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The Staff Newsletter
April 2015
HAPPY TO GRADUATE … Students
Tamlyn Snyman (BSc Construction
Studies), Rooblo Malibongwe (ND
Building), Bathandwa Bovana
(BTech Quantity Surveying),
Antonio Conterato (BSc Construction Management) and Voninga
Sono (BTech Quantity Surveying)
were among the more than 6 300
graduates to receive certificates,
diplomas and degrees at the 13
graduation ceremonies in Port
Elizabeth and George this month.
Since the establishment of NMMU
in 2005, more than 50 000
qualifications have been awarded
with the number of graduates
increasing by more than 14% since
2005. The Faculty of Engineering, the Built Environment and IT
(EBEIT) has more than doubled
their graduate numbers in the last
ten years. See the May edition of
talk@nmmu for all of NMMU’s
graduation news.
At times NMMU has been busiest building site in metro
10 years of exceptional
building growth
TWO new state-of-the-art buildings set for completion this year will cap a decade of unprecedented
infrastructure growth at NMMU.
A R57-m Life and Physical Sciences building on
South Campus (see photograph on page 2) and a
R56-m Foundation Phase building on Missionvale
Campus form part of R1.1 billion spent by the Department of Higher Education and NMMU since 2009 in
support of its teaching, learning and research.
“The completion of these two buildings – both in
support of national priorities for more science and
teaching graduates – will mark a period of exceptional building growth at NMMU,” says Director: In-
In this edition
celebrations
10 years of NMMU
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frastructure Projects and Sustainability Greg Ducie.
At times during the past decade, NMMU has been
the busiest building site in the metro.
The new buildings, along with other major projects since 2009, all form part of the university’s
award-winning urban design framework – a framework that offers a philosophical approach to university planning and design.
“We believe the latest infrastructure outlined in
the urban design framework will set NMMU apart
in terms of a space utilisation perspective,” says
Deputy Vice-Chancellor Dr Sibongile Muthwa, adding that many of its newest buildings would soon be
instawalk
First university
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Vision
officially opened as part of the university’s 10-year
celebrations.
NMMU’s efforts in creating a university that focuses on pedestrians, puts nature first and carefully
manages open spaces across several of its campuses has already received acclaim via its “beacon of
hope” library in Missionvale, its iconic engineering
building on North Campus and more recently when
its “green” Business School was named the first in
Africa to receive accreditation from the Green Building Council.
The expansive infrastructure growth plan plays a
key role towards Vision 2020.
Departments unite
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Wellness
Two Oceans etc
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10-year celebrations galore
AT stages over the past ten years NMMU has
been the busiest building site in the metro. Not
surprising if you take into account the many new
buildings, revamps and extensions that have
taken place during this time. In this edition, we
share this and information on our new Science
and Foundation Phase building to be completed
in December.
We are planning a major 10-year celebration
so support Madibaz Day on 11 May with exhibitions and a concert at the sport stadium. InnoVenton also celebrated their 10 years of existence and will soon add a new laboratory to their
home.
New Dean of Arts Prof Rose Boswell shares
her take on life with us while Carnegie Scholar
Dr Mumbi Mwangi, hosted by Canrad, has
played a role in the NMMU gender forum.
Other
important
news includes our accounting students doing better than ever in
the national qualifying
examinations, a national maritime workshop, George Campus
involved in community projects and the fight
against gender violence.
Congratulations to all staff who paticipated in
the various well-known sport events supporting
wellness.
In the next edition we will share graduation
news. Please continue to send us your stories
and photographs.
Kind regards
Elma de Koker
Briefs
Invited fellows
EDUCATION’S Prof André du Plessis (below
right) and Dr Kathija Adam have been invited
to participate as fellows in the South African
Teaching Advancement at University (TAU) Fellowships Programme in 2015/6.
TAU, which is run by the Higher Education
Learning and Teaching Association of Southern
Africa (HELTASA), aims to contribute towards
the enhancement of teaching and learning
by supporting the development of a cadre of
academics across institutions and disciplines
as scholars, leaders and mentors in their fields
and to contribute towards the definition of
what teaching excellence means in varied institutional settings.
A decade of building
THE new Science block and Foundation Phase
building for teachers are included in the latest
three-year cycle of funding from both the Institutional Operating Plan and the Infrastructure and
Efficiency Fund and are set for completion in December.
Both will meet a growing demand by students for
qualifications in these particular career fields.
NMMU is now awaiting feedback on its latest application for funding (of R620-m) from the DHET.
If successful, the bulk of the funding will go towards infrastructure to support proposed new
maritime programmes in support of the country’s
untapped blue economy and for much-needed
on-campus residences. At present, NMMU houses
about 12% of its 27 000 students on campus. It aims
to increase this figure to 30% of the study body.
Since 2010 after the first round of DHET funding
was received, NMMU built a new library at Missionvale Campus, upgraded and expanded laboratories
and introduced lifts and ramps. A new link road was
built between North and South Campus, new lecture halls of R45-m built, the Architecture Department revamped and a massive concrete rehabilitation took place on South Campus.
On North Campus several buildings were expanded and a 200-seat lecture hall was completed, while
Second Avenue Campus’ library was extended and
the old gym converted to become the university’s
archives.
On George Campus a new library, student recreational facility, new lecture halls and computer labs
were built and infrastructure services upgraded.
The next three-year cycle of funding saw NMMU
build the R34-m High Resolution Transmission
Electron Microscopy Centre, renovate its pharmacy
laboratories, build an iconic engineering block, the
R116-m Business School, several new residences in
the metro and on George Campus and complete
the new human movement science centre, with an
indoor sprint track for research and a high performance centre.
THE FUTURE … An artist impression of
the new Science block on South Campus
to be completed in December.
Editorial board
COMPUTING
Science’s
Prof Janet Wesson (right)
has been invited to join
the Springer HCI editorial
board, an international acknowledgement of her work
in human computer-interaction (HCI) over many years.
The Springer HCI Series has established itself
as a high-quality publication channel for those
working in the area of HCI with around six titles
published a year.
PROUDLY NMMU
... The 40m x 6m
high sign recently
installed at the top
of the NMMU Main
Building on South
Campus will soon
also be installed on
the other side. The
50kg sign is made
up of 6m x 3m panels and installed by
workers abseiling
and fastening the
panels into position. We are proud
of this landmark
signage going up
in our 10th year of
existence.
talk@nmmu is published by NMMU Marketing & Corporate Relations. The deadline for contributions to the May edition of talk@nmmu is 11 May 2015. Please e-mail your contributions in MSWord
and photographs separately in jpg format (no smaller than 800kb) to [email protected]. Opinions expressed in talk@nmmu are not necessarily those of the editor or NMMU.
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d
News
KEY PLAYERS … Among those
who attended NMMU’s Centre
for Broadband Communication launch were (from left)
Vice-Chancellor Prof Derrick
Swartz, CSIR Executive Director
of Meraka Institute Hina Patel,
Cisco Executive Vice-President
Randy Pond; Minister of Science
and Technology Naledi Pandor,
NMMU Centre of Broadband
Communication head Prof Tim
Gibbons, Associate Director
for Science and Engineering
of South Africa’s SKA project
Prof Justin Jonas and Deputy
Vice-Chancellor: Research and
Engagement Prof Andrew
Leitch.
NMMU is ‘backbone’ for SKA
SOUTH Africa’s biggest scientific
project, the Square Kilometre Array,
is unlikely to easily happen without
NMMU’s expertise.
The research and knowledge offered by the University’s new Centre
for Broadband Communication in the
field of optical fibre communication
makes NMMU a key player in not only
the SKA and MeerKat (left) projects
but in ensuring the country’s future
global economic competitiveness.
This emerged at the recent launch
of the Centre for Broadband Com-
munication where key role players
acknowledged the university’s important role and that of the partnerships
that had been formed in moving forward.
“Optical fibre technology is the
cornerstone of broadband connectivity. There is a direct correlation between a country’s infrastructure and
its economic and social wellbeing,”
said head of the new Centre Prof Tim
Gibbons.
Affirmation of his statement was
echoed by various speakers and by a
R50-m equipment donation by Cisco
to the new Centre. It is the networking
leader’s biggest single donation outside of America.
According to various speakers, optical fibre forms “the backbone” for
aggregating tremendous amounts of
data gathered from what will be the
world’s largest radio telescope – the
SKA – which is why NMMU’s research
and role in developing human capacity is so important.
See NMMU’s new website for
Broadband Communication.
New Dean – a researcher and people’s person
NEWLY-APPOINTED
Executive
Dean of the Faculty of Arts anthropologist Prof Rose Boswell (right)
learned early on how complex
human beings are, growing up
in a place where the poor and
oppressed managed to survive
and thrive in very difficult circumstances.
“The rich thoughts and wisdom
of the poor are often overlooked
because people tend to focus on
material trappings,” she muses today.
Prof Boswell was born in Mauritius and raised in Southern Africa.
Her father – who worked in a sugar
factory – sought new opportunities
to improve their lives. The family literally had nothing when they
moved to Malawi in the early 1970s.
And fortunate for NMMU, that
she should choose to lead our
Faculty of Arts.
Prof Boswell completed her undergraduate study and MA Degree in Anthropology (as well as courses
in Political Studies, Economic
History and Archaeology), at
the University of Cape Town.
She studied for her PhD at
the Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam focusing on the
challenges of integration in
the multi-ethnic society of
Mauritius, in particular, the
legacies of slavery and racism in that
society.
This multilingual NRF-rated researcher has written two books as
well as several academic papers
published in peer reviewed journals
on topics ranging from perfume to
globalisation. She is currently managing an NRF competitive research grant
investigating the linkages between
heritage tourism and identity in South
Africa and Mauritius.
From 2010 to 2011, Prof Boswell led
a seven-member research
team to investigate race
discourse and policy in
Mauritius on behalf of the
Mauritius Truth and Justice
Commission. The Rockefeller Foundation recognised
this work and awarded her
a prestigious residency at
the Foundation’s premises
in Bellagio, Italy, in 2011.
She describes this time in Italy as
memorable and says that she would
like to encourage greater creativity in
the Arts Faculty in order to advance
cutting-edge research and engagement projects.
Prof Boswell enjoys working with
young people and in 2009 received
the Rhodes University Vice-Chancel-
lor’s Distinguished Teaching Award.
She was shortlisted for the senior
award last year.
As an islander, Prof Boswell says
she always wanted to live in Port
Elizabeth to be near the ocean. She
spent 17 years at Rhodes University.
Prof Boswell says that the NMMU
team has been very warm and supportive in facilitating her transition
to the new job.
‘’I am an active researcher, writer, mother and worker. It is a tricky
balancing act. I have to be organised and remember that I am human. When you realise that you are
human, you appreciate the humanity of others even more.’’
The mother-of-three enjoys family life with her advocate husband,
teenage daughter and two sons
and loves walking, running, weight
training, gardening and cooking.
We value excellence
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News
STATISTICAL MINDS
… Celebrating
T-shirt Tuesday
are back from
left Statistics’
Carmen Stindt,
Lee Watchurst,
Stefan Janse van
Rensburg, Aviwe
Gqwaka, Warren
Brettenny and
Lulama Kepe, and
(front) Chantelle Clohessy,
department head
Prof Gary Sharp,
Siphumlile Mangisa and Khanya
Mkoto.
Publications, colloquium and events for 10 years’ anniversary
Celebrating our first decade
A FULL calendar of events, publications, discussions and the unveiling of various arts, culture
and heritage projects are part of NMMU’s plans
to mark its 10th anniversary.
Following the formation of a steering committee
to guide institutional-wide plans to celebrate the
university’s 10th anniversary, the following broad
areas will be marked by:
`` A celebration of the making of NMMU’s academic project through seminars, panel discussions and a public lecture or colloquium involving staff and students.
`` A series of arts, culture and heritage events
marked by the likes of the unveiling of a life-sized
statue of Nelson Mandela and a Madiba shirt,
a “Madiba – Man of the People” photographic
exhibition by Peter Magubane and through the
initiation of a “Voices of Africa” bench projects
by NMMU students on Missionvale Campus.
`` A Student Representative “Students’ Perspective” of the making of the NMMU academic project, discussion and debate through the hosting
of a reunion of past SRC presidents, and possibly
student dialogue and debate via the university’s
Centre for Advancement of Non-Racialism and
Democracy (CANRAD).
`` Organising a series of events celebrating the 10year milestone with the NMMU community and
its partners such as the Alumni Awards, the ViceChancellor’s Cultural Evening and a 10km race.
`` A series of celebrations from T-shirt Tuesday
through to Madibaz Day (see accompanying
story) to ensure ongoing “gees” throughout
2015.
`` Communication and media – a dedicated 10year website, two publications, two newspaper
supplements and a video will capture various
aspects of NMMU’s achievements to students,
staff and various stakeholders.
Madibaz Day - your chance to brag
NMMU’s big bash celebration – Madibaz Day –
for both staff and students will give everyone a
chance to reflect, rejoice and reignite their passion for where they work and/or study.
Madibaz Day on Monday 11 May features both an
expo and a concert.
The exhibition in the Indoor Sports Centre will
give every faculty, school, department, division,
centre, unit and entity a chance to share and showcase what they have achieved in the past 10 years.
“It’s everyone’s chance to show off – to share
what they do and what they have achieved in the
past decade,” says Marketing and Corporate Relations Director Pieter Swart.
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This “showing off” opportunity is not limited to academic staff, but to the university’s support services
too, and will piggyback on the infrastructure created
for Open Day.
It means that all the sectors that make NMMU
what it is today will literally be under one roof – making it a convenient roadshow for staff and students.
“The expo will allow us to learn about all sectors
of the university – what, for example, Campus Health
Services does, or why we have the e-mobility programme, uYilo, here with us at NMMU. It’s a wonderful opportunity to get a sense of all the great things
that are happening at NMMU,” says Pieter.
The expo, with prizes for the best stalls, will run
from 11am to 3pm.
Likewise, the concert, which starts at 3pm, is
free of charge to both staff and students.
The concert, in the adjacent Sports Stadium,
will start with an address by Vice-Chancellor, Prof
Derrick Swartz, capturing the highlights of the
past 10 years and NMMU’s exciting plans for the
future.
Staff and students are encouraged to bring their
picnic baskets along to the two-hour concert starring our talented staff and students.
For more on Madibaz Day and other 10-year
plans a new NMMU 10-year website – NMMU10 –
is being created.
News
Striving beyond top marks
SUCCESS is no longer about playing it
safe or having an excellent academic
record. Today, that’s just not going to
be sufficient.
This was the message NMMU Chancellor Santie Botha shared in her address to the university’s chosen few
– the 2015 cohort of Vice-Chancellor’s
Scholars.
Today’s ever-changing world means
what was good enough yesterday is no
longer good enough today. Instead, today’s generation must strive far beyond
top marks, she says.
Ms Botha, a former South African
Businesswoman of the Year, says only
the fittest, creative out of the box thinkers, entrepreneurs and true innovators
are successful.
“You won’t be boarding trains with
tickets, you’ll be jumping out of airplanes,” Ms Botha told the 26 Schol-
ars, their parents and NMMU staff at
the Awards Dinner to recognise their
achievement in being selected to the
R82 782-a-year bursary.
Instead, she continued at the event
in the university’s Indoor Sports Centre,
it’s about getting involved beyond your
books, showing what you can give and
by providing solutions to the likes of our
ailing global economy, crime, terrorism,
climate change, poverty, disease …
“To do this, you need the ability to
add true value, the capacity to try new
things, an appetite for risk and the acceptance of trial and error as a career
strategy.”
Ultimately, to succeed in a world that
is going to bulge to three billion within
the two decades with a massive middle
class, today’s students are going to have
to add real value in whatever field they
find themselves.
TOP STUDENTS … Joined by Chancellor Santie Botha Vice-Chancellor’s Scholarship recipients (second from left) Deon Beauzec of Otto du Plessis High School,
Sumaiya Moses of Uitenhage High School and Luchian Pullen of Otto du Plessis
were among the group of 26 students to receive the top scholarship this year.
First #Instawalk!
ROLE PLAYERS … Vice-Chancellor Prof Derrick Swartz (third left) is accompanied
by interim project manager of the South African International Maritime Institute
Odwa Mtati (from left), University Academic Planning and Management Support
Chief Director from the Department of Higher Education and Training Dr Engela
van Staden and Chief Operating Officer of the South African Maritime Safety
Authority and Chair of the Maritime Skills Technical Task Team appointed by the
national Human Resource Development Council Sobantu Tilayi.
Maritime development
REPRESENTATIVES from universities, universities of technology and
technical vocational education and
training institutions (TVET colleges)
with an interest in maritime and marine sciences education, training and
research, recently attended a workshop on skills development in the
maritime sector, to support growth
in South Africa’s “blue economy” at
NMMU.
Government department role players joined these representatives in
discussion with a panel of experts
on education, skills development, research and innovation in these fields
convened by the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET).
The report and recommendations
A DIVERSE group of 25 students from
various faculties recently braved the
weather to capture on camera interesting shots on South Campus for the
fastest-growing social media platform, Instagram.
This was NMMU’s first Instawalk (an
Instagram walk) hosted together with
Cityofpe, making the University one of
the first institutions of higher learning
to do so.
The “cityofpe” Instagram account
is run by NMMU students Joshua Terry
and River Leask, and a local high school
teacher, Dean Cothill, who are part of
this start-up social media company. “Instawalks are about community – about
getting the community together” says
Joshua.
Marketing and Corporate Relations’
Beverley Erickson added that “Instagram is one of the fastest growing social
media platforms in the world with over
300 million users and counting.
Both NMMU and Cityofpe can be
found on Instagram by simply searching
@NMMU4U and @cityofpe.
NMMU4U has close to 800 followers.
of the Maritime Sector Skills Technical
Task Team (MSSTTT) convened by the
Human Resource Development Council of South Africa (HRDCSA) were discussed.
This feedback identifies the critical
skills shortages, the current state of
marine and maritime education and
training, and the supply- and demandside impediments to develop the skills
needed to grow the maritime sector.
These initiatives will be aligned to
the skills planning initiatives that take
place through Operation Phakisa.
The South African Government has
identified the development of the
ocean economy as a key priority for
South Africa’s economic growth and
job creation.
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News
COMMON VISION … The Department of Social Development Professions (back from left) Dr Aldene Luck, Natalie Mansvelt, Zukiswa Gwam, Amanda Calitz and
Jo-Ann Coetzee and (front) Nevashnee Perumal, Busisiwe Lujabe, department head Dr Zoleka Soji and Dr Veonna Goliath have worked together towards a shared,
positive, future-orientated and inspiring vision and identity for themselves and their work. (absent Razia Lagerdien)
Success stories of departments with a common outlook
A vision for all
THERE is an old saying which goes – “if you don’t
care where you’re going, any road will take you
there”.
This is often true at NMMU where members of a
department or departments in a school or faculty,
all pull in different directions, having different priorities and goals, resulting in not only a lack of coherence in their programme offerings, but also a lack of
alignment with V2020, and sadly often also in conflict among staff and stressful work environments.
These visionless, directionless spaces in our institution ultimately impact negatively on our student
success and the extent to which we are able to fulfil
our core purpose and mission.
After a two-day strategic reflection process in December, the Department of Social Development Professions gathered their key elements and captured
them in an authentic, vibrant, meaningful and very
real vision, mission, values statement and graduate
attributes during a single day earlier this year.
During the initial workshop it emerged that the
department had a history of struggling to find their
voice and identity due to re-structuring and other
factors in their faculty. They decided to change their
second-class status as the “welfare department” of
the Faculty of Health Sciences.
They engaged in courageous truth-telling and
self-reflection and identified a sense of helplessness and powerlessness and the absence of a clear,
shared, positive, future-orientated and inspiring vision and identity for themselves and their work.
And wow! What a transformation during the
second session this year! What started in December came into full flowering as this diverse group
of courageous and committed women rose to the
occasion to define their own vision and mission; as
well as a value-statement and their desired staff and
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student attributes relevant and specific to their discipline.
Throughout the process, we worked with Vision
2020 as our guiding document; as well as an article by Sam Wells and Josie Maclean titled “One Way
Forward to Beat the Newtonian Habit” (www.mdpi.
com/2079-8954/1/4/66) to help us understand
the visioning process from a complexity and living
systems perspective. Their real and original valuesstatement is truly cutting-edge.
One of the NMMU success stories
is that of the Department of
Social Development Professions
which has changed themselves
into a fully functional team with
a common vision and purpose
for the future, writes Ilze Olckers.
It is still early days but a most exciting new chapter has begun for Social Development Professions
at NMMU. With a common and compelling vision
of who they are, what they stand for and their core
mission, their other work around curriculum renewal and compliance with the Council of Higher
Education and their professional body can be dealt
with in an authentic, meaningful, empowered and
coherent way.
They have also set the tone for what they expect
of themselves and each other as a workplace community.
During 2015 all domains within NMMU have to
come up with their own strategic plans for the next
three- to five-year cycle. This is a powerful opportunity to engage in a visioning process with your colleagues or even in a re-visioning process.
As the authors says in the above-mentioned article, “It is not what the vision says, it is what the
vision does”.
A vision is like the DNA of a living organism. It
contains the critical information that shapes how
that organism functions. Our strategic plan, Vision
2020, shapes our institution overall. Everything we
do needs to align with it and be informed by it. But
to give it real power and vitality, each domain has to
articulate for themselves, their own purpose, their
own passion, their own unique interpretation of it
and contribution to it, from within their discipline or
domain. No strategic plan will have any value if it is
not informed by a powerful shared vision.
The Finance Department moved in that direction
when they framed their new motto “Your effective
resource partner“. The subsequent energy and commitment from the Finance Team was recognised and
rewarded by the 2014 inaugural PASS Excellence
Awards.
As NMMU, we care deeply where we are heading,
and only a shared and compelling vision will get you
there.
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IN ACTION … Activist and former Constitutional
Court judge Albie Sachs (right) and the director
of his film, Abby Ginzberg, attended the recent
interactive screening of “Soft Vengeance: Albie
Sachs and The New South Africa” jointly hosted
by Canrad and Street Law in the South Campus
Auditorium before a capacity audience.
DISCUSSIONS … Canrad, the SRC, the Herald and the Palestine
Solidarity Committee
recently hosted a difficult dialogue about
the state of Palestine/
Israel in the South
Campus Auditorium
with representatives of
South African political
parties’ members of
parliament including
(from left) the EFF’s
Mbuyiseni Ndlozi, the
ANC’s Khalid Sayed
and the DA’s Stevens
Mokgalapa.
Stories to strengthen the
role of women in society
TELLING women’s stories and passing on the knowledge normally
ignored, is the focus of St Cloud University academic Dr Mumbi Mwangi
(below), who is currently visiting
NMMU on the Carnegie African Diaspora Fellows programme for three
months.
The importance of narratives,
women’s ways of knowing and humanising women’s experiences from
a feminist perspective is the focus of
Dr Mwangi’s research and scholarship.
Dr Mwangi is being hosted by the
University’s Centre for the Advancement of Non-Racialism and Democracy (CANRAD) where she has been
presenting seminars about gender
to strengthen and institutionalise the
gender forum at NMMU.
She was also a panelist at the “Do-
ing Gender” Conference at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg.
“I am honoured to have been able
to visit NMMU and come back ‘home’
to Africa. I am very
touched by the friendly
reception of the people
at NMMU, especially
colleagues at CANRAD,
under the leadership of
Director Allan Zinn.
“I have learned
far more than I have
given and I am truly
impressed by NMMU’s
commitment to dialogue as a process
of transformation,” she said.
Dr Mwangi is equally optimistic
about the new Gender Forum at
NMMU.
“I believe my presence here has
probably helped to push the forum to
the next level.”
Born and raised in rural Kenya, Dr
Mwangi started off as a home economics teacher, obtaining both her
bachelor’s and master’s
degrees at Kenyatta
University in Nairobi.
She later became the
Chief Examiner of
Home Economics with
the Kenya National Examinations Council.
In 1998, she moved
to America where she
studied for her PhD
degree in Education and a Minor in
Women’s Studies at Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa.
Her dissertation focused on African
women in higher education. She then
stayed on to lecture for two years at
Iowa State University after which she
was appointed at St Cloud University
in Minnesota, where she is currently a
professor in the department of Ethnic
and Women’s Studies.
Dr Mwangi is also the mother of
three consecutive sets of twins after
the birth of her first daughter.
Part of the reason for opting to
work in America is to provide opportunities for her children, five of whom
now live there.
She does however still keep tie ties
with Africa, often visiting Kenya where
she will probably retire.
During this visit, her second to
South Africa, Dr Mwangi also visited Cape Town together with her son
from America and her daughter from
Kenya. The two siblings have not seen
each other in 14 years so appreciated
the much-needed family reunion.
We value excellence
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Accounting
SA’s highest pass rate
NMMU students achieved the highest pass rate countrywide in the first
of two professional examinations
required for qualification as Chartered Accountants – with two honours graduates placed in the top 10
nationally.
An impressive 97% of the Class of
2014 BCom Honours (Accounting)
graduates passed the South African
Institute of Chartered Accountants’
(Saica’s) Initial Test of Competency
(ITC) examination on their first attempt – considerably higher than the
national pass rate of 82% for first
time attempts.
Suzaan van den Bergh was placed
joint seventh in South Africa, with
Daniel Alfond attaining ninth place
overall.
Among the 62 who passed was
the entire honours class of Thuthuka
Bursary students – a programme that
aims to produce more black Chartered
Accountants in South Africa.
School of Accounting director Prof
Frans Prinsloo said these latest results
were arguably the best NMMU – and
its predecessor, the University of Port
Elizabeth – had ever achieved in the
first part of Saica’s Qualifying Examinations.
SUCCESS SUITS HIM … NMMU BCom Honours (Accounting) graduate Daniel
Alfond (right) – who wrote all his university tests and exams dressed in a formal
suit – was placed ninth countrywide in the first of two professional examinations required for qualification as a Chartered Accountant. Fellow graduate
Suzaan van den Berg was placed joint seventh overall.
other accountancy programmes
“We are very proud of our BCom
around the country.”
Honours (Accounting) graduates of
He said the new PinnAcle Leader2014. These results confirm the high
ship programme, which is also unique
quality of the programme offered by
NMMU to educate students
wishing to become
These results confirm the
Chartered Accountants
high quality of the programme
(SA).
offered by NMMU
“These results also
represent the culmination of
amongst accountancy programmes,
a strategic repositioning of NMMU’s
equips top performing students with
Chartered Accountancy programme.
the skills to become future leaders of
There is now an increased focus on
the business world.
the mentoring of students to become
Seventh-placed Suzaan, 22, who is
the best that they can be, which we
completing her first year of articles at
believe differentiates NMMU from
Deloitte in Cape Town, said she was
“very honoured” to be placed among
the top 10.
“It’s a great feeling when hard
work pays off. I’m also very excited
to be representing NMMU as I feel
we have an excellent accounting programme.”
She said consistent hard work and
determination, a work/life balance
and the support of family and friends
had helped her achieve her goals.
“I focus on understanding what I
am doing and why I am doing it instead of memorising information.”
Daniel, who, after failing a test in
his second year, took to writing all
his university examinations in a formal suit to remind him just how serious his studies were, described his
achievement as “unreal”.
The 22-year-old, who is completing his articles at KPMG in Port
Elizabeth, said: “I feel I have a good
idea of what my strengths and
weaknesses are, so that helped me
because I knew what I had to focus on
and I knew when to ask for help.”He
said his NMMU lecturers gave him
plenty of good advice in terms of how
to approach his studies – and consistently set challenging papers. - NW
Leadership programme grows top students
GROWING LEADERS ... Attending the launch of NMMU’s PinnAcle Leadership Programme were (from left)
BCom (Accounting) third-year student Donovan de Bruin, PinnAcle lead coordinator Elize Naude, keynote
speaker Prof Maarten de Wit of NMMU’s Africa Earth Observatory Network-Earth Stewardship Science
Research Institute and BCom (Accounting) second-year student Taryn Balie. Picture: Jessica Harvey
8
Excellence
We
value excellence
WHILE much time and money nationally is
poured into developing students who struggle, few universities pay much heed to the
needs and pressures of their top students.
The School of Accounting started a leadership and mentorship programme in 2010 supporting their Vice-Chancellor’s Scholarship recipients who have to achieve a 75% weighted
average year on year to keep their scholarships.
It was recently re-launched as the PinnAcle
Leadership Programme and now also includes
non-VC’s Scholars.
The programme under the leadership of Elize
Naude mentors top students and grooms their
leadership abilities – enhancing their academic
achievement in the process in both the university context and in national examinations.
The programme now includes the top 20
students in each year of NMMU’s Accounting
programme, reaching a total of 80 students
altogether. - NW
Faculty news
Student
support
BASF South Africa recently donated R150 000 towards the establishment of a
computer laboratory for teaching modules on quality assurance statistics, applied mathematics and process simulation to second- and third-year Chemical
Process Technology National Diploma students.
Presented by NMMU’s InnoVenton Institute for Chemical Technology, 75 students are currently studying towards this diploma with 43 students who will be
using the laboratory this year. InnoVenton has a long relationship with BASF
starting in 2007 when laboratory staff attended specialist training courses at
InnoVenton.
In 2010 BASF, along with PetroSA, Umicore Catalyst SA, and Heraeus South
Africa, played an integral role in the development of the three-year National
Diploma in Chemical Process Technology.
The diploma equips students to become skilled process operators and controller technicians to control a process plant and support chemical and process
engineers in various design and problem-solving projects.
BASF has also sponsored a number of bursaries for students and hosts on-site
visits for students to gain hands-on understanding of their studies.
The chemical process industry, which includes gas and oil production and refining, metal processing and the production of many industrial and household
products, is responsible for more than 20% of South Africa’s manufacturing
gross domestic product.
CELEBRATING 10 YEARS … Chemistry PhD student Fidelis Chigondo, InnoVenton’s Warren Thompson, InnoVenton Director Prof Ben Zeelie, PhD student
Vitus Ejesieme, InnoVenton’s Ronelle Potgieter, PhD student Lubabalo Mafu
and post doc fellow Dr Mandala Devender.
Celebrating 10 years
of innovation
INNOVENTON is probably most
well-known for its groundbreaking microalgae-to-energy project
which combines microalgae and
coal to make fuel.
NMMU’s Institute for Chemical Technology and Downstream
Chemicals Technology has also
championed the creation of two
new academic programmes namely
the BSc Honours degree in Formulation Science as well the National
Diploma in Chemical Processing.
This year they celebrated their
10th anniversary within the institution.
“The key to our success has been
our determination. We will not take
‘it cannot be done’.” says Prof Ben
Zeelie, founding member of InnoVenton. At the celebration he also
mentioned how InnoVenton was
born out of a simple and naïve idea
which has turned into the innovative institute that it is today.
“At InnoVenton we develop technologies and commercialise them
for everyday use.”
STUDENT SUPPORT … BASF South Africa donated R150 000 towards a laboratory
for second- and third-year Chemical Process Technology students. At the official
launch were (from left) BASF SA’s Linda Brown, NMMU Trust’s Renita Affat, BASF
SA’s Paul Allday, InnoVenton’s Dr Shawn Gouws and BASF SA’s Charles Johnson.
Successful growth for Chair
MORE than R15 million has been invested by NMMU, the Volkswagen
Group of South Africa and the German Academic Exchange Service
(DAAD) since 2007 in the advanced
teaching, learning and research for
application in automotive engineering with a strong emphasis on promoting international research links.
The partners recently extended
their support for NMMU’s VWSADAAD International Chair in Automotive Engineering for a further two
years.
Over the years the Chair has facili-
tated valuable skills development in
the motor manufacturing industry
and NMMU’s School of Engineering
has improved its overall focus on automotive engineering, establishing a
degree in mechatronics and is establishing a reputation as a centre of excellence for Automotive Engineering.
“The close and successful cooperation between VWSA, DAAD and
NMMU affords the students very
practical orientated studies, both at
NMMU as well as our German partner universities,” said Chair Head
Professor Udo Bekker.
WINNERS … School of ICT’s fourth-year student Ben Joubert (second from left)
and first-years Nicholas Jordaan and Jason Cross won first place in the Game Development category of the national leg of Microsoft’s Imagine Cup competition.
Some 400 000 students from more than 180 countries enter the competition,
showcasing software design and development skills. The NMMU winning team
also received an honourable mention in the project blueprint category of the
international leg of the contest, meaning their work was judged as one of the
10 best in the world. They will now compete in the international semi-finals from
where the winners will be invited to attend the finals in Seattle, USA. Even more
remarkable is the fact that Nicholas and Jason are first-years who developed
most of the game as an extra-curricular project under the mentorship of Prof
Johan van Niekerk (left). Ben only joined them towards the end of 2014. These
first years competed with third-, fourth and even master’s degree students from
universities across South Africa to win first place.
Excellence
We value excellence
9
Arts
PhD assists communities
ARCHITECTURE PhD student Kevin
Kimwelle has extended his research
promoting community-based design and architectural solutions that
support alternative technologies
and materials, the green agenda
and community ownership to Port
Elizabeth’s townships and informal
areas.
He has also hosted an Art/Architecture/Urban renewal exhibition
celebrating a partnership between
the Mandela Bay Development Agency, the Eastern Cape Institute of Architects, the Alliance Française, NMMU
and Pavillon de l’Arsenal (Centre for
Information, Documentation and Exhibition for Urban Planning & Architecture - Paris.)
Kevin initially started off with the
Alliance Française in Richmond Hill
where he heads its green portfolio
called Indalo (“green” in Xhosa). His
work includes staging the Richmond
Hill Street Music Festival and the
R2-m green extension for best green
practise and social responsibility.
Kevin’s latest project includes his
design of the German/South African
NGO Masifunde’s R8-m green education centre to be built in Walmer
Township using education to alleviate poverty.
The centre aims to engage learners with green principles.
Kevin has also researched the
Seaview Sustainable Project leading
him to a similar project with NGO
Love Story, based in the Joe Slovo
informal settlement next to Missionvale Campus.
Kevin’s multiple disciplinary research is supervised by Prof Mugendi
K M’Rithaa, President of the Interna-
CATCHING THE VIBE … Hundreds of students participated in the annual mass
dance in front of the South Campus Library as part of a strategy to welcome
first years to a vibrant on-campus lifestyle and coinciding with the Highways
to Byways Student Societies Expo. The event is organised by Arts and Culture,
Marketing and Corporate Relations, Student Counselling, Student Governance
and Student Housing.
GREEN PARTNERSHIPS … Architecture PhD student Kevin Kimwelle’s (far right)
research has forged partnerships with the Mandela Bay Development Agency
(MBDA), the Eastern Cape Institute of Architects and the Alliance Française. He is
joined by Vice-Chancellor Prof Derrick Swartz (from left), MBDA’s Dorelle Sapere
and the Alliance Francaise’s Aurelien de Chappotin. Photograph by Basil Brady.
tional Council of Industrial Design
– World Design Capital Cape Town
2014 and co-supervised by Development Studies’ Prof Janet Cherry.
Kevin represents the Alliance in the
Nelson Mandela Business Chamber’s
Green Task Team; he is a member of
the Mandela Bay Heritage Trust and
is pursuing a collaborative project
with PE’s Historical Society.
LEADERSHIP SUPPORT … Altogether 55 Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality Councillors recently attended a course in Public Accountability and Oversight in Local
Government presented by the Raymond Mhlaba Research Unit in the Department
of Public Management and Leadership. As part of NMMU’s role of community and
governance engagement, the Unit presented the course to empower Government officials and community members in good corporate governance. Reverend
Jesse Jackson (right), who was the guest of the Municipality, also addressed and
congratulated NMMU and the councillors on their achievement at the certification
ceremony. He is joined by the Member of the Executive Council in the Eastern Cape
Government, Pemmy Majodina (from left), Executive Mayor Benson Fihla and
Deputy Vice-Chancellor Institutional Support Dr Sibongile Muthwa.
NEW SKILLS … Altogether 37 societies’ executives attended an annual cultural societies’ workshop presented by Arts and Culture’s Brandon Matiwane and his colleagues to assist them with coordinating and planning skills and adherence to NMMU brand policies. The societies included the Debating, Drama, Botswana and
Deejay Societies and the Le Strada Choir. Among the representatives were Culture Consciousness Society’s Shareez Klaasen (from left), Marvin Zungu, Xolani Chubana,
Khanya Matshoba, Monwabisi Soxuza, Tony Classe and Mavovana Ziyanda.
10
We value excellence
George
TOP ACCOUNTING STUDENTS … First-year students Emile de Bruyn (front from
left) and Moreeda Parker, third-year Francelise Maartens and second-year Gizelle
Potgieter were congratulated by School of Accounting Director Prof Frans Prinsloo (back, from left), Accounting Sciences Department Head Beryl Prinsloo and
George Campus Principal Prof Quinton Johnson at the School of Accounting’s
annual awards at George Campus. No less than 128 subject distinctions were
attained by 36 BCom Accounting students and close to two dozen trophies were
presented. Prof Prinsloo pointed out that following the full SAICA monitoring visit
in 2014, NMMU’s CA programme was described as “excellent”, and a rating of
one was awarded to the programme (i.e. the highest rating SAICA can award).
See page 8. Photograph by Kelvin Saunders.
A TREE FOR THE FUTURE … George Campus Management and Student Council
representatives planted an Outeniqua yellowwood tree on T-shirt Tuesday as part
of NMMU’s 10-year celebrations. Campus Principal Prof Quinton Johnson (front,
second from right) was joined by student council leaders, Power Mabandla,
Balindi Hoho and Isaac Shai, Student Governance’s Sefoko Ramoshaba (front,
far right) and (back, from left), Academic Administration’s David Alexander,
Business and Economic Sciences’ Dr Marianne Doubell, Library Services’ Ndileka
Mtshizana, Education’s Dr Keith Arnolds, Natural Resource Management’s Prof
Jos Louw and Operations Director Martin Loubser. Staff units also each identified and shared a theme song which exemplifies the NMMU value system and
joined an impromptu soapbox engagement where they shared their views on
what distinguishes the NMMU brand.
Expert lecture
A WORTHY CAUSE … George Campus students showed their caring spirit and demonstrated their resilience and endurance
while participating in the 2015 Cansa Relay with the community at the Carpe Diem School in George in support of cancer
patients and survivors. The two teams of postgraduate students and SRC members devised a strategy to walk as many laps
as possible throughout the night. Agricultural Management MTech student Malaba Livhuwani completed a whopping 100
laps in celebration of NMMU’s 10th anniversary.
WHEELCHAIR ASSISTANCE … George Campus students assisted primary school learners from the George area who had
thoroughly enjoyed themselves at the wheelchair races held at the Garden Route Mall as part of the Outeniqua Wheelchair
Challenge (OCC). In celebration of NMMU’s 10th anniversary, George Campus has dedicated itself to participating in at least
10 corporate social initiatives and community outreaches for the year. George Campus has supported the OCC for the past
six years and this year close to a 100 staff and students dedicated their time and energy to both the wheelchair games at
the mall as well as the official OCC race the following day. Tasks included setting up the areas, registration, time-keeping,
prize-giving and matching of volunteers with participants.
F R E S H WAT E R
conservation
scientist and research associate
in NMMU’s Sustainability Research Unit Prof
Dirk Roux (above) recently presented an NMMU public lecture
on George Campus on freshwater
as “the most precious natural resource, critically threatened and
yet so difficult to protect”.
Only about 0.01% of Earth’s
water stock occurs as surface
freshwater, yet the well-being of
humanity is highly dependent
on the distribution, quality and
availability of this tiny fraction of
freshwater.
“Freshwater ecosystems must
be the most precious natural resource on Earth, yet, they have
already deteriorated to critical
levels and are regarded as more
endangered than land-based and
marine ecosystems, worldwide
and in South Africa,” he says.
We value excellence
11
Faculty news
HIV and Aids in the curriculum
“CLOSING the Gap: Integrating HIV and Aids in the
Higher Education Curriculum” was the theme for
the recent 6th Annual HEAIDS HIV and Aids Education Community of Practice (COP) colloquium
hosted by NMMU.
Altogether some 35 teacher educators from 26
higher education institutions in the country attended the colloquium.
The HEAIDS HIV and AIDS Education COP is an
initiative emanating from the recommendations
of the HIV and AIDS in Teacher Education Project in
2007 to 2010 and launched in 2010 at a colloquium
hosted by NMMU’s HIV and Aids Education Research
Chair, Prof Naydene de Lange, and supported by
HEAIDS.
Keynote speaker Pierre Brouard from the Centre
of the Study of Aids (CSA) at the University of Pretoria presented a paper on the “role of teacher educators and teachers in using HIV as a springboard to
a broader conversation about differences, diversity,
inclusivity and a “national” identity, which set the
scene discussion around “closing the gap”.
RAISING AWARENESS … Sandisiwe Gaiza (from left), Zethu Jiyana, Elethu Ntsethe and Takatso Mohlomi were
among the Education students’ group “Girls leading Change” who made a presentation with posters on addressing sexual violence on campus at the recent 6th Annual HEAIDS HIV and Aids Education Community of Practice.
Visiting Carnegie scholar Dr Mumbi Mwangi addressed the delegates at the launch of the exhibition on “integrating HIV and AIDS in higher educa-
FIRST PARTNERSHIP …
NMMU’s Family Business
Unit with Prof Elmarie
Venter (left) as head
recently partnered with
the Gutsche Family Trust
(GFI), represented by
Phil Gutsche.
International
accolades
STUDENTS who have completed the international sport management programme
offered by NMMU in conjunction with Fifa
and the International Centre for Sports
Studies (CIES) continue to fly the achievement flag.
Projects by students from the class of
2014 took second and third prize in the international competition run by the Fifa/CIES
network among their 16 host countries.
In 2013, students who completed the
NMMU programme took the top spot and
won a trip to the organisation’s headquarters outside Zurich in Switzerland.
This time, a project on issues affecting
governance and sustainability in amateur
football and another on the role of sport
in sustainable social development through
recycling took second and third spots respectively.
“The Department of Human Movement
Science wishes to congratulate the two
NMMU teams on their excellent work. Our
students continue to make us proud,” said
Fifa/CIES facilitator Vernon Oosthuizen,
NMMU’s programme manager for sport
management.
The winning project came from students
in Venezuela.
12
We value excellence
tion curricula”. The HIV and Aids Education Research
Chair will again host the HEAIDS HIV and Aids Education Community of Practice at NMMU in 2017.
Gutsche family partnership
NMMU’s Family Business Unit (FBU) recently
partnered with the Gutsche Family Trust (GFI)
whose funding will be earmarked to become a
STEP affiliate for the next three years.
“As the roots of the FBU are firmly grounded in
the Eastern Cape, the Gutsche Family was our first
and obvious choice as our partner in this endeavour. We believe that our association with the Gutsche Family will provide the credibility and stature to
be part of this global network,” said FBU head Prof
Elmarie Venter.
The Successful Transgenerational Entrepreneurship Practices Project, also known as the STEP
Project, was established in 2005 and is a global
applied research initiative that establishes learning partnerships between academics and business
families to explore the entrepreneurial process
among family businesses.
Currently more than 45 academic institutions
and leading business families worldwide have
joined as partners on the STEP Project to identify
and explore successful trans-generational entrepreneurship practices and to create a stream of
powerful practices and cases that empower families to build their entrepreneurial legacies.
Africa is currently still absent in this space and
the FBU has decided to take advantage of the opportunity to become part of this global network.
The FBU was established in 2010 as the only
one of its kind in South Africa and Africa and works
closely with leading scholars and family businesses
to provide excellence in family business research
and teaching, and to be a valuable resource for
family business owners, advisors to family businesses, researchers, and policy-makers interested
in the field.
Gallery
CELEBRATING TALENT … Music’s Junita van Dijk and the NMMU Choir and Ensemble performed at the recent Alumni Concert
at Weis Memorial Congregational Church in Schauderville where more than 1000 guests were entertained by the likes of
the St Teresa’s Primary School Choir, Salem Moravian Brass Ensemble, the Weis Memorial and Moravian Choirs, soloists including Tarryn Mintoor, Romano Jonathan, Angus Blaauw and Antonio Lawack. A commemorative plaque was also unveiled
acknowledging the gift of an NMMU organ to the Weis Memorial Congregational Church to benefit the broader community.
The event formed part of NMMU’s ten-year celebratory events in one of the local communities.
WALKING ALONG SIDEWAYS …
Building and Human Settlement
Development’s Franco Geminiani
found this crab on the road at North
Campus – far away from the sea.
TO THE BEAT ... This year’s annual Summer Jazz event was held at Madibaz Café
with more than 100 alumni and friends enjoying TwoTone Band’s music. All proceeds went to the Alumni Bursary Fund which was promoted at the event. NMMU
Alumni PE Chapter chair Law’ Shuaib Rahim (centre) and fellow alumni chapter
members, Engineering, the Built Environment and IT’s Sesethu Gqomo (left) and
Andrea Buchanan enjoyed the evening.
LIBRARY WEEK … NMMU Libraries joined national Library Week celebrations from
14 to 21 March with exhibitions including this one on Missionvale Campus with
Library and Information Services’ Lindsay Reid.
TECHNOLOGY GURUS … Cortex Accelerator Hub’s Matshego Koza and Thabo
Nonkenge (right) interacted with the students at the 4th annual NMMU Computing Sciences and Information Technology Careers Fair, hosted by the Graduate
and Student Placement Unit, together with the Unit for Co-operative Education
in the new Engineering Building on North Campus. The event boasted employer
representatives from 10 companies including Derivco, the Auditor General of SA, IDI
Technologies, Multichoice and Korbitec, all of whom praised the organisation and
student turn-out at the event. The Cortex Accelerator Hub (Convergence Partners)
is owned by one of South Africa’s most influential ICT leaders, Andile Ngcaba, who
was announced as NMMU Adjunct Professor at the beginning of the year.
TOP STUDENTS … Second-year
Dietetics students Michelle
Galloway (left) and Teresa
Wilson won prizes for the best
academic and best practical
achievement respectively at
the Dietetics Department’s
recent annual prize-giving
ceremony. Prizes were also
given for best projects, best
public speaker and the most
professional person. Futurelife
Eastern Cape dietician Angela
Bentley was the guest speaker
and prizes consisted of Futurelife health products. First-year
students also received prizes
for their efforts in the nutrition and blind-tasting games
during Orientation Week.
We value excellence
13
Staff
You can win
LUCKY readers can win one of three R100
Greenacres Shopping Centre vouchers and
two R100 University Shop vouchers. Just
read your talk@nmmu!
Congratulations to our March competition
winners: Madeleine Brown of Mechanical
Engineering, Vatiswa Zwelibanzi of the
Contact Centre, Lorraine Bacon of Finance,
Eleanor du Preez of Admissions and
Thando Teyise of Computing Sciences.
SUPPORT … Sister Act performers Arts and Culture’s Nicky-Ann Rayepen (from left), Student Governance’s
Karen Snyman, and students Shareez Klaasen and Allissa Matroos from the Performa Dance Society participated in Arts and Culture’s recent lunch-hour staff concert in the South Campus Auditorium. Other performers
included the Business School’s Wilma Nel, Business and Economic Science’s Dr Frans du Toit, the Madibaz
Band, the Two Tone Band and Campus Life Concert solo category winner Sibabalwe Mrwebi.
Gender-based violence
DID you know …
`` Gender-based violence (GBV) costs the South
African economy a staggering R28.4-billion to
R42.2-billion a year (Mail and Guardian, September 2014)
`` It is estimated that of all women killed in 2012,
almost half were killed by intimate partners or
family members
`` According to a 2013 global review of available
data, 35 percent of women worldwide have experienced either physical and/or sexual intimate
partner violence or non-partner sexual violence
`` Worldwide, an estimated one out of three women
is beaten, coerced into sex or otherwise abused in
her lifetime
`` Worldwide, an estimated one in five women will
become a victim of rape or attempted rape in her
lifetime
`` The rape statistic for South Africa for 2014
was 46 253 (127 rapes a day). The high incidence of rape means South Africa is referred
to as the “rape capital of the world”. South
Africa also has amongst the highest incidences of child and baby rape in the world.
Is GBV a problem in higher education?
Gender-based violence can occur anywhere … in
the workplace (sexual harassment) or with students
in residence (forced prostitution, sexual exploitation, forced rape or abortion).
Gender-based violence is a serious violation of
human rights and a complex problem. It is not specific to a particular country or region and women
and men of all regions, religion or ethnicity can face
gender-based violence.
While it can affect both men and women, women
are most affected. GBV can be divided into four main
categories: psychological, sexual, emotional or economic violence which can all be further subdivided.
It can be expressed in threats, intimidation, coercion
and not only physical violence.
14
We value excellence
The threat of perceived or actual violence can have
a devastating impact on people’s lives, choices and
decisions they make.
`` Physical abuse/violence – Slapping, kicking,
burning, strangulation, biting, threats of physical violence and injury which result in bruises,
fractures, chronic pain syndromes, fibromyalgia,
gastro-intestinal disorders and disability.
`` Sexual abuse/violence – Rape, coerced sex,
threats, forced prostitution and forced abortion
which result in sexually transmitted diseases,
HIV, unplanned pregnancy, pregnancy complications, abortion complications and female genital
mutilation.
`` Economic abuse/violence – Withholding of
funds, controlling access to health care or employment which result in poverty, isolation and
unemployment.
`` Psychological abuse/violence – Isolation, verbal
aggression, humiliation, degrading or humiliating behavior, repeated insults, belittling, cursing,
threats and stalking which result in depression,
anxiety, eating disorders, sleeping disorders, drug
and alcohol abuse, self-harm, post-traumatic disorders, shame, insecurity, and loss of ability to
function and carry out daily activities.
Fatal results of gender based violence are suicide,
femicide, AIDS-related mortality and maternal mortality.
The effects of gender-based violence can be devastating and long lasting.
As an institution upholding the value of respect
NMMU is opposed to any form of gender-based
violence as supported by our policies such as Sexual
harassment, Discrimination, etc.
To educate staff, students and the wider community the Campus Health Service will be hosting
a national conference focusing on Gender-based
Violence on 24 and 25 August in the South Campus
Auditorium.
Campus Health Services – Sister Linda Dalton
Answer the following questions
(from articles in this edition):
1. The new buildings, along with other
major projects since 2009, all form part
of the university’s award-winning urban
design f……..k (9 letter word).
2. South Africa’s biggest scientific project,
the Square Kilometre A…..y (5 letter
word), is unlikely to easily happen without
NMMU’s expertise.
3. NMMU’s big bash c………n (11 letter
word) – Madibaz Day – for both staff and
students will give everyone a chance to
reflect, rejoice and reignite their passion for
where they work and/or study.
Correct answers, along with your name,
surname, staff number, department and
telephone number, can be e-mailed to
[email protected] by 11 May
Schuinvilla Pharmacy, Newton Park,
charges no additional fees. Deliveries daily
to NMMU. Clinic now available. Tel: 041 364
2109; Fax: 041 365 2474. Online orders:
www.schuinvilla.co.za.
Rules
Only NMMU employees may take
part in this competition. Only e-mail entries
qualify for this competition. Staff who do not
have access to e-mail may ask a colleague to
submit their entry – just include the correct
name, department and phone number of the
person entering the competition. Your full
details must appear on the e-mail entry. Only
one entry per person is allowed. The judges’
decision is final.
Condolences
THE university extends condolences to the
family and friends of third-year Agriculture student Lelethu Juqu who passed away recently.
We also offer our condolences to the
following staff members whose family members recently passed away:
`` Academic Administration’s Magda Eybers
(her mother)
`` Chemistry’s Jacques Thomas‘ (his mother
and father)
Wellness
Congratulations to our staff who participated
in the recent Two Oceans marathon and half
marathon, the Cape Town Cycle Tour (former
Argus) and the local Vodacom Corporate
Triathlon.
Madibaz Sport’s Derrick Hoshe finished his 15th Two Oceans in 6:57.
Finance’s Shayne Hardiman
completed his third consecutive Two
Oceans marathon in 6:24.
Building and Human Settlement Development’s Wayne Draai completed
his first Two Oceans in 6:30.
School of ICT’s Prof Rossouw von Solms
participated for the fourth time as individual in the Vodacom Corporate Triathlon
Challenge (Corporate Ironman).
Business School’s Kavita Govindjee
completed her first Two Oceans 21km
in 2:51
Accounting’s Joné Pienaar (right) and her
husband Morné did the Cape Town Cycle Race
on their tandem in one hour and 44 minutes.
Accounting’s Johnathan Dillon finished his fifth Two Oceans marathon
in 6hrs 23min and also participated
in the Corporate Triathlon where he
completed the swimming and running
legs. He and a friend finished 49th
out of 470 teams in a time of 1hr 33
seconds.
More results
Two Oceans 56km
Education’s Prof Sylvan Blignaut
– 5:45 – his 20th race
Two Oceans 21km
Applied Design’s Christy Rennie
– 2:12
Quality Advancement’s Piet Roodt
– 2:37min
Cape Town Cycle Tour
Mechanical Engineering’s Andrew
Murray - just over two hours - his
21st
Mathematics’ Prof Maritz Snyders
– 2hours 1 minute – his first
We value excellence
15
Sport
SA REPS … Madibaz Cricket Club representatives (from left) Solomzi Nqweni (USSA), Hanno Kotze (SA Colts),
Edward Moore (USSA) and University Shop’s Baakier Abrahams (head coach: USSA) participated in the
recent Cricket South Africa Future Cup in Kimberley. Cricket South Africa introduced the Future Cup as a T20
Tournament in 2012 as part of their player development pipeline played between USSA (SA Universities), SA
Rural XI and SA Colts (Emerging SA u/23 team). The USSA team was selected at the conclusion of the USSA
Week in December in Johannesburg.
SA RECORD ... Chemistry’s Dr Gletwyn Rubidge
recently broke the South African Waters free-diving
record at the Eastern Province trials off the coast of
Noordhoek. His 74-metre constant-weight free dive
(without a diving cylinder) trumped the previous
record of former world record holder Trevor Hutton
by a metre. Hutton is Rubidge’s mentor. The South
African Waters record is one of the hardest to
conquer as a result of environmental factors such as
riptides and low visibility. Photograph The Herald.
TRIPLE THREAT ... Second-year Interior Design student Shane Kemp (right) and second-year BCom Business
Management and Industrial Psychology student Travis McGrath have both been included in the team that will
be participating at the 2015 International Triathlon Union (ITU) World Triathlon Grand Final Chicago in the
United States in September. They will both represent Triathlon South Africa in the 20 to 24 Male Age Group
Standard Distance race. Travis who at 20 years old is the youngest to compete in the Olympic distance race,
came third at the recent SA champs in his age group and 20th overall in the country. He is coached by NMMU
alumnus Richard Lawrie who has also qualified for the world event. Shane is coached by Karen Zimmerman
who has been voted South Africa’s Coach of the Year for coaching Lusapo April to the Olympics and third in
the NYC marathon. Karen also coaches two other NMMU track athletes.
REASON TO BE PROUD …
Second-year BA Psychology and Anthropology
student Avukile Jeke (left)
has been selected to
represent South African
Judo for the Blind team at
the Paralympic Games in
Rio de Janeiro in 2016. He
recently participated in
the Nedbank Championships for the physically
disabled in Germiston and
received both a gold and
silver medal to qualifying
for the Paralympics.
16
We value excellence
NATIONAL SWIMMER … Building student Thomas
Hansford achieved the finals in the 400m individual
medley and the semi-final in the 200m butterfly at
the Senior Nationals in swimming.
TRIPLE SCORE … Human Movement Science Department Head Dr Lynn Slogrove recently won the
Eastern Province Senior Women’s Golf Championship and will be representing EP at the South African
Senior Women’s golf tournament in Mpumalanga in
May. In February, she won the senior division at the
Eastern Cape Women’s Golf Association Championships, and then followed this up by becoming
both the stroke play and match play champion at
Humewood Golf Club.