Women`s Month - Women`s Month - Women`s Month

STAFF NEWSLETTER
AUGUST 2009
Meet the Unisa
Women of the Year
Prof. Hellicy Ngambi, Dr Mpine Makoe, Ms La-Portia Matjila, Dr Mala Singh, Dr Anniekie Ravhudzulo, Dr Martine De Marre, and Prof. Mandla Makhanya
INSIDE
Page 3
Revitalising higher education
Page 13
Happy 91st birthday, Madiba!
Page 14
Unisa women on
women’s issues
Page 17
CSET women shiner
Page 18
Unisa Women set the pace
The workaday garb of the Protea
Restaurant on the Muckleneuk
Campus was doffed in favour of exotic
drapes and colourful beaded African dolls
as Unisa honoured its women achievers
at the Vice-Chancellor’s Women
Empowerment Gala Dinner on
7 August 2009.
Prof. Mandla Makhanya, Acting Principal and
Vice-Chancellor, in welcoming the more than 200
guests, said that the function afforded a place for
Unisa to take stock of women and their achievements at the University. “Unisa has an impressive
track record of promoting women actively and
remains committed to its agenda of achieving
equity in gender and disability,” he avowed.
“Where does this evening fit into the Unisa vision
to be the African university in the service of
humanity,” was the searching question posed
by Dr Thandi Sidzumo-Mazibuko, Executive
Director: Corporate Affairs. “It requires us to be
vigilant so that we do not pay mere lip service to
the notions of the enhancement and promotion of
women. We must ensure that these permeate our
planning processes,” she cautioned.
Owing to an indisposition, Ms Noluthando
Mayende-Sibiya, Minister of Women, Children
and People with Disabilities, was unable to attend,
and her address was delivered by Adv. Nomazotsho
Memani-Balani, her political advisor.
The Minister said that, in the three months since
her appointment, she had been honoured to
meet women from different walks of life across
the country. She paid tribute to these unknown
women, who were not wealthy or powerful, yet
who had not lost hope and continued to trust that
things would change for the better.
From p.1
Some of the 2009 Woman of the Year nominees: Dr Anniekie Ravhudzulo, Dr Mala Singh, Dr Thandi Sidzumo-Mazibuko, Prof. Zodwa Motsa,
Ms Jenny Lemon, Ms La-Portia Matjila, Prof. Hellicy Ngambi, Dr Martine De Marre, and Prof. Phumla Mtala
Dr Anniekie Ravhudzulo, Chair of the Unisa Women’s Forum
(UWF) acknowledged all the nominees and explained that the
categories had been extended across the University spectrum to
include women in professional and student support.
Prof. Makhanya then joined Dr Ravhudzulo to present the
awards.
Academic: Joint award to Prof. Hellicy Ngambi and
Dr Martine De Marre
Professional: Dr Mpine Makoe
Student support: Ms La-Portia Matjila
Administration: Dr Mala Singh
Dr Martine De Marre was awarded the Feroza Adam Memorial Shield as Woman of the Year. The award honours not only
Feroza Adam, but all women who have contributed to women’s
equality in South Africa, and especially those who paid the
ultimate price for our freedom. Dr Martine De Marre is highly
regarded by her peers, and her openness and generosity to others
is clear from the submission made nominating her as a winner.
What set her nomination form apart was that she was not only
nominated by one person, but an entire list of names and
signatures was attached.
Entertainment was provided by the vibrant Gloria Bosman and
her backing quartet, while Dr Thandi Sidzumo-Mazibuko and
Ms Jenny Lemon, Director: Gender Studies Programme, were
the programme managers for the evening. The event is organised
jointly by the Office of the Principal and Vice-Chancellor, the
Unisa Women’s Forum and the Gender Studies Programme for
National Women’s Day.
Unisa woman of the Year nominees
Dr Martine De Marre, Classics and World Languages
Ms La-Portia Matjila, Director: Student Admissions and
Registration
Dr Mpine Makoe, Institute for Open Distance Learning
Prof. Zodwa Motsa, Chair: Department of English Studies
Prof. Phumla Mtala, Department: Human Resources
Prof. Hellicy Ngambi, Executive Dean: College of Economic
and Management Sciences
Prof. Pamela Ryan, Executive Director: Office of the
Pro Vice-Chancellor
Prof. Mamokgethi Setati, Executive Dean: College of Science,
Engineering and Technology
Dr Thandi Sidzumo-Mazibuko, Executive Director: Corporate
Affairs
Dr Mala Singh, Executive Director: Human Resources
Dr Britta Zawada, Director: School of Arts, Education,
Languages and Communication.
Addressing challenges faced by woman & young people
As part of women’s month
celebrations, the Department of
Sociology held a panel discussion
with the national Department of
Social Development (DSD) on
5 August 2009 at Senate Hall on
the Muckleneuk Campus.
The discussion focused on gender
and the youth.
Two panellists from DSD, Ms
Neloufar Khan and Ms Kgaugelo
PAGE 2
Molebatsi, spoke on Implementation
progress of the gender and youth components of the South Africa population
policy. Both their presentations spoke
widely on issues affecting women and
young people and the advances made in
the policy arena to address the challenges
faced by them.
Ms Molebatsi said that there had been
support from government to embrace
issues of gender transformation and
women empowerment. “That has been
noted by the ever increasing number of
women cabinet ministers and the recent
establishment of the Women’s ministry,’
she emphasised. She added that the fact
that South Africa has had two female
Deputy Presidents spoke volumes as well.
One of the major strides taken by
government was the establishment of the
Public Administration Leadership
Academy Management Academy (PALAMA), which offers gender mainstreaming
courses.
Revitalising higher education
Prof. Barney Pityana addressing WCHE
The UNESCO World Conference
on Higher Education (WCHE) took
place at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris, France, from 5 to 8
July 2009. The theme of the
conference was The new dynamics
of higher education and research for
societal change and development.
Prof. Barney Pityana, Principal and ViceChancellor, delivered a speech entitled
The revitalisation of higher education:
access, equity and quality on the second
day of the conference. He also made a
presentation during a session on Open
Educational Resources. Prof. Dele
Braimoh, the Director of the Institute for
Open and Distance Learning (IODL),
attended the conference in his capacity as
the UNESCO Chair of ODL at Unisa, and
made a presentation on Managing ICT
integration: The role of higher education
institutions.
The WCHE closed on 8 July with a call
to governments to increase investment in
higher education, encourage diversity and
strengthen regional cooperation to serve
societal needs.
You can read further feedback from the
Principal on the WCHE on the last page
of this issue.
THE GLOBAL FINANCIAL CRISIS:
responses of the World Bank
The College of Economic and
Management Sciences (CEMS),
together with the World Bank,
hosted a public lecture entitled
Weathering the global economic
crisis: lessons for emerging
markets on 15 July 2009. The
lecture attracted some of South
Africa’s financial gurus, including
Mr Trevor Manuel, Minister in
The Presidency: National Planning
Commission.
According to Prof. Mandla Makhanya,
Pro Vice-Chancellor, “Globalisation has
created a platform whereby we are able to
share resources, technologies and
opportunities for growth and sustainable
development.” He added that globalisation
has its advantages, but the fact that it does
not always contribute to the wellbeing of
all role-players within society is a daunting
task that requires management and the
mutual collaboration of all within a
globalised society.
Prof. Justin Yifu Lin, Chief Economist and
Senior Vice-President of the World Bank,
Prof. Justin Yifu Lin, Prof. Hellicy Ngambi (Executive Dean: CEMS) and Mr Trevor Manuel
delivered the keynote address. He said the
current crisis originated in the financial
sector, but that the challenge is now in the
real sector. “Growth has plummeted and
unemployment has risen in developed and
developing countries alike.”
for South Africa in this time of global
financial crisis, however. “This may be
an opportune time to tackle infrastructure
and other growth bottlenecks that require
significant public expenditure and
investments.”
When asked why economists had not seen
the financial crisis coming, Prof. Lin said
that it was because financial sector issues
had become real sector issues due to
excess capacity. He had a word of advice
He concluded by saying that the World
Bank had responded to the crisis by
offering expanded, innovative products
and services to assist emerging economies
and developing countries alike.
PAGE 3
Accolades for L’Atelier judge
Mr Lawrence Lemaoana, Ms Gwen Miller and Ms Celia de Villiers at the awards ceremony on 23 July 2009. Mr Lemaoana, a previous winner of this
competition, joined the Department of Art History, Visual Arts and Musicology in August 2009, while Ms De Villiers, a lecturer in the Department,
was the national judge for the Absa L’Atelier Awards in 2008.
Ms Gwen Miller of the Department of Art History, Visual Arts
and Musicology was the national
judge for the prestigious annual
Absa L’Atelier Awards for 2009.
Her brief entailed travelling to the
regional centres where she headed
the selection with regional judges.
Speaking of the experience, she said that
it had afforded her the opportunity to
travel to many universities and art centres
and develop an understanding of the
diversity of art-making all over South
Africa. “The conversations I had with
local judges set up a network for future
collaboration with other institutions,
which has potential for academic liaison,”
she noted.
Absa art curator Cecile Loedolff and
guests at the opening expressed their
appreciation of the quality of the selection
and of the diversity of the representation.
Ms Miller emphasised that it had been
one of her aims to have an exhibition
reflecting contemporary South African
issues and to select works that represented
the cultural width of the country, insofar
as the entries made this possible.
As she states in her introduction to the
catalogue, “Over the years, the Absa
L’Atelier Award judges have used a vital
gauge: that of relevance to our time and
country. Yet attempts to define the terms
contemporary and South African often
raise significant issues around both visual
and political aesthetics. In this exhibition, the post-judging process analysis
has identified a thematic disquiet: the
realisation of a sombre tone and sense of
discomfort inherent in many works.
This parallels international trends reflecting societal anxiety and urban tension,
and the individual’s sense of insignificance or impotence.”
One of the top ten finalists was Unisa student Maaike Bakker, which, considering
that there were over a thousand entries,
was a great achievement.
Ms Miller has been asked to be the
national judge again next year in the
25th year of the competition’s existence.
“It is the first time that a judge has been
asked in a consecutive year to be the
national judge. I am honoured by the
request and hope to use the opportunity to
learn and promote Unisa’s high standards,”
she concluded.
Academic scoops bursary for creative writing
Dr Eunice Basson from the Department of Art History, Visual Arts and
Musicology has been awarded the LAPA Publishers’ Bursary for Creative
Writing for 2009. This is an annual presentation and the bursary was awarded this year in the category of poetry.
Dr Basson is currently completing an MA
in Creative Writing at the University of
Pretoria and her work has been published
in the Afrikaans literary journal, Tydskrif
vir Letterkunde. Her poetry was also
presented at the annual Woordfees which
was held at the University of
Stellenbosch in March this year.
PAGE 4
“Working within any creative field means
long hours of isolation with the only
‘testing ground’ being the class situation
where forensic feedback is given on your
work,” said Dr Basson. “It was quite a
shock to my system when the award was
announced as I was not aware that my
work was being monitored by an outside
publisher!”
Dr Eunice Basso
n
Drug usage in SA twice world norm
Drug trafficking empties Africa of
its wealth, creates informal
economies, drives away foreign
investment, impedes development,
and creates political instability and
conflict on the continent.
These were the shocking statements made by Dr Jonathan Lucas,
the United Nations Office on
Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Regional Representative for Southern
Africa. He was speaking at the
launch of the 2009 World Drug
Report: National, Regional and
Global Perspectives and Trends,
held at the Dr Miriam Makeba
Concert Hall on 15 July 2009.
The problem appears to be not only a
drug trafficking problem but an increase
in organised crime. South Africa has
become an attractive base for organised
crime units and, therefore, a particularly
attractive destination and operational hub.
Women’s Month - Women’s Month
The increased production and use of
synthetic drugs – amphetamines,
methamphetamine and ecstasy – in
developing countries is alarming. However, there have been seizures globally
and in Africa that have impacted on the
drug market. Nigeria has made major
seizures in amphetamine-type stimulants
(ATS), with other important seizures
Dr Jonathan Lucas, Prof. Mandla Makhanya (Pro Vice-Chancellor) and Mr David Bayever
occurring in South Africa, Namibia and
West Africa.
Mr David Bayever, Deputy Chairperson
of the Central Drug Authority (CDA) said
the drug abuse situation in South Africa
demanded particular attention, and that
authorities and government were faced
with huge problems.
•
•
Cannabis remains the biggest drug
abused in South Africa, with an
estimate of over 3.2 million users.
There has been a 20% increase in the
use of cocaine, with the number of
users rising from 2.4 million in 2006
to 2.9 million in 2008.
•
A 20% increase in the use of ATS
has also been recorded. These are
the most difficult drugs to control
because they are made in
clandestine labs.
•
Of the South African population,
15% are problem drug users.
•
The drug usage in South Africa is
twice the world norm.
With the 2010 Soccer World cup around
the corner, there is going to be a ready
market for drugs and an increase in demand and trafficking. This is a focus area
for the CDA, which is devising plans to
address the issue.
Decentralisation of service delivery is another classic means of building
“
women’s ‘voice’ by making it easier to engage in local priority –setting and
resources allocation. ...In South Africa, where women at community level
frequently mobilise around issues related to service delivery, decentralised
services are now delivered in part via traditional courts.
”
Progress of the World’s Women 2008/2009, UNIFEM 2008
Women are running for public office in growing numbers. In South Africa,
“
the Municipal Structures Act specifies that parties should seek to ensure that
50% of candidates at local level are women
”
.
Progress of the World’s Women 2008/2009, UNIFEM 2008
PAGE 5
Inaugural lectures
A pragmatic look at mediation as
an alternative to divorce litigation
4 August 2009
Private Law. She was promoted to senior
lecturer in 1994, associate professor in
2004 and full professor in 2008.
In 2003 she obtained her LLD degree
from Unisa on the strength of a thesis
entitled Egskeidingsbemiddeling in SuidAfrika:‘n vergelykende perspektief. She
is the co-author of four books and has
published many articles on family law
and, more specifically, divorce or family
mediation in various legal journals. Last
year she received the Hugo de Groot prize
for the best short contribution to the
Journal for Contemporary Roman
Dutch Law.
Prof. Leentjie de Jong
Department of Private Law
Divorce is a multidimensional process
which requires psychological no less than
legal intervention. Traditionally, however, divorce has been treated solely as a
legal event, with many resultant negative
effects for divorcing parties and their
children. The need for a new or alternative approach to the resolution of divorce
therefore arose.
In this regard, mediation is said to be a
way of helping parties to negotiate agreements and renegotiate relationships in a
more adaptive way than the adversarial
system of litigation. It is also a process
that focuses on the best interests of the
children. The nature and principal features
of mediation and its increasing application in family matters worldwide and
in South Africa are therefore discussed.
Lastly, attention is paid to matters such as
the formal accreditation of family mediators, their training, and public awareness
campaigns, so as to ensure that mediation takes its rightful place in the divorce
process.
Prof. Madelene de Jong obtained her BLC
degree in 1985 and her LLB degree in
1987 from the University of Pretoria. She
started her working career in Pretoria as
a candidate attorney at Couzyn, Hertzog
and Horak Inc in 1987. After being admitted as an attorney of the High Court of
South Africa, she worked as an attorney
at Du Plessis and Eksteen from 1989 to
1990. She joined Unisa in 1991 as a lecturer in Family Law in the Department of
PAGE 6
Prof. de Jong has delivered various papers
at national and international conferences
and recently she co-presented the South
African Law Reform Commission’s
Workshop on Strategies for the development and management of family/divorce
mediation in South Africa. She is a
qualified divorce and family mediator and
an accredited member of the SouthAfrican Association of Mediators in
Family Matters.
Mathematical programming
under uncertainty
11 August 2009
part, the disciplinary matrix of mathematical programming is discussed.
Part three provides a justification of
dealing with uncertainty in mathematical
models. Parts four and five deal with
stochastic optimisation and fuzzy
mathematical programming respectively.
Part six is devoted to mathematical beings
called random sets and fuzzy random
variables. In part seven we discuss key
ideas of fuzzy stochastic optimisation.
The paper ends with some concluding remarks along with lines for further
developments in this field.
Prof. Monga Luhandjula was born in
Dungu, Democratic Republic of Congo in
1953. He obtained his BSc and Honours
BSc in Mathematics from the University
of Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of
Congo in 1975 and 1977 respectively. He
got an MSc in Operations Research from
the French section of the Free University
of Brussels, Belgium in 1980. He is a
holder of a PhD in Mathematics from the
Flemish section of the University of
Brussels, Belgium in 1984.
He has taught mathematics and operations
research in several universities including
the University of Tizi-ouzou, Algeria,
the University of Kinshasa, Democratic
Republic of Congo and the University
of Rwanda. He joined Unisa in 2003 as
associate professor and was promoted to
full professor in 2006.
Prof. Luhandjula has several publications
in local and international journals. He
has served as a referee in most of these
journals. He is an associate editor of the
International Journal of Uncertainty
Systems and of the South African Journal
of Industrial Engineering. He has also
been involved in the organisation of
several conferences in Africa, Europe,
China and Japan.
Prof. Monga Luhandjula
Department of Decision Sciences
The primum movens of the lecture is
to motivate the ongoing interest in the
emerging field of mathematical programming under uncertainty and to provide a
snapshot of results obtained in this field,
with an emphasis on my own findings.
The first part of the lecture is devoted to
an introduction, where the subject matter
of the talk is explained. In the second
An NRF-rated researcher,
Prof. Luhandjula has won several
prestigious awards, including the Unisa
Chancellor’s Prize for Research, the USA
Senior Fulbright fellowship, the Canadian
NSERC award, the French INRIA award,
the German DAAD grant, the Japanese
Matsumae Foundation fellowship, the
Third World Academy of Science research
grant, the United Nations University
research grant and the Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics
fellowship.
Expressions of Diaspora in recent
Afrikaans plays
(Aspekte van diaspora in onlangse
Afrikaanse dramatekste
4 August 2009
Prof. Johan Coetser
Department of Afrikaans and
Theory of Literature
The problem dealt with in this address
derives from the question whether some
Afrikaans South African plays reflect
expressions of diaspora that add to the
tensions between ‘post-postcolonial’ centres and margins. Underlying the problem
is the assumption that theatre can inscribe
empires as representations of postcolonies
in performances. In this address,
Prof. Coetzer departs from the hypothesis
that the chosen plays reflect, and
comment on, real communities as postcolonies. Building on this assumption
and hypothesis enables one to distinguish
between three variations of diaspora,
namely a classical (Tom Gouws, Nag van
die lang messe, 2006), modern (Deon
Opperman, Kaburu, 2008), and internal
form (Christiaan Botha, Kabbo op die
ysterspoor, 2005).
Prof. Johan Coetser teaches Afrikaans
Drama, and Children’s and Youth
Literature in the Department of Afrikaans
and Theory of Literature at Unisa.
His research interests include Afrikaans
drama, theatre and cultural studies,
focusing on aspects of identity and postcolonialism. He has published extensively
on Afrikaans drama and theatre, and
has read several papers at national and
international conferences. His publications include contributions on Afrikaans
drama and theatre to a standard history of
Afrikaans literature (2006), and the only
literary history of Afrikaans children’s
and youth literature (2005).
He frequently acts as a referee for
publishers’ manuscripts, research articles,
researchers’ applications for ratings and
funding at the National Research Foundation, and as an examiner of dissertations
and theses. He is a member of national
and international subject associations, a
past executive member of the
Afrikaanse Letterkundevereniging
(Afrikaans Literature Association), and
three times guest editor of the association’s accredited journal, Stilet.
ALASA celebrates three decades
The African Language
Association of Southern Africa
(ALASA) is celebrating its 30th
year of existence. It was established in 1979 as a nondiscriminatory, non-profit making
association at a conference hosted
by the Department of African
Languages of Unisa. Today, this
association has more than 330
members from all corners of
the world.
Sciences, and Vice-Principal: Tuition and
Research, was awarded honorary
membership of the association.
Prof. Phalandwa Mulaudzi of the Centre
for African Renaissance Studies (CARS)
conferred the award on Prof. Swanepoel
for his outstanding contributions in the
field of African literature, as well as for
his long-term affiliation and service to
ALASA since its inception, serving in
various capacities such as editor, treasurer
and chairperson.
Prof. Mulaudzi was elected as 9th Chairperson of ALASA. Other members of the
executive from the Unisa Department of
African Languages are Prof. Ingeborg
Kosch, Editor, Dr Mampaka Mojapelo,
Treasurer, and Prof. Davie Mutasa as an
additional member.
This year, it hosted its 15th Biennial
Conference at the University of the
Western Cape from 8 to 10 July 2009.
More than sixty papers were presented.
In addition, three keynote addresses were
also delivered.
During this conference, Prof. Christiaan
Swanepoel, former Deputy Dean, Dean
of the Faculty of Humanities and Social
t of African
the Departmen
th members of
wi
ie Phaahla;
ft)
nk
(le
Pi
i
r
dz
D
,
au
a Mul
abs Ntshinga
Th
r
D
,
Prof. Phalandw
iu
ka Mojapelo,
Ts
i
pa
ut
am
front, Dr Mor
Mutasa, Dr M
e
av
D
.
of
Pr
Languages, in
a,
afel
. Munzhedzi M
sch
and back, Prof
Prof. Sonja Bo
d
an
h,
sc
Ko
Prof. Inge
Prof. Sonja Bosch (Ch
air of Department of
African Languages),
Swanepoel and Prof.
Prof. Christiaan
Ingeborg Kosch
PAGE 7
PAGE
CAES heads north to trade fair
Ms Poppie Khoza and Mr Silwani Mwakhajinga
The College of Agriculture and
Environmental Sciences (CAES)
participated from 1 to 5 July 2009
at the 33rd Dar es Salaam
International Trade Fair. Popularly
known as SabaSaba, the fair takes
place annually at the Mwalimu JK
Nyerere Trade Fair Grounds.
CAES Marketer, Ms Poppie Khoza,
visited the SabaSaba Agricultural Prison
Project, which was part of the trade fair
and is located on a portion of land at the
back of the showgrounds.
The project belongs to the Department of
Prison in Tanzania, and is managed by a
horticulturist, Mr Silwani Mwakhajinga,
together with a staff of three members.
Prisoners are transported each morning
to work on the garden. They grow maize,
spinach, tomatoes and kale. The products
are sold to the community and the money
goes back to the department to assist
with the needs of the prisoners.
Grasslands in a changing landscape
The Grassland Society of Southern
Africa (GSSA) holds a congress in
a different province in South Africa
and beyond each year showcas
ting current and ongoing research
related to advancing rangeland
ecology and pasture management
in Africa. The College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences
(CAES) hosted the 44nd Annual
GSSA Congress at the Florida
Campus from 20 to 24 July 2009.
Under the theme, Meeting rangeland,
pasture and wildlife challenges in a
changing landscape, the congress
featured two keynote addresses:
Intriguing biological aspects of
Southern African grasslands: observations, questions and hypotheses by
well-known botanist, Prof. Braam van
Wyk from the University of Pretoria, and
Climate change and the South African
agriculture sector: fatter or leaner years?
by Prof. Roland Schulze, internationally
acclaimed hydrologist from the
University of KwaZulu-Natal.
PAGE 8
Speaking at the opening ceremony,
Prof. Mandla Makhanya, Pro ViceChancellor, pointed out that South Africa
and its neighbouring countries are exceptionally rich in natural diversity, with a
wide array of ecosystems and landscapes,
of which grasslands play an essential role
in the survival and livelihoods of millions
of people. “Protecting these rich natural
resources is therefore of paramount
importance,” he asserted.
construction of hydroelectric power
schemes, and dams.
“Unisa is proud to host this congress,
knowing that the inputs provided will
contribute not just to knowledge
production but towards a society that
is committed to building a healthy
region,” the Pro Vice-Chancellor
concluded.
Prof. Makhanya went on to say that, while
green issues were, at
last, being discussed at
every level of society
and people were now
more aware of the
devastating effects of
human habitation and
industry on our planet’s
ecosystems, he
wondered how many
people were aware of the
fragile nature of South
Africa’s grasslands,
which have been taken
over by human industry
such as farming, the
d for the
esenting the awar
Dean: CAES), pr
e
tiv
ience to
cu
Sc
xe
e
(E
n
rag
of Range and Fo
Dr Maggi Liningto
African Journal
the
an
in
ric
Af
ed
sh
uth
bli
: So
best paper pu
Science Specialist
or (Observation
gala dinner.
the
g
Prof. Tim O’Conn
rin
du
k)
or
servation Netw
Environmental Ob
Research seminar on
computational linguistics
A multi-, inter- and trans
disciplinary (MIT) research
seminar on Computational
linguistics for lesser-resourced
languages was hosted by the
Department of African Languages
in collaboration with the School of
Computing on 17 July 2009.
Dr Kenneth R Beesley from SAP Labs,
Salt Lake City, USA, a computational
linguist who has been working on finitestate natural-language processing for over
20 years, and Mr Jackson Muhirwe, a
PhD student in Computer Science from
the Makerere University in Uganda,
presented tutorials to an audience of
academics and postgraduate students
principally from the Departments of
African Languages, Linguistics and the
School of Computing Sciences. This was
Dr Beesley’s fourth visit to South Africa
and Unisa, each time at the invitation
of Professors Sonja Bosch (Chair of
Mr Jackson Muhirwe, Prof. Sonja Bosch, Prof. Laurette Pretorius, and Dr Kenneth R Beesley
Department of African Languages) and
Laurette Pretorius (School of Computing),
who developed an advanced finite-state
morphological analyser for Zulu, and who
have extended their work, through education and “bootstrapping”, to most of the
other official languages in South Africa.
According to Dr Beesley “They have
become skilled and innovative developers,
expert advcates of finite-state techniques,
valued colleagues...”
The visit of Dr Beesley and Mr Muhirwe
was made possible with the generous
financial support of the College of Human
Sciences and assistance from the research
fund of the School of Computing.
Celebrating women making a difference
During her speech at the official
opening of the exhibition at the
Unisa Library on 3 August 2009,
the Executive Dean of the College
of Economic and Management
Sciences (CEMS), Prof. Hellicy
Ngambi, vowed to ensure that
efforts of women in the College
do not go unnoticed and that they
are appointed in senior positions.
Part of Unisa’s celebration of women’s
month, the exhibition celebrated women
making their mark in the economic and
management fields and more than 60
book titles and artworks by women
were displayed.
Prof. Ngambi said female staff members
and students of CEMS are no longer
fulfilling only a supporting role but are in
positions to make real difference. “Including women at all levels in the organisation or institution like Unisa is not just
a nice thing to do but an economic and
survival imperative.
“As Executive Dean, I see it as my duty
to ensure that women are appointed in
senior positions in my College.
There should be high-quality cross-gender
Ms Itumeleng Mpete from Library services thanks Prof. Hellicy Ngambi for her address.
work relationships to ensure female staff
in CEMS develop their potential.
“There should also be more effective
career development systems and support,
and the enhanced use of non-classroombased academic leadership development
opportunities,” said Prof. Ngambi.
Among the books on exhibition was
Prof. Ngambi’s book titled Job-sharing
in the South African labour market:
its potential, feasibility and impact on
unemployment, productivity and quality of
work life.
Dr Mamphele Ramphele, former
managing director of the World Bank and
Khanyi Dhlomo-Mkhize, chief editor of
Destiny magazine and managing director
of Ndalo Media, were some of the many
other women who were honoured at the
exhibition display.
PAGE 9
Playing in the premier league
Front, Prof. Phumla Mtala (Co-ordinator: Young Academics Project and Mentorship Programme), Mr Samuel Bhoya, Mr Amos Saurombe, Dr Snow
Teffo, Mr Boitumelo Senokoane; Back, Prof. Rosalie Finlayson (Human Resources), Ms Ann Cheater, Ms Pholoso Seemela, Adv. Nomagugu Hlongwane, Adv. Annastacia Mthembu, Dr Clem Sunter, Ms Chrizell Chürr, Mr Boitumelo Mmusinyane, Mr Shawren Singh, Ms Erika Botha, Mr Rirhandzu
Maluleke, Mr Edward Masemola, and Dr Nkosinathi Ngcobo
Renowned South African scenario
planner, Dr Clem Sunter, believes
that South Africans do not
celebrate the excellence of their
country and citizens as much as
they could and should.
Speaking at a presentation on The World
and South Africa in the 2010s at the
Senate Hall, Muckleneuk Campus, on
30 July 2009, Dr Sunter said that if South
Africans changed their attitude and
culture towards “pockets of excellence”, it
would be one way of ensuring the country
stays in the premier league scenario, a
scenario which indicates that a country is
in good shape.
President Zuma has started his term of
office well, Zimbabwe is finally
opening up for business, and we are seeing
the return of quite a few younger South
Africans. It is said that South Africans
tolerate medio-crity instead of celebrating
excellence, and elevating excellence is the
only way we can lift this country.”
Dr Sunter emphasised South Africa had
a 70% chance of staying in the premier
league and a 30% chance of being
relegated to the 2nd league division.
The presentation was organised as part of
the Young Academics Project and
Mentorship Programme.
“How can we be so optimistic? Well,
our banking system is in good shape,
IISA Programmes in Insurance
win conference prize
The Centre for Business Management (CBM) recently hosted an
exhibition stand for its Insurance
Institute of South Africa (IISA)
Programmes in Insurance at the
2009 IISA Conference held at Sun
City from 28 to 29 June 2009.
The CBM was awarded a prize for the
most interactive stand at the conference in
recognition of its commemorative photograph service. The certificate
Ms Cec
rdt and
ile de Swa
Mr Frank
eer
van der M
was accepted by Mr Frank van der Meer
and Ms Cecile de Swardt from the
Department of Finance and Risk Management and Banking.
also with students writing the insurance
examinations in centres such as Melbourne, Wellington and even Seoul in
Korea.
The stand ran a “photo shop” where
delegates could have their photographs
taken, either alone or in groups, which
were then printed right there using a selected background: the IISA Progs Logo,
a picture of Unisa’s main campus at night,
or a variety of shots from Sun City or the
Lost City.
Mr David Harpur, Chief Executive of the
Insurance Institute of South Africa, in his
congratulatory letter to the CBM, wrote
as follows: “The photos taken from your
booth also generated much interest.
Congratulations on being awarded the
Most Interactive Exhibitor certificate.
Again, thank you for your fantastic
support. We could not have done it
without you!”
Unisa’s CBM took over the higher
education of the insurance industry
in 2006 when the former College of
Insurance found that registration as a
Private Higher Education Institution
was very onerous. Starting with a
mere 150 students four years ago,
the programmes now have more
than 1 500 active students, spread
over mostly Southern Africa, but
The IISA Programmes in Insurance
also launched their new brochure and
information pamphlets at the conference,
in the form of an oval digicard (mini CD)
as an innovative development to reduce
paper usage. The tiny CD contains some
137 pages of information and curriculum
content.
Somaliland book
a major scholarly success
Somaliland, An African struggle
for nationhood and international
recognition by Prof. Iqbal Jhazbhay
of the College of Human
Sciences has received a number
of accolades.
Internationally-acclaimed father of
African studies, Prof. Ali Mazrui, in his
foreword to the newly published book,
described it as “a major scholarly success”.
Founding President of the Somali Studies
International Association, Prof. Hussein
Adam, refers to this interdisciplinary
study as “the first substantial study
covering both the domestic and international dimensions of Somaliland’s
quest for nationhood and recognition …
a timely and brilliant analysis.”
The manuscript, co-published by the
South African Institute of International
Affairs situated at Wits University and
the Nelson Mandela-initiated Institute
for Global Dialogue, stands out as the
first South African authored study of the
Somali predicament. Prof. Jhazbhay
“contributes significantly to our understanding of the Horn of Africa in the
context of wider international forces. It
also contributes to a number of different
theoretical concerns – ranging from the
role of culture in nation-building to the
emerging forces of radical Islam, and
from the nature of post-war reconstruction
to the dilemmas between self-determination and regional integration.”
The Department of Religious Studies and
Arabic is the only South African academic department that offers a graduate
module and advanced research on Islam
and politics in the Horn of Africa.
Prof. Iqbal Jhazbhay
Posing a challenge
to the Unisa alumni community
Ms Busisiwe Mahlangu (Communications Coordinator: Alumni Relations), Mr Frankie Mojapelo (Deputy Director: Unisa Foundation and Alumni
Relations), Ms Patricia Lawrence, Mr Brian Molefe, Ms Amanda Masina (Manager: Alumni Relations), Ms Deanna Vogét (SBL Alumni Relations
Officer), Mr Lloyd Modjadji (Fundraiser: Unisa Foundation and Alumni Affairs), Mr Harold Rakgalakane (SBL Alumni Database Assistant), and
Mr Chappie Bogopa (SBL Director: Human Resources)
Officially opening the Unisa
Alumni Business Breakfast held
at the Protea Restaurant on the
Muckleneuk Campus on 30 July
2009, University Registrar, Prof.
Louis Molamu, said that alumni
are meant to network, reconnect
and stay engaged.
Ms Patricia Lawrence, Director: Unisa
Foundation and Alumni Relations, said
that the aim of the business talks is to
ensure that the alumni community stays
engaged in the service of humanity.
In his address, Mr Brian Molefe, Chief
Executive Officer of Public Investment
Limited (PIC), posed a challenge to the
Unisa alumni community, saying that it
possesses various critical skills that it can
and should use to contribute to change
for the better the abject conditions of life
that define those who populate the vast
landmass called Africa.
“You may ask why this focus on Africa
when I could be talking about global
recession, market turbulence and the like.
The point is that, as far as Africa is concerned, whether there is global financial
meltdown or not, our subservient position
in the world order of things puts us in a
permanent recession,” he stressed.
The event was jointly organised by Unisa
Alumni Relations and the School for
Business Leadership (SBL) Alumni
Association.
PAGE 11
Bow Project concert a night to remember
The Bow Project concert that
took place on 21 July 2009 at the
Dr Miriam Makeba Concert Hall
took music lovers on an acoustic
journey to the deep rural Xhosa
villages of the Eastern Cape. The
project was initiated by the New
Music Indaba founder-director Dr
Michael Blake, of the Department
of Art History, Visual Arts and
Musicology, as part of the National
Arts Festival.
Dr Blake said, “The Bow Project is a
concept of taking traditional music and
having a classical composer putting a
classical melody to it.” Rather than just
using some indigenous elements to decorate their work, each was asked to make
a transcription of an uhadi bow song and
use that as the basis for their composition.
He added that the term “Bow” was chosen
because the bow instrument is a South
African traditional musical instrument.
“Andrew Tracey, the musicologist, said
that he wants to see the bow instrument
becoming the national cultural weapon in
South Africa,” stated Dr Blake.
Mantombi Matotiyana
The night was filled with melodies offered
by Mantombi Matotiyana, a traditional
Xhosa singer and bow instrument player.
She presented each traditional bow song,
which was originally sung and recorded
by Nofinishi Dywili, the greatest uhadi
player of them all, as a prelude to the new
work.
She shared the stage with the acclaimed
all-female Nightingale String Quartet
from Denmark, who sat in a circle like
old Xhosa men when smoking their pipes,
and played the composers’ reinterpretations of the works. “Some of these are in
a neo-African style, some more rock or
jazz oriented, some in a more contemporary classical style, some with
computer samples, some remixes, and so
on,” said Dr Blake.
First CEMS family gathering with Executive Dean
Front, Ms Desire Horlock, Prof. Hellicy Ngambi, Prof. Cina van Zyl, Ms Lida du Toit; Back, Mr Obadiah Kibara, Ms Johanna Malatji,
Mrs Jenny Nel, Mr Edward Shibambu, Ms Bridgette Mogajane, Mr Rhulani Mavunda, Ms Mandi Badenhorst, and Mrs Nicolene Conradie
On 24 July 2009, Prof. Hellicy Ngambi,
Dean of the College of Economics and
Management Sciences (CEMS), paid a
welcoming visit to the staff of the
Department of Transport Economics,
Logistics and Tourism.
PAGE 12
During this informal gathering,
Prof. Ngambi conveyed heartfelt words of
encouragement and support, and
reminded staff of the fact that, even
though they operated in a professional
environment since they spent most of
their day at work, they should engage as
members of a family, remain positive and
supportive, and strive to achieve greater
successes together.
Happy 91st birthday,
The Unisa Library started the
birthday celebrations with the
official opening of the Nelson
Mandela birthday exhibition on 15
July 2009. This celebrated former
president Nelson Mandela’s 91st
birthday on 18 July 2009 through
an exhibition of selected books,
awards and artwork on the life of
South Africa’s first democratically
elected president.
Nelson Mandela Day was instituted at the
urging of the Nelson Mandela Foundation to celebrate his 67 years in politics,
from his pivotal role in the anti-apartheid
struggle, to his presidency and, finally, to
his work as mediator in peace talks and as
an AIDS activist.
Madiba!
Mandela’s birthday. Each minute
represents a year of Mandela’s life spent
fighting for freedom and justice in South
Africa. Focus caught up with people at the
exhibition and asked what they would be
doing for the 67 minutes on
Mandela Day?
In his 2009 state of the nation address,
President Jacob Zuma called on all South
Africans to dedicate 67 minutes of their
time in service of others on Nelson
Mr Reginald Kutu
I’ll be joining my community in
Nellmapius near Silverton cleaning the community streets.
Mr Israel Malepe
utes
I will be spending my 67 min
ape
Bop
nza
helping out at the Sta
t.
Eas
odi
mel
Ma
in
ic
local clin
Ms Letta Mametse
I’ll be celebrating by joining the
festivities of the day and I’ll be
celebrating my own birthday as
well on the 30th.
aapea
Mr Isaiah M
a lecture
a Madib
We will be having
ating the young
on that day educ
gacy of Madiba.
le
e
people about th
aruma
Mr Andries M to work
le
op
pe
encouraging
I’ll be
ers
t to push the fronti
together in an effor
on
g
tin
ec
refl
also be
of poverty. We will
.
iba
ad
M
of
s
the good work
Mr Sello Matladi
as
I’ll give away the things such
g
usin
ger
lon
no
clothes that I am
anymore.
Ms Precious Mah
lang
u
I’ll get students togeth
er and spread the me
ssage of perseverance
and share the experiences our leaders we
nt through for us to be
where we are today.
PAGE 13
Women’s Month - Women’s Month - Women’s Month - Women’s Month - Women’s M
Unisa women on w
Why do we celebrate Women’s Day?
On August 9, we celebrate the
achievements of the women of South
Africa and come together to advance
women’s struggles for empowerment
and their rights to full equality.
Fifty-three years ago, on this day, the
Federation of South African Women
organised a mass demonstration against the
imposition of pass laws on women in South
Africa. More than 20 000 women, led by
Lilian Ngoyi, Helen Joseph, Albertina Sisulu,
and Sophia Williams-De Bruyn, took part in
the multiracial march to the Union Buildings
in Pretoria to deliver a petition to the Prime
Minister. Women throughout the country had
put their names to these petitions indicating
their anger and frustration at having their
freedom of movement restricted by the hated
official passes.
They concluded their demonstration by
singing a new song, which to this day is the
rallying cry for South African women:
Wathint’ abafazi, wathint’ imbokodo, uza
kufa! You strike the women, you strike a
rock; you will be crushed.
Today the passbooks are long gone. But on
9 August we celebrate and honour women,
who deserve to be treated with dignity and
honoured for the endless hours of unpaid
work they do in the home and in caring for
children. Women need acknowledgement in
their communities, their cultures, education
and government.
Ms Kgaladi Kekana,
Western Cape Parow: Library
Do young women still need a women’s movement?
I believe that a Unisa women’s
movement can play a positive role
for young women at the outset
of their careers.
The measurements for adequate performance
in the business world are clear and
unambiguous (for example, for a legal
practitioner adequate performance entails
generating sufficient billing hours and retaining clients). In contrast, the measurements of
adequate performance in academia are
multi-dimensional and complex. It takes
skill to ascend the career ladder at Unisa:
an academic must perform tuition services;
In today’s world – and specifically on
the African continent – the answer to
this question has to be YES!
By saying yes, we acknowledge the many
gender-based injustices that women still
face despite decades of commitment to the
improvement of women’s lives. This global
commitment was initiated by United Nations’
declaration of the International Women’s
Year in 1975. Numerous projects have been
undertaken since then – some targeting
women, others focusing on broader-based
gender issues. Some efforts, particularly at
grassroots level, have been successful; others
have contributed to the further marginalisation of women.
In some spheres women’s lives have improved significantly: literacy rates are higher,
women have increased access to health
PAGE 14
render research outputs; she must apply her
knowledge in community engagement and
outreach and participate in academic citizenship activities. In addition, women often fulfil
complex roles in society apart from their
professional lives. At the outset of my
academic career at Unisa I found it daunting
to meet all these demands. I therefore believe
that female academic leadership, mentorship
and support can play a significant role in
providing the necessary direction, encouragement and inspiration for setting young
women’s Unisa careers on track.
services and life expectancy rates have
improved. However, women are still subjected to injustices relating to ownership,
access to credit, economic opportunities,
sexual violence and trafficking. We still talk
today about the “female face of poverty”
and the “feminisation of poverty”. In the
current economic climate young women are
particularly vulnerable. If they are in formal
employment, they are first to be retrenched.
If parents have to cut back on educational
spending, they would rather keep a boy child
in school than a girl child.
A women’s movement should aim to
empower and to transform gender
relations. This does not mean that membership of a women’s movement should be
limited to women; quite the contrary. By
working together we can eradicate injustices
regardless of our age or gender.
Prof. Tana Pistorius, Department of
Mercantile Law
Prof. Linda Cornwell,
Development Studies
Month - Women’s Month - Women’s Month - Women’s Month - Women’s Month
women’s issues
Is feminism dead?
The life or death of an influential
social movement like feminism
should, in my opinion, neither be
judged universally nor in such absolute terms, for feminism’s goals
necessarily differ within different
societies and contexts.
Judged universally, a so-called death of feminism could be a result of the extra ordinary
success which the movement has had, or else
it may also mean that the movement has lost
much of its former popularity, to the extent
now that no one cares anymore. My personal
opinion is that feminism is not dead, though it
may simply be overshadowed by more serious
and related social problems; the increasing
difference between the rich and poor not
being the least of these.
Thus in the context of this women’s month I
hope that feminism will be rightfully
acknowledged for its contribution in many
progressive societies, like South Africa, where
the majority of men and women do seem to
enjoy equal privileges and opportunities.
In societies like our own it is now up to the
women to make full use of their rights and to
unite against social prejudices against women
that still exist in our society.
Ms Anitta Thomas,
School of Computing
Is educating girls an effective strategy for economic growth?
The purpose of education is to develop an individual’s knowledge and
skills, as well as intellectual capacity
and social understanding. Any kind of
effective learning usually has at least
two outcomes - building or improving
knowledge; and developing skills.
Knowledge influences the way we
process information and attach sense
and meaning to it.
Skills relate to what we can do more
effectively after we have learnt something.
Because knowledge does not only influence
how we process information but also how
we interpret it, education can have a more
far-reaching effect.
Learning is the foundation of education and
developing knowledge and skills. We learn
through both implicit and explicit learning.
Implicit learning is what we are all exposed
to every day in our communities, the workplace, social situations and in our homes.
Among other things, we learn our mother
tongue and social skills through implicit
learning. Explicit learning is what we engage
in when we study something. It requires
conscious and deliberate effort on our part
and consists of memorising, problem solving
and understanding.
The most important component of explicit
learning is understanding. When we understand something, we use and think about our
existing knowledge and any new information
we may acquire. We also control our thought
processes. We deliberately think through
new information, trying to incorporate it into
the knowledge we already possess, thereby
creating new knowledge for ourselves.
Understanding helps us to make sense of
the world around us and also to adapt our
conception of the world. Thus, education and
training is essential if we want to ensure that
people understand the world and are capable
of changing their understanding of the
world. In this millennium, one of the most
important requirements is the ability to be
flexible and adaptable. This is a requirement
for any kind of economic sustainability, let
alone growth.
Traditionally, the women are the caregivers
in our society. The women bring up, nurture
and develop the new generation. Women are
role models for both girls and boys.
Therefore, all women are involved in
implicit learning. Learning provides people
with the knowledge and skills to adapt and
change to new circumstances. Think of the
powerful developmental attitude one can
create in generations to come if all women
are educated at least to grade 12 level!
Women really do have the power to change
the world; all they need is education.
Will educating girls lead to economic
growth? This is a question difficult to answer without doing the necessary research.
What we do know is that when women are
educated, their children will also be exposed
Ms Jo-Anne Botha,
Human Resource Management
to their knowledge, skills and
competencies, thereby creating the potential ability in the
children to create new knowledge. When women are educated
they have the potential ability
to become economically active,
participa-ting in the economy
by utilising their knowledge and
skills and also by spending the
money they earn. Learning and
education is a cycle, never ending
and always improving. It stands
to reason that we must educate
women - whether they are older
or younger.
PAGE 15
Women’s Month - Women’s Month - Women’s Month - Women’s Month - Women’s M
Does Unisa nurture strong female
role models?
Unisa creates a number of
opportunities for upward mobility
in women but seems to stop just
there. Having placed these women
in competitive positions, there is
no system (or political will?) to
nurture them to ensure security,
retention and permanency.
I have seen several female role models
pass through the hands of the Institution
without much of a nurturing system being
created. But perhaps, the “female role
models” themselves assume the selfperception of having “arrived in the male
boardroom” and don’t do much to mentor
and advance their upcoming junior female
colleagues.
When I started at the University I
had the privilege of meeting three
remarkable women who set a
strong example of how to find a
place within the University.
my duty and privilege towards younger
persons who work with me now.
At the time they were completing their
doctorates and they shared freely of their
time and expertise so that three younger
women were able to create a new course
in 1990 on Reading, Writing and Study
Methods within the then Bureau for
Student Services. They were Prof. Dorette
van Ede, then at the Dept of Psychology,
who helped us with the application of
meta-cognition and the Monitor Study
Method. Dr Marié Heese from the then
Bureau for University Teaching helped
us to develop the section on reading
techniques and skills suitable for distance
learners. Prof. Margaret Orr, then from
the Department of English, helped us to
develop the writing section. In sickness
and in health we worked together and
supported each other. They taught us that
nurturing relationships create productive
people. It has set the tone of my expectations and in turn I understand it to be
Prof. Zodwa Motsa, Chair of
Department: English Studies
The question is: were they strong role
models because they were females? The
answer is no. They had opportunities in
the form of heads of departments who encouraged them to explore and participate
widely within the University.
The younger women had enthusiasm
and curiosity and a head that actively
supported them to forge links that would
benefit them and the students they served.
The first experience led to the successful
implementation of the next big project:
setting up the peer help volunteer training
programme at Unisa. It was with pleasure
that we extended the reach beyond the
main campus, because of the establishment of regional campuses in the Western
Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, Johannesburg
and Limpopo. Since 1996 the sisterhood
have trained and supervised the peer help
programme together. Currently three
people who were trained in the first three
years of the programme are employed by
what is now known as the Directorate for
Counselling, Career and Academic
Development. The cycle starts again.
Ms Sonja Barnard, Western Cape
Parow: Learner Support
In conclusion, the answer lies in the confluence of opportunity and a keen mind
to respond, irrespective of gender, race or
age. I get as much enjoyment from those
I mentor as I did from being mentored.
The key is creating a climate of growth
and celebration. Thank you to those who
helped me. Thank you to those who turn
to me for help.
Is educating girls an effective strategy for economic growth?
Since time immemorial, the girl
child has always been marginalised
in matters of education in the
developing world. In patriarchal
societies such as South Africa, girls
enjoy lower status than boys and
they have been reduced to household chores, caring for the sick
and the elderly, caring for younger
siblings, etc., while their education
attainment has not been seen as
a priority compared to their male
counterparts.
The scourge of the HIV/AIDS pandemic
has worsened the situation in some communities, turning some minors into heads
of households.
Investing in girls’ education is very
important. It delivers benefits not only
PAGE 16
for the girl child, but for society at large.
Education is a gateway to a brighter
future and allows girls to build their
confidence and aspire to greatness and
success. Denying girls an education
has negative impacts on society and
the economy. Education injects more
income into the economy. Scientific data
shows links between “under 5 mortality”,
nutritional state and education levels.
Further evidence suggests that societies
that do not prioritise girls’ education pay a
high price in terms of slower growth and
reduced incomes. Government coffers are
also negatively impacted by the burden
of disease that is linked to lower levels
of education. It has been proved that an
educated mother is likely to manage her
fertility and raise healthy children, thus
reducing the burden of healthcare for the
state. Education of girls also has intergenerational benefits where educated
Ms Lindiwe Mabuza, Centre for
Corporate Citizenship
mothers will desire the same future for
their children and their children’s
children.
All these considerations point to one
thing: educate more and more girls and
you have a winning nation!
Month - Women’s Month - Women’s Month - Women’s Month - Women’s Month
CSET women shine
Prof. Mamokgethi Setati, Executive
Dean: College of Science, Engineering and Technology (CSET)
recently received honorary membership of the Association for
Mathematics Education of South
Africa (AMESA). AMESA is the
professional association of mathematics educators in South Africa.
Prof. Setati was cited for her outstanding
contribution to AMESA and to mathematics education both nationally and
internationally. She was elected President
of AMESA in 2002, following two terms
as Vice-President and her leadership of
the association was marked by vision and
innovation. Prof. Setati is a role model for
excellence and leadership in mathematics
education and her honorary membership
of AMESA is a fitting recognition for the
outstanding contribution she has made to
the organisation and field.
CSET celebrated Women in Science,
Engineering and Technology in May
2009 with a series of posters on its top
researchers.
PAGE 17
Women’s Month - Women’s Month - Women’s Month - Women’s Month - Women’s M
UNISA WOMEN
SET THE PACE
Dr Mala Singh
Executive Director: Human Resources Dr Mala Singh believes
South African women are the key drivers in transforming society
and they should therefore use their resilience to make a greater
contribution to South Africa.
Dr Singh believes that Women’s Day is a special event, and the
one day on which South African women can take stock of their
achievements. “Women have a lot to celebrate and very often
they don’t take note of their accomplishments. Women’s Day
also gives the opportunity to appreciate the spirit of the women
who embraced each other and marched to the Union Buildings
on 9 August 1956. It gives us a good perspective of where we
are coming from and where we are going to.”
and looking after are taken away by the private companies.
“Another issue is that some people do not like to choose higher
education institutions at which to build their careers,” she adds.
She stressed the need for people to look at higher education
institutions as employers of choice as well. Ms Memani-Sedile
could not hide her excitement about the appointment of the first
female Reserve Bank Governor, Ms Gill Marcus. “It’s about
time; I have confidence in her and her CV speaks for itself,” she
affirmed.
Dr Singh said a significant challenge that faces South African
women is their ability to balance family and work responsibilities. Women are seeking to establish themselves in the corporate
world and, as a result, always worker harder than their male
counterparts to prove themselves.
At the time when she joined Unisa it was not difficult to adapt
as finance was in her veins. “I had no option, in fact, because of
the merger, so I had to hit the ground running.” On her arrival
she invited audit firms such as Pricewaterhouse Coopers to assist
with the better use of technology. This was to ensure that all
structures were aligned and all systems were utilised even better.
“There is another technology which is going to be utilised called
eBilling, which will inform students of the fees they owe the institution and the method of payment. The students who are using
myUnisa will enjoy full benefits of this system,” she promised.
She advised women in management positions to assist and
empower female workers at lower levels within their companies. “Now that you have arrived, use that to help other women
achieve and grow. I am also of the opinion that every individual
should be able to ask what they have contributed to women’s development in South Africa and what they can do to help women
progress in all aspects of life.”
As a word of advice to aspirant female finance directors, Ms
Memani-Sedile said they must persevere and develop a thick
skin. “Women need not emulate men to prove their presence.
They need to maintain the character of a woman and just be in
charge,” she asserted. “My family is the source of my strength
and I have been able to strike a good balance between my work
and family,” she concluded.
Dr Singh described the women at Unisa as a cohort of really
amazing women. “Unisa has a great calibre of women that stand
out in society. They are real role models, who are excelling in
all spheres including academically; they are eloquent and well
groomed and I am excited to be amidst these women.”
Ms Jenny Lemon
Dr Singh said now is the ideal time for women to make the best
of the opportunities available to them. “The climate is right for
women to launch their careers. The growing ground is ready for
women. They have to just work hard, be determined, focus on
their goals and truly become what they know they can be.”
Ms Vuyo Memani-Sedile
She proved to be a woman who recognised no boundaries.
Armed with qualifications in finance she entered a male-dominated field, and is now Executive Director: Finance at Unisa.
In her portfolio, Ms Memani-Sedile is responsible for the
strategic financial direction of six directorates. She says that she
came to Unisa at a critical time of its history. “I joined Unisa
at the climax of the reshaping of the higher education sector. I
had to ensure that all finance policies were working in synergy
to ensure a smooth transition to the new Unisa.” The way Unisa
has financially managed the merger proves that she was well cut
out for this job.
She admits that history has created a perception that finance is a
male terrain. “There is, of course, a shortage of women in the finance sector,” she laments. Her observation is that the challenge
with this is that higher education institutions are competing
with the private sector. The few women that they are grooming
PAGE 18
Jennifer Lemon, the Director of Unisa’s Gender Studies Programme, is someone who believes in living with passion and
purpose. She has worked extensively to realise the dream of a
world where there is respect and equality between women and
men.
Ms Lemon has been Director of Unisa’s Gender Studies Programme since 1989. She was one of the founder members of the
Gender Studies programme and is passionate about addressing
issues of social justice and gender equality. In the early days
during the 1980s, she and a small number of women at Unisa
were politically active within various political structures and
organisations working to end apartheid. Ms Lemon, an ardent
political activist, always fought diligently for the emancipation and empowerment of women through the South African
women’s movement. She has championed the need for a fully
fledged Gender Studies Programme at Unisa, which she feels
would be an important offering as Unisa is one of the largest
universities on the African continent.
In 2006 she was awarded the Woman of the Year award, which
is part of the celebration of women at Unisa organised by the
Office of the Principal and Vice-Chancellor, the Unisa Women’s
Forum and the Gender Studies Programme for National Women’s Day. “For me National Women’s Day is a celebration of all
the activism of women over the decades who worked tirelessly
to ensure that the new South African Constitution had a clause
in it that ensured women’s equality. It is a celebration of women
in all walks of life and of the spirit of women who often bear
Month - Women’s Month - Women’s Month - Women’s Month -
Women’s Mont
the brunt of society’s problems in a context in
which men and women are not considered equal.”
Ms Lemon believes the women’s movement is
not a new one, and has existed for decades but,
as is the case with many women’s organisaDr Buhle Mbambo-Thata
tions, movements or efforts, it was limited by
lack of resources and by the blatant lack of
beyond the hills,” she
support by a patriarchal society that preferred
pledged. The Unisa
to keep women in positions of subservience. “The hard truth is
library will be able to
that women in South Africa are not treated with respect and the
go everywhere Unisa
incidence of gender-based violence, rape and abuse is very high.
students are found.
That means that this is no time to sit back, but a time to take up
“We will look on our
the baton once more and continue to lobby and press for social
Dr Mala
Singh
system to determine
change.”
where our South AfMs Lemon said at Unisa the status of women was not one of
rican students have problems
equality as women tend to occupy largely the support roles and
accessing library material. We will then get a
the lower positions at the University. “Women are disproportionmobile library there even if it’s in deep rural KwaZulu-Natal or
ally represented in administration and in tuition in the University
Limpopo,” she promised. “The books we put on the mobile liand tend to be represented at junior or lecturer level as opposed
brary will be informed by the number of students and what they
to the more senior positions and professorships. At present the
are studying. Since ABET is very
top level at Unisa is occupied largely by men.” However, it
popular in KwaZulu-Natal, that means that the mobile library
was important to note that women are increasingly becoming
there will have all the ABET mateconscious of the possibilities that are available for them, and this
rial,” she said. “The mobile library
was made possible by the new management.
will choose a spot like a community
hall or police station and park there
She encouraged Unisa women to join the Unisa Women’s Forum
so that it is easy for students to acwhich was created to provide a strong support for Unisa’s
cess it.”
female staff. Ms Lemon said it was imperative for all South Africans to commit to an ongoing recognition of the valuable role
played by women at all levels. “There also needs to be a move to
ensure that women are represented at all levels of the University
structure, including top management. Women have so much to
offer and are certain to be a great asset to the University and to it
reaching the goals and targets set in the Strategic Plan for 2015.”
Dr Buhle Mbambo-Thata
The strides taken in introducing cutting-edge informationhighway innovations by the Unisa Library under its first female
Executive Director, Dr Buhle Mbambo-Thata, have made it a
library of firsts in South Africa.
A conversation with Dr Mbambo-Thata paints a clear
picture of the direction in which she is leading the
library. She affirms that her role is to ensure that Unisa
learners, teachers and researchers are all in a conducive
environment to excel in their fields.
Asking her what can be expected in the future from the
library, she is upbeat. “I wish to see the Unisa Library
moving away from being a consumer of information. It
must now begin to give out information to the public,”
she said. That was evident with the establishment of the
institutional repository. “With this institutional repository
I wish to see our research material going out to provide
information to the whole continent of Africa,” she stated.
Ms Vuyo
Dr Mbambo-Thata said that
women are now increasingly seen
in leadership positions in libraries.
Some tertiary institutions such
as the Tshwane University of
Technology, and the Universities
of Cape Town and Stellenbosch
have also appointed women at
the helm of their libraries.
Sedile
Memani-
Ms Jenn
y Lemon
Another innovation that excites Dr Mbambo-Thata is
the mobile library. “The mobile library will be able to go
PAGE 19
Unisa Choir wows
at FIFA ceremony
Mr Thembela Vokwana (right) with some of the choristers on the night
The Unisa Choir, under the leadership of choir conductor Mr Thembela Vokwana from the Department of Art History, Visual Arts
and Musicology, this year stunned
audiences at the closing ceremony
of the 2009 FIFA Confederations
Cup at the Ellis Park Stadium in
Johannesburg on 28 June 2009.
In the week before the closing ceremony,
the choir met with other entertainers and
choirs participating in the event. “In all
there were about 150 singers, including
local musicians such as Ntando, Steve
Hofmeyr, and Judith Sephuma.”
Mr Vokwana described the experience as
fun, exciting and a little nerve-wracking.
It probably comes once in someone’s
lifetime to participate in a closing of the
Confederations Cup. Most importantly,
and more humbling, is the confidence in
our presentation that we were selected
among many other groups that could have
been chosen. We are proud to have had
the Unisa name represented on such a
platform.”
Combined with the Amazwi KaNtu Choir
from Atteridgeville, which Mr Vokwana
coaches as part of his social responsibility
work, the Unisa Choir delivered a superb
performance, singing a variety of songs
that were mainly composed for the event
by Grammy Award-winning South
African composer Lebohang Morake,
known professionally as Lebo M of
Lion King fame. The combined choir
consisted of about ten Unisa staff
members, including permanent, contract,
and temporary members from various
academic and service departments, as
well as Unisa students.
Mr Vokwana said Mr Lebohang Morake
came over to Unisa with his team to
audition the combined choir, was duly impressed by their quality and decided they
should participate in the closing ceremony
of the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup. In
May, Mr Morake’s team taught the choir
the songs they would sing on the big day.
PAGE 20
The Unisa choir was part of the glittering closing ceremony of the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup
(Image source: Etienne Rothbart, Independent Newspapers)
Southern Sudan capacity
building initiative gathers momentum
Prof. Shadrack Gutto, Director and Chair: Centre for African Renaissance Studies (CARS), HE Dr Manelisi
Genge, Ambassador of South Africa to the Sudan, and Mr Graham Maitland, Chief Director: Department of
International Relations and Cooperation (DIR&C) met in Pretoria on 9 July 2009 with a delegation from the
Government of Southern Sudan (GOSS) led by the Minister of Labour, Public Service and Human Resource
Development, HE Ms Awut Deng, to discuss the partnership between the three parties.
In 2004, a tripartite memorandum of
understanding between the then Department of Foreign Affairs, the Sudan
People’s Liberation Movement/Army
and Unisa was adopted for human
resources capacity and institutions
building in Southern Sudan. Since then
more than 1 000 Southern Sudanese top
and middle-level political leaders and
public and civil service professional
managers have been trained in South
Africa, and mentorship has begun in
workplaces in that country itself.
The main thrust of the meeting was
to consider the realities, challenges
and needs of Southern Sudan and to
come up with a further programme to
meet these. According to the Southern
Sudanese delegation, three key institutions need intervention now, namely
the public service, security and finance,
since improvement in these areas will
have a knock-on effect on the other
institutions.
Elections and democracy
observed in Ghana
Dr Clive Napier of the Department
of Political Sciences recently
participated in a three-week
workshop in June and July 2009,
organised by the American
Political Science Association
(APSA) in partnership with the
Institute of African Studies,
University of Ghana, Legon, Ghana.
The theme of the workshop was Elections
and democracy, and included a study of
some of the literature on the topic, visits
to the main Ghanaian political parties, and
meetings with the Ghana Electoral
Commission and the Ghana Centre for
Democratic Development. Of particular
interest to the 25 participants in the
workshop were the transitions in the
country from military rule to democratic
rule, and two recent changes in political
party rule placing Ghana as an African
leader in peaceful political change.
Women’s Month
Dr Napier also made contact with the
Department of Political Science at the
University of Ghana. Closer co-operation
with that Department is likely to result
from the visit.
Dr Iddi Ziblim (Lecturer: Department of Political Science, University of Ghana), Dr Clive Napier,
Prof. Kwame Boafo-Arthur (Head: Department of Political Science, University of Ghana)
“
In South Africa, the Traditional Leadership Act specifies that at least
one-third of the ‘traditional community’ leaders must be women; however,
enforcing this provision has been challenging.
Progress of the World’s Women 2008/2009, UNIFEM 2008
”
PAGE 21
Chase the winter blues with coffee
Piping hot cappuccinos, coffees and hot chocolates are just a few of the warm beverages that helped Unisa
staff and students at the OR Tambo Building on the Sunnyside Campus brave this year’s cold winter days.
The coffee shop, which opened in March this year at the Good Hope Restaurant on the Muckleneuk Campus,
has become a regular stopover for many Unisa staff who say the barista, Ms Tebogo Mohlala, and her staff
provide excellent beverages at affordable prices, and superb service. Focus asked staff why they loved having a
new coffee shop. This is what they had to say:
Ms Ipeleng Chauke, a project leader assistant at the Centre for Business
Management, praised the management of
the Good Hope Restaurant and described
the idea to open a coffee shop as brilliant.
“To have the coffee served separately
from the food is a great idea. It means
shorter queues for people who just want
to buy coffee or cappuccinos, which by
the way are great. The staff are also very
friendly.”
Ms Mari Vrba is a senior lecturer at
the Department of Business Management. She said while it was her first time
purchasing coffee from the shop, she had
heard that the services and beverages on
sale were great.
g Chauke
Ms Ipelen
Mr Thabo Mogapi, Deputy Director of
ICT said the product range of the coffee
shop was particularly good. “We can see
the professionalism of this business in
staff and in the products we receive. The
prices are also reasonable.”
Ms Lebogang Mosupyoe is an academic
assistant in the Retail and Marketing
Management Department. “Overall, I
am happy with the services. The staff are
friendly and professional. Whenever my
spirits are down, I come and get a cup of
coffee and the staff are so joyful, they put
a smile on my face.”
Ms Karen Breckon
Ms Karen Breckon from Library Services
described the coffee shop as a real service.
“The staff are great, the
coffee is great. It’s less
chaotic than standing
in the self-service line,
and so this is a
wonderful idea.”
Ms Tanya Richter
osupyoe
Ms Lebogang M
PAGE 22
Ms Tanya Richter who is the secretary
for the Manager of Logistics said she was
definitely a regular customer. “I enjoy the
coffee and it’s really good. This shop is a
great idea, especially for people who have
to meet with reps. It’s so professional to
bring them here and buy them a coffee or
cappuccino.”
Unisa hosts NEWSMAKER of the year
Ms Lyndall Shope (COPE: Head of International Relations) and Mr Fani Zulu (Eskom: Senior General Manager of Communication)
accepting the awards
On 24 July 2009, Unisa hosted
the prestigious National Press
Club’s Newsmaker of the Year
award for 2008. The joint winners
were Eskom and the Congress of
the People (COPE). Eskom made
headlines during the first half of
2008 as load shedding affected
traffic and businesses, while COPE
dominated news headlines in the
second half with the split from the
African National Congress and
the formation of the new political
party.
Makhanya, acting Principal and ViceChancellor, welcomed guests on behalf
of Unisa, saying “Now, more than ever
before, in this technologically-driven
global era, our voices, singular or collec-
tive, have the potential to wield immense
power, and the media, with its ever
growing number of platforms, has the
most fundamental role to play.”
Previous recipients of the award have included the Springbok rugby team, Jacob
Zuma, Charlize Theron, Zachie Ahmat
and the Treatment Action Campaign, the
South African Rand and Helen Zille.
Women’s Month
Since the National Press Club turns 30
this year, it was a double celebration
held in the Protea Restaurant on the
Muckleneuk Campus. Prof. Mandla
President Jacob Zuma addressed the National Press Club on 6 August 2009 at the Sheraton Hotel
in Pretoria. He is seen here with Ms Doreen Gough, Manager: Media Affairs in the Department of
Corporate Communication and Marketing, who serves on the executive committee of the National
Press Club, and Mr Yusuf Abramjee, who is Chairperson. (Image source: Tanya de Vente)
In most countries, enrolment in primary education is greater than 80% for
“
both girls and boys. Sub-Saharan Africa has made significant improvements
in overall primary education enrolment, with 69% of primary-age girls being
enrolled in school in 2005.
”
Progress of the World’s Women 2008/2009, UNIFEM 2008
PAGE 23
From the
Vice-Chancellor’s desk
His Excellency Mr Nelson
Rolihlahla Mandela is a proud
alumnus of the University of
South Africa. During the years of
his incarceration at Robben Island
he studied and obtained an LLB
degree from this University. That
was no mean achievement given
the odds against which one had to
struggle to obtain a decent education. In many respects he was the
founder of the “Robben Island
University” that Deputy Judge
President Dikgang Moseneke so
eloquently spoke about at the
academic opening ceremony of
the University in January 2008.
Upon his release from prison he
remained close to this University
and Unisa was honoured that he
accepted the award of an
honorary degree. And so, in some
ways we can claim him as our
own and bask in reflected glory!
But in truth, Mr Mandela will always
be greater than any institution and will
always belong to and owned by the nation
as a whole. He has always expressed an
expansive vision for this country. He is, as
many have said, the embodiment of this
nation’s vision for freedom and equality,
of the moral capacity that we all yearn
for, and the realisation of a dream once
thought to be impossible. He is the
impossible that has become possible.
The University of South Africa joins in
the tributes of the nation and the world
at large in wishing him well in his long
life, and in the years to come. This nation
is justly proud of his public service and
commitment, of his legendary status as a
figure of international stature – as a man of
ideas, a thinker, an activist, a reconciler, a
doer. To the perceptive, Nelson Mandela
has bequeathed this nation an example of
moral rectitude and transformative leadership in public life second to none.
Somehow all these attributes fit the man.
But above all, Mr Mandela is surely an
idealist, a romantic adept at hovering
above the mundane, his eyes fixed on
the ideal, the visionary, the perfect prize.
He always reminds one of the duty to be
always positive, to think about the good
that everyone is capable of and the beauty
that may lie buried, untapped in all that
surrounds us, of the energy that can be
released. Above all, perhaps, Mr Mandela
should help this nation once again to
believe in itself. Sixty-seven minutes may
be symbolic, but his life is the message.
Happy birthday, Tata Madiba!! Halala!!!
It is appropriate that I begin my thoughts
on the recently convened 2nd UNESCO
World Conference on Higher Education
(WCHE) by reflecting on the meaning
and significance of Nelson Mandela for
this nation and the world. Over 1 000
participants from 150 countries, among
whom were 60 Ministers of Education,
gathered at the UNESCO Headquarters in
Paris, from 5 to 8 July 2009. The theme
of the conference was New Dynamics of
higher education and research for societal
change and development. The conference
issued a ringing affirmation of “education
as a public good and a strategic imperative
for all levels of education, and as a basis
for research, innovation and creativity” as
stated in the final communiqué.
The conference, last held in 1998, was
convened to review the state of higher
education in the world and to assess the
challenges we face. One hopes that this
now settles the issue of education as a
public good that has been controversial
among free-marketers from GATS to the
conference floor at WCHE.
Three critical themes were identified:
Higher education and global challenges,
Societal commitment and social responsibility, and Learning, research, innovation, access, and quality. The conference
was opened by Mr Koïchiro Matsuura, the
Director-General of UNESCO. Reports
from five regional preparatory conferences gave context to the discussions and
debates, and the themes were addressed
by experts in plenary panel discussions.
As part of the special focus on Africa, a
special session featured South Africa’s
Minister of Higher Education, Dr Blade
Nzimande, speaking on behalf of African
ministers of education, and the Namibian
Prime Minister, Mr Nahas Angula, representing African governments. The conference then broke into a myriad of parallel
sessions to engage more specific foci from
the various themes. This gave an opportunity for every delegate to engage with
others and for action points to emerge for
incorporation into the final communiqué.
As was to be expected, the conference was
an occasion for networking and building
relationships among the community of
higher education leaders and practitioners
gathered at one place, once a decade.
It also provided insight into the critical
issues preoccupying higher education
institutions and researchers world-wide.
At the exhibitions one could view the
latest advances in technology, key
publications and relevant activities or
programmes of institutions that were
exhibiting at the event. WCHE was like
the “hothouse” that the Native Americans
immerse themselves in for ritual cleansing and for making connections with their
roots.
What I found exciting about the conference was the discovery that much of
the debates that we were undertaking in
South Africa were in fact concerns raised
all over the world: access with success,
drop-out, transformation, relevance, and
social engagement, the future of academic
careers, funding of higher education and
the renewal of the African university.
There were good examples also, of what
many institutions are undertaking, with
remarkable results. We were also made
aware of emerging trends in higher education especially open education resources.
Not much new, regrettably, came out of
the special focus on Africa except support
for ongoing projects in the continent.
The conference called for an increase in
investment in higher education, recognising that education was necessary for
sustainable development and for building “an inclusive and diverse knowledge
society and advance research, innovation
and creativity.”
The resounding call of WCHE for higher
education institutions to produce graduates not only competent in hard skills and
paper qualifications, but graduates who
would also be “ethical citizens committed
to the construction of peace, the defence of
human rights and values of democracy”,
would have brought a smile to former
President Nelson Mandela’s face. This
gives added impetus to Unisa’s own construction of a “Unisa graduate”.