24 August 2020 Issue 11 Year 82

454 Hilda Street, Hatfield

Tel: 012 362 7180

Hatmed Medical and Dental Centre

Hatmed Medical and Dental Centre

Hatmed Medical and Dental Centre

454 Hilda Street, Hatfield

454 Hilda Street, Hatfield

Tel: 012 362 7180

Tel: 012 362 7180

454 Hilda Street, Hatfield

Tel: 012 362 7180

PDBY

24 August 2020

Year 82 | Issue 11

yourcampusnews.

SRC president responds to submitted questions Photo: Mashudu Madzhiga

P5

Managing Social Media fatigue

P7

Showmax announces new local fantasy: Blood Psalms

P9

TuksWomensRugby 7s invited to prestigious tournament

2 | From the Editor

24 August 2020

What does ‘SRC’ stand for again?

Copy: Ropafadzo Chidemo CJ Barnard Ume Dikio Takunda Marecha Nomzamo Xolly Maluleka

Y

ou may notice the extensive spread featuring SRC president David Kabwa’s responses to the questions sent by PDBY and submitted by students. You may also notice that they are incredibly vague and noncommittal.

The SRC has said that they are continually raising concerns about fee rebates and are engaging with faculties about online learning and difficulties expressed by students, but the lack of solid answers suggests that the SRC has not been successful in their engagements with the university. I find this interesting, because as the Student Representative Council, if you can’t get answers and results from the university, why are we turning to you? At this point, it appears to me like the SRC is a mouth piece for the university, and delivers a nice, simplified version of the university’s responses to our questions.

Big surprise, they can’t help with fees, residence fees, international students or less than adequate online learning in some departments. To me, this insubstantial reply to student problems sounds pretty familiar.

The SRC president has also elected to ignore some questions – which is his choice. But it certainly makes me worry that the SRC feels they can avoid questions from their students, and dodge accountability. Isn’t your whole purpose to speak for and fight for students? If so, why are you not doing so? I don’t accept that you are speaking to UP and engaging with them - this is another way of avoiding responsibility. Demand answers, SRC. Demand them. If UP won’t address fee rebates, and stall by pushing the academic calendar excuse, give them an ultimatum. As students we should not underestimate our power – and therefore the power of the SRC as our representatives. We do not expect super humans who can solve every problem, but we do expect the SRC to try, and to try openly. I believe that the SRC try, and I believe that they are raising concerns to UP. But

Layout: Kelly Anne Kong Kam Wa Duane Kitching Kara Olivier Ngoako Ramokgopa Kirsten Minaar Multimedia: Mashudu Madzhiga Vice Mkansi Promise Zulu Cletus Mulaudi Madhuri Rambaran Sanele Zulu Cassandra Eardely Marchall Potgieter Adorn Ndlovu Kamogelo Mogapi Elma Akob

more so, I am disappointed that the SRC seem to take any answer given by the university and accept it as all they can do. This isn’t the case. We all remember David forcing the university to close for the #AmINext protests, against what UP was trying to enforce. Why has no such determination and passion been shown during the pandemic? Use the platform afforded to you SRC, and openly and transparently stand up for your students.

Web: Jonathan Oladeji Zurika Raubenheimer Lucky Griffin Nyabicha Social Media: Jc Steyn Mbali Kunene

I’d like to hear how you, the students, feel about this.

Write a letter to the editor and send it to me at editor@ pdby.co.za – I assure you, you’ll get a response.

Kayla Thomas

Correction: On 3 August PDBY published an article entitled UP International Students Petition for lockdown aid, but did not afford the university a response. PDBY apologises for the oversight.

The University of Pretoria has elected to not issue a response to the article.

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24 August 2020

News | 3

Pharmacy | Clinic | Health | Beauty

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News Bites UP academics part of research into elephant deaths in Botswana

Launch of HIV selftesting platform Aviro Health, a start-up supported

by UP’s technology incubator and accelerator, TuksNovation, has launched a chatbot-based platform that offers individuals access to HIV selftesting resources, and the information they need to seek treatment and manage their condition during this extraordinary time.

The platform, called Ithaka, is the result of the cooperation between Aviro Health and Population Services Kenya, which distributes kits for free through community-based organisations and at heavily reinforced rates through online pharmacies. Ithaka was launched in 2019 in South Africa, where live trials with Aurum Institute, Doctors Without Borders, Wits Reproductive Health and HIV Institute, and research institutions, including Johns Hopkins, have shown the platform to be effective in supporting patients and promoting healthy behaviours.

Wildlife Studies.

Their discourse, “Mass die-off of African elephants in Botswana: pathogen, poison or a perfect storm?”, was published in the African Journal of Wildlife Research. The article attempts to recognise potential reasons of these sudden deaths, presenting potential bacterial and viral pathogens as candidates. The paper calls for sample collections from the elephant carcasses in Botswana in order to provide conclusive evidence for the reason behind the unfortunate mass die off. As of the publication date of this article, tests undertaken on samples collected from 300 elephant carcasses have proved inconclusive thus far, with the Botswana government ruling out pesticides and agrochemicals.

On 15th August, the University of Pretoria (UP) opened a third round of data bundle applications. Similar to the prior setups, the data bundle comprises of 20GB (10GB anytime and 10GB night time), valid for 30 days upon activation.

Students who had previously applied for the data bundles are requested to confirm that their details are current and valid, or update changes to their details accordingly. Furthermore, students who did not receive data bundles upon their prior applications for the second round of data bundles are requested to re-apply for the third round of data bundles currently open.

Students can apply by logging into their respective student portals, and maneuvering to the “GO” button associated with the “Student Center”

tile, and navigate to the tiles labeled “UP Student Self-service”, and locate a tab labelled “Data Bundle”.

The first set of numbers were forwarded to the mobile network operators on 21 August. The University of Pretoria has articulated that a new batch of mobile numbers will be complied and forwarded periodically to mobile network operators every 4-5 days. The applications for the third round of data bundles are expected to close on 28 august.

The university has warned of prospective lag times in the activation of the data bundles that students are expected to receive, specifying that the data bundles do not apply to study applicants who do not undertake study at UP and can only be issued to SIM card holders form the following mobile operators: Vodacom, MTN, Telkom or Cell C .

UP experts win at NSTF-South32 Awards

Image: Madhuri Rambaran

As part of The Elephant Project, scientists from South Africa and Pakistan combined their expertise in an effort to understand why more than 350 elephants in Botswana have died in just two months.

The research team behind the paper was comprised of Assistant Professor Dr Shahan Azeem of the University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences in Lahore, Pakistan; Dr Roy Bengis, retired Chief State Veterinarian of the Kruger National Park; Professor Rudi van Aarde, Emeritus Professor and Conservation Ecology Chair at the University of Pretoria’s Department of Zoology and Entomology; and Professor Armanda Bastos, Head of the Department of Zoology and Entomology at UP and an affiliate of UP’s Centre for Veterinary

Third round of data applications open for second semester

The National Science and Technology Forum (NSTF) Awards, in partnership with South32, is an annual ceremony that awards outstanding contributions to science, engineering and technology, and innovation.

The award ceremony was held online this year, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. These awards are popularly known as the “Science Oscars” of South Africa and are the most far-reaching and sought-after national awards of their sort in the nation.

Professor Mike Wingfield, the founding Director of UP’s Forestry, Agriculture and Biotechnology Institute

(FABI) from 1998 to 2017 and Advisor to the UP Executive, won the Special Annual Theme Award in recognition of the International Year of Plant Health.

His research was based on the effect of diseases and insect problems on the health of trees and plants. According to Prof Wingfield, it is important to conduct research on plant health because - although most consider plants a wellspring of food or for fuelwood, paper and other wood items - we rely upon plants and trees for the wellsprings of a lot of water and the air that we breath. The eventual fate of humankind relies upon the strength of plants and

this is compromised.

Professor Josua P. Meyer, the Head of the Department of Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering, and Chair of UP’s School of Engineering in the EBIT Faculty, won the Engineering Research Capacity Development Award in the male category. His research is on the specialized parts of clean energy, which incorporates renewable energy sources and the associated efficiency of heat transfer in heat exchangers. He states that the age of clean energy and the utilization thereof, without adding to natural harm, is at present the greatest test in South Africa and globally.

Compiled by: Nokwanda Kubheka and Susanna Anbu

Know something, say something Tips can be sent to news@pdby.co.za or to @PDBYMedia on Instagram

4 | News

24 August 2020

UP’s Flexible Futures 2020 Conference: Online Learning in the Face of COVID-19

Kendall Behr

A

global team of experts sought to discuss the challenges and advantages of the shift to online learning amidst the pandemic, and its correlation to the formation of a new hybrid learning model in the 21st century. The conference’s theme this year was “Teaching innovation in higher education: COVID-19 and beyond”, and was organised by the University of Pretoria’s Department for Education Innovation, headed by Professor Gerrit Stols, the Director: Department for Education Innovation.

For many South African students and lecturers, the shift to online learning has posed challenges. For the minority of students who have reliable and uncapped internet, online learning has come with the loss of class discussion, being able to ask questions in class, and learning from other students’ questions.

One of the speakers at the conference, Chad Bonney, Chief Financial Officer of Global Businesses at the software solutions company, Cengage, suggested that the new hybrid teaching model we witness amidst the pandemic will instil megatrends in how tertiary

Virtual #Choose UP Day Manelisi Magoro

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he University of Pretoria conducted its first-ever virtual #ChooseUP Day on 15 August due to lockdown regulations.

This virtual event is believed to be the first of its kind for a tertiary institution in South Africa and it is aimed at introducing UP, the staff members and the university’s campuses.

The live stream featured Vice Chancellor and Principal Professor Tawana Kupe, Student Representative Council (SRC) President David Kabwa and Faculty Deans. The virtual #ChooseUP Day was tailored and personalised for each conditionally admitted UP student with links that directed them to their areas of interests that were specified on their RSVP’s. The links included virtual tours of the nine faculties at UP and seven campuses which were toured through a combination of 360-degree panoramas and videos. Guests could watch videos that addressed frequently asked questions and receive advice on admissions, choosing modules and prospective accommodation.

“These are very uncertain and difficult times.

But as you can see, at UP, nothing can stop you.

You are sitting at home, we are on campus, but we have ensured that we are together. We are grateful to all of you that are interested in UP as a top-quality institution” said Prof Kupe.

He added that the virtual #ChooseUP Day showcased the complementary relationship between online and contact sessions. He concluded the live stream by saying “That’s the Fourth Industrial Revolution and Society 5.0 at work. UP is in the future, future-orientated and future-focused. And there really is no excuse to not choose UP”.

institutions are viewed, with online and distance learning gaining greater traction. Bonney predicts that the current shift to the new model will deepen inequalities in the education sphere, allowing only the fittest universities to survive. Bonney cited an example in the United States where “a slew of higher education institutions [are] closing down in north eastern United States, they are closing their doors for good as students are not coming back”.

UP has provided students with laptops and free data bundles, to aid the adaption to this new model of teaching. However, this new template for learning is influenced by external factors such as load shedding and erratic connectivity. For instance, for students living in Mamelodi, power outages at the beginning of August meant that laptop and cell-phone batteries were flat, and the students could not access lectures, online classes, or tutorials.

UP Vice-Principal: Academic Professor Norman Duncan, cited that UP was able to transition into the new online teaching template due to the high degree of readiness UP’s online platform exhibited after UP’s adoption of hybrid learning templates in 2015. Prof. Duncan ascertained that “the COVID-19 pandemic has stretched us in ways previously thought impossible. It has brought out the best in many

and I hope that we will use our newly honed capabilities to better manage the future of university education”.

Dr Tony Bates, a Canadian e-learning speaker present at the conference, said that it would be a pity if universities and schools went back to the old method of teaching (through contact classes) post-COVID-19 regulations. He believes that online classes offer students a higher chance at personalised learning and asserts that online classes should be the future.

Dr Bates recognised that “about 85% of people in Canada have access to the internet, while indigenous people and the unemployed cannot access the internet”. He suggested radio and TV as alternative mediums of sharing learning materials.

For many South Africans who can’t afford to study full time at tertiary institutions, a system that disseminates materials through TV, radio, and even the postal service would democratise the opportunities to get university degrees. This practice is seen at the University of South Africa (UNISA), which currently possesses the highest number of students in South Africa, many of whom live in rural areas.

However, the infrastructure to offer this kind of learning experience is not something that most

South African universities seem equipped to offer. Many lecturers are overwhelmed with work since lockdown has forced them to learn new methods of communicating with their students which take longer and do not get immediate feedback from their students.

While online learning does make it easier for South Africans around the country to be able to study for university degrees, it is something that needs to be well-planned and thought out before it can be a viable option for South African universities.

UP Vice Chancellor and Principal, Professor Tawana Kupe, acknowledged that the shift to the “new unusual” has caused individuals to experience “anxiety, uncertainty, and trepidation, and to say this was a disruption is an understatement”, citing that efforts at sustainability have been hampered by the pandemic. But he acknowledges that we must see the silver lining, by focusing on the new opportunities that the new learning model has brought. Prof. Kupe asserted that “the future of higher education is digital and online. Being innovative and creative is a continuum. I’m not saying it will be purely online – there will be a spectrum of hybrid/blended learning to fully online learning.”

UP Student Political Parties Initiatives Amukelani Makamu

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DBY interviewed three student political parties, namely UPSouth African Students Congress, UP-Democratic Alliance, and UP-Economic Freedom Fighters Student Command, pertaining to the initiatives that they have spearheaded during this period of online learning.

SASCO UP, EFFSC UP, and DASO UP all explained their initiatives - driven by their political parties - amidst online learning. Jonas Thulare, the SASCO UP secretary, mentioned that SASCO UP deals with various cases regarding accommodation, exclusions, and appeals. Thulare highlighted that the main focus for SASCO UP this year was centred on empowering women. This was supposed to serve as a demonstration that now is the time for women to take charge for necessary changes. Due to the pandemic, SASCO UP was unable to support the transformation alone. Thus, they find themselves running with the initiative side-by-side with the Progressive Youth Alliance. Thulare also added that a representative from the UP executive will join a lecture hosted by the Progressive Youth Alliance soon. “We communicated with Professor Mosia. We differ at times, however, we want the same for our people,” Thulare added.

With a Gender Based Violence initiative in the pipeline for DASO UP, Chardonnay Arends, DASO UP Chairperson, mentioned that another initiative that the party takes during lockdown includes a programme titled Good News Tuesday by Tshego Mutjiwadi, in collaboration with student wellness committee Recharge Week. It is conducted via DASO

UP’s Instagram page.

Darky Ntiyantiya, EFFSC UP Chairperson, said that EFFSC UP has been carrying out two initiatives. “One of the most recent initiatives during the COVID-19 pandemic is the COVID-19 Supplement Drive, led by the current EFFSC UP SRC deployee in the office of Transformation and Student Support, Zama Thabisile Mtshali. Another one is the #Zimbabweanlivesmatter led by another Student Command deployee, in the office of Post-Grad and International Students, Lindani Mgoduka”. Sthembiso Nkosi, the UP-EFFSC Deputy-Chairperson, added that with all the initiatives put in place by the UP-EFFSC, the main objective of the organisation is assisting students in achieving academic excellence, and helping prospective UP students to apply for the 2021 academic year, as well as assisting them in applying for academic relief, such as NSFAS. PDBY asked the various Chairpersons what their organisations’ objectives and inspirations are behind the initiatives they have implemented.

SASCO UP’s Thulare told PDBY that the programmes formulated by SASCO UP are not done so out of aspirations and premeditated innovation. We were faced yet again with challenges that required a contingency plan.

Ultimately with time, our policies from national level accommodated issues we face down on the ground. Thus, we do not create any programme for soothing our hearts but [for] assisting our members,” Thulare explained.

Arends said that the inspiration for Good News Tuesday was the negative energy surrounded by the pandemic and lockdown.

“We realised that people needed a pick-meup, and that any small reminder of something

positive would make the days seem less bleak”. She further added that the Gender Based Violence initiative was inspired by the gruesome stories that are heard and read on a daily basis in which young women and children get robbed of their dignity and lives.

For EFFSC UP, Ntiyantiya outlined that the main objective of the COVID-19 Supplement Drive under the transformation office is to aid and assist disadvantaged students with multivitamins and essential supplies to help curb the spread of the COVID-19 virus for students in residences and private accommodations. The main objective of the #Zimbabweanlivesmatter initiative is to raise awareness and support the Zimbabwean students at UP. She added that this programme helps to create an environment that is sensitive and considerate towards UP students currently affected by the political climate in Zimbabwe.

Student political parties also shared their thoughts on arising student and SRC matters amidst online learning.

Thulare said that SASCO UP supports the initiative brought by the EFFSC UP - named Black Space. “Black Space created a room for black students. [It] made us understand how - as Abantu (the people) - we are all that we have, each other”.

Arends said to PDBY that DASO UP are aware of the petition by TuksMemes, and that they support the fee adjustments and the attempts made to achieve it.

The UP Student Political Parties urge students to contact them. Students can contact SASCO UP on 079 666 4512, DASO UP Chairperson Arends on 076 970 7663, or EFFSC UP Chairperson Ntiyantiya and Deputy-Chairperson Nkosi on 079 159 3689 and 082 804 4770, respectively.

24 August 2020

News | 5

SRC president responds to submitted questions *Questions not answered by David Kabwa were left blank.

1.

4.

PDBY was informed by the Student Representative Council president, David Kabwa, that communication regarding the collection of graduates’ qualifications on Hillcrest campus and the emailing of the said qualifications to international students would be sent out during the course of either 6 or 7 August. What is the current status of this?

2.

In light of the discussions surrounding fee rebates, why has the SRC nor management undertaken a decisive plan of action regarding the discussion surrounding fee rebates, and when would such a decision be made? Will the fees be adjusted accordingly with regard to facility fees, as we currently do not use campus facilities with the current shift to online learning?

3.

Will there be efforts to redraft or revise a plan of action (POA) for each SRC portfolio, considering that the unprecedented lockdown has led to a shift in deadlines and timelines as members of the SRC had to prioritise the immediate needs of the students imposed by the lockdown and as a result many milestones stipulated in the POA have not been met?

We remain committed to assisting students to the best of our ability. The SRC has received complaints from students regarding the courier costs for degrees under the current conditions.

We have engaged the University’s Executive Director for Finance which has resulted in an option for students be accommodated by being able to collect one’s degree at the Hillcrest Campus to comply with national health and safety regulations. For international students and urgent cases, arrangements can be made to receive one’s degree electronically. At the time of drafting this response communication has been sent to all graduates detailing this.

We believe that fees should be adjusted in light of the current national crisis it does not make sense for one to charged where services are un-rendered services. This has been detailed in a memorandum of concerns submitted to the Executive on the 13th of April and detailed in a statement. The final decision is contingent on the academic calendar. We raise the matter on a continual basis and will continue do so as the academic calendar unfolds.

Yes, the SRC POA does require a revision due to the unforeseen circumstances of the time in which we find ourselves. The emphasis remains on efforts to ensure that students are assisted as far as possible during this time.

In a prior engagement between the SRC and PDBY, the SRC mentioned that “should the POA be updated, students can find it posted on the SRC website during the third quarter”. What is the current status of this now, as we enter the third quarter?

A ruling published by the Chief Justice stipulated that the 1st student forum was postponed, this was then also extended to the 2nd student forum. When can students expect to engage with the SRC, in a direct manner, as done in a student forum? What interim measures have been discussed to mimic a student forum setup under the current circumstances?

As of date, no financial budget of the current SRC office has been released since their terms in office began. Upon PDBY’s questioning of this, following the cancellation of the 2nd student forum, the SRC mentioned that this had to be revised in light of the lockdown, and mention that “students can expect a revised budget in the third quarter”. On what date can students expect the financial budget?

The process is still currently ongoing to allow for enough time each office to revaluate their current POA’s an update will be provided when the website is updated.

5.

The SRC is continually seeking to engage students regarding accountability purposes, this is why we requested an advisory opinion in relation to how to conduct a student forum that could be held online.

Unfortunately the current forum rules when applied to the current CSG do not make provision for this.

We have shared the first and second quarter reports and engaged questions posed to us in the second quarter that were published alongside the report for quarter two. The SRC will be having more live interactions for direct engagement during this semester. However, these interactions will not have a forum setup to comply with the CSG.

6.

6 | News

24 August 2020 Could the student body get a breakdown of how SRC funds were planned, prioritized and spent before the lockdown and during the lockdown?

7.

8.

As of date, no meeting minutes have been uploaded for the year 2020. PDBY’s querying of this on 9 April, with the SRC secretary, Ryan Haines, yielded this response: “No minutes have been uploaded to the website yet. The SRC Secretary and Marketing, Media & Communication Officer have not yet accessed the website to be able to upload these documents.

The SRC Secretary has however drafted several statements pursuant to the minutes of ordinary SRC meetings and have, in collaboration with the Marketing, Media & Communications Officer, distributed them on SRC platforms insofar as they are relevant to students.” Despite the statements released being a condensed form of the discussions undertaken at the meetings, in light of transparency, when can the student body expect meeting minutes being uploaded for 2020?

What procedure should students follow to get the attention of an SRC member or communicate with them regarding concerns?

11.

Emails are the primary form of communication. We encourage students to continue to engage the SRC and direct queries to the relevant office. Where students are unable to communicate via email, we encourage students to communicate via the means that is most accessible to them.

PDBY’s querying of the checkers vouchers as part of an MOU with respublica, on 8 April, yielded the following response from the SRC president: “130 students were placed by the SRC. Vouchers were to be distributed in mid-March and would apply to students staying at Urban nest and Eastwoods village. Currently no distributions have begun.” What is the current status of the checkers vouchers that were stipulated in the MOU signed with respublica?

13.

The MOU was negotiated under conditions in place before the lockdown. Currently the status is inactive. We will however follow up regarding how to use the agreement to assist student in the lockdown.

9.

All minutes will be uploaded during the third quarter, we encourage students to peruse them once they are uploaded.

The SRC Budget is allocated along with SRC POA, once the discussion regarding POA’s has concluded the budget will be revisited should the need arise. We will ensure that the budget is uploaded for the student body also.

10.

Building on the aforementioned concept of transparency, students express the sentiment that the SRC has not been responsive to students who have reached out to them. Why From thetoEditor |3 has the SRC’s communication the student body dwindled, through the progression of the academic year?

PDBY queried the content of bills and amendments that were formulated and discussions during meetings of a body known as the Law Reform Council, with the Chief Justice on 9 April, which yielded the following response: “A decision to release a copy of the Bill etc. falls within the purview of the elected representatives of the Students, the SRC”. Taking into account that the body known as the Law Reform Council, was not conceived as a formal committee, but rather a body encompassing members of the SRC and constitutional tribunal to streamline proceedings, when can students get access to details of the bills proposed and other discussions undertaken by this committee and why has this not been made available before?

Numerous students have also expressed complaints of the erratic approach to online learning undertaken by lecturers that has had consequences on their academics. Have the staff undertaken a form of training in formulating procedures for online learning and communication that stipulates what is expected of them? Does a template pertaining to this exist?

12.

Amendments to the CSG are tabled before Council, active Council documents are classified as confidential. However, the draft version of CSG approvals have been received recently and sent to the Tribunal. This is an ongoing process. Once it is completed, it will be uploaded and discussion that took place in the sittings of the Tribunal and SRC will be available through minutes of the SRC.

The SRC has been engaging with lecturers, Heads of Departments, and Faculties on a daily basis. We have been communicating with lecturers on a daily basis in this regard. Programmes and courses are all varied in nature, due to this there is no template that exists. For this purpose we encourage students to come forward and express difficulties faced.

Taking into the account the limitations of the SRC in directing the same aid that South African students receive to international students under the current circumstances, what alternative measures are being formulated to ensure international students are being aided and not left behind?

As we commence into semester 2, it has been noted that no data allocations for August have been undertaken. Could the SRC comment on the measures being formulated that students can download and access lecture material during this time and when data allocations will occur?

14.

15.

The SRC has ensure that the intervention made for South African students under the current circumstances also be made available for international students within South Africa’s borders.

The difficulty experienced currently are national limitations as we cannot make interventions that contravene national regulations.

The SRC has engaged the Department of Institutional Advancement in this regard which has referred the matter to the Office of the COO. We are working on the matter continually. In the first semester we pushed to ensure that data was made as a provision for assessments as an alternative to the connect link. We encourage students to continually raise issues experienced regarding connectivity to us.

24 August 2020

Questions from students

For students who intend on crossing over to other degrees, but are greatly disadvantaged by the current circumstances and as a result may not have reached the requirements, will there be any changes to the transfer requirements this year?

16.

Admission requirements across the board will consider the current circumstances. An example of this is the fact that NBT’s will not be a requirement to begin studies in 2021. I encourage students to begin correspondences with the Faculty or department that they are looking to transfer into. The SRC is also able to assist in this regard.

When will UP students be allowed to utilize the resources on the sports campus?

19.

17.

I am a masters student who by the government’s level 3 outline, qualifies to return to campus but I have not yet been given permission to do so. Unfortunately there is nothing my lecturer can do as this is a higher up problem and I need to access campus to continue my research. I was supposed to submit my thesis at the end of August and that is currently not possible. I am not the only one in this situation and I would appreciate some advice on what I could do about this?

News | 7

In light of upcoming SRC elections. I wanted to know why [..] we see the SRC and vying political candidates only during election times? The rest of the time they don’t really get around to do things unless it is a photo opportunity.

18.

Under the government’s level 3 outline, 33% of students have been permitted to return to campus.

Because of the cap of this percentage, space to return in compliance with national regulations has been limited. I would advise that you engage the SRC Office of Residences in this regard. We will do everything that we can to accommodate you and seek to provide academic support through our Office Of Academics also.

The SRC works on student issues on a daily basis.

Due to the nature of the work conducted many of the cases students bring to our attention must remain confidential to respect the students that are raising those issues. It is for this reason that the SRC is primarily seen as a collective performing duties that require the collective to avail themselves such as SRC events. I can assure you that the SRC is working to address issues on continual basis. I cannot speak for vying candidates but I do encourage all student leaders to adopt a mentality of servant leadership.

Will we be going back this semester? / Is there a possibility for us to return to campus this year?

Why has the SRC done little to nothing to support students in need and change university policies?

20.

21.

Communal sports resources and facilities in enclosed areas will remain inaccessible due to social distancing regulations. Sports that are approved at a national level will be phased in according to guidelines. I encourage student to contact the relevant sport code.

Gauteng is currently hotspot for in pandemic in the country. Unfortunately, a return to campus does not seem likely at this point. However, we remain guided by national guidelines in relation to phasing in of students.

The SRC has been working on changing University policies across terms. Most policies have a life cycle of two to four years before a review takes place. This means that an SRC will work to influence and change policies that may not materialise in the tenure of the SRC. The most recent policy that the SRC has worked hard to contribute to is the new Anti-Discrimination Policy that was adopted at Council November 2019. I encourage students to peruse the document. https://www.up.ac.za/media/shared/1/ZP_Files/ r34_19-anti-discrimination-policy-with-annexuresapproved-by-council-amended.zp180351.pdf

What is the most recent news about Res Fees?

Have lecturers attended a workshop about how to use blackboard collaborate?

Why has the SRC president and the SRC been so quiet lately?

22.

The budget committee as well as Council will need to sit to decide on fee adjustments in relation to the academic year. Residence Fees will be included in the discussion pertaining to fee adjustments, we maintain that one should not be charged for un-rendered services. We have requested rebates.

Will dining hall students continue getting R1780 for the month of August?

25.

Students that have not moved back to Res will continue to receive R1780, students that have returned to Res will have the money on their meal account.

23.

Lecturers have been provided with all of the information required to navigate blackboard collaborate. I invite students experiencing issues to come forward indicate the difficulties faced.

24.

Communication from the SRC has taken place on social media primarily during the lockdown about initiatives and activities in the SRC and the University community. We have recognised the need for more direct communication and will ensure that this takes place.

Zero rated clickup doesn’t exist for international students, what’s the plan?

26.

Zero rated clickup does work for international students in the country. Moreover, we have ensure that data for assessments also be made an option for students in the first semester and are working on the issue for second semester. In relation to international students outside of the country we are dependent on National Regulations from the Department of International Relations and Cooperation that prevent us engaging telecommunication companies outside of South African borders.

* Disclaimer: PDBY did not edit any responses

24 August 2020

Features | 8

To Invest or Not to Invest Carli Botha

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nvesting is defined on dictionary.com as “putting money into financial schemes, shares, property, or a commercial venture with the expectation of achieving a profit”. A common misconception is that investing is reserved for brokers or other professionals in the finance industry. This is not the case in 2020, as students can also start investing today.

Joshua Prins, co-founder of FinChat, an online platform with the purpose to “minimise the financial knowledge gap in South Africa and to empower the youth”, shared his personal investment journey with PDBY. Prins stated that he started with the JSE Investment Challenge. This challenge is available to students and scholars, who play with demo money and go through the process of investing in shares and making profits or losses. Prins explains that he started out having to learn everything about investing himself, and believes that “experience is the best resource”. Gaining experience in investing early is also noted in the biography, Warren Buffett: The making of an American Capitalist. Roger Lowenstein writes about the investing giant’s first stock purchase, which he made when he was only 11. Today, Buffett is known as one of the world’s most successful investors.

Where to start For students starting out, Prins has three recommendations.

“Firstly, open a tax-free savings account at your personal bank”. Tax-free savings accounts, according to the latest SARS information, allow an individual to deposit R36 000 per tax year or R500 000 during their lifetime without paying tax. Interest is earned annually and can be paid out monthly.

His second recommendation is using Franc, an investment app created by Thomas Brennan and Sebastian Patel that enables easy access to investing. It is a lower risk, lower cost alternative for students or individuals just starting out with investing. On their homepage, franc.app, their aim states that they “believe everyone should be able to access the best investments”. Lastly, Prins suggests the app Easy Equities as a next step for students interested in investing. Easy Equities is a free app available on both Android and iOS that allows an individual to purchase fractional shares. This allows students to start investing small and build their investments over time. In the article, “7 Easy ways to start investing with little money”, David Weliver describes fractional shares as a “game-changer” which allows an investor to buy a small part of a share.

Before fractional shares, stock exchange functioned on a “per share” basis. This means that if shares were sold at R1000 per share, the investor was forced to buy at least one share.

Weliver explains that fractional shares can give an individual the opportunity to start investing on a limited budget. Thus,

opening the investment world to students as well.

Where to find help Learning a new skill can be daunting at first, but there are many platforms and websites available to assist students on their journey. FinChat is one of these platforms. They have podcasts, newsletters, and social media posts aimed at the youth of South Africa, where topics such as personal finance management, investment, and entrepreneurship are discussed. Students can find more information at finchatco. com. Investopedia.com is a website that serves as an encyclopaedia for investment terminology and other related information.

It is easily accessible and offers advice as well as the latest market news. The Easy Equities website, easyequities.co.za, also offers Easy Equities Academy, a learning experience that consists of a technical and practical side to equip an aspiring investor with the knowledge to make their first investment. With their help, students can start investing on the demo version before taking the next step and investing real money.

Why start now In the article, “How to invest in your 20’s”, Forbes describes the ages of 20-30 as “the last decade you’ll have before you take on the traditional roles and responsibilities of other, older adults like your parents”. In the same article, financial advisor Mitchell Bloom emphasises how important these ten years can be. The reason for the importance of those ten years is compound interest, a concept Albert Einstein once praised as the “eighth wonder of the world”.

Investopedia.com describes compound interest as interest calculated on the initial amount invested as well as on the interest already earned. Bloom explains that the interest earned during the first ten years of investing might not seem like a lot, but it will have an effect during the years to follow.

It is important to remember that investing is a skill that needs to be developed over time. The platforms available today allow students to start small, and at a low risk, and build on that foundation.

Photo: Cassandra Eardley.

Managing social media fatigue Feliciana Nezingu

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s South Africans continue to live under restrictions on social gatherings and movement due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many rely on social media to maintain relations with family and friends. Social media’s ability to connect individuals and help them keep up to date with the latest events induces positive feelings of affirmation and entertainment. Unfortunately, for some, an increased dependence on and excessive use of social networks leads to social media fatigue.

What is social media fatigue?

Social networks have brought convenience to people’s daily lives by facilitating communication, increasing knowledge and providing entertainment. However, these positive feelings can turn into more negative ones such as stress, anxiety and fatigue. International publisher, IGI Global, describes social media fatigue as the phenomenon whereby a social media user experiences some extent of mental exhaustion due to spending excessive time on social media networks. It is a subjective feeling of tiredness and the extent varies among people.

This exhaustion may be the result of a content and connection overload. A 2016 study by British anthropologist, Robin Dunbar, titled “Do online social media cut through the constraints that limit the size of offline social networks?”, links the connection overload experienced by some social media users to the idea that humans cannot cope with an excessive network of relationships. Dunbar proposed that humans are only capable of maintaining stable social relationships within a limited range of people. After conducting experiments on primates in the 1990s, Dunbar found that their brain size seemed to determine the sizes of their social groups. From the results of his experiment,

he then proposed that the human brain can maintain stable relationships with roughly 150 people.

In addition to managing an ever-expanding network of friends and acquaintances, users may experience an information overload. This refers to an excessive consumption of content, and in the digital sphere, users can greatly expand their social circles and consume content tailored to their liking. Algorithmic technology, such as those used by TikTok and YouTube, ensures that users are exposed to content they are more likely to enjoy, making it more convenient to rely on social media to find content that matches their personal preferences.

A 2014 study titled Antecedents and Effects of Social Network Fatigue found that those who heavily indulged in social media were more likely to develop some form of psychological distress and experience a deterioration in emotional conditions. As social media content starts to influence daily life, it can also blur the lines between one’s online and offline life. The content consumed may also induce feelings of inferiority or envy that may lead to mental exhaustion or emotional stress. As individuals selectively post positive and interesting information about their lives, the content generated may revolve around positive life experiences and success. This leads to self-comparison among social media users that can be harmful to mental health.

How do individuals respond to the fatigue?

For some, a coping mechanism for social media fatigue is the suspension or deactivation of social media accounts until the user feels ready to enter the social media space again. Some people go as far as quitting specific social media platforms or social media networks altogether. In some cases, the user may struggle to disconnect from social media

use due to a fear of missing out - or FOMO. This is when constant social media use is driven by the fear of missing out on the latest trends, news and events. Users may experience some level of unease about missing gratifying experiences or relevant information, and this drives them to stay connected to the internet space. The use of platforms such as WhatsApp for work and academic related issues also makes it difficult for people to disconnect completely.

Managing social media fatigue According to Thrive Global, a technology company dedicated to supporting individuals suffering from stress and burnout, it is important to unplug and set limits when experiencing social media fatigue. As this is a difficult task, disconnecting gradually may make it easier. This includes eliminating unneeded information by unfollowing certain pages and unsubscribing from sites and emails that are not important - generating less content and decluttering information received on a daily basis. Preventative measures that stave off overreliance on social media are equally important. Setting limits to the time that one can spend on social media sites can help to control this.

Personal Excellence, a site dedicated to personal growth, encourages social media users to be selective about the content they consume. It is essential to connect consciously and ask what benefits are gained from following pages, sites or individuals. Another way to manage social media fatigue is to be authentic in social media posts. Constant exaggeration or false portrayals of one’s life may become cumbersome and fuel self-comparison that is detrimental to mental health. It is also important to create a life outside of the internet. Through actions such as taking up an off-screen activity or developing creative hobbies, it may become easier to manage the mental exhaustion that stems from constant social media use.

9 | Features

24 August 2020

South African Satanic Church recognised as a religion Kayla Thomas and Leah Rees

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n early 2020, the South African Satanic Church (SASC) was officially registered as a religion in South Africa.

The SASC has received positive feedback that supports the registration of the SASC and the Satanic philosophies of individualism and each person’s journey for their “highest potential”, as well as backlash and accusations of occultism, “devil worship”, and being morally unsound by many South Africans. PDBY reached out to UP Masters of Divinity student and reverend of the SASC, Tristán Kapp, to discuss his experience with the SASC, the registration of the SASC, and their philosophies. Read the full interview with Rev. Kapp at www.pdby.co.za/SASC-Rev-kapp-interview.

The history of the Satanic Church begins in the mid 1900s, where Anton LaVey began holding meetings in the occult, amassing a following of attendees. These meetings were formalised, and the Church of Satan was founded on 30 April 1966. LaVey later authored the Satanic Bible, published in 1969, which has been described by the Church of Satan as the main literary source for the modern Satanic movement. The Church of Satan expresses that Satanists place themselves at the “centre of their own subjective universe” and reject the worship of any God and therefore also Satan, as they are seen as fictitious entities. Instead, the Church of Satan emphasises the importance of individualism, personal freedom, and the rejection of the negative portrayal of the seven deadly sins.

After a four year recognition process, the South African Satanic Church was founded as a non-profit company, by Riaan Swiegelaar and Adri Norton, whose “mission is to educate the public [as] to what legitimate Satanism is, but also more importantly; to address the misconceptions that exist in South Africa as a result of the ‘Satanic Panic’”. The SASC adheres to the Nine Satanic Tenets found in the introduction of the Satanic Bible. Rev. Kapp stated that the Satanic Bible “validates the self without judgment and promotes vital existence in life, instead of [...] aiming to please a deity’’ and says that the SASC’s main philosophy is The logo of the SASC. Image provided. that “when we show up as

ourselves, others will too”, and that the “Satanic Church provides a home for otherness”. Rev. Kapp says he, Norton and Swiegelaar “don’t hate anything or anybody” and focus on opening their doors to “those who identify with the Satanic philosophy”. The SASC has affirmed that they “do not practice, nor condone animal, and/or human sacrifice”.

On 1 July, the University of Pretoria published an expert opinion by Johanneke KroesbergenKamps, a specialist in Western new religious movements and Christianity in Africa, entitled The South African Satanic Church – looking beyond the name. Kroesbergen-Kamps explains that “in Christianity, Satan has become the personification of all evil” but that Satanism “has little to do with the Christian conceptions of Satanism as an organisation of evil devilworshippers”. The SASC regards Satan as a literary character, created by Christianity, and Rev. Kapp explains that it’s followers “don’t worship the devil, [as] he doesn’t exist” to them, Founders of the SASC, Riaan Swiegelaar and Adri Norton. Image provided. and that the response to Satanism as evil is and human sacrifice is “a descendent of the accusations of from a “narrative of [Christianity’s] creation”. KroesbergenSatanism against heretics and witches in European history, and Kamps says Satan “in the Christian imagination [...] became has nothing to do with it as a religious movement today”. synonymous with evil” while in reality, Satan became a The article by Kroesbergen-Kamps was shared online and symbolic character for “freedom from the tyranny of a strict on social media platforms, and received backlash from many religion”. Rev. Kapp adds to this, explaining that the SASC readers. Facebook comments included “they going to kill performs ‘reverse baptisms’, people” [sic], “disgusting” and “faculty of devil himself”. which serve to “cut ‘psychic cords’ Commenters expressed that the church was offensive as it “is (mental attachments/imprints) the evil which not only goes against Christianity but also the attached to the person” from values of all other religions which are good”. Many readers of previous religious and emotional the article also felt that the article was biased and promoting trauma, as people are often “devil worship”. Professor Kupe responded to people who “baptised against one’s own will as expressed disappointment in the university for publishing an infant”. an article about the Satanic Church by explaining that “an Kroesbergen-Kamps responded academic has expressed their opinion which is what academics to comments expressing discontent do to advance understanding of issues”. Commenters also at the SASC being registered expressed discontent as they perceived publishing an article as a church due to their belief about the SASC as the university endorsing the church, to that Satanists are involved in which Prof. Kupe responded “we do not buy ideas, we debate dark magic, harming others and them”. blood sacrifices. She explained In response to the backlash, Rev. Kapp explains that he and that the discontent exists due to the founders of the SASC have “received numerous death the confusion between criminals threats, threats of violence”, and “bullying, abuse and hate”. who call themselves Satanists The SASC says they “don’t want to convert people, and [they] and worship Satan as a deity, believe that one is born a Satanist”, and that they offer a and Satanists who follow Satanic “safe platform, where like minded individuals can meet, and philosophies. The article explains enjoy fellowship with other Satanists” who identify with the that the assumption of devil worship philosophy of Satanism.

Advertise with

Contact: Carel Willemse carel.willemse@up.ac.za

10 | Entertainment

24 August 2020

Seriously Single: South Africa’s latest contribution to the Netflix catalogue Kendra Connock

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hether they met in preschool or were thrown together by chance in a university res room, there is nothing quite like the bond that exists between two best friends. Ultimately, this is what Seriously Single demonstrates.

It’s a romantic comedy so it has its moments of swoon-worthy flirtation and you’ll definitely giggle a time or two, but what really sets this movie apart is not the relationship between a protagonist and her Mr Right; but rather the relationship between a protagonist and the one person who will always have her back: her best friend.

The film was produced by Burnt Onion productions, which consists of a trio of siblings determined to share their voices and stories with Africa and the world. What sets this movie apart from any of the other hundreds of rom coms out there is its

display of diversity. This movie portrays the best aspects of our the “rainbow nation” with sweeping images of cosmopolitan Johannesburg and dialogue in English, Tswana, Zulu, Afrikaans, Xhosa, and Sotho. The storyline relies on a number of romantic comedy tropes and the storyline is similar to 2016’s How To Be Single (from high-octane nights out on the town to the more vulnerable moments of the films’ protagonists stumbling their way through romance and heartbreak; right down to the witty bartender and someone who wants more than just a casual relationship). The leading ladies in this film are veterans of the South African entertainment scene: Fulu Mugovhani and Tumi Morake. Their characters are dynamic and fun, but also vulnerable and personable enough to seem familiar to watchers, as if they were the girls you’d meet in the ladies room at a nightclub.

If you can look past the similarities to countless other rom coms and the typical tropes one expects to find in these kinds of films, you’re left with an enjoyable film, endearing characters, and a sense of familiarity – something we don’t often get when watching movies on Netflix. It may seem like just another romantic comedy, but in Seriously Single, the characters look and speak like ordinary people, and this is the film’s greatest triumph.

Image: Cletus Mulaudi

Back-to-back releases for South Showmax Africa’s own goddess of guitar announces Kendra Connock

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ollowing her debut solo offering in 2019, guitarist Robyn Ferguson has added two additional EPs to her repertoire in 2020; both of which solidify her position as the goddess of guitar in the South African music scene. These back-to-back releases come after the artist’s struggle with health issues which have taken their toll physically and emotionally.

Ferguson’s talent is evident in every piece of music she works on and her latest releases, Falling Forward and Harbinger, only showcase this fact even more. As a musical polymath, Ferguson wrote, played, and recorded every note on these two EPs herself; the multi-layered and complex music she produces is exceptional in its own right, but the fact that she does it all herself makes it all the more impressive. As Ferguson used her music as an outlet during a difficult time, Falling Forward and Harbinger were both inspired by her personal health struggles and the physical and emotional

TRY @Home

effects she is still feeling. She suffered nerve damage during her illness and still experiences some paralysis, but not even that could stop her.

Robyn’s music is entirely instrumental; and that’s all it needs to be really. Her talent is not limited to technical skill in playing instruments, but also in her incredible ability to make listeners connect with her emotionally through the sound of her music. Each of her songs is connected to the emotion she was feeling when she wrote it; “Gravity” has a weight to it, a heaviness that surrounds the listener; while “Oxygen” reinforces the sort of claustrophobic experience by the artist during her stay in hospital. “Petrichor” gives the listener space - there’s still that undertone of anxiety from earlier in the EP but it is now accompanied by a kind of peace; as if the rain is finally easing up after a big storm.

You can find Robyn’s music, including Harbinger (written, recorded, and released during the COVID-19 national lockdown) on any of your preferred streaming platforms.

Closet Refresh

you are willing to say goodbye to because the bleach will likely dissolve the bristles after a while. The best clothing to use for bleaching is denim and darker materials that the bleach will be visible on Pinterest, YouTube, and TikTok are full of clothing DIY ideas, and a quick search on there will provide you with Emily Harrison endless inspiration and creativity.

2.Go thrift shopping Charity shops have recently started to open up again since closet refresh is something that everyone lockdown forced many of them to close. Charity shops are great needs every now and then. Everyone has for finding new, extremely affordable clothing items as well as felt bored with their clothes at one point items for you to DIY. If you do not want to spend any money at or another. There are plenty of ways to all, another option is to host a clothing swap with your friends. update your style without spending a lot of money, You can do this while still social distancing by creating a especially now when the COVID-19 crisis is putting a WhatsApp group and sending pictures of the clothes you want financial strain on everyone. to swap.

1.Try out some DIYs 3.Refresh your mindset There are many ways to DIY a piece of clothing, Sometimes all a closet needs to be updated is a new set of so the best idea is just to let your imagination take eyes. A good way to change your perspective on your clothes over. From painting, to embroidering, to cutting, is to ask someone else to style you. Seeing how somebody the options are endless. else would put your clothes together will give you new The easiest way to add some new life to inspiration. Styling pieces together that you clothes is to bleach them. There are two ways normally would not is also a good way to use bleach on your clothes. The first way to get inspiration. Layering is another is the traditional tie-dyeing method, and a quick option, because putting different items of YouTube tutorial will give you the correct clothing together will give you that street technique. Another bleaching method is to wear look without you having to spend use a paint brush to create a more intricate Illustration: Marchall Potgieter any money. design. However, be sure to choose a paint brush

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new local fantasy Blood Psalms Emily Harrison

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howmax recently announced that they have a new local Showmax original in the works called Blood Psalms.

African video entertainment company, MultiChoice, is joining forces with global broadcaster, CANAL+, to produce the show. The fantasy epic comes from the minds of creative duo Layla Swart and Jahmil XT Qubeka, who were also behind the critically acclaimed crime drama Knuckle City (2019).

Swart is producing the new show while Qubeka is writing and directing. The story will centre around a young African queen, Zazi, who has to deal with a world ending prophecy while leading her people. The story imagines a thriving pre-colonial Africa and the myth that exists there. It is heavily influenced by the ancient mythology that can be found across the African continent but with a specific focus on Xhosa legend. The ten-part fantasy series has already gained a lot of attention as well as many comparisons to Game of Thrones. The series is authentically African and is being filmed in the Eastern Cape, Gauteng, and the North West.

The series has more than 50 black actors in its cast, including some well-known South African names. The cast includes Thando Thabete, Enhle Mbali Mlotshwa, Hamilton Dlamini, Sello Maake Ka Ncube, Warren Masemola, Thabo Rametsi, and Thishiwe Ziqubu, to name a few. Another interesting aspect about the show is that the story is told in vernacular rather than English. Swart and Qubeka stated that they wanted to contribute “to the preservation of African culture and languages as authentically told by Africans”, which explains the creative decisions behind the show. Actress Enhle Mbali gave viewers a sneak peek of her character, Umna, on her Instagram page, showcasing the costume and set design of the show. All of the pictures that have been released from the set show incredible costume and set design that is sure to amaze audiences.

To ensure that the series is as authentic as possible, the creators of the series consulted African spiritual guides and healers. The series joins the short list of other Showmax originals which points to a more hopeful and creative future for the African television and film industry. The fantasy genre has been garnering a lot of attention in the television industry over recent years. The success of Game of Thrones has led to a flurry of other fantasy series including the Netflix originals The Witcher and Cursed. Now Blood Psalms is going to add an African story to the roster while also adding some much-needed representation to the genre with its incredible all black cast. Blood Psalms is set to be released early 2021.

24 August 2020

Entertainment | 11 is because I stand out from your typical rapper stereotypes by experimenting with different sounds and styles, constantly putting me out of my comfort zone.

PDBY Featured Artist: Roman Figga Image: Provided

Daluvuyo Nkumbulo Mapuzi

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shepang Rihlampfu is a UP student who performs under the stage name Roman Figga. He delivers melodic and rhythmic flows on energetic instrumentals to give the listener a burst of vitality each time one of his songs play. As an editorial member of PDBY, we have direct insight into Roman Figga and his music writing process. You can also watch his live interview on PDBYlive.

Please introduce yourself. Who is Tshepang?

Tshepang is a young, God-fearing, and ambitious kid born and raised in Pretoria, who is currently studying towards completing his degree in BSc GeoInformatics at the University of Pretoria. He is also the Multimedia Editor at PDBY Media, the official University of Pretoria student newspaper, while also being the Deputy Head of Marketing and Communications for the JuniorTukkie Student Ambassadors Society (JTSAS).

How is Tshepang different from Roman Figga?

The only difference between Tshepang and Roman Figga is that Roman gets 200 times more ecstatic on the stage, in the studio, and when around people. Both Tshepang and Roman are very vibrant and lively, with Roman Figga being the musical persona and Tshepang being the poetic persona.

Take us through the process of how you curate a song, from inception to release.

Well, my music making process is a bit unorthodox because I usually get into my element while I’m in the restroom, where I’ve written most of my songs. The making of a song usually starts with ctrlH, DayLow or Kxvin sending me a beat then, depending on whether I feel the beat or not, I mumble through the beat to catch its drift and get to structure the flow and the spacing of the verses and the hooks, and then after that we hit the studio. I have this formula that I call the FIGGACODE which I use when I make my songs, wherein I basically encrypt my songs with very deep messages in a very metaphorical way and still keep them catchy and vibey for the listeners to have fun and dance to.

Once the songs are done and ready, I meet up with my creative team where we listen to the

Jackal and the Wind: On Methuselah and more Dani van der Horst

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ackal and the Wind is an independent band from Stellenbosch. They are best known for their single “Ukulele Song” and are making waves across the South African music scene.

PDBY caught up with their lead singer, Chris Kruger.

In July, the band released an EP titled Methuselah. Kruger said that “it started with literally just me, I set up like a small studio in my room and the songs sort of just wrote themselves.

I would play guitar and then record it on the fly.

None of those lyrics have even been written out.

It just sort of formed itself. I then sent it to our bass guitarist, who is based in Cape Town, he added bass lines to it. Our drummer, who was in Paarl at the time, recorded his own percussion and my brother, the lead guitarist of the band, he’s been in Italy for the past couple months, recorded his lead guitar parts in Italy. So, it was a super cool experience!”

Methuselah, according to the bible, was the oldest man who ever lived, being the primary inspiration for the name. The EP is accompanied by a short, animated series. Kruger says that adding a visual story to the music has always been something that he has wanted to do, and the band has been working with artist Simeon van der Bergh since their beginnings, who is responsible for the animation series. “The animation series

songs and then brainstorm ways we [are] going to market and promote the songs. Another thing that we keep in mind is the release date because we don’t want to release during the same week or month as other artists so that we get all the attention to our craft.

10 months ago, you released a full-length project titled I’m That Figga. How was your personal experience with that milestone?

I’m That Figga was a major milestone because it marked the beginning of the working relationship and friendship between Kxvin, DayLow, ctrlH, and Obie Swaden, and we’ve been working together till this day and have some major fire collaborations coming soon on my upcoming project. The name is still classified at the moment, but what I can say is that it’s a wonderful movie vibe type of a project.

Take us through the ideas and feelings you wanted to communicate in the project (I’m That Figga).

The whole concept and message behind the project was basically to mark the start of my journey in the industry and to introduce myself properly so that people know who Roman Figga

basically just follows this character who could be called Methuselah if you want him to be. And it follows his little journey,” says Kruger.

In May, the band released a single titled “Big Dogs Bark” which bears striking resemblance to popular “Ukulele Song”.

Kruger says that “Big Dogs Bark”, as with Methuselah, was a spontaneous release.

The song started in his small studio, where he played around on his ukulele, thought Image: Provided it sounded cool, and then added in some wanted gang vocals. So, I invited the band to my words. According to Kruger, this is remarkably house, and got my parents involved as well and similar to the way that “Ukulele Song” was made then we started singing in the room.” Kruger rates and that is probably why the two songs have a Nomadic Orchestra as one of the greatest local similar energy to them. live acts that South Africa has to offer and says The band is planning to release a new single on that it was a wonderful experience working with 24 September titled “Broken Shoes” with Cape them.

Town based instrumental dance band, Nomadic Kruger explains that this next chapter of Jackal Orchestra. “It’s a song that we are super excited and the Wind is definitely going back to the really about. It is by far our best live performance song. unique and raw sound of the band’s early days.

Nomadic Orchestra added some crazy brass to the This is mainly because they have been recording track” says Kruger. He explains that the song is in a room again with a single mic. Kruger says actually pretty old and that they have been playing that he really likes this, and thinks that the band it for about a year at gigs. This is different to most will stick to this in the future. Recording like this of the new material that they have been putting does come with its disadvantages, but Kruger out which has spontaneously been recorded suggests “you just need to work around those during lockdown. Kruger says that the recording things”. Luckily, Mayers acts not only as the experience was crazy, and that they “recorded at band’s bass guitarist, but also as their mixing my house and sent it to our bass guitarist, Alex engineer – Kruger stating that “he really knows Mayers, who then recorded the bass lines. We

Which three of your existing songs would you recommend to a new listener?

I don’t really have specific songs that I could recommend because I [make] music which people can relate to differently based on how they feel or their mindset. So I’d tell the listener to listen to the whole tape and catch their own vibe from it as the whole project is a story and each track resonates with each other so nicely - with “Grind” and “I Don’t Know” being the fan favourites till this day. “Grind” is literally a story about a very lit night that most of us have really been through. [It’s a] song you’d listen to in the early mornings as the sun rises thinking about how crazy last night was. That’s “Grind” for you. “I Don’t Know” is more like a phase change type of a song where one’s life and public perspective changes for the better with [the] sudden gain of publicity and a constant streak of winning begins.

Your Good Vibes Teaser music video includes visuals of you performing on a few stages. Take us behind the scenes of the footage.

Firstly I’d like to thank and make a shoutout to Clexyt Graphyx for the amazing visuals they’ve been capturing for me, and also all the fans and friends that have been capturing all those great moments when I get lit on the stage. The footage on the video is a compilation of visuals from three major events that took place last year, with shots from when I was honoured to be the main act at Tuks Ekhaya’s house dinner by their House State President. Some shots were from [the most] iconic stage and festival that I’ve ever performed at in my life, which was the Humanities Faculty’s Mokete wa Humanities Art Festival at the Aula, and lastly the other shots are from when I got an invite to perform at a private festival in KZN, which I was so honoured and excited to get invited as one of their five headline acts of the week late last year, around December, which was a massive blast. how to work the sound. He really makes magic”.

Kruger says that Jackal and the Wind is a band for everyone because they try not to conform to one specific genre.

The songs on Methuselah are Kruger’s favourite, stating that “for the first time, if I were to go sit down and listen to music, I’d want to listen to Methuselah.

I normally don’t like listening to my own music and I didn’t do it in the past but this music I like listening to myself.” This has always been the goal for the band, putting out music that is honest, authentic, and for themselves.

Kruger feels that writing music for other people for the sole purpose of having it trend, loses the honesty of the music.

Jackal and the Wind is largely influenced by old school legends like Johnny Clegg, Paul Simon, and Dire Straits. The band also credits a lot of their sound influence to Zimbabwean musician, Oliver Mtukudzi.

Kruger’s main piece of advice for anyone wanting to break out into the South African music scene is to “persevere and persevere”. He suggests writing and releasing as much music as possible and steering clear of covers if you can. Kruger is hopeful for the future of the South African music scene and he says that the band has received an outpour of support in the lockdown. But he does state that, in the industry, “people need to go out and listen to more music - get involved and support local bands”.

The band does not have any plans for a live or virtual performance in the near future, but they do have plans to do something at some point, so be sure to keep an eye on their social media accounts. However, it is clear that there is no stopping this small but mighty band and they are well on their way to cementing themselves in the industry.

Sport Flash facts about squash Hall of Fame: UP’s Olympic Alumni player Sandile Masondo Boitumelo Makaepea

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DBY spoke to Sandile Masondo from TuksSquash.

Tell us a bit about yourself. I’m Sandile Masondo. I was born in Ladysmith, KwaZulu-Natal. I’m a former learner at Parktown Boys High. I’m currently studying BEd at the University of Pretoria.

To someone who doesn’t know what squash is, how would you explain the sport to them?

It is tennis in a room but instead of hitting the ball over a net, you hit the wall.

When did you start with the sport and what sparked your interest in the sport?

I started [playing] squash around grades 4 and 5 with my friends. It Illustration: was more of a social thing where Giovanna we would go and have fun when Janos playing the sport. I developed an interest in the sport when I saw older guys playing very well and I wanted to be like them. I asked them to show me how to play better and they were amazed with how I was only 11 years old but I’m able to ask them to help me out. To this day, I’m still friends with some of them and they also give me advice.

What other hobbies do you have?

I used to draw pictures and play chess when I was still at school.

But now I just watch anime and meet up with my friends to refresh from schoolwork and squash.

What competitions have you participated in so far? As a junior, I participated in all the provincial and national tournaments.

From the beginning of last year, I have been participating in the senior ones such as the Gauteng Open (Northerns and Central), South African Nationals, Growthpoint Inter-Provincials and the GP Grand Prix.

How has COVID-19 affected your training and matches?

Most of the time, I would normally spend time on the court working on my skills.

Who do you look up to in the sporting world and why?

I look up to Ramy Ashour because he is a skillful and disciplined player. He always has a smile on his face.

What is your motto?

“If you’re going to do something, give it your all” What is next for you?

I’m going to finish my degree and work on being a professional squash player.

TuksWomensRugby7’s invited to prestigious tournament CJ Barnard and Chrizaan Pretorius

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he Delta Drone TuksWomensRugby7’s team has – like most other sports – seen a drastic decrease in activity in the last few months. In spite thereof, the team has recently received an invitation to participate in next year’s Melrose Sevens tournament in Scotland.

Riaan van der Merwe, TuksWomensRugby7’s head coach, was excited when they received word that the team has been invited, and noted that “as far as I am concerned, it is one of the most prestigious events on the international sevens rugby calendar.” This prestigious tournament is regarded as the birthplace of sevens rugby and was first held all the way back in 1883.

It all started when the Melrose Rugby Football Club needed to raise money. Ned Haig, a butcher turned rugby union player, suggested playing with seven players aside, rather than 15, and shorten the match length from 80 minutes down to 15 minutes. His reasoning behind this idea, was that it would enable the Club to host eight games in a single afternoon.

Thereafter, the first Melrose Sevens tournament was held on 28 April 1883. Haig played for Melrose RFC, who defeated Gala in the final. In 2008, Haig and Melrose RFC were inducted into the International Rugby Hall of Fame, in honour of their role in creating sevens rugby.

TuksWomensRugby7’s sights are set on success as they prepare to fly the UP-flag high in the historic Melrose Sevens tournament.

Image: athleticsweekly.com

Caitlyn Walsh

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he University of Pretoria has had many famous athletes through their institution, with some even making their way to the Olympic Games.

The first name that many should recognise is Caster Semenya.

Caster Semenya first began her journey of becoming a middledistance runner when she moved out of Limpopo to UP and joined TuksAthletics in 2009. According to TuksSport, in 2018 the University of Pretoria named Semenya as the Athlete of the Century at the TuksAthletics Centenary gala dinner, which celebrated a century of UP sporting brilliance. Caster Semenya won an Olympic gold medal in 2012 and 2016 and earned herself three gold medals at the World Championships in 2009, 2011, and 2017. Semenya is one of the most recognised and famous athletes who began her sporting journey and career at TuksAthletics.

James Thompson and John Smith are rowers who have partnered together to do men’s lightweight double sculls. Both sportsmen began their competitive careers at the University of Pretoria at TuksRowing and ended up partnering together for the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in London, and the 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Rio. An article published by UP mentions that the pair also earned themselves a medal in 2014 when they won a men’s lightweight double sculls race setting a the best time achieved by a South African team at the World Championships. The athletic duo also won themselves a gold medal in the men’s lightweight coxless four race at the 2012 Summer Olympics. They raced the coxless four competition with Matthew Brittain and Lawrence Ndlovu. Both Ndlovu and Brittain have ties to the University of Pretoria with

Image: insidethegames.biz

Image: ecr.co.za

Ndlovu often using the High-Performance Centre at the Hillcrest Campus for training, and Brittain belonging to the Tuks’ men’s teams in TuksRowing alongside James Thompson and John Smith.

Lawrence Brittain is an excellent sportsman and rower when considering that in 2015 he beat stage 4 Hodgkin’s Lymphoma cancer, and then went on to win a silver medal in the 2016 Olympic Games men’s coxless pair rowing race with his partner, Shaun Keeling. Keeling also belonged to the University of Pretoria’s TuksRowing team. Lawrence Brittain is Matthew Brittain’s younger brother, who was mentioned previously as winning the men’s lightweight coxless four race at the 2012 Summer Olympics.

According to World Rowing, Lawrence Brittain believes his older brother, Matthew, has always been a role model for him in the rowing and sportsman department.

Akani Simbine is another recognised athlete and sprinter who began his career as an information science student at University of Pretoria, joining TuksAthletics shortly afterwards. Following this, Simbine went on to participate in the 2016 Summer Olympic Games, placing 5th in the 100m final in 9.94 seconds. In 2018, Simbine won the 100m final at the Commonwealth Games and was named the 2018 Commonwealth Games 100m champion. According to Werner Prinsloo, Simbine’s coach, Simbine can medal at the Tokyo Olympics.

Many famous athletes practiced and developed their athletic talent at the University of Pretoria, even winning and participating in major sporting events like the Olympic Games. It is probable that UP and its athletes will continue with this success rate when the current pandemics effects begin to subside.

Image: worldrowing.com

Van Rensburg pushes to beat the clock Pride Mathebula

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ynhardt van Rensburg, a Tuks 800m athlete who has represented South Africa at the 2015 World Championship in Beijing, as well as the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, aims for specific numbers in his plans to challenge the stopwatch next year. Van Rensburg reiterated that “the aim is to consistently run times of one minute and 44 seconds or faster.

It ought to be good enough to ensure [he is] up there with the front runners”, van Rensburg is optimistic about his upcoming challenges.

Athletes use challenges to motivate themselves, and for van Rensburg it is achievable as he set this one himself. In 2018, in the Netherlands, he ran a personal best time of 1:45.15. However, his major breakthrough has not yet happened. Interestingly, he has quickly gotten close to reaching a peak. Injuries seem to be the only obstacles that hinder him. Towards the end of 2019, van Rensburg’s momentum was slowed down by a hip injury. Injuries are a common challenge for athletes, and they can be frustrating.

Van Rensburg is grateful for the lockdown that was enforced by the government as a responsive and preventative measure to the COVID-19 pandemic. This lockdown has provided his body with much needed time to recover. Van Rensburg has made the

most of his time away from the track, such as using this time to improve on his XBox skills.The athlete is still thinking about what race tactics will work for him. As a junior, van Rensburg enjoyed and preferred to race from the front, but when he started running against the “elder statesmen”, he opted for a more tactical approach. He is not yet sure which tactic works for him, because the day he ran his personal best time he was racing from the front.

He states that “perhaps it is best not to overthink a race and take each race as it comes. When racing in Europe, it does not help to try and run from the front as usually there is a peacemaker for the first 400m. Leaving it too late banking on your ‘kick’ is also a mistake. These days, every 800m athlete can accelerate over the last 150m of the race”.

The Tuks athlete has completed his degree in marketing, but for .. now, he has opted to rather coach at Hoerskool Garsfontein, east of Pretoria. This is what he is passionate about and is following as a career. “Highschool coaches tend to push their athletes often too hard as if it is all about winning medals.” He cannot entirely agree with this approach. For him, it will always be about the ‘bigger picture’. He tries to inspire younger athletes to be in love with the sport. If he can succeed, it will hopefully mean that they will still compete at a senior level”.

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