South African Varsity Students Must Appreciate What They Have

Siphumelele Zondi
@SZondi

One would often hear some South Africans complain about how better things are in certain parts of the world and I have been in Britain for only two days to get that sought after Master’s degree from the University of Sussex which has a huge international student body and has been listed in the top three this year for a best university award. I have found that students from the so called first world seem to have bigger problems than us.

I have met two American students who say obtaining their development Master’s degree is cheaper than obtaining it in their native USA despite them getting foreign rates in the United Kingdom. They say their struggle for an affordable education in America is an ongoing battle. One mentioned that she took out loans to be here as she would back home and the other said in the US she had two work two part time jobs in order to pay her fees and she is in huge debt which would mean finding a job in the UK too in order for her to survive.

Slut Walk in Johannesburg

Our Heritage Sidelined for a Braai!

Nondumiso Shabangu
@MsNondumiso

It has occurred to me that Heritage Day on 24 September has been side-lined this year as many seem to have forgotten that September is South Africa’s heritage month and are replacing it with national braai (barbeque) day.

From what I understand September is a month to celebrate our history especially and rich backgrounds of slavery, colonisation and ethnic conflicts. As South Africans we know that there are many languages in this country with eleven of them being official languages – all those languages come with their own histories and cultures. While we have the Zulu, English, Tsonga, Afrikaaners, Xhosa, Ndebele, Tswana, Sotho, Venda, Swazi and Pedi people – there are also people who are of Indian descent and coloured people who are unique to South Africa as they came from a mixture of various race groups like the Cape Malay in the Western Cape whose descendents came as slaves from Malaysia. There are also San people who are the indigenous group of people found in South Africa. All these cultures need to be celebrated on Heritage Day.

Speed Limit Should Stay and Traffic Officers do Their Work

Kgothatso Madisa
@Gubzee

Transport Minister Sibusiso Ndebele says that the Department of Transport is looking into changing the speed from 120 km/h to 100 km/h because he is convinced most road accidents in South Africa are caused by speeding drivers.


“The number of accidents in the country has reached crisis point,” says Ndebele.

According to Ndebele about 126 people have been killed on South African roads in the past two months.

“Studies in other countries such as Australia where the speed limit is 110 km per hour show that reduction in speed limit can save lives,” he added.

Some African Leaders Worse Than Colonisers

Gift Ngobeni
@nyikogifted

Fromer DJ, Andry Rajoelina, ousted Marc Ravalomanana
with the assistance of Madagascar's military.

African states often celebrate independence and leaders would often go on about how much of a milestone and an achievement it was for colonisers to leave the continent, but is there much to celebrate when leaders abuse their people, never hold elections in certain countries, rig them in others and refuse to accept defeat in some.


All this has led to Africa being a continent of mediation processes that often take more than a long time to complete – lately it’s no longer mediation processes as in some countries citizens have decided they will fight for their freedom and a better standard of living. A few examples where this has taken place would be Madagascar, Libya, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Sudan, Tunisia and lately Malawians seem to be testing President Bingu wa-Mutharika or His Excellency, the president, Dr Bingu wa Mutharika as radio reports refer to him in Malawi.

TUT Students Share Talent to Alleviate Exam Stress

Sibusiso Banda
@sbudalicious

A pre exam stress alleviation event for CCT residents was recently held at the Tshwane University of Technology’s Soshanguve North Campus. The students were encouraged to bring whichever talent they have and share it with others – this was to expose them to rest of the campus and also offer relief from their studies for just a few minutes.

Event organiser and Residence Committe member, Samukelo Ntombela, says the event was inspired by the talent he saw at university hostels.

Journalism Students Declaration on the Protection of State Information Bill

We, young Souh African journalism students, are against the Protection of State Information Bill as it undermines our constitution, which clearly protects our freedom of speech and of the press. We also feel that the current government is contradicting its own ANC media charter which has enshrined in it press freedom.

As students wanting to work as journalists, we will feel threatened in practising our vocation, especially when we want to inform the public about the injustice we see within our communities.

This makes us doubt and question the freedom we would like to think we have in this country.

We commend and support the Right2Know Campaign and all democrats who oppose the Protection of State Information Bill.

“Those who have nothing to hide, hide nothing at all.”

If you are a journalism student and support the following declaration please email your full name and department/university to eccf1@wsu.ac.za

Disappointing Turnout in Joburg's Anti Secrecy Vigil

When one listens to talk radio in Johannesburg they would believe this is a city of activists who would take action against what is right and fight the injustices of the leaders of the day. This is because Jo’burgers complain a lot on radio stations and often call in to criticise those they see not to deliver on their promises and often it’s government that is on the receiving end of their harsh words. But as the few that attended the ‘Right to Know’ organised fight against the Protection of Information Bill that is not the case.

Township Based University Students Start a Gay Organisation

Sthembiso Sithole
@sitholesthe

Students based in the Soshanguve campus of the Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) have decided to start a gay, lesbian, transgendered and bisexual organisation after a study conducted by the University of Johannesburg (UJ) revealed negative attitudes towards these groupings in Gauteng universities.

The study conducted by UJ’s Department of Psychology surveyed 880 heterosexual students, 356 men and 524 women, using the Attitudes Towards Lesbian and Gay Male Scale (ATLG) and found a huge majority have negative attitudes towards the gay community and cite religion for this. In order to create awareness some gay students at TUT’s township-based campus have formed Flamboyant, a group they hope will assist to change these attitudes. The organisation is officially registered with the university’s Directorate of Student Life and Governance.

Zubs Concentrates on Making Timeless Music

Sibusiso Banda
@sbudalicious

Zubs feels musicians concentrating only on hit songs
add little value to the industry.

Zubs is known to many as just a hip hop star but this songwriter, musician and former television presenter describes himself as the “golden mic holder” who creates music that transcends time.

He was born Ndabaningi Mabuyi and sat with us during a live radio interview on the biggest campus-run radio station in the country, TUT FM. He says he it takes time for him to decide on musical collaborations.

“If I work with the rappers who are hot right now because it’s almost like I’m saying I need something to be hot right now, like if you’re hot today. I won’t do that. Hot people are just different. I remember when Sister Bettina was hot, you know what I’m saying. Nobody remembers that because there is always a hot new guy after the other one is gone. So if you collaborate based on temporary things like that then you’re wasting your time.”

Chiefs & Pirates Fans Expecting an Awesome Treat

Sphiwe Masilela
@sphiwemasilela

Moeneeb Josephs will be Pirates' number one man
during the two matches.

Soweto derby time has come early during the current football season in South Africa as Orlando Pirates will face arch-rivals Kaizer Chiefs on Saturday night. The two will battle it out in FNB Stadium (previously known as Soccer City) at 20h15.

Orlando Pirates, who are hoping to defend the wafa-wafa cup will be going there with a bit of an edge as they have beaten their opponents twice in pre-season matches, but Chiefs says those games were just a practise run and have ironed out the few problems they had. Despite the Phefeni boys’ enthusiasm and confidence Pirates coach, Julio Leal, says he is adamant his boys will come out victorious at the end of the ninety minutes. The Citizen newspaper quoted him saying, "I am very high on confidence for the match and also the fact that now the team has spent two months with me makes me believe we can do wonders in the game."

Media Panic Over Only Three Injured Springboks a Bit Confusing

William Tshabalala
@gijaz

Bakkies Botha is probably the most valuable player
but the Bokke will be fine without him on Sunday.
Photo: http://wwww.sportypictures.com

Three elite players are injured four days before South Africa plays Wales, but is there a need to make such a big fuss about it? The South African media is going bananas over injury reports from the Bok camp in Wellington, New Zealand? Headlines such as “Crisis in Springbok camp” and “Bok injury list expands” can be seen pasted on walls and lamp posts on some of our biggest cities. What the hell? It’s only three people!

Bryan Habana, Victor Matfield and Bakkies Botha are the only “first choice” players who will probably not start the game against the Red Dragons of Wales on Sunday. Where’s the crisis in that?

Young Men Finding Satisfaction in Cougars

Recently while talking to a friend on the phone he told me he couldn’t chat for long as he was with a woman who was helping him with certain sexual favours. On further interrogation I found out that the woman was 17 years older than my friend, married with a six-year-old son. The friend told me that the woman’s husband was out of the country on business and it was common for him to get such a call from the woman in her late thirties whenever the husband was away for a day or two.


At a later stage I had another conversation with another friend who told me of a divorced woman he was having sex with. It turned out the woman was also seventeen years older than the other friend as well and she too had a child of school going age. Initially I was puzzled by these revelations from both friends until I later had a conversation about the cougar phenomenon with a group of older women - married and unmarried.