Wits WiFi upgrades set to cost over 100m

HEFTY PRICE: Witsies want to stay connected on campus and in residences by any means. Photo: Thabile Manala

Featured in Wits Vuvuzela 
“Hundreds of millions” is the price tag that it will cost Wits to install a fully functional WiFi network connection at all campus residences.

In the last townhall meeting, students raised the lack of WiFi at residences as a concern. Vice-chancellor Prof Adam Habib said there are currently problems with financing the WiFi connection. He said the university needed “a hundred million [rand] extra over the next 12months to improve WiFi in residences”.

International House and Esselen residences have been partially upgraded, while plans for Wits Junction, Jubilee and other residences are still halted.

Xolani Hadebe, Director of CNS, said the major challenges were that WiFi is unstable, not just in residences but also on campus, and they are looking at alternative ways to replace it. He added that the kind of coverage that is needed is expensive because of the level of planning that is required.

While the Wits Junction residence connects to the internet through LAN, Hadebe said LAN costs more than WiFi and the strategy is to put in WiFi, because it would service more students.

Hadebe understands the frustrations of the students, “we all don’t like the situation we are in, we are working hard to create a stable connection.” He also added that Wits being the most prestigious university in Africa adds pressure to have world-class technology.

Nokuthula Khoza, who lives at Wits Junction, said: “We can’t access WiFi from our rooms, so we need to go to hotspots.”

Sarah Ifezulike, who also lives Wits Junction, commented on the price tag of WiFi and said: “They could use the money to improve bus services and pay bus drivers a bit more, because I heard they don’t like what they are earning.”

Kesh Nuckchady, who lives at Knockando residence, said: “Internet has not been working since the beginning of the second semester”. He added that he had resorted to buying a modem which cost R2000 and he knows there are other students who can’t afford that added expense and so will keep struggling with connection.

“Why does it have to be a hundred million? It’s crazy! But if that’s what it takes then let it be because internet is how we learn at Wits via [resources like] E-learn,” said Elvis Mendu, who lives at Barnato Residence.

Oscar’s lawyer says SA’s legal system lacks certainty

Featured in Wits Vuvuzela

One of country’s most recognisable names in the legal professions says the biggest problem facing the law in South Africa is the lack of certainty in the criminal justice system for citizens.

Advocate Barry Roux, known as the attorney for murder-accused paralympian Oscar Pistorius, spoke to Witsies this week about the country’s legal system.

He said people commit crime because “there is a fair chance they will not be caught, and if they are caught there is a chance they will not appear before the court or they will be acquitted”.

“If there is no certainty, there is no control” said Roux. He quoted the cliché that “justice delayed, is justice denied” saying when a criminal case is postponed four to five times, a lot happens in the natural system of life which hampers the progress of a case.

Advocate Barry Roux, lawyer for Oscar Pistorius, spoke at Wits last week about the problems in the South African legal system. Photo: Courtesy EWN.

Policemen resign, investigating officers die and a witness who has attended court four to five times without giving a testimony will probably not come back a sixth time. Or if they do, the witness may no longer remember the facts, said Roux.

Roux told Witsies: “I wonder when I look at you, what’s going to happen to our justice system … You can all study, pass, become lawyers but you need to have the burn.”

He posed a question to Witsies about how they were going to get it right and fix the justice system. “I’m very happy to give up my profession tomorrow, if I knew there’d be no crime,” said Roux.

He described “tardiness” as something he has witnessed in the criminal justice system. He said it is important for young lawyers to know that “maybe it’s not all about me, what can I do to fix the justice system and not from the sides”.

Wits Vuvuzela asked Roux about the one thing he thinks the criminal justice system got right 20 years ago that is missing today. He said he would like to see “a better cohesion” between investigating officers and prosecuting

Visually-impaired Witsie pursues his love of music production

Featured in Wits Vuvuzela

Being born blind was not a challenge to this music producer, who has defied all obstacles to follow the lyric in his heart.

Jermaine George’s (23) love for music developed when he was five, the first day he laid his hands on a Casio piano. While the gift of a piano had initially been for his brother, he took to it with a passion that allowed him to realize his dream. George described music as “a way of life” and said music was the best instrument anyone could use to get to know who he is.

He followed his love after finishing school and is currently studying a Bachelor of Music at Wits.

Wits Vuvuzela asked George about how he performs the technical functions of music production as a blind person. He said he has always been exposed to recording but got his first equipment in matric.

BLIND COURAGE: Jermaine and his best friend Ygor share a friendship more than convenience. Photo: Provided

“Everything is so digital right now that computers are more advanced and more powerful. There are screen readers that talk to me and tell me what’s on the screen and what to press,” said George.

He believes there are many ways to get around things and “being blind alone teaches you patience, music just teaches you discipline.” George added: “If you do not have the love for music production than you should stay away from it. Even for people who can see, they look at it and don’t know what’s happening,“ he said.

At the age of 22, George lost his parents and described that as the lowest point in his life. He said his mother had raised him to be independent, so losing the comfort of her presence was naturally painful but it did not abandon him in a helpless place. “I was never worried if I could cope… the world will never stop spinning because one person died,” he said.

When asked about the main challenges in his life, George said it was people and their understanding of what it means to be visually impaired. “Sighted people are totally shallow, so they tend to judge a book by its cover” he said.

George said impatience is his biggest weakness because he hates rhetorical questions and tends to be sarcastic. He has had to teach himself how to navigate the Wits campus as a function of memory. “It has been a real mission training myself to get to know this place.”

On his relationship, George said his girlfriend “is wonderful”. “The dynamics, we are just two people going through life only difference is she can see and I can’t” he said.

Fakir addresses protest action politics

Featured in Wits Vuvuzela

The maladministration of over a billion rands allocated to the Urban Renewal Project by former president Thabo Mbeki has contributed to the continued protests in communities like Bekkersdal.

This was one of the findings of the 2014 Ruth First fellow, Ebrahim Fakir, who presented his research at a colloquium at Wits University yesterday afternoon.

Fakir’s research focused on finding possible reasons for the increase in so-called ‘service delivery protests’ which now average about 300 per year.

Fakir focused on the area of Bekkersdal in Gauteng which has experienced protests since 2002 initially sparked by demarcation issues.

According to Fakir, the community of Bekkersdal questioned where the general development of the Urban Renewal project was because the communities still had no water, electricity and basic infrastructure.

In answering the question of why some protests turn violent, Fakir found that “protests are asking for an alternative form of policies away from neoliberalism”.

“The way in which police act don’t spark protest, but [they] help sustain the protests,” he said.

Prof Jane Duncan, one of the speakers on the panel commented that public protests were telling of the “subjective shift of politics”. She said people were feeling betrayed after being let down by their government.

Professor Noor Nieftegodien, also on the panel, gave a critical analysis of Fakir’s paper and said: “As good as the paper is, it’s very ‘business-as-usual’ in how it approaches protests.”

Nieftegodien felt that Fakir underestimated the extent of politics in those communities and recommended that Fakir should have given attention to the young people or older women of the community. He said it was difficult to differentiate between the people of the community.

VC wants more white Wits students to live in residence

Featured in Wits Vuvuzela

There is a lack of diversity at Wits University residences and the vice-chancellor hopes to change this by encouraging more white students to live in res.

Prof Adam Habib was addressing a gathering of staff and students at a townhall meeting in the Great Hall earlier today where he emphasised his mission to “get the right balance between diversity and cosmopolitanism.” “The constitution and freedom charter demands that diversity,” he said.

He said Wits is a diverse university, but the residence life does not reflect that. But his suggestion to have more white students in res was not without criticism. Witsie Mcebo Dlamini reacted by saying that Habib is “bringing a culture of racism in (sic) this university”. Dlamini questioned why white students are encouraged to live in residences when they can afford to live in their “Sandton and Rosebank homes”.

TOWNHALL POLITICS: (from left to right), Dr Pamela Dube, Shafee Verachia and Prof Adam Habib field questions about promises made. Photo: Palesa Tshandu

Other students in attendance believe that Habib should be more concerned with poor students, mostly black, and some not from Gauteng who struggle to find accommodation.

Habib said the university was currently in engagements with South Point, Angus properties and other property developers in Braamfontein to form a partnership to expand the number of beds available for students.

Habib started today’s townhall by reflecting on the goals he had achieved from promises made at previous meetings. Some achievements include the cleanup of sewage from outside Esselen res and the establishment of a new bus stop directly outside the same residence.

In response to a question about the proposed upfront fee increase to over ten thousand rands, Habib said the university is currently facing a deficit of R25 million in outstanding tuition fees from international students which has necessitated the proposed increase.

Stinky situation at Noswal

Featured in Wits Vuvuzela

Poor sanitary and hygiene conditions continue to plague Noswal Hall residents following yet another water service interruption over the last four days.

Jabulile Mabuza, resident of Noswal Hall and SRC campus services officer said “this [going without water] is a constant problem, it didn’t start now.” According to Mabuza, there was an instance in the first semester where the students spent five days without water.

Lucky Xazi, house committee chairperson at the residence described the situation as “a health issue as well as a hygienic issue”.

He said the Noswal corridors have a bad odour because of toilets that cannot be flushed and dirty dishes that have been unwashed since Friday.

FILTHY CONDITIONS: Students at Noswal Hall residence have not been able to wash their dishes since Friday. Photo: Thabile Manala.

Residents have to travel to main campus to use the toilet and some have showered at the Wits gym. Many other students have not bathed since the service interruption started.

No water means that some students are unable to cook for themselves and have to rely on store-bought food. “It strains our budget because some of us can’t afford take-aways,” Xazi said.

Noswall Hall management sent an sms to students on Sunday saying: “We apologise for the water supply shortage. We are working on fixing the problem and should have water restored soon. Noswal Management.”

Mabuza said she feels the university has not communicated adequately with students and this has led to a lot of frustration. “I don’t think it’s a total negligence of the university. I think somewhere somehow is trying to fix it … but students don’t know and are left in the dark, “she said.

According to Rob Sharman, head of residence life at Wits, the problem with the water supply at Noswal Hall is due to heat pumps that are unable to service 20 floors, and one of the pumps is not working.

Vox Pop: What factors influenced your SRC vote?

Factors are diversity so I wanted to make sure there was a diverse range in people of different culture, different religions because we are such a diverse rainbow nation. I wanted people from all sects of life, all religions, and all cultures to be part of the SRC.
Alexa Seligman, 3rd year BA dramatic arts
Photo: Bongiwe Tutu

Firstly I thought voting was cool but then most importantly, I know they are all selling us dreams so I just made sure I knew which dream was stronger.
Anelisa Tuswa, 3rd year BA
Photo: Bongiwe Tutu

It was mainly the way they spoke to me and approached me, it was also how I saw they handled themselves besides approaching me. Like their general actions and how they were interacting with each other and other students because I’m currently a first year and didn’t know much about the SRC.
Heemal Ryan, 1st year Electrical engineering
Photo: Bongiwe Tutu

Our basic security around the whole campus influences it. You know we are here until late in the evenings studying. We just wanna have that sense of security when we are coming back from the library.
Naeem Shaikh, 1st year MBBCH
Photo: Bongiwe Tutu

I am going to be honest. I didn’t consider any relevant factors I just thought there should be neutrality. So I voted five each, five each, five each and made 15 votes. I feel all these people are selling us dreams and after these votes it will go back to normal and you will never hear from them.
Odwa Abrahams, 3rd year BA
Photo: Bongiwe Tutu

Fizzy drinks taking years off your lifespan

Featured in Wits Vuvuzela

A young adults’ chance of being overweight increases by almost 30% every time they consume a 330ml can of a sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB).

Wits Researchers have found that one can of a fizzy drink contains an average of nine teaspoons of sugar and some can easily contain more than that.

The researchers agreed there are many contributing factors to obesity, however there is a direct link between sugar and gaining weight because fizzy drinks have “absolutely no nutritional value”, they said.

FATTY FIZZY: Regular consumption of these products could lead to being overweight. Photo: Thabile Manala

The research paper confirmed a recommendation made by Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi that introducing a 20% tax on all SSB products would reduce sugar intake by 36 kilojoules per day.

Mercy Manyema, fellow researcher, said South Africa’s obesity levels are number one in Sub-Saharan Africa and seventeenth in the world. Obesity can lead to diabetes, strokes, heart diseases and tooth decay said Manyema.

The study has been met with a lot of defensiveness from the public, with comments pointing out that instead of increasing the sugar tax, why is the government not subsidising healthy food?

Another comment the researchers got during a radio interview said: “If you put another tax, we are already burdened with tax, you are gonna be taking money out of our pocket.”

Aviva Tugendhaft, fellow researcher, said: “A tax would work best with other approaches including health promotion, subsidisation of health food should occur, as well as easy food labelling … It would be more effective if incorporated with other promotions.”

Manyema said: “The cost of trying to cure a sick person, is heavier than [the cost] to prevent”. She added that it cost the state 23% more to treat an obese person compared to an average weight person.

Tugendhaft advised students to be more aware of how much sugar they consume, she said “eat your fruit, don’t drink it”. Tugendhaft further emphasised that students should make a habit of checking food labels before they eat.

ELECTIONS VIDEO: Basically Witsies are really unsure if they made the right choice

Wits Vuvuzela spoke to Witsies right after they had cast their votes at the main campus voting station. If you are unable to view the full video, click here.

Election: Being ‘special’ is not a privilege

A ‘special’ vote is not a privilege to a disgruntled blind student.

Jermaine George, BMus student, said he chose not to use the special vote provision for disabled people because he prefers to fit in with society instead of being kept apart.

George said his main grievance with the special vote provision is that “your vote is not completely confidential, you have to share it with whoever is helping you.”

George said that while the ANC succeeded in giving disabled people some form of independence, he added they also alienated and separated disabled people from society because there was not enough education to deal with disabled people.

“It’s easier to ignore disabled people than to interact with them,” he said. “They want to get us out of the way so that they can get to the rest of the people.”

George said that he understands the special provision when given to the elderly because of their lack of mobility. However the blind, the deaf and those in wheelchairs are not slowed in mobility or intellect.

Dr Anlia Pretorius, head of the Disability Unit at Wits University, said: “our students are very independent and geared up and can do this on their own”.

She said some political parties have reached out to the disabled, with the Democratic Alliance publishing their election manifesto in braille and sending it for distribution to the disability unit.

While George is not sure about who he is voting for and his decision will be based on infrastructure, education and the economy.

“With those three things, the rest will sort itself out,” George said.

George can often be seen on campus with his guide dog Ygor. He is regularly found producing music or song-writing at the disability unit’s computer centre.

“I just wanna compete on par with everyone,” he said.