- By Louisse de Bruin FREEDOM? William Wallace said: “They may take our lives, but they may never take our freedom!” Ghandi marched the streets in gentle protest and Nelson Mandela spent 27 years in a shit hole for his people’s sake. In the ‘60s, freedom fighters of another kind emerged, protesting through their lyrics. John Lennon, Leonard Cohen and Janis Joplin used their voices to shun war and injustices. Bob Dylan sang about the reality of the day and the stupidity of man’s motives to kill: “How many years can some people exist before they’re allowed to be free? How many deaths will it take till he knows that too many people have di…

- By Litheko Modisane I am dangerous, criminally minded, a thief – the scum of the earth. I’m just about to rape you. I am, in Fanon’s words: “the wretched of the earth”. In fact, I sometimes suspect myself of being the worst things in the world - rapist, thief, murderer, robber - you name them. In the streets I announce my presence by my age, skin colour and gender. I am a young black man. In case you didn’t notice, I could be sitting next to you in lecture halls, or walking behind you to and from lectures. What a life! But all these may be just a “taste of me” that appears in the media and in many a young women’s nightmares,…

- By Buhle Ndweni As women around South Africa prepare to observe Women’s Health Day today, some do not realise how dangerous cervical cancer can be. It is in fact the second greatest cause of death among women, after HIV/AIDS. Cervical cancer, also known as cancer of the womb, occurs is when cells in the cervix multiply uncontrollably and destroy healthy tissue in the process. “The major cause of cervical cancer is the human papillomavirus (HPV) which is sexually transmitted,” says Sister Yvonne Matimba, acting head of Wits Campus Health and Wellness Centre. Vuvuzela investigated if women on campus are taking precautionary measures against this killer. …

- By Shezanne Socher At an extra 61cents per litre, the bumper petrol price hike has sparked a whole new vocabulary for Wits students, with few words extending beyond four letters. Motorists and non-motorists alike will likely choke on the effects of the recent petrol price increase as it has now reached record highs within the country at R8, 25 per litre. Volker Schoer, an economics expert at Wits, warns students about the knock-on effects of such a sizeable hike. Be prepared for a food price increases too, says Schoer “as agriculture uses a significant amount of diesel in its production”. Also, he adds, “the petrol price increase will make it more difficult for…

- By Christa Venter “You’re f***ing up your girlfriend.” An exasperated pharmacist recently said this to a student who was buying the morning-after pill for the umpteenth time. The pharmacist, who asked not to be named, said some students bought the pill up to five or six times. She tried to explain that it was not an alternative to contraception, and that it could have negative side-effects, but many students still did not listen. Two different pharmacists, who serve a high concentration of students, both confirmed that increasing numbers of students are using Norlevo, or the morning-after pill, as it is more commonly known, to prevent pregnancies. Norlevo co…

- By Phakamisa Ndzamela Two Deputy Vice-Chancellors at Wits deny that the majority of University drop-outs leave as a result of financial problems. The Student pathways Study by the Human Scientific Research Council (HSRC) suggests that “socio-economic status of families of students who do not complete their university qualifications played a significant role in the students’ ability to persevere in their studies”. Although Wits’ “last audited accumulated student debt” as at December 31, 2006 was more than R57-million, the deputy vice-chancellor for finance, Professor Patrick FitzGerald and deputy vice-chancellor for academic and student affair…

- Firdose Moonda Bridgette’s first-year tuition was reduced by over R10 000 - a merit award for her six matric distinctions. But she had no surety to obtain a loan for the remaining fees. Three months into the start of her first year, she dropped out. “Both my parents are unemployed, and neither could stand surety, which made getting the loan impossible.” After trying various banks, including a student financial aid scheme, she still could not finance her fees. People who stand surety need to earn a minimum salary of R5 000 a month. She is just one of 20 000 students who start university but do not go on to graduate. The Sunday Times reported last week…

- By Karabo Keepile A mob of taxi drivers stripped naked and publicly humiliated a 25-year-old commuter recently … because she was wearing a short skirt. Nwabisa Ngcukana told journalists, “As they stripped me they kept shouting that this is ‘what I wanted’. Some were sticking their fingers into my vagina while others poured alcohol over my head and called me all sorts of names.” She said that instead of Noord Taxi Rank security staff assisting her, they had mocked her, and asked what she had been thinking, walking around in a mini skirt at a taxi rank. This incidence led to outrage, with people calling the incident an abuse of basic human rights.…

- By Angelo C Louw BA Honours student, Sabeeha Husain, has been crowned second princess at this year's Ms India Worldwide pageant. Husain, 21, an International Relations student, competed against girls from 20 nations at the event which took place at the Trade Route Convention Centre in Lenasia on Saturday evening. She says that even though she did not win the competition, she is thrilled with the outcome. “It's a blessing. I'm thrilled to be in the top three. Competition was stiff from day one, so, it’s really an honour.” She says she was moved by good luck wishes offered by Dean of Students Prem Coopoo before the pageant. “She call…

- By Thabo Modisha and Phakama Ngceni Students and administrators at Wits have condemned the “shocking racial and human rights abuse” seen in a video produced by white University of Free State (UFS) Reitz Residence students showing five black workers (four women and a man) on their knees and eating food on which students had allegedly urinated. This follows tension over the integration of residences, when white students protested against the integration process. The video was made last September but only released last week – some commentators noting the “coincidental” timing of its release to offset the integration protests. Advocate Mothusi Lephe…

- Talkback By Fleury Dala With my studies at Wits smoothly running to an end, it is not too soon for me to reflect on what my intellectual journey has looked like. I came at Wits in 2005 as postgrad student from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). I graduated in 2006 with honours degree in political studies. Currently, I’m completing a master’s degree in development planning. Scientifically, Wits definitely adds value to my intellectual package. There’s no doubt about that. I knew it before coming here. It was my main and only reason for which I took the risk of leaving my country for South Africa. My father was reluctant to let me go, arguing I had no one to t…

- By Palesa Shongwe The oldest student at Wits this year was born before the aerosol can and the atom bomb. By the time Wits’ two youngest students were born in 1992, both graffiti and atomic energy were facts of life. David Milne was born in 1938 – the same year as the ball-point pen was patented. At 71, he is the oldest student, and is finishing his PhD in chemical engineering. He was born in Ireland, where he completed his undergraduate studies and a Masters degree in chemical engineering. He came to South Africa in 1969, during one of Ireland’s worst economic periods. Vimbai Ndlovu is a 16-year-old first year BA year student majoring in Sociology and I…

- By Andile Makholwa and Masibulele Yaso Universities have been challenged to prevent the “overharvesting of our natural resources in the name of profit” for sustainable development. Speaking at the African Development Partnership conference on youth and sustainable development at Wits on Wednesday, Dr Johnny Matshabaphala, Academic Director at the School of Public and Development Management, said universities were better positioned to produce research and graduates who can influence society on the imperative of sustainable use of natural resources. Matshabaphala said that research had found that effects of “greed” for profit were some of the causes of envi…

- By Firdose Moonda Minister of Finance, Trevor Manuel, has once again confirmed that sin really doesn’t pay – unless you’re a student – in which case the buck stops at your parents. “If Trevor Manuel is going to inflate alcohol prices, he’ll have to inflate our parents’ salaries too, so they can give us more pocket money to buy alcohol,” claimed Lebo Motaung, a fourth year law student. The new alcohol and cigarette tax increases means that students will need more than bit of extra cash. This year’s budget sees beer going up 5c a can, which means paying 30c more for a six-pack. Smokers will have to cough up 66c more for a pac…

- By Andile Makholwa Smokers and drinkers will either have to give up their habits or go bankrupt this year … but there is good news for education, pensioners and anyone who is fed up with Eskom power cuts. This was the essence of Finance Minister Trevor Manuel’s message in his 2008/09 national budget tabled this week. In what he termed, “moderating consumption habits”, Manuel raised alcohol and cigarette tax up to 11%. When broken down, the price of a bottle of wine increased by 23%, beer 33% and 43% for whisky and other spirits. The minister hit smokers hard, levying 52% on tobacco. The estimated national budget of about R636-billion before tax, bas…

- By Shezanne Socher If you’re an avid art fundi, with tastes ranging from Monet to Picasso, Dali to Renoir, get ready to add an original Alexander Horsler to your collection. Vuvuzela caught up with this talented Fine Arts student to discuss everything from the inspiration behind his work to his obviously bright future within the art world. Horsler currently has two spots in the Student Art Expo being held at the Wits Art Gallery this week. This exhibition was curated by Karel Nel and Walter Oltman and is designed to showcase young artists on campus. Horsler explains that the overall theme for both his installation piece and his piece (digital prints) entitled “Nigh…

- By Christa Venter Medical students are apparently abusing Ritalin to help them cope with the vast amount of work that they need to study. Ritalin, with the street name of Kibbles and Bits or Pineapple, is normally prescribed to children who suffer from attention deficient hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Garth*, a fifth year student, claims using Ritalin to “improve focus on your studies” is not uncommon. “As a medical student you need to maximise available hours.” He got the pills from a friend who had them prescribed by a pediatrician. The tablets were then sold to him at R5 per tablet. According to the Medicines and Related Substances Act 101 of 1965…

- By Phakamisa Ndzamela Wits student numbers are going to rise to 28 000 over the next two years after the Minister of Education, Naledi Pandor, allocated an extra R218-m to the university to increase the number of science, engineering and technology graduates. The money is to be used to build a new science block, to improve current laboratories, and improve teaching and learning. Wits currently has 25 000 students. In a parliamentary media briefing last week, Wits was identified as one of only four universities that would benefit out of a fund worth R439-m allocated by Pandor. Pandor’s spokesperson, Lunga Ngqengelele, told Vuvuzela that the R439-m was “set aside fo…

- By Christa Venter Legal action against SAA might be the only solution for a student doing her PhD in Plant Biotechnology after samples needed for her doctoral studies were destroyed. Erica Pierce’s studies entail finding resistance genes to plant viruses for the improvement of cropping systems towards poverty alleviation and sustainable development in developing countries. She spent three months conducting research at The International Centre for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) at Cali, Colombia on behalf of Wits University. The freezer item samples and kit reagents gathered there were kept on dry ice in a Stratacooler which maintains a temperature of minus 20 degrees. &…

- By Therese VAN WYK Female students from other African countries say their social lives are much freer in their home cities than in Johannesburg. Vuvuzela set out this week to compare women’s going out in Gabon, Zimbabwe and Zambia with their parties in Johannesburg. “In Libreville, I go out with my friends, women and men. There you just phone your friend. You say ‘meet me at 11pm’,” says Jerina Messi, in her French Gabonese lilt. Messi is a Journalism Honours student. Everybody in Libreville goes to a maquis. “You listen to music and there is no entrance fee. You can have drinks until 6am. You eat barbeque fish or chicken. Everybody goes ther…

- By Karabo Keepile and Lungile Dlamini A POPULAR radio host and HIV/AIDS activist pulled-out of the Wits HIV/AIDS campaign this week because she was not going to be paid. Chriselda Kananda of Metro FM was due to give a motivational talk on Wednesday as part of the SRC campaign to raise AIDS awareness. Along with her were supposed to be Ukhozi FM’s breakfast show host Sbu Leope (DJ Sbu), who also failed to make an appearance. The week-long campaign organized by Yandiswa Xhakaza, SRC social and community development officer, is an annual initiative in conjunction with Levis and the Counselling and Careers Development Unit (CCDU). According to Xhakaza, Kananda had insisted on…