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.
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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 from 11 to 12 April 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.
Be more like Madiba
Former South African President Kgalema Motlanthe urges South Africans to follow in Nelson Mandela’s footsteps towards peace and reconciliation.
Vote in the SRC elections
In just four days, Wits students will vote for new student leaders who will be their voice in all matters of student life.
What southern Africa needs to do to manage rising temperatures
The climate situation is already worse in southern Africa than in most other regions, the region having crossed the 1.5°C warming level some years ago.
Moral courage and decency irrelevant as SA’s finance minister resigns
If politicians see only personal advantage from other's 'weakness’ – defined here as honesty, seeking forgiveness, repentance – then the future is bleak.
The finance minister merry-go-round
We have a new Finance Minister. Again.Tito Mboweni takes over amidst a recession and with a tricky political tide ebbing and flowing precariously.
The science of light illuminated
Learners’ imaginations take flight during Wits Optics Student Chapter’s IONS South Africa 2 conference.
Matrics urged to follow own career
Matriculants have tough tasks ahead of them and this includes sitting for the matric exams and choosing their future academic home.
Wits Professor Lee Berger wins Science for Society Gold Medal
The Academy for Science SA (ASSAf) awarded Berger its Gold Medal for excellence in the application of outstanding scientific thinking in service to society.
Climate change: We should react with speed, focus and urgency
GCI Director Barend Erasmus gives insight into the latest alarming IPCC Special Report on Global Warming.
Stimulating economic growth in local government
Collective professional and technical skills can stimulate economic growth in local government says Dr Zweli Mkhize.
Learn to speak Spanish at Wits
Spanish, one of the most spoken languages in the world is now offered through the new Mexican Studies Centre at Wits.
Funding research-intensive universities should be a national priority
Protecting research universities is key to growing the higher education sector and making South Africa globally competitive.
WitsX launches new online course: Digital Transformation and the IT team
Wits University’s has released a new online course aimed specifically at IT and business professionals.
SA's electoral system is weak on accountability
We have heard it said many times before: the SA electoral system does not provide a sufficient link between the citizen and the elected representative.
Does sunny South Africa really have an ideal climate for tourism?
This is how TripAdvisor reviews provide insight into tourists’ experiences of weather, from which adaptation plans can be successfully implemented.
#HIVLivertransplant: Making the tough call
The key ethical issues doctors grappled with in the world's first liver transplant from HIV+ living donor to negative recipient.
World’s first intentional HIV+ liver transplant
Wits doctors transplanted the liver from a mother living with HIV to her critically ill HIV negative child, who had end-stage liver disease.
Wits PhD sets national standard for human tissue transfer
Dancing to a corporate tune didn’t turn out to be the kind of legal professional Safia Mahomed wanted to be.
How the humanities can equip students for the 4IR
An understanding of the interaction of humans with technology and technology with humans are key to grasp the impact of the fourth industrial revolution.
Wits partner on physics education conference
Wits University is the co-host of the International Conference on Physics Education, which is being held at the Misty Hills Hotel this week.
The passing of Professor Sergio Colafrancesco
It is with great sadness that the University announces the passing of Professor Sergio Colafrancesco, a scientist and member of the School of Physics.
Ledumahadi mafube – South Africa’s new Jurassic Giant
A team of international scientists, led by Professor Jonah Choiniere from Wits, described a new species of a giant dinosaur that has been found near Clarens.
Awards for Wits researchers advancing science for society
The National Research Foundation has recognised Wits researchers for advancing their fields.
The hidden technology
Automatic control is a technology that modern society cannot live without.
Science, art and social cohesion play clinches BASA award
All From One, which has toured SA, Kenya and Tanzania shines at the Business and Arts South Africa Awards.
First South African fossil hunters
Public Lecture series to celebrate Heritage Day will focus on the earliest fossil hunters in Southern Africa and their findings.
Helping others to live their best life
Dr Thobeka Nkomo, the new Head of the Department of Social Work, has always known that she wants to be in a field that improves the lives of others.
New MOOCs for agents of change
Wits University has added two new courses to its free, online WitsX/edX learning platform.
Climate change, water and the spread of diseases
Connecting the dots differently to grasp the impact of climate change on people, and specifically, on public health.
Wits Team eFundanathi and eZone in Learning Idols
A lecturer in the Wits School of Therapeutic Sciences was in the top three vying in Learning Idols at the Learning Innovation Africa Conference 2018.
Living the Legacy
Editorial: This year marked the centenary of a remarkable leader who transformed our world and left a legacy difficult to emulate.
A country for all its citizens
Opinion: Advocate George Bizos SC is proud to call Nelson Mandela his life-long friend.
At the end of the Rainbow
Nelson Mandela embodied kaleidoscopic reconciliation in 1994, but what is the prism fracturing his legacy in 2018?
It's in your hands
Blaming Nelson Mandela for our current faults conveniently shifts introspection from the mistakes that the ANC and leaders subsequently made in power.
The Brothers Manhattan captured Mandela
Three brothers captured Nelson Mandela shortly before he became South Africa’s first democratically elected President in 1994.
More than Mandela’s wife
Winnie Madikizela-Mandela married Nelson Mandela on 14 June 1958, just six years before he was sentenced to life imprisonment.
Sustaining a legend through song
The oeuvre symbolising the life of Nelson Mandela is expansive. These are a selection of the most evocative.
Notes on South Africa through a jazz lens
A patriot at heart, Dr Lindelwa Dalamba is enchanted by South Africa’s cultural history.
mARTdiba
In Nelson Mandela’s personal office in Houghton, there is a stately wooden desk covered in brightly coloured cattle figurines.
A hospital just as Madiba envisioned it
Based at Wits University, the Nelson Mandela Children’s Hospital is a true icon of the legacy that South Africa’s favourite son has left behind.
The Mandela-Obama effect
Nelson Mandela and Barack Obama are widely seen as two of the greatest leaders in the world in modern history. What are their legacies?
The making of Mandela in the media
From “dangerous” black anti-apartheid fighter to iconic leader hailed the world over, to bitter ex-husband and “sell out”.
A Long Walk to Freedom vs the Mthatha Archives
Taking a closer look at the documentary record of his father’s life and Mandela’s recollection in A Long Walk to Freedom.
'Where does daddy live?'
To win the hearts of millions, Nelson Mandela paid dearly – with the hearts of those he loved most.
The 46-year-long Wits LLB that never was
Nelson Mandela is among Wits University’s most famous alumni, but he is not a graduate of the University.
Mandela and military force
20 years since South Africa's military intervention into Lesotho - an opportune moment to consider the Mandela's position on the use of military force.
Creating collective memory
Creating a collective memory in a country with a fragmented past and persistent inequality needs money, skills and political will to preserve its history.
No new Mandela – yet
Sello Hatang, Head of the Nelson Mandela Foundation, shared some intimate moments with Madiba, and nostalgically shares what he beliefs is Mandela's legacy.
Brand Mandela: What’s in a name?
From his name and image, to quotes, pictures, voice and artefacts, the Brand Mandela and the legacy of the ‘father of the nation’ is complicated to manage.
Dare not linger
The following excerpt from the book, “Dare Not Linger”, shows Mandela’s belief in education as the liberator of the human spirit.
Walk a mile in his shoes
Nelson Mandela and his colleagues walked a minefield strewn with political, economic and social traps to prevent civil war and set our democratic path.
Facets of a legacy
Mandela recognised we live in a world that is, and not in a world we wish existed. To truly honour him we must be responsive to his entire political legacy.
Evolution of an anthem
South Africa has the best anthem in the world, a product of a negotiated settlement intended as a measure of reconciliation for a new South Africa.
Multimedia graphic design – 73 000 years ago
Drawing on a piece of silcrete found in Blombos Cave in South Africa predates previous human-made drawings by at least 30 000 years.
Watershed: Place, policy and environmental crisis
Global water crises, and drought, desertification, water shortage and pollution, in South Africa and elsewhere on the continent, are not new.
What it would mean to decolonise palaeontology
The call by students to “decolonise science” still rings in many South African academics’ ears.
Bootcamp for startups
IBM SA and Wits’ Tshimologong Precinct launch six week acceleration bootcamp for startups.
The students’ advocate
Social justice, advocacy and transformation are words that resonate with Dean of Student Affairs, Jerome September.
10 ideas for reviving the economy and reducing SA’s dire inequality
Few dispute that the South African economy is in serious trouble but how do we fix it?
Dismantling the state (capture) that Zuma built
It will be a lengthy and costly process to find out just how deep the state capture rot is and what the detritus is that former President Zuma has left behind.
To zero-rate, or not to zero-rate: why the VAT debate is more complex than it appears
The 1% point increase in Value Added Tax (VAT) rate this year has raised important questions about how the tax system can and should address inequality.
Wits scientists closer to slowing progression of Alzheimer’s
A breakthrough by Wits scientists could see patients with Alzheimer’s use a nasal spray to slow down the progression of the disease, the main cause of dementia.
Oceans as empty spaces? Redrafting our knowledge by dropping the colonial lens
Google the word “seascape”, and you’ll find pictures of an aquamarine ocean, possibly with a touch of perfect coast line.
Xenophobia in South Africa: why it’s time to unsettle narratives about migrants
Foreign nationals have, yet again, been attacked, displaced and had their shops looted in South Africa.
What Fanon still teaches us about mental illness in post-colonial societies
The contemporary turn towards decolonial thinking is frequently cited in literature from the late 1990s and early 2000s.
Research-intensive universities in Africa? A model of how to build them
Sub-Saharan Africa accounts for 13·5% of the global population but less than 1% of global research output.
#SA4IR to explore how the 4th Industrial Revolution could shape SA
Wits, UJ, Fort Hare and Telkom to develop a national response to the Fourth Industrial Revolution that could shape the futures of South Africa.
Medical anthropologist provokes new thinking about water
Distinguished Professor Lenore Manderson created WATERSHED: Art, Science and Elemental Politics, a programme to provoke new thinking about water.
Art and science collide to provoke new thinking about water
What does a polluted river sound like? How does sand-filtered water taste? Will acid mine drainage scald your skin? Do oceans echo?
Wits lifetime and emerging research recognised
Four scientists in the Faculty of Health Sciences at Wits last night won South African Medical Research Council Scientific Merit Awards.
Who governs?
A week of telling snapshots of combat between capture and recovery. The Zondo Commission hearings go to the heart of the answer to this question.
The political mob, the state and accountability
Two events on Twitter in recent weeks gave me the political chills.
How structural flaws contribute to the crisis in South Africa’s municipalities
The dire state of municipal governance in South Africa has been in the news for much of this year.
What changing the ownership of South Africa’s central bank will, and won’t, do
On the EFF's motion regarding the Reserve Bank and the South African Reserve Bank Amendment Bill.
_600x300px.jpg "DA leader Mmusi Maimane. © EPA/Mark Wessels (Pool)")
Why South Africa’s main opposition isn’t gaining traction against the ANC
After more than two decades in power, South Africa’s ruling party, the African National Congress (ANC) is in severe trouble.
Inquiry on how parts of the private health care sector in South Africa can be fixed
A Health Market Inquiry into South Africa’s private health care sector has established that the market is dominated by a few players.
Study by blood doctors a breakthrough for haemophiliacs
A Wits University haematologist is the lead author in research set to revolutionise the treatment of haemophilia, a genetic blood disorder.
Noise Music and Acid Love
Dr. Brian House is a visiting fellow in Digital Arts and the History of Art at Wits. His background in computer science and noise music informs his research.
Engineering solutions for tomorrow
Final year engineering showcased their design-and-build projects which provided solutions to everyday life challenges.
Kofi Annan understood the limits of diplomacy, as well as why it’s important never to give up
Kofi Annan served as United Nations Secretary-General during a pivotal decade in modern world history – from 1997 to 2006.
Charlize Theron speaks to Wits students
South African born and Academy Award winning actress, Charlize Theron says it is "time to be brave".
Kofi Annan: the Ghanaian man who was born to be a leader
The passing of former UN secretary-general Kofi Annan provides an opportunity to reflect on what makes great men great.
Unpack the source code of your African Identity
Fak’ugesi African Digital Innovation Festival announces its 2018 line-up.
Two new Chinese dinosaurs discovered
New fossils from north China shed light on the incremental evolution of insect-eating dinosaurs.
Curiosity 5: #Mandela100
Is Nelson Mandela still a relevant guiding spirit for South Africans in 2018? Curiosity’s latest issue explores Madiba's life and legacy.
Student Support in Health Sciences
The multi-lingual Dr Constance Khupe is ideally positioned to help Wits students from rural South Africa adapt to university life and succeed.
VS Naipaul: a man who cast doubt on post-colonial liberal certainties
No author in contemporary times more wilfully damaged his reputation with cantankerous observations as did VS Naipaul.
Government of national unity the way out for Zimbabwe
South Africa needs to intervene to persuade Zanu-PF and the MDC Alliance leadership to secure peace through a coalition government.
Wits signs Memorandum of Understanding with Perot Museum
The MOU is part of the Museum’s new focus on human origins, plans to increase research, produce traveling exhibitions, and cultivate scientific communications.
Southern Africa’s liberation movements: can they abandon old bad habits?
Until recently, southern Africa’s political and economic outlook seemed to be moving in a promising direction.
ANC expediency is messing up South Africa’s land reform process
If land reform is hijacked by the ANC for the purposes of winning the 2019 poll, South Africa could be on a slippery slope.
Absa unlocks opportunities for Wits students
Absa has donated R5.6 million towards student funding at Wits University.
Wits Enterprise launches new unit to develop entrepreneurs
Wits Commercial Enterprise has launched The Entrepreneurial Wayz unit to drive entrepreneurialism and benefit South Africa.
Land reform needs a meeting of minds
There are three broad approaches to which the land issue is debated – the instrumental, the functionalist and the symbolic.
Enabling youth to power the digital economy
Hundreds descended upon Wits to hear the legendary Jack Ma, Executive Chairman of Alibaba Group, address entrepreneurs, students and policy makers.
A tribute to Winston Ntshona
A pioneer of storytelling and activism in South Africa, Ntshona died on 2 August this year.
Wits Lung Lab a breath of fresh air for public health
Wits pulmonologists and partners launched the Lung Laboratory Research and Intervention Centre on World Lung Cancer Day on 1 August 2018.
Kenya’s public debt is rising to dangerous levels
Kenya is weighed down by swelling public debt and faces the possibility of a debt crisis (where the government can’t repay what it owes).
It's time to talk about tech
Technological advances are reshaping our lives, and our policies should be designed to enhance its creative and empowering potential.
Reviewing Obama's Mandela Lecture
What were the key themes and the significance of Obama's Nelson Mandela lecture?
Wits maths fundi equates to global maths advocate
Former Wits Vice-Chancellor and Principal, Professor Loyiso Nongxa has been elected as a Vice-President of the International Mathematical Union (IMU).
The richest 10% own 95% – products of an economic and social system
How is it possible that we can have a society with so much wealth and so much poverty?
Witsies win big in travel innovation competition
A cash prize of $10,000 has been awarded to Wits students for their winning travel idea.
Valuing exceptional nursing
“I am no longer in nursing, but nursing is in me,” says Professor Judith Bruce, head of the School of Therapeutic Sciences at Wits.
Wits announces new Chancellor
Dr Judy Dlamini elected as the new chancellor of Wits University.
Medical schemes need to change
Explainer: How competitive is South Africa’s private health care sector?
Wits scientists part of a global coalition to eliminate hepatitis B virus
It is World Hepatitis Day on 28 July. Two research entities at Wits University are part of the International Coalition to Eradicate Hepatitis B Virus (ICE-HBV).
We are all connected
Wits scientists share humanity’s common heritage with Heads of State during 10th BRICS Summit.
The ANC of 2019
Zebra stripes, leopard spots and the troubled king of the political jungle.
A tale of two Chinas
The story of South Africa’s switch from Taipei to Beijing.
Bringing comfort and closure to those who loved them
Identifying the deceased is a mammoth task for forensic specialists in South Africa.
How health workers have adapted to SA’s breastfeeding policy
In the past 20 years there has been a massive global push for mothers to exclusively breastfeed their newborns for the first six months of their lives.
Witsies celebrate #Mandela100
The intellectual home of Nelson Mandela, Wits University, used innovative ways to celebrate the values of the global icon and founding father of South Africa
Mandela and the treasure in the Blombos Cave
Many Norwegian researchers had a close relationship with Nelson Mandela but few as close as Christopher Henshilwood, also of Wits ESI, did.
Argumentative Witsies win championships
Wits debaters left little room for argument as the University team once again confirmed their prowess.
China commits to preserving Africa’s wildlife
The Chinese government reiterates its commitment to fighting poaching of rhinos and other animals in Africa.
A quarter of a century of democracy: Defects and disappointments
South Africa’s fast approaching 2019 benchmark of 25 years of democracy is one that will be celebrated with circumspection.
Mandela-Obama Aura
Reflections on the presidential legacies of Nelson Mandela and Barack Obama.
Lend a hand to students
Starting university was a dream come true for Talent Marange who spent years at home after completing matric.
Africa Rising - the future of investment
Unique Wits-researched UN report maps out key areas for African cities to attract Foreign Direct Investment.
Comparing and contrasting Mandela-Obama legacies
What are the connecting threads between Mandela and Obama with regards to their failures and shortcomings?
Wits theatre takes a bow at National Arts Festival 2018
Wits play Devil at the End wins awards at the National Arts Festival and returns home for the 969 Festival starting next week.
You don’t know what you don’t know
It is life-changing, say discipline experts, about a programme for lecturers.
Mogomotsi at your service
The new Director of Services at Wits, Israel Mogomotsi is committed to rendering excellent services.
Obama’s Mandela lecture comes at an auspicious time for democracy
Former US President Barack Obama will aim high with his Nelson Mandela Annual Lecture in Johannesburg on 17 July.
Largest symposium in almost 50 years
School of Geosciences congratulated on “one of the best” International Platinum Symposiums ever.
A wish for the youth of our country
Advertising guru, Peter Vundla, wished his co-graduands "what they deserve" when addressing them after being awarded an honorary doctorate degree.
No freedom without dignity and equality
Justice Zak Yacoob reissues the call to uphold the Constitution and for universities to play a bigger role on this mission.
NHI promises to overhaul SA’s massively skewed system
Since 1994 South Africa has invested substantial resources in health care services. As a result, it’s has made significant health gains.
Hypertension: More hands are on deck please
In South Africa about 78% of people over the age of 60 suffer from hypertension but only 24% are on treatment.
Case study: The long and short of SA school commutes
Education enables social mobility. This is particularly true in a context of high inequality and high unemployment, such as South Africa.
SA's universal health care plan falls short of fixing an ailing system
South Africa’s Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi has finally gazetted the bill detailing an ambitious plan to roll out National Health Insurance.
Fragment of impacting asteroid recovered in Botswana
Researchers from the Wits School of Geosciences were involved in locating the fall area of the meteorite in Botswana’s Central Kalahari Game Reserve.
Surgeon says join Wits to see how transformation is done
Dr Thifheli Luvhengo told Faculty of Health Sciences graduates that they are the key to the future and that they are the product of the people around them.
Family is everywhere at Wits
Her parents might not have been able to attend her graduation but Sarah Blessed-Sayah was beaming next to her Wits ‘mom’.
Wits surgeon a cut above
Dr Thifheli Luvhengo is a Lecturer and the Clinical Head of the Department of Surgery at the Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital.
Subtle signs of male dominance at universities remain
Professor Hlonipha Mokoena addresses graduands in Humanities.
Wits researchers on the red carpet at "Science Oscars”
Wits academics Prof. Ian Jandrell, Dr Musa Manzi and Prof. Stephen Tollman have won prestigious NSTF-South32 Awards, the “Science Oscars” of research.
ANC’s election manifesto moment of truth
As it crafts its 2019 elections manifesto the African National Congress faces a prolonged “moment” of truth.
Cranium of a four-million-year-old hominin shows similarities to ours
The “virtual” revisiting of a fossil described as “the oldest evidence of human evolution in South Africa” shows surprising results, compared to modern humans.
Research and innovation drivers honoured
Wits Enterprise takes top honours at the annual DST/SARIMA Excellence Awards.
Malema, the EFF and the politics of hate
I am not a great fan of the EFF. I believe that it is a proto-fascist movement, one prone to racism, militarism and the politics of hatred.
Embrace the power of social entrepreneurs
Following the corporate scandals around KPMG and Steinhoff International, the legitimacy of business has fallen to levels not seen in recent history.
Wits prepares for 2018 USSA tournaments
Wits will host three sport codes, while hoping to impress away from home in seven codes during the University Sport South Africa tournaments in July.
Aspirations of a Just City
Could radicalism be a way to tackle historical injustices in cities?
The General behind the scenes in the Rivonia trial
Five things you didn’t know about Rivonia trial lawyer Joel Joffe, lawyer extraordinaire.
Understanding the economic cost of corruption in Kenya
Kenya is perceived as one of the world’s most corrupt countries, ranked 143 out of 180 on Transparency International’s 2017 corruption perception index.
Predicting the World Cup winner: An engineer’s working guide
Using predictions on a regular basis in engineering, as a civil engineer I’m fascinated by predictions of who will win the 2018 FIFA World Cup finals.
Achille Mbembe scoops the 2018 Gerda Henkel Award
Acclaimed Wits historian, Professor Achille Mbembe has been recognised for his sterling scholarly achievement.
The US-Africa relationship
Wits experts respond to questions around the relationship between the US and Africa.
In the gaping mouth of ancient crocodiles
As a modern apex preditor, the crocodile's mode of attack - its mouth - had humble beginnings
Africans are not ‘voting fodder’
The prerequisite for successful African decolonisation is to put value on every individual African life.
Think twice before downing that energy drink during exams
Energy drinks are popular 'go-to fuel' for university students, especially during exams. But what lurks behind the kick?
Gauteng maths giant set to rise from its slumber
Gauteng schools are gearing to reclaim their reputation as maths whizkids.
Population growth: The impact on health and societies
We have a “golden moment” and “unique opportunity” to spur economic development, says Professor Mark Collinson.
Scientists peep deep into a diamond to examine its defects
Researchers take a deep look into a diamond to see how the atoms in its platelet defects are arranged in the hardest natural material known to man.
Students promote gardening on campus
Witsies stand together against food insecurity on campus.
Computational models show that planets can easily exist in triple star systems
Researchers map out regions where exoplanets can exist within triple star systems.
How media and film can help China grow its soft power in Africa
Some observers of China’s global rise conclude that its influence is limited to military and economic capabilities.
Ramaphosa can help resolve the Gaza crisis
The gunning down by the Israeli army of protesting Palestinians at the Gaza border in May has drawn international condemnation.
First tetrapods of Africa lived within the Devonian Antarctic Circle
Fossils of two new species of these four-legged vertebrates also evolved in polar regions, and not just in the tropics as previously believed.
Taking African mobilities to Munich
Dr Mpho Matsipa, researcher at the Wits City Institute is curating an architectural exhibition at the architectural museum in Munich.
The not-so-merry Zuma go-round
“What has changed?” could be the question as Jacob Zuma makes his way towards his next court appearance in the Durban High Court this week.
Why megaprojects to deliver houses in South Africa might not work
In 2014, the South African government announced a new direction in housing policy.
Meet Professor Diane Grayson
The new Senior Director of Academic Affairs at Wits tasked with quality enhancement is a scientist, academic entrepreneur and Tai Chi fundi who speaks French.
Vice Chancellor’s scholarships represent pinnacle of excellence
The 2018 Vice-Chancellor’s Awards celebrate the elite of excellence.
Bridging the digital divide with photonics
Wits physicists and engineers team up to tackle Africa’s digital divide with home grown technologies
Talking about sensitive topics with kids
Renate Gericke, a clinical psychologist offers guidelines on how to talk to children about sensitive topics without scaring them.
Wits students at CERN meet with Science Minister and UN ambassador
Students rub shoulders with Minister of Science and Technology and the Head of the Mission of South Africa to the United Nations in Geneva.
Young digital entrepreneurs showcase cool innovations
Entrepreneurs at the Wits Digital Tshimologong Precinct show Johannesburg Executive Mayor, Herman Mashaba how creative they are.
Wits University joins programme to expand Africa’s paediatric workforce
The Department of Paediatrics and Child Health in the School of Clinical Medicine at Wits has joined the African Paediatric Fellowship Programme (APFP).
Clean sweep for Wits at international data science competition
Four Witsies learn about cloud computing, then go on and beat the global competition in the field.
Wits Research Chair is first African president of global public health association
Professor Laetitia Rispel has been elected as the President of the World Federation of Public Health Associations (WFPHA).
Making massive leaps in electronics at nano-scale
Wits PhD student finds a way to control the spin transport in networks of the smallest conductor known to man.
Wits digital startup CEO chosen for Obama's team
Lesley Williams‚ CEO of the Wits Tshimologong Digital Innovation Precinct‚ has been selected as a member of the Obama Foundation Leaders:Africa programme.
African ownership and redefining democracy
Kenyan Pan-Africanist Advocate Patrick Lumumba spoke at Wits on May 4 ahead of Africa Day at the invitation of the Wits School of Education.
Ramaphosa’s new dawn: much better, but not nearly enough
Cyril Ramaphosa’s rise to power has been greeted enthusiastically by most South Africans.
Wits-NRF Digitisation Initiative launched
The Wits-NRF Digitisation Capacity Development Initiative aims to build capacity, enable knowledge sharing and contribute to skills development.
The vehicle of nature
Editorial: Future world wars will be fought over water – a resource that is scarce in many parts of the world, including sub-Saharan Africa.
From 'crisis' to opportunity
Lessons from Cape Town’s water shortage.
Parched Cape Town, Johannesburg drowning
Water security is a complex challenge. Rain both alleviates drought but causes floods. David Olivier and Paulose Mvulane seek the silver lining.
What makes waves in water crises?
Column: Water problems are in large measure problems of people and organisation, not problems of engineering.
Big Bang, water, life
Column: We have had some tyrants in our time but not until the last century or so have we ever come up with the idea of taking a dump in our own drinking water.
The heat of acid mine drainage
Mining is a key contributor to South Africa’s economic development but its effect on the environment could spell disaster.
Washing away our heritage
The effect of water on rock art is a major concern, particularly due to climate change.
Hunting aliens from space
Wits researchers are using high-tech imagery and biological agents to save our water resources and economy from invasive alien plants.
A WATERSHED in arts and science
WATERSHED is a programme that enmeshes the arts and science to provoke new thinking about water.
A People’s Water Charter for South Africa
A social sciences course on Empire and the Crisis of Civilisation contextualises water, food and climate crises as systemic and demanding activist solutions.
Whose water is it anyway?
South Africa’s hydrocolonisation of Lesotho.
Bulawayo’s water wars
The history of water inequality in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, shows that the colonisation of land cannot be separated from the colonisation of water.
(GRACE) unleashes Earth’s water potential
Satellite data helps to track changes in groundwater storage.
Diving deeper in a time of dryness
Finding ways to explore water and oceans differently requires a new kind of fluidity, the kind proposed by Oceanic Humanities.
Using the court to secure water rights
Access to sufficient water is a human right but failures of government often compel people to access this through law.
WASH - a pipeline to saving lives
Diarrhoea is one of the leading causes of sickness and death in children under five in South Africa.
The Good, the Bad and the Dirty
Column: Lessons unlearnt from a week in dry Cape Town.
The 180-million year old quirk
The story of why rainfall at Wits dispenses to the Atlantic and Indian Oceans respectively is a tale as old as Africa itself.
Our pale blue dot
Q&A with Professor David Block from the Wits School of Computer Science and Applied Mathematics.
Tech bytes
From slow sand filters and to towers that measure energy and gases.
Thirsty for change
Profile: As a photographer, swimmer and researcher, Dyani Jeram’s life is all about water.
South Africa needs to box clever in its David versus Goliath duel with Trump
Recent actions by US President Donald Trump’s administration are severely straining relations with SA’s new government led by President Cyril Ramaphosa.
Building the world’s most powerful microscope using particle accelerators
Bruce Mellado, National Contact Physicist of South Africa at the ATLAS experiment at CERN, says there are future plans for a bigger, better LHC.
National Geographic seek to fund Wits student projects
Society seeks to increase its funding to South African students doing research in the country.
Where hominid brains are concerned, size doesn’t matter
The human-like features of Homo naledi's brain surprised the research team that examined the fossil's brain imprints.
CSI for bacteria: Inside Listeria
In a lab in Joburg, a crack team of Wits scientists led the investigation into the ubiquitous Listeria bacteria that stick like glue and thrive in the cold.
Countries must compete for migrant workers to boost their economies
Politicians and the media expend inordinate amounts of energy debating migration, often using nativist, populist and xenophobic rhetoric.
Littering in South Africa is the expression of wider selfish – and costly – culture
It is common when municipal workers go on strike in South Africa to resort to upturning garbage cans and strewing litter around city centres.
Making Braam and Parktown safer for all
Additional measures to improve safety and security around Wits campuses.
The Wits physiotherapist and Team SA at the 2018 Commonwealth Games
A Wits lecturer was amongst the physiotherapists who treated SA’s athletes at the 2018 Commonwealth Games held at the Gold Coast, Australia, from 4-15 April.
Wits University denounces disruption of healthcare services
The Senior Executive Team of Wits University has issued a statement denouncing the major disruption of healthcare services caused by industrial action.
How South Africa should tackle the redistribution of land in urban areas
Twenty four years since the advent of democracy, land remains a stark and visible symbol of dispossession and racial and income inequality.
-Programme_600x300px.jpg "The Wits Early Career Academic Development (ECAD) Programme")
The academic of the future
Programme for Early-Career Academics helps to improve skills by doing, reflecting and sharing knowledge.
The Mooi River truck protests – rewired citizen revolt
The Mooi River protests could serve as a reminder of South Africa’s vulnerability to arterial occupation protests generally.
It is now up to us
Humans are facing a #Watershed moment in our efforts to secure a collective future.
Professor Patrick Loch Otieno Lumumba to speak at Africa Day celebrations at Wits
The Kenyan scholar, pan-Africanist and advocate will deliver the Africa Day keynote talk at Wits this Friday, 4 May 2018, at 12:30.
Lessons about history by Twitter: two South Africans go head-to-head on slavery
A recent exchange on Twitter between South African TV personality Sizwe Dhlomo and Western Cape Premier Helen Zille, is worthy of close examination.
Pan African Research College on sustainable cities founded at Wits
College supported with five-year grant by Robert Bosch Stiftung and include partner institutions from Ghana, Kenya, the UN and the University of Cape Town.
South Africa’s freedom journey shows 1994 was merely a starting point
Twenty-four years into SA's ‘miracle’ democracy, it is clear that 1994 and the constitutional settlements of 1993 and '96 were mere starting points.
Dare South Africans dream again as they celebrate their 23rd Freedom Day?
It was just four and a half months ago that Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa won the presidency of the African National Congress (ANC) that governs South Africa.
It could take 200 years and R600bn to finalise new land claims
The issue of expropriating land without compensation has been hogging headlines but it has pushed other critical dimensions of land reform into the background.
Fossil teeth reveal new facts about a mass extinction
Around 260 million years, the earth was dominated by mammal like reptiles called therapsids.
Public Health postgraduate earns sole distinction for cervical cancer research
A Master's graduate has produced research that impacts health policy in the field of cervical cancer, which is one of the top five cancers that kill women.
Contesting the colour of a Just Transition in South Africa
Reliant on heavy industry and coal-fuelled electricity, South Africa is one of the most carbon intense economies in the world.
Why South Africa’s DJ Black Coffee left a bitter taste by performing in Israel
Many internationally renowned artists have faced campaigns to convince them not to perform in Israel in solidarity with the Palestinian liberation struggle.
Mothers in motion: mums navigate cities with their kids’ needs in mind
Women frequently remain the primary caregivers and only a third of children in South Africa live with their biological fathers, research shows.
Gaping wounds and the clamber to contain the Winnie fallout
In the wake of the rush to claim pieces of Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, the landscape of South Africa’s present has been reshuffled.
The message to deeply indebted African nations is to stop digging
Highly leveraged economies need to change tack and pursue stability and growth strategies.
‘Aluta continua’ for economic freedom
The struggle for economic freedom in South Africa continues, says American Civil Rights leader, Reverend Jesse Jackson.
Wits professor first ever NRF A-rated political scientist
Professor Lawrence Hamilton is the first political scientist in the history of the National Research Foundation (NRF) rating system to receive an A-rating.
Wits celebrates its rated researchers
The Wits Research Office has recognised scholars at the University whom the National Research Foundation (NRF) has rated or re-rated.
Why integrity is key to high performance and lasting success
Companies need to escape the circle of having PR campaigns prop up their image until people have an exaggerated expectation of their ethical performance.
In search of the ‘real radical’
To what extent does the Ramaphosa-Zuma contest (and to the extent that it has not been won yet) embody the real radical in South African society?
How the law can help change racist minds in South Africa
Much recent news and public discourse might seem to indicate that South Africa’s non-racial rainbow is fading.
Entrepreneurship is on the agenda again: More hype or real action?
Compared globally, South Africa has an unusually low share of employers and self-employed people in the labour force.
Flu vaccines for pregnant moms protect them against whooping cough
The influenza virus circulates every year and has the potential to turn into global epidemics.
Ancient DNA changes everything we know about the evolution of elephants
For a long time, zoologists assumed that there were only two species of elephant: one Asian and one African.
Steinhoff’s board behaved badly and should be held to account
The behaviour of the Steinhoff board, since the scandal exploded in December last year, confirms my early suspicions. The rot runs deeper.
Tech giant recognises African machine learning research
Wits robotics researcher awarded Africa’s only grant in the 2017 round of the Google Faculty Research Awards.
Winnie’s bridge-building changed South African politics
Winnie Madikizela-Mandela’s death and departure from South African politics leaves a bridge-building void that will be filled with difficulty.
Award for Sol Plaatje book
Wits Press book on Sol Plaatje and the land issue scoops the Non-fiction Edited Volume category at the 2018 HSS awards.
JSE listing for Wits developed Funds
Wits made history when two Exchange Traded Funds developed at the University were launched on the JSE.
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Flu vaccine protects pregnant women against pertussis
Research by Wits scientists shows that pregnant women vaccinated against influenza also have less pertussis infection.
Winnie Madikizela-Mandela: revolutionary who kept the spirit of resistance alive
No other woman – in life and after – occupies the place that Winnie Madikizela-Mandela does in South African politics.
Dr Yvonne Kabeya Saini: Marketing lecturer at Wits Business School
Dr Yvonne Kabeya Saini from the Wits Business School is one of the speakers at the 2018 Emerging Market Marketing Conference.
Hamba kahle Mama Madikizela-Mandela
Statement: A political stalwart in her own right, Mama Winnie Madikizela-Mandela gave of herself in the fight for gender equity and social justice.
Wits, Sibanye-Stillwater join hands to make mining digital
The launch of DigiMine advances the application of digital technologies in support of safer and more efficient mining operations.
Double grad celebration for Wits duo
Wits staff members Johannes Mogotsi and his wife, Elizabeth Mogotsi graduate with Bachelor of Arts degrees during same graduation ceremony.
Ramaphosa has started the clean up job. But can he turn the state around?
South Africa’s new President is presently receiving numerous plaudits on how he’s handling the transition from the troubled Jacob Zuma presidency.
The lessons I learned
Professor Chika Sehoole shares his insights with graduates.
Do well. Do good. Do your job
"Doing your job means that when you start climbing the ladder, help others along their way," Advocate Michelle le Roux tells graduands.
Recreating our ancestral past
Wits – in the champion’s league of archaeology – hosted the first African Conference on Experimental Archaeology.
Research collaboration to embrace resilience of deaf youth in SA
Wits University partners with the University of Manchester for an innovative research collaboration to embrace the resilience of deaf youth in SA.
A Marxist approach appropriate for the climate crisis and the 21st Century
The "Climate Crisis" highlights the importance of advancing a deep and just transition that decarbonises society.
Connecting the dots between the hike in South Africa’s VAT and inflation
South Africa is bracing itself for the first increase in Value Added Tax (VAT) in many years.
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We’ve come up with a TB test that’s cheaper, quicker and more accurate
Tuberculosis (TB) is a disease that kills more people due to a bacterial infection than any other disease in the world.
Exit, voice and loyalty
“Go out and experiment, take risks, be an entrepreneur. Better still, be a social entrepreneur,” Professor Eddie Webster tells graduates.
The stakes are very high
“Take time to reflect on our experiences and to learn new skills that improve your ability to interpret and analyse the world,” Michael Sachs tells graduands.
Whither the Constitution?
Yasmin Carrim tells graduating students they must be equally apprehensive and excited about entering the legal profession.
Wits is in their blood
Hilary Joffe shares her family's remarkable connection to the University.
VAT zero-ratings finely balanced
The most likely alternative to VAT the Treasury would have taken would have been further cuts in expenditure - a move that would have cost the poor a lot more.
New African Centre to study the US
A new Centre at Wits University has been established to serve as an intellectual hub for the study of the United States.
BCX CEO Russell speaks at grads
Biography: Ian Russell is a corporate leader who has spent decades in the boardrooms of major blue chip companies in South Africa.
Mining alumnus speaks at grads
Mark Burnett’s profile is intricately linked with geosciences, mining, the Witwatersrand, and this University.
People, the planet and leadership
An educator, an athletics coach, an author, a corporate and social leader, Wits alumnus Tony Frost speaks at graduation.
March 2018 Wits grads
Almost 5 000 students to be capped during the 2018 March graduation season.
Wits Oral Health sinks its teeth into World Oral Health Day
In South Africa, over 60% of primary school children suffer from dental decay and more than 80% of these children remain untreated for the disease.
#GuptaLeaks team wins SA’s biggest journalism award
The team that exposed the extent of state capture in South Africa has been awarded the country’s biggest investigative journalism award.
NMW Bill heads to Parliament amid concerns
The National Minimum Wage Research Initiative at Wits raises concerns over serious shortcomings of the Bills.
Explainer: what happens when a bank is put into curatorship
The South African Reserve Bank has placed a small bank – VBS Mutual Bank – under curatorship.
Ramaphosa makes noises about backing small business. It’s about time
The structure of the South African economy is often overlooked as a factor of small business and entrepreneurship.
DigiMine, the future of mining research
Celebrating the research of the new Sibanye-Stillwater Digital Mining Laboratory (DigiMine) at Wits University.
How we recreated a lost African city with laser technology
LiDAR, was used to “redraw” the remains of the city, along the lower western slopes of the Suikerbosrand hills near Johannesburg.
When great minds meet
Professor David Block accompanied Stephen Hawking to meet former President Nelson Mandela in Johannesburg.
First executive programme in Digital Business
Wits Business School (WBS) is excited to have launched its first executive education programme in Digital Business, the first of its kind in South Africa.
How investigative journalists helped turn the tide against corruption
The last year also saw a rise in the intimidation and harassment of journalists in South Africa.
The profound impact of Stephen Hawking
He remains a luminary for those of us who study gravity for a living for his deep physical insights.
Is Ramaphosa's ANC managing the challenge from the EFF?
The EFF may be more politically adept, but its track record is as populist, corrupt and administratively incompetent as the Zuma camp ever was.
Trump should be the trigger for Africa to find common cause with Americans
Three key elements essential to protecting and defending democracy are now crucial in containing Trump’s threats to democracy.
New insights into how southern African pythons look after their babies
Snakes are probably not the first creatures that spring to mind when you think about caring parents.
Why UNESCO’s ‘natural solutions’ to water problems won’t work in Africa
Each year UNESCO releases a World Water Assessment Report, a document that explores potential solutions to the globe’s water problems.
Tata in Africa continues to advance education
Tata Africa awards more postgraduate scholarships to Wits students.
Cold-blooded pythons make for caring mums
Female South African pythons are the first ever egg-laying snake shown to care for their babies - at great cost to themselves.
How corporate social responsibility projects can be derailed
Many of these projects fail due to cultural insensitivity and misplaced communication strategies.
Accelerating high-tech training
Wits students contribute to the upgrade of the high-tech software and hardware at the CERN ATLAS detector.
 Rhulani Baloyi (Trustee of BPSA), Nelson Sithole (BPSA -600x300px_jpg.jpg "Motukuane Mokoena (CEO of BPSA Education Foundation) Rhulani Baloyi (Trustee of BPSA Education Foundation), Nelson Sithole (BPSA Education scholarship recipient), Akhona Ntsele and Andiswa Machanyana both from BPSA Education Foundation")
Targeted talent empowered by BPSA sponsorship
Over 60 Wits students are able to pursue their ambitions due to sponsorship by the BPSA Education Foundation.
Rebuilding trust is Ramaphosa’s next struggle
Ramaphosa will have to take control of the economic, justice, security and intelligence, infrastructure, mining and energy clusters of the cabinet.
Six challenges that impede entrepreneurs with disabilities
South Africa needs to do more to support people living with disabilities who want to run their own businesses.
Scifest Africa 2018
Catch these Wits researchers at South Africa’s National Science Festival that kicks off in Grahamstown today.
Shifting ground and quicksand towards Election 2019
Will the new political dynamics of early 2018 still hold by the time South Africa gets to Election 2019, somewhere between April and June next year?
Africa should treat Tillerson visit with scepticism
US President Donald Trump promised in late January that his Secretary of State Rex Tillerson would make an “extended” visit to Africa in March.
Welcome to 2018, Witsies
Professor Adam Habib explains how free education will be further rolled out in future in his first video message to students and staff for 2018.
Are South African universities under assault?
Declining subsidies and fees coupled with increasing demands for higher remuneration could jeopardise the future sustainability of universities in South Africa.
New study reveals the secret of magmas that produce South Africa's national treasures
Study conducted by the School of Geosciences reveals how platinum-bearing chromite layers form in the crust of the Earth.
Healthy outrage
The story of Dr Trudy Thomas, a pioneer of community health care in South Africa.
Innovative "invisible ink" detects TB
Scientists have pioneered a process to detect TB bacteria by adding a molecule to the bacteria's own armour that lights up under fluorescent light.
Top honour for Science Educator
Professor Marissa Rollnick is admired for her efforts in unlocking more creative teaching practices among science educators.
Water wise learners
Gauteng grade 11 learners tackle SA’s water crises.
Register today! New MOOC on forced labour and slavery
This new free Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) is a collaboration between WitsX, edX and Beyond Trafficking and Slavery (a partnership with openDemocracy).
FameLab, “Pop Idols of Science” back at Wits
Wits University will once again be hosting the international Famelab science competition in March.
Very little fact and clear thinking in tax talk
Analysis: Unpacking the tax proposals in the 2018/19 National Budget though publicly available data.
Gateways Project construction commencement notice
Construction work to upgrade the entrance at the Oppenheimer Life Sciences steps and to create the new Sutton Close entrance will commence on 7 March 2018.
Want to solve complex health issues? Train scholars to think across disciplines
A number of factors affect both the distribution and prevalence of disease and the effectiveness of interventions to prevent or reduce disease.
Consequences of the Zuma regime will linger for a long time
The flood of obituaries to the Zuma presidency are likely to stream in for some time to come.
Africa’s rich fossil finds should get the air time they deserve
Palaeontology, like much else in the cultural landscape, has a strong western influence and bias.
South Africa must resist another captured president: this time by the markets
The ANC has made a dangerous habit of bringing post-apartheid South Africa to the brink of instability and the common ruin of all.
South Africans can’t relax
The country cannot mature into a full-blown democracy until major reforms are undertaken.
Lifting the lid on a VAT increase
2018 Budget Speech: A unilateral increase on the least progressive tax component – VAT – will harm the poor and lower-income earners.
Witsies in Black Panther and The Color Purple
Wits graduates feature in two prominent productions that are dominating international cinemas and local theatres.
24 hour clinics in South Africa’s busiest city
The City of Johannesburg is planning to provide 24-hour clinics in an attempt to increase access to health care. Why it is a good idea.
Ramaphosa’s moment of hope is built on a fragile foundation
Cyril Ramaphosa’s first state of the nation speech restored dignity and decorum to parliament, and pressed all the right buttons.
Wits dispatches oncologists to cancer care critical KZN
South Africa is confronted by a quadruple* burden of disease, which includes cancer. The province of KZN faces serious challenges in providing cancer services.
Five priorities SA’s new administration should focus on
What the new administration should do as a matter of priority to recover a state damaged by corruption and nepotism.
Growth and inclusive development must be prioritised to move SA forward
South Africa’s young democracy has emerged intact, albeit severely battered, from Jacob Zuma's tempestuous era.
Wits researcher co-chairs task force on global cost of epilepsy
Epilepsy affects more than 60 million individuals globally with at least 70% of cases found in low- and middle-income countries.
As we ponder the State of the Nation, what do we need to address?
Addressing unacceptably high level of inequality should be the focus of President Ramaphosa’s economic policies.
The Ramaphosa moment
How many Messiahs can one country take? What kind of president will Cyril Ramaphosa be?
How democracies can be held hostage by party machinations
The Conversation Africa asked academics what lessons can be learnt, and how the ANC can redeem itself in the post-Zuma era.
Eight questions first-years in Health Sciences ask
What happens when you fail? Can Wits stop me being lazy? I come from Zimbabwe – can I feel free at Wits? Did I make the right choice coming here?
, Caddie Hart (Library Human Resources Officer), Sophie Motsewabone (Senior_600x300px_jpg.jpg "Margaret Atsango (Senior Librarian), Caddie Hart (Library Human Resources Officer), Sophie Motsewabone (Senior Library Assistant) and Paiki Muswazi (University Librarian)")
Wits Library staff shine bright
The Library Division recognises staff members for their sterling service during the Staff Achievement and Recognition (STAR) Awards.
Monitoring populations helps to put the right health services in place
Fourteen years ago SA researchers first picked up rising rates of high blood pressure in the population that led to people dying earlier than expected.
Post Zexit: Lessons for Ramaphosa on building an inclusive state
Cyril Ramaphosa has unfairly been criticised by political commentators for his attempt to negotiate Jacob Zuma's resignation.
Why it would be in everybody’s interests to regulate cryptocurrencies
Cryptocurrencies originated as an alternative payment mechanism to traditional currencies.
Why are there so few black women in science?
Ndoni Mcunu, PhD-candidate at the Global Change Institute at Wits University and founder of Black Women in Science (BWIS), shares her personal journey.
Hope is well and good but effective policy reforms will save the day
Ramaphosa’s rise has sparked optimism, but work must be done to tackle inequality and grow the economy.
South Africa needs good water management, not new water laws
Experience around the world is that, more often than not, water laws aren’t the problem.
Lessons in democracy
President Jacob Zuma's determination to stay put is being widely condemned by a range of South African voices.
Wits researchers are World Academy Scientists
Professors Bob Scholes and Shabir Madhi have been elected as Fellows of the prestigious The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS).
Professor Sehliselo Ndlovu
She holds the SARChI Research Chair in Hydrometallurgy and Sustainable Development and is president of the Southern African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy.
Sustainable impact from a founding father of green chemistry
A Distinguished Professor of Biocatalysis at Wits, Roger Sheldon has published a paper on green chemistry in a prestigious high-impact research journal.
Mathematics education lessons from SA and Ireland
The Marang Centre for Mathematics and Science Education is advancing specialized knowledge in the field locally and through collaboration with the global north.
Keeping famine weed at bay
A leaf-feeding beetle is one of the most promising agents that help South Africa to control the spread of its worst invader plant.
DAM students open doors
The Disability Awareness Movement was honoured at the Student Leadership Awards for their role in promoting the interests of disabled students.
Unique research unit in Wits Health Consortium targets non-communicable diseases
It is World Cancer Day on 4 February and Wits specialists are poised to challenge cancer and other non-communicable diseases.
Solving the puzzle of multicellularity
Wits PhD student pieces together the mystery of how single cell life forms evolved into multicellular organisms.
Yum yum! Tasty termites
Rich in proteins, fats, vitamins and nutrients - PhD-student unearths the benefits of edible termites in new study.
Why ANN7 won't be missed
Rather than the future of ANN7, South Africans should perhaps worry about Multichoice having so much power, and using it so cynically.
"Mrs Ples" is actually a "Mr"
A study of the tooth sockets of one of the world’s most famous fossil skulls, “Mrs” Ples, has made scientists think differently about “her” sex.
Blurred lines
Cape Town water crisis: crossing state and party lines isn’t the answer and no political party should lead a response to an urban governance crisis.
Destiny changer
History enthusiast and Wits graduate, Keyan Jardine is the first recipient of the FirstRand Oxford African Studies scholarship.
How to restore the humanity stolen by racism
Achille Mbembe's “Critique of Black Reason” illuminates how the world can account for the construction and consequences of race and racism.
Land reform and the law
Expropriation assumptions reflect misunderstanding of Constitution.
How safe are after school clubs?
New research shows after school clubs can be unsafe environments with opportunities for risky sexual behaviour and drug use.
Nationalising the Reserve Bank
Government ownership does not automatically imply government control.
Why shaking up South Africa’s power utility matters for the economy
South Africa’s power utility Eskom has seen a remarkable leadership shake up in the past few days.
The legend lives on – RIP Bra Hugh Masekela
The University of the Witwatersrand extends its sincere condolences to the friends, family, fans, colleagues and comrades of Dr Hugh Masekela.
Cape Town’s map of water usage has residents seeing red
The latest weapon in Cape Town’s water saving arsenal is a map that exposes private meter readings to public scrutiny.
Why Tunisians are back on the streets
Seven years after the popular uprising in Tunisia to oust President Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali, Tunisians are rising up again.
Playing the West's game
Why countries should break the crippling cycle of hosting big sporting events.
Ramaphosa should end the presidential merry-go-round in South Africa
The large majority of South Africans, including members of the governing ANC, will be glad to see the back of Jacob Zuma as president.
In dealing with Trump, normal protocols are beside the point
Reactions from Africa were appropriately critical of President Donald Trump’s comments about not wanting immigrants from “shithole” countries coming to the US.
Wits appoints independent panel to advise on matters pertaining to race at the University
Prof. Barney Pityana, Adv. Thuli Madonsela, Prof. Garth Stevens and Dr Mashadi Motlana to advise on future race and racism allegations at Wits.
Print a 200-million-year-old dinosaur fossil in your own home
CT-scan study of Wits PHD student makes it possible to 3D print the skull of the dinosaur species Massospondylus that roamed South Africa 200 million years ago.
Tackling global crime networks
Interview with Lord Peter Hain about his efforts to bring British banks to justice for their alleged involvement in state capture.
The unfinished business of apartheid
Can we finally see beyond the hashtags, clever memes, and witty commentary that #StateCapture, the #Guptas and #EdwardsFather elicit?
Saint or sinner?
South Africans are trying to decode Ramaphosa, and getting it wrong.
Bitter-sweet monopoly
Capitalising on consumers' sweet spot has dangerous implications for public health.
Wits produces ‘ready-for-work’ graduates
Wits graduates voted most employable in SA by directors and recruiters.
His master’s voice
What are the prospects for a free media in a captured state in 21st Century South Africa?
Lessons from muckrakers
Let’s celebrate the work of investigative reporters in exposing state capture but also interrogate where they got it wrong, and how damaging this has been.
Guardians of the democracy
Public-private sector relationships should serve society broadly and when it starts serving the interest of a individuals it undermines our hard-won democracy.
SA will not escape this revolution
Professor Zeblon Vilakazi’s editorial in the latest issue of Curiosity, Wits’ new research magazine:
Fees and funding 2018
Notice to new and current students: Important information pertaining to student fees and funding for 2018.
Lee Berger named SA’s ‘most visible’ scientist
Wits palaeoanthropologist tops 25 300 others in a new study on highly visible scientists.
The ANC has a new leader: but South Africa remains on a political precipice
Assumptions that the election of Cyril Ramaphosa as the new leader of the African National Congress, will place South Africa on an even keel are misplaced.
Steinhoff scandal points to major gaps in stopping unethical corporate behaviour
A corporate scandal unfolding around one of the largest businesses coming out of South Africa, Steinhoff, has become a major cause for concern.
South Africa needs electoral reform, but president’s powers need watching
The debate about electoral reform in post-1994 SA has largely focused on the system used to elect MPs and their counterparts in the country’s nine provinces.
Tackling the missing miner problem with wireless sensor networks
A matchbox-sized circuit board with a short aerial could save lives by transmitting the vital statistics and location of miners missing underground.
VC’s 2017 year-end message
Professor Adam Habib extends his appreciation to staff, friends, alumni and donors of the University for their efforts in making Wits successful in 2017.
Cape Town’s water crisis is driven by politics more than drought
Cape Town, South Africa’s second most populous city, is hurtling towards “Day Zero”: the day taps run dry.
Dr Sibusiso Sibisi to head Wits Business School
New Director of the WBS, Dr Sibusiso Sibisi, praised for his strong strategic, leadership and operational skills, as well as academic background.
Domingo to head School of Law
Professor Wesahl Domingo appointed to head the School of Law as from 1 January 2018.
Wits’ optics research among best in 2017
Research into optics and photonics by Wits physicists has been highlighted as some of the most influential in 2017.
South Africa needs approach to inequality
It is widely accepted that SA is one of the most unequal societies in the world.
Is it Cameroon’s turn to be suspended from US trade pact with Africa?
Cameroon has been a member of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) initiative since it was launched in 2000.
ANC conference: Testing time for journalists
In the age of disinformation and the rise in populism and nationalism, journalists should stick with the Press Code and follow the Constitution.
The ANC leadership race will go down to the wire: here’s why
The suspense is tangible as the African National Congress (ANC) – South Africa’s former liberation movement that’s turned into a tired governing party
African genetic diversity to unlock disease susceptibility
Wits scientists and partners have sequenced the genomes of 24 South African individuals of different ethnolinguistic origins.
Renowned clinician recognised
Internationally renowned paediatric bone health specialist and clinician, Professor John Pettifor, has been awarded an honorary doctorate by his alma mater.
Live and work with integrity
Honorary doctorate awarded to stellar student who became an exception researcher and academic.
Honorary doctorate for ‘Mother Teresa of Alex’
Wits University bestowed an honorary doctorate on Marjorie Manganye for her selfless, lifelong dedication and service to the ill, frail and elderly.
Gearing up for a big future in community health
Wits University has awarded an honorary doctorate to Professor John Gear, who introduced the concept of primary health care at his Alma Mater in 1979.
Seek knowledge and wisdom
Mosa Mabuza, Wits alumnus and Chief Executive Officer of the Council of Geosciences urges graduands to seek knowledge and wisdom.
Demanding jobs and being a student
Holding down three demanding roles or more is a reality for many of the students pursuing higher degrees.
Little Foot takes a bow
After 20 years of painstaking excavation and preparation, Professor Ron Clarke introduces the most complete Australopithecus fossil ever found to the world.
Honour for a friend of South Africa
5 December is a historic day in South Africa and is associated with life events of major liberation leaders.
Racism, Examination Assessments and the Transformation of Wits University
To advance transformation in our medical school, we changed our admissions processes three years ago, enabling special access for students from rural schools.
Lessons on rolling out an HIV prevention pill in South Africa
Last year SA became the first country in Africa to register the use of a drug that could be used as an oral pre-exposure prophylaxis for HIV prevention.
Why traditional healers could have a role to play in fighting HIV
Many cultures and societies throughout the world turn to traditional healers to find out why they are ill and to seek treatment.
Wits Dean of Science a Royal Society Fellow
The Dean of the Faculty of Science at Wits University has been elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society of South Africa.
Designer proteins, the new generation of HIV vaccines being put to the test
South Africa has made tremendous advances in providing lifesaving antiretroviral therapy for HIV infected people.
Pravin Gordhan joins Wits School of Governance
The former Minister of Finance, Pravin Gordhan has been appointed as a Visiting Professor in the Wits School of Governance as from 1 December 2017.
The right to work and debarment in the financial market
It is troubling in a constitutional democracy that laws exist allowing people to be deprived of their livelihoods without any inquiry at all.
Wits University scientists highly cited worldwide
Two scientists from Wits University are on the list of Highly Cited Researchers in the world.
New Energy Leadership Centre another first for Africa
Wits Business School has launched a new African Energy Leadership Centre (ELC), a first for South Africa and the continent.
SA moves one step closer to sugar tax, and healthier lifestyle
South Africa has joined only a handful of countries in the world close to imposing a sugary drinks tax.
Mugabe's downfall: Lessons for Jacob Zuma
Robert Mugabe’s endgame in Zimbabwe holds various lessons for his South Africa's Jacob Zuma as he too considers his prospects towards the end of his presidency.
Wits committed to transformation
Wits University committed to transformation but won’t compromise on the quality of education.
Gold Fields enter a three-year partnership with Wits
Three-year funding will aim to further academic knowledge of mechanised mining and rock engineering in South Africa.
Transformation Update
Successes recorded in initiatives implemented to address the University’s transformation challenges, although there is still a long way ahead.
Wits research on HIV viral load urges updates to WHO therapy guidelines
The study shows that clinical interventions should take place at lower viral loads than those proposed by the current World Health Organization guidelines.
Philanthropy can reduce inequality
The act of giving by business, and wealthy and skilled individuals can make important contributions to solving our pressing problems.
Thinking big by burning small
Creative management of grazing through the use small fires can draw back herbivores to grazing areas that are avoided by animals.
Wits leads innovative African laboratory network initiative
The Wits-led African Innovation Laboratory Network (iLEAD) launched today with a mission to integrate and optimise laboratory systems to improve patient care.
New Centre of Centre of Excellence to focus on early human behaviour
Collaboration between Wits and the new CoE at University of Bergen is essential to answer some of the most fundamental questions about our ancestry.
Wits Transition Maths 1 course reaches 100
More than 100 maths teachers have now completed the Transition Maths 1 (TM1) course since its inception in 2012.
L'Oreal-Unesco awards doctoral fellowship to Wits student
Olawumi Sadare, a Chemical and Metallurgical Engineering PhD student at Wits has been awarded a doctoral fellowship by L'Oreal-Unesco.
Two books that tell the unsettling tale of South Africa’s descent
South Africa has produced two must-read thrillers in the past week.
Telling Teeth
More accurate aging of teeth could hold the key to identifying health-compromised children in Africa.
Cape Town water crisis: 7 myths that must be bust
One of South Africa’s biggest cities, Cape Town, is gripped by a rising panic.
A great teacher who inspired the average student
A new laboratory honours the late Professor Peter King, admired for his rapport with students and for pioneering work in metallurgical engineering.
World-renowned Wits vaccines prof to chair SA medicine regulatory board
The Minister of Health has appointed Wits Professor Helen Rees to chair the Board of the South African Health Products Authority.
South Africa shows why collaboration is key to tackling global crime networks
Professor Peter Hain talks to The Conversation Africa’s Charles Leonard about alleged illicit financial transactions centred around South Africa’s President.
Johannesburg’s inner city: the Dubai of southern Africa, but all below the radar
Over the last 20 years Johannesburg has become an intense wholesale and retail centre for local hawkers and for traders from all over sub-Saharan Africa.
Wits scientists pioneer vaccine to safeguard pregnant women against stillbirth and infant death
A global study of GBS, bacteria that cause stillbirth and infant death, shows that Africa has the highest incidence. Wits University is pioneering a vaccine.
Global developmental institution needs to be accountable on Lonmin
The time to account has come for the International Finance Corporation, a member of the World Bank Group.
Zimbabwe’s financial system is living on borrowed time - and borrowed money
Zimbabwe’s financial system increasingly resembles a house of cards
Major Scoop for Tsoanelo
Wits Hockey coach Tsoanelo Pholo has become the first black female coach to go through the highest international qualification and score a distinction.
New Centre at Wits to tackle inequality
Wits launches first Centre for inequality in the southern hemisphere.
ANC faces third threat
The ANC faces its third most serious threat and its members are at the core of the conflict.
Wits students produce award winning short film
“The Milk Man” impresses at the 48 Hour Film Project.
OR's enduring legacy
In celebrating his centenary, Oliver Tambo’s insights remain relevant for today's ANC and in South Africa.
Life-saving new vaccines for Africa
"Wits and Vaccines: the impact and potential of vaccines for Africa” is the title of a lecture hosted by Wits Faculty of Health Sciences on 1 November, 17:30.
USAf’s response to SA Presidency
Statement from Universities SA in response to Fees Report release without government response:
This is good for science
The theory that humans emerged in Africa is often questioned. And that is good.
Energetic engineering at EIE Open Day 2017
The ‘Brainternet’, robotic arm, mosquito repeller, adaptive digital hearing aid, leaf recognition software – our future engineers show their stuff.
Gigaba offers no solutions
Finance minister admits SA faces grim economic situation but offers no significant change in government direction.
Trade is good for development
The European Union and South Africa are forging stronger partnerships that promote fair trade and inclusive growth.
Cutting-edge visual tech at Global Investigative Journalism Conference
Cutting-edge visual tech on display in virtual reality showcase hosted by Emblematic Group and presented by award-winning film producer Cassandra Herrman.
A final farewell from where it all began
Wits will host Johnny Clegg’s final performance in 2018 in a revival of the 1971 Free People’s Concert.
How African elephants’ amazing sense of smell could save lives
For 27 years Angola was gripped by civil war. Half a million human lives were lost and wildlife, too, was decimated to sustain troops.
Nobel laureate and human rights attorney to address world's muckrakers
A Nobel Prize-winning economist and a human rights attorney are keynote speakers at the Global Investigative Journalism Conference at Wits in November.
Remembering Black Wednesday
Why media freedom remains fragile in South Africa and the battle is not over.
What’s at stake in SA’s finance minister’s first budget
There’s a great deal hanging on Gigaba's 2017 medium term budget policy statement on 25 October 2017.
Learners display their creativity with strong materials
Creativity prevailed among Grade 10 learners at the Material Science Poster Competition this year.
Lost mountains in the Karoo reveal the secrets of massive extinction event
Fossil records near the lost Gondwanides mountains show that the Permian-Triassic extinction started 1 million years prior to what was previously believed.
Wits outranks others in quality education
Wits University is amongst the top 1 percent of universities globally for the quality of education and training offered to students.
Wits Excellence Awarded
Several Witsies were recognised for their exceptional service to the University at the annual Vice-Chancellor’s Awards.
Wits team involved in international breakthrough in astronomical observation
Breakthrough paves the way for future Multi-Messenger astronomical observations
Academy of Science SA elects Wits researchers for their scholarship and social impact
Seven scholars from Wits were inaugurated into the Academy of Science of South Africa at its annual Awards Ceremony held on 11 October 2017.
How Cape Town can win support for the next round of water cuts
Dams in South Africa’s Cape Town are half of what they were this time last year as the city continues to battle drought.
Wits advances in scientific papers ranking
The latest university ranking indicates that Wits is on an upward trajectory, especially when it comes to research output.
Systems Analysis: Seeing the bigger picture
In September, the Wits Rural Facility became a ‘lab in the bush’ for a hands-on systems analysis thinking and modelling programme.
A new book on Zuma’s rape trial has finally hit home
Two books, a decade apart, get very different public responses. Why?
Teaching French in SA offers lessons in decolonisation
French has been taught and learned in South African classrooms for decades, even though it isn’t one of the country’s official languages.
Shale gas in South Africa: game-changer or damp squib?
Fracking, hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling, has in the past few decades made available the gas in previously ‘tight’ shale geologies.
Trump’s Africa policy is still incoherent, but key signals are emerging
Africa’s leaders have waited eight months for US President Donald Trump’s administration to explain its Africa policy.
Stark contrast: Britain’s Labour Party and South Africa’s ANC
Compare the state of two political parties which share a close past connection but which today face distinctly different futures.
Why the dream of a prosperous, united nation continues to elude SA
The goal of one united South African nation living prosperously under a constitutional democracy remains elusive.
Global Investigative Journalism Conference programme released
Pulitzer Prize winners, data journalism pioneers and the investigative reporters behind the Panama Papers are amongst the speakers at #GIJC2017.
Early 'homebodies'
New study finds 'staying longer at home' was key to Stone Age technology change some 60 000 years ago.
Wits-Cambridge exchange in political theory aims to redress historical colonial power relations
Wits University and the University of Cambridge, UK, have announced an academic exchange programme in political theory.
Tracking media freedom
It is 40 years since Black Wednesday when the apartheid regime unleashed its brutal violence against the press.
Wits will not renew KPMG contracts
Media release about the decision by the Council of the University of the Witwatersrand:
Wits appoints new CEO for Tshimologong
Lesley Williams will head up the tech precinct and help it to achieve its full potential.
Witsies named top sportswomen
Two excel at Gauteng Sports Awards on Sunday.
From troublemaker to leader
“The struggle for liberty continues to rage, even in a free society,” Adam Habib tells Change/Exchange.
Wits offers new post graduate courses in e-Science
Programme will create opportunities for students in a variety of fields to gain an interdisciplinary perspective on the emerging fields of Data Science.
Diversifying the academy
Plans to transform the academic staff profile bear fruit.
The mud beneath the digital magic
The bones of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, like every industrial revolution in the past, come from the dirt under our feet.
KPMG: What lessons have we learnt?
Auditors, accountants and lawyers came under fire for their role in corruption and state capture during a debate looking at lessons from the KPMG saga.
Reputation crisis calls for TRC-type reply
We must have a public discourse on what justifiably is required for redemption.
Tech as eyes and ears
Wits alumnus, Elash Mistry was elated when he became the first blind person in Africa to be admitted as a fellow of the Actuarial Society of SA in 2017.
Human rights in a digital world
Digital access itself does not untangle past inequalities. In many cases, it may even increase inequality.
Neonatologist to head Wits School of Clinical Medicine
Professor Daynia Ballot, a lifelong Witsie, takes the reins as Head of the School of Clinical Medicine at Wits from 1 October 2017.
Death of the chalkboard and the demise of the sage on the stage
The launch of a high-tech eZone, eFundanathi – “Learn with Us”, is set to revolutionise teaching and learning at Wits.
The future of work
Tech advances are already impacting skilled white-collar and unskilled workers whereas the digital revolution affected mainly semi-skilled, blue-collar workers.
Q&A about Watson, the iHuman supercomputer
In 2011, a faceless, emotionless voice named Watson famously defeated two of the greatest champions of Jeopardy!, an American TV gameshow.
ANC faces dreadful choices as voters grow more sceptical
The outcome of the December conference will affect the ANC’s subsequent election prospects more directly than any of its six preceding meetings since 1991.
Lessons from KPMG: be on guard, South Africans are on your case
The South African arm of the international accounting firm KPMG has learnt the hard lesson: Don't break the 11th commandment - don’t get caught.
What KPMG’s Gupta imbroglio says about corruption in South Africa
By resigning, the KPMG executives reinforced the principle of executive responsibility.
AfriQueer: a dreamscape of queer masculinities tours Africa and Europe
Drama for Life presents AfriQueer, an international tour which opens up a space for reflection, compassion and understanding of queer identities,
Forgotten fossils hold clues to how ancestors of mammals cared for their young
The skeletal anatomy of mammals’ early ancestors has been studied for more than 150 years.
Solutions to achieve gender equality
Professor Adam Habib joined a panel to share ground-breaking solutions on how to achieve gender equality as part of UN Women’s HeForShe movement.
Researchers demonstrate quantum teleportation of patterns of light
Technique paves the way for high-bit-rate secure long distance quantum communication.
Teaching and learning goes 21st century at Wits
The launch yesterday of a high-tech eZone, eFundanathi – "Learn with Us", is set to revolutionise teaching and learning at Wits.
Virtual reality breathes new life into African fossils, art and artefacts
More digital avenues are being added to South Africa’s museums – and now the country has its first full VR exhibit.
Blackness, oceans and South Africa’s colonial history are at my family’s core
My blackness is supposedly visible only because I do not “look white”.
Racism is behind outlandish theories about Africa’s ancient architecture
Africa has an extensive archaeological record, extending as far back as 3.3 million years ago.
Complex life evolved out of the chance coupling of small molecules
Complex life, as we know it, started completely by chance, with small strands of molecules linking up, which eventually would have given them the ability to rep
Robert Sobukwe immortalised at Wits
The University of the Witwatersrand has officially renamed Central Block to Robert Sobukwe Block.
Cricket fast bowling researcher elected to SA Young Academy of Science
Benita Olivier is an Associate Professor in musculo-skeletal physiotherapy in the Physiotherapy Department at Wits.
Light to break bandwidth ceiling
The rise of big data and advances in information technology has serious implications for our ability to deliver sufficient bandwidth to meet the growing demand.
(Hu)man vs. Machine
In a world controlled and dominated by robots, is there still space for humans?
Improving the accuracy of TB testing
Wits scientists have developed technology that ensures the efficacy of equipment that tests for tuberculosis (TB).
Wits researchers excel at National Research Foundation Awards
Nine researchers from Wits University were recognised by the National Research Foundation (NRF) at the 2017 NRF Research Awards in Bloemfontein last night.
Dr Tiisetso Lephoto
Dr Tiisetso Lephoto from the School of Molecular and Cell Biology is an avid science communicator.
Shakira Choonara
Shakira Choonara is a young leader, researcher and activist at the forefront of public health – both locally and internationally.
Professor Shabir Madhi
Professor Shabir Madhi has established an internationally recognised research unit in the field of epidemiology and vaccine preventable diseases.
Professor Lynette Wadley
One of Africa’s leading archaeologists, Professor Lynnette Wadley first worked as a teacher in Zimbabwe and South Africa.
Professor Derk Brouwer
Professor Derk Brouwer from the School of Public Health started his professional career in the field of Occupational Hygiene in the Netherlands.
Professor Christopher Mathew
Professor Christopher Mathew’s genetics research is acknowledged particularly for work on inherited cancer syndromes and on inflammatory bowel disorders.
Professor Yevhen Zelenyuk
Professor Yevhen Zelenyuk from the School of Mathematics at Wits obtained his masters and PhD degrees from Kiev Shevchenko University in the Ukraine.
Professor Nicole Falkof
Nicole Falkof is an Associate Professor and of Department, Media Studies at Wits.
Dr Musa Manzi
Dr Musa Manzi is a Senior Researcher and Director of the Wits Seismic Research Centre at Wits.
Can you read my mind?
In research thought to be a world first, biomedical engineers at Wits are connecting a human brain to the internet in real time.
Bestiality and BS: Lessons from South Africa’s sleazy political climate
South African Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa fell for old usual dirty game of electioneering.
Promoting a work-life balance
Staff Wellness Week kicked off on Monday with the focus of promoting health, nutrition and fitness among Wits staff members.
Using high tech to tell the story of ancient man
Origin Centre's new Virtual Reality experience uses state of the art communications technology to tell the story of what makes us human.
Humanities hold their own in rankings
The Faculty of Humanities has been placed in the top 200 world-wide in 2018 Times Higher Education Arts and Humanities rankings.
Talking tech and African languages
Is tech killing indigenous African languages? Prof. Leketi Makalela, head of Languages, Literacies and Literatures in the Wits School of Education talks back.
Interpreting brainwaves to give amputees a hand
Biomedical engineers at Wits are researching how brainwaves can be used to control a robotic prosthetic hand.
Africa app'tly rising
There are over 300 tech hubs in Africa and maybe 52 or more in South Africa, one of which is the Wits Tshimologong Digital Innovation Precinct in Braamfontein.
Discipline problems in South African Schools
“Fixing the discipline and behavior problem also fixes school performance”, says Professor Ruksana Osman.
Game changer: Hanli Geyser
Hanli Geyser, head of Game Design in Digital Arts in the School of Arts at Wits, doesn’t like being called a 'gamer'.
Wits and government tackle student accommodation crisis
A residence for Wits students who require temporary emergency accommodation has been made available to the University by the Gauteng Provincial Government.
Cheers to Wits Brewers
Wits students crowned as the 2017 SAB Intervarsity Beer Brewing Champions.
,-Waseema-Lombard--(Vice-Chair),-Kananelo-Kota-(Treasurer),-Matlali-Matsoso-(Chairperson)_600x300px.jpg "Wits SAIBPP student chapter at SAIBPP receiving an award, Samukelo Nkosi, Waseema Lombard, Kananelo Kota and Matlali Matsoso")
Wits Property Studies student chapter honoured
Property Studies students make their mark in the property sector.
Unlocking the truth
Is it time to free the apartheid archives?
Top investigative reporters to meet at Wits in November
A Pulitzer Prize winner, data journalism pioneers, and the Panama Papers media sleuths are part of the 10th Global Investigative Journalism Conference at Wits.
Winning hearts and minds
One of the greatest compliments that an academic can receive is to be recognised by grassroot structures and the community that one serves.
World is witnessing powerful dividing forces
BRICS is being battered by global crises: why this might not be a bad thing.
Business and Arts South Africa (BASA) acknowledges Drama for Life
Drama for Life’s strategic partners nominated for the 20th annual Business and Arts South Africa Awards.
Bridging of urban borders
The GCRO to shift borders at first Seoul Biennale on Architecture and Urbanism.
Practicing medicine
A patient has just come in. His name’s Alan. His sister said he’s an asthmatic and when he woke up, his chest was really tight and he couldn't breathe.
Witsie raises the bar in beauty products
Witsie Vuyisile Zondi began her entrepreneurship journey two years ago.
What Barack Obama’s record breaking Mandela tweet tells us about the world
The former US President's record-setting tweet, surpassing 1.6 million retweets and 4.5 million "likes", has captured the imagination of world. But why?
Central bank case exposes incompetence of SA’s public protector
Public Protector, Busisiwe Mkhwebane, has clearly overstepped the mark with Reserve Bank case.
Wits hosts top future Witsies
Wits Vice-Chancellor and Principal, Professor Adam Habib has urged top matric learners to think deeply about their education and their future academic home.
Wits to host first Deep Learning Indaba in Africa
The Indaba will bring leaders in machine learning and artificial intelligence to Wits University to teach and mentor students, researchers and entrepreneurs.
Moral constitution and dissent
SA's popular dissenters strive to uphold their Constitutional mandates and moral principles.
ICT industry leader joins Wits
Professor Brian Armstrong appointed to head up WBS/Telkom Chair in Digital Business.
Universities key in sport transformation
The Wits Sport Transformation Fund will support talent and contribute to the national pool of African athletes.
How ‘Marikana: the Musical’ contributed to cultural amnesia
Commissions of inquiry are often nothing but cynical political tools to reestablish a form of normalcy after a nation’s traumatic event.
A leader among leaders in archaeology
The National Research Foundation (NRF) has awarded an A1-rating to Professor Lyn Wadley.
Habitat destruction and poaching is threatening the Sungazer
Novel genetic techniques might be used to understand the effects of habitat transformation as well as to combat illegal trade of the animals.
Wits among top 300 in the world
The University retains top spot in Africa in the latest ShanghaiRanking.
Statement from the Senate of the University of the Witwatersrand
Senate's statement on the Conduct of the Deputy Minister of Higher Education and Training.
Corridors of freedom and transformation through transit
Researchers have confirmed that transit-orientated development (ToD) is a good choice to ensure a spatially transformed Johannesburg in 2057.
Wealth tax: More than just raising revenue in an unequal society
It needs to be a socio-economic policy tool to effect a substantive change in wealth distribution.
NPA’s ‘stolen’ #GuptaLeaks claim won’t stand in SA law
Stolen or not, Associate Professor James Grant says SA courts have discretion whether to admit evidence.
Are SA's opposition-led coalition metros flexing their muscles?
City governments around the world are increasingly challenging nation states when it comes to development, human rights and governance.
Warhol in Africa: contradictions, complications and conflicts
On the evening of 26 July, over 5,000 people streamed into Wits Art Museum in Johannesburg to attend the opening of its latest exhibition, Warhol Unscreened.
New insights into the survival techniques of a prehistoric beast
Imagine a rhinoceros-like beast with a sprawling, lizard-like gait and you will picture quite a good portrait of what Moschops looked like.
Parliamentary conscience and the courage to rebel
Lessons from the motion of no confidence in President Jacob Zuma in South Africa’s National Assembly.
History will judge you
Open letter to MPs on the motion of no confidence in President Jacob Zuma taking place in Parliament on August 8.
Zuma no confidence vote: the ANC is the loser, whatever happens
South Africa’s governing African National Congress has got itself into one hell of a pickle.
Global genetic study involving different populations sheds light on glaucoma
Glaucoma is a group of diseases that damage the eye’s optic nerve and results in vision loss and irreversible blindness in some people.
Sibanye reaffirms commitment to education
Sibanye, a top ten global gold mining company has extended its partnership with Wits by investing R15 million into the Wits School of Mining Engineering.
Review of the implementation of the Accelerated Transformation Programme
A critical evaluation of the accelerated transformation programme adopted by Wits.
JAMLAB accelerates with first meet up
Through stories of innovation and media startups, JAMLAB focusses on innovation in journalism entrepreneurship.
Islamic State: the West must embrace local state ownership of the region’s conflicts
Has the Middle East – now beset by inter-nation, inter-Muslim and inter-ethnic conflict – been engulfed in a war without end?
AfricaArray advancing Geophysics in Africa
AfricaArray Field School upskills geophysical talent throughout Africa in response to the growing demand for highly trained geoscientists and researchers.
What’s in a name? Towards genuine economic transformation in South Africa
Calling it “radical” is to invite politicking and point-scoring and take our eyes off the ball – the need for real economic transformation.
Historical fiction tells us about today
Fred Khumalo's latest novel, “Dancing the Death Drill”, is also about the present as much as it is about the past.
The role of history in knowledge production
"History, more than any other discipline played a key role in imagining a new South Africa", says Professor Noor Nieftagodien.
Aardvarks’ tragic fate points to worrying consequences for wildlife as a result of climate change
The aardvark will become increasingly rare as the world warms and dries, and the consequences go well beyond a decline in aardvark safari encounters.
Andy Warhol exhibit brings more than 15 minutes of fame to WAM
The Warhol Unscreened exhibition broke all attendance records at the Wits Art Museum (WAM) when it opened there on Wednesday evening, 26 July.
Ten years of targeting talent
The Targeting Talent Programme (TTP) at Wits this year celebrates 10 years of grooming talented high school learners.
Cultural flexibility was key for early humans to survive extreme dry periods in southern Africa
Early human's ability to survive through prolonged arid areas in southern Africa developed from their ability to innovate and adapt.
Wits hopes to impress in Varsity Football
Wits hopes to rise to the top of this tournament before some players join the national team at the world student games.
SA child living with HIV maintains remission without antiretroviral drugs since 2008
A 9-year-old South African diagnosed with HIV at a month old who received antiretroviral treatment during infancy has suppressed the virus for almost 9 years.
Wits Choir’s tour of Europe a success
The Wits Choir has returned home after a 21 day tour of Europe.
Hypertension: the silent killer spreading across Africa
Hypertension is a rising global health problem. An estimated one billion people live with what is more commonly known as high blood pressure.
'Invasive' species have been around much longer than believed
Pollen record of plant, that is currently being eradicated, extends much further back than the 100 years it is believed to be growing in the Lesotho Highlands.
Overcrowding, disease and torture
[FACT SHEET] The state of South Africa’s prisons.
Business must repent for past role and start campaign to repair SA
Economy will continue to flounder without honest reflection and genuine commitment to tackle inequality.
Mandela Day a lifestyle for Witsies
Wits staff members and students celebrate Mandela Day, by giving back to their own – the Wits community.
Lesedi Job: 969's Helen of Troyeville Director
Award winning Wits alumna, Lesedi Job returns to Wits for the 969 Festival with Helen of Troyeville which she directs.
WJP journalist honoured
Wits Justice Project’s Carolyn Raphaely receives honorable mention in coveted 2017 WJP Anthony Lewis Prize.
Unpacking the issues around fracking in South Africa
[Explainer] The possibility of “fracking” in the Karoo, an arid part of South Africa that spans more than 400 000 square kilometres, has provoked heated debate.
No scientific credibility to claim that vaping is 95% safer than cigarettes
Lancet calls research ‘extraordinarily flimsy’. What do we know about the safety of e-cigarettes?
South Africa needs a sensible debate about its Reserve Bank
Debates on monetary policy in South Africa over the last couple of decades seem to have come from a madhouse.
A finger or not
Fewer than 1 in 7 doctors examine the prostate gland for cancer, a new study finds.
ANC policy anarchy
The ruling party's leaders are too weak to lead, or too weak to take over.
Water access is a key challenge for urban futures
Water shortages in Cape Town are here to stay. What the city can learn from others.
Skills, education and unity – not populism – is what South Africa needs right now
Investec CEO, Stephen Koseff, tells graduands that together, under the banner of a common purpose, there are no limits to what South Africa can achieve.
Diabetes poses risk to health gains made in recent years
Wits researchers contribute to the new Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology Commission report on diabetes in sub-Saharan Africa.
I am a Witsie – New insourced workers come on board
Cheers of jubilance reverberated through the Matrix and Reith Hall dining halls this week as the University welcomed new Witsies.
Be brave and have no regrets
Prof.Helen Rees, internationally renowned expert in HIV prevention, vaccines, and reproductive health urged graduands to be fearless and “do the right thing."
ANCWL has never had a strong history of dismantling patriarchy
"Thinking of the ANC Women's League as a space for gender activism is a waste of time," says Professor Shireen Hassim.
The courage under fire
Accomplished business leader, Jabulane Mabuza commended the Class of 2016 for their tenacious spirit in defying the odds.
Teaching SA history is rewarding
Teaching and researching South African history is a privilege and an obligation.
Witsies recognised in M&G’s 200 Young South Africans 2017
More than 25 Witsies are included in this year’s Mail & Guardian list for the most notable young SAs under the age of 35.
Be pioneers of African heritage restoration
Music icon Hugh Masekela tells graduands to "go out there and kick some booty’.
Bernie Fanaroff awarded prestigious Jansky Lectureship
The Wits alumnus is among a select group, including seven Nobel laureates, who have received this honour.
French for International Relations and Diplomacy
The Department of French and Francophone Studies at Wits recently co-hosted a successful Winter School in French for International Relations and Diplomacy.
Nhlanhla Nene appointed as interim Director of the Wits Business School
The former Finance Minister will lead the prestigious business school until a new Head of School is appointed next year.
ICT shutdown due to network upgrade
All Wits ICT systems will be shutdown this weekend due to Project Quantum.
ANC may be stumbling closer to its most serious split yet
South Africa’s governing African National Congress (ANC) enters its 2017 policy conference riven and weakened.
Two wins for Wits at research awards
Academics from Wits won in two categories at the prestigious 2016/2017 NSTF-South32 Awards held last night.
Victory for community activist victimised by mine
Court overturns cost order sought against community activist by West Coast Resources.
Africa is high on the G20 summit agenda
When G20 leaders meet in Hamburg in early July they face a problem not on their formal agenda: how to work around Donald Trump.
Hockey World League on Wits turf
Wits University is proud to have been selected as the site for the upcoming 2017 Hockey World League Semi-Finals.
Why South Africa’s public protector has overstepped her mandate
Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane sent shock waves across the country by calling for an amendment to the South African Reserve Bank’s constitutional mandate.
Is South Africa suffering from a case of ‘déjà vu’?
South Africa remains mired not only in corruption or the challenges to it, but also in past injustices and how to address them.
Dangers of the secret ballot
Baleka Mbete does have the power to call for a secret ballot but should she?
SA government should support UN resolutions now
Civil society calls on government to support resolutions currently before the UN Human Rights Council to address violence against women and end child marriage.
WITSReview wins international award
Alumni magazine judged to be “gorgeous and substantial” by the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE).
Statement from Wits University on the passing of Lord Joel Joffe
Wits University mourns the passing of one of its most distinguished graduates, Lord Joel Joffe CBE.
Keeping your hat on in Jozi
The changing times of an Indian migrant milliner. Nothing brings together style, history and social organisation more than a hat.
Waste management in the future
New book reviews the current status and future trends in the recycling and reuse of mineral and metal waste.
Wits academic leads Society of Neuroscientists of Africa
Professor Amadi O. Ihunwo was elected as the Secretary-General and Chief Executive Officer of the Society of Neuroscientists of Africa (SONA).
Prof. Steele leaves a rich legacy
Few South Africans have contributed as much to the general financial health of higher education in this country as Professor Steele.
The swagger stick. A 'knobkerrie' is more than just a weapon
"Although it looks very dangerous it is actually not meant to kill anybody," says Professor Hlonipha Mokoena.
Why Lesotho is in such a mess and what can be done about it
In an interview following his recent return as Prime Minister of Lesotho, Tom Thabane has blamed the army for the country’s chronic political instability.
Exciting advances in managing common cancers in the 21st century
Wits hosts the 15th Prestigious Research Lecture, "Practice changing advances in common cancers (breast and colorectal)", on 20 June 2017.
SA has highest blood pressure in southern Africa
A study by Wits scientists and peers has revealed that South Africa has the highest prevalence of hypertension in southern Africa.
Absa helps Wits students prosper
Absa Bank has donated over R15m to Wits University in aid of student funding.
A sex worker’s view on South Africa’s latest plans to beat HIV
South Africa recently launched a five-year plan to improve the country’s response to HIV, TB and sexually transmitted infections.
South Africa will need a government of national healing after Zuma leaves
South Africa’s march into a democracy was greatly helped by a multiparty government of national unity established after the 1994 elections.
Amandla for Gender Parity at Wits
The new Director for the Wits Gender Equity Office (GEO), Crystal Dicks is “maatla – amandla (strength)” personified.
Rockefeller writing residency for Rising from the Rubbish
Dr Melanie Samson has been awarded one of the most sought after writing fellowships to work on her book, "Rising from the Rubbish".
Ethical journalism: What to do, and not to do, with leaked emails
In the biggest data dump in South African history, between 100 000 and 200 000 emails have been leaked by an anonymous source to journalists.
How to clean up SA Inc
[WATCH] Lumkile Mondi says the country urgently needs moral leadership that speaks to the values of the Constitution.
Recession again
The country's economic activity is declining and South Africa is in a technical recession. Here's what it means:
The perversion of palaeontology by apartheid’s advocates still lingers
The victory of the National Party (NP) in 1948’s elections threw palaeontology into a crisis.
Entries now open for innovative Witsies
Wits IT teams stand a chance to win US$10 000 innovation prize.
Finding collaborative solutions in food security
Wits partnered in a project focusing on building capacity and on gender in food security.
-600x300-1.jpg "Professor Lynn Morris received the Harry Oppenheimer Fellowship Award in June 2017")
Wits HIV vaccine researcher wins Harry Oppenheimer Fellowship Award
Professor Lynn Morris received the prestigious Harry Oppenheimer Fellowship Award, arguably equivalent to the Nobel Prize, on 2 June 2017.
Ten to 20 South African children die of starvation every day
Tens of thousands of children under the age of five are admitted to hospital each year for severe acute malnutrition, says Dr Tracy Ledger.
How a rare skin disease links South Africa to an 18th Century French seaman
Keratolytic Winter Erythema – more commonly referred to as KWE – is a genetic skin disease affecting the palms and the soles.
How ANC presidential elections trump South Africa’s constitution
South Africa’s Constitution is clear on a number of issues related to the relationship between the country’s parliament and its executive.
w.600x300-600x300-1.jpg "Scientists have pioneered a new technique to directly date rock art in southern Africa")
New research reveals earliest directly dated rock paintings from southern Africa
Scientists have pioneered a technique to directly date prehistoric rock paintings in southern Africa, which reveals dates much older than previously thought.
Wits Research Director amongst southern Africa’s best
Dr Robin Drennan, Director of Research Development at Wits, has been awarded by his southern African peers for his contribution to research management.
Tshimologong's first accelerator programme now open for applications
The Journalism and Media Accelerator (JAMLAB) will be home to innovators who want to develop new forms of journalism.
France and Africa: Macron’s rhetoric shouldn’t be confused with reality
The 2017 French election was watched with great nervousness by millions across Francophone Africa.
A boost for student food programme
Wits alumni have donated a quarter of a million rand to the Wits Food Programme.
Where Africa fits into China’s massive Belt and Road Initiative
Chinese President Xi Jinping made it clear at the World Economic Forum meeting in Davos that the world should abandon protectionism.
Taking theatre to the kids
Drama for Life unveiled the world of theatre to children and young people at the 19th ASSITEJ World Congress and Performing Arts Festival in Cape Town.
Betrayal of the promise: How South Africa is being stolen
Wits researchers co-authored a state capture report produced by the State Capacity Research Project, an interdisciplinary, interuniversity research partnership.
Not enough evidence to back Europeans' claim
Scientists who find 7.2-million-year-old pre-human remains in the Balkans makes claim that humankind originated in Europe.
Big alcohol is poised to expand into Africa
Why the alcohol industry's expansion into underdeveloped countries is bad news for health.
Three awards and the Presidency for Wits Anatomy
Wits academics scooped three awards at the Anatomical Society of Southern Africa Conference and Wits' Head of Anatomical Studies was re-elected as President.
SA kids not on the ball
Wits researchers and their peers have awarded South African children a C-grade on the Healthy Active Kids South Africa Report Card for physical activity levels.
The South Africa of our dreams
The South Africa of our dreams lies in our collective hands.
Embracing new opportunities
At the age of 54, Nana Mashego is excited to be resuming her studies and has bundles of energy for what lies ahead.
Parents must talk to protect children from HIV/AIDS
Divorce can lead children to make life impacting decisions, parents told during the International AIDS Candlelight Memorial at Wits.
Gay university students feel invisible
The Eastern Cape is South Africa’s most conservative province when it comes to attitudes about homosexuality.
Resistance to hydropower is evaporating as science takes centre stage
Dams and related water infrastructures are once again being recognised as key contributors to a prosperous and sustainable future.
Mathematics - A gateway to many career paths
About 70 percent of career paths need mathematics, says Professor Loyiso Nongxa.
This century’s most important South African book
Everyone should read “Apartheid Guns and Money – A tale of profit”, says Professor Achille Mbembe.
Nobel Laureate Nadine Gordimer through the eyes of Advocate George Bizos
George Bizos last night delivered the Nadine Gordimer Lecture entitled: Nadine Gordimer - student, writer, activist: Through the eyes of Advocate George Bizos.
Biometric capitalism and the future of history
Young South Africans, today, have compelling reasons to read voraciously in the history of this continent.
Nurturing talent at Wits
Providing full first-year bursaries and investing in high school programmes ensures a stream of excellent results for Wits.
French honours leading Wits cities researcher
Emeritus Professor Alan Mabin has been awarded the French National Order of Merit.
Inclusive higher education in South Africa
It is not just a policy project but also an ‘ethical project’ and social mission.
It is rocket science
His plan to mine asteroids secures big win for alumnus Jonathan Lun.
South Africa’s Reserve Bank is in the eye of a storm
Economic scholars quiz Reserve Bank Governor, Lesetja Kganyago, about the country's current economic landscape.
It is time to celebrate Africa’s forgotten fossil hunters
There are few things more exciting for a professional palaeontologist than discovering fossil remains.
From cockroach races to dung beetle brawls
Yebo Gogga Yebo amaBlommo 2017 celebrates AP&ES' centenary in Biology research.
Advancing multilingualism in education
Professor Leketi Makalela argued for the strategic use of more than one language as a transformative and decolonising pedagogy in his inaugural lecture.
White monopoly capital: good politics, bad sociology, worse economics
Many would like to consign the polarising debate about “white monopoly capitalism” (WMC) in South Africa to the margins.
We cannot stop technology but we can choose how to respond
The way we work will be ground zero for waves of change, so South Africa must start making plans.
How Boko Haram is devastating health services in north-east Nigeria
Several towns in the north-eastern region of Nigeria have been overrun by Boko Haram militants, who are engaged in violent clashes with authorities.
Young Homo naledi surprises
250 000 year old species from Rising Star Cave raises more questions about our origins.
Reflections on a new activism to challenge a State comprador elite
New activism requires an urgent need to establish a political and socio-economic agenda that addresses inequality in our society.
Protocols for protests
Communique from the Senior Executive Team on protocols for protests.
Professor Helen Rees chairs Republic of South Sudan’s National Health Summit
Wits Professor Helen Rees chaired the third National Health Summit hosted by the Ministry of Health of South Sudan.
Scientists find genetic mutation responsible for rare skin disease in Afrikaners
Scientists have discovered the genetic mutation that causes the rare skin disease, keratolytic winter erythema (KWE), or ‘Oudtshoorn skin’, in Afrikaners.
Wits Choir Conductor: Dalene Hoogenhout
Wits Choir conductor, Dalene Hoogenhout has passionately trained and conducted the University Choir since 1994.
Wits student selected for prestigious Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting in Germany
Wits PhD student Funeka Nkosi, is among five young SA scientists nominated to participate in the 67th Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting in Lindau, Germany.
In the age of the internet, censorship has acquired a new face
Abandon the naive thought that, with the internet and free flow of information, governments are retreating from repression of the media.
South Africa has a new trade union federation. Can it break the mould?
The newly launched trade union grouping in South Africa promises to be a voice for the growing numbers of unorganised and marginalised workers in the country.
Mosquito discovery sheds light on how malaria is spread in South Africa
Across the world there are limited tools available for controlling mosquitoes.
Wits to offer students Huawei certification
IT students at Wits will gain ICT technology knowledge and practical training experiences through the Huawei Authorised Information and Network Academy.
WiSER scholar elected to American Academy of Arts and Sciences
Professor Achille Mbembe of the Wits Institute of Social and Economic Research (WiSER) has been elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
Increasing caesarean sections in Africa could save more mothers’ lives
Caesarean sections have been lifesaving procedures for hundreds of thousands of women across the world who experience complications during labour.
Glenda Gray on TIME 100 List
TIME has named Glenda Gray, Full Professor: Research, in the School of Clinical Medicine at Wits, among the top 100 most influential people in the world.
Update on protests at Yale Road North re: accommodation issues (09:00)
STATEMENT FROM THE SENIOR EXECUTIVE TEAM ABOUT PROTESTS ON YALE ROAD NORTH RE: ACCOMMODATION ISSUES (09:00)
The state of South African journalism: There's good news and there's bad news
Wits University’s Journalism and Media Studies Department have just published their latest State of the Newsroom report.
South Africa needs more than a sugar tax to get to the bottom of obesity
South Africa has been wrapped up in public and parliamentary debates on the value of South Africa’s proposed sugar tax.
SA students benefit from major digital electronics update at CERN
International scientists share knowledge with SA students and industry at a workshop, dedicated to the CERN electronics upgrade.
Professor Adam Habib on graduations and other developments
Professor Adam Habib reflects on the first cluster of the 2017 graduations and on several other developments in the latest VC's post to staff and students.
Wits’ rated researchers recognised
The Wits Research Office last night recognised 67 researchers at the University whom the National Research Foundation (NRF) has rated or re-rated.
ANC military veterans and the threat to South Africa’s democracy
We may look back and say that it was this moment when it became manifest that Zuma’s faction of the ANC would be prepared to resort to violence.
Why Joburg's bike lanes are not well used
When you think of the world’s bicycle friendly cities, Johannesburg probably doesn’t feature. That’s not for lack of trying.
New ultra-clean isotope geoscience laboratory opens up a new world of research
New laboratory will work closely with the University of Johannesburg to offer southern African scientists a local solution for isotope analysis.
Direct funding advances students in financial services sector
FirstRand Bank awards bursaries to students in the School of Computer Science and Applied Mathematics.
Remembering South African struggle hero Chris Hani: lessons for today
The “what if” game is popular with the media and the commentariat in South Africa.
Professor Adam Habib appointed for a second term at Wits University
Following consultations with various constituencies, the Council of the University agreed to a five-year renewal of Professor Habib’s contract.
Wits ranked second in the world for Area Studies
The Center for World University Rankings (CWUR) has placed two of Wits’ subjects in the top 10 of Subject Rankings globally.
New survey data shows Zuma cost the ANC dearly in the 2016 election
President Jacob Zuma cost the ruling African National Congress millions of votes in the country’s local government elections in 2016.
Downgrade is a wake-up call for SA to revisit key economic policies
SA is digesting the news of Standard & Poor’s (S&Ps) downgrade of its state debt held in foreign currency following President Jacob Zuma’s cabinet reshuffle.
Why every generation of students must find, fulfil or betray its mission
Generational rebellion is the dynamic through which societies renew themselves and move forward.
Closer to learning when humans first daubed arrows with poison
Exactly when did human beings start tipping their weapons with poison to hunt prey?
Wits cements ties with esteemed economist
British economist and managing editor of the International Review of Applied Economics joins Wits.
Five wrongfully convicted men, one judge, no compensation from the State
Wits Justice Project and others help release two more wrongfully convicted men after 14 years in jail.
Research in Africa rising
Inaugural conference identifies collaboration themes and strengthens pan-African networks.
Woman of stature
Shakira Choonara, a PhD Research Fellow in the School of Public Health, has been named Woman of the Year in Healthcare.
Old Mutual donates R3m to support students
The funds will be allocated to undergraduate and postgraduate students studying commerce, mathematics, engineering, information technology and law.
Witsies ace CA exams
Aspirant chartered accountants from the School of Accountancy dominate external board exam.
Three wins for Wits University Press
The works scooped top positions in their categories at the Humanities and Social Sciences Book Awards.
Corruption is an enemy of the poor
Academics pen open letter asking Cabinet, the ANC NEC and Parliament to end “breathtaking” act of political arrogance.
Zuma’s critics within the ANC are vocal. But will they act?
It would seem that a simple vote of no confidence in the president is the easiest to pursue. But what are the chances of success?
Invest in professional development
Distinguished engineer and author of Pyrosim software, Dr Rodney Jones, shared his passion for continued professional development with Witsies.
South Africans can make this a great country
The responsibility to make South Africa a great country lies with its people, not the politicians says business tycoon and philanthropist Patrice Motsepe.
Vice-Chancellor's 2017 Report for Council
Wits Vice-Chancellor and Principal, Professor Adam Habib's 2017 report to the Council of the University.
Reduced JSE fees have a cost
Regulatory changes aimed at encouraging very fast, technology-driven trading on the JSE may have some unintended consequences.
A life servicing many generations
An honorary doctorate for seasoned activist and lecturer, Professor Eddie Webster, who pioneered the study of labour in South Africa.
Public purse now in Zuma’s hands
SA enters a new political chapter that promises catastrophic outcomes after Jacob Zuma reshuffled his cabinet by firing the Pravin Gordhan and Mcebisi Jonas.
Set goals for yourself
Humanities graduands encouraged to belief in themselves and to set goals for themselves.
Humanities: An utter responsibility to the world
"The world is presumed to be about power, and the humanities is about talking the truth power," says Professor Dilip Menon.
Upskilling teaching talent in higher education
Seven Wits staff members graduated with a Postgraduate Diploma in Higher Education [PGDipE(HE)] during the Faculty of Humanities graduation ceremony.
SA is still a much better country despite turmoil
SCA Justice Carole Lewis tells graduates that besieged as we are by bad news daily and by crisis in government, we tend to forget how bad the old days were.
Ahmed Kathrada: exhibit A of the values imbued in South Africa’s Freedom Charter
Ahmed ‘Uncle Kathy’ Kathrada, an unassuming, quiet man who has left South Africans with a legacy that’s immediate, not historical.
Teachers are the unsung heroes of society
Wits School of Education praised for shaping future teachers and educators.
The world's problems are because of a lack of appropriate leaders
Former Public Protector, Thuli Madonsela, receives an honorary doctorate from Wits.
Listen carefully to those who disagree with you
Professor Harvey Dale from New York University receives an honorary doctorate from Wits University.
Hamba Kahle Uncle Kathy
Statement: Ahmed Kathrada’s legacy will continue to inspire us and future generations.
Zille, tweeting and inanity: more reasons for white South Africans to shut up
It’s remarkable how much of a shitstorm Twitter creates when in the hands of politicians – with serious costs for the rest of us.
Former Wits Vice-Chancellor addresses Faculty of Science graduates
Prof. Loyiso Nongxa, former Vice-Chancellor of Wits today delivered the keynote address at the Faculty of Science graduation ceremony.
Wits awards entrepreneur Adrian Gore an honorary degree
Wits awarded alumnus, Adrian Gore, founder and CEO of Discovery Group, an honorary doctorate for his entrepreneurialism and contribution to healthcare.
Wits awards Gold Medal to SECTION27
Wits has awarded the University Gold Medal to SECTION27, a public interest law centre that works towards equality and social justice in South Africa.
South Africa: Helen Zille’s folly and the simplicities of debate
It’s remarkable how a South African politician as intelligent as Helen Zille, premier of the Western Cape, did something so unutterably stupid.
Taco Kuiper award winners announced
The story of how over 94 mentally ill patients died after being moved to unregistered facilities has won the Taco Kuiper Award for Investigative Journalism.
Advance the science revolution
Professor Robin Crewe encouraged Science graduates to advance the science revolution and inspire upcoming scientists.
A Gold Medal for the Legal Resources Centre
The University awarded the Legal Resources Centre (LRC) a Gold Medal for its sterling contribution to society.
New study helps crack the problem of diagnosing TB in people with HIV
Diagnosing TB in people who have HIV has been a challenge because they often have low levels of the bacteria in their system.
Celebrating 120 years of excellence in service to mining
The Wits School of Mining Engineering marked 120 years of excellence in service to mining in 2016 and celebrates this momentous milestone today.
Norwegian Centre of Excellence awarded to Wits Archaeologist for early humans research
With its new Centre of Excellence status, the Centre for Early Human Behaviour will receive funding amounting to about R540 million over the next 10 years.
South Africa is no longer the poster child for providing access to safe water
South Africa was rightly proud of its water supply achievements in the first decade of democracy after the 1994 elections.
Why it’s so important to understand how elephants sleep
Humans and animals need to do several things to pass on their genes: eat, avoid being eaten, reproduce and sleep.
Africa offers a point of cooperation for Xi and Trump
Trump has shown little awareness so far of the history of cooperation between China, the US and Africa.
Professor Michel Verstraete: Global Change Institute Visiting Professor
Professor Michel Verstraete is a Visiting Professor at the Global Change Institute at Wits with over 250 contributions published.
Transformation: Is it a bitter pill to swallow?
The late Steve Biko once said, “When you are dead, you don’t care anyway, but your method of death can itself be a politicizing thing.”
New Diversity, Ethics and Social Justice Manager in the Wits Transformation Office
Dr Kendall Petersen joined his alma mater as the new Diversity, Ethics and Social Justice Manager in February 2017.
The needs of the land and the needs of the people can’t be separated
The national conversation about land, always simmering in South Africa, has come to the boil again.
Reported ‘Odyssean’ malaria cases not linked to new malaria vector discovery
A new malaria vector discovered in South Africa is not linked to the ‘Odyssean’ malaria cases reported in two provinces this week.
WiSER professor wins inaugural Humanities Book Award
The Academy of Science of South Africa has identified Prof. Keith Breckenridge as the winner of its Humanities Book Award for his book on the Biometric State.
How South Africa’s mining industry can change its ways
Mining industry is increasingly cited as a key sector that must yield “radical economic transformation” and help heal SA's deeply divided and unequal society.
Language at the centre of decolonisation
Knowledge of mother tongue is power, the lack of is enslavement says legendary author Ngugi wa Thiong'o.
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Deafness carries a huge cost burden: economic as well as personal
Services for people who are deaf can be very expensive.
A degree with a difference:using South African sign language instead of the written word
How the first Master of Arts in South African Sign Language was supervised at Wits.
The ultimate power nap
Researchers use “Fitbits” to track elephant sleep in the wild.
New puff adder behaviour uncovered
Puff adders uses two ways to entice its prey - a new study shows.
African Union’s planned overhaul may affect its ties with China
The AU's latest meeting was different. It showed the organisation is serious about finding practical, lasting solutions to contemporary continental problems.
Some good moves, but not enough to fix mounting problems
South Africa’s budget: Lumkile Mondi and Jannie Rossouw to shed light on the the minister’s speech.
South Africans, take heart from the budget
Gordhan’s budget strikes the right balance. His fiscal rectitude will enable South Africa to retain a degree of policy sovereignty.
Witsies claim top positions
Wits students scooped all the available positions in the undergraduate category of the Nedbank and Old Mutual Budget Speech Competition.
Steering South Africa’s budget between excess patronage and prudence
Rich people should bear a higher burden of taxes, because the “1%” ultra-wealthy have done extremely well since 1994.
Laying the foundation for BRICS cities research
“BRICS Cities Facts & Analysis” is a 395-page book of data about more than 30 cities in Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS).
Zuma blew his chance to galvanise South Africans
Zuma’s call for radical economic transformation appears more like populist cheap politicking than effective economic policy.
Wits students vying for national title
Wits students are in the seat of Parliament to defend their ideas on how the budget can best resolve our challenges.
Another Witsie for Miss SA?
Will another Witsie reign as Miss SA this year?
A-rating for Wits cancer geneticist
The National Research Foundation (NRF) has awarded an A-rating to Professor Christopher Mathew.
South Africa isn’t budgeting for its care economy
The South African government pays dedicated care workers less than anyone else in its employ - as little as R500 (US$39) a month.
Social grants matter: they support 33% of South Africans
The South African government’s failure to fix a corrupted R10 billion social grant payment contract has caused a crisis.
Why this small continental fragment in the Indian Ocean matters
Far beneath Mauritius’ inactive volcanoes lies an astonishing, important piece of the Earth’s history: a fragment of ancient continental crust.
Fake news as political machinery to tarnish the integrity of journalists
The master signifier in fake news is power and politics.
Barack Obama: an enduring legacy for advocates of democracy in Africa?
Donald Trump’s February 13 calls to Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari and South Africa’s Jacob Zuma are his first signals of interest in sub-Sahara Africa.
Rising sea temperatures are shaping tropical storms in southern Africa
There has been a southward shift in tropical cyclones in the region, studies show the last few decades show.
Wits nets a victory over Central University
FNB Wits rugby silences Central University of Technology with a string of scores.
Of love letters and other gestures of romantic love
The form of the love letter is a useful way for us to think about romantic love in Africa.
Message from the Senior Executive Team of Wits University
[WATCH] Welcome address to all students and staff by Vice-Chancellor and Principal, Professor Adam Habib.
Wits hosts Famelab science communication competition
This competition is an exciting chance to enhance your communications skills, and, maybe, represent your country internationally.
High Energy Physics workshop inspires young talent
Workshop included an overview of the exciting results coming from astrophysics and how future experiments can shed more light on these results.
Zuma’s speech was full of ‘alternative facts’
This year's SoNA was not a reflection of the reality in South Africa.
Technology confirms theory about Earth’s oldest venomous species
Baron Franz Nopcsa, a particularly colourful figure in the history of palaeontology, was right.
SoNA - nothing but farce and fisticuffs
Let’s face it. Over the last three years the annual State of the Nation address in South Africa has become embarrassing.
Calling all aspiring digital entrepreneurs
Are you up for Wits’ first Digital Innovation Challenge? Do you have the smarts and skills in location technology?
A kiss of death – mammals were the first animals to produce venom
CT scans of fossils of the pre-mammalian reptile, Euchambersia, shows anatomical features, designed for venom production.
Urban farming produces more than just food
Social and business networks with other farmers, government and civil society are key spinoffs.
University staff table solutions to the crisis on South Africa’s campuses
A few weeks before classes started, academics and support staff from 19 universities and 10 unions met in Johannesburg to debate solutions.
Better note-taking can help students who struggle with English
Research has shown that the process of writing can be used as a tool to stimulate and encourage deep learning approaches.
South Africa’s child support grant should start in pregnancy
Pregnancy and childbearing reduces women’s income-generating potential and introduces a host of new expenses.
Tough economic times require tough decisions
South Africa’s 2017/18 budget will have to be bold to pull the country out of the prevailing economic crisis.
System failures in mental health
Patient deaths show South Africa’s care for the mentally ill is in disarray.
Statement from Wits University
Former senior manager arrested in the US for alleged money laundering.
Provincial bests at Wits
Wits has once again attracted some of the country’s top achievers.
Systemic racism behind South Africa’s failure to transform its economy
SA's high levels of poverty, racism and inequality can almost entirely be attributed to centuries of conflict between white settlers and indigenous Africans.
Are MPs up to the task of fixing South Africa’s troubled public broadcaster?
South Africa’s public broadcaster, the SABC, is in trouble. It has been for years. But things are a little more dangerous than before.
Verdict on sexual misconduct case
Wits dismisses professor found guilty of sexual misconduct.
Fifty years of medical ethics at Wits
In June 1966, Professor Henry Beecher of Harvard published a shocking article in the New England Journal of Medicine entitled "Ethics and Clinical Trials".
First, do no harm – the Hippocratic Oath endures at Wits
More than 600 students took a modified Hippocratic Oath on Friday 27 January 2017 in a packed Linder Auditorium on Wits Education Campus, Parktown.
A lure at both ends - puff adders leave nothing to chance
One of Africa's iconic snakes, the puff adder use what is termed “lingual luring” to attract amphibian prey closer, and increase the odds of catching it.
Less about a tax and more about saving lives
Wits’ PRICELESS SA tells Parliament how fiscal measures could ease SA’s public health burdens.
Priceless research finds evidence for fiscal measures to address burden on health sector
A research report released by PRICELESS SA has revealed evidence that fiscal measures could address the burden on the healthcare sector.
"Lost continent" found under Mauritius
Lava-covered piece of continent is an ancient remnant, left over from the break-up of the supercontinent, Gondwana, which started about 200 million years ago.
VC's Welcome Day Speech
Welcome to Wits University, a place to call your own, and your home for the next few years.
Wits pair in US Boeing internship
Two Witsies have joined an elite group of international interns at the world’s largest aerospace company.
Crumbling municipal entities lack oversight, transparency and action
It is no surprise that poorly run municipalities are often home to failing endeavours rife with mismanagement.
The age of humanism is ending
In a world set on objectifying everybody and every living thing in the name of profit, the erasure of the political by capital is the real threat.
A woman president in South Africa?
Sadly the top contender of the country's top position offers more of the same.
Does inequality really matter?
[The Star] Wealth disparities undermine the social and economic fabric of our society.
Smile, you’re on camera!
How selfies and family photos put 300 million years of evolution on display.
Wits welcomes insourced workers
There was a lot to celebrate when the first cohort of insourced workers reported to work as official Wits employees in January 2017.
Extracting maximum value from the Moringa plant
Professor Luke Chimuka in the School of Chemistry developed a method to produce an extract from the Moringa plant through pressurised hot water extraction.
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Improving the accuracy of TB testing
Tuberculosis (TB) affects some 35-million people globally. In 2009 testing for TB using molecular diagnostics proved a game-changer for national TB programmes.
Smart cities and the quality of life in post-apartheid Gauteng
The Gauteng City-Region Observatory (GCRO) is a partnership between Wits, the University of Johannesburg and the Gauteng provincial and local government.
Big Brother will have some difficulty 'watching you' in future
Wits physicists show that real-time error correction in quantum communications is possible.
Bird flu outbreak in Uganda
An outbreak of bird flu has been reported in Uganda where hundreds of birds were found dead on the shores of Lake Victoria. Some key facts about the virus.
From Berlin to Johannesburg
How night club bouncers police the social order all over the world.
Scientists need more than just luck and chance
The history of science abounds with stories about discoveries made by chance but when it comes to big finds it is more than luck and chance.
Africa needs to manage food, water and energy in a way that connects all three
There is an increasing global demand for food, water and energy. All three are inter-linked and increasingly the focus for policy makers and government.
Some kinds of childhood
The books of Prof. Robert Muponde illustrate how critical redress in cultures of representation can yield cross-disciplinary innovation in global humanities.
The urgency of transformation in the global South
Professor Felix Maringe has since 2004 researched higher education markets in the context of international and global developments.
Languages and literacies in the 21st Century
Professor Leketi Makalela chairs a research programme on complex multilingual encounters, a growing field attracting increasing numbers of PhD candidates.
Dear President Trump: let me share some home truths about Africa with you
Africa has occupied a more or less constantly insignificant position in both Republican and Democratic administrations in the US since the 1960s.
The rewards of persistence
Oscar Manqaba, a Campus Control employee, is one of many unsung heroes at Wits University.
The case for a people’s smart sanctions campaign against Trump’s America
Could this resistance be mobilised into a global movement against Trump, perhaps drawing lessons from the victory against apartheid South Africa?
Trump vs Africa: how the continent can counter destructive policies
The CIA’s Global trends report provides a useful starting point to reflect on what’s in store for Africa over the next five years.
Student funding and registration
Details on NSFAS, gap funding for the missing middle, historical debt and registration.
Where the power to dominate resides
Pumla Dineo Gqola is a Professor in the Department of African Literature. She is interested in how power works in contemporary societies.
Researching threats to adolescent survival
Dr Nicole De Wet is a lecturer in demography and population studies at Wits. Her research is on adolescent health outcomes in South Africa.
Wits team flying high
Engineering students reach the top 50 in Airbus global aviation competition.
CARTA: Building research leaders for Africa
The Consortium for Advanced Research Training in Africa (CARTA) aims to establish a vibrant African academy able to lead research that impacts public health.
Analysing data to inform public health
Biostatistics is the analysis and interpretation of data generated in the biological and health sciences to inform clinical or health policy and practice.
Studying the making of smart cities
Professor Ronald Wall is an economic geographer and urban planner and the Johannesburg City Chair in Economic Development at Wits.
Economic constraints of why few African women marry
Professor Dorrit (Dori) Posel holds the Helen Suzman Chair in Political Economics at Wits.
The character of capitalism in South Africa before and since democracy
Professor Vishnu Padyachee in the School of Economic and Business Sciences at Wits holds the Derek Schrier and Cecily Cameron Chair in Development Economics.
Father of Green Chemistry: A catalyst for climate change
Distinguished Professor in the School of Chemistry at Wits, Roger Sheldon is a globally recognised authority on Green Chemistry.
Engineer-cum-Facilities Manager occupies Chief Operations post
Fana Sibanyoni holds a position rarely found in South African universities but the time for which has come, given the winds of change in the sector.
A bumper 2017 lies in store at Wits
Wits Sport launches a state-of-the-art gym and prepares to host major varsity tournaments.
The political theology of Jacob Zuma
South Africa’s President Jacob Zuma kicked off the new year by declaring that God was on the side of the ruling African National Congress (ANC).
South Africa has work to do to make government more accountable
The South African government completed its term as lead-chair of the Open Government Partnership (OGP) in December 2016.
While you were on holiday, your liver was not
What you need to know about how your sugar intake over the holidays has impacted on your health.
Why caution is called for when analysing South Africa’s matric results
The Conversation Africa’s education editor Natasha Joseph asked Associate Professor Elizabeth Walton to explain the results.
Political turmoil in 2016 can be traced back to the 2008 financial crisis
The Conversation Africa business and economy editor Sibonelo Radebe asked Thanti Mthanti to highlight key events and look at future prospects.
280 million-year-old fossil reveals origins of chimaeroid fishes
Discovery allows scientists to connect the last major vertebrate group to the tree of life.
Prakash Desai joins Wits as Chief Financial Officer
Prakash Desai joined Wits as Chief Financial Officer in January 2017. He is a Chartered Accountant and holds BCom and BCom Honours (Accounting Science) degrees.
Funding applications for missing middle introduced
The gap funding will be granted only to South African citizens and permanent residents who study towards undergraduate and postgraduate qualifications in 2017.
Health sciences key to reducing triggers of poverty
Receiving his honorary doctorate, Professor William Pick tells new doctors they have a much bigger role to play than keeping their patients healthy.
Students who sign Acknowledgement of Debt can still graduate in 2017
Students must ensure that the Acknowledgement of Debt is signed by 28 February 2017.
Wits scientists pioneer new HIV drugs, delivery
HIV infection remains pandemic in SA but advances in drug treatment and access, led largely by Wits Faculty of Health Sciences researchers, reduce mortality.
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WBS immerses Young Global Leaders in African experience
Wits Business School hosts YGLs for special education module.
Double GCRO vignette on #FeesMustFall
The Gauteng City-Region Observatory provides a brief account on the recent #FeesMustFall protests on South African campuses and the many issues it raised.
Trump’s threat on climate change pledges will hit Africa hard
US President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the US Environmental Protection Agency, Scott Pruitt, publicly questions the existence of climate change.
HIV has no borders, but its treatment does. Why this needs to change
Panashe is a 26-year-old Zimbabwean woman living with HIV. She works in a restaurant on the western peripheries of Johannesburg.
The bones know best – Human identification and variation at Wits
Forensic anthropology is the analysis of human remains. A new unit at Wits studies the ancient and modern deceased as a service to society and to science.
Reinvent yourself and remain relevant
Professor Cuthbert Musingwini urges graduands to continue learning and to remain relevant throughout their future careers.
Contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals
Wits' Professor Peter Cooper urges graduates to make a difference in the health sector.
Who made the art?
Researchers find a way to accurately identify the sex of the artists who created ancient rock art.
Why it doesn’t help – and may harm – to fail pupils with poor maths marks
Many South Africans were outraged by the recent announcement that for 2016, pupils in Grades 7 to 9 could progress to the next grade with only 20% in Maths.
The South African economy will be bolstered if Zuma falls
South Africa’s President Jacob Zuma narrowly escaped a call from some senior members of the governing party’s national executive committee for him to step down.
How five vivid arts projects offer up hope for repair and resistance
The Conversation Africa asked contributors to list five books, records, buildings and works of art, in their field that made a difference to them in 2016.
Economies grow when early childhood development is a priority
The first 1000 days of life – the period from conception to the age of two – are pivotal for any human being’s development.
Greedy publishers behind knowledge inequality
Publishers of academic journals make more profit than pharmaceutical companies.
Our early ancestors developed advanced heating techniques
Humans living in South Africa in the Middle Stone Age used these techniques to vastly improve their living conditions during the era.
Chairman and CEO of Henry Schein awarded Wits’ highest honour
Wits alumnus Stanley Bergman has been recognised for his achievements in business, philanthropy and support for the arts and education.
Wits' 2016 achievements
[LETTER] Dear colleagues, students and friends of the University:
Winners of prestigious VC’s Awards announced
Several Witsies were honoured for their outstanding service at the 2016 Vice Chancellor’s Awards.
Out of tragedy comes change
Professor Beric Skews honoured for his distinguished contributions to South African science and engineering.
Beating anxiety with knowledge
Professor Crain Soudien urges graduands to use their education to overcome their fears.