Uwc 360 issue 7

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ALUMNI E-NEWSLETTER | ISSUE 7/DECEMBER 2013

Contact the Alumni Relations Office: Tel: +27 21 959 2143 | Fax: 021 959 9791 | Email: alumni@uwc.ac.za | www.uwc.ac.za/alumni http://twitter.com/UWConline | http://www.facebook.com/uwcalumni

Alumni struggle acknowledged The 60s and 70s UWC Alumni Reunion in October was no ordinary event. It was a weekend for the University’s founding graduates to reunite and swap stories with old friends, some sad, some wonderful and funny. But the event also gave the institution an opportunity to honour the contributions of former students to the University and to society in general.

In his opening address, UWC Rector and Vice-Chancellor, Professor Brian O’Connell, credited the founding graduates of the University with having saved it from being merged with another institution. O’Connell told attendees that, when UWC was R140 million in the red about 10 years ago, the government’s National Working Group on the restructuring of higher education concluded that it could not function on its own and recommended that the institution be merged with the then Peninsula Technikon

(Pentech). UWC's management opposed the merger, arguing that it would erase UWC's historical role in the struggle against the apartheid regime. O’Connell said to the former students: “You saved UWC because the core response of this university to the National Working Group was ‘just look at our legacy, what we did in the 1960s and 1970s. How dare you take away our name and that history?’” O’Connell added that, through the efforts of these alumni and the generations that followed, UWC far surpassed its origins as an apartheid-era 'university college for coloured students' to become the premier trainer in South Africa in the fields of teaching, nursing, dentistry, physiotherapy and pharmacy and a leader in many fields of research. UWC’s first black rector, Prof Richard van der Ross, expressed “extreme appreciation” for the event and called on alumni not to forget the ancestors who “brought us to where we are today”.

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In a class of their own

Editorial Welcome to this special edition of Three-Sixt-e in honour of UWC's founding alumni. It’s the season for giving and this last issue of Three-Sixt-e for 2013 is entirely devoted to the alumni of the 1960s and 1970s, in the hope that it brings you a little festive cheer.

First graduates (from left) Elizabeth Brinders, Moosa Davis and Eleanor September were guests at 60s and 70s UWC Alumni Reunion.

In 1963, seventeen students graduated at the very first UWC graduation ceremony.

on campus. Whether you were doing arts or sociology, we were one group."

Four of the six surviving members of the founding cohort – Henry Davids, Elizabeth Brinders, Moosa Davis and Eleanor September – attended the 60s and 70s UWC Alumni Reunion; Tyrone Burgess and George Petersen could not attend.

Henry Davids: "In my view we were all forced to go to the 'bush college'. The incentive was that scholarships were easily granted because the government wanted to fill the new college. I remember searching hard for this primary school (the college was a former primary school) in Bellville South because no one knew where it was. Eventually I found it."

"Many people were against attending the college, and we looked like sell-outs to certain people. Lectures were delivered in Afrikaans, meaning for some time I had to take notes and translate them to English later to understand. But we survived and that made us competent language wise."

"There were many funny moments. One professor was so concerned about our wellbeing that he kept on diverting from the lecture to give us his contact details should we be in trouble. His number was all over the board at the end of the lecture."

Both Eleanor and Elizabeth studied BSc between 1960 and 1962. Eleanor, who is now retired, taught in rural communities for many years and also served in the Education Department's inspectorate in George, Central Karoo, the Eastern and Western Cape. At the reunion she spoke proudly of how the University stirred a desire within her to serve the poorest of the poor: "I stood with the poor and I always wanted to be an ambassador for this university. I would promote this university by telling my students they should also strive to study here."

Moosa Davis: "The University was a learning experience for me. Coming from Simonstown, the northern suburbs were quite different and we sometimes felt like foreigners. But we cherished the memorable moments of establishing new friendships

Elizabeth taught in the Paarl district at a local school and later at tertiary institutions.

Although she opted for early retirement and went to America for a year, Elizabeth still teaches at private schools from time to time.

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Exactly fifty years ago, the then University College of the Western Cape capped its first group of graduates. These pioneers entered tertiary education under a political cloud. They struggled successfully on both the educational and political fronts to overcome the odds and wrest a quality education from the institution. Along the way, as young people would, they studied, loved, protested, played, debated, joked and partied a unique campus culture into existence.

Our founding alumni came home in October for the 60s and 70s Alumni Reunion weekend. Much older, much wiser, more worldly, and with perspectives on their student experiences altered by the passing of time and experience of life elsewhere.

In this issue of Three-Sixt-e, we have tried to go beyond just reporting the weekend's events. Our focus has rather been on giving our founders an opportunity to be heard, to reflect on their legacy and consider how they now relate to their alma mater and the present generation of students.

The experiences of the weekend reunion left many alumni determined to plough back, and we report on some fresh initiatives here. It also inspired us to ensure that the reunion of the 1980s alumni planned for 2014 will be as big a success. So watch this space!

Patricia Lawrence Pro Vice-Chancellor Department for Institutional Advancement

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entrench white supremacy. Yet we went, most of us ashamed and deeply ambivalent. The far left accused us of endorsing and validating race-capitalism and “consenting to our own humiliation”.

This hurt and led to us living an almost schizophrenic existence at UCWC: being there and resenting it; engaging with it daily but rejecting it.

The matter of engagement with the management of UCWC caused division among the students. Jakes Gerwel led the group calling for the rejection of any relationship with UCWC other than the academic project and bursaries. Jakes rejected the SRC. I disagreed and encouraged mobilisation and development through an SRC. The issue was robustly debated. The SRC under my leadership tried to show that it could be used to support a progressive agenda. We asked the rector to fund a visit to Natal universities to see how their SRCs operated. In fact, we intended attending the inauguration of SASO in Marianhill. Needless to say our request was rejected and our attempt at validating an SRC failed.

UWC in the 60s – swinging to the left In January of 1966, I arrived at the University College of the Western Cape (UCWC) with a bursary from the state to become an English teacher.

My Holy Cross nuns and Christian Brothers’ schooling had been through the medium of English and my Eastern Cape father was fluent in Xhosa but knew no Afrikaans.

So the O’Connells, with just one exception, became an English and English-Kaaps speaking family. The Afrikaans that I spoke was very different from what was contained within the formal Afrikaans grammar books and “spelreels” which I encountered at UCWC. It was for me a very strange, even alien experience, especially the order, the regimentation and the rigorous implementation of rules, which included our

wearing jackets and ties. Growing up in the District Six area, I had never had much contact with Afrikaners, except the police patrolling District Six and bus and train conductors. Most of the Afrikaners I encountered at UCWC in the 1960s were friendly and paternalistic, with a missionary attitude, and we were treated like children to be subjected to the cultural rules of the adult “leading children to adulthood”.

Beneath the surface, though, there was a growing sense of anger and resentment at the extent of the patronisation.

The creation of a “coloured” Afrikaansmedium university was not universally applauded. Most saw it as part of the deliberate process of ethnic and racial separation of the people of South Africa to

At my graduation at the end of 1969 the speaker, a prominent senior academic from UNISA, encouraged us to go out and serve our “Coloured Nation” with pride. His gown was purple and I angrily wrote a poem about him and my less than joyful experience at UCWC. I called it “The sad tale of the purple fink”.

We did however end the '60s with a new critical perspective on SRCs, and this prepared the students of the '70s to engage as robustly as they did. At my graduation at the end of 1969 the speaker, a prominent senior academic from UNISA, encouraged us to go out and serve our “Coloured Nation” with pride. His gown was purple and I angrily wrote a poem about him and my less than joyful experience at UCWC. I called it “The sad tale of the purple fink”. As I walked off the campus, I swore never to return. Well, that’s another story.

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Of love and marriage Jean Triegaardt (nee Kester) had the audience in stitches as she recounted her campus romance with Dwight Triegaardt, whom she met in 1966 while he studied BSc and she Social Work.

“I met Dwight in the cafeteria at UWC. A few of us would take turns in playing the piano and I loved playing classical music.

Dwight asked me to play Chopin’s Waltz in A-flat major. Later on as the friendship progressed, he and Giem Gassiep asked to sleep over at our home in Lansdowne in 1967 before hitch-hiking to Johannesburg. Once again, Dwight asked me to play different classical pieces. I was reluctant to play, but did so out of courtesy.

Although my cousin, Malcolm Miller, thought that something would come of this relationship, I didn’t agree. To me we were just friends.”

“Another cousin, Dennis Meyer, who was a pharmacy student at the time, would join Dwight to have a few drinks. Dennis

For four years they maintained their relationship through letters and the occasional telephone call, mainly on birthdays.

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made this drink called ‘skujarra’ – a mixture of ethanol (100% alcohol), aniseed for flavouring and glycerine. What I did not know was that the ethanol was stolen from the pharmacy laboratories! Dennis was nearly expelled from the university when the authorities found out.”

“Dwight would sell ‘skujarra’ to his friends and would indulge himself. Afterwards, he would ask me to [help] walk off the effects of it by taking a walk through the rose garden.”

“In December 1968, I emigrated to Canada.

Dwight’s uncle Dick told him to forget about me because he would never see me again.

I too was a little skeptical, because long distance relationships don’t work. With my departure Dwight told me, ‘If you find a Canadian Mountie, let me know’."

For four years they maintained their relationship through letters and the occasional telephone call, mainly on birthdays. An occasional gift would arrive in the mail at Christmas. “Dwight was still a student at UWC in 1972 when I came to visit that year. My brother Victor told

Professor Jean Triegaardt and Dr Dwight Triegaardt are among many couples who fell in love on campus.

me to play ‘hard to get’, but on the second day of my visit to Johannesburg, Dwight proposed and I accepted."

The couple will be married for forty years in December 2013. Three-Sixt-e has learned of many other UWC student couples who were blessed with marriages as long or even longer than the Triegaardt’s, including Charmaine and Colin Johnson, Reggie and Christine Bergsted, Brian and Vera Figaji, Georgina and Eddie Whitby, Jimmy and Hendriette Ellis, Brian and Judy O’Connell, Phoebe and the late Jakes Gerwel, Jan and Judy Persens and Elsworth and Wilma McPherson.

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Not just a workplace

Professor Fanie Sonn and his wife Brenda Sonn are another alumni couple whose relationship has stood the test of time.

1973 was a volatile political time at UWC, when the campus even closed temporarily. Brenda was a law student, trying her best to finish her studies under the worst political circumstances.

“I left UWC then and decided to enroll at UCT to further my studies in Social Science. Naturally, I still had friends at UWC. So one day I visited a friend of mine on campus and joined her in one of her classes – Fanie’s class," explains Brenda.

Fanie was a psychology lecturer at the time.

Brenda laughs when she says Fanie has his own version of the story – that she distracted him on purpose to the point where he couldn’t concentrate on his lecture.

Although there was a twelve-year age difference, they started dating soon afterwards. After she completed her degree in 1976, they got married and she started teaching. During this time Fanie had to leave to study in America. While he was there their eldest daughter was

born. Brenda: “After a year apart, I joined Fanie for a year – to take a break and to attend to family life. His studies ended in America and the following year we were back at UWC. Fanie was the first Dean of Community and Health Sciences and soon afterwards I started working in the Faculty of Education.”

Whenever Brenda’s job required her to travel abroad, Fanie would take over the reins at home and fulfill her role for a couple of weeks. “I think what worked in our marriage is the fact that we could support one another in this way,” says Brenda. “We would take turns to help the other develop and grow career-wise.”

And what makes a marriage like theirs last this long? “If I had the recipe I would sell it, but it is the normal, clichéd stuff I suppose our parents taught us: be best friends, laugh a lot, talk about the same things and at the same time give each other personal space. Also, know how to resolve problems as they arise.”

What makes a marriage like theirs last this long? “If I had the recipe I would sell it, but it is the normal, clichéd stuff I suppose our parents taught us: be best friends, laugh a lot, talk about the same things and at the same time give each other personal space”.

Fanie now works as a psychologist and Brenda still lectures full-time. UWC not only represents the place where they both qualified and worked for most of their lives, but also where three of their four children studied and qualified.

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Alumnus recalls campus challenges Robert “Nicky” Hermanus was part of the first group of students who enrolled at the University in 1960.

While he notes the lasting friendships he established and meeting many students of high calibre who went on to make their mark in many facets of society, the physical environment (the college was a former primary school) and the bad relationships between students and lecturers made effective work difficult.

“The leadership and academic staff were not necessarily appointed for their academic ability only, but more for their strong support of the apartheid philosophy,” explains Hermanus, who has lived in Australia for 37 years.

Nicky Hermanus believes his UWC experiences came in handy in his successful career in Australia.

The conditions prompted Hermanus to drop out in his second year of study towards a science degree. He joined the

National Institute for Crime Rehabilitation of Offenders (NICRO), but returned later, completing a degree in social work and psychology in 1975. His work at NICRO continued and attracted the attention of the authorities and security police, forcing him to make the decision, “laced with guilt, sadness and many regrets”, to emigrate to Australia in 1976.

In Australia he served in the public service for many years, rising to managerial positions before retiring in 2009. Hermanus believes his South African experiences, particularly his time at UWC, were of great benefit in these roles and had a major and lasting impact on his life.

“Not only did UWC provide me with tertiary qualifications but, very importantly, it instilled in me a sense of self belief, a sense of belonging and being part of a community with endless potential.”

What UWC means While the founding students reminisced at the 60s and 70s UWC Alumni Reunion, alumnus Professor Vernon Domingo paused to reflect on what the University meant to him.

Domingo, a professor of geography at Bridgewater State University in the US, said: “I am proud of what we did in 1973 – closing the university and challenging it to think anew about what it means to be a university that supports freedom of speech and how important it is for students to use whatever space there is to dissent and challenge.” The chairman of the 1973 Action Committee said, “We played some part, I believe, in the ultimate establishment of a democratic South Africa. The energy of youth in the 1970s and 1980s showed how significant it can be in forcing social change.”

Those UWC experiences ... taught me much about what can be done to further social justice.

Those experiences in many ways formed what I am today as I continue to be a political activist.

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“Those UWC experiences ... taught me much about what can be done to further social justice. Those experiences in many ways formed what I am today as I continue to be a political activist – in my teaching in Massachusetts, in participating in opposing war in Iraq, and in fighting for a livable wage in America.”

“That, for me, is what I carry from my years at UWC – a political consciousness and a willingness to stand out publicly for social justice wherever you happen to be.”

“That is the UWC legacy that I carry daily and I thank UWC for those unique experiences.” Domingo, who met his future wife Beryl on campus in 1972 (they married in 1974), also said, “The friendships that I made at UWC (1970 to 1973) will stay in my heart forever.”

On 5 June 1973, students at UWC submitted a list of grievances to the university authorities and held a mass meeting. After SASO leader and SRC president Henry Isaacs was detained there were more protests which forced the university to shut down. Students rejected the university's demand that they reapply for

The activist qualities instilled at UWC are helping Professor Vernon Domingo and his wife, Beryl, to fight injustices in the US and around the world.

admission and were widely supported by members of the community. Although the university soon dropped its demands, the 1973 protests started a long period of student action that not only resulted in the appointment of the first black rector, Dr Richard van der Ross in 1975, but gave UWC its unique 'struggle university' culture.

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ALUMNI

REUNION WEEKEND 2014 3 – 5 OCTOBER 2014 UNIVERSITY OF THE WESTERN CAPE

The UWC Alumni Association would like to welcome you back, to reconnect with fellow students and friends. Join us as we renew old friendships, reminisce about days gone by and catch up on life experiences.

Dr Keith Majoos, seen here with his then girlfriend, who is now Mrs Majoos, is helping to uphold the UWC name in Australia and New Zealand.

Alumni to start UWC chapter abroad In 1973, Dr Keith Majoos (BSc, 1976) met a student at UWC with an IQ score that was literally off the charts. Yet, with the first struggles on campus, he dropped out.

Majoos often wonders what this student could have achieved had his socioeconomic circumstances and support structures been different.

Forty years later much has changed and the University strives to give each student a chance to develop his or her talents.

Majoos believes that this challenge is not the sole prerogative of the University.

“Some of the responsibility rests with the now larger University alumni whom I believe should provide support,” he says.

With this in mind Majoos, who has been living in Australia for the past 29 years, is organising a UWC Oceania chapter in Australia and New Zealand.

“There are about 130 alumni in Oceania and a similar number of "friends" – academics who were associated with the University and past students who never completed their UWC degrees,” Majoos

notes. He says the friends and UWC alumni whom he has approached are quite receptive to the idea.

“Individually, most of us don't have deep pockets but collectively we could make a positive difference to some student(s). I hope that this initiative provides impetus to other groups in the UK, Canada and USA to form similar chapters to support their alma mater,” Majoos said.

The UWC Oceania chapter will support four initiatives: helping prospective students to get to University, mentoring students while at University, assisting graduates to find meaningful work and to exploit market opportunities, and networking with other alumni and institutions to advance the profile of UWC. In the previous issue, Three-sixt-e mentioned that Majoos supports orphanages for children infected and affected by HIV/Aids in Cape Town and Port Elizabeth.

This charity group of ex-patriate South Africans in Melbourne has thus far donated more than R1 million to these orphanages in the past ten years.

A weekend of nostalgia, reminiscing, fun, laughter, dancing, and making new memories awaits!

Watch this space for the full programme, pricing options and booking details.

The ‘80s Alumni reunion weekend is open to all alumni

Alumni Relations Office Tel: +27 21 959 2143 | Fax: 021 959 9791 Email: alumni@uwc.ac.za http://www.facebook.com/uwcalumni http://twitter.com/UWConline www.uwc.ac.za/alumni

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Leading the charge

Top, left to right: Professors Brian O’Connell, Hayman Russel Botman and Jonathan Jansen. Bottom, left to right: Professors Derrick Swartz, Jakes Gerwel and Brian Figaji.

UWC prides itself in producing graduates who have gone on to hold senior leadership positions in many different sectors.

In the higher education sector no fewer than six alumni have led universities.

Currently, four of the 23 universities in South Africa have vice-chancellors who are alumni of UWC. UWC’s own Rector and Vice-Chancellor, Prof Brian O’Connell, obtained his BA degree during the dark days of apartheid in 1969 while the University was still the University College of the Western Cape.

As the president of the Students’ Representative Council, he experienced firsthand humiliation by the University management and swore never to return after his graduation. Nevertheless, he did return to teach and accepted the ViceChancellor post in 2001. He played a leading role in preventing a merger with the then Peninsula Technikon and positioning UWC among the top universities in Africa.

Rector and Vice-Chancellor of Stellenbosch University (SU) since 2007, Prof Hayman Russel Botman obtained all his qualifications at UWC – a BA, an MTh (cum laude) and a doctorate in theology.

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A driving force behind SU's HOPE Project, the vehicle for that university's transformation and positioning in the 21st century, Botman has led SU to rank among the world's top universities.

Outspoken Vice-Chancellor and Rector of the University of the Free State, Prof Jonathan Jansen, obtained his BSc from UWC in the mid-1970s. An international renowned expert in education, Jansen took over as Vice-Chancellor in 2009.

Despite the notorious Reitz Four video incident, under Jansen's leadership, this former bastion of conservative Afrikaner learning is fast becoming a model of integration in South Africa.

Prof Derrick Swartz, Vice-Chancellor of the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University in Port Elizabeth, has been at the helm since 2008. A former Vice-Chancellor and Principal of Fort Hare University, where he was credited with leading a successful turnaround strategy, Swartz has played a leading role in transformation

and change management in South African higher education.

The fifth UWC graduate to have led a higher education institution was the late Prof Jakes Gerwel, who earned his BA in 1967 and completed his honours a year later. After stints at different organisations, Gerwel returned to UWC as a lecturer and was appointed as Vice-Chancellor in 1985.

Under his leadership, the University earned the title of 'an intellectual home of the left' and was unambiguously aligned with the mass democratic movement. His tenure was distinguished by the University's open admissions policy, that enabled a growing number of African students to study at UWC. Another UWC alumnus, Prof Brian Figaji, who obtained his BSc at UWC in 1969, served as the Principal and ViceChancellor of the Peninsula Technikon from 1994 to 2004, when the institution merged with Cape Technikon to form Cape Peninsula University of Technology.

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Looking back

By Dr Rhoda Kadalie

My activism was inspired by my development and women’s studies at the Institute for Social Studies in the Netherlands.

When I returned to UWC in 1987, it gave shape and intellectual substance to my activism and provided me with new tools to comprehend the anti-apartheid context.

We were not prepared to accept that the abolition of apartheid meant male domination in general and black male domination in particular.

UWC alumna, Rhoda Kadalie reflects on the history of UWC’s Gender Equity Unit.

I truly regret missing the 60s/70s UWC reunion in October for many reasons; most especially because UWC has a special place in my heart.

It is the place where I and others found our voices. Aligning itself openly with the mass democratic movement, many of us were wittingly or unwittingly drawn into politics. Since many of us came to UWC under protest, we turned it into an institution of protest. That political activism took its toll on academia with constant protests, boycotts and interruptions, but somehow we be-lieved that these were necessary and sufficient conditions to achieve our freedom. Debates about liberation before education ensued.

I was one of those who declared the university a space for political and ideological contestation and that alignment with the ANC negated other political tendencies. The country’s great intellectuals converged to debate the idea – Neville Alexander versus Jakes Gerwel; David Bunn versus Jack Lewis; Andrew Nash versus Jakes Gerwel.

The student, women and trade union movements were flourishing, but common to all of these were subterranean conflicts around gender politics, the rights of gays and lesbians, and reproductive rights. The common mantra that “women’s liberation was divisive of the national liberation movement” gave rise to a radical feminist movement around the country. Thus started the beginnings of the Women’s Movement on Campus.

We furiously spearheaded awareness campaigns in all directions: reproductive rights, gay rights, equality campaigns, and rights against domestic and sexual violence abuse. Thus started the navigation between the personal and the political in ways that often – but not always – pit us against our male comrades.

It was in this context that the Women’s Commission, the Women’s Studies initiatives, and anti-sexual harassment and anti-sexual violence campaigns started on UWC’s campus. The unity on the multi-constituent Women’s Commission – across class, race and occupation – led to radical achievements for women on maternity and paternity leave; an anti-sexual harassment policy; housing subsidy for women; a crèche to support the child-care needs of staff; and even a non-sexist language policy unanimously adopted by Senate.

This was pioneering stuff and regrettably not included in the recent book published about UWC’s history – an oversight that again demonstrates how easily the struggles of women are made invisible.

In 1993 these initiatives were formalised into the Gender Equity Unit, of which I became the Gender Equity Coordinator.

My job was to promote the advancement of women academics through research and publications; to set up an ad hoc Committee to report directly to the ViceChancellor and Senate; to explore a Women’s Studies Programme; and to address policy requirements to ensure the safety of women on campus.

The Gender Equity Unit transformed its new on-campus residence into a cuttingedge Women’s Centre, a women’s studies library, a transformed disciplinary tribunal, and a student women centre. This was made possible by our many relationships

with US universities, especially the University of Missouri (through Ron Turner) and the University of Utrecht Holland (through Rector Hans Van Ginkel).

Together we tackled awareness raising and educational campaigns, enlisted male students and academics to join our campaigns, and mounted many campaigns to get the student leadership on board. The Gender Equity Unit got involved in Orientation Week, and transformed the Student Tribunal into a gender-sensitive institution that took the complaints of women students and staff seriously. We won many cases and so entrenched a new-found respect for women.

One of our most notable mass university debates, moderated by Prof Kader Asmal, was on sexual and domestic violence, this after Lorena Bobbit cut off her husband’s penis. Needless to say, this debate provided us with much to talk and laugh about.

In conclusion, a reunion has many benefits. Through it we can strengthen our alumnae networks, provide support for UWC, and generate additional income. But this will only succeed if we know our history, celebrate every aspect of it, promote a pride in where we have come from and what we have achieved – and refuse to be selective about what is remembered and what is excluded from our memory.

A reunion has many benefits. Through it we can strengthen our alumnae networks, provide support for UWC, and generate additional income.

This is an edited version of a letter by UWC graduate and former academic, Dr Rhoda Kadalie, founder of UWC’s Gender Equity Unit. Kadalie served on the country’s first Human Rights Commission, and holds honorary doctorates from Sweden’s University of Uppsala, Stellenbosch University and UWC. Kadalie is currently executive director of the Impumelelo Innovations Award Trust.

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Long arms and helping hands a regular basis, realised they didn’t only want to leave their loyalty to UWC at simply reminiscing, but realised that it was time to give back to the communities they come from," explains Neil.

Since 2005, regular fundraising events have contributed towards an alumni bursary fund for disadvantaged students who would otherwise not have the opportunity to further their studies. Neil said that, after the big 2005 fundraiser in the form of an alumni reunion dance, they simply went from strength to strength. The dance has since become an annual event that had benefitted 20 students by 2008.

The club has funded more than 50 students to date.

Prof Brian O’Connell and his wife Judith O’Connell share a dance at the Club 99 langarm dance.

The Club 99 Langarm Dance kicked off the weekend’s informal festivities perfectly. Chairperson, Neil Jacobs, formally opened the dance and urged members to support their efforts to raise funds for disadvantaged students at the University.

At the recent 60s and 70s reunion dance, R25 000 was raised from the sale of almost 350 tickets. The amount available for bursaries still has to be calculated.

“We are at a stage that we are identifying needy students ourselves,” Neil said.

There were quite a number of tongue-incheek comments made whenever the name Club 99 was mentioned. “What is it? A naughty club?” was one such playful remark heard.

“Being financially unable to afford registration at the University used to be the only criterion, but this is going to change soon. In the near future stricter criteria will apply and we are planning on following up on the progress of those who benefitted from Club 99’s contributions.”

Thankfully, the name has suitably mundane origins, being derived from room 99 in the hostel at UCWC in 1967, where the club first met. “The club started when a few alumni friends who met socially on

“We would like to help with more significant amounts. Right now we’re only focusing on contributions for registration, [as] we are not yet able to finance a student for a full year of study,” said Neil.

A lasting legacy

The story of UWC’s contribution to the struggle against apartheid could not be told without mentioning Henry Eric Isaacs, who passed away in 2009 at the age of 60. This was evident at the 60s and 70s UWC Alumni Reunion, where his name was frequently mentioned by his former colleagues.

Born in Pietermaritzburg, Isaacs entered UWC in 1968 and immersed himself in black consciousness politics, as president of the Students’ Representative Council and as a founding member of the South African Students’ Organisation (SASO).

Because of his political activism, Isaacs was banned in 1973 under the Suppression of Communism Act and placed under house arrest at his Pietermaritzburg home – five months before he would have completed his LLB, his son Lionel Isaacs noted in his tribute at his father's funeral on 19 September 2009. Lionel Isaacs also said that the University administration refused to allow him to take exams at the University of Natal Law School or to furnish the Certificate of Good Conduct required by the University of South Africa for him to finish his studies there.

After a year, Isaacs went into exile, visiting several countries before settling in New Zealand, where he continued to speak against apartheid.

After finishing his LLB at Victoria College, he served the Pan Africanist Congress in a number of roles, including being a member of its central committee and its representative at the United Nations.

Club 99 member Keith DeWet led the fundraising session at the langarm dance.

His political work took him to many countries before he retired from active politics in 1982, whereafter he worked as a lawyer, management consultant and academic.

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Conversations with Alumni As expected, the campus tours of the Old Student Centre and the new Life Sciences Building on the Friday of the reunion event prompted a detour down memory lane.

students back in 1967. “It was a matter of sink or swim. The June DP-train was a stark reality – the pressure was on, because one had to maintain a certain mark to continue with your studies.”

Dr Martin Hendricks of the Department of Biodiversity and Conservation Biology, who studied at UWC between 1967 and 1970, conducted the tour of the life Sciences Building in conjunction with Dr Stanley Ridge. Alumni generally felt that the facilities they saw were a far cry from what they had experienced.

Hans Aalbers, the Botany lecturer, had impressed him as did Georges Delpierre, who was the new Chemistry professor in 1969. “He was never known for being an easy person, but his methods were effective,” said Martin.

Leading the tour, Martin recalled that there had been very little guidance for first-year

A great concern in 1970, though, was the University’s sudden name change, becoming the University of the Western Cape.

“The standard of the degrees we would

obtain and whether they would be recognised was a matter of concern to us.”

“That year the Zoology second-year class of 23 (in 1969) shrunk to eight and ten in Botany. It became the vertebrate studies year – dissections, discussions, evolution, zoogeography, embryology, and not forgetting those physiology practicals. We used any opportunity to explore the bush.

Friday mornings we moved into the bush to unsnare grysbok caught in noose traps, or hunted for 'blou-pypies' (Gladiolus carinatus) in season, and we would drink water from a well [where the student centre now stands].”

UWC welcomes its founding alumni to the 60s and 70s reunion.

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Conversations with Alumni: Saturday programme and keen to support the separate development policies of the National Party. This they did by getting coloured speakers to address students. Edith Vries recalled the first time Prof Richard van der Ross – later the first Rector of colour – was introduced to the students in the early '60s. “He was thrown with rotten tomatoes.

The students knew he was brought here with the idea to serve the then apartheid government and uphold its policies."

Master of Ceremonies Clarence Ford (centre) facilitates a conversation on “Coming to the Bush College under protest” with Dr Jimmy Ellis (left) and Dr Dwight Triegaardt (right) .

In 1959, Parliament adopted legislation establishing the University College of the Western Cape as a constituent college of the University of South Africa for people classified as 'Coloured'.

It was designed as a second-rate institution that offered limited training for lower to middle level positions in schools, the civil service and other institutions. The founding students, and those who followed, pursued a different vision to that of the government, that resulted in turbulent times on campus.

The reflections below recall that history:

Bush college under protest Dr Jimmy Ellis (1960s), like many other rural students at the time, came from a conservative family with the instruction, 'My kind, gaan leer nou mooi' [My child, go and learn well]. “We were hardly exposed to this kind of environment and were advised not to come to the bush college; so I really came to the university under protest.”

[Isn’t it nice that coloured people are being trained to work with their own people]?”

UWC was an exclusively coloured university, but there were triumphs through the bitterness. One of them was when UWC’s identity later changed to one which included blacks [Africans].”

A 1976 alumnus, Leon Liedeman, recalled: “June 16th came and everyone became radical. We suspected that some of the lecturers were involved with underground security police activities. We demonstrated, but at night we were behind our books.

Our heroes at the time were, among others, Leonardo Appies and Russell Botman.”

Engaging with an authoritarian university Some of the members of the University management of the early '60s were known members of the Afrikaner Broederbond

“I wanted to be an architect, but only white universities offered the course and at the time UWC was really just a glorified high school. Coming here was a challenge to my dignity.”

He recalled being told by someone who had studied at the University of Cape Town: “Is dit nie nice dat kleurlinge nou opgelei word om met hul eie mense te werk nie PAGE TWELVE

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“I believe he grew with the students and eventually he was carried on their shoulders in approval. He was the one who set UWC on its path to becoming the well-known struggle university it is today.” Prof Harold D. Herman summarises it well in his book, 'The Early History of UWC: Reflections on the History and Alumni of the early years': “Until Professor Richard van der Ross’s appointment in 1975, all the graduation speakers were white Afrikaner ministers and academics. The idea was to indoctrinate or make students sympathetic towards apartheid. The effect was the opposite; students became more militant and antiapartheid as the decade progressed.

Resistance and boycotts were soon to follow.”

Prof Harold Herman spoke on “Engaging with authoritarian University management”.

Prof Edith Vries was among the many women activists at UWC in the 1960s.

Women in the 60s and 70s Dr Yvonne Muthien spoke at the Saturday conversations on Women in the '60s. She recalled, “Day three at UWC saw me arrested with a big group of students for protesting against the dummy Coloured Representative Council (its building is now part of UWC). We were thrown into the Bellville jail and the Rector, Prof van der Ross, bailed us out later that afternoon.

It was 1975 and both my and Prof’s first year at UWC. For both of us it was a baptism of fire."

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“The 1970s were marked by student protest – in 1976 came nation-wide school boycotts against the compulsory teaching in Afrikaans; at UWC and elsewhere in the country."

Gibbs and his colleagues wrote the first UWC SRC constitution with the help of the University of Cape Town and Stellenbosch University’s Student Representative Councils as well as NUSAS. Such gatherings were illegal and students that were caught were persecuted.

“UWC gave us liberation struggle training outside of the classroom, alongside our academic training. Among the lecturers there were pockets of radicalism – Jakes Gerwel, Adam Small, Janis Grobbelaar, Jimmy Ellis and Fanie Sonn. We were the intellectual generation and prided ourselves in our critical thinking, reading, critical reasoning and debates.”

Edith Vries attended UWC first as a student (1960s) and later lectured there.

She remarked: “In my line of work it is inspiring to experience how many UWC alumni I encounter internationally. There are UWC women on a variety of business panels and boards; and that makes me extremely proud.”

Alumna Amelia Jones qualified as a social worker in the 1960s. “We were quite tenacious and serious young people in the '60s," she said. "We believed we could overthrow a government.”

“There was a great grip of fear on campus but there were those who would not accept the status quo,” Gibbs recalls. His involvement in student politics came at a cost as he soon fell out of favour with authorities on campus and was "encouraged to leave" the campus just before his final examinations.

George Gibbs helped to write the first SRC’s Constitution.

Three years later, he was allowed back on condition that he abstained from student politics and concentrated on his studies.

Upon his return to campus, he found that the SRC constitution had been approved and that there was an elected SRC.

to the neighbouring universities. The dance money was used to cover expenses related to SRC work but was not properly accounted for, hence the recurring joke.

Gibbs was drawn to student politics after a chance encounter with activists Brian Figaji, Eric Saal, Malick van Niekerk and Brian Engel in the varsity cafeteria.

“We were very concerned about not accepting things UWC or UCWC presented to us,” Gibbs recalled at the alumni event.

“We wanted change and we challenged the system for change.”

Prof Nicky Morgan spoke on the SRC’s humble beginning.

Dr Yvonne Muthien was arrested for protest action on her third day at the University.

SRC’s early days A standing joke that often popped up among UWC students during the early 1960s regarding the Student Representative Council (SRC) was: 'Mr Gibbs, where is the money?'

UWC Rector and Vice-Chancellor, Professor Brian O’Connell, even joked at the 60s and 70s UWC Alumni Reunion, amid huge laughter from the attendees, that Gibbs (who was in attendance) was bringing the money back.

The money in question had been raised by the provisional SRC at a dance. At the time Gibbs, who was doing a diploma in social work, was the only one among his group who owned a vehicle, a secondhand Ford Anglia, which was used to travel

Alumnus Ernest Messina contributing to one of the conversation topics at the reunion.

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60s and 70s Alumni Reunion 2013

About one hundred founding graduates attended the 60s and 70s UWC Alumni Reunion.

Like many attendees, Brenda Sonn had much fun at the reunion.

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Dr Dwight Triegaardt catches up with Prof Brian O’Connell.

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Alumni Tony Moses (left), Hubert Feris (centre) and Prof Elsworth McPherson (right) pose for a picture.

Clarence Ford (centre) chats with Dr Yvonne Muthien (left) and Prof Edith Vries (right).

Dr Jimmy Ellis (left), Michael Benjamin (centre) and Dr Yvonne Muthien (right) share a moment at the reunion.

Old friends (from left) Karen Benjamin, Dr Jimmy Ellis, Prof Edith Vries, Dr Dwight Triegaardt, Prof Jean Triegaardt and prof Nicky Morgan reunite.

The Life Sciences building was the centre of attraction for the founding graduates.

Alumni Keith Small and Ernest Messina reconnect at the reunion.

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Pause for thought

An alumnus says a silent prayer at the inter-faith service.

Prof Fanie Sonn and Prof Edith Vries lay wreaths at the reunion.

A sombre moment at the Sunday prayer session.

Founding graduates at the wreath-laying ceremony.

Eleanor September at the wreath-laying ceremony.

together our diversity. We share a common heritage in terms of our education. It was here where you were nurtured, cultivated, informed and sent out to bring about change in the lives of others.” He remarked that he was himself a product of the influence UWC had on the community.

It was a shock and a sad moment for some of those present who hadn't realised that these alumni had passed on. The assembled alumni sang 'Justice will Prevail' to the tune of 'We shall Overcome'. The wreath-laying service was followed by the Farewell Lunch at which contributions towards the University Fund were requested. Several alumni pledged donations, including Judith O’Connell, Prof Edith Vries, Dr Fillip Teise, Dr Eltie Links, Keith Small and Fozey Fryddie.

On the Sunday of the Alumni Reunion weekend it was time for reflection at the interfaith service and wreathlaying ceremony.

The first UWC graduates, Raymond and Vincent Naidoo, were his teachers and founding alumna, Eleanor September, had taught his father in George.

“It is an interestingly small world with UWC,” he said. In his contribution, Shaykh Achmat Sedick acknowledged the contributions of the first graduates in the context of the struggle.

Rev Gradwell Fredericks’s central message at the service was diversity and his sermon used the body and its different parts as an analogy to show how each person had his or her own part to play in the bigger picture.

Addressing alumni, he said: “Today we celebrate, reflect, reminisce and draw

The wreath-laying ceremony’s theme was 'Remember When and Remember Them'.

The Rector and Vice-Chancellor, Prof O'Connell, requested a moment of silence during which the names of alumni who had passed were called out, including the Naidoo brothers, Percy Sonn and Henry Isaacs.

Imam Shaykh Achmat Sedick led a prayer at the interfaith service.

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Rev Gradwell Fredericks delivers a powerful message at the inter-faith service.

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A defiant history

By Professor Jonathan Jansen

a permit to study at the white English university, even before some administration staff had a good laugh when they saw what I thought was special – the first “first class” pass at my Steenberg high school. It was also the distance from Retreat to Bellville which required a walk, a taxi, a train, a bus, and another short walk to N22 for the science classes.

UWC alumnus, Professor Jonathan Jansen.

The middle 1970s was the worst time to attend university in South Africa. It was the time of the Soweto Uprisings which spread throughout the country and the University of the Western Cape took a firm stand in solidarity with the comrades in the north.

This meant the police and, sometimes, the army was present on campus; the smell of teargas and even a hint of petrol bombs; constant running; and of course the loss of class time was the order of the day. To be frank, I do not have pleasant memories of my first-degree studies and it is perhaps because of that experience that I overcompensate, some might say, in making heavy investments in undergraduate education.

It was not only the constant campus turmoil. I did not want to be there. In my emerging political consciousness, a “bush university” was the last place to study.

Nor was I too interested in applying for

When there was no money, which was often, it also meant hiking a ride from the southern suburbs to what seemed to be the other side of the world. The trip home was worse, since by the time the laboratory sessions ended there were no buses going South. And then there was the Afrikaans; the place seemed dominated by the language and I felt excluded from the

UWC is now a proud institution that defied the apartheid project in every way possible.

There can be no more satisfying rebuttal of our dehumanizing and unequal history in higher education and society more broadly.

formal Afrikaans and the heavy accents in the science lectures. In many ways UWC seemed at the time to be little more than a college under the shadow of the old CRC buildings next door.

I remember clearly how my understanding of UWC started to change, first with the courageous speech of Jakes Gerwel when he declared the institution “the home of the left”; then with the bold presentation of a politics of liberation by Allan Boesak; and finally when the university openedup its doors to all students and not simply those with the apartheid nickname of being called Coloured. UWC was truly becoming a real university.

In recent years alumni could witness the academic transformation of UWC from its shaky origins as an ethnic institution to arguably the best research performer from the group of historically black “colleges” and now comfortably among the elite universities of South Africa.

The turnaround of UWC has been truly remarkable, something so visibly evident from the street in the landmark new Life Sciences building. It is no longer necessary for UWC to go begging under the cloak of disadvantage—though I sadly see some of that victimhood in the public sphere.

So what has UWC accomplished? It is now a proud institution that defied the apartheid project in every way possible. There can be no more satisfying rebuttal of our dehumanizing and unequal history in higher education and society more broadly.

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Fun and games One thing was evident at the 60s and 70s UWC Alumni Reunion in October: UWC alumni are men and women of many talents.

Who would have thought that Hubert Feris, alumni organising committee member, and his teammate Prof Elsworth McPherson, possessed excellent cooking skills? The FerisMcPherson team prepared the fish stew that won the Potjiekos Competition, one of several activities that the alumni indulged in to relive the fun times they'd had on campus.

In that contest, alumni formed pairs to prepare their favourite dishes outside the Student Centre using old utensils, including three-legged pots just like the ones that were in use in the 1960s and 1970s.

It was fun all the way during the dance held at the Student Centre.

The criterion was simple: the most delicious kos would win. After tasting by some of the attendees and the selected judges, the fish stew came out tops.

Later the alumni showed that they could also teach the youngsters a thing or two about dancing, and some, like Dr Jimmy Ellis, acting director of the international relations office at Central University of Technology in Bloemfontein, also had some impressive karaoke skills to showcase.

Alumni were dressed in western-themed costumes at the Club 99 langarm dance and alumna Marlene Le Roux (right) enjoyed every moment of the event.

Pro Vice-Chancellor for Institutional Advancement, Patricia Lawrence (left), tastes an entry in the potjiekos competition.

Above: Couple Michael and Karen Benjamin remember the good old days on campus with a dance.

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UWC Res Choir entertains the audience at the reunion.

Dr Jimmy Ellis shakes it up at the reunion.

Alumnus Hubert Feris (centre) and Prof Elsworth McPherson (right), seen here with alumnus Tony Moses (left), won the potjie kos competition.

Karen Benjamin danced the night away at the dance party held at the Student Centre.

Alumni get down and boogie at the dance party held in the Student Centre.

An alumni couple enjoy a dance at the Club 99 event.

A jazz band member performs popular music from the 60s and 70s at the reunion.

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Politics no game There was a close connection between politics and sport in apartheid South Africa, on both sides of the racial divide. Not only did apartheid interfere in sport in a myriad ways, but sport was also used as a means to mobilise support in the fight against apartheid.

As with church institutions, the then government wanted to continue to participate in the international arena. Thus it could not afford to ban sporting activity and organisations when political and civil organisations were suppressed.

This provided a window of opportunity for UWC alumnus Dr Danny Jordaan and other student activists to use sport to advance the fight against authoritarian university management and the oppressive actions of the apartheid government.

Being involved in sport gave us that cover to advance political activities on campus.

“Being involved in sport gave us that cover to advance political activities on campus,” recalls Jordaan, the recently elected president of the South Africa Football Association.

The Port Elizabeth-born former lecturer obtained a BA degree and a teacher’s diploma from UWC in the 1970s, and was a member of the University’s soccer club.

He played alongside some outstanding players at UWC. Jordaan says sport in general was a site of the struggle. “Many

football players, as well as cricket and rugby players, were part of the political formations. We were seen as the most radical students and that attracted a lot of attention from the university management and the security police.”

Jordaan says although sport participation was allowed, students were not allowed to organise or attend meetings. They had to use their rooms to plan and strategise their activities. One of his former colleagues noted that “there were more soccer balls and togs underneath Jordaan’s bed than academic books on his table”.

On the field of play, sport strengthened relationships among students and brought much-needed fun and entertainment. “We used to joke and laugh even about the sad moments of the time,” Jordaan said.

The UWC Soccer team of the early 1970s- Henry Isaacs, Nicky Morgan, Daniel and David O’Reilley, Danny Jordaan and other members of the team.

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Having a ball Colin Johnson gave an overview of various sports and recalled many victory parties, especially after a rugby game. “Drinking wasn’t really in the order of the day, but yes, serious loud parties followed important matches and cleanup followed on the Monday.”

“At one of these braai-offs the white ducks of the hostel mother, Ma Diedericks, which she'd brought all the way from Genadendal, disappeared mysteriously. It was only their white feathers that proved they were indeed at the scene of the braai."

“Just past the braai area were the open sports fields to the left. There were no facilities or water – the Port Jackson bush served as dressing room and toilet and the seating stand only came after 1968.”

A UWC rugby team in the 1960s with Jan Persens (front left) wearing his scrum cap to protect his mathematical brain.

Rugby heroes Prof Julian Smith had a reputation for working “agter in die pak” and being a quick tactical decision maker. He was the slightly built scrum half of the UWC rugby team between 1973 to 1976.

“These days you need to be physically large, because it seems there isn’t much tactical playing anymore.”

He remembers the '70s as a period of political consciousness which didn’t exclude rugby. “The slogan was 'no normal sport in an abnormal society', and rugby in particular was used as a political tool against the system. It’s also this slogan which motivated UWC to move away from federation rugby to join the Tygerberg Rugby Union.”

His 17 tries in one season while playing in the competitions of the Union is a personal highlight. He remembers fondly how “back then we were called the Varsity Boys and being a Boy meant you had a good chance of being left alone whenever a fight had to break out after a game.”

Top:

An action photograph of UWC’s brilliant scrumhalf, Julian Smith, passing the ball. Julian is currently the ViceRector of Stellenbosch University.

Centre: Prof. L.M.D. Stopforth, one of the first rugby coaches passing the ball to a student team member at their practice session.

Above: The UWC Rugby Club in the 1970s.

The ‘70s was a period of political consciousness which didn’t exclude rugby. “The slogan was 'no normal sport in an abnormal society’.”

Tobias Titus became the first president of colour of the WP Rugby Union.

He joined UWC in the mid-60s and tried his hand at rugby, but being “’n klein outjie” (a small guy), he soon discovered his natural ability lay with sports administration.

Tobias remembers the rugby players being chased through the bush at the end of a not-sofriendly-match, bad facilities and long postmatch talks around an open fire.

His years of experience of serving as union president of Tygerberg Rugby Union (UWC was a member of the union) and on other bodies prepared him well for his job of the past 20 years as a management member of Western Province Rugby.

Tobias remembers the rugby players being chased through the bush at the end of a not-so-friendly-match, bad facilities and long post-match talks around an open fire.

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Poem by Diana Ferrus UWC’s internationally acclaimed poet, Diana Ferrus read a poem at the Welcome Brunch with the Rector which was held on the Friday of the weekendlong alumni reunion event.

The poem, entitled 1970s at UWC, was specially written for the reunion and dedicated to her friend and colleague, Jean Swanson-Jacobs (Jean Benjamin), the well-loved lecturer and activist who passed away in July.

1970s at UWC Let us inform and record the story, each our own story of why we will remember why we should remember We were Black and Conscious, students at UWC, we did not have much debate then about why the books should balance or why the moon appeared every 28 days But we remember the faces in the chanting crowd as we belted out “just say it loud I am Black and proud” Young and fiery, we all ran away from the teargas and batons, dodged the bullets and sang “we shall overcome” And sometimes after another arrest, we sat in a mass meeting unsure of ourselves many on the brink of giving up But we had these songs that we sang that lifted us That sent us to war with fists in the air shouting “Black Power” It was the 70’s and we refused to be shaken Yes, there were those always in the front, prepared to die So no, we did not suddenly appear, polished and perfect, we ran a dangerous mile and deserve our place on the podium These are the memories that no one can deny, so let us tell and record our stories UWC’s story, Biko’s story, our story “Forward ever, backwards never.”

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Comments and responses Dear Professor O'Connell

Dear Avril

This past weekend I have attended one of the best organized events of the sort at my Alma Mater – the UWC (or Udubs as it is nowadays so fondly referred to). Everything that took place during this weekend contributed to my immense feeling of pride in this institution to which I am so irrevocably bound.

I was looking for you when we left on Sunday, but did not see you. Thank you for all the arrangements that you have made to get me to the Alumni Ceremony. Your hard work is sincerely appreciated.

I would like to once again convey my thanks to you as Rector of UWC for your support and the enthusiasm with which you have infused all the attendees. I would also like to thank and to congratulate your Alumni Office staff with Ms Patricia Lawrence at the front, for all their hard and excellent work in making the event the success it had been. Their exceptional arrangements, together with their professional running of the event must surely be recommended.

I believe you have a very good team here.

Kind regards.

E. Brinders

I would like to see that what has been started here, be taken further so that it can result in the university benefitting from alumni that open not only their hearts to the alma mater but, importantly, also their wallets. As a member of the Organizing Committee of this event, I would certainly be making myself available to further this goal.

I trust that you will have a glorious year ahead and that all your dreams for UWC will be realized.

Kind regards Bertie Feris

I am also impressed by the way you have assisted us – even standing in the cold to wait for our transport. I am sure that was going beyond your duties. Thank you.

All, Kudos to all who organized the Alumni 60/70 get together.

I watched some of the TV broadcast on Saturday. As with most things of this nature, some will love it and enjoy the experience whilst others will not be satisfied. I think those who did not attend missed out on a wonderful opportunity to share and heal old wounds.

UWK 1960-1970s sal altyd n bitter-soet herinnering wees, maar na die naweek hoop ek daar bly meer soetigheid.

I wondered how the passionate plea was received that we must never forget that we are descendants of slaves? I'm not and here is a wonderful yarn: the Majoos were followers of Zoroaster, the monotheistic prophet from Persia. Legend has it that King Cyrus (Ezra 1:1), who helped the Jews rebuild the temple, was a Majoos! We have been around for a while!

Well, happy days to you all!

Warm regards, Keith Majoos PS. Let me know when you post the other videos on Youtube, ok?

Dear All, Thank you very much for a wonderful weekend. It was lovely to see old friends and make new ones.

And just to prove that I was also young once, I attach a photo from our time at the hostel.

Regards Elsworth McPherson

Hi Sam and team It was indeed a most special occasion and I was very proud to have been part of it! Well done!

Best Ingrid

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Note of thanks On behalf of the Vice-Chancellor and Rector of the University of the Western Cape, Professor Brian O’Connell, the Alumni Relations Office and the Communications and Media Relations Office, we would like to thank all who contributed and supported our 60s and 70s Alumni Reunion which we hosted in early October.

Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to assist us in making the event a resounding success. To the newspapers, radio stations and websites who published and broadcasted stories about the reunion, your sterling work has not gone unnoticed. We have received a lot of positive feedback from Alumni and friends of the University because of your kind assistance.

To Geraldine Fraser-Moleketi, Prof Edith Vries, Dr Jimmy Ellis, Rhoda Kadalie, Dr Yvonne Muthien, Cheryl Carolus, Prof Jonathan Jansen, Eleanor September and others who took the time to write articles and talk on the radio about the event, you’ve made us proud.

Thank you to Nicky Morgan, Prof Jean Triegaardt, and Prof Vries who supplied us with photographs that brought to life the memories of the good old days of UWC. Last but not least, thank you to the alumni who sacrificed precious family time to grace us with their presence at the reunion, without your attendance the event would not have been possible.

May our Creator continue to strengthen and bless you as you continue to make a difference in the lives of the South African people and beyond.

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THREE-SIXT-E | ALUMNI E-NEWSLETTER | ISSUE 7/DECEMBER 2013

In the news

Saturday Weekend Argus, Life, 28 September 2013, p. 15.

Saturday Weekend Argus, Life, 28 September 2013, p. 15.

Saturday Weekend Argus, Life, 28 September 2013, p. 15.

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THREE-SIXT-E | ALUMNI E-NEWSLETTER | ISSUE 7/DECEMBER 2013

Back then‌

Mass student protests against the apartheid regime were common at UWC during the 60s and 70s.

UWC was a centre of struggle against the apartheid government in the 1960s and 1970s.

A student mass meeting in 1973.

Many students were arrested during their role in anti-apartheid protests held on campus.

Dr Dwight and Prof Jean Triegaardt while they were students at UWC.

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Dr Jimmy Ellis ready for his first graduation in 1968.

Prof Elsworth McPherson and his wife Wilma during their student days on campus.

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THREE-SIXT-E | ALUMNI E-NEWSLETTER | ISSUE 7/DECEMBER 2013

The final year botany and zoology class of 1975 with their lecturers.

Lolanthe Norman was the first secretary of UWC in the 1960s.

The late Prof Ikey van der Rheede with his wife at a UWC social gathering.

Members of the 1968 SRC:(standing, from left) Graham Fillmore, Solly Adam, Dwight Triegaardt (treasurer), (seated, from left) Brian Figaji (chair), Venita Meyer (nee Brophy) (secretary) and Giem Gassiep.

(Standing, from left) Randi Erentzen, John Diergaardt, Romeo Cupido, Dougie Moses, Dr Dwight Triegaardt, Prof Ikey van der Rheede, (front, seated)Prof Richard van der Ross and Prof Jakes Gerwel.

(From left) Jenny Daniels, Prof Jean Triegaardt (nee Kester), Prof Brian O’Connell and Berinda Prins during their student days at UWC.

The three BSc graduates of 1963 – (from left) Alexander McLaren, Prof Harold Herman and Graham Fillis.

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THREE-SIXT-E | ALUMNI E-NEWSLETTER | ISSUE 7/DECEMBER 2013

Gerwel’s spirit lives on at UWC Foundation. The fund has already spurred three initiatives.

Earlier this year, the Old Mutual Investment Group South Africa Imfundo Trust (OMIGSA Imfundo Trust) agreed to fund five UWC students (an amount of R300 000 over three years) under the Jakes Gerwel Bursary scheme. The OMIGSA Imfundo Trust aims to grow the pool of black professionals in the asset management sector. Preference will be given to black women studying finance, law and agriculture.

It has been a year since worldrenowned academic and anti-apartheid activist Professor Jakes Gerwel passed away, but his presence on campus is still being felt, thanks to several initiatives launched in his honour.

Gerwel, a UWC alumnus, served the institution for many years as a lecturer and as Rector and Vice-Chancellor.

Recently, the University of the Western Cape Foundation approved the establishment of the Jakes Gerwel Education and Development Fund. The objectives of the fund are to support bursaries, institutional development, investment and continued growth at UWC. Fred Robertson, the chairman of the foundation (previously also chaired by Gerwel), said that companies that had shown interest in supporting the fund included Old Mutual, Brimstone Investment Corporation, African Monarch 710 Investment Holdings and the Mauerberger

In the third initiative, cash and shares to the value of R1.5 million were committed by the Brimstone Investment Corporation, African Monarch Investments, friends and former colleagues of Prof Gerwel, that will go towards institutional and general growth and development at UWC. Brimstone CEO, Mustaq Brey, noted: “Prof Gerwel was a great leader, academic and mentor to us. We hope that our small contribution in his memory will go towards the next generation of young people who will contribute positively to society.’’

Join The UWC Alumni Association!

UWC bequest and endowment programme

Get your free UWC Alumni T-shirt and much more for only R170 per annum (or R70 for the first two years after graduation)! To join, download and complete the Alumni Membership form at www.uwc.ac.za/alumni

UWC has a bequest and endowment programme that supports high quality education and research and assists in ensuring the sustainability of the University in the future.

Contact us at email: alumni@uwc.ac.za or tel: 021 959 2143 if you have any questions.

Find us…

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To arrange a confidential discussion please contact the Alumni Relations Office at +27 21 959 2143 or email alumni@uwc.ac.za.

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In another tribute to Gerwel, the Mauerberger Foundation Fund, which has provided bursaries to UWC students for several years, decided to establish the Jakes Gerwel Award in Public Health. The award, valued at R50 000, is open to all graduates of the University’s School of Public Health who have demonstrated through their work the ability to have an impact on aspects of public health.

http://twitter.com/UWConline

ON THE BOOKSHELVES

Early History of UWC Alumni were particularly eager to page through the Alumni Relations Office’s book project, entitled 'The Early History of UWC: Reflections on the History and Alumni of the early years' which was researched and written by Prof Harold D. Herman in honour of the reunion weekend. The pictures of sports teams were of particular interest to alumni at the weekend’s festivities. Herman himself graduated in 1963 and gives a personal account of life on the UWC campus during this period.

The publication is specifically directed at the1960-1980 alumni of UWC and will be followed by a second publication. The book gives a brief historical account of the experiences, successes, trials and tribulations of the alumni who were the founding students of the University of the Western Cape. The book makes effective use of old photographs of past rectors and lecturers, as well as prominent alumni such as Danny Jordaan and Rhoda Kadalie, to portray the university and its development in the years up to 1980.

The book relates how the first students made full use of their academic and financial opportunities, despite having only the limited career choices of either qualifying as a nurse, teacher or minister presented to them, and having to labour under harsh regimented conditions unimaginable today.

The publication presents interesting and insightful perspectives on student grievances and divergent views at UWC, student organisations, sport, the Demas tie incident, the Soweto uprisings of 1976 and the Van der Ross era. A large section of the book is devoted to student activist Henry Isaacs’s experiences as a law student, the challenges he encountered and how he managed to rise above them.

Stay Connected!

Your alma mater wants to keep you updated with the latest UWC news, events and information. Update your contact details at www.uwc.ac.za/ alumni or send an email with your details to alumni@uwc.ac.za. Contact us at email: alumni@uwc.ac.za or call us at tel: 021 959 2143.