A retired Wits professor receives a lifetime achievement award for his contribution to sociology.

A Wits university lecturer has become the first recipient of the South African Sociological Association (SASA) lifetime award.

Professor Edward Webster, a sociologist, was honoured with the isidanga award by SASA in Pretoria on Tuesday, July 16.

“It is called isidanga and the citation refers to me as ‘umdala’, a living ancestor. I think this is such an imaginative way of developing an African response to scholars you wish to acknowledge,” said Webster, 77.

Professor Edward Webster poses with his lifetime award.          Photo: Masechaba Kganyapa

“I was surprised and very touched by this gesture from my colleagues. I was especially delighted by the way in which SASA has ‘decolonised’ such an award by giving me a beautiful blue beaded necklace, which is given amongst the amaXhosa elders as a symbol of respect for the work they have done,” Webster told Wits Vuvuzela.

The former president of SASA, Dr Babalwa Magoqwana, said, “The necklace is to honour Eddie Webster, as an elder among many who have contributed to the foundations of South African Sociological Association and the discipline of sociology.”

Magonqwana also said the members of SASA appreciate how Webster’s work will benefit many generations of South African sociologists. Webster is a distinguished research professor based at the Southern Centre for Inequality Studies at Wits. He is also the founder of the 30-year old Society, Work and Politics Institute (SWOP), where he remains an associate.

“I have supervised over 120 masters and PhD candidates and it is very rewarding to see them now as professors, cabinet ministers, vice chancellors and CEOs of research institutions and successfully running leading South African enterprises,” Webster said.

A colleague and former student of Webster’s, Mondli Hlatshwayo, told Wits Vuvuzela that he read about Webster’s nomination on Twitter and was excited that he would be receiving this well-deserved award.

“I thought it was a good nomination, which he deserves because for his contribution. For example, he has produced many black PhD candidates which is important especially in the context of South Africa where blacks are being undermined from different perspectives,” Hlatshwayo said.

FEATURED IMAGE: Professor Edward Webster poses with the lifetime achievement award he received from SASA. Photo: Masechaba Kganyapa

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Witsies complain as stress mourns over delayed results in the beginning of the second semester

Wits students have raised concerns about the long wait to receive their full marks on the student portal, saying delays in the system caused them stress at the beginning of the second semester.

The new student portal has caused delays in reflecting Wits students’ marks from the previous semester.

The university’s new academic mar

Education and law students were forced to wait for first semester results.                                                                                                                                    Photo: Masechaba Kganyapa

ks system went live in March. The uploading of marks for large classes and particular schools of study did, however, become a problem.

University registrar Carol Crosley told Wits Vuvuzela that while the majority of students’ marks had been published on the student portal according to faculties’ publication dates, in cases where there were delays marks were published on Sakai and students in affected faculties were notified by email.

“We are aware that the results were delayed in two schools in particular – Wits Law School and Wits School of Education – but this has been addressed and all marks should now be available,” said Crosley.

She advised those students who had not seen reflected marks to approach their respective schools and administrators to resolve the matter.

Fourth-year education student Snethemba Hleza, who received most of her marks last week, expressed how badly she had been affected by the wait.

“I did not like how the education campus was not taking the results of students seriously, especially because other faculties at Wits got their results on time,” said Hleza.

“It was really inconsiderate, and waiting for so long for the results made me anxious about how I performed.”

Mcebo Zwane, 20, said “it was quite an inconvenience because I am in my final year and applying for honours programs at other universities. Providing my mid-year results before applications closed was honestly a near miss.”

For postgraduates, Crosley said, this system did not necessarily apply because “the uploading of the postgraduate marks works on a different cycle and is often faculty-specific”.

The delays in the system are said to have been managed directly through the service provider, Oracle, to ensure that the problem does not happen again.

“On behalf of the university, I apologise for any stress or inconvenience caused to students,” said Crosley. “We understand how important it is for students to obtain their marks timeously and we are working with all faculties to ensure these delays are not experienced again.”

FEATURED IMAGE: Education and law students were forced to wait for first semester results. Photo: Masechaba Kganyapa

Mother says her meagre salary cannot cover student’s high-flying lifestyle

A Wits student is dragging his mother to the Johannesburg Family Court on August 29 in an ongoing maintenance dispute.

Thomas Klintworth (19), a first-year accounting student, is demanding over R7 000 a month from his mother to cover his food, water, housing, transport and university fees.

He told Wits Vuvuzela this amounted to 45% of his monthly expenses and was his mother’s portion of his maintenance fees, based on his parents’ divorce settlement from 2013.

According to Thomas, his mother, Louwna Klintworth (55), has contributed R10 000 a month towards the maintenance of her three sons including Robin (26), a PhD candidate at Wits, and a 17-year-old who is in Grade 11.

“I wanted some financial security, especially going to varsity,” said Thomas, who lives with his father. “I didn’t really feel like worrying about fees every night.”
According to Louwna, however, Thomas’s fears of academic security were far from reality.

The Johannesburg mother alleges that her son said he needed to maintain a social life and no less than R6 000 a month would do. This R6 000 then escalated to more than R14 000, which she says is the amount stated in legal documents Thomas has submitted to court.

Louwna said she could give her son only R3 000 a month, as she earns R27 000 a month after deductions from her salary as a personal assistant. According to Thomas, his mother refused to give this in writing.

“She said if we (Thomas and his younger brother) want maintenance from her, we will have to sue her,” Thomas told Wits Vuvuzela. Robin is self-sufficient as he has a bursary.

Louwna said she had always had a good relationship with Thomas, and speaks fondly of him, referring to him as “my darling son”.

Instead, her anger is directed at her former husband, whom she accuses of convincing their son to sue her.

“I live in a garden flat and I serviced my car for the first time in 10 years… and he (ex-husband Craig Klintworth) lives in a seven-bedroomed house.
“[Thomas’s] father wants a lifestyle for him that I cannot help him with,” Louwna said.

Thomas said, however, it was Craig (55), a custom gun-maker, who was paying his Wits fees and also paid his fees when he was at high school.

“I wanted Thomas to work hard and obtain A’s, which he was capable of in matric, and I urged him for the past three years to apply for bursaries,” Louwna said.

“I stuck my bank statements and debt on my fridge for him to see, but he refused to look at it.”

Thomas Klintworth, the 19-year-old first-year Wits student who is suing his mother for maintenance.
Photo: Gemma Gatticchi

Adjunct professor at Wits Law School, Philippa Kruger, told Wits Vuvuzela, “Maintenance payments must be reasonable and affordable and are a preferent claim.

“In other words, they come before all luxury payments… Parents must pay what they can reasonably afford.”

Kruger’s colleague, Adjunct Professor Stephen Tuson, added that “There is a common misconception that parents only have to maintain children until they are [18 years old].”

He said children can actually be supported until they are independent or self-supporting, at whatever age that might be. Both parents, however, have an equal duty to maintain the child, “but equal duty does not mean equal maintenance”.

Hudson was celebrated as teacher, colleague and friend

Former Wits politics lecturer Peter Hudson was honoured at a memorial service at Wits University on Wednesday, July 24.

Hudson, who passed away on June 22 at age 68,  was remembered as an academic who went beyond his teaching role to changing the lives of his colleagues and students.

One of Hudson’s former students, Dr Mbuyiseni Ndlozi, the national spokesperson of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), said teaching was the centre of Hudson’s academic position.

“We did not choose him because of academic superiority but because he understood we were activists,” he said.

Ndlozi said Hudson understood that politicians such as himself were “disruptors” and affirmed political actions rather than dismissed them as other Wits academics did.

“Peter was one of the academics who would oppose police on campus and supported [the Fees Must Fall movement] and would add his name to petitions against expelling students but he never joined the picket lines as he did in the 1970s,” Ndlozi said.

Paying respects: Dr Mbuyiseni Ndlozi speaks fondly of his mentor, Peter Hudson. Photo: Ntombi Mkandhla

In the 1970s, Hudson was the National Union of South African Students (NUSAS), wage commission co-ordinator and was involved in the formation of the independent trade union movement.

“Peter was an activist, just like me, when he was young,’ Ndlozi said.

Hudson retired in 2015 after having lectured at Wits for almost forty years but remained a sessional lecturer until his death.

Hudson also gave postgraduate seminars on structuralism and post-Marxism and undergraduate classes on political theory and social theories of modernity.

“Those courses were popularly picked, even before students knew Peter, because his reputation preceded him,” said Dr Stephen Louw, a former student and colleague of Hudson in the politics department.

Professor Raymond Suttner, an activist, academic and journalist who was also Hudson’s close friend said,

“[Hudson] had this relationship with scholars, teachers and students from first year and many doctoral students who have become important figures in real life,”.

Hudson’s funeral took place on June 26 and he is survived by his wife Lesley and son Daniel.

FEATURED IMAGE: The late Peter Hudson, a fondly remembered politics academic. Photo: Provided

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The compulsory six-week teaching experience for Wits Education students is faced with difficulty, with some students beginning their program late due to administrative issues.

A NUMBER of Wits School of Education students were not able to begin their six-week teaching experience (TE) on Monday, July 22, as expected for a number of reasons, including supervisors’ alleged fear of visiting high-crime areas.

Other reasons were either being rejected by their placement school or because they had not yet received their travel stipend.

A student who did not want to be named told Wits Vuvuzela she was currently stranded because the first school she was assigned to did not offer the subject she signed up to teach (computer applications technology).

She was also turned away from the second school because it was already full.

“Teaching experience is compulsory. I am very worried my peers are in class teaching already,” she said.

Deputy Head of School Professor Lee Rusznyak said, “Many other universities require students to find their own placement, but in our case we have a system where we allocate students and place them.

“We have 2 500 students and 700 schools to allocate them to. It is a huge undertaking.”

Rusznyak told Wits Vuvuzela, “There are bound to be complexities when dealing with 700 other institutions beyond yourself.

“If they are rejected, we try to find the best possible alternative placement for affected students.”

Among alleged reasons given was also a claim that supervisors were reluctant to go to schools where potential crime was a concern.

It was alleged the pool of schools students could be allocated to was smaller because supervisors feared being hijacked in those areas, forcing students to find alternatives.

Rusznyak rejected the claims, saying they were “simply not true”.

“We do not categorise the schools in clusters according to the type of school, but rather by location, and we would not put students in areas we are not prepared to supervise in,” she told Wits Vuvuzela.

Third-year student Simon Lebuka said he had not yet received the travel stipend and therefore found it difficult to go to the school he is allocated to.

“It is very hard, because I had to borrow money to travel and buy food for lunch,” Lebuka told Wits Vuvuzela. “I have to smile for the kids I teach, as if everything is okay,” he said.

“The school used to provide a small travel stipend to the most vulnerable students,” said Rusznyak.

“We have now introduced work-based learning that was processed into students’ bank accounts in June. About 96% of students have received their allowances.

“The remaining 4% outstanding either did not register for teaching experience or it has not yet reflected because they use different bank accounts,” she said.

Chairperson of the Education Students’ Council, Collen Maneli, said, “We had foreseen all these challenges as the ESC, but management is only being reactive now.”

Maneli said the TE school allocation process was inefficient and needed to be reviewed.

FEATURED IMAGE: Some Wits Education students are yet to begin teaching experience

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Rare discoveries from the Cradle of Humankind are making their way to the international stage for the first time.

Two the country’s most celebrated sets of fossils are leaving South African soil for the first time for an exclusive exhibition at the Perot Museum of Nature and Science in the United States.

Australopithecus sediba and Homo naledi fossils are considered invaluable national treasures that help piece together the puzzle of human evolution.

The exhibition of these two collections of remains is the result of a collaboration between the University of the Witwatersrand, the National Geographic Society and the Perot Museum.

Professor Lee Berger, a distinguished Wits University paleoanthropologist and head of the exhibition, says these fossils are an opportunity for Wits to showcase its extraordinary discoveries to the world.

“These fossils act as ambassadors for tourism and science in South Africa, and have the potential of bringing significant awareness about our country and its heritage to people in the Americas,” said Berger.

Perot Museum director and research scientist Dr Becca Peixotto, who has been excavating and researching these fossils with the Wits team since 2013 ssays the exhibition is an opportunity for a shared human story to touch other communities outside South Africa.

Peixotto said, “An exhibit like this offers a unique and special opportunity to show the South African story of exploration and discovery in the Cradle of Humankind and how the scientific process helps us make sense of our shared human origins to a new audience who may not be exposed to it in other venues,”

The benefit of seeing the fossils in the flesh as opposed to looking at reconstructive models or photographs is all part of the experience.

“The shared experience of seeing rare, authentic fossils can elicit a more profound sense of connection with the discoveries and the science, with our common human roots, and with each other,” said Peixotto.

“It is quite uncommon for hominin fossils to travel for display outside their country of origin and we have worked closely with Wits and SAHRA to secure permission for this temporary loan,” said Peixotto.

“We are extremely grateful to Wits, and the government and people of South Africa for this once in a lifetime opportunity.”

“I’m excited because the fossils are travelling to Dallas, they don’t have similar fossils and it’s something good for us and them,” said Bongani Nkosi, casting technician at the Evolutionary Studies Institute where these fossils are housed.

The Perot Museum will host the fossils in an exhibition called Origins: Fossils From the Cradle of Humankind that will begin in October for a limited run of five months.

FEATURED IMAGE: Casts of the Australopithecus sediba skull reconstructed at the Evolutionary Studies Institute. Photo: Busang Senne.

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Wits professor receives global recognition

A Wits alumnus and visiting professor was appointed to a global panel of legal experts who focus on defending media freedom, in London, UK on 11 July.

Dario Milo, partner at law firm Webber Wentzel, is one of 15 global legal experts chosen to examine legal and policy initiatives that countries can adopt to improve media freedom.

Milo told Wits Vuvuzela it was “a great honour” to have been appointed.

“It means that media freedom developments in South Africa have global significance,” added the professor.

The Global Media Freedom Initiative’s high-level panel of legal experts will sit for 2019-20 and aims to promote best practice and model legislation to protect a vibrant free Press.

“I hope my appointment will create awareness in South Africa of the need to stay vigilant on media freedom,” Milo said.

He told Wits Vuvuzela he hopes his appointment will create awareness in South Africa around the importance of media freedom.

“We have had major victories for the media on all aspects of media freedom including open justice, access to info, fake news, defamation, defeating prior restraints and a case at BCCSA and the Press Council,” said Milo.

Human rights lawyer Catherine Anite, from Uganda, is a legal expert who was also appointed to the Global Media Freedom Initiative’s high-level panel in London.

“In Africa especially, there is an alarming threat to media and Press rights in several countries, largely attributed to the media’s role of criticising leadership and exposing rights violations and ills such as corruption,” said Anite.

The Global Media Freedom Initiative’s panel of legal experts is currently working on various projects and timelines for projects.

FEATURED IMAGE: Members of the Global Media Freedom Initiative’s High-Level Panel of Legal Experts at the Global Conference for Media Freedom: London 2019. Photo: Provided. 

Students read bedtime stories to sick children in the paediatric wards at Charlotte Maxeke Academic Johannesburg Hospital.

The Wits Students’ Bioethics Society (WSBS) held a bedtime reading drive in the paediatric wards at Charlotte Maxeke Academic Johannesburg Hospital from July 22 to 26 to improve their comprehension skills.

This was in response to a Stats SA report released in June stating that almost 50% of children have never read a book with their parents.

Neha Prag, chairperson of WSBS, said when she read to the children she found a lack of “listening with understanding”.

“It was hard for some of them to identify a bird, which is really worrying because it speaks to a greater problem and adds to the urgency of why we need to do initiatives like this,” said Prag.

Books were sourced from committee members of the society and will be donated to the paediatric ward.

Prag said a concerted effort was made to source books in African languages to ensure “decolonisation of literature starts as early as possible”.

Tinstwalo Ngobeni, WSBS head of communications, said it is important to read to children in their vernacular language to “help their brain develop in that form”.

The committee is starting an online library subscription to play audiobooks to the children when students are unable to read to them.

“Library subscriptions entail being able to take physical books out and access the online library, where you can get audiobooks,” said Prag.

The money for a subscription will be crowd-sourced on social media.

Nqobile Nkosi, a nurse at Charlotte Maxeke, told Wits Vuvuzela that in the five years she has been in the paediatric ward, this was the first time the children had had someone read to them.

This is due to a lack of resources and time available at government-funded hospitals.

“By just listening to someone read to them, it’s another way of keeping their minds active – to forget about being in the hospital – and relating to the children at home,” said Nkosi.

The bedtime reading drive will continue on a regular basis throughout the year.

FEATURED IMAGE: Thando Mabuza (left) and Neha Prag (right) entertain sick children in the paediatric ward at the Charlotte Maxeke Academic Johannesburg Hospital. Photo: Imaan Moosa

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Stacey-Lee Bolon was elected unopposed as President of Convocation which represents graduates and academic staff in the affairs of the university.

Stacey-Lee Bolon takes on the role as President of Convocation at Wits

The Wits convocation elected its new president who will begin her tenure on August 1.

Stacey-Lee Bolon, who holds a master’s degree in industrial psychology, was elected unopposed as president of the body, which represents Wits graduates and academic staff in the affairs of the university.

Bolon will lead the executive team of the convocation and work alongside chancellor of the university Dr Judy Dlamini, Vice-Chancellor Professor Adam Habib, and the Alumni Relations office.

The new president told Wits Vuvuzela that she decided to run for president of the convocation because she has always had a keen interest in education and innovation.

“I believe that a solid education serves as a spring board for one’s career. Wits will continue to grow as a renowned university and I would like to contribute to this journey,” she said.

According to the Wits statute, the convocation enables alumni to have a say in university matters and it acts as an official channel allowing its members to convey their views to the university management.

Bolon was the only candidate from the Members of the Executive Committee of Convocation (Exco) who applied for the presidential position.

Michael Daramola, an associate professor in the school of chemical & metallurgical engineering who is also an Exco member said no else was willing to run for the position.

“People often want to shy away from responsibility, and this position was made open for anyone who qualifies,” Daramola said.

Bolon will take over from Dr Maurice Goodman, who was the acting president of convocation from 2016.

“I believe my predecessors have done exceptionally well in their positions as president, during a time where the university saw a combination of exceptional growth, alongside a fair amount of turbulence,” she said.

Bolon trusts that she will have the full support and backing of the Exco.

“I will continue to celebrate and embrace the diversity of views in our executive team,” she said.

FEATURED IMAGE: Stacey-Lee Bolon takes on the role as President of Convocation at Wits University. Photo Provided.

Wits communication team and theoretical physics professor win NSTFs awards

Wits netted two awards at the National Science and Technology Forum’s (NSTF’s) South23 Awards ceremony on Thursday, June 27.

The NSTF Award for Communication for Outreach and Creating Awareness of Science, Engineering Technology (SET) and Innovation is presented for contributions by a team or individual over the past five years, in terms of public awareness of SET.

In addition, Professor Alexander Quandt of the Physics Department walked away with the Special Annual Theme Award in materials for inclusive economic development.

The Wits team were commended for their ongoing commitment to “inspiring curiosity, creating new knowledge, making research accessible and impacting on society through innovative science communication”, said the NSTF.

Shirona Patel, Head of Communications at Wits, told Wits Vuvuzela it was through their proficient use of creative multimedia and new technologies to communicate science that they were able to add this award to their growing list of accolades in 2019.

“It is a tremendous honour for the Wits communications team to be recognised for its contribution to making research accessible to multiple publics,” she said.

They have developed a research platform that features a playlist of new Wits research, the new ‘digizine’ Curios.ty, and other science and communications campaigns.

“This achievement would not have been possible without the Wits researchers, academics and students who are committed to communicating science,” said Patel.

Quandt was awarded the Special Annual Theme Award for pioneering work in computational materials science with applications to nanomaterials, optics/photonics and renewable energy research.

“It is primarily an acknowledgement, which is awarded by your peers to point out the value of your scientific work over many years, and which, to be honest, did not always run very smoothly,” said Quandt.

This year’s motif for the Special Annual Theme was the periodic table. It is usually aligned with an annual theme declared by the United Nations.

Most recently, the announcements of Homo Naledi and a liver transplant from an HIV-positive mother to her HIV-negative child, which resulted in potential policy changes and an increased awareness around organ donation, were what solidified their win.

The team also collaborated on the disclosure of the discovery of the world’s oldest art identified, in the Blombos Cave on the Southern Cape coastline. The even was aired on The Daily Show, hosted by Trevor Noah.

FEATURED IMAGE: Wits Communications Team: (left to right) Erna van Wyk, Deborah Minors, Refilwe Mabula, Buhle Zuma, Boniswa Khumalo, Shirona Patel, Schalk Mouton and Lauren Mulligan. Photo: provided

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Tang Soo Do club member Tanita Ramburuth-Hurt is a Special Recognition finalist for the 2019 gsport Awards.

A member of Wits Tang Soo Do is one of the finalists for the 2019 gsport Awards, a national platform that annually honours South African women in sport.
Tang Soo Do is a karate-based Korean martial art.

Tanita Ramburuth-Hurt, an astrophysics masters student and Wits Student Representative Council member, was named as one of the three finalists in the Special Recognition category on Saturday, July 20.

Ramburuth-Hurt began practising the Korean martial art with Wits Tang Soo Do in 2015 as a way to defend herself.

The 25-year-old said she wanted to “get fit and strong and be able to express myself”.

She achieved her first-degree black belt in June and won three gold, two silver and one bronze medals in the World Martial Arts Games in 2016.

In 2018 she was awarded three gold and two silver medals at the Tang Soo Do World Championships in London.

Although she did not join the club with the intention of competing, Ramburuth-Hurt said, “I fell in love with the sport and the intensity of it.

It pushes your boundaries with every training.”

Ramburuth-Hurt’s coach, Master Gregory Hart, had praise for Ramburuth-Hurt.

“She is passionate about empowering people, particularly women, through the sport,” he said.

Founder of the awards Kass Naidoo, a sports commentator and media personality, told Wits Vuvuzela the awards seek to “reward contributions beyond the call of duty which are widely acknowledged to have made a positive impact for the good of South African women in sport.

“Tanita (Ramburuth-Hurt) was moved from the heavily contested Athlete of the Year category, as the judges felt she stood a better chance in the Special Recognition category,” said Naidoo.

Ramburuth-Hurt is joined in the category by Heilie Uys, a former javelin thrower, and Proteas wicket-keeper Tazmin Brits.

“For a young woman and student, this means that she (Ramburuth-Hurt) has an opportunity to elevate herself to the national recognition platform for women in sport,” said Naidoo.

“Hopefully she will use this momentum to power her sports brand forward.”

The 14th edition of gsport Awards winners will be announced on August 31.

FEATURED IMAGE: Nominee: Tanita Ramburuth-Hurt is selected as a finalist for the 2019 gsport Awards. Photo: Imaan Moosa

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“We partnered powerful artists looking to empower young artists in different fields of the industry.”

Old Mutual has partnered with artists in the South African music industry to launch a music hub, AMPD Studios, at the Newtown Junction Mall in June.

Monthly events include master classes and “hero conversations”, which are held at the studios and broadcast live on Metro FM, Afternoon Express on SABC 3 and Old Mutual’s digital platforms.

On July 17, DJ Shimza held the second master class, with the very first one being hosted by Slikour on June 12 at the studios following the launch.

Old Mutual communications manager Julie Hutchins told Wits Vuvuzela they launched the studios so that legacy artists in the industry can share their “very personal and raw stories and knowledge” of how to handle their finances and contracts as young artists.

“There is a problem in the music industry with artists making themselves all this money but dying poor,” Hutchins said.

“Everything is free [but] you need to be an Old Mutual Money Account holder to be able to gain VIP access to the studios,” she said.

Artists such as Khuli Chana, Letta Mbulu, Thandiswa Mazwai, Brian O’Shea and other icons will be nurturing young talent with the classes.

Rapper Stilo Magolide, who made his musical debut in 2007, said financial literacy cannot be taught.

“If you have somebody to advise you, then you will obviously manage your finances better. Advice is just someone’s opinion and it won’t produce the same results for everyone [because] financial management is a personal thing,” he told Wits Vuvuzela.

26-year-old Kgomotso Moloko, who goes by the stage name ‘Okolom’, said: “I checked out the studios and I really think they are going to help beef up the talent in the industry.”

The first-year bachelor of arts music student said he will make use of the recording studios in the hub and sell his music to pay his academic fees.

Although the hub is mainly aimed at helping artists in the music industry, it is also open to people in other industries to equip them with basic skills and knowledge to become financially educated.

FEATURED IMAGE: The legendary Sipho ‘Hotstix’ Mabuse (right) and Khuli Chana taking part in the hero conversation at the Old Mutual AMPD Studios in Newtown. Photo: Provided

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Wits has moved up 72 places in the field of Clinical Medicine and retain its leading spot in Africa

Wits University has kept its position as the best university in Africa, according to the 2019 Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU) released on July 14.

The university has consistently been ranked first since 2014, with University of Cape Town (UCT) trailing behind it. Wits is ranked No 289 in the top 500 out of 4 000 participating universities worldwide. The only other country in Africa to make the top 500 is Egypt, which is ranked at 410.

Even though Wits maintained its Number One ranking in Africa this year, the university dropped two places overall from the previous year.

In earlier years, Wits performed well in the field of mining engineering but has subsequently dropped from 32^nd place in the previous year to No 44 out of 100 this year. The field of study where Wits excelled, however, is clinical medicine, where it was ranked No 145 the previous year and now ranks No 73 out of 500.

Professor Martin Veller, dean of health sciences, said the faculty is satisfied with the recent ARWU results and improvement of the faculty’s position reflects progress in the quantity and quality of its research output.

“This ranking is an important tool to gauge our progress as the faculty, and the university wishes to be research-intensive in order to, from the faculty’s perspective, contribute to the wellness of South African and African societies,” said Veller.

Although Wits improved in this ranking, it was nevertheless beaten by its main competitor, UCT, which ranks at No 67.

“UCT has been ahead of Wits for many years. The reason for this is multi-factorial, but primarily because they have had a greater focus than we have had for many years. This means their research infrastructure is better developed. We are, however, slowly narrowing the gap,” said Veller.

According to ARWU, universities are ranked by several indicators including academic or research performance, highly cited researchers, published journals and papers indexed in major citation indices, and the per capita academic performance of an institution.

“Most ranking systems concentrate on research outputs and the ‘reputation’ of a university or faculty,” said Veller.

“We as a faculty must also concentrate on the quality and quantity of our education (at both under- and post-graduate levels) as well as on service delivery and health systems strengthening in order to maintain and improve our global ranking.”

Witsies hope to help secure first U20 Cosafa women’s trophy for South Africa

Five Wits Women’s Football players have been chosen to be part of the Basetsana national team, which will play in the first Council of Southern Africa Football Associations (Cosafa) Women’s U20 Championships this year.

The championships will be hosted in Nelson Mandela Bay, Eastern Cape, from 1-11 August 2019.

Wits Women’s Football players Ayanda Ncube and Lebohang Ntabeni will be among the defenders in the squad. Other members of the team include Shakeerah Jacobs, who will play forward, and Robyn Coetzee and Spheshile Dlamini, who will be among the goalkeepers.

“It’s about time we had such a tournament for that age group,” said Wits Women’s Football head coach Nthabeleng Modiko.

She said it will help raise the playing level of women’s football in the country from a younger age.

Basetsana will be pooled with Zimbabwe, Namibia and Malawi in Group A and will play their matches at Gelvandale Stadium in Port Elizabeth.

First-year BA general student Coetzee said she has confidence in the team and looks forward to the “challenging” meeting with Namibia on Saturday, August 3, as they are an “aggressive team”.

“We can definitely win the tournament. Most of the [Basetsana] players have experience, so they know how to present themselves,” Jacobs, a BA general student, said.

Playing in the U20 tournament will be the first time BA general students Ncube and Ntabeni will play at national level.

Ntabeni hopes to play consistently on the field.

“We need to expose ourselves to more teams and bring some of that experience back home,” she said.

Dlamini, a grade 11 learner at Fons Luminis Secondary School, is one of the youngest members of the Wits Women’s Football first team. Modiko described her as “gutsy” and an asset to Basetsana.

“Ultimately, I would like them to realise they will be taught by the best coaches in the country, so they need to believe in themselves,” Modiko said.

U20 Basetsana coach Simphiwe Dludlu said: “The team will be playing at a higher level and need to keep their head up, even if it gets tough.”

Dludlu said if the players are willing to learn, have a great attitude and work well together, they will have an edge over the other teams.

FEATURED IMAGE: Forward Shakeerah Jacobs, goalkeeper Robyn Coetzee and defender Lebohang Ntabeni, hope to win the Cosafa trophy for South Africa. Photo: Ntombi Mkandhla

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Miss South Africa contestants receive valuable life-skills as they prepare for the final event

Two Wits students are part of 16 finalists that will be vying for the title of Miss South Africa at the Sun Arena on August 9.

Twenty-two-year-old LLB student, Errin Brits, who was crowned Miss Varsity Shield 2016 told Wits Vuvuzela that the pageant had always interested her. She entered this year because she found the online entry process simpler than previous years, and she decided to give it a shot.

Sasha-Lee Olivier, a 26-year-old Wits Plus Marketing and Psychology student, said she concentrated on remaining truthful to what she stood for – women empowerment.

“There is power in embracing all that you are, whether it is your story, what you are passionate about or your body shape,” said Olivier, who is also a model.

Should she win, Brits would like to go on a first-aid roadshow that targets 10-year-olds. “I would like to equip children with the basic skills, like how to call an ambulance, what to say and how to make time count when it is of the essence,” said the finalist whose inspiration was her first job as a rugby-club first aider when she was 14.

Spokesperson of the Miss South Africa organisation, Stephanie Weil, told Wits Vuvuzela that the finalists were taught invaluable skills by experts, including “media training, self-defence and grooming”.

For Brits, the training has helped her get in tune with herself, as well as learn how to connect with others, while Olivier said the experience had made her realise that there

were many women out there who were trying to make a difference.

Weils said the pageant was about celebrating women. “It remains relevant by giving young women a real opportunity and wonderful role models.”

Reigning Miss Wits Varsity Cup Reo Brydges said she was optimistic about both women’s chances at winning Miss South Africa and potentially even Miss Universe.

“I think these girls are ideal candidates because they are the epitome of an esteemed woman, setting a great example for the youth of South Africa,” said 21-year-old Brydges.

FEATURED IMAGE: Sasha-Lee Olivier (left) and Errin Brits (left) and are finalists for Miss South Africa 2019. Photo: Miss SA

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A-Section promotion sets to bring new challenges for the first team hockey men and ladies.

The Wits Hockey ladies’ with their trophy after winning their final against UKZN 3-0. Photo: Provided.

The Wits Ladies and Men’s first teams in hockey have been bumped up to the A-Section after being named University Sports South Africa (USSA) champions in Stellenbosch earlier this month.

The Wits Men beat Stellenbosch Maties 2-0 in a penalty shootout after ending in a 1-all deadlock.

Michael Marki captained his teammates to a maiden USSA victory. He hailed the team’s performance and said it was the best they had ever played as a unit.

Chad Futcher, a striker for the Wits men’s team, was the tournament’s top scorer and took the title of most valuable player.

Marki said Futcher deserved the award. “There are guys in the team who have been here for six years, much longer than I have,” said Marki. “They have watched this team grow from strength to strength, through good and bad times.”

Marki said the team’s promotion bodes well for future recruitment. He is also confident that their female counterparts are more than able to step up to the challenge of winning in the A-Section next year.

The ladies’ team beat University of KwaZulu-Natal 3-0 despite their captain, Nompilo Thenjwayo, not participating due to exams. They were crowned USSA champions, with Lezaan Janse van Vuuren taking her place as captain.

Defender and hockey director Storme Johnson hailed her strong teammates for playing with maturity in a lower division.

“We still remained competitive and at the end of the week had scored a total of 44 goals. We got the job done and showed why we deserve to be in the A-section,” Johnson said.

One of the team’s strikers, Nomnikelo Veto, recently returned after representing South Africa in Valencia, Spain, in the FIH (International Hockey Federation) finals.

Johnson said the experience and knowledge Veto had from playing at international level benefited the team.

“She stood strong as a senior player during USSA, never afraid to keep us in check,” she said.

She also acknowledged teammate Robyn Johnson, who played alongside Veto in the FIH finals.

Being moved up to the A-Section means the women will be paired against teams such as Stellenbosch, University of Pretoria and University of Cape Town.

Head of hockey Sharmin Naidoo told Wits Vuvuzela: “The gold medals are just a reward for not only working hard, but also for working smart.

“Our planning for 2020 has already begun and we look forward to another year of exciting hockey at Wits,” said Naidoo.

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Tuesday night’s netball match ended with the Wits team’s second consecutive loss.

Jubilee was handed a crushing 29–37 defeat on their own turf by Monash South Africa’s MSA1 in the Wits Internal Netball League on Tuesday, July 30.

MSA1 set the tone for the match early on, netting three goals in the first quarter, leaving Jubilee little time to react.

Jubilee’s hopes of catching up to their rivals were dashed after their goal attack Leonard Shonhiwa’s attempted goal skirted the rim but failed to sink into the net.

A second goal attempt by Shonhiwa proved equally unsuccessful and it was not long before Jubilee was trailing MSA1 by five points, with the score at 10–5.

Jubilee only managed to score one more goal before the end of the first quarter, which MSA1 took 10–6.

The second quarter opened with another goal by MSA1, but Jubilee had amped up their defence. This energy was matched at the other end of the court by Jubilee goal shooter and coach, Amanda Sikhosana, who helped her team score seven goals in this quarter.

MSA1, however, closed the quarter with eight goals, beating Jubilee yet again.

The third quarter saw an uptick in aggression from Jubilee as the team grew desperate. The home team opened the quarter with two goals but at 2–1 to Jubilee, goalkeeper Masego Tlhame fell after twisting her ankle in a battle for the ball, causing play to stop.

Pressed for time, the referee called for play to resume, while Tlhame was carried to the sidelines by her opponents in a show of good sportsmanship. She was replaced with second substitute Phindile Hadebe.

MSA1 took the lead, winning the third quarter 10–8.

The visitors’ comfortable three quarters lead did not make them any less determined as they continued to dominate the court and won the last quarter 9–8. Coach and goal shooter, Fhulufelo Faith Ratshitanga, attributed her team’s win to their dedication.

“Our players were very committed tonight and that is why we won,” she said.

MSA1 goal attack Okwethu Zwane said that her team had a good chance of winning the league. “If we keep playing as a well-oiled unit, we might take it,” she said.

Wits Jubilee coach, Sikhosana, blamed her team’s loss on poor fitness. “We’re coming back from a very long holiday and exam season, so we’re not as fit as we should be. We need to work on our fitness and passes,” she said.

Jubilee lost their previous match 15-42 to fellow Wits team, Brainwashers, and will face Student Digs A on August 15.

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FEATURED IMAGE: The Jubilee netball team lost to Monash on Tuesday, July 31, at Wits University.  Photo: Sanele Msiza

Women’s month celebrations start early with the Women of Influence at Wits.

Wits student society, Women of Influence (WOI), hosted a fashion show on July 27 celebrating women ahead of women’s month in August.

The show, held at the Southwest Engineering building at the Wits University main campus was a fashion show was aimed at revolutionising the fashion industry by hosting aspiring models and unconventional designers.

The models who participated in the show were of various heights and weights as a deliberate attempt to buck the trend of mainstream fashion shows.

Tracy Ronalds, a member of the WOI, said “We did not use average sized model because the fashion industry is too exclusive, so we decided to open the space to allow others to feel good in how they look.”

When asked what WOI as an organisation did to align with the theme of diversity, Ronalds told Wits Vuvuzela, “Every designer had their own look which ranged from everyday looks to classy looks”.

One of the designers is Northlink College student, Philiswa Nkomo, who said she is grateful for the opportunity as she felt that it allowed her to see her potential.

Nkomo told Wits Vuvuzela, “I am inspired by difference and I see myself owning boutiques in the future. I also want to explore more of my talents.”

Job Kongolo, one of the designers with predominantly African prints and designs for women, held a short workshop after the runway showcase of 30 garments.

“I am very pleased with the outcome of the event, I was part of the co-ordination of the show which went well, and I look forward to more WOI events,” Kongolo said.

The clothing showcased on the runway was made available for sale after the event.

FEATURED IMAGE: The Women of Influence organization, a Wits society at the South West Engineering Building at their fashion show. Photo: Jabulile Mbatha.

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Undergraduate stands out among 13 finalists in a creative art exhibition for Witsies. 

A third-year fine arts student won the Wits Young Artist Award 2019 for his performative display on Thursday, July 25, at The Point of Order art gallery in Braamfontein.

Adrian Fortuin won a cash prize of R10 000 for The readymade, made ready, his exhibit of a real-life security person guarding a trophy on a podium.

INVISIBLE: A security guard was part of Adrian Fortuin’s winning exhibit. Photo: Provided

The Wits Young Artist Award (formerly known as the Martienssen Prize) is compulsory for visual art students who are in third or fourth year. It was introduced in the 1980s and is focused on “rethinking and re-imagining what an art award means in a pan-African university”, according to Reshma Chhiba, one of three co-ordinators of the exhibition.

Fortuin told Wits Vuvuzela that, “I’ve been thinking about this idea of competition in a gallery space and creating work that will comment on the kind of situation or social structure that becomes part of the gallery when a competition is involved.”

The 24-year-old said he wanted to create something that was interactive to audiences and critique the idea that an art object needs to be something on a wall.

“It was very interesting because you normally think of security guards to almost be part of the structure of an institution.

“They kind of fall into the background and I think that did happen [at the exhibition]. There was very little interaction with the security guard,” the Johannesburg-born artist said.

A friend of the winner and fine art student, Riley Grant, said Fortuin has the “ability to articulate complex ideas in a seemingly simple, accessible and often humorous way”.

This year’s two panels were made up of professionals in the arts and creative industry. Over 50 entries were received and the selection panel, consisting of artist Nandipha Mntambo and filmmaker Dylan Valley, chose the 13 finalists.  The winner was then chosen by the judging panel which was made up of genderqueer artist, Dean Hutton, lecturer Dr. Dee Marco and artist Mary Sibande.

Chhiba said the adjudication panels were independent of Wits staff in order to avoid a biased approach as well as to allow the students exposure into the industry.

Adrian Fortuin is a third-year student who has won the Wits Young Artist Award of 2019.

The first runner-up was Hermali Koosal who created a digital video installation commenting on the refugee crisis in Europe. She contrasted visuals of the sea with a father discussing his child’s mixed identity.

Mzoxolo Mayongo and Adilson De Oliveira of the MAGOLIDE collective were the second runner-up with their virtual reality interaction that focused on African histories and landscapes.

Jessica Jindrich, a finalist, said the competition allowed students to find a junction between the academic world and reality.

“I think exhibitions such as Wits Young Artist Award are important as initial platforms for the work we are producing. [They] start the conversations we want to be having, without the interaction being too insular,” said the fourth-year fine arts and psychology student.

The exhibition can be viewed by appointment at The Point of Order art gallery until August 8.

FEATURED IMAGE: Adrian Fortuin is a third-year student who has won the Wits Young Artist Award of 2019. Photo: Ortal Hadad

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Tensions rise as the Wits Law Clinic defends victims stripped of their dignity

The Wits Law Clinic is preparing to file a lawsuit in August against the Home Affairs Department for neglecting the crisis of stolen identities in South Africa.

Professor Philippa Kruger joined forces with Advocate Erin Richards at the law clinic to investigate whether the department had a policy to deal with stolen or replicated identities.

“At the law clinic we act for the poor; we represent them. We have different units and take matters to court for people who qualify. Most of these women are poor and disempowered. My project is to try and get their statuses reversed,”  Kruger said.

The story became public knowledge and created pressure for Minister of Home Affairs Aaron Motsoaledi, who made an appearance on June 11 at the law clinic to apologise to victims.

Since his appearance at the law clinic, the minister has resolved only one case out of the six. The law clinic will resort to taking matters to court, as the department has not communicated or is not taking any action to rectify this.

One of the women represented by the Wits Law Clinic is Nomathamsanqa Swartbooi, whose identity document was duplicated 15 years ago.

Swartbooi said, “I face numerous debts that were made on my name, leading to my name being blacklisted. It was next to impossible to find work. I have always worked for the bank, but it has become a dream to open a bank account or get credit.”

Final-year LLB student Patrick Kadima, who works at the clinic, told Wits Vuvuzela, “What needs to be done at national level is that the department should arrest officials who are partaking in this criminal act… Home Affairs should [also] not be strict towards the victims and make it a difficult process for the victims to reclaim their identities.”

Kruger said, “Many of these cases are made possible because of corruption in the Home Affairs Department.”

Ellis O’Brien, a single mother from Reiger Park, Boksburg, has been registered as married for the past 12 years to a man she does not know.

“My life has been on hold for years. I feel like I do not exist because I do not have ownership of my name,” she told Wits Vuvuzela. “I have been patient, but my life is on standstill and it is killing me inside.”

She went on to say how sickly she has become from the stress of the situation.

FEATURED IMAGE: Wits Law Clinic at the University of Witwatersrand, West campus. Photo: Jabulile Mbatha

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