Activate - Edition 7 2012

7/31/2019 Activate - Edition 7 2012

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A C T I V A T ERHODES U NI VE RS IT Y INDEPENDENT

STUDENT NEWSPAPER

EDITION 7 4 AUGUST 2012 SINCE 1947A Grahamstownmourns for

Marikana

www.activateonline.co.za


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03Newsdition 7 . 4 September 2012

Brenda Makweta

Parking marshalls in Grahamstownhave been let without anyomises rom the municipality, which

minated their contracts a year ago.

e Makana municipality is yet to hire

ew company or renew the contracts,

ving the employees with no basic

aries. hey also arent earning their

ual commission o 21 percent on

rking taris.

Makana municipality had a three

ar contract with Cape own-based

vice provider Advanced Parking

utions (APS), which ended in June

t year. he company operations

anager told Grocotts Mailthat they

longer operate with support rom

e municipality and have resorted to

rking on a monthly basis.

he employees are no longer granted

leave, access to disciplinary procedures

or UIF beneits. Dlabantu told GrocottsMailthat marshals rent parking areas

and meters, each with daily income

targets, and they are paid daily.

A parking marshal who did not want

to be named said to Grocotts Mail,

Now that we are renting space we

pay anything between R50 and R110

depending on which area. Sometimes I

go home with R38 or nothing at all i I

have not reached the target. Dlabantu

said that parking services play an

important role in town by generating

revenue or the municipality, regulating

traic low in the CBD, and o course

creating jobs.

He said that while marshals are not

law enorcers, they didnt capture

valuable inormation about traic low

and vehicle details to be used by the

police.

Parking marshalsfear for the worst

Indonesians celebrated their 67th anniversary of independence by having a palm tree

climbing compeon in Jakarta on August 17, 2012. Pic: TimesOnline

Youths in Mobasa, Kenya have been riong in what the Kenyan Prime Minister suspects as

underground organisaons that are trying to create fricon between Chrisans and Mus-

lims. A man is seen walking away from tyres that were set alight in these uprisings on August

29, 2012. Pic: Reuters

A young Afghan refugee poses with a plasc rie as he and other children celebrate the rst

day of the Eid al-Fitr fesval in Islamabad on August 20, 2012. Pic: TimesOnline

Ieel a strange mixture o reluctance and relie as I write this editorial. Tis edition

oActivate will be my last as editor. I eel reluctant because there is always more

to do and things that can always be improved upon. Although I also eel relieved

t it has come to an end, I am excited to stand back and watch. Tis year has been an

eresting experience; I have learnt so much and worked with some amazing people.

m excited to see where the new team takes the paper and I have every condence that

ey will do wellAround this time o year, other student organisations at the University also hand-over,

particular our student government, the SRC. We would have had a newly elected

C to announce by now, but alas, the rst round o voting did not reach quorum.

e same happened last year. Another issue that always seems to come up is that o

contested positions.

remember writing a similar editorial where I blamed this on student apathy,

dents not bothering about voting or running because they didnt care. I have

wever reconsidered that opinion. I wonder i the reason or not reaching quorum

d uncontested positions is because students have lost their aith. Faith that whoever

s the position will actually do a good job, hear their needs and make a dierence.

e general sense I get rom discussing student governance at Rhodes is that the SRC

is not working in peoples best interests, that a lot o money is spent on eld parties

and not enough in more important areas. Maybe no one wants to run or SRC as they

do not want to end up working or what is viewed to be a useless organisation with

incompetent people.

Judging by some o the posters or this re-election (yes, I am talking about the pink

one) I wonder i the people running realise the stigma attached to the SRC and i they

are really trying to change it. My opinion now is not that students are being apatheticby not voting but are protesting against the SRC as an organisation and the lack o good

candidates. What do you think? Am I totally o the mark? I welcome your comments

on our Facebook page.

Lauren Kate Rawlins

Editor-in-Chie

From the Editor

Sibulele Mabusela

Social networking impacts studentson a daily basis, and with theond round o the SRC elections

on to take place, what better way to

ow student politics than on socialworks?

Due to not reaching quorum

a result o student apathy, SRC

ndidates have had to take to the

ge again, making promises to all and

pealing to their ellow students or

es. While they hand out numerous

ers, put up posters and invite riends

their plentiul Facebook events, the

dent body stands armed with their

phones ready to criticise, and, on

rare occasion, compliment while

mpaigning on their behal.

One such criticism was tweeted by @

o_Sikhweni: I cant take Rhodes

C elections seriously at the rate these

ople are going. Sorry. It seems that

s year apathy is rie, and regardless

he last SRC presidential debate

nding second in South Arica it

seemed this did little to encourage

students to vote. @SiceloDumakude

also tweeted his reason or apathy:

Te ANC promises ree housing and

all service delivery...What is the SRC

candidates o Rhodes promising?? I will

not vote. shianeo V. Mamphaga usedFacebook to write about why quorum

wasnt reached: Personally think this

is just based on the dissatisaction o

the students in the calibre o leaders

that want to serve them nothing more.

Numerous debates ensued on the

Rhodes SRC page and continue to do

so with many o the students engaging

in lively banter.

Te excitement that seems to be

in the air should only subside once

the elections are over. Tey are set to

take place on the 5th o September,

subsequent to the Grazzle which will be

taking place on the 4th o September.

For now the student body will just have

to deal with corny slogans, excessive

advertising and a bout o comments

that ll the Rhodes SRC Facebook

page.

Te Rhode to SRC

Editor-in-chief:Lauren Kate Rawlins

Deputy Editor:Isabelle Anne Abraham

Content Editor:Kayla Roux

Managing EditorPalesa Mashigo

Online Editor:Alexander Venturas

Chief Media Supervisor:Megan Ellis

Chief Sub-Editor:Matthew Kynaston

Chief DesignerSimone Loxton

Assistant Designer:Mignon van Zyl

Chief Pics Editor:Anton Scholtz

Assistant Pics Editor:Niamh Walsh-Vorster

Illustrator:Katja Schreiber

News Editor:Sibulele Mabusela

Politics Editor:Marc Davies

Business Editor:Njabulo Nkosi

C&A Editor:Alexa Sedgwick

Features Editor:Karlien van der WielenFeatures Assistant Editor:

Nina McFallLifestyle Editor:

Sarisha DhayaA & E Editor:Elna Schtz

Sports Editor:Bridgette Hall

Science & Tech Editor:Brad de Klerk

Environment EditorShirley Erasmus

Advertising ManagerLethukuthula Tembe

Advertising AssistantsJustine Pearce

Adrienne Weidner

Advertisement Designer:Alex Bernatzky

Distribution Manager:Bulali Dyakopu

Community Engagement:Victoria Hlubi

Editorial Consultant:Craig Wynn

Contacts:Editor:

[email protected]

Deputy Editor:

[email protected]

Printed by Paarlcoldset,

Port Elizabeth

Front Page Pic: Mnikelo Ntabankulu, a representave of Durban-based shack-dwellers

movement Abahlali Base Mjondolo, speaks during the memorial and candle light vigil

held in honour of all those who died during the violence at Lonmin Mine in North-West

Province last month. See page 4 for f ull story. Pic: Anton Scholtz


4/12

04News & Environment Edition 7

Shirley Erasmus

n light o South Aricas growing energy

concerns and the global push or a

tainable way o generating electricity,

mmercial wind energy arms are becoming

ore common as an alternative power source.

ince the development o South Aricas rst

nd energy arm in Darling, more wind energy

ojects have been initiated by errapower, a

mber o the South Arican Wind Energy

sociation (SAWEA). Projects in Mpumalanga

d various areas within the Eastern, Western

d Northern Capes have been scheduled.

hile currently only two o these projects

ve been completed, many more are under

nstruction and will be completed in 2013.

n July 2012, Metrowind received approval

m Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality to erect

d operate a R550 million wind arm, located

Van Stadens, an area between Port Elizabeth

d Jereys Bay. Tis wind arm will begin

pplying 80 000 megawatt hours o electricity

the municipality and to Eskom in October

13, providing power to around 5000 or 6000

mes. With nearly 56 proposals or investors

wind arms in South Arica, the country

ms well on the way to achieving a renewable

ergy target.

Wind energy has many positive actors. Windergy is a ree, renewable uel, meaning the

m eventually pays or itsel. Te construction

wind arms is costly, but wind power prices

not have the fuctuations that buyers

perience with ossil uels. Wind turbines are

e to t the market as they come in dierent

es.

Wind energy arms also have negative

tors. Te most obvious o these is that the

ge turbines can detract rom the aesthetic

pearance o a skyline or a neighbourhood.

Additionally, the turbine blades have been

said to create a noise that disturbs residents

living within several kilometres o them. Te

massive turbine blades are also hazardous or

thousands o birds and bats which fy into

the blades and are killed. Tat being said,

millions o birds and bats are killed by fying

into power lines, buildings and by ingesting

pesticides. Te construction o such wind

arms may also damage the landscape; however,

the environmental impact these arms have

is signicantly less than those produced by

traditional energies.

In general wind arm energy seems to have

more pros than cons, and thus the proposed

developments place South Arica a step closer

to achieving its goal o generating green energy

and lowering our carbon ootprint.

Te winds of change

South Africas rst commercial wind farm near

Darling on the West Coast. Pic: Flickr

Hancu Louw

he people o this country no longer trust the leaders

o this democracy, said Pro. Barney Pityana during

his sermon at the Marikana memorial service held atCathederal on hursday aternoon.

hroughout the service various speakers continuously kept

mparing the current situation with similar incidents and the

itical climate during apartheid. Both Pro. Pityana as well as

hop Ebenezer Ntali were quick to speak out against the police

d asked that all sectors o civil society stand together to promote

ace and a spirit o orgiveness.

Various speakers had the opportunity to state and address the

gic events that took place at Marikana. Mnikelo Ndabankulu, a

resentative rom the Abahlali baseMjondolo social movement,

oke out strongly against police brutality saying that, killing

ople when they are exercising their constitutional rights

protest and strike is a grave threat or the South Arican

mocracy.

Ndabankulu attended the memorial service at Marikana and has

s to various miners who were present during the incident. I

ng my inormation to you, you are getting it rom the horses

outh, said Ndabankulu as he addressed the relatively small

mber o people gathered in the Cathedral. According to him,

police and army responded irst which sparked the situation

d caused it to escalate.

An invite to address the issue publicly and openly was sent to

rector Vakala Moyakhe rom the Grahamstown police but no

resentatives rom the South Arican Police were present at the

vice.

MP Giyose rom Jubilee South

Arica pledged his solidarity to

the miners and the amilies o

the deceased. Giyose accused

mine owners and miningcorporations o always looking

to exploit the South Arican

workorce. he mining owners

and bosses are the enemies o

this country, he said. Giyoses

speech was largely based on

the incitement o violence,

comparing the situation to that

o apartheid. He concluded his

speech saying, we are a civilized

nation and thereore its our

duty to mourn our dead.

he service was mostly

attended by members o the

Unemployed Peoples Movement

(UPM) as well as a handul o

students and Grahamstown

residents. Some students as

well as lecturers took part in the march to the police station on

Beauort Street ater the service, intending to sing a closing hymn

outside the police station so as to oer their condolences to the

two allen policemen who died at Marikana and oster a peaceul

relationship with the local police orce.

On arrival at the police station, sta seemed unaware o the

situation. Kernel Nell inally responded to the crowd but seemed

unaware o the intent o the marchers and discussed the current

decrease in crime rates in Grahamstown, rather than engaging

with the issue o Marikana and the stance o the South Arican

Police as well as the local police station. When asked to respond to

the issue at hand Nell said, it is not the best job being in the South

Arican police we ask or your prayers to help us do our jobs more

eiciently.

Grahamstown mourns Marikana slayings

Bishop Ebenezer Ntali (le) leads a procession of the congregaon which gathered to mourn for the people

who died during the violence at the Marikana mine in the North-West last month. The procession started atthe Cathedral and moved to the police staon on Beaufort Street where a police representave addressed

the crowd. Pic: Anton Scholtz


5/12

05BusinessSeptember 2012

Njabulo Nkosi

he International Monetary Fund

(IMF) has issued a stern warning to

South Arican authorities to address

employment or risk acing political and

ial instability, reports Business Day Live.

employment is dened as a section o the

our orce that is able and willing to work but

able to nd gainul employment. Te current

el is at around 25%, which is roughly what it

s been since 1994.

Many policies have been put in place which

end to change this, such as the youth wage

bsidy. Tis is provision o work experience to

youth, which Ebrahim Patel, SAs economic

velopment minister, described as going

where slowly. In addition, other attempts

at the creation o jobs, based on the stagnant

unemployment rate, have been ineective. One

o the main reasons or this is the education

crisis in South Arica.

According to the National reasury, the key

objective regarding education is to ensure

that all learners in the South Arican schooling

system access quality education through the

eective implementation o all policies and the

approved curriculum, and by reviewing and

rening the areas that do not contribute to

quality education.

Te dedication to this aim can be seen in

the highest national budget allocation o more

than R130 billion (20% o GDP). Despite these

plans, and nancial resources, the education

system and authorities are ailing to meet their

mandates.

Only a quarter o pupils that begin Grade 1

complete Grade 12 and make it to university.

SAs adult literacy level remains lower than those

o various other emerging markets, and 50% o

schools are built in their projected time rame.

Tis, along with the recent ailure to deliver

textbooks in Limpopo, highlights the ailures o

government to deal with the education crisis.

Other closely related issues are ination

and government debt. Ination is a sustained

tendency or the prices o goods and services to

rise and currently sits at 4.9%. Government debt

is money owed by the government to outside

nanciers. Tis is currently at 42% o GDP and

stands at manageable levels but inappropriate

policy decisions by government could lead to

unmanageable debt and ination levels. aking

into consideration the economic challenges o

unemployment, education, ination and the

government debt, the success in curbing these

rests on the economic knowledge and priorities

o policy makers.

Allister Sparks, a veteran journalist and

political analyst, says that Te problem is that

Zumas government is doing nothing while

serious problems compound themselves. Te

knowledge o the government and President

Zumas current stance has been questioned.

We dont know whether he is a socialist, a ree

marketer or a communist; or whether he is all

o these or none o them, said Sparks. Current

economic debates (nationalisation and the

youth wage subsidy) and social crises, like the

Marikana massacre, all aect the country, and

the economic knowledge and priorities o the

government are pivotal to the countrys success.

Government ofcials economic knowledge

Militarism to resolve conflicts in countries facing political and social battles is causing globalinstability this undermines possibilities for lasting solutions that are in the interest of thepopulations facing conflicts.

- Jacob Zuma

R8.4438 / 1 USD

R10,6152 / 1 EUR

R13.3166 / 1 GBPExchange

rates:

Transactional crime

$870 billion is the yearly turnover o transactional organised criminal

networks. 1.5% o g lobal GDP is attributed to transactional crime.

70% o illicit prots are likely to be laundered through the nancial system. Yet

less than 1% o the prots are intercepted and conscated.

$320 billion is the yearly amount generated by drug trafcking. In 2009, the

global cocaine and opiate markets were estimated to be $85 billion and $68

billion respectively.

2.4 million people are trafcking victims in the world at any one time. In

Europe, this brings in $3 billion yearly and involves 140 000 victims at any one

time.

$6.6 billion was made in 2009 through the illegal smuggling o 3 million

migrants rom Latin America to North America. In 2008, 55, 000 migrants

were smuggled rom Arica into Europe or $150 million.

$3.5 billion is generated annually by trafcking in timber.

$75 million yearly is made by illegal trade in ivory, rhino horn and tiger parts

rom Arica and Asia. Te number o rhinos killed by poachers in SA rose

rom 13 in 2007 to 448 in 2011 and is projected to be 600 in 2012.

$250 billion is generated rom countereiting each year.

Petrol price to rise by 93 cents:I-net Bridge reports that the energy

department says the retail price o petrol will increase by 93 cents per litrenext week with diesel rising by 69 cents per litre.

Despite China slowdown, Australia miners bet on Arica:Reuters reports

that Australian miners are betting that Arica will be the next rontier or

iron ore, as they look beyond a all this week in the price o the steel-making

ingredient to its lowest level in nearly three years

Greek deence workers protest: Washington Postreports that dozens

o uniormed police ofcers have protested peaceully outside Greece's

Parliament against pay cuts that are planned under the government's new

austerity drive.

Banks are cutting charges in a managed way: Mail & Guardian report that

FirstRand and Investec CEOs tell leadership summit in Sandton that bankers

are not ripping o clients or the use o their services.

Jobless rate higher or women, even with schooling:Business Dayreports

that there is a gender-specic pattern in the unemployment rate by level o

education, and the gender gap is widest among those with a ull secondary

education, says Statistics SA.

Business Round Up


6/12

06Photo Feature Edition 7

WarwickJunction

MarketBy Lauren Rawlins

If you have ever spent time in Durban, you have

definitely driven through Warwick Junction,

where two freeways cross overhead and the

main public transport depot is. Taxis, busses and the

metro train all stop off there. Surrounding this flurry

of transportation are nine intertwined markets.

These markets offer everything from fresh vegetables

to colourful beads.

1

2

3 4

1. The Victoria Street Bead Market is open everyFriday and reveals a vibrant display of handcraed

work by vendors form all over Kwa-Zulu Natal at

very cheap prices. During the rest of the week, this

space doubles as an open air pool hall available to

members of the public.

2. The Impepho and Lime Market runs under one

of the freeways. Vendors sell lime that is used

to disnguish trainee and qualied tradional

healers from all parts of the province. They work

on a two week rotaon. For one week they will

mine the lime in northern parts of KZN and for the

other week will come to sell their wares. During

the week of selling, they will sleep with under the

freeway.

3. This graveyard that runs alongside the BrookStreet Market is home to the Badsha Peer Shrine.

It was the rst cemeteries in Durban to have

Muslim, Jewish and Chrisan secons alongside

one another.

4. The Herb Market that runs over the freeway is a

place where tradional healers have over 700 stalls

where can be purchased medicine for any ailment.

Pics: Lauren Rawlins


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07Photo FeatureSeptember 2012

5. The Early Morning Market is over 100 years old and is a huge warehouse lled with

fresh fruit and vegetables. There is also a poultry secon where one can buy live chickens.

This market is open before 5am everyday with the freshest produce delivered directly

from the surrounding farms.

6. The Music Bridge Market is a bridge that runs over the juncon and is directly accessible

from the taxi rank.

7. The Bovine Head Market provides customers with an authenc isiZulu delicacy. The

head of a cow is chopped up and served with steamed bread. This is one of the busiest

markets and serves many customers daily.

Pics: Lauren Rawlins

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6

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8/12

08Features Edition 7

na McFall and David Peek

Ithought I had no preconceptions of what

a skydiver should look like, but I was

surprised when they looked more like men

o could be selling you a car than people who

ng themselves out of planes as a day job.

hey wore wedding rings instead of stubble

d tattoos. I was lucky enough to win a

-second tandem freefall from 10 000ft (3km)

th EP Skydivers in a Grahamstown Now

mpetition earlier this year.

o, I resigned myself to an inevitable death

d went to cash in my prize. Falling was the

y part. Waiting was the worst.

eparation: After putting on my flying suit

r warmth, it was 3 degrees at 10 000 ft) and

achment harness, James my enthusiastic

meraman held the GoPro in front of my

viously-nervous face and asked me how I

s feeling. Silly question.

could tell the skydivers were experienced

ofessionals from the way they tried to psyche out by joking about faulty equipment and

fective parachutes.

The instructor to be wary of is not the one

amatically checking your space suit and

ling you how he has only worked there for

o weeks, but rather the loud one who brags

out his 10 years of experience and eight

ousand jumps. Be warned, these people are

t going to reassure you that its going to be

they are skydivers, not PETA members.

eir day job is extreme, and they will taunt

you for kicks and money. Its all part of the

package.

I was loaded into the tiny seatless aeroplane

along with my boyfriend Dave, our tandem

masters and the cameramen.

Only two of us could jump at a time as the

plane seats a maximum of six, and we had an

entourage: Daves brave mom waited her turn

on the ground and jumped after us.

The plane trip was

surprisingly lengthy:

it took 20 minutes to

reach our drop zone. All

the while the altitude

instrument strapped to

my tandem masters arm

was rising.

2 000 t: I realise it is too

late to change my mind.

4 000 t: I force myself to laugh at Joos my

tandem masters broken-harness antics. I

sound hysterical and smile showing too many

teeth.The land below has begun to lose definition

and looks like a piece of geometrically divided

green paper. I have no perception of height.

5 000 t: We are halfway there, and in ten

minutes we have travelled the same distance I

will fall in 35 seconds.

8 000 t: I am attached to the front of Joos

harness via four connection points.

9 000 t: The plane door is opened.

10 000 t - The Fall: The cameraman climbed

out before me and hung outside the plane in

order to capture every second of my reluctant

departure. I had to scoot towards the open

door and dangle my feet outside the plane.

Joos scooted forward further, so that I was

suspended in thin air above a Google Earth

tapestry.

The wind was loud. Are you ready?

Joos shouted from behind, to which the

squeaky reply, No!, came. I was given a few

seconds to collect myself.

Remember the banana

position, Joos reminded

me. I had been told earlier

that the banana position

was the most important

thing about skydiving.

If you dont banana, you

meat bomb. Hips must

be forward and legs bent

back between the tandem masters to create

a backwards banana-like curve while in freefall.

Are you ready? Joos asked again. Ye- was

all I could reply before we plummeted fromthe plane. I saw a flash of blue then green, and

only realised after watching the video that we

had somersaulted out.

It didnt feel like falling. No sick, lurching

sensation like during turbulence. The gale-

force wind rushing past my face was the only

clue that we were actually moving. I felt like I

was static in a wind tunnel.

The earth didnt rush towards me, it merely

seemed to expand. I spread my arms out wide

and I was flying. The view was astounding.

I could see snow-topped mountains and the

ocean at Algoa Bay. I didnt notice if my ears

popped with the changing altitude, or the near-

freezing temperature. I felt no fear. A swarm

of wasps could have joined me in freefall and I

would have felt no pain.

The chute: A strong jolt swung me vertical. I

looked up and saw the arching red and yellowparachute above me. Joos gave me control of

the handles and demonstrated which way you

turn with a left or right tug.

He then pulled my left handle down all the

way and we went into a spin. I felt like my

head was pinned in one place while my feet

swung around it. The pressure of all the blood

rushing to my feet made them tingle, and I was

dizzy with G-force.

Once righted, the parachute allowed for a

much slower descent of at least five minutes

which gave me a chance to take in the view.

Only when I saw people on the ground could

I could put the height into perspective. It felt

as if we were slowly drifting downward, andwhen we were about 500ft up everything was

suddenly moving quickly and the ground

rushed towards my feet. We plopped down and

I was untangled from both harness and chute

strings.

Solid ground now feels dull, and Im set on

becoming an adrenaline junkie.

Full videos of David Peek and Nina McFalls

skydives are up on ACtivate Online - http://

activateonline.co.za

My frst time skydivingna McFall and Joos Vos in freefall. Pic: James Williams

If you dontbanana, youmeat bomb


9/12

09Features and Arts & EntertainmentSeptember 2012

Karlien van der Wielen

By the middle of my trip to Italy, I was

sick, tired, and my ankle looked like an

angry blue puffer fish. I had seen the

nders of Rome, stared in awe at the wastes

Pompeii and arrived in our third destination

ly to fall prey to the gnat swarms of Naples.

ples the bane of my holiday was defeating

e. And this crushing realisation made me

nder whether saving up a years sub-warden

ary for my Italy trip-of-a-lifetime was at all

rth it. The answer: totally.

started my trip in the Netherlands so that

ould meet up with my sister. From there

flew to Italy for 17 days of self-indulgent,n-packed tours of our own planning. We

gan in Rome, swept down to the ruins of

mpeii, festered in the bowels of Naples and

en traipsed up to Tuscany, where we visited

nna, Lucca and the all-important Florence.

o trip to Italy is worth anything without going

Florence.

Heres what most travellers forget to anticipate

en they start off on their trip: things will

wrong at times horribly, at others only

ghtly. Before my trip started, I had thought

out this canonical piece of wisdom. I knew

at I would get sick. I anticipated food

poisoning. I was even 100 percent sure I would

twist my ankle before the trip was done.

What I did not anticipate was snoring, an

Argentine and weird European toilets.

Being young and technically broke (European

trips tend to empty the bank account), we

stayed in hostels for most of our trip. Here

we met an Argentine. And Im not really

stereotyping nations here. I call him the

Argentine because that was the only fact we

could exchange between his broken English and

my single-word Spanish. Hola! can only get

you so far.

This Argentine was an element in the foul

cauldron that was my experience of Italys most

controversial city Naples. In the eight-bedmixed dorm room we shared with him, he was

hated by seven others.

Every single night, he would get up once we

were all asleep and turn off the air-conditioning

in the room. Naples in the middle of July

reaches the high 30s and doesnt cool off at

night. Imagine eight people in a tiny, almost-

dilapidated room in 38 degree heat and no air

conditioning, fan or airflow.

And then there is the snoring. I was not aware

how many people suffer from this affliction.

If ever you plan on staying in a hostel, take

earplugs. I met the nicest Canadian girl on

our first night in Rome. We chatted about

the weather, our travel plans, our countries.

She turned in and my sister and I agreed

on how pleasant she is. And then she fell

asleep. Whereas men snore with a loud and

pronounced hack, hers was the continual scrape

of a saw over glass. At least it wasnt like the

Argentines snores. The Argentine brayed like

a donkey, and the night his friend shared our

room, they snored in chorus.

The toilets... lets not go there. I simply wont

go into them. But for all my complaining, it

did actually turn out to be the expected trip

of a lifetime. Rome is beautiful, crowded and

crumbling the city of eternal repairs.

Magnificence does not begin to describe someof the things I saw there. But for all the glory

of St Peters Basilica and the Colosseum, my

favourite site was a small monastery on Via

Veneto what used to be Romes swankiest

street in the La Dolce Vita days.

This Monastery Il Convento dei Cappuccini

contains six crypts that are decorated by the

remains of over 4000 Capuchin monks. The

Capuchins take death very seriously. No one

is completely sure what drove one of their

brothers to liven up the crypts with installations

such as The crypt of Shin-bones and Thigh-

bones. The first crypt of the Three

Skeletons contains an epigraph that reads:

What you are now we used to be, what we are

now you will be in three different languages.

Pompeii cannot be described by a former

Classics student to anyone who does not

understand. The paradoxical wonder of

history captured in a moment of abject horror

is something that should be experienced

to appreciate. You have to stand over the

screaming, smiling and choking casts of people

long decayed to get a sense of their terror, and

their significance.

Once we moved on from Naples (reviews are

mixed I didnt like it, but the dilapidation has

some elementary charm, and the Bay is quite

breathtaking), we experienced the charmingmeander that is Tuscany.

It is a different world: Rome, Pompeii,

Naples they all have strong ties to the ancient.

North, think art, countryside and the pastoral

personified. Walled cities, rolling hills, 18th

Century villas with antique furniture, creaking

floorboards and scary hallways such is

Tuscany.

All in all, it was worth a years toil.

Expectations were met, disappointed and in

places, dashed. I marvelled at Tuscany and

Rome, hated Naples and it only took me 15

minutes on the cobblestones to twist my ankle.

Moans, bones and cobblestones: a summer in Italy

By Zuleka Pukwana & Olona Tywabi

Vibrant and energetic, the rock/blues band Sunship is a gem ofthe Grahamstown music scene, as

anyone whos seen them can confirm.

Sunships average age may be

higher than most local bands, but

this has never stopped them from

wowing the crowds. Theres more

than one lecturer in the team: StratoCopteros (drums) and Larry Strelitz

(lead guitar, vocals and harmonica)

are both from the Journalism

Department. The other members are

Anton Brink, on bass and Rick van

Heerden is the bands newest member

on saxophone.

In its early stages, the band mainly

performed covers of other bands,

but they have since added original

songs to their line-up. Our genre

caters for all age groups and all walks

of life Strato said, when describing

a performance at Champs Sports

Bar. The crowd was made up of

Grahamstownians, including a few

okes from the township, he jokes.

Their music is an adaptation of

old blues, with Strato naming The

Tananas and Hugh Masekela as his

main musical influences. The band

has also been influenced by The Who,Robert Johnson and Muddy Waters.

They meet up on Sundays for

a rehearsal and to work on their

original music. For Strato, these

Sunday sessions are more of a jam

than a rehearsal. The love of music

keeps you young, he said. When

asked if the band would ever release

an album, Strato said Yeah sure, if

the opportunity ever arises, but we

perform for the love of music.

Lecturers who rockBy David Mann

Live Music Nights at Olde 65

Live music is rocking Olde 65 every Wednesday night. Theres something or everyone with a mixture o Indie,

Rock n Roll, Soul and Blues, with local bands and artists such as Danni Bowler, Small Town Moon, El Toro and

The Footnotes. The nights kick o at 8pm with dirt cheap entrance charge and antastic drink specials. Pull

through i youre looking or a relaxing end to the day or a lively start to the night.

Picture Pot

Masincedane Soup Kitchen will host Picture Pot again! The undraiser will showcase A5 pictures, etchings,

drawings, cakes, pottery and anything else you can create. For R20 you can go and view the artwork on display

and at the end o the event you get to take a piece o artwork home with you. I you would like to create a pieceo A5 artwork to submit or the event, make sure that you drop it o at 32 Somerset Street or in the boxes in

the English and Journalism departments by the frst Friday o next term. Keep an eye out or more details o the

event to be released soon.

Live Music Society Battle of the Bands

Rhodes Live Music Society will be hosting their annual Battle o the Bands in the ourth term. Local bands

will play and compete against each other or ame and a variety o prizes. The battle will kick o on the 22

September and will run every Saturday, with three to our bands competing against each other per round until

a winner emerges. I you are interested in participating contact [email protected]. Deadline or entries is

Friday 14 September.

Gig Guide

betan monk in St. Peters. Pic: Karlien van der Wielen Vacan City from the dome of St. Peters. Pic: Karlien van der Wielen


10/12

10Lifestyle Edition 7

By Sarisha Dhaya

A

new soup-ordering business,

astes Like Home, was launched in

Grahamstown by Vanessa Knight on the

6 August 2012.

Between being a ulltime student and

holding down two jobs, Knight has

spiced up her lie a little more by making

and selling her own soup.

She spends some o her aernoons

and nights making resh soup in her

apartment kitchen. Knight says that her

reezer is lled with them, because she

cooks daily.

It takes her hal an hour to make ve

portions. On average she has two to our

orders per day and is busiest over the

weekends.

Knight says she has developed a smallbut steady customer base: she can count

on regular orders, as well as one or two

extras. Most people that try my soup

come back again or more, Knight said.

Te most popular avour or rst-

timers is mushroom, but people are

getting more adventurous and trying

new ones, said Knight.

One o her customers, JD Mwaura,

has tasted a variety o avours including

butternut, bacon and leak and potato,

and says they are denitely value or

money, and o very high quality.

Knight does not have any transport

but usually meets customers with

their orders on campus or meets

them somewhere accessible in town.

Everything is arranged beorehand via

word o mouth and Facebook and by

handing out yers with every order and

posting them around campus. Knights

boyriend, Cory Smit, has helped with

design and marketing the business, and

is also in charge o being the chie taster

a job which he relishes.

When asked why she is providing this

service, Knight answers that she wanted

to share her gi o cooking skills and

make some money too. Depending on

the protability o the business, Knight

sees this as a long-term business venture.Soup choices include the ones listed

above as well as chicken and vegetarian.

Tey can be ordered with a health

option too, where cream and oil can be

removed.

Tey come in single and double

servings and are priced at R16 and R23

respectively. Orders can be placed on the

Facebook page (www.acebook/tastes.

like.home.soups) or by calling Vanessa

directly on 0797740457.

Homerun withhome-made soupInga Sibiya

She was born in East London, schooled inGrahamstown and matriculated with the intentionstudy medicine. Now Khanya Ngumbela is aiming

the top.

V kinda just ell on my lap, the ICE model says.

calling the audition experience or My op Billing

eam competition, Khanya adds, My boyriend

shed me into it. I was very unprepared.

seems that her natural charisma and camera

emistry caught the attention o the judges as she was

led back the next day and progressed to becoming

e o the op 10 contestants in the race.

Its all been a sign, the ormer Diocesan School

Girls (DSG) student insists. Her passion had been

diovascular medicine, but while on a journey o

-discovery on her gap year, Khanyas plans decided

go in one direction whilst she strutted down the

walk o another.

omewhere between an aesthetically-appetising

batical in Paris and Khanyas disciplined devotionmotivational books, she was cyber scouted.

Discovered on Facebook, her already impressive CV

ludes presenting or ZOOPY V on zoopy.com, ad

mpaigns that boast designers rom the likes o Hilton

einer to 7UP, and being the MC or major events on

social calendar.

our skin has to be as thick as the make-up they paste

your ace in the industry, your backbone as stable

d strong as the tripods that hold the cameras that

tch you so avidly. Having to decipher constructive

ticism rom conniving competitiveness, sincere

sentiment rom superciality, takes a lot o training.

Teres no spoon eeding in the industry, in the

op Billing competition, nowhere, Khanya says. It is

having to master looking the part, appealing to the

appropriate audience and being yoursel all at thesame time that proves show business is not or the

aint o heart. Te VIP treatment the My op Billing

Dream hopeuls are received seemed to cushion the

blow. Although they were living the dream, the stakes

humble them, it is a competition aer all, Khanya

says.

In less than two years this model-come-V

personalitys career has earned her airtime with the

likes o op Billings Jeanni D and Generations Zama

Ngcobo. Although she didnt win the My op Billing

Dream competition, this happy star still shines.

Catching up with Khanya

Jean-Jaques Moolman

claimed my rst antelope at the age o 11. Tis was a pinnacle

point o my lie as it is something o a rite o passage in the

nting community. As a result, hunting plays an exceptionally

ge part in the lie o a person who grows up in that

vironment.

was introduced to hunting at a very young age. I believe that

ough hunting, I was introduced to many amily members that

therwise would not have got to know. It was never something

t I was orced into, nor have I met anyone who was orced into

Hunting played an immensely important role in my lie and

ght me more about nature than any textbook has. Every

mal which is shot is used and NOHING is ever shot and not

used. Hunting oen takes place out o necessity, and i it is done

in a commercial capacity, then no animal is wasted.

As ar as the experience goes, it is an adrenaline rush, very

much like a sporting event or playing in a sporting match. You

hunt on the animals terms and, i you are able to beat the animal

at its own game, you get it.

Right rom the beginning o the stalk (stalking the animal to get

close enough) you are on edge, everything is at a high you hear,

see, smell and eel so much more. Te experience is something

that you cannot really explain.

It is not primal but makes you eel more alive and part o theworld. You are lled with excitement throughout the hunt, right

until you claim your trophy.

Even i you dont end up being able to get the animal, the

experience is well worth the efort and indeed memorable. Getting

the animal is the cherry on top, but the entire build-up to the

point at which you either catch the animal, or it evades you, is an

experience like no other.

Depending on the traditions and history o the arm you hunt

on, it will dictate i you have to smear the blood o the rst kill on

your ace. Some do, some dont, but it is like every other tradition

and is part o your rst hunt.

Aerwards, the kill is taken back and skinned. It is then either

sold to a butcher, or the meat is worked by the owners themselves

and turned into various cuts o meat or used as biltong. Te

skin is then usually salted and used or whatever application theindividual sees it t or.

rophy animals are sometimes mounted in order to honour the

experience that was the hunt and to a degree, honour the animal

that provided the experience.

My happy hunting

Ruan Scheepers

Audi has been at the oreront o design and build quality

in recent years, and its business as usual with the new

baby. No time or efort has been spared making the A1 anractive, quality product.

Te LED-inused headlamps and sporty styling, coupled with

brushed aluminium roo line gives the car head-turning

peal.

However beore you get too excited, consider how much you are

ling to spend on a small city car. With prices starting at R220

0 its not a lullaby to a bank balance. Especially not considering

act that you receive a measly little 1.2 litre engine producing

y 63kw.

Audis suggested uel consumption gures that are between 3.9

4.9l per 100 km are without doubt on the optimistic side in

l-lie driving situations. Nonetheless, the consumption o this

is minimal which does allow or the steady recovery to your

llets skint state.

Te A1 has our engine options: the 1.2FSi, and two 1.4FSi

motors producing 90kw and 136kw respectively, as well as a

1.6Di producing 77kw. Te diesel is said to eel unrened in

comparison to the petrol models, but is very economical.

Te A1 is aimed at the upper middle-class student or young city

navigator. Te overall package is a good one and being an Audi, itis reassuring to know that you are driving a truly quality product,

which will no doubt retain some re-sale value.

Te A1s cabin is garnished with resh design elements and up-

to-date technology as well as supreme build quality, synonymous

with Audis. Te Germans seem adamant that the new A1 is

a small car packaged like its much bigger brothers. One can

hardly argue with six airbags, AUX port or your tunes, SAnav,

Bluetooth, ABS and leather upholstery and a 7-speed ipronic

gearbox. What you dont get told is that most o these eatures are

optional extras and add to the small ortune you need to cough up

to own a small Audi.

In summary then, this is a very nearly sorted little car. Te

138kw 1.4 turbo starts to evoke an atmosphere o excitement right

up to the point where you are acquainted with its R312 000 price

tag. Admittedly, it is a bit o a good girls car.

No man points or being seen in one o these. However, I want

to like this car. Tere is something pleasantly cheeky and resh

about the styling and it perorms well on paper, but wheres the

excitement? Im araid then, as long as the world has the Ala Mito,

Citroen DS3 and the Mini Cooper S, the Audi is a benchwarmer.

Its good - and thats the problem

Former DSG pupil, Khanya Ngumbela, placed in the top 10 of

the My Top Billing Dream compeon. Pic: Supplied.

The new Audi A1 is appealing in looks and funcionality but a hey price

tag could be its downfall. Pic: AutoMotor und Sport


11/12

September 201211

Comment & Analysis

Wynona Latham

his was the cry sung by emale

protestors as they marched against passlaws during apartheid: You strike a

man, you strike a rock!

We celebrate Womens Day in honour o those

o protested in Pretoria or the equal rights

all and yet today there is still disparity in

hts between genders.

Troughout the history o the human race,

role o women in society has been many

ngs: mother, cook, nurse and teacher. With

rise o womens surage in the early 20th

ntury and the second wave o surage,

minism began to expand the possibilities o a

mans role in socie ty.

oday there are many international and local

oups combatting the issue o gender violence

d inequality or women.

Te movement had its inuence in South

rican history with emale activists like Lilian

oyi, Albertina Sisulu, Sophia Williams-De

uyn and Helen Joseph, who collectively led

Womens March in 1956.

Groups like the Arican National Congress

omens League (ANCWL) and the Womens

ence o the Constitution League (better

own as the Black Sash) were anti-Apartheid

mens organisations which had strong

minist undertones.

ut what o eminism now? Problems have

en raised about the movement, with some

tics saying that eminism is anti-male, that

s still westernised and that it has becomemovement o pseudo-eminists that preach

xualisation as empowerment. Aer more

an a hundred years o existence, has the

minist movement made any gains in creating

ociety o equal sexes?

Catriona Macleod, Psychology lecturer

We need to talk about eminisms in the

ural rather than eminism in the singular,

there are multiple orms o eminisms.

though there is commonality around

ghlighting gender discrimination,

erent orms o eminism have dierent

derstandings o the nature o the person

d the nature o the social world, and

ghlight dierent aspects in terms o

ndered power relations. So, in considering

e successes or ailures o eminisms,

need to ask, Which eminisms?,

d Concerning what kind o gender

crimination? In general, I think there have

en some successes and s ome ailures, and

at some processes that looked like successes

ve been subverted through new orms o

wer relations into ailures. As a eminist

ychologist, I am aware that we still need to

dress multiple orms o overt and subtle

xism and heterosexism (which

interweaved with racialised, class- and

ation-based power relations) that oppress

t only women, but also men.

of. Michael Drewett, Sociology l ecturer

one considers the dire position o women

entury ago and how many gains eminists

ve made in strengthening womens position

various contexts, criticism o eminism is

arly misplaced. Sure, there is a need or

tical reection, but only within eminism,

t against it. Womens rights still need to

addressed and or this reason eminism

mains a crucial movement across the globe.

Nadine Stein, Grahamstown Resident

As ar as I can see it is no longer about men

versus women, its become more about racism.

I think now that women give chase, the tables

have turned. Men have become soies and they

have not stood up or their rights like women

have. Real men are endangered.

Shadha Omar, BA LLB 5

I think that it has become too westernised. In

Arican and Indian cultures there is no equality

but most women are okay with that. Tese

women are still powerul. Tat being said, I do

think that men and women should be equal but

some o these issues are part o culture as well.

Matthew de Klerk, BJourn 3

I have to say that eminism is an oen times

contradictory territory. Its irreutable that

our society is grossly unequal in terms o pay,

societal power and treatment o women, but

then you see things like 50 Shades of Grey a

book that romanticises sexual objectication,

submission and abuse becoming bestsellers.

Richard Gowar, BA 1

I think men and women are equal but the

eminist movement can quite oen push their

agenda too ar. Due to this and also other

radical eminists, the eminist movement has

been given an unair connotation.

Siphokazi Magadla, Politics and

International studies Lecturer

As dened by eminist theorist Bell Hooks

in Feminism from Margin to Centre (1984),

eminist politics is a movement to end sexism,

sexist exploitation and oppression. Feminist

epistemologies argue that although what it

means to be a man and woman diers across

cultures and history, it is still possible to point

out that in most cultures gender dierences

signiy relationships o inequality and the

domination o women by men. Decades aerthe early eminist movement o the 50s and

60s occupied mainstream discourse, we can

say that much has been achieved, although

clearly much still needs to be done in achieving

equality or women. oday, women in most

countries have the right to vote and run or

ofce. New Zealand was the rst country to

allow women to vote in 1893, while so-called

democratic countries like the US only granted

women this right in 1920. In Saudi Arabia

women still cant vote or run or election,

while the King o Saudi Arabia granted women

the right to vote and run in local municipal

elections in 2011.

Equality or women is not only about politicalrepresentation, but the act that today the most

powerul country in Europe, Germany, is run

by a woman, and currently two Arican states

(Liberia and Malawi) are presided over by

women.

Tis speaks to some overtures about the right

o women to be leaders in their own societies.

It is a act that among the worlds poor, women

compose 70% o the poorest. Globally women

continued to be paid less than men in positions

where they do the same amount o work.

Tis is not just poor countries but even in

developed regions such as Europe and the US.

Te average American woman makes roughly

77.8 cents to every dollar earned by a man.In developing countries this gender pay gap

maniests itsel in the terrible low payment o

women working in actory shops in China,

India and elsewhere.

At least one in three o the worlds emale

population has been physically or sexually

abused. Nearly 50% o sexual assaults world-

wide are against girls een years or younger

and more than 2 million girls a year are

genitally mutilated.

All these horriying statistics speaks to the

pervasive inequality that women globally

continue to experience. In South Arica the

much-punted act is that a girl has a greater

chance o being raped than learning how to

write and read.

Te 2010 Medical Research Council and

Gender Links study on rape in Gauteng

showed that 78% o the sampled men had

testied to having raped a woman once

or more times in their lives. Quite clearly

eminism is NO about victimising men! Te

victim in this case is very clear. It is easier

to the sexist than racist because the same

individual who can ght or racial equality

can turn around and not understand sexual

equality.

Tis is the evidence that some o the women

in the liberation struggle proess to, that

despite their willingness to lay down their lives

or South Arican liberation, many o theirmale comrades still did not understand why

women wanted to be treated as equals.

Even though the ANC was

ormed in 1912, women only gained ull

membership in 1943. In the same vein

that the reason white women are included

constitutionally as afrmative action

candidates is the realisation that the apartheid

project was largely a boys club. I think it

is easier to be sexist than racist because our

public culture penalises racists but does

nothing with chauvinists.

ake the case o the white and black models

who had racist tweets earlier this year: the

public quickly reacted with outrage, while

in our music and politics it is still acceptable

to label women as bitches and all sorts

o unmentionables without a penalty. Our

president in South Arica proesses that he sees

women as equals yet he continually cheats on

his wives with women outside his marriages

without the decency to wear a condom to

protect them rom whatever diseases he might

expose them to by his philandering ways!

I would say that perhaps the agenda o the

eminist struggle today is not a preoccupation

with political rights because women in most

countries have gained those over the past 50

years.

Te challenge today is economic rights and

most importantly translating those legal andpolitical rights into womens lives in terms o

protection rom violence, access to institutions

such as education and elsewhere.

It is important to underscore that eminism

cannot rescue women rom patriarchy.

Societies must come to a realisation that all

kinds o inequalities racial, gender and

economic are not acceptable. I we look at

the marginalisation o women in South Arica,

we need to be asking why it is difcult or our

society to accept women as equals.

Equal Sexes: To be or not to be?

Aer a long and at mes controversial history, has the feminist movement made any great praccal gains?

Pic: Sourced


12/12

A sport

Ashleigh Morris

Sport may be all un and games), but as

children grow older, it seems some o

the un is being be replaced by pressure

ake part in sport and do well in it. Students

d teachers agree that these days there seems

be increased pressures placed on children

en it comes to sports.

ut where do these pressures come rom?

urvey conducted at local schools

ngswood College, Te Diocesan School

Girls (DSG) and St Andrews shows that

percent o pupils who eel pressured to

sport eel that this pressure comes rom

ir teachers at school. Kingswood College

ourages both their junior and senior pupils

do two sports per term, while at St Andrews

lege and DSG, it is compulsory to do a

nimum o two hours o sport per week. 12

cent o learners say they eel pressure rom

ir parents to do sport, while others say that

pils put pressure on themselves.

ead o Sport at St Andrews College, Pete

drew, says he agrees that there is defnitely

ssure placed on children to do sport.

However, he does not eel the pressure comes

rom the school, but rather that it is sel-

imposed.

He said that children have built up the

annual St Andrews versus Kingswood College

match into something much bigger than what

it actually is. You encourage kids to play to

win, because thats the objective. But youve got

to educate them that you cant win all the time

and you have to be able to deal with deeat.

DSG matric student, Chelsea Evans, says

she does not think that two hours o sport

per week is too much to ask o students. As

a lover o sport hersel, she says, We enjoy

sport so much that we make the time or it.

However, she went on to add that there was

greater pressure placed on those unwilling to

do school sport.

It seems pressure placed on boys to do sport

is also much higher than that placed on girls.

I youre not a sporty guy, everyone else in

the house is contributing [pressure] and youre

always pressured to give your all to make

your house look better, says a student rom

St Andrews, Greg Slack, who is also doing

matric this year. You do so much sport it gets

to a point where you almost resent the sport

because youre not there by choice.

Tese days it is considered cool to be part o

frst team sport in school and many children

push themselves to get into these teams. As

much as children may deny it, they do place

pressure on themselves to look good in ront

o their riends.

Pieter Serontein, Head o Sport at

Kingswood College says, You have to always

put pressure on your child to always do their

best, but its not pressure to try and obtain

a certain level o perormance. He went on

to say that its a good lie to be active, but

admitted to having seen numerous children

crack under too much pressure.

Many o the grade ten students rom St

Andrews and DSG eel that the pressure

placed on them to do sport is not necessarily a

bad thing. I we were not orced to do sport,

many people would be lazy, said one student.

Alice Hadden, another matric pupil rom

DSG, said she thinks the pressures and ocus

o sport should not be on doing sport itsel,

but rather on the health benefts associated

with it.

Te pressures of school sport

For the latest

sports news, visit

activateonline.co.za

SRC presidential candidates manifestosAter a year serving the students as

SRC Media Councillor, I have realized

and learnt many things about the

SRC, the University and the students.

In terms o institutional bureaucratics

and networking relationship rom

scratch across campus, Grahamstown,

University Divisions and Academic

Departments respectively. The

experience across this multilateral

spectrum has opened my eyes to many

issues that exist pre-conditionally or

the University, yet many more issues

I have noticed are easy to solve, i

the correct management o time and

resources are utilized.

I am a rich personality, not in the

sense o economics, but cultural

capital. I have grown personally at an

exponential rate during my experience

at Rhodes University ater attending

rst year at the age o 22. Coming rom

a less developed area in Mpumalanga

and working in the so called real world

or 4 years, Rhodes University and

Grahamstown was a big adjustment.Now, I can comortably say that I

am ully settled and condent in my

position o leadership.

The SRC this year has attempted

to be visible on campus; however

I see potential or greater visibility,

communication and representation

that can ignite students into

participatory roles o accountability

and leadership development. I plan to

make time every day as your President

to be seen on campus, to engage, to

acilitate discussion and to actively take

part in student issues that are proposed

to the SRC. I will review a list o student

issues that students MUST bring orth

to me during these times that I am on

campus, which I will compile mysel or

council.

I am prepared to make the sacrice

or the student body by democratically

compiling reports o issues to be

solved. Solving the issue is easy

compared to being made aware o

them. Ater running the SRC Media

portolio, SRC Media Team, Purple

Thursdays and as well as Intervarsity

this year (not to even mention 3rd

year academics) I have the experience

and the practical mindset to make

things happen. All I need is you, the

student body, to make eort on your

own behal. I beseech you to assist

me in transorming a student vision

together, to have communication and

x a relationship that is over a hundred

years old between the student body

and the SRC.

The SRC is ounded by the students, or the

students, with a developmental consideration

o the unctional needs o the University

student population. We, as the active voice o

the Student Body, acknowledge our duty to

maintain a key responsibility in the workings

o the Institution.

Student governance should be a mandate

o all students; so that a culture o student

participation is established regarding the

matters that students are acing. There are

some silenced voices within the institution

that need to be unleashed, certain

constituencies within the student body eel

their voices are not heard; and we need to be

cognisant that they too have brilliant ideas.

The kind o ideas that can create a body

that will not only be eective within Rhodes

University, but in the province as a whole.

A proposed solution is the ormulation o

a structure that will consist o 7 individuals

rom dierent social, economic and political

backgrounds. Who would be elected into the

committee by student orum; and this is a

necessity or the betterment o the institution

(SRC). The elected will undertake to discuss

issues that have both a direct and indirect

impact on the student body. These issues

would then be ltered to the SRC council as

agenda items or urther discussion and or

each portolio in the SRC to see how they can

contribute in the execution o the proposed

agenda items. The name o the body is

Student Institutional Planning Commission

(SIPC) This body together with the SRC would

be reinorcing the regional agenda o student

governance.

However, this will need excellent

communication rom the bottom up and the

top down and greater involvement o students

in student governance by using channels

such as SIPC, Student orum, Student body

meetings, Societies and so orth.

This is but one innovative idea. However,

they are particular areas that need immediate

attention:

Students on NSFAS to be unded up until

honours level (post-grad) - or honours is the

new degree.

The bailout und; looking into the progress

that has been made in establishing a bailout

und, and ensuring that it is enacted within my

term o ofce. The bailout und will curb the

high level o ?nancial exclusion?.

Communication (creating an awareness o

how students are aected by issues and

inorm them o what help they ca n receive

rom the SRC- recreating the website layout).

Student representation on the ?academic

exclusion board?

Continuing with the reormation o student

governance agenda o 2012 (the restructuring

o student governance representative

structures.

Aligning ourselves with the provincial and

national agenda.

I also bring to the ore my experience and

an understanding o the roles o the various

institutional structures.

Brad Bense Sakhe Badi

Does the pressure to do well outweigh the fun of the game in

school sport? Pic: Sourced

Documents

Activate - Edition 7 2012