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One of the reasons I love my job is this hile having one of those casual conversations, though the interpretation of casual can never lean too much of the side of peer familiarity, with one of the senior members of the Department, I ask her what aspects of her job she finds fulfilling. She replies (paraphrased); “It is rather ridiculous that the Eastern Cape, in all the country’s social, economic and development measures, is always at the bottom of the pile when here we are. The human capital from the Eastern Cape, in multitudes, dispersed all around the country and very few flinch when reading the statistics…year after year. So, here I am; using the resources that I have to change what I don’t like.” This in short, quite literally stole my heart. One of the nagging reservations that I have though about the idea of development (of the mind, the body and all the elements that make up the human form) is: will it bring about change that is meaningful? While it is financial remuneration that compensates one for the effort of “making a living” everyday, what is the purpose of ensuring that we live everyday? Why is it that we must insist on making a living everyday or ensuring that we will be adequately equipped to live and survive in the world? As the Mandela generation is absorbed into the system of higher education, burdened with the most highest of expectations – to manifest freedom in their being, these are some of the questions that we have to confront in our long and interesting journey of becoming more enlightened; through education, our experiences and through those conversations. We hope that the news reported on every month about the university and the communities which surround it will inspire some curiosity to find out about world and the people who surround us; how they influence and impact our lives, and how we are a part of our societies, can influence and impact them and perhaps change them for the better. 2013…LEGGO ( change font ) Page 1
Editorial Team
Description Page _______________________________________________________ University closes because of strike........................................................3 Fake university uses UFH name to scam desperate students.............4 The deal with residence refurbishments................................................5
Orientation...............................................................................................6
Interim SRC receives mixed feelings from students.............................8
Entertainment
Movies
Books..........................................................9
UFH Sport...............................................................................................9
Sport UFH Cricket star.........................................................................10
On our website
Editor in Chief
Khotso Moabi
Content Manager Khotso Moabi
Editor
Zokwanda Rasmeni
Writers
Quinter Oyango Anele Payi Lutho Mabandla Siphokazi Manzi
Daily Dispatch dialogues
Vice Chancellor on Conducive institutional atmosphere Page 2
So what was the strike all about? In what started off as a demonstration by students to issue a memorandum of demands to the management of the university has turned into a violent strike that has permeated the Alice community and resulted in the extensive damage of university property, the arrest of students by local authorities and the injury of students who have had to be taken to nearby hospitals. On the 06th of February, some UFH students peacefully convened in front of the Administration building where Bulali Rawana, SRC President issued a memorandum of demands to a representative of the university management. The management was requested to offer a response addressing the tabulated demands of the memorandum the following day. The demands to the university were as follows: Reverse the Private Public Partnership with Equicent Construction Company to manage the refurbishing of residences. The removal of the Biometric Security system, a feature installed in residences to manage access control and ensure the security of the picture by Michael Pinyana students; A reduction in residence fees, Changing the residence allocation system adopted in 2013; the appointment of the secretary of the residence manager to act as the residence coordinator of the university; Rejection of the introduction of double bunk beds in residences; Automatic supplementary examinations for students left with one module before graduation; Re-accept students who have been academically excluded by the university with only 3 modules left before graduation; Allow to students to change from one degree programme to another; Terminate the contracts of some staff members of the university. The violence of the strike escalated on the 07th of February when a number of students barricaded the university entrance by burning material on site, preventing staff members from entering university premises. The most violent peak of the strike however occurred on the 11th of February after the striking students had been issued with a court interdict by the Bhisho High Court which declared the strike unlawful. This upsurge of violence prompted intervention by local authorities, which resulted in a violent unfolding of events in the Alice campus throughout the day. A verbal response to the demands was issued on the 07th of February by Vice Chancellor, Dr Mvuyo Tom, and further communication was sent through the UFH Internal e-mail services elaborating on the VC’s responses to the memorandum. The Vice Chancellor addressed the demands of the memorandum in 7 salient points:
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1.
Automatic supplementary examinations The university has allowed for the automatic writing of supplementary examinations when students have obtained a 45% - 49% mark in their examination for some years, as is detailed in the Rules and Regulations of the university [Rule G.6.3.2].
2.
Academic Exclusion (the reacceptance of students who have been academically excluded) The Faculties were still addressing appeals made by students, who would be informed of the outcomes of their appeals according to the dates: Science and Agriculture Law Management and Commerce Social Science and Humanities Education
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Friday 08 February Friday 08 February Tuesday 12 February Wednesday 13 February Monday 11 February
3.
Degree Change The university also makes provision for students to change degrees and/or Faculties on condition that certain requirements are met. [Rule G.3.15.4]
4.
Student Accommodation
• Costs According to the VC, the students’ accommodation costs are not subsidised by government, therefore all costs of operating residences are paid by the students living in the residences, bearing in mind that 70% of students are covered by some form of financial aid. Residence Costs Increase Awaiting renovations R9 320 6% from 2012 Renovated double room R15 854 To verify Renovated single room R19 156 To verify Lovedale Heights (privately owned) R19 340 East London Residences (privately owned) R20 140 6% from 2012 • Private Public Partnership Consultations occurred between management, university Council and the SRC through quarterly meetings held in which the students concerns on ideological disagreements were taken into considerations. Management clarified further that the buildings will not be owned by the private company but till remain assets of the university. • Residence security The Biometric Systems were implemented to ensure the safety of students, an ongoing concern in the university. This security system is has been tested elsewhere as has proven safe; and does not encouraged congestion. • Double Bunk Bed Systems The students have opposed this system and it will not be introduced. • Residence allocation The system was introduced to ensure accountability in the process of residence allocation The Vice Chancellor has since requested the closure of the university following the violence of the strike. The date on which the strike will commence, where the students will have to arrive at the university with their parents has not yet been decided.
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Is your university preparing you for work The class of 2012 at the university of Fort Hare is about to graduate in May and entering the labour market at the worst time for many years; when unemployment is rising resulting in the increase of competition for jobs. Many people think of going to universities as a simply way to advance their education or to earn a degree in order to make them more marketable to employers, but the real task begins after graduating and being rendered jobless with a degree at hand. In addition to acquiring the strong academic and technical knowledge required for many roles in the work place, graduates and postgraduates also need the employability skills and positive attitude that employers value in every new recruit. University of Fort Hare amongst other Universities all over the world recognize that the key to well-rounded academic experience is helping a student develop both hard skills that can be directly applied to a job and a variety of soft skills and life experiences that would allow them to adapt to a dramatically changing work place. Universities are also bolstering academic and student support services, such as career centres and they continue to develop robust career centres that place the importance of students and alumni’s future at the forefront of their services. The question still begs however; is the university of Fort Hare doing enough to ensure that its students acquire the competitive edge over other graduates; and are the students of the university equipping themselves enough to be suitable job candidates in such a fierce environment? [Quinter Oyango]
Fake college uses Fort Hare’ name to scam desperate students
A mock university, which had been illegally posing as Fort Hare College and accepting applications from students under the guise of being affiliated with the university, was tracked down by university management. Failure to meet university entrance requirements, rejections by universities and the failure to apply to a university until too late meant that a number of high school leaving students were found wanting for a place to study further in 2013. The result of this desperation prompted the burgeoning of scams that feed off the dire need of many students to acquire an education, like the Fort Hare College which had been advertised as an institution that would afford students the opportunity to receive this education. Stakeholder Relations Manager, Mr Lizo Phiti, whose responsibility among many is to ensure that the reputation of the university is amicably maintained trailed the scam to ensure that no further people were victimised. Local authorities were informed, after which the College seized to exist. Unfortunately, the university could not ascertain how many people were taken advantage of by the scam, or how much money was generated from it. Phiti commented; “it is unfortunate that scams of this nature target the most vulnerable in our society”. [Zokwanda Rasmeni]
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Residence refurbishments process The infrastructural challenges facing the Alice residences has been a topical issue for a long time in the university. The consequence of this dissatisfaction by students was the appointment a steering committee comprising students, Student Affairs, the Properties and Services centre and Equiscent Construction Co. to manage the development and refurbishment of the residences, which, according to refurbishment plan devised by Equicent, will be carried out in 4 Phases. The first phase of the development process, which included the construction of two new residence blocks accommodating 160 students each commenced with the construction one of the new residences, which is scheduled for completion at the end of April. Phase 2 of the developments comprised the refurbishment of 7 student blocks: ZK Matthews, ZK Matthews 2 Jabavu, Jolobe 1, Jolobe 2, Tiyo Soga and Molefe, which began in February. The third phase of the process will comprise the refurbishment of priority student blocks: Ezola 1, Ezola 2 and Ezola 3. And the fourth and final phase will conclude by refurbishing the remaining residences as prioritised by the university. [Zokwanda Rasmeni]
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Orientation
Xenophobia, the stumbling block to peace It may be shocking to some people in this country to realize that, without meaning to do so, they hold views in common with Hitler when they preach discrimination against other religious, racial or economic groups. ~~Henry A. Wallace "When are you Zim going back to your country?" that was the statement that jolted me back to the harsh reality when I first came to South Africa. This Finnish woman working as an officer at the airport had chosen to ignore my passport which clearly stated I wasn’t from the Southern part of Africa. Foreigners in the Diaspora can bear witness to the fact that xenophobia is alive and breathing and has an annoying habit of rearing its ugly head more often than not; nagging that feeling of wondering why in the world people were stereotyping us, assuming that we all came from poor backgrounds, were thieves and rapists, that we were out to abuse their system or were just lazing around consuming the country’s resources. During the 2008 xenophobia attracts several lives were lost and many more were injured. The devastated community retaliated by rioting and looting the nearby Somali businesses, an unreasonable and saddening reaction. But could we peg that only on momentary anger and sadness? It was the uproar on social media that left me aghast! Well educated, level headed people were up in arms damning foreign nationals back to their home countries. The insults and expletives that reigned the social sphere were totally shocking. Those who tried to speak for the foreigners were quickly shut down by others who would not hear of anything else. I have yet to see this much xenophobia in all other countries I have travelled. We need to be vigilant and careful of this blatant ignorance. It is the reason that most the African countries continue going backward instead of progressing. We needed to have embraced the Somali community (and other communities represented by their plight) in the fight against terror....not condemned them. This kind of xenophobia is not to be expected from a learned and exposed citizen. [Student Piece] To f e a t u r e y o u r s t o r y o n t h e n e w s l e t t e r, e - m a i l u s o n : z r a s m e n i @ u f h . a c . z a
Short History Situated in the peaceful and historical Eastern Cape town of Alice on the former military station donated by the United Free Church of Scotland, Fort Hare has a long tradition of excellence and achievement of which it can be justly proud. This remarkable institution traditionally recognized as one of the prestigious universities on the continent of Africa, stemmed from the initiatives of the black elite and early twentieth-century white liberals, many of them clergy, and supported by many traditional Southern African leaders. Fort Hare came into
Lutho Mabandla Page 7
existence in 1916 and is the oldest historically black university in South Africa.
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Interim SRC receives mixed feelings from students
The Steve Biko Centre
The Head Convener of the interim Students Representative Council, Bulali Rawana believes there should be no leadership vacuum following the decision by all Fort Hare stakeholders not have SRC elections owing to the material conditions that existed when the elections were expected take place in October last year. Hence he believes that the formation of the interim structure, which is
“I have heard about the interim SRC. In the absence of the actual SRC, I think they have done a good job.”
made up of two representatives from six different students’ political structures, was a necessary resolution. The interim SRC was given the clear mandate of facilitating the SRC elections early next year, and more significantly, to be the voice of students during the registration period for the 2013 academic year. Rawana said; “we want to bring new creativity, restore dignity to all the processes and redefine the role of SRC and set pace for proper service delivery not only during registration but for the future of the SRC; which will require cooperation from students, transparency and accountability from our collective” The formation of the interim SRC was met with mixed feelings from the student
“I have no idea who the Interim SRC is.”
body. Some students commended the formation of the interim SRC. COPE representative, Mayihlome had this to say; “we want results and we wish the SRC the best”; Zuzake Noganta who is the former SRC member said, “I think its high time that we support and respect our leaders, all they need is support from us not critics, let's offer advice where we see a need for it let's give information where it is needed.” Other students believe that the interim SRC “were just a stop-gap measure since UFH did not have SRC elections”; this is according to Junior Tshefu. Tshefu was extremely disappointed by the SRC’s inaction during the registration and administration of new students. He believes however that; “the SRC should work as a team not as individuals as the students are expecting the whole team to be victorious, not individual organisations.” [Siphokazi Manzi]
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“I don’t know them.”
The Steve Biko Centre was officially open on the 12th of October 2012. Right at the mouth of Ginsberg in King Williams’ Town, the centre confronts you with its imposing design as you enter the into the township; yet the overlay of beautiful traditional art that adorns its walls gives one the sense that it has always been there; somehow found its way home. The centre, which is dedicated to the pioneer of the Black Consciousness movement, was built to commemorate the historic and unfolding culture of liberation among African people universally, focusing primarily of the intellectual and philosophical work and contributions of African intellectuals who, through their work, vehemently opposed the systems of oppression around the world. The Centre comprises a museum, an archive and library resource centre, a commemorative garden honouring human rights activists, training facilities, cultural performance and production spaces, a community media centre and retail spaces. The artistic director of The Steve Biko Centre Performing Arts says; “the Steve Biko centre is guided by 3 words: memory, discovery, and action. It aims use the memory to discover our history and ourselves and work through it so we may be able to architect a better future and live out the highest expression of our humanity.”
S IS FOR SAMORA Sarah LeFanu’s S is for Samora is a Lexical Biography of Samora Machel and the Mozambican Dream. A highly readable, informative and entertaining guide of the life and times of Mozambique’s revolutionary leader and first President Samora Moises Machel. It is a bit of a memoir by LeFanu, an enthusiast from the West who had sympathised with the struggle for liberation of the people of Mozambique and travelled there in the 1970s as she returned back in 2008 to revisit acquaintances and refresh her memories of those difficult but also rewarding times. A must read for those interested in the revolutionary history of Southern Africa. [Thomas Blaser]
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UFH Cricket star Jerry Maphelo began his studies at University in 2010 and is currently in his 3rd year of Bachelor of Human Movement Science studies. Maphelo has left an indelible mark in the university’s sports fields; his achievements spanning both region and national cricket fields. In 2010, he formed part of the SA U/19 Squad that played in the U/19 Cricket world cup and in the same year received a Warriors Contract for two years; played for the Border Amateur Senior team, the Border Cricket Academy team and the UFH/CSA cricket academy. He was subsequently recognised as the 2010 sportsman of the year in the UFH greatest achievers awards, which he received again in 2011 and 2012. He continued to represent the warriors, the Border Amateur Senior team, the Border Cricket Academy team as well as the UFH/CSA cricket academy in 2011 and 2012. Maphelo captained the UFH cricket team that won the 2012 USSA Cricket A (B section week) and was in awarded for provincial colours and selected to the 2012 USSA Cricket Squad in the same year. Jerry Maphelo lives by the motto; “Always put others first and never be selfish” and his philosophy in life is; “Stay true to yourself because there are not too many people who will stay true to you”. [Siphokazi Manzi]
Blues committed to having a sterling season The FNB Fort Hare Blues kicked off the much anticipated Varsity Shield cup with crucial changes to the team. Coach Elliot Fana has had to contend with the loss of Thando Ndondo, who captained the team in 2012, lock Itumeleng Mokae and hooker Dalton Mavuso, who he says will not be easy to replace as they held critical positions whose boots will not be immediately filled by youngsters at that level of competition. Despite these changes, he still remains determined to see the team challenging some of the top sides of the Varsity Shield this year. "I don't want us to have a negative attitude and start thinking that Fort Hare is just there to add numbers, we are definitely there to compete," said Fana. The Blues kicked off the season to a rough start when they took on the FNB UKZN Impi Peter Booysen Sports Park in Pietermaritzburg to take on last year's Wooden Spoonists, losing 19-7 to the home team. The second match of the season however allowed the boy to redeem themselves when they plummeted former Varsity Cup side TUT Varsity Cup side FNB TUT to secure a 32 – 6 victory when they played in Alice on the Monday 11th February. The FNB Blues will take on the FNB CUT in Bloemfontein in a very important clash in the tournament. Fana maintains the positive attitude ensconced at the beginning of the tournament confirming his confidence in the boys’ performance. "We need to be able to front up when we play an away game and manage the collision as we did against TUT then I think we should be able to compete," he said.
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FNB Fort Hare Team 15 Khanyiso Komani
14 Garth Van Rayner
13 Lundi Ralarala
10 Oliver Zono
9 Anele Tsiko
8 Nkosikhona Nofuma 7 Billy Dutton (captain),
5 Masixole David
4 Mzwandile Yalezo
3 Xola Mapapo
2 Luzuko Nyabaza
16 Zuko Lerula
17 Siyabulela Sijula
18 Sibabalwe Tshoni
19 Andile Makinana
21 Lutho Zatu
22 Lwando Makhongolo 23 Douglas Manyame
Replacements
Upcoming Fixtures Monday, February 11: FNB CUT v FNB UFH, CUT Rugby Stadium - 7pm FNB UWC v FNB UKZN, UWC Sport Stadium - 7pm Bye: FNB TUT Monday, February 1 FNB TUT v FNB CUT, TUT Stadium - 7pm FNB UFH v FNB UWC, Davidson Rugby Stadium - 7pm Bye: FNB UKZN Monday, February 25: FNB UFH v FNB UKZN, Davidson Rugby Stadium - 7pm FNB TUT v FNB UWC, TUT Stadium - 7pm Bye: FNB CUT
12 Saneliso Ngoma
11Lithabile Mgwadleka 6Onke Dubase 1Lwando Mabenge
20 Khaya Siqoko
Empty Space
I will need the poster to be in an A5 Format (Landscape) I would do it myself but I do not have the working files.
Address Phone Enrollment Founded
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Ring Rd, Alice 5700, South Africa 040 602 2011 11,074 (2011) 1916
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