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NUUS
RES ANIMALS Do animals belong in university residences?
Residences under spotlight for animal cruelty HAYLEY GRAMMER
A
nimal cruelty came under spotlight recently after a video of a chicken being manhandled at a residence party sparked outrage. The annual Hoenderdag, held at Stellenbosch University’s (SU) Helshoogte residence, saw a chicken being thrown into the air and fed cigarettes and alcohol. Although Helshoogte was proven innocent, as the perpetrator was neither a SU student nor Helshoogte resident, there are concerns about the safety of animals in SU residences. “Eendrag has an ostrich in its residence. “Why do they need it there? It’s not a suitable environment, it’s noisy and stressful for the animals,” said Jessica Perrins, head of fund-raising and communications at the Animal Welfare Society of Stellenbosch (AWSS). “Although the chickens at Helshoogte may be looked after well, they are kept on the roof in a cage with no grass. “We intend to enter into discussion with the Ethics and Transformation Committee’s at the university because ultimately our goal is to have no animals in the residences.” Ostrich on campus Eendrag initially declined to comment on animals being present in residences, but once Die Matie made it known that they were aware of their ostrich, vice prim Emile Nauta commented on the situation. “Sponsie is a baby ostrich who was no longer wanted by the farmer he came from in Heidelberg, so we took him in at two to three weeks, which places him now at just under two months,” said Nauta. “He roams freely through the quad
during the day and I put him away every single night in the enclosure we built him. “I make sure he has water bowls placed around the quad and in his enclosure, which I clean and refill every day. “I release him back into the quad in the mornings, and feed him then too.” According to Nauta, AWSS found the ostrich to be well looked after but a municipal law worker said they were not permitted to house the ostrich on the premises because it was classified as livestock. “It was agreed that we could take two weeks to find alternative living arrangements for him. “As such, we have found a farm that can look after ostriches and we are saying goodbye to Sponsie today,” he said. University trusts students Pieter Kloppers, director of the Centre for Student Communities, said that students at SU have shown over time that they are worth being trusted. “Student communities, through the interaction with various structures within the university, showed that they realise when things go wrong, both through a fault of their own and sometimes even without any fault of their own. “As with any community it can happen that people who are not part of a particular student community can act in a way that is inconsistent with the ethos or way things are done in that student community. “The example of abusing a chicken at an event hosted at Helshoogte is a case in point,” he said. According to university spokesperson Martin Viljoen, Helshoogte provided their full support to the AWSS in their investigation and the security at
RES PETS Sponsie, an ostrich from Eendrag (left). The infamous Helshoogte chicken recoverd (right). the event was fully compliant with the Public Safety at Recreational Events Act. “House Committee members immediately stepped in when they saw that the chicken was abused and made sure of its safety and that it was cared for. Permission from the Resident Head, SU Events and the Stellenbosch South African Police Service Events Committee was approved. “Security was on duty at both the entrance and exit, and it is unclear at this stage how the individual managed to bring the chicken onto the premises,” said Viljoen. Prim of Helshoogte, JC Meiring,
said that the residence takes pride in their chickens and if someone from Helshoogte would have seen the abuse happen, there would have been “serious consequences for that person”. “The minute we were made aware of the video, we immediately started searching for the individual and the chicken. “One of our House Committee members actually caught the thrown chicken and brought it inside to the cage where the other chickens were being kept. “We are very angry about the way Helshoogte has been represented because of this incident, it’s been com-
pletely blown out of proportion and the main thing is that it’s not even someone from Stellenbosch University or Helshoogte, it just happened on our premises.”
Cruelty is a criminal offence AWSS laid a complaint with police and the case has been assigned an investigator. According to Perrins, AWSS met with the investigator on Monday and they are busy gathering evidence. They ask if eye witnesses can please come forward to provide evidence. AWSS can be contacted either on Facebook or by calling 021 883 9129.
VISION AFRIKA
SU receives millions to Academic support offered to children investigate transformation
KYRA TARR
Creating opportunity where progress is hampered by adverse living conditions and insufficient resources is the driving force behind Vision AfriKa. Founded in 2004, Vision AfriKa is a non-governmental organisation that serves the youth of Kayamandi. With an impressive list of both local and international donors, amounting to 33 partners overall, the institution supports 600 students every year with 100 students having gained university acceptance to date. Not only does Vision AfriKa offer academic support to high school students, but they also run a pre-primary school, a primary school and two aftercare facilities (one in Kayamandi and the other in Vlottenburg). The project’s reach extends to assisting students during their university application process as well as offering vocational training and business skills development. “Education is important not just in South Africa but throughout the whole African continent. “I see Vision AfriKa being all
ALL SMILES Vision Afrika in action. over the country, offering support to underprivileged communities and making sure that our future produces leaders with an excellent academic foundation,” said Samkela Mhlakaza, marketing coordinator at Vision AfriKa. As a student, Mhlakaza went through the various programmes offered by the organization. “Vision AfriKa has always been
one of the organisations that each and every young person in the community of Kayamandi would like to join,” he said. The selection process for students consists of a filled-out form and an interview round, with places being awarded to those deemed most deserving and determined. Katherine Lindsay, a Stellenbosch graduate and volunteer at various outreach programmes in Kayamandi, spoke highly of Vision AfriKa. “They have the most wonderful objectives,” she said. When asked about volunteering opportunities for Stellenbosch University (SU) students, Mhlakaza welcomed as many as possible. “Vision AfriKa is an open space for each and every one who would like to make sure they are part of a process that produces better leaders for tomorrow.” He also quoted the isiXhosa saying “Umntu ngumntu ngabantu", meaning, a person is a person through other people. To learn more about Vision AfriKa and possible volunteering opportunities, visit www. visionafrika.com.
JEANINE MALAN
The multi-million Andrew W Mellon Grant has provided Stellenbosch University (SU) with the means to research institutional transformation in South Africa. The Sociology and Social Anthropology Department used the grant to launch its Indexing Transformation Project two weeks ago. Its aim is to discover how best to transform higher education settings by engaging with critical teaching and institutional transformation. Prof Steven Robins, leader and principal investigator of the project, said they will question who defines, evaluates, and measures institutional transformation. The project will also look at the way in which knowledge in the human sciences in South Africa has responded to the racialised histories of their formation. Robins will be joined by coprincipal investigator Dr Bernard Dubbeld, and a steering committee consisting of Jan Vorster, Elizabeth Hector, Anne Wiltshire and Nwabisa Madikane. The Mellon Foundation’s five-
year R11.2m grant supports a parttime programme manager, various research projects, 78 graduate student scholarships, and a weekly seminar series. In addition, an international conference, dealing with challenges for the study of transformation, as well as an annual workshop on transformation issues, will be held. “It is the outcome of the recognition that our university spaces and intellectual work require serious examination in relation to persistent racial inequalities and obstacles to democratic, inclusive intellectual practice, a recognition amplified by recent student protests across South Africa,” said Robins. The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation was formed in 1969 through the consolidation of Mellon’s two children’s existing foundations. Students are invited to attend the Department of Sociology and Social Anthropology’s seminar entitled ‘Revolution, Restitution and Redress: Obligations towards restoring our Humanity’ on 2 March in the Arts Building. The lecturer will be prof Sharlene Swarts from the University of Cape Town.