in which the pandemic is being managed.
A matter of time
Professor Lee Berger explores the use of the absolute age of fossils in questions of phylogeny, and where the age of a fossil is important.
Taco Kuiper Award winners announced
Journalists Pieter-Louis Myburgh and Pauli van Wyk took top honours at this year’s Taco Kuiper Investigative Journalism Awards.
When were there giants?
Is there any evidence in the fossil record that giants have lived on Earth in the past? Professor Lee Berger explores this question.
Covid-19 Update (28) - Wellness services for students and staff
A reminder to all students and staff about Wits' mental health and wellbeing services that are available to you during the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdown.
First online admission in Gauteng of new attorney
A member of staff of the Wits Law Clinic is the first attorney in Gauteng to be admitted to the high court online.
The buzz on Wits mosquito scientist and her African Union research award
An entomologist in the Wits Research Institute for Malaria has received the African Union Kwame Nkrumah Award for Scientific Excellence.
Wits Covid-19 Screening Tool
Information pertaining to the screening of staff and students entering University campuses and premises.
The context of fossil hominid discoveries in Africa
Professor Lee Berger explains the context of how original fossils are preserved and explores the context of discoveries.
Choices in a fog of uncertainty: lessons for coronavirus from climate change
The science to policy process that was developed to guide climate mitigation decisions can be applied to the response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
What should South Africa’s coronavirus endgame look like? Here are some options
SA's response to the COVID-19 pandemic was one of 'intervene first and ask questions later'. Now is the time for government say what its strategic endgame is.
Lockdown is riling black and white South Africans: could this be a reset moment?
It is rare for a post-authoritarian society to get two chances to reconcile. This may be just that, for white South Africans in particular.
South Africa’s COVID-19 testing strategy needs urgent fixing: here’s how to do it
Early reports by the National Health Laboratory Service indicated that it had the capacity to do 30,000 tests a day. But capability to do so has not materialise
WITS COVID-19 UPDATE 27 – FINAL YEAR MEDICAL STUDENTS RETURN TO CAMPUS
Final year medical students will return to Wits on Monday, 11 May 2020.
Health and safety in the spotlight as South Africa’s miners go back to work
Miners face cramped working conditions, transportation in packed cages, and a high incidence of other respiratory diseases, posing considerable risks.
African countries are moving to make masks mandatory: key questions answered
Wearing masks is being introduced in conjunction with maintaining a physical distance of at least 1.5 metres; following hygiene measures such as hand washing.
The species concept in palaeoanthropology
Professor Lee Berger explains the concept of species in palaeoanthropology.
Moya wins Best Student Film at SAFTAs
A group of Wits Film and TV students scooped the Best Student Film Award for their film, Moya.
The impact of coronavirus could compare to the Great Depression
And a corresponding rise in nationalism and xenophobia may follow, just as it did in the 1930s.
Why South Africa needs to ensure income security beyond the pandemic
Economic distress was the norm for many before the coronavirus outbreak. The pandemic is an opportunity to provide an economically secure future for all.
Wits needs 300 volunteers for COVID-19 rapid test study
Have you tested positive for coronavirus or been near someone who has? If so, your country urgently needs you for a South African COVID-19 rapid test study.
Exploring the Fossil Hominid Vault at the University of the Witwatersrand
Professor Lee Berger shows what is behind the doors of the Phillip V Tobias Fossil Hominid vault.
Let’s talk about ethics and treatment for COVID-19
In this episode of The Conversation - Africa's podcast, Pasha, Wits bioethics researchers discuss the difficult decisions facing health professionals.
Can the philosophy of ubuntu help provide a way to face health crises?
There are lessons for the health sector - the need for more coherent integration is undeniable.
Where there is political will there is a way to work across sectors
COVID-19: There are lessons for the health sector - the need for more coherent integration is undeniable.
An Introduction to the fossils of Sterkfontein
Professor Lee Berger introduces one of the world's longest running and richest fossil hominid sites.
Communities, not government, can and are fighting COVID-19
The heavy-handed, top-down approach during the lockdown has not worked; NGOs, coalitions and community networks have.
Coronavirus: why South Africa needs a wealth tax now
A wealth tax on the top 1% of South Africans could raise R143 billion. This corresponds to 29% of the R500 billion COVID-19 package announced by the government.
Complaints against SANDF
The SANDF and SAPS should not enforce the COVID-19 lockdown at the expense of undermining human rights, personal dignity and common sense.
SA faces food riots and breakouts from the lockdown
Getting food to the vulnerable, needy and poor during the COVID-19 lockdown is now increasingly urgent.
I can’t reach with the screwdriver, please pass the laser!
New metasurface laser opens up a new world of applications using optical control of physical objects.
Wits publishes first clinical data on COVID-19 in South Africa
Health professionals will face difficult ethical decisions when it comes to dealing with COVID-19 patients.
The muddle in the middle-Pleistocene
Professor Lee Berger explains the mystery surrounding human relatives living in Africa during the middle Pleistocene.
Unique Namibian trial finds smart interventions reduce malaria transmission by 75%
Wits scientists along with Namibian, UK and US partners have shown how the smart application of existing interventions can reduce the transmission of malaria.
Unpacking Ramaphosa’s COVID-19 rescue package
A major step forward, but some warning lights are flashing. President Cyril Ramaphosa’s social and economic rescue package leaves some questions unanswered.
Africa must make sure it’s part of the search for a coronavirus vaccine
To refuse inclusion would prevent Africa’s researchers from being significant players in the universal fight against the virus.
Numbers can kill: politicians should handle South Africa's coronavirus data with care
We’d all love to know more about our neighbours – from COVID-19 data, census data and other official data sources – but we shouldn't.
Toward a risk-based strategy for managing the COVID-19 epidemic: A modelling analysis
Given the protracted nature of the risk posed by the COVID-19, this paper seeks to address the need to match health prevention and a viable economy.
Saluting all Witsies combating the COVID-19 pandemic
These Wits heroes represent just a fraction of the clinical, academic, professional and administrative staff, alumni and students responding to this disaster.
Wits COVID-19 dashboard gets grant award from the IEEE
New features added as inter disciplinary and inter-institutional collaboration data on the pandemic grows.
Wits adopts global ethics code to make research more equitable
Wits University has adopted the Global Code of Conduct for Research in Resource-Poor Settings (GCC) to curtail the practice of ethics dumping.
South Africa needs a post-lockdown strategy that emulates South Korea
South Africa cannot afford to embark on a strategy of extended periodic lockdowns. It needs to shift to mass testing and contact tracing.
Coronavirus myths: Lessons from an AIDS study
Attempting to defeat these folk theories with science achieved little; the myth busters of the AIDS epidemic talked past those they were trying to convince.
COVID-19 risks forcing SA to make health trade-offs it can ill afford
South Africa could lose many children due to a measles outbreak which is completely preventable.
South Africa is bent on austerity and should change track
The South African government should be spending more, not less, to boost economic growth and create jobs.
Rise of the Prometheus
In the second episode of Professor Lee Berger’s series of lectures on human origin, he delves into his favourite hominid-bearing site, Makapansgat.
African genetic studies offer hope for preventing a common cause of blindness
Knowing genetic associations in specific populations will make it possible to focus prevention and treatment.
Covid-19: Treatments, but at what cost?
Accessible & affordable medicine: We cannot wait for treatments to be available in high-income countries in order to negotiate prices for the rest of the world.
If you think lockdown is bad, spare a thought for SA’s prisoners
How more restless are those living in prison and confined to a small cell, who are now completely cut off from the outside world and their families?
Debunking 9 popular myths doing the rounds in Africa about the coronavirus
Some of the false claims about coronavirus may be harmless. But others can be potentially dangerous.
[COVID-19 UPDATE 25] Wits VC wishes students well as online learning begins
Video: Professor Adam Habib wishes students well as they begin their online learning journey.
COVID-19 Update 24: Data access: All four major mobile service providers on board
Students will get 30GB of data if registered on MTN, Vodacom, Cell C or Telkom.
COVID-19 Update 24: How to access your data
COVID-19 Update 23: Wits opens online on Monday, 20 April 2020
Wits will commence with emergency remote online teaching and learning from Monday, 20 April 2020.
The case for a citizens’ basic income grant in South Africa
With Covid-19 and the lockdown there is no room for denial of how large parts of South African society suffer.
Process to apply for mobile computing devices
This communique outlines the process through which students who require assistance with a loan device can apply.
Wits switches to remote online teaching and learning from 20 April 2020
Wits institutes an emergency remote teaching and learning programme as one measure to help minimise the time lost in the academic project.
Professor Lee Berger to host online video lectures on human origins
Lectures will feature some of the University’s fossils, including the Taung Child, Homo naledi, Australopithecus sediba and various other fossils.
South Africa needs to end the lockdown: here’s a blueprint for its replacement
Academics call on government to develop a comprehensive health and economic strategy if it is to prevent long term socio-economic damage caused by pandemic.
There is a dire need to boost SA’s stimulus package
Countries such as the US, Germany, India and Brazil have launched help for all sectors of their economies — South Africa needs to follow.
Tackling gender-based violence during lockdown
Women and children face even more alarming levels of abuse due to COVID-19 lockdown.
Dinosaur "Easter eggs" reveal their contents in 3D
High-powered X-rays of the world’s oldest fossilised dinosaur embryos show surprising similarities to the embryos of today’s crocodiles, lizards and chickens.
Wits COVID-19 dashboard goes continental
New features added as inter disciplinary and inter-institutional collaboration data on the pandemic grows.
Wits engineers make face shields to protect healthcare workers
A team of innovative Witsies is using their design and engineering skills to create face shields in aid of the fight against COVID-19.
Wits’ Forbes appointed as editor-in-chief of international journal
Forbes is the first South African to take over the reins of the 100-year-old publication published by the UK’s Institute of Physics.
SA needs to mitigate the worst of its inequalities in tackling COVID1-19
South Africa won't flatten the COVID-19 pandemic curve unless all citizens have the means to stay at home.
Personal versus public freedoms South Africa during COVID-19
In restricting individuals' movements and interactions during any national disaster, the conflict between public interest and personal autonomy will get messy.
Crowdsourcing: Scale of COVID-19 calls for new approaches to research
Crowdsourcing is a promising approach to biomedical research and development (R&D) and could produce solutions to pandemics like this one.
“Test, test, test!” says Wits academic
Best way to tackle COVID-19 remains physical distancing, substantially increased testing and quarantining.
Covid-19 lockdown needs to protect inner-city communities
In South Africa, the collision of HIV, TB and Covid-19 could be devastating, and radical measures are needed to address the spread of Covid-19.
COVID-19 UPDATE 21 – POSTGRADUATE STUDENTS
Message from Professor Zeblon Vilakazi, Vice-Principal and Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research and Postgraduate Affairs.
Centre for Deaf studies breaks the silence on COVID-19
The Centre for Deaf Studies (CFDS) at Wits is contributing to society by keeping the Deaf community informed about the coronavirus pandemic.
COVID-19 UPDATE (20) – WELLNESS UPDATE
The University’s wellness support services are here to help staff, students and the Wits community in dealing with the disruption of our normal lives.
COVID19 Testing Station opens at Wits
A new COVID-19 Testing Station at Wits, managed by Gift of the Givers, is open to patients who fit NICD criteria and are referred by a doctor.
Hay’khona Corona! Spreading the word, not the virus
A poster series to action South Africans on how to care of themselves and others.
Wits researchers unravel the mystery of magmatic rocks consisting of random proportions of minerals
Geologists found the answer as to why certain magmatic rocks have varying proportions of minerals than what is expected of their type.
COVID-19 UPDATE (19) – TEACHING AND LEARNING (STUDENTS)
Message from the Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Academic regarding the resumption of the academic programme.
COVID-19 UPDATE (19) – TEACHING AND LEARNING (STAFF)
Message from the Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Academic on the resumption of the academic programme.
How to support your children during Covid-19
Strategies for parents to engage with their children at home during Covid-19 lockdown.
Wits School of Molecular and Cell Biology lends a hand with glove donation
The Wits School of Molecular and Cell Biology has donated medical gloves for frontline healthcare workers at Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital in Soweto.
SAs response to COVID-19 worsens the plight of waste reclaimers
The clock is ticking: in the absence of government support, not being able to work means waste reclaimers don't have money to buy food.
'You can do more,' economists tell SA government
50+ economists and others from Wits are part of a group of more than 78 who wrote an open letter urging President Cyril Ramaphosa for more significant action.
What will happen to Africa after the coronavirus?
It would help if everybody comprehend that the world will not be the same after the dust settles on the pandemic.
Would a Longitude Prize speed production of a Covid-19 vaccine?
To stop economic destruction, we need to refocus vast resources from other productive activity – a truly grand prize might do the trick.
How do we save SA?
The virus has wiped billions from stock exchanges globally. Now is the time to re-evaluate and promote domestic private investment.
Wits bids farewell to a prodigious leader
Wits Vice-Principal, Professor Andrew Crouch, to lead one of South Africa’s newest universities.
Bold programmes are needed to mitigate the economic crisis
The Covid-19 crisis is first and foremost a health and humanitarian crisis is likely to have lasting impacts on how we live.
Covid-19, #ClimateEmergency and Lockdown
The coronavirus is an opportunity to end the war with nature.It’s a moment to be humble and realise our finitude in a wondrous and infinite natural order.
Wits Covid-19 Update (18)
The role of essential staff during the national lockdown.
Wits COVID Update 17 (Students): Wits to reopen on 20 April
Prof. Habib speaks on living through the COVID-19 pandemic, and the Senior Executive Team’s (SET) decision to go into early recess and to evacuate residences.
Wits COVID Update 17: Staff Appreciation and Reopening
Prof. Adam Habib addresses staff on living through the COVID19 pandemic and expresses his appreciation to staff for their contribution during this period.
Wits heroes confront COVID-19
Amongst the best in their fields, Wits experts are at the frontlines and behind-the-scenes against COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the coronavirus.
Official government regulations for #21DaysLockdownSA
Government has released the early directives following President Cyril Ramaphosa’s address on Monday night.
Wits COVID-19 Update (16): Ways to learn and work from home
Message from the Senior Executive Team of Wits University.
Wits COVID-19 Update (15): Wits prepares to go online
Wits from the Senior Executive Team of Wits University.
Wits researchers launch most comprehensive COVID-19 dashboard in South Africa
The dashboard is aimed at informing government, scientists, the media and general public with quick, easy-to-understand information on the current situation.
Wits researchers launch most comprehensive COVID-19 dashboard in South Africa
The dashboard is aimed at informing government, scientists, the media and general public with quick, easy-to-understand information on the current situation.
Gag the spreaders of disinformation, not the scientists
In times of a health crisis, such as the corona virus pandemic, health scientists should be encouraged to speak out.
Wits COVID-19 Update (14): Most students have left residences
Message from the Wits Senior Executive Team.
Wits PhD student develops novel infection control solution
New self-sanitising surface coating will help to address infection control in hospitals, food processing plants and public transport surfaces.
Foreign migrants must be included in Covid-19 response
Why South Africa needs to actively engage all foreign migrants in its response to Covid-19.
Wits COVID-19 Update 13: Students urged to go home
Message from the Wits Dean of Student Affairs.
Wits COVID-19 Update 13: Working conditions for staff from 20 to 30 March 2020
Message from the Senior Executive Team of Wits University on the working conditions for staff members during the recess.
Newborns in developing countries need better protection from common bacteria
Streptococcus agalactiae, also known as Group B streptococcus, is the most common bacterial cause of illness in newborn babies around the world.
A tiny bone from Little Foot’s skeleton adds fresh insights into what our ancestors could do
Studying Australopithecus, an extinct hominin genus that represents a branch of our family tree, is a great way to make more sense of our bushy family tree.
Court dismisses application to halt residence evacuation
The High Court (Gauteng Local Division, Johannesburg) dismissed the urgent application by two students to extend the period for the evacuation of residences.
Who should test for COVID-19
Answers to common questions asked by the Wits community.
"Little Foot" skull reveals how this human ancestor lived
Micro-CT scanning of “Little Foot” skull reveals new aspects of the life of this more than 3-million year-old-human ancestor.
Wits announces early recess
Wits University will be in recess from Tuesday, 17 March 2020, four days earlier than scheduled.
Snakes make good food. Banning farms won’t help the fight against coronavirus
The wildlife trade has long been closely linked to disease outbreaks.
Hypocrisy in the time of Covid-19
The sanctimony of moving from blaming foreign migrants to rendering them invisible in a critical public health moment will have implications for our response.
All contact teaching postponed for Monday, staff to continue with work
Wits announces measures to curb the spread of COVID-19.
Student tests positive for Covid-19 and Wits reaches out to affected class
Wits University has just been informed that the medical student who has been quarantined since last Wednesday has tested positive for the coronavirus (COVID-19)
Wits acts to manage Covid-19 exposure
Wits acts swiftly to manage student who came in contact with COVID-19 carrier.
Coronavirus: how big, how bad, and what to look out for
Cases of illness from the new coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) disease, known as COVID-19, have been confirmed in more than 100 countries.
Africa’s wish list of what might change under a Biden presidency
Africa’s stake in the outcome of the 3 November 2020 US presidential election spiked with the unexpected revival of former Vice-President Joe Biden’s campaign.
Africa’s policies hold key to LGBT rights on the continent: here’s how
Questions of sexual orientation and gender identity and expression have continued to divide opinion across the globe.
Leading African and European unis call for investment in African research
EU budget for Africa-EU Partnership should ring-fence at least €1bn per year for strengthening African research unis, in partnership European unis
Yes, washing our hands really can help curb the spread of coronavirus
Hand washing is a tried and true, scientifically proven preventive strategy that reduces the likelihood of transmitting both viral and bacterial borne diseases.
New study reveals the secret of magmatic rocks consisting of only one mineral
Geologists from Wits have come up with an original explanation of how nature may produce a class of magmatic rocks that are made up of only one type of mineral.
Roadmap to a win-win against invasive weeds
Researchers at Wits University have created the world’s first framework, to better guide the management of terrestrial invasive species.
African languages for sustainable development
A national strategy for mother tongue languages will guide action and address deeply held beliefs about African languages, writes Professor Makalela.
Wits Business School welcomes Mervyn King as Honorary Professor
Mervyn King, Chair of the King Committee on Corporate Governance in South Africa has been appointed honorary professor at Wits Business School.
Language diversity a key feature of the Wits community
Dance softly and carry a big voice: understanding Joseph Shabalala
What is our response to the great artistic and spiritual hole his loss has left in South Africa?
New MOOC: What do Architects and Urban Planners do?
Wits University has added a new course to its free, online WitsX/edX learning platform.
Wits academics play leading role in Future Earth 2020 report
The Future Earth Report is an overview of some of the various risks faced by humanity, where it comes to our sustainable future on the planet.
Wits team and industry closer to final LVPS prototype
Team visits Jemstech to view progress on first SA-made prototype for Tile Calorimeter of the ATLAS Detector at CERN.
Professor Adam Habib to step down from Wits at the end of the year
Habib to join the School of Oriental and African Studies in London, UK, from 1 January 2021.
Behind Kenya's strange weather
It can be attributed to the Indian Ocean Dipole, the difference in sea surface temperatures between the eastern and western tropical Indian Ocean.
SA's rich bag of big, small and eclectic community radio stations
Most of the community radio stations operate on a survivalist level, and should be seen as struggling small, medium and micro enterprises.
Ramaphosa has shown he understands how to put the energy crisis behind us
President Cyril Ramaphosa has used this year’s SONA to signal that he understands what needs to be done in order to overcome South Africa’s electricity crisis.
Cynical South Africans are unlikely to be moved by Ramaphosa’s next big speech
The challenge to deliver a persuasive speech comes firstly in the context of intense doubts as to whether President Ramaphosa is truly in charge of the ANC.
Many countries regulate e-cigarettes. South Africa should too
The number of users is likely to grow and there are health risks, so now is the time to act.
Donating your body to research
Why you should consider donating your body to research once you die. Listen to Pasha 20, The Conversation Africa's podcast on research.
Messages about male circumcision aren’t clear: why this is dangerous
Difficult to understand communication and the somewhat overstated benefits of male circumcision may lead to increased risky sexual behaviour.
Joy as hope is restored to bright student
When classes started on Monday, Triphin Mudzvengi was sitting attentively among the studious first-year engineering students.
First years share their hopes as they start university
Wits’ newest cohorts are looking forward to mingling with one another.
Academic-activist reckons radical love required for equitable healthcare
Shehnaz Munshi in the Centre for Health Policy at Wits believes we need to start grappling with the multi-dimensional nature of inequality in public health.
Exciting chapter for first years
The start of a new year always brings with it new energy and the assurance of a promising future as the University welcomes first year students.
Another NRF rating for Wits School of Mining
The value of research conducted by the School has been further recognised with the award of an NRF rating to a fifth member of staff.
Aspiring academic wins Best Student paper
Curiosity ignited an interest in electrical engineering for aspiring academic, Hlengiwe Mnisi.
Curiosity 9: #ClimateEmergency
2020: The year of extreme weather and how to mitigate the climate change.
Fibre communications on steroids: Wits student breaks the code
A team from Wits (South Africa) and HUST (China) show that multi-dimensional quantum communications with twisted light is possible down legacy fibre networks.
Events in Lesotho point to poor prospects for political stability
Since the demand for resources far outmatches the patronage available, Lesotho’s political arena has become brutally competitive.
The digital economy is becoming ordinary. Best we understand it
The digital economy will, soon, become the ordinary economy as the uptake - and application - of digital technologies in every sector in the world grows.
South Africa risks losing rich insights into an ancient farming society
As early as 1500 the Bokoni people created stone-walled settlements that demonstrate their mastery of farming. But today these sites are under threat.
South Africa’s energy crisis has triggered lots of ideas: why most are wrong
The deluge of opinions and proposed solutions to South Africa's energy crisis reflects corporate and political interests.
Crowd-funding campaign helps Wits students to find large haul of ancient fossils
Group of students find a large haul of fossils on the first day of their dig in Oviston Nature Reserve.
Witsies vie for top spot in battle of minds
Three Wits students are aiming to secure top positions in a national competition for economics students.
Build a capable state, don’t just talk about it
This is an adaptation of a speech given at the BUSA Business Economic Indaba in Sandton on Tuesday 14 January 2020.
How we deduced that our ancestors liked roast vegetables too
The charred remains of root vegetables found at Border Cave help us understand how early humans survived and thrived.
Green Cross needed to halt the climate emergency
EDITORIAL: We do not have a choice. It is incumbent on each of us to tackle the #ClimateEmergency.
Universities cannot be neutral about climate justice any longer
With the world facing a climate emergency, higher education institutions should lead in securing a future for our children.
The burning issue of population control
Many are calling for increased population control but is this a solution to decrease the rate of climate change?
Teens feel the heat of climate change
Climate change not only threatens mental health in South Africa, but also heralds poorer matric pass rates as teens, in particular, inherit the Earth.
Sunny-side up as Wits goes green
Universities breaking new ground in climate research should be models of sustainability themselves.
Finding alternatives to our favourite dirty words
An energy crisis built on an obsession with fossil fuels. Can alternative energy resources save the day for South Africa?
The war on waste pickers
South Africa’s waste pickers are critical to our recycling economy and green future, yet they are marginalised, maligned, and discarded.
Green is the new black
In our bid to save the planet from catastrophe, we have entered “the age of green”.
Clean careers and greener pastures
The green economy could save South Africa in more ways than one – cleaning up the environment will contribute to the economy, too.
Never let a good crisis go to waste
Although we are facing a global climate challenge, there are hidden benefits and opportunities if we respond to this challenge sooner rather than later.
The subtle art of breaking the silence
Underneath the smoke and concrete, artists invite us to respond to changing climates.
The greenbacks in mobile phone mines
Consumer products rule our world. Period. And in our modern lives, electronic equipment is no longer a luxury – it is a necessity.
Hands off our grasslands
Grasslands are vastly biodiverse areas and vital for the sustainability of human wellbeing.
How grass dances with fire
Grasslands have unique strategies that have ensured the enduring survival of southern Africa’s veld.
Changing the leopard’s spots
Chinese people and wildlife poaching: The Africa-China Reporting Project warns of “the danger of a single story”.
The changing nature of accounting
The days are gone where companies must only report on their financial bottom line. Now they should report on their impact on the environment too.
The beauty of a good green deed
PROFILE: An early fascination with the environment sparked an interest in its protection for Miss Earth South Africa 2019.
An evolving understanding of extinction
Palaeoscientists are uniquely placed to interrogate the Earth’s geological records, the origin and development of life, biodiversity change, and extinctions.
Living yoga for the mind
Plants in the office are not there just to look pretty. They can lead to increased productivity, as well as improved mental health for workers.
Climate engineering: saving the world or smoke and mirrors?
Q&A with Professor Bob Scholes on a major project that is about to begin at Wits to look at potential and problems with four climate engineering ideas.
Rock steady, grassy green
COLUMN: Reflections on former Constitutional Court Justice Edwin Cameron’s critical jurisprudence and the environment.
Rise of the African Eco-Warriors
COLUMN: While there is paralysis from above, exciting new forms of movement-building from below in Africa are saying ‘No to climate genocide!’
Dare to care in an ocean of apathy and expenditure
COLUMN: Black Friday blues’ impact on my quest to go green, on my green backs, and the implications for Earth.
Jacarandas then and now
Monitoring the timing of recurring biological events is key to understanding the effects of climate change.
Why this academic got a radio ad banned
Gender stereotyping might be funny, but it's no joke. A public health professor explains why she took action against everyday sexism heard in a radio advert.
South Africa has huge ‘green fuels’ potential but it needs to act now
Opportunity for South Africa to transition from being a key contributor to global warming to becoming a key contributor to global emissions reductions.
Art as a weapon in South Africa’s liberation struggle
A retrospective exhibition displays the key works from the life and times of activist and artist Judy Seidman.
Ancient southern African rock engravings finally find a fitting home
The Origin Centre has added a new wing that's perfect for a visit, the Rock Engraving Archive.
Being darker makes being a migrant much harder
Research in India and South Africa shows life is considerably harder if migrants have a darker skin and come from a poorer country.
What’s needed to fix collapsing coalitions in South Africa’s cities
Successful coalition governance ultimately depends on political maturity and the ability to govern across divisions.
Romario Ferrao – scoring on and off the field
Third-year Electrical Engineering student, Romario Ferrao is drawing attention on and off the field.
Registration for new and returning students
All successful applicants and returning students can register online from home.
Early modern humans cooked starchy food in South Africa 170 000 years ago
The discovery also points to food being shared and the use of wooden digging sticks to extract the plants from the ground
Students explore Africa by Bus
It was a week of discovery for a group of students who travelled from Johannesburg to Namibia for a cross-cultural experience.
Debate around the contentious Copyright Amendment Bill
Deep polarisation still marks a bill that is heading into its fifth year in various draft iterations and awaiting to be signed into an act by the president.
Women trust health professionals more than law enforcement agencies
Wits University has conferred an honorary doctorate in literature on Dr Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, Executive Director of UN Women.
I pick their brains, I pick their pockets
Business leader and philanthropist, Dr Wendy Appelbaum spoke to Witsies about how to make an impact.
Be global citizens with a democratic ethos
Harvard Professor Lawrence Bobo implores graduands to be inspiring leaders that strive for a more just, fair and promising world.
Wits Gold Medallist shares lessons on ladders of learning
Wits awarded a Gold Medal to John Teeger, President of the Board of Wits Fund Inc., an independent fundraising entity representing Wits in the USA.
What’s needed to fix collapsing coalitions in South Africa’s cities
Three South African cities run by opposition party coalitions for the past three years have been facing tough times.
How a Wits degree helped avert an HIV catastrophe
Wits awarded an honorary degree to Stavros Nicolaou of Aspen for his role in enabling access to antiretrovirals for HIV during the height of the pandemic.
Soweto study informs global network on technique to discover why children die
A Wits-led pilot study in Soweto has shown that minimally invasive tissue sampling (MITS) can accurately determine cause of stillbirth in South African women.
Mlambo-Ngcuka, Appelbaum, Pharma and Wits champ to be honoured
Wits will recognise distinguished South Africans by awarding its prized Gold Medal and three honorary doctorates during its final graduations for 2019.
Frank review of South African foreign policy over 25 years
The country's national interest and human rights remain the two topics bedevilling South Africa's foreign policy.
The complex story of ‘medical xenophobia’ in South Africa
The experiences of non-nationals in the public health care system are more complex and varied than implied by the dominant discourse on "medical xenophobia".
Prof. Andrew Crouch appointed as the Vice-Chancellor and Principal of Sol Plaatje University
Message from the Chairperson of Council, Mr Isaac Shongwe.
No means no: Zero tolerance for gender-based harm
The Wits community speaks out on gender-based harm.
The social management of HIV: African migrants in South Africa
HIV is a condition that must be managed, not just medically, but also socially, tackling stigma, social anxieties and the risks of disclosure.
South Africa needs to get more young people with HIV on treatment
There's an urgent need for interventions to increase uptake of antiretroviral therapy and improve services for adolescents.
Wits leads Quantum Computing National Working Group
“Investment in quantum technologies in South Africa is crucial if we want to leverage the next level of discovery research,” says Professor Zeblon Vilakazi.
Wits light research among 2019’s best in optics in the world
‘Fractal light from lasers’ research by Wits physicists named among the most influential in optics and photonics in 2019.
Engineering pivotal moves
Top marks are due for a bionic hand engineered by Wits University postgraduates, who have made mobility more accessible to the 1 million amputees in SA.
Wits innovation set to light up lives
PeCo Power, a new spin-off company, is a home-grown electrical off-grid solution that will radically change lives and impact local communities.
A lasting legacy for Wits History
An essay by the late Professor Bruce Murray, posthumously published by colleagues, celebrates Wits History Department’s centenary.
Wits mourns the passing of Sir Donald Gordon
Statement from Wits University on the passing of Sir Donald Gordon.
Marx, Buddha and the pursuit of happiness
Maverick Citizen: Transitional Compass 7 focuses on new concepts of value; on 'well-being' and 'happiness' rather than narrow economic ‘values’ such as GDP.
Women’s participation in South Africa and Kerala, India
Maverick Citizen: Transitional Compass 5 focuses on women’s participation in local spaces to examine the state’s engagement with democratic participation.
The different types of drought
Not all droughts are the same and South Africa needs to have a targeted approach to each type.
How WhatsApp groups support Nigeria’s nurse graduates
How Whatsapp supports nurse students in Nigeria and helps them transition into the workplace.
Visitors flock to architecture exhibition
The Solomon Mahlangu concourse has been transformed into a platform for visionary works.
-600x300.jpg "A study by scientists from Wits and US and UK universities has found that depression increases risk of HIV among South African teen girls")
Depression increases risk of HIV amongst South African teen girls
Teen girls in South Africa face an extraordinary threat of HIV. Addressing teens' mental health needs may help stem spread of the disease.
Scholarships enable postgraduate research with impact
Funding postgraduate studies enables TATA Africa to continue upholding its commitment to uplifting communities.
Soccer boots made for township diski
Young entrepreneur in the spotlight during Global Entrepreneurship Week running from 18 – 24 November 2019.
Information Security is a leading skills priority
The 10th ICT Skills Survey shows that the Fourth Industrial Revolution is still waiting in the wings.
Learn to write like a pro
Wits University has added a new course to its free, online WitsX/edX learning platform.
Outcome of the investigation into the Educ226a Life Skills Exam
Report from the University regarding concerns around the Life Skills examination paper.
The food sovereignty alternative
Maverick Citizen: Transitional Compass 4 focuses on the South African Food Sovereignty Campaign's response to climate and food inequality.
‘The end of labour’? Revisiting the past to understand the future
Maverick Citizen: Transitional Compass 2 looks at how precarious workers are challenging the practices of the established unions.
Decoding Wits’ innovations the past 100 years
EDITORIAL: It is only through understanding yesterday that we can shape today and create tomorrow.
Surfing the data tsunami tomorrow
Humankind is facing an ever-growing data tsunami that could swamp us as a species – or provide us with unheard of opportunities.
Fair trade: Your soul for data?
In an increasingly data-driven world, are we just walking data sources for the benefit of giant multinational corporations?
Plugging digital leaks
Data are gathering in pools and lakes. As we dip our toes into these murky waters, we see a sign that says, ‘Here be dragons…’
Why words make language
From hieroglyphics to emojis, and grunts to gestures, humans have always used multiple modes to communicate, including language.
Do kids need to code?
Preparing for a digital revolution is as much about getting the basics right as it is looking to the future.
How knitting won the war?
Craftivists have been savvy cryptographers for aeons longer than any computing geek.
Street talk: Behind the tag
Codes are changing and the rules of the game keep blurring as graffiti becomes a casualty of the era of social media.
Editing disease in South Africa
Gene therapy – there is a long road ahead to mainstream techniques and ensure that the technology is cost-effective.
Diagnosing the dead and predicting mortality
A new generation of apps could soon help health professions to decode the causes of death, and predict the likelihood of dying.
Recreating Earth through code
The first Earth System Model developed and based in Africa are creating one of the most reliable and most detailed modulations of climate change.
Reptile laundering
PhD candidate Shivan Parusnath plans to use social media and machine learning to help stop illegal reptile trade on global scale.
Lingua franca of mathematics
Speaking to visitors from outer space would one day require a common language and one not found in a dictionary.
Visiting gayle
It might never be one of South Africa’s 11 official languages, but that would defeat the purpose of gayle – a language of secrets.
Telling tales of ages on stages
For a Wits postgraduate drama student theatrical story-telling is a means to bridge generations and mutually empower seemingly disparate groups.
The invisible image
How animation depicts Bible stories: comparing panel-based image story-telling techniques against those of animation.
Decoding knowledge
Legitimation Code Theory (LCT) is not a magic bullet to transform education, but it holds potential for educators and students.
Navigating political land mines
Using text mining – a relatively under-utilised approach in South African humanities research – to unlock patterns and relationships.
Albinism inside out
People living with albinism endure parochial prejudice and medical scrutiny but their humanity is no less definitive than that of any other along the continuum.
Data and dominance
COLUMN: Data domination by Big Tech, both nationally and internationally, has ominous implications for economies – and privacy.
How not to win the lotto
COLUMN: Today, I am coming clean. Like most South Africans, I am in desperate need of cold, hard cash.
When computers came to Wits
The University bought its first computer from IBM 59 years ago. Today, Wits and IBM are partners in quantum computing.
Wits to host human capacity development workshop in big data and artificial intelligence
The two-day workshop will be part of the National Conference of the Centre of High Performance Computing.
Maptek donates laser scanner to keep Wits at leading edge
The new laser scanner adds to the modern technology available to mining engineering students at Wits.
Good or bad sleeper? Debunking the myths
PODCASTS: Wits Alumni and UK specialist in sleep medicine, Dr Hugh Selsick, shares insights in what good, and bad, sleep looks like.
How to get to the post-capitalist world
Maverick Citizen: Transitional Compass 1 is shortened essay from a special issue of the journal Globalizations that focus on possible pathways out of inequality
DA's woes signify historical dilemma of SA’s liberals
Liberalism has always been reluctant to grant black people equality unless they achieve certain designated standards.
Mining activities continue to dispossess black families
Mining companies and some heritage consultants don't understand the sacredness attached to ancestral remains, and the meaning of land in African communities.
How the fall of the Berlin Wall 30 years ago resonated across Africa
Marking the end of the Cold War offers the chance to reflect on the changes and continuities in African politics and international relations since 1989.
America’s right is lobbying against South Africa’s sex education syllabus
Lobby group FOR SA is backed by the US Christian right. Its latest target is South Africa's increasingly inclusive sex education lesson plans.
How South Africa can deliver on the right to food
PODCAST: To break the cycle of poverty and malnutrition, the government needs to ensure that children have access to sufficient healthy food.
South Africa’s real water crisis: not understanding what’s needed
The real crisis with water supply is that South Africa doesn't know what it doesn't know.
South Africa is one step closer to processed titanium alloys
Low-cost titanium alloys in South Africa could be used in non-aerospace sectors, such as car parts, medical devices, implants, jewellery and kitchen appliances.
Student volunteerism and leadership celebrated
They go about their lives like all other students but stand out for touching lives and leading for a better society.
Dr Robyn Kerr shares her passion for teaching
A lecturer in the Department of Human Genetics in the School of Pathology, Dr Robyn Kerr has a strong focus on teaching and research.
Tropical cyclones in the South West Indian Ocean: new insights
As storm directions change, countries that are outside the usual tropical storm zones need to ready themselves.
Structured light promises path to faster, more secure communications
Quantum mechanics is embracing patterns of light to create an alphabet that can be leveraged to build a light-based quantum network.
Leading Wits to new research frontiers
Biography: Professor Zeblon Vilakazi, Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research and Postgraduate Affairs.
Why South Africa’s copyright bill is good for digital archives
Libraries, archives, museums and galleries have finally been included in South Africa's contested new proposed copyright bill.
How Creative Commons works, and why it enables access to knowledge
Open access study material can help reduce the costs of education, improve skills and improve lives for millions of people.
WitsQ to hold first Summer School
The WitsQ Quantum Computing Summer School takes place from 2 - 10 December at the Science Stadium.
Origins Centre opens new rock art archive in newly built wing
The rock art archive is the first of three new floors that will provide public access to some of South Africa's most valuable historical finds.
Health professionals and cadavers: the quest for an ethical approach
Dissection is important for developing a range of skills, as well as moral and ethical training and a humanistic approach to patient care.
Teaching engineers through art
Interdisciplinary learning is on the rise so we asked an industrial engineer what the Wits Art Museum had to teach her engineering students.
Science and science teaching are at a global crossroads
We need to think more deeply about how we can develop science more extensively on a global scale for the common good of all of humanity.
Panic over water in South Africa’s economic hub is misplaced
South Africa's Department of Water and Sanitation has plans in place to ensure adequate water supply until 2040 and beyond.
South Africa still has a long way to go on the right to food
Hunger affects people's health. It also affects their dignity and their ability to live full and productive lives.
South Africa’s TV actors have every reason to demand a better deal
South African actors are lobbying government to demand better working conditions and labour protection.
Who takes care of the elderly?
Care facilities are often considered a last resort in South Africa. Personal care is assumed to be provided by family and household members.
What affects people’s brain function as they grow older?
Researchers find the key factors behind poor cognitive function were related to levels of education, being a woman, marital status and being poor.
Tracking the impact of ageing in rural South Africa
Rapid population ageing has prompted researchers to study disease trends in older South Africans.
_600x300px.jpg "DA leader Mmusi Maimane. © EPA/Mark Wessels (Pool)")
A centrist political alliance in South Africa? Yes, but hard to get
South Africa's parliamentary system would make it difficult to achieve a fusion of parties.
Want to donate your body to research? What you need to know
Dissection plays an important role in introducing students to death by providing moral and ethical training as well as a humanistic approach to patient care.
Quarter century study on ageing in South Africa offers new perspectives
Research done over the past 26 years provides insights into changes across people's lives, helps evaluate interventions, and provides information for planning.
Study: Unhealthy ageing takes its toll on health and income
It's evident from research that while health influences economic well-being, the inverse is also true, economic well-being influences health.
Enabling the future by decoding the past
The eighth issue of Wits University’s research magazine, Curios.ty is themed: #Code, and is available download or read online.
A legacy of excellence in applied mathematics
Prof. David Mason from the School of Computer Science and Applied Mathematics has dedicated his life to inspiring excellence and producing quality graduates.
Wits executives visit Wits students at CERN
A delegation from Wits University, headed by the Vice-Chancellor and Principal, Professor Adam Habib, visited the European Laboratory, CERN.
Large-scale forestation of African savannas will destroy valuable ecosystems and ecotourism sites
African scientists speak out about global plans to plant trees on their continent.
Wits real estate doctoral student bags German scholarship
Oluwaseun Damilola Ajayi, a real estate PhD candidate, has been awarded a scholarship to pursue doctoral research in Germany.
Wits researcher wins international award for infection control innovation
Wits academic Michael Lucas took top honours at the International Conference on Prevention and Infection Control in Switzerland, 10-13 September 2019.
Wits wins widely
Wits academics – both established and emerging – have won widely over the past month, in fields as diverse as philosophy, entomology, pharmacy, and engineering.
Nobel laureate and awarded Cameroonian journalist to address Global Investigative Journalism meeting
Joseph E. Stiglitz will deliver the keynote address and Mimi Mefo, the Carlos Cardoso Memorial Lecture.
What lost photos of Blue Notes say about South Africa’s jazz history
A rare set of photographs of South Africa's most famous jazz ensemble, the Blue Notes, has added valuable insights to the music archive.
Literature sheds light on the history and mystery of the Southern Ocean
The Southern Ocean, as artists have uncovered, is also a treasure trove of cultural narratives.
Why Africa can’t afford to be distracted by Trump
Trump’s bad example in the world’s oldest democracy can only comfort autocrats.
Did a large meteorite hit the earth 12,800 years ago? Here’s new evidence
Could platinum-rich dust associated with the impact of a very large meteorite have contributed to major climatic change and extinctions 12,800 years ago?
South Africa is planning more regulators: this is a bad idea
South Africa's independent regulators have failed. Instead of introducing new ones, alternatives need to be found.
Explainer: Why phenology is key in tracking climate change
Monitoring the timing of recurring biological events is key to understanding the effects of climate change.
50 years on: What we learned from South Africa’s biggest quake
There are three important issues to consider when thinking about quakes: what causes them; how to prepare and plan for them; and, how to move on afterwards.
Vice-Chancellor honours outstanding Wits staff
Staff members reap the benefits of their labour at the Vice-Chancellor’s Awards.
Staff reflect on Wits’ 97th Birthday
Wits is more than just a place of work – it is a place of inspiration, a place of growth and where bonds run deep.
The best of 2020 applicants at Wits
Wits University hosted would-be top matriculants for a day on campus.
Wits Humanities ranked top in Africa
The Faculty of Humanities provides the best education in Africa, according to a global survey zooming in on the work of leading universities across the globe.
Wits Targeting Talent Programme offers inspiration
The Targeting Talent Programme (TTP) has academically and psychologically enriched learners across South Africa to ensure they are prepared for university.
Donate your body and change a life
The body donation programme in the School of Anatomical Sciences is the foundation of educating future medical researchers and healthcare professionals in SA.
Wits Transformation Update
The update is a summary of progress made in the eight priority areas identified as key to transformation.
Growing older in Africa
We begin to age the moment we are born and an ageing population in Africa has profound implications for people and public health, well-being and productivity.
Arts and Science marry at Wits Art Museum
Since 2012, WAM has been driving educational innovations that demonstrate the relevance of art collections for teaching and learning across disciplines.
Homo naledi and Australopithecus sediba travel to the States
The South African national treasures will for the first time ever go on display for international audiences, when it is exhibited in Dallas, Texas
Men just have to get their act together
So said Vice-Chancellor Professor Adam Habib, a champion of HeForShe in conversation with fellow champion, Mr Sim Tshabalala, Chief Executive of Standard Bank.
New research supports hypothesis that asteroid contributed to mass extinction
First African evidence to support hypothesis of an asteroid impact that contributed to the extinction of large animals 12 800 years ago.
Witsies appointed to Ramaphosa's Economic Advisory Council
Four Wits academics appointed to President Cyril Ramaphosa’s Economic Advisory Council.
Teens feel the heat of climate change
A Wits scientist has identified how climate change affects the capacity of adolescents to learn equitably in different environments.
Maths whizkid bags scholarship to study at Wits
Talented Grade 12 learner Phila Mahlangu was awarded a scholarship to study at Wits at the 2019 Wits Maths Competition prize giving.
The future is innovation
"Wits and Tshimologong are the pioneers driving Gauteng to a modern economy in the new age of the digital revolution," said Premier David Makhuru.
Q&A with clinical microbiologist Sanelisiwe Thinasonke Duze
Young, driven and vibrant Sanelisiwe Thinasonke Duze is an associate researcher in the Wits Department of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (CMID).
Healthy Mouth, Healthy Body
The School of Oral Health is celebrating national Oral Health Month by offering staff and students free oral health screenings and oral education tomorrow.
Witsies mingle and let loose
It was a time for fun, laughter and a chance to offload for staff members during Staff Wellness Week.
Does CA training hinder or enable entrepreneurship?
Celebrating 30 years of teaching, research and social impact at the Wits Rural Campus
The Wits Rural Campus has enabled impactful interdisciplinary research, student training and community engagement in rural Bushbuckridge for 30 years.
Croc-like carnivores terrorised Triassic dinosaurs in southern Africa 210 million years ago
Rauisuchians fed on vegetarian dinosaurs according to Wits student Rick Tolchard.
Investments to address climate change are good for business
An internationally respected group of scientists, including Professor Francois Engelbrecht Wits have urgently called for world leaders to tackle climate change.
#ANATOMY100
The Wits School of Anatomical Sciences hosts an exhibition at Maropeng from 23 September to 5 October 2019 in honour of the School's centenary.
Why corruption killed dreams of a better South Africa
25 years ago, citizens hoped a post-apartheid SA would be a fresh start. Today, political and business leaders stand accused of money laundering and bribery.
Is the NHI Bill good or bad for your health?
Experts shed some light on the debate over the recently published National Health Insurance (NHI) Bill.
Meaningful transformation through learnership pipelines
Over 120 Wits staff members have completed the next level of their Learnership in Business Administration (NQF levels 2, 3 and 4).
Can robots decide on right and wrong?
The '4IR: Philosophical, Ethical, Legal Dimensions' conference explored the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR).
Wits among Top 200 universities worldwide
Wits University has been ranked among the top 200 universities in the world.
New copyright law will benefit South Africans with disabilities
South Africa's new Copyright Amendment Bill could help the country take an important step in tackling its own “book famine”.
How buildings in Johannesburg could benefit from green roofs
South Africa needs to develop low-cost housing solutions that are inherently comfortable and environmentally sustainable.
Recapturing memories with a Swedish writer
Per Wästberg, an acclaimed Swedish writer and friend of Nadine Gordimer and of South Africa took guests down memory lane during his talk at Wits.
South Africa: a new narrative could tackle anti-migrant crisis
Faced with the same problem, South Africa is turning to the familiar toolkit to explain a recurrent problem.
Xenophobia: time for cool heads to prevail in Nigeria and South Africa
South Africa and Nigeria need to lead policy debates on long term measures to address migration in Africa.
Wits calls for action and dedicates Monday afternoon to solidarity activities
Wits calls for action to be taken against gender-based harm (gbh), xenophobia and afrophobia - all university activities for Monday afternoon to be rescheduled.
Robert Mugabe: as divisive in death as he was in life
Robert Mugabe, the former president of Zimbabwe, has died.
Engineering innovations at Open Day
Students at the 2019 School of Electrical and Information Engineering Open Day presented their engineering innovations for solutions to everyday challenges.
Call by VCs for a meeting with the President of SA to discuss the scourge of gender-based violence
Statement issued by Universities South Africa on behalf of the Vice-Chancellors of the 26 public universities in South Africa
A moment with Professor Caroline Tiemessen
In celebration of Women's month, the Wits School of Pathology celebrated Professor Caroline Tiemessen as a prestigious female in Science.
Healthy and motivated staff bring success
Motivated and happy staff are the force behind great universities says Wits Vice-Chancellor and Principal Professor Adam Habib.
School of Chemistry launches new AI research initiative for Africa
Africans should be the contributors, shapers and owners of the coming advances in artificial intelligence and machine learning, says Professor Zeblon Vilakazi.
Wits condemns violence
Statement from the office of the Vice-Chancellor and Principal
Getting bang for the buck with the National Health Insurance
The National Health Insurance as a funding mechanism will have to select what it covers and what it does not. A Health Technology Assessment could help decide.
What's in a name?
The name of the staff wellness initiative, Mpil'enhle Programme – itlhokomele, that launches on 2 September offers insight into Wits values.
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Digital makers invited to ‘Own Your Force’ as Fak’ugesi
Cross-sector digital creative technology at 2019 Fak’ugesi Festival – Africa’s best creative digital workshops, talks, pitches and digital art exhibitions
Witsies part of #InspiringFiftySA
Women’s Month ends on a high note as two female academics make it to the 2019 #InspiringFiftySA list.
Meet HIV researcher, Thulile Khanyile
Young, passionate and dynamic Wits lecturer, Thulile Khanyile is determined to conduct research that will have a social impact.
New beginnings for staff wellness at Wits
Wits will step into spring with the launch of a new staff wellness programme, set to reshape the understanding of wellness in the University.
International partners shake hands on finding clean energy solutions
Witsies wow as Women in Science
Female Wits academics and students were recognised at the annual South African Women in Science Awards.
Top physicist joins Wits
Professor Nithaya Chetty has been appointed as the new Dean of the Faculty of Science from 1 December 2019.
Fak'ugesi and Smart City Office - a natural fit
The 2019 Fak’ugesi Festival has partnered with the City of Johannesburg’s Smart Cities Office to bring an exciting African-centric programme line-up.
Why South Africa’s plans for universal healthcare are pie in the sky
South Africa's planned NHI has no equivalent in any setting in the world. It's deeply flawed on a number of fronts.
The process of anti-patronage reform (Part Two)
Part Two of this series offer a process for dismantling South Africa’s patronage system.
The politics of South Africa’s patronage system (Part One)
Part One of this series describes the mechanics and architecture of South Africa’s patronage system.
Appointment strengthens African research
A Wits alumnus and CARTA Fellow has been appointed as the inaugural director of the African Population and Health Research Center West Africa regional office.
Creative Writing Head wins Olive Schreiner Prize
Associate Professor, Bronwyn Law-Viljoen has been awarded the 2018 Olive Schreiner Prize for fiction from the English Academy of South Africa.
Technology and creativity by Africans for Africa
Cultural Economies Conference at 2019 Fak’ugesi African Digital Innovation Festival.
Flights of healthcare fancy are for another time
The state is too broken to blunder on with universal healthcare.
The blind spots of ideology and journalism today
If you are confused about what is real, what is true, fact, propaganda or fiction, you are not alone; join the rest of the world.
South Africa’s 2019 poll showed dangerous signs of ‘insiders’ and ‘outsiders’
The election's result endorses other evidence that trust in South Africa’s constitutional settlement and its political institutions is steadily declining.
Ebola: how to manage in a crisis
Lessons from the West Africa: Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is currently grappling with the world’s second largest Ebola outbreak.
Hidden in plain sight
A fossil hidden in plain sight in South Africa turns out to be a new dinosaur.
How population data can help countries plan and tweak policy
South Africa’s data collection is constantly improving and Stats SA does a good job of making data available for analysis and research. Why is this important?
How our African ancestors made sound in the Stone Age
Researchers show how some bone artefacts from archaeological sites in South Africa's southern Cape region might have been used in sound production.
Investors push for positive global change in tailings management
An interesting development emerged from Brazil dam disaster: investors work with mining companies and regulators to improve tailings management systems.
Wits green chemists find a way to turn cashew nut shells into sunscreen
Team is working on techniques to produce useful compounds from wood and fast growing non-edible plant waste, through a chemical process named xylochemistry.
Cancer research wins hearts at Wits Science Slam
Sourav Saha, a PhD student in the School of Molecular and Cell Biology won first prize at the Wits Science Slam competition for his cancer treatment research.
Decolonising SA’s copyright law
In amending South Africa’s 40-year-old copyright law, reform has to be broad, innovative and adaptive.
Southern Africa heading towards climate tipping points
Professor Francois Engelbrecht from the Wits GCI stresses climate risks for southern Africa in talk on Africa’s projected climate change futures in Accra, Ghana
Wits PhD student wins international prize for best journal article in JOSA A
Article aimed to disprove a long-held myth in the field of optics that Bessel beams are self-healing and can reconstruct after all forms of obstructions.
Wits University PhD student discovers new species of early dinosaur
New dinosaur was discovered after it lying misidentified in the university's vaults for over 30 years.
Land reform that unleashes a rural economic miracle should be the goal
Migration from rural areas to cities can be slowed down with integrated agriculture value chains.
There’s a nugget of good news in the latest unemployment figures
The number of workers employed has actually gone up and the numbers of workers trying to find a job has gone up too.
South Africa’s universal man of uncommon passion
Johnny Clegg was a prophet, even if the ideal future he prophesied has not yet come to pass.
ARV breakthrough
Trial in South Africa confirms a new drug, dolutegravir, is an effective and well-tolerated ARV.
Ancient drop of water rewrites Earth's history
The remains of a microscopic drop of ancient seawater was used to re-establish the date that plate tectonics started on Earth.
Migration and health: what southern Africa needs to do to plug the gaps
Health systems are generally structured around nation-states. Migration, especially across national borders, therefore leads to challenges.
Unique picture of migration patterns helps urban planning
Keeping track of migration and urbanisation is challenging. It's vital for population health that migration and urbanisation is well understood and planned for.
Southern Africa needs better health care for women and girls on the move
Health responses need to take on board the fact that the number of women and girls migrating across borders as well as within countries is growing.
South Africa’s healthcare system can’t afford to ignore migration
It's difficult to keep track of the medical records of patients on the move and some may be lost to follow-up, presenting further public health challenges.
Wits superheroes at Sasol TechnoX 2019
What do you need to become a superhero? Certainly not superpowers, we can all be superheroes according to a team of Witsies.
We tracked South Africa’s sardine run over 66 years: here’s what we found
South Africa's annual sardine run is occurring increasingly late, and there have been instances where it doesn't happen at all. Here's why.
Wits hosts National Science Week
Scores of high school learners from around Gauteng will be hosted by Wits for National Science Week 2019.
Why migrants must be part of South Africa’s universal health plan
Seven years ago the United Nations (UN) endorsed universal health coverage as key to sustainable development and global security.
Migration and health in southern Africa: Access to care and Universal Health Coverage
Wits and African and global partners kick off a week-long programme focusing on migration and access to care and Universal Health Coverage in southern Africa.
New research initiative will be announced at this year's AI Expo Africa
Major machine learning research initiative will serve as a model for innovation and growth in Africa.
ADVANCE study provides evidence for shift to dolutegravir-containing antiretroviral treatment in SA
The Wits Reproductive Health and HIV Institute and partners have presented evidence for a shift to dolutegravir-containing antiretroviral treatment in SA.
Homegrown research crosses borders
EDITORIAL: Where do you belong? Where do you feel most at home? Curiosity explores these questions and many more in our latest issue.
Places we once called home
Archaeologists and anthropologists peer into original homes of the past to see what made us who we are today.
Homes of the future
In the age of densification, where will we sleep? Hyper-connected pods, embedded technology and micro democracies.
An eye on assistive tech at home
Eye-gaze devices as assistive tech have the potential to empower people with disabilities by improving their independence at home.
Home in the Arts
When you are thousands of kilometres away, ‘home’ may be what you carry in memories, but it might also be what you choose to forget.
Owner or roamer?
Is buying a house still the solid investment once thought or is it time to turn nomadic?
Feel at home at the office
If home is your castle, can the office be your palace? The need to ensure wellbeing at work is critical.
This is my land
Land ownership has historically been the great divider, and South Africa is no different. But is this the silver bullet to address our gross inequality?
Address: Unknown
Home, health, identity and dignity - creating smarter solutions and symbiotic thinking for Jozi’s homeless people.
Home truths and storied streets
Understand Johannesburg’s challenges, opportunities and intricacies through the cultural microcosm that is Orange Grove.
Coming home to South Africa
Migration myths, human rights and the ongoing struggle to make a house a home.
For a million bucks, would you change your gender?
If you grew up accepting the gender written on your birth certificate, you’re cisgender and probably would’ve never given this question much thought.
How African homes impact health
Machine learning study finds housing have improved in sub-Saharan Africa but adequate water and sanitation remains biggest challenge.
Decolonising houses
PROFILE: A Wits study is the first to look at transforming Victorian/Edwardian bungalows into urban compounds in Yeoville and Rosettenville.
Backyard not backward
Intentional living, the rise of imikhukhu and urban densification for dignity.
Kalahari communes
Sociable weavers are a rarity among birds. Not only do their massive nests endure for generations, but they house several other species as well.
, Michael Westgate (PhD Candidate), Mpofana Sihoyiya (MSc candidate), Prof.jpg "Kenneth Rapetsoa (MSc Candidate), Michael Westgate (PhD Candidate), Mpofana Sihoyiya (MSc candidate), Prof. Musa Manzi (Director, Wits Seismic Research Centre), and Philip Staley (Senior project geologist, Sibanye-Stillwater)")
Sibanye-Stillwater donates R50m worth of seismic data to Wits
Sibanye-Stillwater has donated their 2D/3D reflection seismic data worth R50m to the Wits Seismic Research Centre of the School of Geosciences.
Q&A: Are ecobricks the answer to plastic pollution?
Professor Herman Potgieter answers questions about whether the planet’s plastic trash tsunami can be stopped.
The shape of the South African family
Migrant labour has intrinsically shaped family life in SA. Family structures and the concept of 'home' would be vastly different if it weren’t for this history.
Migrant moms keep the home fires burning
How motherhood has been redefined through the feminisation of migration and maternal motion.
You and Big Brother @Home online
Technology and surveillance cause a sense of moral panic, but such scrutiny has the potential to enhance society.
The mouth of a shark
COLUMN: Adanma Yisa shares her journey of being an African researcher in Africa today, but raised and educated in the Global North.
Pushing privacy buttons
COLUMN: It feels like I am trapped in a scene of the Ferris Beuller movie. It is all a dream of the (near) future. Or a nightmare?
The first homes at Wits
The history of housing, student accommodation and segregated living at Wits University.
There are lots of myths about flu: we debunk six of them
Despite the availability of vaccines for influenza – or flu – the virus continues to kill people across the world.
Prof. Lynn Wadley elected as Fellow of the British Academy
Wadley has been made a Fellow of The British Academy in recognition of her outstanding contribution to the field of archaeology.
Neglected challenge of the 4IR debate
The roles and practices of companies like Google and Facebook must be investigated.
Mining-affected communities are in a crisis which present law cannot address
At the centre of the demands is the communities’ struggle for the industry and government to recognise the right to free prior and informed consent.
Walking in Madiba’s footsteps
Wits staff members uphold Madiba’s values of humanity and generosity by donating food and toiletries to the Wits Food Bank.
-Homo-naledi.-cc-John-Hawks_Wits-University.jpg "Homo naledi and Australopithecus sediba will go on public display at the Perot Museum in Dallas, Texas.")
Homo naledi and Australopithecus sediba to be exhibited in Perot Museum
South Africa's greatest fossil discoveries in modern times to be showcased for the first time to a global audience.
Huawei awards bursaries to Wits postgraduate students
Huawei South Africa has donated almost 2 million in scholarships to ICT and Engineering postgraduate students at Wits.
Zuma and Trump: half a world apart, yet similarly paranoid and dangerous
Within the space of a few days, we have been subjected to bizarre but carefully staged performances by both presidents.
Johnny Clegg – a symbol of unity
A man who defied racial barriers and whose life exemplifies what it means to be human.
Marxist scholar Harold Wolpe’s ideas still speak to South Africa’s problems
Reflections on the recent launch of a collection of essays, “Race, Class and the Post-Apartheid Democratic State”, on Wolpe’s scholarly contribution.
Building real world solutions in Minecraft
Students in the School of Therapeutic Sciences and the School of Education at Wits competed to build a world in online game, Minecraft.
Witsies dominate M&G Top 200 list
Over 40 Wits alumni, students and staff members were included in the 2019 Mail and Guardian Top 200 supplement.
Legitimation Code Theory Conference a success
The third international LCT (Legitimation Code Theory) conference hosted at Wits was huge success with 160 delegates in attendance and 98 papers presented.
Academics, corporate executives, historians and doctors to speak at July grads
Wits will host phenomenal speakers at the second cluster of the Wits graduations, which start tomorrow, 9 July 2019 and conclude Friday, 12 July 2019.
Happy one hundred for Health
Birthdays are milestones and the health sciences at Wits celebrated a significant one on 1 July when it marked 100 years of teaching excellence.
Technology can make collecting and analysing evidence for policy easier
There is more and more research being produced around the world every day. In total, about 3 million articles are published every year.
The historian reminding us we are close to the cliff's edge
The book, 'The Road to Unfreedom: Russia, Europe, America', helps make sense of the mess the world’s in
Embrace 4IR to address poverty, inequality and unemployment - Ramaphosa
President Cyril Ramaphosa delivered the keynote address at South Africa’s first #4IRSA Digital Economy Summit.
We need a social pact to secure the farming industry
Social pacts in agriculture, energy and mining, between business, labour and communities, will be crucial to lift market confidence and growth levels.
Africa’s youth can drive economic prosperity
Young people in Africa have the potential to drive economic prosperity on the continent says US Diplomat, Ambassador Tibor Nagy.
Evolution of ANC economic policy sheds light on squabble over the central bank
The recent squabble over the mandate of the South African Reserve Bank has very little to do with real economic policies.
How did elephants evolve such a large brain? Climate change is part of the answer
Elephants have long captivated our attention, partly because of their sheer size and majesty. But we’re also struck by their complex behaviour.
Witsies win at Science Oscars
Professor Alex Quandt and the Wits Communications team have won in their categories at the NSTF-South 32 Awards, dubbed the ‘Science Oscars’.
Building an inclusive circular economy: Recycling with reclaimers
A Johannesburg-based pilot will formally integrate reclaimers (waste pickers) into the recycling economy of South Africa for the important service they provide.
South Africa takes a quantum leap and joins the race
Quantum technologies are exploding and no longer the purview of laboratory experiments only.
PechaKucha ‘chitchat’ format illustrates School of Arts research
The Wits School of Arts (WSOA) inaugural Postgraduate Research Day was a confluence of arts research and creativity.
SA students win world supercomputing competition once again
Wits students are part of South African team to take first prize at the International Supercomputing Conference.
Dung beetles get wind
Dung beetles use different directional sensors to achieve the highest possible navigational precision in different conditions.
People have skewed views on inflation. Why this matters
Countries that use an inflation target to anchor monetary policy pay considerable attention to expectations of future inflation.
China beckons Limpopo fellow
Spreading his wings through international exposure - Thabiso is the first Witsie to be awarded the prestigious scholarship.
Traditional newsrooms continue to weaken
Wits Journalism releases the State of the Newsroom 2018 report.
The century of the African philanthropists is here, but wise choices must be made
African philanthropists have the capital, influence, local knowledge and moral authority to address pressing challenges that face the continent.
Ramaphosa’s vision needs to be wider than just attracting foreign investment
Unless the government regulates the economy effectively, it will generate growth that accrues disproportionately to those with wealth and power.
Young women in Soweto say healthy living is hard. Here’s why
Data from South Africa has shown that over two thirds of young women are overweight and obese.
South Africa should learn from Brazil about how to tackle ‘hidden hunger’
South Africa faces a double burden of hunger and malnutrition, on the one hand, and obesity with associated non-communicable diseases (NCDs), on the other.
Tropical cyclones are on the rise in southern Africa
Southern Africa has seen a rise in tropical cyclones recently. Why? Listen to Pasha 20, The Conversation Africa’s podcast on research.
The secret of platinum deposits revealed by novel field observations in the Bushveld Complex
Research from the Wits School of Geoscience shows how platinum deposits form in the Bushveld Complex of South Africa.
Another architectural award for Wits Rural Facility
Some 480 kilometres from the Wits campus in Johannesburg, bordering a national nature reserve, lies the Wits Rural Facility.
Twelve steps to successful land reform
Developing and protecting agriculture-related industries will be crucial to creating jobs and achieving a just new order.
Adherence is delaying HIV elimination targets. What’s needed to break the cycle
As 2020 draws closer, the deadline to end AIDS by 2030 looms large. The aim is to achieve the ambitious targets of “90-90-90”.
Tribute to Raymond Louw: a great SA editor and determined activist
Veteran journalist Raymond Louw (93) passed away recently - a former editor of the Rand Daily Mail and tireless press freedom campaigner and mentor.
Wits researchers contribute to global insights around gender and health
Wits researchers have contributed to a Lancet series on gender equality, norms and health, which was launched on 10 June 2019.
ECHO finds no substantial difference in HIV risk among DMPA-IM, copper IUD, and LNG implant users
The Evidence for Contraceptive Options and HIV Outcomes study compared HIV acquisition risk among women given the injection, intrauterine device, or implant.
Wits enters the quantum computing universe with IBM Q
IBM expands its quantum computing program with Wits as its first partner in Africa on the IBM Q Network.
Department of Health and academia partner to advance public health
A consortium of universities with health sciences faculties has won a Department of Health tender to contract healthcare professionals.
Past trends could explain why Senegal scrapped the Prime Minister’s office
Soon after Macky Sall was re-elected for a second, and final, presidential term he signed a decree that scrapped the office of the Prime Minister.
Becoming quantum ready in Africa
With rapid progress over the last couple of decades we are entering a new era of computing and Africa needs to act now.
Help for women in fraudulent marriages
The Law Clinic calls on women trapped in fraudulent marriages to come forward as it prepares legal action against the state.
Equipping Wits’ ICT students for future jobs
Leading Chinese telecommunications company injects more than R1 million towards student funding at Wits.
Historic partnership between universities and the City
The City of Johannesburg has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with three of South Africa’s top universities - Wits University, Unisa and UJ.
Unique SA academic and government partnership to advance universal health care
The Universities Consortium and the Department of Health will launch a Universal Health Care project on June 6, which will test contracting mechanisms.
Where is #Ekhaya for you?
Our homegrown research crosses borders in Curios.ty, the 7th issue of Wits' research magazine, as we explore the concept of #Ekhaya (isiZulu for ‘home’).
Accounting stars celebrated
The School of Accountancy celebrated the excellent results of its top students.
Wits African research excellence in materials, migration
Wits University hosts two African Research Universities Alliance (ARUA) Centres of Excellence (CoEs) in materials and migration respectively.
Wits Dining Halls wrap-up Africa Month
Flavours from the continent have featured more prominently on the plates of students this month in celebration of Africa Month.
Deeper research is needed to prevent fatal mining disasters
Wits geotechnical engineer and his colleagues commented on the reasons on why fatal mine disasters occur in an article published in Science.
Unique SA dataset reveals number of HIV deaths before antiretrovirals
A unique dataset has enabled scientists to better estimate the number of HIV-infected South Africans who had died by 2009 before ARVs became available publicly.
Witsies finalists in Science Oscars
Eight Witsies are finalists in six categories of the NSTF-South 32 Awards, dubbed the ‘Science Oscars’.
We tested baby food sugar levels in South Africa. This is what we found
South Africa has the highest rates of childhood obesity in the world, with an alarming figure of 13%.
There’s still so much we don’t know about the star-gazing beetle with a tiny brain
Edited extract from 'The Dance of the Dung Beetles', a new book authored Dr Helen Lunn and Professor Marcus Byrne published by Wits University Press.
A change of climate in the media?
Vishwas Satgar, Associate Professor at Wits contributes to a discussion about climate change and the media on Al Jazeera.
First 5G training in SA for ICT postgrads at Wits
Huawei South Africa has launched free 5G training for ICT postgraduates at Wits University.
Structuring SA’s digital government: the road not traveled?
The potential capabilities afforded by digital technologies should not be ignored in the current stage of design of the future government administration.
The "big data mess" and how to clean it up
A rethink of operational processes as a complex system, and the application of machine learning as an adaptive analytical framework.
In South Africa, unhealthy food choices are everywhere
Diseases linked to obesity are rising rapidly in South Africa. Listen to Pasha 20, The Conversation Africa’s podcast on research.
Ramaphosa’s cabinet: who and what’s needed to end South Africa’s malaise
South Africans recently went to the polls in a national election which the African National Congress (ANC) won by a wide margin.
How the ANC survived Jacob Zuma — and eked out a win in South Africa’s election
Under Zuma, democratic institutions bent but did not break. Just 15 months ago, South Africa’s democracy faced the gravest crisis in its 25-year history.
Earliest evidence of the cooking and eating of starch
Early human beings who lived around 120 000 years ago in South Africa were “ecological geniuses” who were able to exploit their environment intelligently.
Wits celebrates its nationally rated researchers
The Wits Research Office has recognised scholars at the University whom the National Research Foundation has (re)rated and those awarded nationally and at Wits.
The struggles of black women in science
Ndoni Mcunu shares her journey of being a black woman in science on Pasha 18, The Conversation Africa’s podcast on research.
Study signals enduring racism in science
Each university and journal must reflect on its assumptions in biology, medicine, natural sciences, anthropology and the social sciences.
Why the Indian Ocean is spawning strong and deadly tropical cyclones
The Indian Ocean has made its mark on the global news cycle this year.
Wits Prof advises Ebola vaccination strategy update to account for DRC insecurity
An advisory group of the World Health Organization has issued new recommendations to address vaccination challenges in the ongoing Ebola outbreak in the DRC.
Software licence donation advances Geosciences
Petroleum Experts Ltd has donated an academic software licence worth R25m to the School of Geosciences.
Why restoring accuracy will help journalism win back credibility
How removing senior sub-editors from newsrooms and creating "sub-hubs" have contributed to the rise of misinformation, propaganda and disinformation.
South Africa’s black middle class is battling to find a political home
South Africa’s black middle class is growing numerically – and growing politically restive.
_600x300.jpg "Africa Day 2019 at Wits")
Professor Lulama Makhubela to speak at Africa Day celebrations at Wits
The Wits Faculty of Humanities hosts renowned academic and advocate for women empowerment, Professor Lulama Makhubela to speak at the Africa Day celebrations.
Gauteng Province releases prime property to Wits for development
The Gauteng Provincial Government has signed a Memorandum of Intent with Wits for the release of properties to meet student housing and research needs.
Reporting on China in Africa is too binary. What needs to be done to fix it
So it’s not surprising that this has become an ever-expanding topic for both the media and researchers.
How South Africa ranks in the press freedom stakes
It’s pleasing that the latest World Press Freedom Index released by Reporters without Borders rates the state of press freedom in SA as “satisfactory”.
Heading to a region with malaria? Some simple steps to keep you safe
Every death from malaria is a tragedy. But many infections can be prevented.
2019 Elections: ‘Ramacynicism’ and leaps of faith
Voting for the ANC come the 2019 election will be a calculated but inescapably blindfolded leap of faith for many South African voters.
-Veriava-with-President-Cyril-Ramaphosa.jpg "President Cyril Ramaphosa bestowing a National Order on Professor Yosuf Veriava ( Photo credit: @PresidencyZA)")
Wits academics bestowed with National Orders
Professors Yosuf (Joe) Veriava and Thokozani Majozi are amongst the recipients of the 2019 National Orders.
Electoral systems need urgent reform. South Africa is no exception
Is South Africa’s particular proportional representation system fit for purpose as popular support for the political system is steadily eroding?
DigiMine strikes gold
Sibanye-Stillwater commits additional R30 million to further mining 4.0 research and development.
Foreign policy priorities South Africa should pursue
South Africa continues to enjoy an unusual degree of international prominence normally accorded to states that are more powerful, or strategically located.
Tribute to Professor Lorna Jacklin
Professor Lorna Jacklin, a retired paediatrician from the Wits Department of Paediatrics and Child Health died on 11 April 2019.
Cyclone Idai is over – but its health effects will be felt for a long time
People in Malawi, Mozambique and Zimbabwe have started trying to rebuild their lives after the devastation wrought by Cyclone Idai.
4IRSA announces 1st Digital Economic Summit for SA
"We are the pioneers who can reimagine how digital innovation can transform our world.”
The year ahead: From legal rights for robots to a Cyber 9/11
Artificial Intelligence will be maturing over the next 18 months with Africa becoming ground zero for 4IR disruption.
Top 20 newbies
Recipients of the Vice-Chancellor’s Scholarship a delightful mixed bag.
PhD in sight for student who speaks through jazz
A blind jazz music student in the Wits School of Arts has been awarded a PhD scholarship worth R130 000 from the Arts Research Africa (ARA) project.
Wits Maths Connect Project connecting across Africa
Wits Maths Connect Secondary Project shares a home-grown resource for secondary maths teaching with educators from the SADEC region.
Light pollution: the dark side of keeping the lights on
New research show mounting evidence that increased lighting has a range of negative effects on all life on earth.
From failing student to CEO
Wits alumnus, Tshibvumo Sikhwivhilu shares his story of how his failures led to his success with graduates in the Faculty of Built Environment and Engineering.
New fossil find may shed light on how sabre toothed predators evolved
Prehistoric bestiary is full of remarkable creatures and fearsome predators.
South Africa's plan to fight prejudice is full of holes
The South African government has launched a plan aimed at addressing pervasive prejudice in the country.
‘We are all one’ - A must-see exhibition on why we are
Successful Early Sapiens Behaviour Exhibition extended and taking place at Iziko Museum in Cape Town.
Team of scientists set record for light-matter interaction
The team of physicists has created a tiny superconducting circuit that mimics the quantum mechanical process in which an atom absorbs or emits light.
Make apprenticeships sexy again
South Africa 4IR-readiness and the case for tech-savvy artisans.
Dr Tshepo Madlingozi appointed Director of Wits Centre for Applied Legal Studies
White-collar crime and corruption reporting win investigative journalism award
Journalists from News24 and amaBhungane are joint winners of the 14th Taco Kuiper Award for Investigative Journalism.
Success in science depends on women development
South Africa’s success in science depends on the intellectual development of women says Dr Brigalia Bam.
The legacy of Okwui Enwezor – the curator who exhibited Africa to the world
Over two decades Okwui Enwezor emerged as a dominant and highly influential voice in curatorial practice and contemporary art history.
You have a voice, tell your story
“One of the tragedies of apartheid was to make many of us believe our experiences and stories were worthless.”
Poor coverage of floods in southern Africa? Blame the media bosses
Local media coverage of the havoc and destruction caused by Tropical Cyclone Idai has been very poor and shows that traditional media is dying.
, SRC deputy president Nkateko Muloiwa on left and SRC deputy secretary general, Thaakirah Savahl graduated on 27 March 2019 _600x300px-600x300.jpg "SRC president Sisanda Aluta Mbolekwa (middle), SRC deputy president Nkateko Muloiwa on left and SRC deputy secretary general, Thaakirah Savahl graduated on 27 March 2019")
A love letter on death, memory and renewal
Wits SRC members were amongst graduands addressed by renowned author, Mandla Langa, who received an honorary doctorate in literature.
Africa cannot afford to take the back seat in one of the most important pursuits of modern science
The continent needs its own experts to harness Artificial Intelligence towards our local challenges and priorities in Africa.
Tropical cyclone Idai: The storm that knew no boundaries
This storm provides a grim prospect of the future of tropical cyclones in southern Africa, a region under continued threat from climate change.
Major battles have been won against TB. But the war isn’t over
We all need to advocate for more resources and better patient support. TB is everyone’s problem – not just the poor and forgotten.
New study finds very high rate of unnecessary antibiotic prescribing in SA
A study by researchers at Wits and the London School of Economics has revealed very high rates of antibiotic prescribing in SA.
Economic growth impaired by poor ICT data
Academics and business must partner to help government understand what skills pupils and workers require for 4IR.
Writers, poets and activists to be honoured by Wits
The University of the Witwatersrand will bestow honorary doctorates on Brigalia Bam, Mandla Langa and Chris van Wyk during the March graduation season.
Wits students create genetics app
Wits science students have created an app to teach people the basics about genetics.
New NRF ranking for mining school
The National Research Foundation has bestowed another accolade on the School of Mining Engineering by awarding a C2 rating to Professor Rudrajit Mitra.
Discovery research that prioritises humanity
Making the right impact through the fusion of technologies that is blurring the lines between the physical, digital and biological spheres.
How South Africa can improve community-based HIV services
South Africa introduced a community-based primary health care programme in 2012.
Managing diseases in African cities
Listen to Lenore Manderson, Distinguished Professor in Public Health and Medical Anthropology, in this episode of Pasha 10, The Conversation Africa's podcast.
Another move up world rankings for Mining Engineering
The global standing of the School of Mining Engineering has been boosted by another step up in the QS World University Rankings – to 13th place in 2019.
Accelerating advances for HIV+ Youth in Eastern Cape
Wits has collaborated in a project with Oxford University to test a United Nations development approach to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Wits Choirs sing to #SaveADegree
The 2019 Wits Choirs’ Welcome Concert will lend a hand in the #SaveADegree fundraising campaign.
Local solutions can boost healthier food choices
The crisis in health triggered by cheap food that’s high in fat and sugar is now well documented.
Why corruption in South Africa isn’t simply about Zuma and the Guptas
Corruption in South Africa isn’t simply a matter of bad morals or weak law enforcement.
Father of Green Chemistry an Honorary Royal Fellow
The Royal Society of Chemistry has admitted Professor Roger Sheldon as an honorary fellow.
Show us your science
Do you have what it takes to explain a scientific concept in three minutes?
Wits flutist wins international scholarship
Wits flutist and music tutor Khanyisile Mthetwa will perform at the 47th Annual National Flute Association Convention as part of winning the scholarship.
Another award in the bag for Drama for Life
Wits University’s Drama for Life won a bronze award at the Gauteng Premier’s Service Excellence Awards.
A step closer to an HIV cure
Wits-associated scientists are part of an international team that today published research suggesting a cure for HIV.
It’s time to rethink how foreign languages are taught at universities
Many people underestimate the difficulty involved in learning a language. This is because language acquisition goes beyond comprehension.
South Africa must end its coal habit. But it’s at odds about when and how
SA is highly dependent on coal – almost 90% of its energy comes from coal-fired power stations. The urgency of change is clear on both global and local levels.
Cape Town has a plan to manage its water. But there are big gaps
The City of Cape Town – and southwest Africa more generally – experienced its worst drought on record between 2015 and 2018.
Rebels and Rage
Professor Adam Habib launches new book where he reflects on the #FeesMustFall movement.
The brain as a network device
Research by Wits biomedical engineers that incorporates the human brain as part of a computer network is believed to be a world-first.
Why a guaranteed jobs scheme in South Africa would pay for itself
Among the biggest injustices of the past in South Africa is unemployment.
Religiosity, risky behaviour and young people: a South African case study
Alcohol and other drug use and risky sexual behaviour remain high among adolescents across the globe.
Top spots for Witsies
Wits students win the country’s premier budget speech competition for the second consecutive year.
A life invested in language and literacy education
Multi-award winning Education Professor Emerita, Hilary Janks, reflects on language and power, and offers insight into the poor literacy levels in South Africa.
#4IRSA Digital Economy Summit 2019 dates announced
The Fourth Industrial Revolution Partnership for South Africa (#4IRSA) hosts a Digital Economy Summit in Johannesburg in June 2019.
First HPV vaccine impact project in Africa
The Wits Reproductive Health and HIV Institute will evaluate the impact of HPV vaccine schedules on the prevalence of this virus on SA adolescent girls.
Wits hosts unique e-Science teaching platform
Wits is the hub of a unique cross-disciplinary postgraduate e-Science training platform.
Postponement fuels lack of trust in Nigeria’s ability to hold fair elections
Nigeria has postponed its 2019 presidential elections. The Independent National Electoral Commission made the announcement hours before voting was scheduled to
Future economists set to impress
Witsies are poised to impress at the country’s premier competition for budding economists.
What a major offshore gas find means for South Africa’s energy future
Many are celebrating that a promising show of natural gas has been discovered in deep water south of Mossel Bay. What is the significance?
New ways of thinking on health, arts and humanities are emerging in Africa
Medical and Health Humanities bring together academics, researchers, practitioners, creative artists, health care seekers and providers.
New WitsX course: Postgraduate Academic Literacy for Management and Business Students
This new online course teaches you how to critique, compare and apply academic resources and research.
Curious Kids: how does thunder work? And why is it so loud?
The Conversation Africa's Curious Kids is a series for children in which we ask experts to answer questions from kids.
Wits’ supercomputing students win big
Our teams excel in Centre for High Performance Computing Student Cluster Competition.
Eskom: our biggest threat
Explainer: Why South Africa’s energy generator is in so much trouble.
Want to be a woman in science? Here’s advice from those who’ve gone before
Each year on February 11, the United Nations marks the International Day of Women and Girls in Science.
The World Bank needs deep reforms to reflect a changing world order
The sudden resignation of World Bank President Jim Yong Kim has rekindled debate about leadership succession and the mission of the institution.
A democracy or a kleptocracy? How South Africa stacks up
Revelations emanating from the two commissions of inquiry indicate that South Africa stands in great peril of falling prey to kleptocracy.
When the water flows in Alex
Rivers of untreated greywater flow through dusty township streets across South Africa.
Protests called off at Wits
SRC calls off protests after reaching agreement with University management.
Statement on campus disruptions
Senior Executive Team's statement on disruptions on campus on Thursday.
Weighing up the costs of treating ‘lifestyle’ diseases in South Africa
Increasing need to treat people who have diabetes, hypertension, and hypercholesterolaemia to try to prevent their consequences.
Scientists split on South Africa’s winter and summer rainfall zones
South Africa is among a handful of countries that experience winter rainfall in some areas and summer rainfall in others.
Why delays to fixing health care are bad news for South Africans
The release of a final report about the state of competition in South Africa’s private health sector has been delayed again.
So you think you can pharma? Wits Pharmacy students pitch solutions
PharmApprentice is a curriculum innovation where Wits Pharmacy students develop entrepreneurial skills in a competition enabled by Aspen Pharmacare.
Why screen time needs to be limited
High levels of screen time, among babies, children and adolescents, are associated with potential harm.
New research shows lasers can create fractals
Wits researchers prove the long-held theory by making the first direct observation of fractal light from lasers.
We are facing our biggest leadership challenge yet
It is not the robots that will take our jobs but a crisis of imagination and leadership, says futurist Valter Adão.
Ancient asteroid impacts played a role in creation of Earth’s future continents
The heavy bombardment of terrestrial planets by asteroids from space has contributed to the formation of the early evolved crust on Earth.
Should I be scared of lightning?
Curious Kids is a series for children in which we ask experts to answer questions from kids.
South African-Scottish research team demonstrate fractal light from lasers
Team confirms a 20-year-old prediction that “nature’s geometry” could be recreated by the use of laser technology.
Diversity a hallmark at Wits
Wits welcomed 5200 first-year students on Sunday, 27 January in a ceremony that reflected the vibrancy of the University.
How global warming is adding to the health risks of poor people
There is mounting evidence of the impact of climate change on human habitat and health, on plant and animal life, on water resources and shorelines.
“Weather” and “climate” shouldn't be used interchangeably
To understand climate projections and climate forecasts you need to know the difference between “weather” and “climate”.
Crackdown in Zimbabwe
South African diplomacy on Zimbabwe can remain quiet – but it must get tough.
The Reserve Bank needs stability
Explainer: South Africa’s central bank – ownership, mandate and independence.
The need for real justice
The Central African Republic (CAR) provides hard lessons on what it means to deliver real justice.
Australopithecus sediba: No such thing as a missing link
Autralopithecus sediba is not the missing link that connects modern man to its more primitive ancestors.
The silly season ahead of the 2019 elections
The festive season is well and truly over but another silly season is upon us - election season.
Elections, the ANC and the Suspension of Disbelief
South African voters are cynical beings, but not immune to bouts of political magical realism.
International researchers confirm species status of Sediba skeleton
Four papers published in a special issue of the open access journal, PaleoAnthropology, address critiques of Sediba, confirming it is indeed a unique species.
South African journalist, author, militant and prisoner
Hugh Lewin has died in Johannesburg at the age of 79.
Shooting Gauteng
Call for digital photographers to enter the GCRO’s Urban Gaze Photographic Competition.
Why does malaria recur? Filling in the pieces of the puzzle
Some people suffer from repeated attacks of malaria. These can occur weeks to months or longer after contracting the disease.
Are universities teaching the right kind of economics?
South Africa joins global charge to overhaul undergraduate economics.
The complex reasons for South Africa’s organ donor shortage
At any given time, there are around 4300 people waiting for organ donations in South Africa.
Little Foot’s inner ear sheds light on her movement and behaviour
MicroCT scans of the 3.67-million-year-old Australopithecus fossil known as Little Foot shed some light on how she lived and moved.
Secrets of an ancient fossil’s brain and inner ear
Virtual images help researchers to present and explore new scenarios about how our ancestors lived and evolved.
Notice: Accepting your offer
Attention applicants: Important information regarding accepting your offer.
Alert: Student system traffic
No applicant or student will be prejudiced because of current delays with our online systems.
Registration 2019
Wits’ is prepared and ready to enrol successful applicants and returning students in January 2019.
Curiosity, Issue 6: You are what you eat
Our online research magazine focuses on the socio-economic, political, physiological and psychological dynamics of food and nutrition.
The Hunger Games
EDITORIAL: It is tragic that we live in the midst of the fourth industrial revolution, yet we have millions of people who starve every day.
Disco soups and nutraceuticals
FOOD BITES: From a new form of food activism making gardening “cool” to developing new ways to deliver the medicines – or nutraceuticals – that our bodies need.
Food takes root in Africa
Africa has the ability and resources to feed the world, but much needs to be done on a continent full of challenges, opportunities and pitfalls.
Phansi, profiteers, Phansi!
The Constitution guarantees the right to food and there is enough for all but a system that prioritises profits over people undermines both society and justice.
A healthy meal in every neighbourhood
Few Johannesburg residents enjoy the right to food and even fewer are aware that they have such a right. Community Food Centres could help change that.
Appetite for dignity
Despite efforts to address hunger at Wits, ad hoc food security interventions cannot keep pace with increasing numbers of hungry students.
No space at the table for food communing
Food commons promote returning food (and access to it) to a place where food exists for the public good, rather than to benefit private, commercial interests.
The fight in food prices
New research due this year show link between relative increase in food and beer prices with levels of crime and violent behaviour.
Slave Maize: The truth about mielies
Most Africans consider maize (corn) to be their staple food but few realise it carries a history of slavery, colonisation, modernisation and globalisation.
Crunchy on the outside, squishy on the inside
Edible stinkbugs and pre-dawn insect hunts; only for the brave.
What not to eat
Although eating insects might stave off starvation in a survival situation, chowing down on foam grasshoppers or red-yellow-black bugs could be fatal.
The rat race towards obesity
The fast food generation is trapped in an “obesogenic environment” due to international junk food giants and sugary sweet marketing.
Eat to live not to shrink
There are almost 10 billion people on Earth and possibly 9 billion ideas of the perfect diet but there is no scientific proof the latest fad diet will work.
Body cravings
Adolescent South Africans increasingly struggle with eating disorders, unhealthy eating attitudes and body image issues, in both city and rural settings.
You are what your Ouma ate
The health of your mother when you were born is a known indicator of your prospects in future, but new research shows that you inherit your health even earlier.
Breastfeeding advances society
Breastfed babies are healthier and smarter than formula-fed babies yet these benefits still do not translate into policy and practice.
Beware the monster in your energy drink
Q&A: Dr Aviva Tugendhaft, Deputy Director of PRICELESS SA sheds light on what energy drinks really do to the body.
Misleading labels and insidious ingredients
Only limited legislation protects us against incomprehensible, misleading and detrimental food labels.
The chemistry of chaos and the magic moringa
PROFILE: Professor Luke Chimuka developed a method to produce an extract from the moringa plant that is used as a dietary supplement.
For sauerkraut’s sake, teach our children right!
COLUMN: Sauerkraut. That is how I start my day. Fermented cabbage leaves served with two boiled eggs and a slice of juicy cucumber on the side.
Blue-ribbon bulls and agriculture
HISTORY: The annual Rand Easter Show has it muddy and beefy origins on Wits’ Braamfontein campus.
Little Foot's history revealed for the first time
Professor Ron Clarke's 14-year-long excavation of the Little Foot skeleton reveals her history through the ages.
L'Oréal Foundation awards Wits students fellowships
Wits PhD students, Harshna Jivan and Olaperi Okuboyejo have received fellowships from the L'Oréal Foundation.
Organ donor? Tell your tribe!
The world-first living donor liver transplant by the Wits Donald Gordon Medical Centre on 4 October got the world talking about transplants.
Peering into Little Foot’s 3.67 million-year-old brain
First ever endocast of the nearly complete brain of the hominin known as Little Foot reveals a small brain combining ape-like and human-like features.
Unpacking pain
What causes pain and why it’s hard to measure. How scientists and clinicians work within the limitations to effect better pain management.
Witsie set to fly SA flag high at AU Youth Council
Dr Shakira Choonara is among eight young leaders from across Africa appointed to the inaugural African Union (AU) Youth Advisory Council.
Trump's 'New Africa Strategy'
Trump’s Africa strategy should have cast China as a regional partner, not a global adversary.
No more tea-makers
This year marks the centenary of Albertina Sisulu, an iconic activist, humanitarian, and a nurse.
Accolades and international exposure for Wits physiotherapist
A Wits physiotherapist brings skills from professional UK football clubs to a new sports clinical programme at Wits.
Wits graduates snapped-up by industry
97% of employed Wits graduates found employment within 6 months of completion.
The parable of universal health cover for people on the move
The United Nations declared 12 December Universal Health Coverage Day but for migrants worldwide, accessing healthcare is often fraught with prejudice.
Should SA universities participate in global rankings systems?
University leaders annually face a conundrum - to participate in global ranking systems, or not, in a context where the playing fields are grossly uneven.
Wits senior lecturer wins National Teaching Award
Music educator, Dr Susan Harrop-Allin has been recognised for teaching excellence.
Wits human rights lawyer to be knighted
Professor Bonita Meyersfeld is being honoured for her efforts to promote human rights and fight gender-based violence.
Welcome to the good fight
Poet, activist, academic and traditional healer, Prof. Mongane Wally Serote spoke at the Faculty of Health Sciences graduation ceremony on 7 December.
Physicians are natural advocates of the poor
Patients are not “clients” and public healthcare is not “an industry” according to the recipient of the 2018 Gold Medal from Wits.
Compassion, humility, and advocacy as embodied by Nurse Albertina Sisulu
Prof. Lionel Green-Thompson is the Dean of the School of Medicine at the Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University.
South Africa needs to refresh how it manages by-products from mining
To extract minerals from host rocks, mines grind down rock into fine sand.
Wits honours Baroness Valerie Amos with an honorary Doctorate in Literature
Baroness Amos has served a full career in public service in Britain and the UN, and served as a special advisor to the South African Human Rights Commission.
Here’s how much kids need to move, play and sleep in their early years
Most of us would agree that we want to encourage children to be physically active, get enough sleep, and keep their screen time at healthy levels.
Justice Dikgang Moseneke receives honorary doctorate from Wits University
Moseneke appeals to businesses and professionals to adhere to ethical codes in society.
World Bank President worried about SA
Stunted growth in children, high broadband costs and human capital investment in South Africa worries the World Bank.
Taking Africa’s democratic temperature as a dozen countries prepare for polls
More than a dozen national elections will be held across Africa next year.
Why under valuing families is a problem for South Africa’s economy
A country’s wealth goes hand in hand with its Gross Domestic Product (GDP), which is the market value of goods and services over a defined period of time.
New Chancellor praises lionesses of Africa and calls for greater recognition of female leadership
Wits' newly installed Chancellor, Dr Judy Dlamini, has taken a strong stand for women in leadership positions in South Africa, during her acceptance speech.
Pravin Gordhan’s road map to a stable South Africa
Minister of Public Enterprises presents his ideas on how to create a resilient South Africa for all its citizens in the next 10 years.
South African taxpayers can’t keep bailing out broken airline
R21 billion: that’s how much South Africa’s beleaguered national carrier, South African Airways (SAA), says it needs to keep running.
Protect and safeguard Wits
Justice Dikgang Moseneke passes pearls of wisdom as Wits University bids him farewell.
Why the demise of specialist reporters is a loss for any democracy
The newspaper industry in many countries is in the doldrums.Retrenchments have become the norm with experienced beat reporters among the first to go.
Self-testing: a potentially powerful tool for fighting HIV
Self-screening for HIV has been touted as a disruptive innovation: one that can help to close the HIV testing gap by reaching key and under-tested populations.
Southern Africa must brace itself for more tropical cyclones in future
In the last 30 years, there’s been a progressive rise in the number of high category tropical storms.
China Africa bonds
China not interested in being a new colonial power but seeks to develop win-win partnerships in Africa.
VC shows appreciation to staff
Wits Vice-Chancellor celebrates the service excellence of sterling Professional and Administrative Services (PAS) members of staff at the University.
Making maths cool
Innovative and engaging teaching methods can make mathematics comprehensible and ‘cool’.
Shedding a new light on optical trapping and tweezing
Wits physicists demonstrate a new device for manipulating and moving tiny objects with light.
Detective mission to characterise and trace the history of a new African meteorite
Wits researchers go on a mission to describe, classify and trace the 4.5 billion-year-old history of a meteorite that landed in Madagascar.
Why ‘fair use’ is so important for South African copyright law
Fair use is a positive tool for users and producers of information as it facilitates access and reuse of copyright works without infringing copyright law.
10 years of SA-CERN
Collaboration on Fundamental Physics celebrates a decade, of among others, Wits’ involvement in accelerated technology development.
#4IRSA – Creating the future we want
First round table set the stage for South Africa to formulate a collective response to the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
The struggle against sexual violence
Nobel Peace Centre's Professor Liv Tørres will discuss sexual violence perpetuated during war and steps required for the future.
Siemens launches Digital Mining Incubator
Digital technologies to boost skills and transform South Africa’s mining processes.
Making SA’s techentrepreneurs future ready
Why we should stop chasing the Silicon Valley dream and rethink what Africa needs, especially in the incubator space.
Beware the uncivil and spectacle politics of the EFF
Uncivil and spectacle politics fan ethnic and racial hatred, deepen divides in our society, continuously violates the rights of others, and turn violent.
Muckracking journalists who shaped southern Africa over three centuries
It was a modest, soft-spoken US Catholic nun, Sister Janice McLaughlin, who exposed the “protected villages” set up by the Rhodesian government in 1977.
2018 Wits Sport Awards bows to greatness
The University’s exceptional sporting talent was celebrated at the 2018 edition of the annual Wits Sport Awards.
A nephrologist with a vision for justice in health care
Dr. Nolubabalo Unati Nqebelele has been awarded a PhD in nephrology. She is the first black woman to earn a PhD in internal medicine at Wits University.
Fifth A-rating for 82-year-old engineer
An 82-year-old engineer at Wits has received an A-rating from the National Research Foundation for the fifth time.
Extensive survey shows Quality of Life improving in Gauteng
Despite the challenging economic conditions, the GCRO’s 5th Quality of Life Survey (2017/2018) show the overall quality of life in Gauteng continues to improve.
Africa is changing, radically, and digitisation is playing a pivotal role
The outcomes from the 2018 Fak’ugesi Festival and collaboration with the Wits Art Museum will be shown on Digital Imaginaries: Africas in Production in Germany.
Mining conflicts multiply, as critics of “extractivism” gather in Johannesburg
The World Social Forum’s “Thematic Forum on Mining and Extractivism” convenes this week in Johannesburg,
A view of Johannesburg through lenses from a different era
Johannesburg was always a much photographed place from its earliest days. It was a city that grew up with photographers and their cameras.
Can the centre hold, or will South Africa get its own Bolsonaro?
Present indications are that South African voters are not gearing up to “do a Brazil” in the face of a mounting economic crisis and high levels of corruption.
Experts find stone tools connected communities
Stone tools from the Middle Stone Age in South Africa shows that different communities were connected over long time periods over vast geographical areas.
Witsies write books for children
Witsies among authors who are creating books relevant to African children.
Why hipsters could be seen as modern-day colonisers
From Maboneng in Jozi to Bandra in Mumbai, Neukölln in Berlin to Gulou in Beijing, and Crown Heights in Brooklyn to Hackney in London, hipsters are everywhere.
Kewpie: understanding what it meant to be queer in District Six under apartheid
Across many parts of Africa homosexuality is often referred to as “unAfrican” - a western imposition that will undermine a traditional African.
Explainer: lessons from the collapse of a small South African bank
The South African Reserve Bank placed VBS, a small mutual bank, under curatorship in March this year against a backdrop of a serious liquidity crisis.
Improving the world with materials science
Grade 10 learners from across Gauteng explore material sciences in a quest to improve the world.
Wits scientist advises WHO on Ebola outbreak in DRC
The World Health Organization has appointed Wits Professor Helen Rees to its Emergency Committee on the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Campus suicide
Universities need to find ways to assist students who are passive in seeking help.
ANC will go to the polls with only one major asset: its president Ramaphosa
It is common cause that the performance of South Africa’s government, led by the African National Congress (ANC), has been worse than abysmal.
Cost of accessing academic research is way too high
In the last week of October each year, libraries and open access activists around the world celebrate Open Access Week.
Bolsonaro’s victory is likely to see Brazil scale down Africa interests
Bolsonaro is a slavery-denialist, who claims that the Portuguese never set foot in Africa and that Africans themselves “delivered” slaves to Brazil.
Unlocking information for all
Wits has embraced Open Access, which refers to the practice of providing unrestricted access to peer-reviewed research journal articles via the internet.
Wits and Perot Museum launch virtual reality app of Dinaledi cave
Free virtual reality experience provides global access to the Dinaledi caves to researchers, students and amateur explorers.
Journos need to fall in love again
Award winning journalist Niren Tolsi has called on journalists to use their power responsibly and to return to the values of the profession.
Democratic Alliance plays populist immigration card
As elsewhere in the world, migration is increasingly at the centre of South Africa’s public and political debate.
Wits crowned champions of the first Varsity Basketball tournament
Wits crowned champions after defeating the best in the country.
Commemorating Black Wednesday/Media Freedom Day
A reflection on the media: consolidation and convergence – or shrivelling and sinking?
The Entrepreneurial Wayz director a Global Goodwill Ambassador
The director of a unit in Wits Enterprise has been named as one of just six Global Goodwill Ambassadors in South Africa.
IsiZulu Sami Nawe deepens appreciation for language
IsiZulu language learners and educators now have an updated reference book to help them get a proper grasp of the language.
TATA Africa sculpts future for Witsies
The future is beaming bright for 20 academically and financially deserving students who have received scholarships from TATA Africa.
Ruth First Memorial Lecture
Niren Tolsi, a multi-award-winning freelance journalist will share his views on why South African journalism needs a defibrillator.
Ties between African countries and China are complex. Understanding this matters
The complex relationship between Africa and China has become even more complicated this year.
Wits Cardiovascular Pathophysiology Research Unit a first in the private sector
Wits physiologists and cardiologists have established the Cardiovascular Pathophysiology Research Unit at the Mayo Clinic in Gauteng.
Lessons from Zimbabwe's failed land reforms
Giving communal land to individual households, rather than mostly corrupt traditional overseers, will unlock real value, energy and entrepreneurship.
The new finance minister must hit the road running
The latest reshuffling of South Africa’s finance minister may have negative origins but it brings with it some positive energy.
VC rewards sterling Witsies
Wits Vice-Chancellor and Principal, Professor Adam Habib awards outstanding Witsies for flying the Wits flag high.