UP Tukkie 2020 by University of Pretoria

2020 ISSUE 26

ALUMNI MAGAZINE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF PRETORIA

Contents

2020 ISSUE 26

ALUMNI MAGAZINE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF PRETORIA

Learning together, even when apart

Alumni Relations Office agile in an ’online world’

12 Remote working: Lessons for the future 16 Online, own time 17 Big help for small business 18 Leaders of tomorrow make today matter 28 UP alumni take pride of place on the global stage 30 UP adds 18 to Top 200 list

36 Through the screen, onto our campus 39 In touch, in the future 40 Graduating in the Cloud

46 The X-factor of a galaxy far, far away 50 GLAM-UP: Much more than a pretty picture 52 Cutting-edge research for wild patients

53 Built to be the best 58 Africa’s sporting powerhouse

55 22

57-59

Letter from the Editor Dear Tukkie reader, It is my pleasure to present to you the 2020 edition of Tukkie, the University of Pretoria’s alumni magazine. As we all know, 2020 has been a very difficult year as we battled with the health, economic and social impact of COVID-19. We all had to adjust and change how we work, study and interact with one another. Please continue to follow the applicable safety measures such as sanitising and social distancing. In this edition we interrogate how the vast majority of lecturers and students at the institution managed to move relatively seamlessly into remote teaching and learning mode. We find out about the Community Oriented Primary Care Research Unit’s initiative to raise funds, source nutritional food sustainably, and educate informal settlement residents on supporting their families through gardening. We also congratulate the new Miss SA, and UP graduate, Shudufhadzo Musida and get to know her plans for mental health. We commemorate with the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences, as well as the Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, as they celebrate their centenaries. We also hand a bouquet to UP alumnus, Thobo Khathola, who made it onto the Forbes Africa list. It was not business as usual as COVID-19 forced the University to transform ChooseUP Day into an online event. We believe this was the first of its kind for a tertiary institution in South Africa. As we set our sights on the heavens, we find out how UP was part of the team of astronomers from South Africa and the United States of America that used the MeerKAT telescope to solve a longstanding puzzle in ’X’-shaped radio galaxies. On the entrepreneurship front, Professor Alex Antonites and the Centre for Entrepreneurship tell us about the launch and importance of the National SMME Support Portal. This is definitely not all, though – there’s lots more news in the magazine, so enjoy the read! We hope you enjoy this issue and, as always, we look forward to your feedback, along with story ideas for future issues. Drop us a line at alumni@up.ac.za. Tebogo Menong

Opinions expressed in Tukkie are those of the individual concerned and not necessarily the view of the University of Pretoria. Tukkie is published by the University of Pretoria’s Department of Institutional Advancement. Any editorial queries or information can be sent to: Tebogo Menong Email: tebogo.menong@up.ac.za Tel: 012 420 3047

Change of address Please send notification of address change or cancellations to: Email: alumni@up.ac.za Tel: 012 420 3533 Fax: 012 362 5088 Quote the code that appears on the address label in all correspondence. Editor: Tebogo Menong Contributors: Masego Panyane Shakira Hoosain Primarashni Gower Samantha Castle Xolani Mathibela Design & Layout Words’worth Cover Ashley Marie Photography University of Pretoria’s Alumni Relations Office Personnel Samantha Castle Senior Manager: Alumni Relations Tel: 012 412 3044 Email: samantha.castle@up.ac.za Vuyo Ntloko Alumni Events Coordinator Tel: 012 420 3912 Email: vuyo.ntloko@up.ac.za Henriette Minnaar Alumni Events Coordinator Tel: 012 412 3980 Email: henriette.minnaar@up.ac.za Xolani Mathibela Alumni Communications Coordinator Tel: 012 420 5026 Email: xolani.mathibela@up.ac.za

University of Pretoria | TUKKIE 1

Message from the Alumni Dear Tukkie reader What a year it has been! While there is no doubt that the events of 2020 have brought unprecedented disruption to our lives, there is also no doubt that the challenges presented by COVID-19 have galvanised rather than hindered the University of Pretoria (UP), not only to reimagine its approach to academia in novel ways but to continue to excel. UP has also played an active part in the fight to stop the spread of the virus, by contributing its expertise through innovation and excellence. More details of how the University did so and of its continued research efforts and various national and international collaborations can be found in the magazine.

Quality outcomes We are proud to announce that UP was ranked number one in South Africa and Africa on uniRank’s list of the top universities on the continent, and number 183 on the list of the top universities globally. In addition, the University featured in the Shanghai Ranking Consultancy’s recently released 2020 Global Ranking of Academic Subjects (GRAS), taking the top spot in South Africa in three subject areas and joint first in five others. UP also ranked in the top 500 universities globally in the GRAS and, according to these rankings, is tops in South Africa in Computer Science and Engineering, Veterinary Science, and Finance. UP is tied in first place in South Africa in the subject areas Energy Science and Engineering, Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Biotechnology, Economics and Law. According to the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2020, the University improved its overall ranking in three of the four broad subject areas that the institution was ranked in. The Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) was once again ranked as the number one South African and African business school for executive education by the Financial Times in its Executive Education 2020 Ranking. This marks the 17th year in which the school has consistently ranked among the top 50 best executive education providers globally. It is ranked at number 38.

COVID-19 response One of UP’s goals is to strengthen its social responsiveness and impact in society. This was exemplified by some of the COVID-19 innovations that were produced by our staff, students as well as alumni. A team from the Department of Statistics, in collaboration with a partner in the Middle East, developed what is believed to be the first interactive app in the country, which provides real-time data on COVID-19. UP is also leading a South African Medical Research Council study on various rapid-test methods, and the MakerSpace Centre is producing 3D-printed visor frames that are being used as facial shields by healthcare workers.

International partnerships The University is working with international partners on several innovative initiatives. One such venture is an in vitro fertilisation project to support dwindling rhinoceros populations; another involves researchers at UP and the University of Leicester who are revolutionising the way tuberculosis is detected, through the invention and application of a 3D-printed insert added to simple face masks. UP is also part of a team of astronomers from South Africa and the United States that used the MeerKAT telescope to solve a longstanding puzzle in ’X’-shaped radio galaxies. We are also pleased to announce that the Department of SpeechLanguage Pathology and Audiology has been formally designated as a World Health Organisation (WHO) Collaborating Centre for the prevention of deafness and hearing loss. This is the first WHO Collaborating Centre in Africa.

Alumni success Our alumni continue to make us proud. The new CEO of Sasol Limited, Fleetwood Grobler, took up the reins in November 2019, while Taelo Mojapelo was recently appointed CEO and Vice-President of British Petroleum Southern Africa.

Furthermore, according to the Web of Science Essential Science Indicators, UP is placed in the top 1% internationally in 10 fields: Agricultural Sciences; Biology and Biochemistry; Clinical Medicine; Economics and Business; Engineering; Environment/Ecology; Immunology; Microbiology; Plant and Animal Sciences; Social Sciences.

UP became the first university in Africa to launch its alumni events on LinkedIn Live. LeadUP online alumni events are a series of virtual debates and masterclasses initiated by the Alumni Relations Office. This included a discussion about putting employees first and committing to a work environment that is free of bullying and intimidation. Another was titled ’Global lockdowns: Learning, thriving or just surviving!’, which tackled the challenges of life under lockdown in various parts of the world. There was also a career chat for young alumni led by LinkedIn representative Stewart Samkange that focused on the importance of keeping your LinkedIn profile up to date, while the ’UP Women: Looking back, looking ahead and taking the lead’ chat reflected on and praised the achievements of women.

The School of Engineering in the Faculty of Engineering, Built Environment and Information Technology is ranked first in SA and Africa; the University is also placed in the top position in the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants’ CA qualifying exam, with a 92% pass rate.

Another standout event was the ’LeadUP: In Conversation with the VC’ discussion, which featured Minister of Justice and Correctional Services Ronald Lamola, and Namibian Minister of Justice Yvonne Dausab – both UP alumni – as speakers.

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Desk Degrees, awards and competitions

One of UP’s goals is to strengthen its social responsiveness and impact in society.

UP dominated this year’s Absa Gradstar Top 100 with 19 students making it onto the list, the most from any other institution. Vaschel Naidoo, a fourth-year BCom LLB student at UP’s Faculty of Law, made it into the Top 10 of the Finest. Entrants from the University represented 60% of this year’s top five of the Ernst & Young Young Tax Professional of the Year competition, which is open to students from universities all over the world and is mainly directed at finding future tax leaders. UP also held a luncheon at its Future Africa institute and campus in honour of the 18 alumni, students and associates who were included on the Mail & Guardian’s 200 Young South Africans list. This year, proceedings were kept to a minimum in an effort to adhere to COVID-19 protocols. Chancellor Professor Wiseman Nkuhlu awarded 1 380 degrees, diplomas and certificates to graduates in absentia during the virtual spring graduation ceremony. Of the 1 380 qualifications conferred, 167 were doctorates and 473 were master’s degrees.

Court victory The Centre for Augmentative and Alternative Communication at UP won a court case that not only brought justice for a young woman who was abused eight years ago, but also set a precedent to allow symbol-based court testaments by plaintiffs who are unable to communicate in any other way. During the course of the pandemic, there has been talk of the “great reset”. Indeed, we are living though a time of extraordinary change. Yet having so competently adapted to and navigated its way through uncharted territory, it seems increasingly likely that here at UP, we will soon be able to cast tired phrases like “the new normal” and “business unusual”, which have peppered the global discourse for much of the past year, from our everyday usage. The Alumni Relations Office will continue its efforts to keep in touch with you, and urge alumni to stay in contact with us. If you haven’t yet done so, please join the UP Alumni Connect platform. Let me take this opportunity to wish all Tukkie readers a wonderful festive season and a spectacular new year. Please stay safe – I look forward to reconnecting in 2021. Yours sincerely Ms Samantha Castle Senior Manager: Alumni Relations

University of Pretoria | TUKKIE 3

Learning together, UP shows strong adaptability to online teaching and learning – survey. Author: Heather Dugmore

Data from a University of Pretoria (UP) survey shows that the vast majority of lecturers and students at the institution managed to move relatively seamlessly into remote (online) teaching and learning mode. In response to the national COVID-19 lockdown and in keeping with the recommendations of the Department of Higher Education, UP continued its academic programme remotely as of 4 May 2020. The transition was relatively smooth because in 2015 – under the leadership of the then newly appointed Vice-Principal: Academic, Professor Norman Duncan – UP transitioned to a hybrid approach to teaching and learning. The hybrid system requires all modules to have a predominantly contact teaching and learning component, as well as a significant online teaching and learning component. Consequently, when the University had to pivot to largely online teaching and learning, it was anticipated that it would be relatively easy for lecturers and students (particularly those who have been at UP for more than a year) to adjust. After three weeks of remote operations, UP’s Department for Education Innovation evaluated the effectiveness of the strategy. The findings are shared in a report that brings together data from three sources: the Learning Management System (LMS), known as clickUP; Blackboard Analytics; and a student-lecturer survey on online teaching and learning. The newly implemented software platform, EvaluationKIT, was used to enable students and lecturers to provide feedback in clickUP.

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A total of 639 lecturers completed the survey about their experience of remote teaching during the COVID-19 lockdown period, and 61 763 (35.9%) module surveys were completed by students. The clickUP data for the first four weeks shows that lecturers uploaded 443GB of content to 3 158 online courses and that 34 818 out of 35 939 (96,8%) undergraduate students used the LMS actively. Students accessed their courses 5 100 000 times during May 2020. Statistics from UP’s Security Services for the first week of the second quarter of 2019 undergraduate and postgraduate students entering UP to attend on-campus classes show that, on average, 23 319 students visited the campus on a daily basis. The number of students attending virtual online lectures on a daily basis (21 791) compares well with lecture attendance prior to lockdown. UP’s existing hybrid flipped-learning model – Teach & Learn the UP Way – continued to work successfully even when the face-to-face teaching component could not take place and all learning had to happen remotely. The model requires students to prepare for lectures,

1 937

Number of students who were unable to study online and were allocated a telephone tutor

Number of students who received laptops on loan to study online

complete pre-lecture assessments and engage in class. “This model articulates fairly well with online and other remote teaching and learning formats because it requires extensive nonclassroom-based (including online) activities on the part of lecturers and students,” the survey indicated. The survey found that 47,7% of lecturers found it ’easy’ to adapt to remote teaching, while 43% found it ’difficult’ and 7% found it ’very difficult’. Also, 16,4% of lecturers surveyed indicated that it was very difficult to maintain the same standards of teaching and learning as with faceto-face/hybrid learning,

even when apart What we like about remote learning

What we miss with remote learning

Challenges with remote teaching and learning

• Flexibility • Working at a suitable pace • Watching and rewatching video recordings after class

• Interacting with other students and lecturers • Face-to-face class discussions

• Computer literacy skills not always sufficient • Data is expensive • Connectivity and electricity supply erratic

Lecturers were urged to be present and available in different modes during regular scheduled lecture periods to discuss difficult concepts and to answer questions. This included a 20-minute Blackboard Collaborate session, 20 minutes of online discussions in clickUP, and 20 minutes dedicated to email and telephonic engagement with students. The data shows the importance of lecturers and students continuing with teaching and learning during regular, scheduled class times. The immediacy of lecturers and their classmates helps students feel safe. The discipline of online attendance of classes during regular, scheduled class times keeps students on track. Data related to both lecturers and students show that their computer literacy skills were sufficient to adapt to online learning during lockdown: 87% of students indicated that they are fairly/ mostly/fully able to navigate clickUP. 2,9% indicated that their limited clickUP knowledge made online learning very or extremely challenging.

The data confirms that most lecturers were able to convert effectively to remote teaching and learning. 2,8% of lecturers indicated that their limited computer literacy skills made online teaching very or extremely challenging. 2,5% of lecturers indicated that they were unprepared to use the clickUP tools and felt overwhelmed, and 12,2% of lecturers indicated that they needed time to get to know the tools. In addition to computer and LMS literacy skills, participating in an online environment requires a device, connectivity, data and general computer skills. The University has secured free or cheap data for all students and has loaned laptops to 1 937 students. Connectivity and electricity supply remain a challenge for a small number of students. A total of 83 students who are unable to study online have been allocated a telephone tutor. Two comments from students experiencing difficulty with power and online access read as follows: • My area is consistently affected by load shedding; next week I have a test and it is

scheduled that we won’t have electricity for two whole days, so this will make me lose a lot of marks. • Internet connection is a real problem; where it takes others only 10 minutes to watch a 10-minute video, it takes me twice as long because of buffering or connection loss. Tests are a challenge because while navigating between questions it takes long to load. More than 6 000 positive comments about online teaching were extracted from the survey data. “It should be noted that the transition from largely contact to remote teaching has been greatly facilitated by the commendable commitment of our staff and students’ to the latter’s success,” says Prof Duncan. It is clear that a remote learning environment has several advantages, notably flexibility, working at a suitable pace, and watching and re-watching video recordings after class. However, as is to be expected, in addition to the need for on-site practicals, students miss interacting with other students and lecturers, and face-to-face class discussions.

University of Pretoria | TUKKIE 5

We had to ask ’what could we offer our alumni that they could find meaningful and of value?’

Alumni Relations Office agile in an ’online world’ Author: Xolani Mathibela

The year 2020 brought with it many changes, some difficult and some easy, some pleasant and some bitter. Universities across the globe were forced to close down and run their programmes online because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The University of Pretoria (UP) was the first university in Africa to launch their alumni events on LinkedIn Live. LeadUP Online Alumni Events are a series of virtual, topical debates and masterclasses initiated by the Alumni Relations Office. On 27 May UP hosted its first live event on the UP LinkedIn page under the theme Career Chats for Young Alumni: Setting up your LinkedIn Profile. It was spearheaded by LinkedIn’s representative Stewart Samkange. According to Samantha Castle, Senior Manager of Alumni Relations at UP, the COVID-19 pandemic made her department find more creative ways to connect with alumni. “We had to ask ourselves ’what could we offer our alumni that they could find meaningful and of value; how could we support them during these challenging times?’. We also had to ask them for their support for the University without making taxing demands. As a result, we swiftly implemented the LeadUP Alumni series. “We touched base with our international alumni through the LeadUP global chat. We connected with alumni from China, London and New York to talk about their experiences dealing with the pandemic in their

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respective countries. Another important series was the LeadUP: In Conversation with the VC chat, where Vice-Chancellor Professor Tawana Kupe was joined by illustrious alumni to talk about issues of interest. One interesting chat was about UP producing two sitting Justice Ministers, one in South Africa and one in Namibia. They discussed justice and law issues and the talk was facilitated by Prof Kupe.” These online virtual chats enabled the Alumni Relations Office to showcase the University’s excellence and increase alumni engagement. The events were also broadcast on Facebook and YouTube. “We chose to host our main events on LinkedIn since it is a professional platform. Most professionals prefer LinkedIn and this is why the chats were a great success. This online platform helped us to reach more than 10 000 views with just one event, versus a physical event where a venue can only accommodate, for example, 500 people,” said Samantha. “We also made an appeal to our alumni to volunteer their professional services. This was done in partnership with the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences. They developed a national support system for small businesses and a number of alumni signed up to assist with their varied skills, from accounting to counselling. We have seen an increase in collaborations with internal departments in terms of hosting different webinars.” The lessons learned from these events as well as the pandemic is that you can identify gaps by asking the right questions, and it is possible to maintain and achieve goals set out at the beginning of the year by using different tactics and platforms.

TuksSport High School 'The will to do, the heart to win.'

TuksSport High School is an independent co-ed school, catering for learner athletes from Grade 8 to 12 and offering a unique opportunity to live out their passion for sport in a distinctive sporting milieu created by the High-Performance Centre (hpc) and the University of Pretoria. This is a specialized school that allows leading and potential highperformance learner-athletes to train and travel internationally while being part of the school year in, year out. Contact details: Tel: 012 484 1780 / Fax: 086 636 4018 Email: tshs.admin@hpc.co.za

UP-led consortium wins grant to boost food systems transformation in Africa The University of Pretoria (UP), in partnership with the University of Leeds and the Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources Policy Analysis Network (FANRPAN), has been awarded a grant of £2 million (R43 million) to set up a Food Systems Research Network (FSNet-Africa). The project is funded under a partnership between the African Research Universities Alliance (ARUA) and UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) through the Global Challenges Research Fund. This follows a competitive research proposal bid under the ARUA-UKRI Research Excellence Programme. Professor Andrew Thompson, UKRI’s International Champion, said: “To sustainably address global challenges, we need a genuinely global response, and that means forging stronger partnerships that are fair, equitable and fully reciprocal between researchers in the northern and southern hemispheres. This exciting research programme with ARUA is supporting research that transcends national boundaries and will produce different ways of thinking about challenges and different solutions to tackling them.” Professor Frans Swanepoel, UP’s Director of Strategic International Partnerships and also the Principal Investigator of this initiative, said overcoming Africa’s development challenges cannot be separated from the need to transform the continent’s food systems. “One in four people in sub-Saharan Africa face food insecurity, and Africa will need to produce 80% more food by 2050. The challenge is not only to ensure that adequate food is accessible, but to provide safe and nutritious food to combat malnutrition as African countries are confronted by the triple burden of malnutrition overnutrition, undernutrition, and micronutrient deficiencies.” He explained that undernourishment remains high, with 220 million Africans suffering from chronic hunger, while 58 million children under five are considered stunted. In this context, the FSNet-Africa project aims to utilise systems-based research methodologies to develop a new understanding of the African food system. This research will enhance understanding of the components of the food system, the interactions between these components, and ultimately the leverage points for food systems transformation. The focus countries are Ghana, Kenya, South Africa, Malawi, Tanzania and Zambia.

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Professor Frans Swanepoel, UP’s Director of Strategic International Partnerships and the Principal Investigator of the Food Systems Research Network (FSNet-Africa)

How big is the problem of food insecurity? 1 in 4 25% of people in sub-Saharan Africa face food insecurity “A cohort of early career researchers, who will work with mentors in the UK and Africa in a two-year structured fellowship, will codesign research that yields climate-smart, nutrition-sensitive, poverty-reducing solutions. This will be done through engaging with policymakers, private-sector role players and grassroots-level organisations in the focus countries,” explained Prof Swanepoel. Climate-smart solutions are needed to sustainably increase agricultural productivity and incomes, while simultaneously adapting and building resilience to climate change and reducing and/or removing greenhouse gas emissions, where possible.

80%

220 m

58 m

Amount of extra food Africa needs to produce by 2050

Number of Africans suffering from chronic hunger

Number of children under five whose growth is stunted because of undernutrition

FSNet-Africa extends collaborative UKRI-funded projects led by the University of Leeds with AFRICAP examining food system resilience in South Africa, Zambia, Malawi and Tanzania, and the SWIFT project examining weather forecasting and communications across Kenya and Ghana. Dr Claire Quinn, the FSNet-Africa lead investigator in Leeds, highlights that “the concerted and coordinated actions of the food industry (agriculture, production and processing, retail, food service sector and waste disposal) and consumers are all crucial to promote sustainable consumption and production which focuses on reducing all forms of food losses throughout the entire supply chain.”

Dr Tshilidzi Madzivhandila, FANRPAN CEO and Stakeholder Engagement Coordinator for FSNet-Africa, emphasised that meaningful engagement of all state and non-state food system stakeholders across the continent will make agriculture and food production in Africa more productive, sustainable and resilient to climate change. Dr Madzivhandila further explained that “FSNet-Africa consortium partners will leverage their national and regional networks to engage a wide range of stakeholders to co-design and conduct research as well as translate evidence into implementable interventions in support of UN Sustainable Development Goals targets for Africa.”

Transforming food systems also helps achieve gender equality. Women comprise a large proportion of the agricultural labour force: about 80% of food eaten in Africa passes through the hands of women. “Yet their contribution to food security is not fully realised, and the ways they benefit from food systems activities remain unequal and underresearched,” said Dr Melody Mentz-Coetzee, a senior FSNet-Africa researcher at UP.

FSNet-Africa is an opportunity to establish long-term collaborations between the three lead partners that function beyond the grant period. The aim is to realise new opportunities for research, training and policy advocacy collaborations.

The early career research fellowships will run over a two-year period and will focus on three components: science, mentorship, and leadership development. This will ensure that these fellows have the skills they need to achieve the project objectives, and to establish themselves as future research leaders. FSNet-Africa aims to help these fellows build lasting research networks and develop their skills to design and implement gender-sensitive research with non-academic stakeholders.

UP Vice-Chancellor and Principal Professor Tawana Kupe congratulated the UP team on the grant award. “Food insecurity is a major obstacle to development and achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The transformation of Africa’s food systems plays a critical role in not only realising the SDGs of achieving food security and alleviating malnutrition, but also contributing to public health and providing opportunities to eliminate poverty.” Emphasising the need for multidisciplinary, transdisciplinary and interdisciplinary research, he said collaborations such as these will help solve some of “Africa’s complex, complicated and intersectional challenges”.

University of Pretoria | TUKKIE 9

Food security for vulnerable communities Author: Mmane Boikanyo

The COVID-19 pandemic has left many without a source of income. This has had devastating effects on household food security, which prompted the University of Pretoria’s (UP) Community Oriented Primary Care Research Unit (COPC), to start an initiative to raise funds, source nutritional food sustainably, and educate informal settlement residents on supporting their families through gardening. COPC, in collaboration with various partners including many UP departments, launched the Imvelo Urban Food Systems at Living Word Pretoria East Congregation. Imvelo Urban Farms aims to serve as safe havens and a source of food security for vulnerable communities. The lifestyle these farms support is inclusive, provides training, promotes holistic living, and empowers people while creating a sustainable food production and retail model that can be replicated all over South Africa. The Agricultural Research Council (ARC) has developed a farming plan to be implemented for food production for revenue, and training on how residents can grow their own food. The incubator project taking place at Cemetery View informal settlement in Woodland is based at Living Word Church where the food system has been implemented on the church grounds next to the village. SA Cares will sponsor a borehole and will implement a programme called Power of the Father, as well as a clustercare worker programme to develop and support the residents of Cemetery View.

We are now empowered through education to create a better life for ourselves, and we have also received resources to create our gardens. Litsoanelo Lephaso, a resident of Cemetery View

Each household at Cemetery View received a home garden starter kit which contained a net pot, compost, fertiliser with seedlings and seeds. Residents from the community also received training on how to plant and take care of their crops. “The Imvelo Urban Food System at Cemetery View is an exciting interdisciplinary initiative which aims to bring academic, business and community stakeholders together. COVID-19 has taught us that we have to rethink how we organise core functions for health and living. Health, nutrition and education should devolve to community level,” said Dr Ellenore Meyer, Primary Research Investigator and Project Lead, COPC Research Unit. “The involvement of ARUA Centre of Excellence will help alleviate food insecurity by assisting in the implementation of urban agriculture towards a sustainable food system. The community will be trained on the benefits of consuming a diverse diet and encouraged to participate in establishing community and home food gardens,” said Professor Hettie Schönfeldt, Co-Director at ARUA Centre of Excellence and Co-Research Investigator. In collaboration with LIFT, a community development non-profit organisation, the Department of Family Medicine opened a clinic four years ago on the Moreleta Church grounds for residents of both Cemetery View and Woodlane Village. Now, a training centre and kitchen will be built on the grounds. These will be linked to the agricultural developments to ensure the food system addresses the last two components of UP’s triad focus on health, supporting education and nutrition in informal settlements.

Left: UP, with various partners, has created a groundbreaking initiative, born out of the food crisis brought on by COVID-19. The interdisciplinary initiative’s Imvelo Urban Food System’s incubator project at Cemetery View educates and encourages residents of informal settlements to grow their own food.

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www.up.ac.za/nas

Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences - solving challenges through research.

The Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences is the largest of its kind in Africa. This diverse faculty is renowned for its expertise in forestry and agriculture, food systems, biotechnology as well as life sciences and mathematical and statistical sciences. Our international rankings underline this â&#x20AC;&#x201C; among others, the Faculty ranks 51-100 in Agriculture and Forestry on the QS World University Rankings by Subject and is number one in mathematics and computer science in South Africa according to the Centre for Science and Technology Studies, Leiden University. Our broad range of disciplines allow us to tackle interdisciplinary societal problems by ďŹ nding cures for poverty-related and infectious diseases such as Tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS and Malaria.

Remote working:

Lessons for the future By Alet C Erasmus

Remote working or “e-working” is not a novel phenomenon. The idea of working away from the office has become the norm for those who can optimise the latest technology to work while traveling, and/or to conduct their business on clients’ premises rather than to be tied to their office desks. Remote working encompasses the trend “to work here, there, or anywhere” – an idea that originated in the 1980s in the US to deal with employees’ frustrations in managing the traffic congestion en route to work. Companies soon realised that remote working could save them considerable amounts on rentals and maintenance of expensive office space. The idea that more people could work remotely, at least for certain periods, was steadily ignited by cultural changes. Over time, employees increasingly demanded some flexibility in terms of formal office hours for the sake of a better work-life balance. Inevitably, major advances in digital technology largely supported the idea that business need not be conducted during formal office hours from a particular office. However, the swift, rather radical shift of entire companies and institutions to adopt remote working for all operational levels during the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020, probably caught everybody off-guard!

Positive implications Many lessons were learned concerning remote working in 2020. On the positive side, employees pulled their weight, even devoting extra hours and more effort, producing tangible evidence of increased productivity. The fact that employees could retain their positions during very trying times certainly contributed to lower stress levels as we all witnessed the demise of many companies, and people losing their jobs. Remote working made it easier for parents to accommodate the needs of family members when schools and tertiary institutions also had to close. Another positive spin-off was that, having to implement various technological tools in order to collaborate remotely, the workforce became technologically more empowered and confident and this will reshape how things are done when everyone returns to the office. Unavoidably, remote working resulted in a multidimensional fragmentation of work whereby colleagues with similar challenges and needs spontaneously started cooperating in smaller work units that were easier to manage.

Challenges experienced On the downside, not everyone was fortunate to have a suitable,

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designated office space at home. Neither did everyone have the same level of access to resources such as suitable computers with relevant software, data, and Internet connectivity at home. This required some urgent, last-minute measures to ensure that all would be able to do their work away from the office. Admittedly, not all people are equally suited to work remotely, simply because they perform better when among colleagues or team members where one can discuss matters and clear issues on the spot. Reflecting on the sudden switch to remote working, colleagues admit that increased organisational commitment and work intensity made it very difficult for them “to switch off”. Those in managerial positions had to deal with concerned colleagues who struggled to cope: juggling their work and home life with all family members at home amid interruption of electrical power supply and unreliable Internet connections. In addition, shortnotice, after-hours meetings had to be carefully managed to prevent a collapse of boundaries between work and private lives. Many started .working around the clock, seven days a week, which meant that family members perceived them to be absent, even though they were at home.

Lessons learned A person’s location does not matter in terms of the opportunity to collaborate and cooperate. This has opened up a conversation to involve a larger pool of people in certain projects in the future, to improve productivity and the quality of outputs. In time to come, more colleagues may therefore be located all over the world and relocation may no longer be a prerequisite to joining a particular company or institution. The COVID-19 lockdown period has fast-forwarded many decisions that companies may still have pondered on for months in the years to come.

One thing that we all agree on, is that meetings need not be held in person, in boardrooms any more, and it seems illogical to waste time in traffic if work can be done successfully remotely. Managers’ responsibility in remote working should not be underestimated. The following questions are worth attending to: • Do workers on all levels have clear expectations concerning their duties and what can be done to boost the confidence of junior workers and to instill trust? • Are the available resources conducive for all in terms of what they are expected to produce while working remotely? During the unexpected COVID-19 lockdown, GIBS’ IT division assisted personnel with computers and software while employees were also allowed to borrow their office chairs to make their work locations at home, ergonomically suitable. • How can colleagues be protected, to prevent a commodification of their contributions and to ensure that workers’ personal circumstances are not swept under the carpet? • How can video- or teleconferencing meetings be optimised to keep all informed and to retain a sense of belonging? • Have colleagues been sensitised concerning “normal office rules” to respect others’ privacy? In attempts to serve the student community and to support colleagues, office rules might have been bent far more than what is fair. • Do all employees have equal opportunity to share their experiences concerning ongoing projects, their workload, general wellbeing, and performance with their manager from time to time? • Have any measures been put in place to ensure that all workers are comfortable with a work-from-home scenario, or do we assume that all are in favour of doing so?

The way forward Are we now so content that we would rather never go back to the office again, and never offer face-to-face classes? The answer is no. Many admit that prolonged remote working may become psychologically unbearable. Colleagues across all levels of seniority generally benefit from networking at the office and appreciate personal interaction and the stimulation that they get from being around one another at the office. Also, remote working has consequences across multiple disciplines, such as a need to recontextualise the basic principles of human resource management, and to review what is perceived as ethical organisational practice to allow for an unperturbed balance of work and family responsibilities. Certainly, the traditional idea of office space might be a thing of the past, probably being replaced with space that is available on an as-needed basis. Undoubtedly, 2020 has brought radical changes in the workplace and a so-called “spatial revolution” during which the traditional workplace/ office/classroom has lost its spatial fixity. Strategic planning will certainly include the way we would want to work in the future. Evidence from companies that reverted to on-site working indicates that a balance between on-site and remote working needs to be struck to build a stronger culture of engagement within organisations. At an institution such as GIBS, the networking among students, their lecturers and supervisors is invaluable and has produced innumerable positive outcomes. Any decision on remote working for the future, and all the associated consequences are therefore bound to undergo the scrutiny that it deserves, taking into account the first-hand experience of what we have all encountered during 2020.

University of Pretoria | TUKKIE 13

at YOUR FINGERTIPS! With over 200 interactive exhibits and the marvellous camera obscura we provide a fun, hands-on experience to engage you while you discover the wonders of science.

SCI-ENZA IS DEDICATED TO CREATING A LEARNING ENVIRONMENT WHERE SCIENCE AND IMAGINATION CAN UNITE. What to do at Sci-Enza • • • • • • •

Experience a science show Learn science through puppet shows Get lost in the mirror maze Participate in technology workshops Discover the scientist in you with our interactive exhibits Be challenged by mathematical puzzles View Pretoria from the camera obscura

Technology workshops We give learners the opportunity to explore, invent and create with technology, science and robotics which will not only enrich their engineering and robotics knowledge, but their leadership, analytical and teamwork skills as well.

Holiday programmes Each school holiday, Sci-Enza offers a week-long science-related programme from 09:00 – 13:00 for learners in grade RR - 9. Space is limited and tickets are sold at Sci-Enza.

Anyone is welcome at Sci-Enza and entrance is free to individuals and small groups. A qualified scientist is in attendance during office hours. For more information, group bookings or holiday programme and technology workshop bookings, contact us: Tel: +27 12 420 3767 | Email: sci-enza@up.ac.za | www.up.ac.za/sci-enza-hands-on-science-wetenskap-in-aksie SciEnza UP

SciEnza Centre

scienzaup

Fighting coronavirus UP grad co-develops groundbreaking COVID-19 test kit University of Pretoria (UP) alumnus Daniel

enzymes and kits sourced from indigenous

Ndima and business partner Dineo Lioma have

African microbial hotspots.

developed a groundbreaking COVID-19 test kit that will provide results in just over an hour.

Ndima says he and Lioma are aware that

Daniel Ndima

Dineo Lioma

Africa relies heavily on imported test kits, such as those used to test for TB, HIV and other

to the South African demand for COVID-19 test

that was identified as the causative agent of

diseases. They understood that this would be

kits, and later provide Africa and the rest of the

COVID-19 disease infection,” explains Ndima,

the case for COVID-19 testing, and decided to

world with them.”

who graduated from UP with an MSc degree

create a local solution.

“SARS-CoV-2 is a single-strand RNA virus

in Biochemistry (Structural Biology) in 2016.

“With the production of our COVID-19 test

The Bloemfontein-born scientist has been the recipient of multiple awards and

“The kit is used for the in vitro detection of

kits, we hope to help provide more localised

scholarships for excellence in academia, social

SARS-CoV-2 RNA in specimens from patients

access to testing solutions for the continent’s

responsibility, leadership and entrepreneurial

who are suspected of having COVID-19. The

health care systems,” says Chief Operating

initiatives. He is a Mandela Rhodes Foundation

test kit can be used to detect SARS-CoV-2

Officer Dineo Lioma. “Our passion is to develop

scholar (Class of 2015), a Brightest Young

in specimens extracted from throat swabs,

technologies that radically solve health care

Minds alumnus and was nominated for the

nasal swabs, washes and aspirates, and from

challenges in Africa and to build a world-

Standard Bank Rising Star Award by the

bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (fluid extracted

leading biotechnology company.”

Council for Scientific and Industrial Research.

from the lungs).”

“Our current kits are developed in-house,”

Ndima is also a Fellow of the Allan Gray Orbis

adds Ndima. “CapeBio Technologies is

Foundation. He attributes some of his success

Technologies, a dynamic applied genomics

developing other disruptive innovations with

to his former lecturer and supervisor Professor

company that sources, develops and

its Research and Development partners. Given

Wolf-Dieter Schubert, who remains Ndima’s

manufactures molecular biology reagents,

the current circumstances, we hope to respond

scientific mentor to this day.

Ndima is the founding CEO of CapeBio

Wastewater-based epidemiological tool tracks COVID-19 in communities The CSIR, in collaboration with WaterLab

“The aim of the research is to establish

new, and has been successfully implemented

and the University of Pretoria, is testing

testing protocols for the SARS-COV-2 virus

for environmental polio virus screening,

wastewater, primary sludge and environmental

in environmental samples and develop

as well as early warning of Hepatitis A and

water samples for COVID-19. Wastewater-

an epidemiological approach of tracking

Norovirus outbreaks. SARS-CoV-2 screening in

based epidemiology can be used to monitor

COVID-19 in South Africa. Wastewater-based

raw sewage water using reverse transcription

infectious diseases, such as COVID-19 and

epidemiology is a tool used to track infections

polymerase chain reaction measures the

other enteric viruses in communities.

and illness in communities, instead of using

virus circulation in a defined population,

clinical testing. The SARS-COV-2 has been

for example, a city or a smaller municipality

that cause diseases provides a unique

reported in wastewater in Australia, China,

feeding from the same wastewater treatment

opportunity to assess the presence of the virus

France, Israel, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands

works.

in the community without needing to test

and the United States of America,” says CSIR

individuals. SARS-CoV-2 has been detected

senior researcher Bettina Genthe.

Surveillance of wastewater for pathogens

in sewage and found to survive for 14 days in sewage at 4°C and two days at 20°C.

The concept of screening municipal sewage as an epidemiological tool for viruses is not

Making use of predictive modelling, wastewater can be used to estimate the number of infected individuals in the catchment via Monte Carlo simulations. The model takes the uncertainty and variation in the input parameters into consideration to predict model estimated median ranges of infected persons

FACT SARS-CoV-2 can survive for 14 days in sewage at 4°C and two days at 20°C.

in a catchment and validate the results with clinical observations. The CSIR is using its capabilities in epidemiological data management and integration with existing national reporting platforms to develop a method for comparing the estimated number of infections in communities with reported values. – www.csir.co.za

University of Pretoria | TUKKIE 15

Online, own time UPOnline launches fully online accredited programmes Authors: Jimmy Masombuka and Kaya Nocanda

In an age where many 21st-century services have moved online – from banking to shopping to entertainment higher education should not be the exception. The University of Pretoria (UP) took the bold step to officially launch two fully online accredited programmes through the UPOnline project, an initiative aim at broadening access to a select number of high-demand programmes at the University. “UPOnline’s theme, ’Flexibility Matters’, accurately captures the requirements of the rapidly changing world we’re living in,” said VicePrincipal: Academic, Professor Norman Duncan Prof Duncan. “Students do not have to take leave from their work or travel to attend class. All they need is a computing device and a stable internet connection,” according to Prof Duncan. With six start dates per year, students have the flexibility to start their studies whenever they choose to do so. “Students register, pay for, and complete one module at a time, which means they can focus all their attention on the module they are busy

16 TUKKIE | University of Pretoria

with, without having to deal with competing academic assignments, tests and deadlines.” Applications for the Postgraduate Diploma in Public Health in the Faculty of Health Sciences opened on 19 March 2020, and the first module officially kicked off in May 2020. The purpose of the diploma is to help working professionals deepen their knowledge and skills to effectively contribute to strengthening health systems and programmes. The second programme, the Postgraduate Diploma in Public Management in the Faculty of Economic Management Sciences, opened for applications on 29 April 2020. The first module set commenced on 29 June. This online qualification is aimed at equipping public-sector line managers with the knowledge and skills required to fulfil their management role. The curriculum for the programme has been developed in partnership with the National School of Government. The UPOnline initiative should not be conflated with the emergency steps taken by the University around the COVID-19 pandemic in respect to its contact programmes.

Big help for small business Centre for Entrepreneurship launches free National Support Portal for SMMEs The Centre for Entrepreneurship at the University of Pretoria (UP) has launched a National SMME Support Portal (NSSP) to support and enhance small business continuity in South Africa during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.

The National SMME Support Portal can be accessed by any registered SMME in South Africa. To get acceass to the free services, visit: smmeportal.up.ac.za.

The portal offers free professional services and resources and more than 320 professionals are already offering their valuable and specialised services on a weekly basis. Results of the Wave 2 survey conducted by Stats SA on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on employment and income in South Africa highlighted the need for this kind of support. According to the survey, which was conducted between 29 April and 6 May, almost nine in ten (89,5%) of those who were employed before the lockdown remained employed during the lockdown, while 8,1% reported that they lost their jobs or had to close their businesses, and 1,4% became unemployed. Professor Alex Antonites, a member of the Centre for Entrepreneurship’s steering committee, said they felt it was important to contribute towards the efforts to rescue the country’s economy. “We believe small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs), a sector already in distress, will show very high failure rates in the short and medium term due to the impact of COVID-19,” Prof Antonites said. “Our economy can’t afford further failure, as a significant section of our GDP is driven by the SMME sector – not to mention its role in job creation. We saw it fitting for the Centre for Entrepreneurship to dedicate the knowledge and expertise we have to work towards assisting SMMEs to recover from the damage caused by the pandemic.” Services that SMMEs would benefit from include: a general chatroom to help ease the burden of social distancing; professional counselling services that will be provided by UP alumni and will cover a variety of areas, from psychological distress to HR issues; strategy consultants; digital marketing and communication specialists; technical assistance in establishing an online presence; a distress test to determine strategic and operational risk areas; and professional assistance in turnaround strategies and business model innovation during and after COVID-19. A resource room is also available, filled with links to

Professor Alex Antonites, a member of the Centre for Entrepreneurship’s steering committee.

relevant free business ebooks and literature, business templates, free software and applications useful to enhance business productivity. With SMMEs being especially in need of funding support to get through this crisis, Prof Antonites said the portal will also work to provide this. “The portal could serve as a preliminary selection tool for funders, providing comprehensive information and guidance on all the new financial resources formed to help entrepreneurs during these times.” Webinars and training covering an array of short and relevant topics will also be made available during the pandemic. The SMME portal is proudly hosted and developed by the Department of Library Services’ Digital Systems and Services Unit.

University of Pretoria | TUKKIE 17

Leaders of tomorrow make today matter Enactus UP, a student-run organisation, aims to transform the world through entrepreneurship. “The programme offers students who have been identified by their faculties as high academic performers the opportunity to further develop their leadership potential through additional lectures and practical tasks relating to emotional intelligence, corporate behaviour, project management and social empowerment to develop adaptable, public-spirited leaders of South Africa’s, and the world’s, future,” said Amir Rezaei, Business Advisory Board Chairperson: Enactus UP. Enactus UP (formerly known as SIFE UP) is the affiliate body of the Tuks Top Junior and Senior Leadership Development Programme (TTJ&S). To supplement the practical component of the TTJ&S programme, all members also register as active members of Enactus UP, which is one of 23 South African teams involved in this global non-profit organisation located in more than 1 730 tertiary education institutions in 36 countries worldwide. “The goal of Enactus is to create economic opportunities for communities in need by developing and implementing numerous social empowerment projects. Students who join Enactus are encouraged to help empower communities through the practical implementation of their academic, social, emotional, and general skills,” said Rezaei. This student-led programme hopes to mainly achieve two goals: developing UP’s students into well-rounded citizens, enabling them to succeed locally and globally; and creating an entrepreneurial environment where students can get “a taste” of what entrepreneurship is all about. Dr Rina Wilken, Head: Student Development in the Department of

18 TUKKIE | University of Pretoria

Enactus University of Pretoria (UP) is a non-profit, studentrun organisation that is part of an international organisation committed to using the power of entrepreneurial action to transform lives and shape a better and more sustainable world.

Student Affairs, said the programme started out as an initiative where students could be inspired to get out of their comfort zones, broaden their horizons and give back to society through their community projects as they work towards an academic qualification. Enactus UP has a dedicated Department of Student Affairs’ staff member overseeing and supporting the organisation. A Business Advisory Board (BAB), which was established in 2010 under the principles of team governance first issued by Enactus Worldwide in 1997, provides an ongoing source of support and guidance to successive executive committees. Of the 10 times Enactus UP has participated in the Enactus South Africa Nationals Competition, it has been ranked among the top four South African universities on eight occasions. The UP programme also won the South African competition twice and finished as a semifinalist at the 2010 and 2013 Enactus World Cups (ranking in the top 16 out of 1 700+ worldwide chapters). Left: Enactus UP Executive Committee for the term 2019/20. Below: F1 Mobile Carwash is a non-Enactus owned car wash company which is an environmentally friendly, cost-effective and time-saving alternative to the traditional car washing systems. Enactus UP has teamed up with the F1 Mobile Carwash in an agreement that allows Enactus UP to run Project F1 Mobile Carwash on our campus using “green machines” provided by the business.

Standing the test of time Since its establishment in 1920 when a mere 32 students were enrolled for the BEcon degree, the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences (EMS) has expanded its programme offerings to produce graduates who are ready for the future world of work and can meet the demands of the dynamic business environment. Today, there are close to 8 000 undergraduate and postgraduate students enrolled in various specialised BCom and BAdmin degree. Reaching the 100-year mark is a formidable achievement. Under the leadership of the Dean, Prof Elsabé Loots, EMS continued to distinguish itself as a major role player in undergraduate and postgraduate education and made significant contributions to the social and economic advancement of the country. “I would like to pay homage to my 13 predecessors who, each in their own way, built solid foundations that paved the way for this Faculty to be a leader in public administration and in the economic, financial and management sciences fields on a national and international level,” says Prof Loots.

“EMS has enjoyed numerous successes over the years but I would like to specifically recognise the outstanding alumni produced by this Faculty. Our alumni have made and are continuing to make a mark across the globe in their respective industries. Graduates are sought after in areas such as accounting, auditing, taxation, investment management, supply chain management, economics, industrial psychology, marketing, public administration and as innovative entrepreneurs,” says Prof Loots. She adds that because the quality of graduates is so important, EMS is constantly investing in its students to ensure they are wellrounded graduates with the ability to adapt to the future world of work. Some of the most prominent initiatives include leadership training opportunities through the student leadership structures;

introduction to the dynamics of responsible leadership in the classroom; training based on the Sustainable Development Goals; and hands-on exposure through the UP Business Incubator and the Mamelodi Business Clinic, where aspiring entrepreneurs are trained and supported. Testament to these efforts is the fact that EMS, for the past 14 years, occupied either the first or the second place in the South African Institute for Chartered Accountants (SAICA) Initial Test of Competence (ITC) exams. EMS is also recognised as one of just ten Centres for Internal Audit Excellence globally by the Institute of Internal Auditors. The Faculty is also extremely proud of the fact that, where applicable and available, a number of its degree are accredited by statutory and professional bodies at national and international levels. In 2017, EMS became a member of the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) International and in 2018, received eligibility status from the AACSB, an important milestone on the international accreditation path. EMS has also increased its global competitiveness and recognition by being included in international rankings. “In this regard I need to recognise the continuous dedication, innovation and commitment of EMS staff over the years,” says Prof Loots. International Rankings QS World University Rankings by Subject 2020 Accounting and Finance Economics and Econometrics Times Higher Education World University Rankings by Subject 2020 Business and Economics (includes business and management, accounting and finance, economics and econometrics, and public administration) Shanghai Ranking’s Global Ranking of Academic Subjects (ARWU) 2020 Economics Finance

151–200 251–300

301–400

151–200 151–200

The centenary year was not only a time of remembrance and reflection, but also about inspiring the current and future generations to continue to lift the standard of academic excellence to higher levels, and to produce well-rounded, high quality graduates.

During its centenary year, EMS profiled some of its esteemed alumni on a weekly basis. These profiles are available on www.up.ac.za/ems-alumni We also hosted a number of webinars that can be viewed on www.up.ac.za/ems-webinars

EMS is 100 and ready for the next 100 Author: Nonkululeko Kubeka Moyo

As the University of Pretoria’s Orientation Week signalled the start of academic activity on the various UP campuses, the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences (EMS) received a special cohort of first-year students. The 2020 intake joins UP in the year that the Faculty of EMS celebrates its 100-year anniversary. The students had a festive welcome when they attended the Dean’s session at the Amphitheatre on the Hatfield Campus. Dean Professor Elsabé Loots, along with the senior management of the Faculty as Prof Elsabe Loots (centre), Dean of the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences, with some students from the 2020 intake who were each given a centenary cap.

well as the executive committee of the student faculty house Commercii, handed centenary caps to each student as a memento of the event. Prof Loots explained: “2020 is a very special year for the Faculty and we are excited about all the planned activities to commemorate this accomplishment”. The Faculty’s student body has grown from just 32 enrolled students in 1920 to 7 800 students in 2019. “Growth, though, has not only been in quantity only but also in the quality of our degrees,” said Professor Loots. EMS has a large cohort of alumni who are esteemed in the business world, such as Laurie Dippenaar (retired Chairman of FirstRand Financial Group), Louis van der Watt (Group CEO and co-founder of Atterbury), Dr Hilton Fisher (Ambassador to the Republic of Chile) as well as three former Reserve Bank governors and two deputy governors. The faculty ranks highly globally and is recognised in all its fields of specialisation. In 2020 UP took the number one spot in the Chartered Accountancy initial test of competence (ITC), out of the 16 universities accredited by the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants. The University maintained its leadership position by being first for the past three years in the ITC results, with an average first-time writer pass rate of 94% over the past 14 years. Over the years, the Faculty has, with success, focused on further improving the qualifications of staff; refocusing and deepening its research impact; and implementing various hybrid teaching and learning models to entice a new generation of students. On a global front, the Faculty has expanded its footprint and now has international subject rankings in all its fields of specialisation. “While the centenary year will provide an opportunity to reflect on all the achievements in the Faculty to date, it will also be an exciting period as we collectively envision how the Faculty will continue to grow over the next 100 years. Our mission is to continue to advance relevant knowledge and develop employable, innovative and diverse graduates to co-create value for society,” Prof Loots concluded.

SEE HOW WE’VE GROWN Prof Elsabe Loots (centre), Dean of the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences, with some students from the 2020 intake who were each given a centenary cap.

20 TUKKIE | University of Pretoria

7 800

students in 1920

students in 2020

Learning from animals 100 years on Author: Primarashni Gower

UP’s Faculty of Veterinary Science, South Africa’s only veterinary science faculty, and the only faculty of its kind on the continent, has added another achievement: turning 100 years. The Faculty was established by Professor Sir Arnold Theiler, a Swiss veterinarian, in 1920. His argument for local training was that foreign graduates did not understand the diseases of the country well enough to assist the local agricultural industry. According to the Dean of the Faculty, Professor Vinny Naidoo (right), UP’s Veterinary Science faculty can make a powerful contribution to the South African economy. “I believe it can, with organised agriculture, become a driving force behind the South African economy in terms of animal production. Furthermore, better food production will not only result in a healthier nation but can help build foreign reserves from trade with international partners. Our training also empowers our students to work in any environment they choose. As a result of our large caseloads we offer some of the best clinical training in the world.” The Faculty has always had the strategy of training veterinarians suited to practice under local conditions. Farming in early South Africa was near impossible due the high load of disease like sleeping sickness (nagana), horse sickness, theileriosis, babesiosis and numerous poisonous plants. Prof Theiler was a researcher to his core and wanted to solve problems, with the result that he and his team not only described new diseases but found innovative treatments for them. In addition to having a veterinarian who understood local disease, he wanted the locally trained veterinarian to have a solid basis in veterinary research. Having started out with no facilities of its own, the Faculty now has one of the most comprehensive veterinary hospitals on the continent that can manage any species under hospitalised condition from a pet hamster to a rhino.

Plans beyond 2020 We would like to: • develop the academic hospital into a tertiary care facility that is focused on cutting-edge veterinary medicines • become innovators in the inclusion of new technologies into the practice of veterinary medicine • be leaders in infectious disease management • continue the tradition of innovative research that Arnold Theiler started when the Faculty came into being in 1920 • be ranked in the top 30 veterinary schools in the world.

Top 50 in the world According to the QS World University and Shanghai Rankings of veterinary schools. (Academic Ranking of World Universities)

1 500

101

Undergraduate and postgraduate students

Academic staff members

Over time the Faculty also introduced specialist training in 22 fields of veterinary medicine, the Master of Science and the PhD research degree and a nursing diploma. Most recently the Faculty transitioned into a new nursing degree and a postgraduate diploma. “We have trained over 90% of the veterinarians in the country,” says Prof Naidoo. “This has had a major impact on the wellbeing of animals in the country from the way we manage pets to how we support the farming industry. Through efforts of the early staff, the Faculty was also able to introduce specialist veterinary services in the country such as internal medicine, surgery, epidemiology and public health. As a result, there are now numerous specialist veterinary centres in the country. The Faculty has also been a pioneer in the chemical immobilisation of wildlife that now supports an extensive wildlife industry of the country.”

University of Pretoria | TUKKIE 21

Women: Agents of Author: Prim Gower

Inspirational stories of resilience and community support during the national lockdown as a result of COVID-19 were highlighted during a virtual webinar. ’Women as Agents of Ubuntu Philosophy During the COVID-19 Pandemic’ was hosted by the University of Pretoria’s (UP) Faculty of Health Sciences and the National Research Foundation. Lockdown has brought with it food insecurity, poverty, homelessness, gender-based violence as well as other forms of abuse against women and children. “The philosophy of ubuntu means a person is a person through others,” said the moderator of the webinar, Professor Fhumulani Mavis Mulaudzi, a professor of Nursing at UP and holder of the South African Research Chair Initiative in Ubuntu Community Model of Nursing. “During the COVID-19 pandemic, we have seen how ubuntu was implemented in societies and how women were involved.” Tina Power, an attorney of the High Court of South Africa and member of

During the webinar women shared stories about how ubuntu was implemented in societies during the COVID-19 pandemic and how women were involved.

22 TUKKIE | University of Pretoria

Legal Practice South Africa, pointed out that freedom of expression is at the heart of a democracy – that refers to both online and offline activities. The move to more regular online usage during lockdown revealed the digital divide between men and women. “Access to the internet became a lifeline not a luxury,” she said. This became a significant challenge in accessing healthcare information and educational material. “Women found novel ways to bridge this divide,” added Power, pointing to the ’Tupperware text’. This entailed those who were experiencing abuse appealing for help by sending a text to a family or community member saying that she would like to return her Tupperware. “This demonstrated the creative way in which women support one another in a crisis,” said Power.

Ubuntu If we really embrace the philosophy of ubuntu, the moral decay will improve. Professor Fhumulani Mavis Mulaudzi “Ubuntu is a cultural, political and religious concept,” added Professor Olga Makhubela-Nkondo of Unisa. She highlighted the power of women’s co-operatives, where those in the most deprived communities are able to gather resources to empower one another in terms of literacy, childbearing and strengthening infrastructure. Mpho Selina Maringa, who, along with her family, was infected with COVID-19, spoke of the experience during the webinar. “Breaking the news to our extended family was challenging,” said Maringa, who works at the Department of Employment and Labour in Limpopo. “We had to do video calls so people could see that we were fine.” People displayed their humanity to her family, she said. The local pastor would pray over the phone and one woman brought them food. “There was a dedicated professional nurse who would do her rounds three times a day, while our family doctor was also helpful.” The pandemic brought fear and anxiety into their lives: Maringa could see the pain on her husband’s face and would dream of coffins in her sleep. “Everything happens for a reason. Deep down, I knew the virus had attacked my family for a purpose. It made me the brave woman that I am today.” While there is no vaccine just yet, “the vaccine we have seen is the love and care that our community and family shared with us”, said Maringa. “You cannot fight the pandemic alone. Love, care, support and prayer give people the courage and faith to fight the pandemic.”

“It takes a village to raise a child,” said Dr Moselene du Plessis, a specialist in nursing leadership and management, and a lecturer at UP. Retired nurses and community activists came together in Eersterust in Pretoria, where a “war room” was set up to strategise on how to help the community. A multisectoral level approach was needed. Children were hungry as feeding schemes were not operating due to job losses. “You cannot go to bed knowing that people are struggling,” she said. With the help of non-governmental organisations, they managed to feed the children. In addition, Dr Du Plessis appealed to the public to donate baby scales to weigh the babies who were being fed. Professor Roinah Nkhensani Ngunyulu of UP also revealed how pregnant women were affected by transport issues during lockdown, making access to clinics a challenge. Midwives were guardian angels as they comforted pregnant women who were in labour as their partners were not allowed to be with them, she said. It was challenging for these women to wear masks while in labour and social distancing was difficult to observe. Prof Mulaudzi concluded that ubuntu is part of the global village. “If we really embrace this philosophy, the moral decay will improve,” she said. “People will no longer be self-centred.” If people win government tenders, it must be the community’s tender, she added. “Improve the community – individualism is ’unAfrican’.”

Access to the internet during lockdown revealed the digital divide between men and women – it became a lifeline not a luxury. Tina Power

University of Pretoria | TUKKIE 23

CENTRE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS

AT A GLANCE IN 2020 www.chr.up.ac.za

The Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria, is an internationally recognised hybrid institution; both an academic department in the Faculty of Law and a NGO/ CSO that combines academic excellence, effective activism, education, training, research and capacity-building to advance human rights in Africa.

5 MASTER’S

PROGRAMMES

• Human Rights & Democratisation

• Trade & Investment Law • Multidisciplinary Human Rights

DOCTORAL GRADUATES

• Disability Rights • Sexual & Reproductive Rights ...in an African context

from 2007 to 2019 in the Centre

ADVOCACY UNITS

Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Expression, and Sex Characteristics Unit Disability Rights Unit Children’s Rights Unit Women’s Rights Unit Business & Human Rights Unit

3 JOURNALS

...edited & published by the Centre

African Human Rights Law Journal

RESEARCH &

African Human Rights Yearbook

African Disability Rights Yearbook

Democracy & Civic Engagement Unit Expression, Information & Digital Rights Unit Freedom from Violence Unit Litigation & Implementation Unit

ADVANCED

HUMAN RIGHTS COURSES

Sexual Minority Rights in Africa

Police Oversight & Vulnerable Groups

Disability Rights in an African Context

Right to Development in Africa

Children’s Rights in Africa

Civil Society Law in Africa

Women’s Rights in Africa

African Human Rights System in Comparative Perspectives

Judicial Enforcement of Socio-Economic Rights

Indigenous Peoples’ Rights

Did SA get the balance right? As part of Mandela Month, during which we

Witwatersrand) highlighted that the COVID-19

remember the birth date of Nelson Rolihlahla

pandemic exposed a gap between government’s

Mandela on 18 July 1918, the Centre for Human

intentions and society’s willingness to work

Rights, Faculty of Law, in collaboration

with government for the better protection of all.

with Leading Like Mandela Institute and the

She indicated that much work was needed for

Thembekile Mandela Foundation, hosted the

government to convince the people to join its

first in a series of online Mandela Talks.

journey of decisions and to make sure that the

The first Mandela Talk contemplated the

population is on board. She criticised attempts

best way in which to approach the constitutional

to extend the ban on the sale of alcohol to take

implications of the COVID-19 regulatory

repressive measures against anyone drinking

framework. The Talk was chaired by Ms Abigail

alcohol. She also linked the violence of the

Noko (Head, Regional Office Southern Africa,

security forces that led to the death of Collins

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights)

Khosa to their overzealous attempts to punish

while Prof Frans Viljoen (Director, Centre for

the use of alcohol.

Ms Abigail Noko

Prof Frans Viljoen

Dr Liaqat Azam

Justice Johann van der Westhuizen

Ms Okyerebea Ampofo-Anti

Adv Mohamed Shafie Ameermia

Human Rights) and Dr Liaqat Azam (Director, Leading Like Mandela Institute) provided

(Commissioner, South African Human

welcoming and introductory remarks.

Rights Commission) noted that although the inequalities and other societal problems in

In his presentation, Justice Johann van der Westhuizen (Former Judge, Constitutional

South Africa are exposed by the pandemic, all is

Court of South Africa) explained that all rights

not lost. He urged South Africans to collectively

may be limited, but only if the limitation

lead like Mandela by becoming active

(such as a COVID-19 regulation) is in line with

citizens, joining hands and working towards

section 36 of the Constitution. He explained

a collaborative partnership. Commissioner

that the “rationality” test should not be viewed

Ameermia concluded by quoting Nelson

in isolation, but as the part of the section 36-

Mandela: “A new world will be won not by those

test. The “rationality” test inquires whether

who stand at a distance with their arms folded,

there is a credible connection between the

but by those who are in the arena, whose

specific means (such as banning the sale

garments are torn by storms and whose bodies

of alcohol) and the desired ends (such as

are maimed in the course of the contest.” Justice Zak Yacoob urged the government

preventing more infections or saving lives). The pandemic highlighted that this was a case of

to better focus its efforts on the rights of the

the “chickens that have come home to roost”:

most marginalised, in particular very poor

After years of neglect, it is difficult to manage

people. In his view, government’s primary

societal problems with laws in a society where

objective should be to educate its citizens to

The government failed to get the balance right

the law itself has routinely been disregarded.

become more responsible during the pandemic

and is relying too much on regulation and not

Justice van der Westhuizen also called on South

(wearing masks, maintaining social distancing

enough on education.” He also highlighted the

Africans to realise that asserting their rights

and looking out for each other). While the state

importance of curbing corruption, as a way to

has to take into account the need to respect the

must do all it can to curb the spread of the

restore trust in the government. A necessary

rights of others.

coronavirus and save lives, it has overregulated,

starting point, in his view, is that government

with the policing of citizens taking precedence

must admit to having been engaged in

Ampofo-Anti Consulting and Sessional

over the education of the people, leading to

inexcusably plundering the resources for which

Lecturer, Media Law and Ethics, University of

infringements of their rights.

there now is such a dire need.

Ms Okyerebea Ampofo-Anti (Partner,

“You can’t use a hammer to tighten a screw.

Views of the 59 participants Has the SA government struck the balance right between competing interests? In its general response to COVID-19? 5

In banning the sale of tobacco products? 5

In banning the sale of alcohol? 4

In reopening schools? 4

n YES, DEFINITELY n NOT QUITE n NO, DEFINITELY NOT n I AM NOT SURE University of Pretoria | TUKKIE 25

New leaders at GIBS and Law Dr Morris Mthombeni appointed as Interim Dean of GIBS Author: Luleka Mtongana

In addition to his leadership work, Mthombeni is a passionate academic and

Executive Director of Faculty, and Senior

has received accolades from students and

Lecturer, Dr Morris Mthombeni was

academics. On academic programmes

appointed as Interim Dean of the Gordon

his primary focus has been the PhD and

Institute of Business Science (GIBS) on 1 July

DBA programmes as well as the master’s

2020. Mthombeni will fulfil this role until a

programmes where he lectures in the areas

permanent dean is appointed following an

of corporate strategy, corporate governance,

extensive and exhaustive process. Professor

environment of business, and innovation.

Nicola Kleyn, the outgoing dean, stepped

He also lecturers on GIBS’ flagship Global

down at the end of June for a post at the

Executive Development Programme, Board

Rotterdam School of Management (RSM), in

Leadership Programme, and the Harvard

the Netherlands.

Senior Executive Leadership Programme for

Mthombeni has a PhD in Corporate Governance from the University of Pretoria,

senior managers and executives. “I am humbled and honoured to serve GIBS

an MBA in Finance from Manchester Business

in this role, as the school continues to navigate

School and an LLB, B. Proc, B. Juris from the

business school for Executive Education by the

its way through the effects of the COVID-19

University of South Africa. He has a wealth

London Financial Times for the 17th consecutive

pandemic. I look forward to working with the

of corporate experience with a cumulative

year. The School’s flagship MBA is also one of

GIBS executive team to maintain the high

28 years in the financial services industry.

the most sought after MBAs in the country.

standards established by the former dean, Prof

Prior to joining GIBS in 2014, Mthombeni held

Nick Binedell, and enhanced by Prof Nicola

several leadership positions at Liberty Life and

Tawana Kupe said, “I would like to thank Dr

Kleyn. Having worked under the leadership of

Momentum, culminating in a four-year tenure

Mthombeni for his willingness to serve as the

Professor Kleyn for the last six years, I have

as CEO at Momentum Investments and as an

Interim Dean of GIBS while the University

great admiration for what she has achieved

executive director of MMI Holdings Limited.

is busy with the recruitment and selection

during her tenure as dean. She has been a

Mthombeni has also held roles in several public

processes for the Dean’s position. I would also

remarkable leader and I wish her the best in

and private boards and is a non-executive

like to thank the outgoing Dean, Professor

her time at RSM,” said Mthombeni.

Kleyn, for her dedicated and noteworthy

director at Investec Bank Limited.

GIBS was recently ranked as the top African

Vice-Chancellor of UP, Professor

service to the University.”

Faculty of Law welcomes Prof Charles Maimela as Deputy Dean in historic appointment Author: Elzet Hurter

Prof Maimela has extensive experience serving on a range of committees, in particular

Professor Charles Maimela has been appointed

the teaching and learning committees of three

as the Deputy Dean: Teaching and Learning

different universities – UNISA, the University

of the Faculty of Law at UP for the period 1

of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) and UP – as well

August 2020 to 30 April 2024. This makes Prof

as the Faculty Research Committee and the

Maimela both the youngest, at 32 years old,

Transformation Committee at UP.

and first black Deputy Dean of the Faculty since its establishment more than a century ago.

Prof Maimela joined the Department of Private Law in 2016. Prior to joining UP, he

One of Prof Maimela’s passions is Medical

held teaching positions at UNISA and UKZN. He

Law, having written his doctoral dissertation

currently coordinates the BA (Law) programme

on ’Legal issues relating to the treatment of

in the Faculty of Law. He is also the Editor-in-

its appreciation to Professor Monray Botha,

persons living with cancer’. His other main

Chief of law journal De Jure.

who has served as acting deputy dean since

research interest is in the field of Customary

The Faculty of Law welcomes Professor

late last year. Prof Botha was instrumental in

Law, and he has published numerous articles

Maimela, and looks forward to working with

ensuring that the Faculty of Law embarked

and book chapters, as well as a monograph,

him to remain the best faculty of law in Africa.

successfully on emergency remote teaching

Religion and Law in South Africa.

26 TUKKIE | University of Pretoria

The Faculty of Law also wishes to express

and learning.

Every rand matters, no amount is insignificant Author: Xolani Mathibela

UP’s Fundraising Office hosted a donor appreciation webinar in honour of all givers, big and small, and shared the University’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic and its strategy for the way forward. “A university community is made up not only of its staff, students and alumni but, fundamentally, its donors as well,” said Professor Tawana Kupe, Vice-Chancellor and Principal at UP, who was the moderator of the panel. “Some donors provide material resources, while others build institutes and contribute to infrastructure. Without donors, a university is nothing,” said Prof Kupe, adding that with the act of donating, “donors also express confidence in an institution”. The webinar’s panellists consisted of the University of Cape Town’s Chancellor, Dr Precious Moloi-Motsepe; Professor Wanda Markotter, Director of UP’s Centre for Viral Zoonoses; and Professor Tiaan de Jager, Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences at UP.

Prof Markotter pointed out that researchers need platforms that are adaptable, even beyond COVID-19. “We need to develop more platforms for new diseases and forge more collaboration as far as research is concerned. We have limited resources and greatly appreciate our donors, for without them we cannot do research.” According to Prof De Jager the University has been finding ways to contribute to the fight against COVID-19 since the early stages of the pandemic. “When COVID-19 started, UP was already prepared. We were the first institution to do 3D-printed face masks and have supplied them to various needy places,” he said. “Without partners and donors, the battle against COVID-19 will be difficult to win,” he said.

Dr Moloi-Motsepe said the goal of the Motsepe Foundation, which was founded in 1999, is to increase young people’s access to university education. Currently, the foundation has committed to about 300 bursaries to all 27 universities in South Africa. “I am proud to say some of those students are at UP.

Two virtual agreements were also signed to help fight the fallout of the pandemic. One was with the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research to increase work to translate knowledge into actual societal impact. Another partnership, with the University of Leeds, will work on research around food security and food systems across the continent as the pandemic worsens hunger in impoverished communities.

“As funders we may be limited in terms of our thinking on how to help communities, so we do a lot of consulting and roadshows annually and ask community members how we can assist them. We also align ourselves with the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Of the 17 SDGs, we support 12,” she said.

UP relies on three sources of income

Asked if donations to UP would be diverted to operational costs due to the financial strain faced by universities at the moment, Prof Kupe responded: “We will repurpose our operational budget to deal with our operational costs, and maintain a sharp focus on spending. Donor funding will be kept for what it is intended, because beyond COVID-19 we still want to retain everyone’s trust.”

Government grant subsidies

Student fees/ tuition

Philanthropists/ donors

University of Pretoria | TUKKIE 27

UP alumni take pride of place on the A dream realised Katie Kironde, who passed her BCom Econometrics and honours degrees at UP with

which turned out to be her

Her advice to current

favourite module, together

students is to be intentional

with the International

from the get-go about

Finance elective.

your academics and your friendships or networks.

Outside of the classroom

distinction in 2014 and 2015, has completed

at the LSE, she particularly

her MSc in Economics at the London School of

enjoyed the guest lecture

people from different

Economics (LSE), graduating with merit.

series that occurred

faculties and through them

throughout the academic

learn about other fields.

was a dream come true, she says, given the fact

year, which featured

This will help you be a more

that 18 Nobel Prizes in economics, peace and

prominent economists,

well-rounded individual.

literature have been awarded to LSE alumni

policy-makers and

Secondly, try to socialise not

and staff.

politicians. “Esther Duflo,

Undertaking her master’s degree at the LSE

Katie notes that UP’s Faculty of Economic

“Firstly, network with

only with your year group,

the second woman to be awarded the Nobel

but those in years above and below yours too

and Management Sciences laid the solid

Prize in Economics to date, gave a talk at

– this helps you build a professional network

foundation on which she could build at the LSE.

the university a week after she received the

in a very informal setting. Finally, figure out

prestigious award!”

how to strike the balance between having fun,

“At undergraduate level I took advanced modules in both Mathematical Statistics

Going to the LSE had always seemed like a

making lifelong friends and doing your best

and Economics, which prepared me well for

far-fetched dream, but hard work, a support

the level of rigour that I encountered during

system, great references from a globally

my master’s degree. I particularly liked the

recognised institute like UP and a lot of luck

universities on the continent and brings

fact that the degree at UP was broad enough

helped her realise the dream.

together a diverse and brilliant set of minds.

initially to allow me to be exposed to multiple

Given her interest in Macroeconomics and

academically.” Kironde believes UP is one of the leading

“Soak in the beauty of the Hatfield Campus and

disciplines before it became more focused at

Finance, she hopes to explore a career path

use those crucial years to explore the legacy

the honours level.”

that enables her to further her understanding

you would like to build both professionally and

of those disciplines whilst leveraging off her

in your personal life.”

Armed with the technical tools she had acquired in her four years at UP, she decided

previous experience in retail banking and asset

to select the Macroeconomics course at LSE,

management.

Prestigious scholarship granted

Author: Petronel Fourie

interdisciplinary and data-driven approaches to the policy formulation process in the African context.

Pieter Scribante, a top alumnus of the Faculty

2020, his 27th birthday.

“My studies at the LSE will empower me

Since his first year at university, he always

as a future policymaker in Africa, allowing me

Department of Economics, has received the

wanted to study overseas, to gain the knowledge

to better understand the interactions between

prestigious Chevening Scholarship to pursue

and experience which comes with studying

governance, globalisation, and development in

an MSc degree in Political Science and Political

outside one’s own country. However, due to

emerging economies,” he adds.

Economy at the London School of Economics and

financial constraints, this was impossible

Political Science (LSE).

without a bursary.

of Economic and Management Sciences’

The Chevening Scholarship develops the

“Nevertheless, I used my time at the

The Chevening Scholarship application entailed an online application, four essays, an English language test, and an interview

future leaders of the world, by connecting

University of Pretoria very well; I completed four

application. He also had to apply to three UK

them and enabling them to study a one-year

degrees in eight years and finished my master’s

universities, and be accepted by at least one.

master’s degree in the UK. The Scholarship

degree in Economics (cum laude) in 2018. I

Scribante was accepted by all three universities:

values intellectual, professional, and personal

was encouraged to apply for the Chevening

London School of Economics (LSE), King’s

development, and specifically targets working

Scholarship by some of my past classmates

College, and the University of Essex.

professionals.

and friends, who were all part of the Chevening

These qualities and values are why Pieter applied to the Chevening Scholarship and he was officially informed of his acceptance on 16 June

28 TUKKIE | University of Pretoria

alumni.” After completing his degree, Pieter intends to return to South Africa, with the plan to bring

Scribante completed degrees in both economics and politics at the University of Pretoria, starting with the BCom Economics in 2012. Thereafter, he completed two honours

global stage No 3 in the world

and management of the

gave us the opportunity

company. This helps prepare

to participate in India

for the exam.

against participants from

Hanre Erasmus, an alumnus of UP’s Faculty of

“On exam day, you have

Economic and Management Sciences, achieved

to prepare for a three-hour

assisted us through the

third place in the world in the February 2020

computer-based exam which

journey and if it wasn’t for

sitting of Chartered Institute of Management

includes, on average, six

her, and the University of

Accountants’ (CIMA’s) Strategic Case Study

long questions. Additional

Pretoria, I probably wouldn’t

exam. The pass rate for this specific exam was

unseen information is

have pursued the CIMA

52%.

provided on exam day,

journey. On an academic

which forms the base of

level, the skill to approach

accomplishment after hearing about my

the questions. The real-life

problems holistically and

placing. I didn’t expect this at all, but it is a

simulation continues with

welcome addition to my academic journey,”

questions in the form of e-mails from board

the university and Ms Viljoen provided the best

he says.

members and other members of management,

base any CIMA student can ask for,” he notes.

“I can’t describe the sense of

The CIMA Strategic Case Study exam takes place four times a year and is the last exam to

memo’s or meeting discussions to be held.” The aim is to test business skills, technical

other countries. Ms Viljoen

technical skills taught by

He attempted the Operational level in 2015. “During the five years, I had to stop with my

be written before a CIMA student can apply

skills, people skills and leadership skills. To

studies due to professional responsibilities, and

for full membership to the professional body.

pass, CIMA requires proficiency in all four of

had to restart again. In 2019 I started with the

Participants have to pass the Operational and

these areas.

Strategic level of the qualification and completed

Managerial levels of the qualification, and

Erasmus’s CIMA journey started with

three subjects on the Strategic level, before

the CIMA Global Business Challenge, which

started to prepare in September 2019 for the SCS

being able to sit the Strategic Case Study.

was used as his group’s final year Financial

exam in February 2020.”

CIMA tries to simulate a real-life scenario by providing a case study of a company

Management project. “My lecturer at the time, Ms Viljoen,

three individual subjects’ examinations. I then

Hanre’s passion lies with strategic insight and an integrated and holistic approach to

within a specific industry. In the case study,

introduced us to CIMA with this project.

business and his future plans include assisting

CIMA provides industry information,

Our group went on to win the South African

his company with international expansion. He

financial information, company structure

leg of the Global Business Challenge, which

is also considering an MBA qualification.

degrees, one in International Relations and

active member of House Mopanie, serving

one in Economics (cum laude), followed by a

as the Chairperson of the Student Culture

master’s in Economics (cum laude). During this

Committee (STUKU), and serving on the Student

time, he worked as a tutor in the Department

Representative Council (SRC).

of Politics for one year, and two years as

“My education at the University of Pretoria

an Assistant Lecturer in the Department of

plays a vital role in my current success and my

Economics.

future career as an economist and policymaker.

He believes that a well-rounded education

The Department of Economics gave me a holistic

includes learning inside and outside the

education and has world-class lecturers, who

classroom, and UP gave him the perfect platform

constantly challenge you, and expand your

for this holistic educational experience. While

knowledge, and provide you with all the tools

studying, he was very active on campus,

you need to succeed.”

partaking in several societies, being an

UP’s Department of Economics is recognised for its excellence by several international rankings, such as the QS World University Rankings, Times Higher Education World University Rankings, and ShanghaiRanking’s Global Ranking of Academic Subjects.

University of Pretoria | TUKKIE 29

UP adds 18 to Top 200 list Author: Xolani Mathibela

The University of Pretoria (UP) recently held a luncheon at its Future Africa institute and campus in honour of the 18 alumni, students and associates who were included on the Mail & Guardian’s 200 Young South Africans list. The University usually hosts an annual dinner to celebrate this achievement, inviting winners and their partners. This year, however, proceedings were kept to a minimum in an effort to adhere to COVID-19 protocols.

We did more than change the rules – we have changed the game. David Kabwa

“Your greatness is matched by the fact that the University continually makes major strides,” said Vice-Chancellor and Principal Professor Tawana Kupe (inset left), who hosted the event. “At UP, we aim to be the number one university in Africa and compete with other universities globally. UP does not compromise when it comes to quality because a university should not just give out degrees and act as an ATM for qualifications. It should be more than that – it should use knowledge and human capital to change the situation on the ground, creating knowledge and research.”

President of the Student Representative Council David Kabwa, who made the list in the Politics and Government category, delivered a welcoming speech at the luncheon. “We gather to celebrate and to acknowledge that the path to this title has not been easy,” he said. “For many, the odds have not been in our favour and it seems that rules were not in our favour either. We did more than change the rules – we have changed the game, and we have done it so well. We move in different spheres and make a unique contribution. This room is like a solar system and we are the stars. UP is like the galaxy in which we find ourselves, and South Africa is like the universe where we find ourselves. We are stars that shine so brightly, the whole universe stands up and takes notice.”

The Mail & Guardian’s 200 Young South Africans’ programme has been running for the past 15 years and has regularly featured UP alumni, staff and students – 83 individuals have been identified over the years.

Senior manager of Alumni Relations Samantha Castle (inset right), who facilitated the ceremony, said that these honourees will be coming back to campus to act as mentors to both alumni and current students as well as be guest speakers at a few UP-hosted events.

30 TUKKIE | University of Pretoria

Young lion, pride of UP UP alumnus makes it onto Forbes Africa list Author: Xolani Mathibela

UP alumnus Thobo Khathola, the founder and CEO of Lion Tutoring, has made it on to the Forbes Africa 30 Under 30 list, as well as the cover of the April issue of Forbes Africa magazine. “I got the news while I was in South Africa doing business,” said the 28-year-old BCom Economics and Management graduate, 2015. “I was very excited as I am the first person in my country, of my age, to make it on a Forbes Africa cover. This opportunity has already opened doors for my company locally, and on the African continent. I am glad to have made Botswana, my family, and Tuks proud,” said Khathola. Lion Tutoring’s headquarters are based in Botswana with a branch in South Africa. The organisation employs tutors with teaching qualifications and experience to support students from Grade 1 to tertiary level. They visit students at their homes and also use online tutoring because of the COVID-19 lockdown. Their app on the Google Play store works like Uber, but for tutors. Students input their subjects and location, and the app shows the top-10-rated tutors in a particular area, their qualifications, experience and rating. The app allows students to book a tutor and make a payment. A tutor will then be sent to their home or institution, or conduct the lesson via Skype. The company’s mission is “to match the right tutor to every student, everywhere,” with a vision “to help students improve their academics, through engaging, relevant and fun tutorials”. “Lion Tutoring was created on 5 February 2015,” said Khathola. “I had been troubled by the declining pass rate in my country and in Africa. I discovered that students needed an extra hand, over and above what they get from school. I personally needed a tutor to cope at senior high school when I was academically accelerated and skipped a grade. I had to cover a year’s work in three months before the examination.”

Lion Tutoring roars 2017, 2018 Best Youth-Owned Business (Botswana Youth Awards) 2019 Best Youth Business (Palapye Business Expo) 2020 Forbes Africa 30 Under 30 list He hopes to recruit tutors to the platform in major markets such as Gauteng, Nigeria and Kenya, and to get it used throughout the continent. His ultimate aim is for the app to be used globally, as an Uber for tutors. Khathola says he learned that business systems are instrumental in expanding and scaling any business. “I am able to run Botswana operations in South Africa and vice versa due to systems being in place. We have strong customer relationship and human resources management tools that allow us to be operational, even during the COVID-19 pandemic.” He attributes his success to the way in which UP prepared him to be an entrepreneur. “We had modules like Business Management – which were mandatory – and Entrepreneurship 101 and 102. I also registered at Enactus UP, which gave us the platform to practise our entrepreneurial skills in communities such as Mohlakeng, Mamelodi and Soshanguve.”

University of Pretoria | TUKKIE 31

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Alumni LeadUP conversations Two serving Justice Minister alums ’return to campus’ Author: Xolani Mathibela

The rule of law must be the anchor of any constitutional democracy. This was according to Minister of Justice and Correctional Services Ronald Lamola, one of the speakers at the inaugural LeadUP: In Conversation with the VC, a new series of online panel discussions where alumni deliberate on topical issues of public interest. This virtual event also featured Namibian Minister of Justice Yvonne Dausab as well as Dean of the Faculty of Law at UP, Professor Elsabe Schoeman.

Minister of Justice and Correctional Services Ronald Lamola

Namibian Minister of Justice Yvonne Dausab

Minister Lamola, who graduated from UP with two master’s degrees, remarked that the teaching and learning standard had him “coming back for more”. “There was nice diversity and camaraderie within the class and that made it possible for us to achieve the outcomes at the time.” Minister Dausab also offered her thoughts on what makes a university stand out. “The profile of your teaching staff is important,” she said. “The publishing profile of the faculty must also reflect the issues that society is dealing with.” When the discussion turned to politics, Minister Lamola believes there is space for youth to participate in meaningful discussions and debates. “The requirements to enter the political space would not be that one has returned from exile or was jailed on Robben Island; abilities and skills are what will guide us. We need to think about deliberate steps to help a new generation come forth and reshape the SADC region.” Should ministers resign if Cabinet took a decision that they disagreed with? “Students always want to know the correct answer to this,” Prof Schoeman said. “I always say there is no single correct answer. You have to argue in a balanced way; you have to argue both sides and come to a decision. That’s why cases go for appeals and to different courts; it is a complicated process.” For Minister Dausab the principle of a collective decision suggests that if you have lost the debate, how do you convince the rest to follow you? And if you do not succeed on that front, there are only two things left: either you stand with the decision, or if it goes against your principles and you cannot defend it publicly, then the correct thing would be to resign. Minister Lamola added that Cabinet does not take decisions that are unconstitutional, and that there are delays in decision-making because it wants to ensure that those decisions have a sound legal basis. Some decisions can be lawful, but because not all Cabinet members will agree with them, one has to stand by the collective decision.

The rule of law must be the anchor of any constitutional democracy. Minister of Justice and Correctional Services Ronald Lamola Pertaining to the issue of “justice delayed is justice denied”, Minister Dausab said the idea relates to the following question: “Do you have sufficient safeguards, such as constitutional provisions and protections that deal with issues of justice – justice imperatives, legal aid and access to legal representation and legal services, such as access to maintenance? It is important to understand the context, because sometimes justice delayed is not just due to the courts or the state. Sometimes the accused is the reason there are delays or the number of witnesses prolongs proceedings.” Minister Lamola pointed out that government is looking more closely at the Criminal Procedure Act so that a full-blown criminal trial can run on an online platform like Zoom. “The key features and outcomes of this period of COVID-19 is that government needs to modernise the criminal justice system in terms of technology and in terms of the use of other electronic means to expedite and fast-track processes,” he said.

University of Pretoria | TUKKIE 33

Mamelodi Campus

PRE-UNIVERSITY ACADEMY (PUA) The Saturday School tutors

350 LOCAL LEARNERS from Grades 8 through 12 in Computer Literacy, Language Skills, Mathematics, and Sciences on Saturdays in the IT Labs of the Mamelodi Campus.

The MMSP tutors

1 000 LOCAL LEARNERS in Mathematics and Science on Tuesdays and Thursdays on campus.

The Teacher Professional Development Programme (TPDP) host workshops on subject matter and BEST

TEACHING

METHODS for local educations on a continuous basis on campus.

As the University of Pretoriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s flagship campus for the Extended Curriculum Programmes (ECPs) and its Social Innovation campus, the Mamelodi Campus of the University of Pretoria strives to be the gateway of the choice to Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) related fields of study for talented learners with demonstrated potential and academic acumen. The campus seeks to assist learners successfully transition from high school to university level academic engagement to ensure success in their elected fields of study at the University of Pretoria.

The Mamelodi Campus hosts the Pre-University Academy, which consists of the Saturday School Programme, the Mamelodi Mathematics and Science Programme (MMSP), and the Teacher Professional Development Programme (TPDP). The PUA is aimed at assisting learners develop the capacity and skills to perform well in science- and mathematicsrelated subjects in school so as to meet University requirements in STEM related fields of study. Should you be interested in supporting the Pre-University Academy (PUA) either by tutoring and/or financially supporting the programme, please contact Ms. Mekidela Belay at mekidela.belay@up.ac.za

Make today matter www.up.ac.za/mamelodi-campus

A mind New Miss SA (and UP graduate!) Shudufhadzo Musida plans to bring about more awareness of mental health, especially in rural and disadvantaged areas. Author: Xolani Mathibela

The new Miss South Africa, University of Pretoria (UP) alumna Shudufhadzo Musida, is a serious advocate for mental health. Musida, who hails from Ha-Masia in Limpopo, was crowned during the 62nd Miss South Africa pageant on 24 October 2020. The 24-year-old, who triumphed over 2 500 other entrants, graduated with a Bachelor of Social Sciences in Philosophy, Politics and Economics from UP in 2019. Musida is an advocate for mental health awareness and the economic empowerment of women and children. She won the hearts and minds of the judges, as well as South Africans, when she shared her thoughts about mental health and education. “We need to work on the mind for any change to come about in South Africa. Our nation’s mental health – in fact the whole world’s – has declined during the COVID-19 pandemic. People have lost loved ones, thousands have lost their jobs, and the unemployment numbers have skyrocketed. People are discouraged, and they are not going to simply bounce back without support.” Furthermore, the beauty queen plans to mobilise as many South Africans as she can to bring about educational empowerment. She hopes to tackle issues such as period

poverty (lack of access to menstrual hygiene tools and/or information) among young girls, by using tools such as workshops that teach children about the importance of mental health, and mentorship programmes to empower young women. On the day of the pageant she prayed and accepted that whatever happened would happen for a reason. “I already felt like a winner – even if I did not get to take the crown. I had been blessed with a most incredible journey in the build-up to the pageant finale. However, when my name was announced as the new Miss SA, it felt totally surreal – I was overcome with emotion but determined to stay in the moment and enjoy it.” Musida is a fashion model who started her career when she was 17. She has done photoshoots for various brands and campaigns, including retailer Woolworths and skincare range Eucerin. She was even featured in Vogue Italia in 2018. In addition to her passion and advocacy for mental health awareness and education, she continues to fight food insecurity in rural communities because, she says, children can only do their best at school when their basic needs are met. “I believe this will continue bringing about economic empowerment as more children will be given a fair chance at becoming active in the economy – through educational empowerment,” she says.

University of Pretoria | TUKKIE 35

Through the screen, onto our campus Campus Tours goes digital with interactive, customised virtual tours Author: Professor Karen-Leigh Harris Head of UP’s Department of Historical and Heritage Studies

The COVID-19 pandemic has devastated the tourism industry worldwide. Many are asking: how will the industry survive; what will it look like in the years to come; can I, or my child, still develop a career in tourism? The University of Pretoria’s (UP) Department of Historical and Heritage Studies is tackling this challenge. Facilitators of travel, accommodation, eateries, curios, entertainment, museums and galleries, and cultural and natural heritage sites have all come to a grinding halt, and many more people have been affected, given that tourism is a sector with a multitudinal multiplier effect and a key component of many economies. The World Travel & Tourism Council estimates that the industry contributed about R441,1 billion (8.7%) to South Africa’s 2019 GDP. But with the industry paused – due to border closures, limited flights, mandatory social distancing and the fear of a surge in cases – now is the time to reconfigure, reimagine and reignite tourism. For their part, lecturers in UP’s Department of Historical and Heritage Studies are repositioning what and how they teach undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in Heritage and Cultural Tourism. Focusing on the pre- and post-COVID scenario, students are encouraged to consider how international, continental, national and local travel destinations have been affected and how they can respond. In essence, they must learn to think cautiously, but creatively. For instance, the BSocSci honours degree in Heritage and Cultural Tourism has reconceived its approach to providing tours of UP’s campuses. This course encourages a practical component with its UP Campus Tours (UPCT), an award-winning initiative where students run a stand-alone tourism entity within the university’s main Hatfield campus. Students organise, manage and run all aspects of UPCT, offering tours to prospective students, parents, first-year students, exchange students, new academic and administrative staff, school groups and alumni, as well as visiting academics

36 TUKKIE | University of Pretoria

and international dignitaries. This is much more than an internship. These students are expected to plan and execute activities related to a tourism entity; this includes researching, marketing, financing, managing, liaising, scheduling and conducting the actual tours on campus. Their tours are theoretically grounded, and draw on extensive primary and secondary research in the University Archives. It is also imperative that students keep abreast of campus-wide developments and achievements. For 15 years, UPCT students have been heralded as “ambassadors of the institution” who provide an invaluable marketing service to the university and international academics and dignitaries that visit the campus. Deon Herbst, CEO of Enterprises UP, regards UPCT as “an excellent business simulation exercise, and an opportunity to gain practical experience and acquire various workplace skills to produce students that are workplace-ready”. In 2020, UPCT developed a new initiative and now offers tailored virtual tours – University of Pretoria Virtual Campus Tours – Interactive (UPVCT-Interactive). The tours use an online platform to take interested guests on an interactive tour of the university from the safety of their homes. These tours are personalised and tailored to interests and requirements, and guests can interact with the guide and ask questions “en route”. UPVCT’s mission is to share our enthusiasm for UP and its rich past and bright future with visitors. These tours are ideal for students, and their parents, who are interested in enrolling at UP. In July, the 2020 Heritage and Cultural Tourism honours students ran complimentary UPVCT-Interactive tours.

For more information, or to make a booking, please email upcampustours@gmail.com for a unique interactive, customised campus tour.

University of Pretoria | TUKKIE 37

Faculty of Engineering, Built Environment and Information Technology Fakulteit Ingenieurswese, Bou-omgewing en Inligtingtegnologie / Lefapha la Boetšenere, Tikologo ya Kago le Theknolotši ya Tshedimošo

INNOVATING OUR TOMORROW

TOP 364 OF UNIVERSITIES RANKED GLOBALLY FOR ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY IN 2020 QS RANKINGS

TOP 1%

#1 ENGINEERING SCHOOL IN AFRICA BY THE US NEWS AND WORLD REPORT RANKINGS 2020

TOP-RATED FIELDS

OF ENGINEERING SCHOOLS IN THE WORLD IN 2019 CLARIVATE ANALYTICS ESSENTIAL SCIENCE INDICATORS

RESEARCH INTERESTS

electrical and electronic engineering mechanical and aeronautical engineering chemical engineering computer science and information systems energy science biotechnology

UP CHAMPION FOR SDG 9: INDUSTRY, INNOVATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE

automation

disruptive technology

additive manufacturing

smart cities

UP: Faculty of Engineering, Built Environment and Information Technology

virtual and augmented reality

green building

digitisation

internet of things

artificial intelligence

society 5.0

big data

machine learning

robotics

smart grids

www.up.ac.za/ebit

In touch, in the future Author: Masego Panyane

For the first time ever, #ChooseUP Day was a virtual experience. #ChooseUP Day takes place annually in August to introduce UP, its staff, campuses, faculties and student services to grade 12 learners who have received conditional admission offers subject to their results. This year’s #ChooseUP Day was transformed into an online event due to the lockdown stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic and is believed to be the first of its kind for a tertiary institution in South Africa. It was hosted on UP’s Virtual Campus, an online platform that allows visitors the opportunity to explore the University’s facilities and campus life through a combination of 360-degree panoramas and videos, as well as course-related information. Speaking at the event, UP Vice-Chancellor Professor Tawana Kupe said despite the challenging circumstances created by the pandemic, the University is committed to going above and beyond for its students. “These are very uncertain and difficult times. But as you can see, at UP, nothing can stop us. You are sitting at home, we’re on campus,

but we have ensured that we are together,” he said. He added that receiving an education at UP would stand students in good stead. “We produce graduates that drive our economy, our society, and also their own communities. We believe in developing people and making a difference so that when they leave our campuses they can get that lucrative job that makes a difference to themselves, their families and in society.” One such prospective student is 18-yearold Cara Jordaan from Pretoria, who said she is looking forward to studying BCom (Accounting Sciences) at UP next year, because of the calibre of staff teaching the course, which falls under the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences. “At UP’s Virtual #ChooseUP Day, I learnt that they have the best rankings in South Africa, and a 94% pass rate, which is pretty extraordinary. I also know that the lecturers at UP are qualified, and with this course you are almost guaranteed to get a job after you complete your studies,” she said. Nokuphila Moatshe, 17, from Randburg, said

a highlight for her of the Virtual #ChooseUP Day was learning more about the Faculty of Health Sciences, where she hopes to study next year. “I was more interested in seeing what the campus looks like, and the residences. I went to the faculty pages, and I managed to get more information.” The Virtual #ChooseUP Day experience was tailored and personalised for each conditionally admitted UP student. Their invitation contained links to all the interests they indicated on their RSVP to the event. They were able to take virtual tours of UP’s nine faculties spread over seven campuses, get advice on alternate admissions, accommodation, how to choose their modules, and what they would need to do to become successful students. Closing off the event, Professor Kupe said the Virtual #ChooseUP Day showcased the complementary nature of online and contact sessions. “It demonstrates again that using online and using contact are not polar opposites; they are complementary. That’s the fourth industrial revolution and Society 5.0 at work. UP is in the future, future-oriented, and future-focused. And really, there is no excuse to not #ChooseUP,” he said. Left: UP SRC President David Kabwa, UP ViceChancellor Tawana Kupe and UP lecturer and alumnus Dr Sithembile Mbete, who moderated the event. Top: Crew behind the scenes making sure everything runs smoothly for UP’s first ever virtual Open Day.

University of Pretoria | TUKKIE 39

Graduating in the Cloud UP awards 1 380 qualifications to graduates in virtual spring graduation ceremony Author: Primarashni Gower

UP Chancellor Professor Wiseman Nkuhlu awarded 1 380 degrees, diplomas and certificates to graduates in absentia during a virtual spring graduation ceremony held on 29 September. The spring graduation ceremonies, which were scheduled to take place from 29 September to 2 October, were postponed due to the national lockdown and physical distancing protocols brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. Following the virtual ceremony, students received a congratulatory video message from UP Vice-Chancellor Professor Tawana Kupe along with an electronic version of their faculty’s graduation programme on the originally scheduled date of their graduation ceremony.

of providing you with an opportunity to formally graduate with all the associated rights and privileges that your degree confers on you.

Of the 1 380 qualifications conferred by Prof Nkuhlu, 167 were doctorates and 473 were master’s degrees.

“We know that you have worked hard and might be disappointed that you cannot walk across the stage in front of your loved ones who have supported you throughout your academic journey, but we hope that we will be able to honour and affirm all the graduates of 2020 in a physical graduation in May 2021,” he added.

Prof Kupe told graduates, “Despite all the challenges brought about by the global COVID-19 pandemic, you have succeeded, and we celebrate your achievement today. This virtual graduation ceremony is our way

As an institution, UP continues to provide high-quality education and to equip its students with the relevant skills our country needs, said Prof Kupe. “What we teach and learn, what we research and what we

Just one year ago, graduation celebrations looked quite different.

40 TUKKIE | University of Pretoria

1 380 Number of qualifications conferred

contribute to the economy, employment and society, has to adapt to the current environment.” In response to the national COVID-19 lockdown, UP was able to continue its academic programme online from the beginning of May. Data from a UP survey in May 2020 showed that the vast majority of lecturers and students managed to move with confidence into online teaching and learning mode. “Fortunately, the hybrid approach has been UP’s strategy since 2014. It is a methodology where digital, combined with contact learning and teaching, has been proven to make education more accessible and, best of all, more effective. We are constantly enhancing our technology to stay ahead of the pack.” He said UP is grateful to be able to support its students in need by providing those without access to the internet with telephone tutoring,

Stay connected, stay relevant The UP Connect Graduway app lets graduates join the alumni family of nearly 300 000 people and get access to job opportunities and networking events. Recent graduates can still sign up for UP’s Ready for Work or entrepreneurship online training programmes to help achieve their goals in the world beyond university.

473 Master’s degrees

167 Doctorates

while assisting others with electronic devices, as well as supplying them with data so they can complete their assignments and examinations online. “The well-being of our students continues to drive us to become more innovative to ensure their success,” Prof Kupe added. Going forward, “the strategies we adopt for the future to address other crises for a better world are not built on ’business as usual’ approaches; future societies are not built on conventional thinking, and future solutions to human and global wellbeing are not founded in outdated, traditional approaches. They require bold thinking and research, and agile, positive shifts. They require the research voices of our universities in Africa strongly coming to the fore with context-appropriate strategies and solutions.” According to Prof Kupe, a positive outcome of the pandemic is the involvement of UP staff and students, at multiple levels, in finding solutions: from transdisciplinary research on how the virus infects people, to participating in international vaccine clinical trials and the production of sanitisers, face masks and face shields. “This provides us with a new opportunity to reimagine our universities to optimise our role in reconstructing a better future for South Africa and our continent.” He explained that UP has to be future-orientated to see opportunities and the silver lining in the dark cloud cast not only by COVID-19, but the political, economic, social, ecological and environmental crises and disruptions of the past. “We must be able to envision a better, more sustainable world, characterised by prosperity, genuine democracy, peace, equity and equality, social justice and ethical use of all resources. All of us must aim to leave the world better than we found it.”

In 2020, a virtual ceremony helped graduates formally celebrate their achievements.

University of Pretoria | TUKKIE 41

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No ’Mission Impossible’ as gorilla is airlifted to Onderstepoort Makokou, a 34-year-old male Western lowland gorilla from the Johannesburg Zoo, recently enjoyed his first helicopter ride. But he wasn’t awake to enjoy it. The gorilla had been suffering from a recurring discharge from his nose. After an extensive health examination by the Zoo veterinarian and Faculty of Veterinary Science alumnus, Dr Kresen Pillay, and a team of veterinary specialists from the Faculty, it was determined that his nasal passages were almost entirely blocked with what looked like several tumours. Prof Gerhard Steenkamp, a veterinary dentist and maxillofacial surgeon at the Faculty, collected some biopsies and these were later confirmed to be inflammatory masses or polyps. There was some relief that no cancerous cells were found in the biopsied tissue. Some of the tests to evaluate Makokou’s heart, however, indicated that he had early heart disease and the intranasal tumours would still need to be surgically removed. He was airlifted to Onderstepoort for a CT scan of his nasal passages. Due to his size and strength and the potential stress involved, it was clear that Makokou would have to be anaesthetised for the entire journey to the hospital. The helicopter big enough for this purpose belongs to Mike Barnes from MCC Aviation who supports Flying for Freedom SA and who offered his services at no cost. Prof Steenkamp and Prof Adrian Tordiffe, a wildlife specialist from the Faculty with experience in the medical management of gorillas, conducted the scan. The Faculty’s vets and other staff also volunteered their time and expertise to help Makokou.

Top: A CT scan was performed on 34-year-old Makokou at Onderstepoort. Above: An anaesthetised Makokou on his way to the Veterinary Academic Hospital.

The procedure went according to plan, but the results confirmed that the inflammatory tissue had filled most of Makokou’s nasal passages and sinuses. Prof Steenkamp and Dr Kobus Venter, a local ear, nose and throat surgeon, evaluated the CT scans and have started making plans for what is likely to be quite extensive nasal surgery. The surgery will take place at the Johannesburg Zoo’s veterinary hospital. The well-known company, dnata that has partnered with the University of Pretoria to protect endangered animals through the Wild over Wildlife programme, offered to pay for the CT scans.

University of Pretoria | TUKKIE 43

Lifelong learning Many highs for mom and her daughters at UP Author: Xolani Mathibela

“For us, Tuks is the best university in South Africa”. These are the words of Lilith Holworthy, who says being born and bred in Pretoria made the University of Pretoria (UP) an obvious choice. Her work relationship with UP for over two decades instilled an intimate knowledge of the institution’s high work ethic and professionalism – all attributes that made her and her children’s choice very simple. “I was already in the workplace when I started my studies at Tuks. To achieve a university degree was always on my bucket list and it was certainly an opportunity I could not dare miss. My children had no option but to enrol for their respective degrees as I have always instilled independence in my girls. Plus, without a higher institution qualification, life is just too challenging. Thanks to them for living up to my expectations.” Lesley-Ann Holworthty

Lilith Holworthy

Lilith has a BAdmin in Public Administration (2019). Lauren, her eldest daughter, graduated with a BEd Intermediate Phase (2018) and is currently teaching English (Grade 4) at Lynnwood Ridge Primary School. Her youngest daughter, Lesley-Ann, is in the third year of her BEd Senior Phase, also at UP. Lilith encouraged her children to study at UP based on her staff and student experiences, which have many highs. “I could write a book about my experiences at UP. In many instances, the institution has moulded me into the person I am today.” Lauren says her journey at UP was a rollercoaster ride. The ups were amazing and life-changing. “I met new people and they affected and influenced my life in positive ways. The downfalls were there, but nothing that UP could not assist with. Her fondest memories were learning more about herself and the profession she is currently in, and knowing that she did not make a mistake in her choice. “I am a proud educator,” she says. Lauren is currently pursuing a postgraduate diploma in entrepreneurship. She says learning is a journey that people should inculcate in themselves. “That will ensure

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Lauren Holworthy

that this generation and future generations are agile and adaptable for this fast-changing world and its challenges.” For Lesley-Ann online classes have been an amazing experience as they eliminate travel time as well as time spent on campus between classes. “I enjoy attending online lectures in the comfort of my own home, I can hear and see the lecturer clearly whereas in contact lectures one is sometimes seated at the back. If something is unclear, you can access the lesson afterwards as it gets recorded and uploaded. Lecturers have also gone out of their way to post extra notes to ensure we all understand. I am in better health in terms of sleep and exercise, and have better grades because I can spend more time on my academics thanks to online learning. I have got one year left at UP and I can definitely say UP is the place to be.”

Choosing UP a no-brainer Author: Xolani Mathibela

When Rikus Immink was still an engineering student in the 1980s at the University of Pretoria, it was a tumultuous time in the history of South Africa, and it was difficult for UP students to interact with universities such as UCT and Wits, which were leading anti-apartheid actors in the engineering environment. Rikus graduated with a BEng Metallurgy in 1982, BEng (Hons) Extractive Metallurgy in 1987 and further received an MPhil (Workplace Ethics) cum laude in 2012. “We had to interact with engineers in business to get good external experience and this really prepared me for a quick transfer into business. It made a big difference from other graduates from other universities who followed classical sciences without up-to-date application to the business environment. Evolvement and development of processes happens in businesses all the time, and I am grateful to have studied at Tuks. At the time, most of us studied with mining company bursaries because money was tight,” he says. His wife Erika holds a BDiet (1984) and postgraduate Dip in Hospital Dietetics (1985). His son Waldi graduated with BSc Construction Management (2010) and BCom Information Technology (2013). His other son Bernard obtained his BCom Law (2013) and LLB (2016). His daughter Anandi graduated with BScRad (2013) and BScRad (Hon) (2015). Rikus is CEO of Multotec’s South African operations, a metallurgy and process engineering organisation that helps mining houses across the world process minerals more efficiently, effectively and reliably. He also sits on the advisory board of UP’s Metallurgical Engineering Department and is

Waldi and Bernard Immink

Rikus Immink

a former Chairman of the TuksAlumni board (2009-2010). The Immink family admits that choosing to study at UP was a no-brainer for them, simply because of the institution’s international standing, location (they are Pretorians), excellent alumni organisation and excellent management. “UP has always strived for industry-guided qualifications and kept a close link to private business executives throughout the years our family studied there. It is important to maintain contact with alumni in a nonpolitical manner.” When asked about how life has been since graduation, he said, “All of us are still in our professions and successful.”

Anandi and Erika Immink

Rikus enjoyed a wonderful relationship with the former Vice-Chancellor and Principal of UP, Prof Cheryl de la Rey, who quickly pulled in executives from business to consult with. He hopes that COVID-19 does not distract the current Vice-Chancellor and Principal, Prof Tawana Kupe, and looks forward to meeting him someday. His advice for prospective students? Get in touch with UP’s alumni community because ’the answer lies there’, and also to talk to UP advisors.

Get in touch with UP’s alumni community because ’the answer lies there’. Rikus Immink

University of Pretoria | TUKKIE 45

The X-factor of a galaxy far, far away

Left: Dr Kshitij Thorat, postdoctoral fellow and second author of a paper on X-shaped radio galaxies. Main image: Annotated image that illustrates how the X-shape is formed and how a new, young pair of jets have just started up near the supermassive black hole at the heart of the galaxy. Image credit: UP, original image: NRAO/AUI/NSF; SARAO; DES

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Author: Shakira Hoosain

A team of astronomers from South Africa and the USA has used the MeerKAT telescope to solve a longstanding puzzle in ’X’-shaped radio galaxies by observing a galaxy called PKS 2014-55 that’s situated 800 million light years away from Earth. Previous studies of these unusual galaxies lacked the highquality imaging provided by the MeerKAT telescope, which was inaugurated in 2018. This study was carried out by a team from the South African Radio Astronomy Observatory (SARAO), the (US) National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO), the University of Pretoria, and Rhodes University. The results will be published in the journal Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. Dr Kshitij Thorat, a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Pretoria and second author of the paper, explained: “This galaxy is one of many with similar X-shaped morphologies carefully chosen to be studied in a MeerKAT observation campaign which is aimed at solving the mystery of X-shaped radio galaxies. While other telescopes around the world hinted at this object’s unusual morphology, it took the crystal-clear image quality of MeerKAT to reveal the underlying physical causes. As a bonus, we have produced one of the most beautiful radio images I have ever seen.” The image shows two powerful jets of radio waves, indicated in blue colour, each extending 2.5 million light-years (comparable to the distance between the Milky Way and the Andromeda galaxy, our nearest major neighbour). At their centre are the youngest jets of a central black hole, surrounded by an oblong disk of stars. The detail provided in this radio image obtained with the MeerKAT telescope shows that its shape is best described as a “double boomerang”. Many galaxies far more active than the Milky Way have enormous twin jets of radio waves extending far into intergalactic space. Normally these go in opposite directions, coming from a massive black hole at the centre of the galaxy. However, a few are more complicated and appear to have four jets forming a mysterious ’X’ on the sky. Several possible explanations have been proposed to understand this phenomenon. These include changes in the direction of spin of the black hole at the centre of the galaxy and its associated jets; or two separate black holes, each associated with a pair of jets; or a third explanation of material falling back into the galaxy being deflected into different directions forming the other two arms of the ’X’.

The new MeerKAT observations of PKS 2014-55 strongly favour the third explanation, as they show material “turning the corner” as it flows back towards the host galaxy. The arms or wings of the X are “turned back” by the pressure of low-density intergalactic gas. As they flow back towards the central galaxy, they are deflected by its relatively high gas pressure into the shorter, horizontal, arms of the boomerang. Professor Roger Deane, who leads the UP astronomy group and is a co-author of the study, said: “We’ve made a concerted effort over the past two years to build a team that is able to make important scientific discoveries with cutting-edge radio telescopes. The rapid growth we’ve seen is both gratifying and encouraging, particularly with the exquisite images the team is making with South Africa’s MeerKAT telescope, a precursor to the Square Kilometre Array.” This study is part of an ongoing effort at the University to carry out systematic studies of X-shaped galaxies using nextgeneration telescopes like MeerKAT and techniques like machine learning, which would find similar but more faraway objects in the universe. The MeerKAT telescope array consists of 64 radio dishes located in the Karoo semi-desert in the Northern Cape province of South Africa. To make this image, computers combined over a petabyte of data (equivalent to over 100 000 MP3 audio files) from these antennas into a telescope 8 km in diameter. Lead author William Cotton of the NRAO added, “MeerKAT is one of a new generation of instruments whose power solves old puzzles even as it finds new ones – this galaxy shows features never seen before in this detail which are not fully understood.” Further research into these open questions is already underway. Bernie Fanaroff, co-author of the study and former director of the SKA South Africa project that built MeerKAT, noted that “MeerKAT was designed to be the best of its kind in the world. It’s wonderful to see how its unique capabilities are contributing to resolving long-standing questions related to the evolution of galaxies.” The authors of the study are: William Cotton, Kshitij Thorat, Jim Condon, Bradley Frank, Gyula Józsa, Sarah White, Roger Deane, Nadeem Oozeer, Marcellin Atemkeng, Landman Bester, Bernie Fanaroff, Sydil Kupa, Oleg Smirnov, Tom Mauch, Vasaant Krishnan and Fernando Camilo.

University of Pretoria | TUKKIE 47

Natural beauty gets gold Author: Primarashni Gower

UP’s long-standing reputation for its beautiful campuses has been cemented with Double Gold Awards for three projects that it entered into the 2020 South African Landscapers Institute (SALI) excellence awards.

Strubenkop According to Professor Susan Adendorff, Director of UP Facilities Management., the Strubenkop outcrop, located on UP’s Hillcrest Campus, was heavily infested with nationally declared alien and/ or invasive plant species. Servest was appointed to rehabilitate and restore the natural veld of the Strubenkop outcrop. About 60 000m² (78%) of the total area has been cleared of alien invasive tree and shrub species. Positive signs of natural recovery are visible with the recuperation of historical species such as Combretum molle (the velvet bushwillow), Peltophorum africanum (weeping wattle), Dombeya rotundifolia (wild pear), Ziziphus mucronata (buffalo thorn), Pappea capensis (jacket plum) and many more. Judges’ comments: “Amazing to see a koppie that was infested with lantana recovering so well. No seeding done – all-natural succession, which was a really good choice. A particularly pleasing project.”

The Javett Art Centre The Javett Art Centre at the University of Pretoria (Javett-UP) is on South Campus and is connected to Hatfield Campus by a bridge gallery that spans Lynnwood Road. Underneath is a student gallery, which links the Architecture and the Visual Arts Departments. Servest installed a new irrigation system, constructed several hard landscaping aspects and established the landscape post-completion. The landscape design was done by GreenInc Landscape Architecture. Dr Ida Breed, a UP Landscape Architecture lecturer, assisted with sections of the design that forms part of her research group, Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services for Tshwane (BEST). “The

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biodiversity garden project monitors the survival of native plant species in urban contexts, while exploring to what degree these native plants contribute to biodiversity,” says Dr Breed. According to Prof Adendorff: “There is a constant drive to improve the environmental status on all campuses to ensure that we do not just comply with environmental laws and regulations but create an experience of progress, innovation and great visual appeal.” Judges’ comments: “Very well installed with an interesting design. It was good to see such an unusual indigenous palette!”

Hartbeestspruit The Hartbeestspruit flows from south to north along the western boundary of UP’s Hillcrest Campus, and is characterised as a typical urban river system. Servest was appointed to upgrade and rehabilitate the Hartbeestspruit river system, which is subject to annual flooding. The goal with the riparian rehabilitation initiative is to maximise the resilience of the urban channel in response to a rapidly changing upstream urban environment. Some of the key objectives are to stabilise the embankments through a bio-engineered approach; source and establish indigenous and locally adapted plant species to maximise stabilisation; and clear and remove alien invasive shrub and tree species from the riparian zone. The work area stretches the entire length of the Hartbeestspruit, running through the UP campus from Jan-se-Gat to the outlet at the N4. Bulk earthworks have removed about 21 000m² of invasive kikuyu grass from the riparian embankment. Although rehabilitation efforts in the form of seeding and planting of historically local plant species have started, recuperation is still in the early phases and requires continuous management. Judges’ comments: “A challenge to an urban waterway is the infestation of kikuyu. Servest managed to successfully re-establish veld grass – very well done!”

Built to be the best UP’s School of Engineering has been ranked No 1 in South Africa and Africa according to the 2020 US News and World Report Rankings on the Best Global Universities for Engineering. Being rated the top school of engineering in South Africa is a remarkable achievement and is celebrated with great pride, although it does not come as a surprise as the school was listed among the top 1% of engineering schools worldwide in the Web of Science in 2016. Since 2001 the School of Engineering’s nine undergraduate programmes have been subject to internationally recognised accreditation processes by the Engineering Council of South Africa, which are conducted every five years. Accreditation is granted in terms of the prescribed standards of the Washington Accord, which is used to assess the education of professional engineers in 17 countries. This confirms that the faculty is highly ranked globally, and its undergraduate programmes are accredited by national and/or international statutory bodies. The faculty’s research activities have been gaining momentum since the mid-1970s. Through its various research focus areas, the School of Engineering continues to contribute to highquality research, making UP a leading research-intensive university in Africa and beyond. It has 19 externally funded research chairs and 13 institutes and centres that attract high-quality students and staff. In order to be a globally competitive leader, the faculty actively

The School of Engineering is one of four schools in the Faculty of Engineering, Built Environment and IT (EBIT) and comprises the following departments: Chemical; Civil; Electrical, Electronic and Computer; Materials Science and Metallurgical; Mining; Mechanical and Aeronautical; and Industrial and Systems Engineering.

collaborates with international universities and other innovative institutions around the world. Among these is an exchange programme with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the USA, which has benefited many students in the mechanical and aeronautical engineering fields, allowing selected students from UP to study at MIT for a year and MIT students to study at the UP’s School of Engineering for a year. The school prides itself on its outstanding facilities, which include: The Mining Virtual Reality Centre in the Department of Mining Engineering is a world-class virtual reality centre—a first for Africa. The centre was developed with the visionary support of Kumba Iron Ore to enhance education, training and research in operational risk across industries through an innovative approach to information optimisation and visualisation. This facility has been extended to include other areas as well. Since 2013, the school has had its own study centre called the Mining Industry Engineering Study Centre, which is designed and equipped to support the on-campus study needs of the engineering students in a computer laboratory and also provide facilities for individual and group work. The latest addition to the School of Engineering is the state-ofthe-art Engineering 4.0, which was developed in collaboration with SANRAL SOC Ltd. This facility provides a space to find innovative solutions, using a transdisciplinary approach, to challenges regarding future transportation and smart cities. The proximity of this hub to the N4 highway allows easy access to an active test lane where the faculty will collect real-time data to measure and model transport systems using big data analytics, design and test Internet of Things sensors and devices, and work on future automotive engineering and railway systems, among other projects.

28% Percentage of graduate engineers in the country UP produced (2019)

Largest In 1971 it became the largest school of engineering in the country University of Pretoria | TUKKIE 49

GLAM-UP: Much more The University of Pretoria (UP) Museums are partnering with the UP Alumni Relations Office to launch a cultural art campaign named GLAM – Galleries/Gardens, Libraries, Archives and Museums. “I have been thinking about developing an African GLAM for a number of years now, bringing together the colleagues and collections we most often partner with,” said Sian TileyNel, Head of the UP Museums. It is hoped that GLAM would spread across university networks in South Africa as well as engage with the art and heritage sector, whether private, government or for non-profit. Museums, including arts, archives and libraries are key contributors to community, providing material and information that affect public discourse and encourage rigorous academic debate. Collections – whether artworks, books, documents or artefacts – are not only an institutional grouping, but also

50 TUKKIE | University of Pretoria

a collective responsibility of a wide diversity of information resources. With the support of UP Alumni Relations Office, GLAM brings together the UP Museums, the UP Archives and the UP Library and has the potential to expand to the institution’s much-adored Botanical Gardens. Such collaboration provides a means to leverage the expertise and resources, to move across disciplines and, more importantly, to exercise greater influence both within and outside of the University of Pretoria. Internationally, GLAM is a well-recognised acronym for “galleries, libraries, archives and museums” and is an industry sector used in Australia, Canada, the US and the UK. Its earlier form in the 1990s was LAM, which did not specify galleries. Many GLAMs started out as small initiatives to create a working group to bring wider value to collections. Later they expanded to identify areas where partnerships could be developed that would enhance engagement and spark creativity. Objectives ranged from widening research into GLAMs on their social and economic value of memory institutions, which is why several GLAMs originated within university collections.

2 3

than a pretty picture GLAM is an ideal conduit for the UP Museums to raise awareness of their efforts in curating and conserving valuable collections that form an integral component of the memory of an institution. According to Samantha Castle, Senior Manager for Alumni Relations: “GLAM is an important initiative in promoting art and heritage, and showcasing our beautiful Botanical Gardens at the University. Our alumni will find a lot of value in learning more about GLAM through tours, features in alumni publications, special GLAM events and online discussions. We are excited to collaborate with the UP Museums on this project and hope our alumni will enjoy this new offering.” GLAM also has the potential to expand to become an alumni benefit to include access to unique GLAM museum interpretative tours, Javett-UP and access to the institution’s offerings in art and culture. UP is taking charge of its collections that fall under the oversight of the University of Pretoria Heritage Committee. It is the only university in South Africa with a Heritage Committee whose purpose is to ensure and sustain a dynamic institutional repository that reflects the history, heritage and standing of the University as a cultural and educational institution.

GLAM-UP hopes to be a convergence of institutional collections to foster greater collaboration and strengthen partnerships within the institution. Later, this will move to networks at local, national and global levels in the hope of catalysing new partnerships. The aim is to build generational bridges, to form new linkages and create new synergies within the domains of the creative and research. This overlap of collecting, maintaining and preserving accessible primary sources of the institution’s collections is valuable for both researchers and public interest. According to Sian: “The GLAM campaign through UP Alumni Relations Office allows us to tap into UP’s vast alumni networks (locally and abroad) and to promote UP’s museum, art, archive and library collections. GLAM would enrich and expand access to the collection to ensure that UP contributes significantly to the public good of promoting and sustaining the arts, archives, libraries and museums. GLAM has the potential “to give voice back to the history of the institution’s unique and diverse collections, preserved and promoted in the present and as a safeguard for the future of the institution’s memory”.

1 – The largest collection within the Special Collections Unit is the African Collection which focuses on all disciplines within the heritage of sub-Saharan Africa. (Courtesy of the Department of Library Services) 2 – The UP Museums entrance to the Mapungubwe Gallery dedicated to southern African ceramics 3 – The UP Archives is an active and integral part of university activities (Courtesy of the UP Archives)

University of Pretoria | TUKKIE 51

Cutting-edge research for wild patients Author: Prim Gower

A dedicated wildlife clinic opened its doors at UP’s Onderstepoort Veterinary Academic Hospital (OVAH) in March 2020. The Faculty is the only one of its kind in the country and celebrates its centenary this year. The OVAH provides world-class practical training to final-year veterinary and veterinary nursing students. Its facilities render myriad services to all animal species and can accommodate anything from a pet lizard to a large bull. According to Dr Paul van Dam, newly appointed Director of the OVAH, “having facilities on the Onderstepoort Campus allows easy access to all the clinical specialists as well as services offered by the OVAH and the diagnostic laboratories on campus”. Being able to accommodate the animals in these facilities has the additional advantage that a more comprehensive and dedicated

The new clinic comprises two buildings – herbivore bomas and one that accommodates carnivores. It meets the legal requirements of the Department of Environmental Affairs and the Department of Agriculture.

service can be provided. In the past, wildlife had to be released to the owner’s farm after initial treatment, making follow-up treatment a challenge. “The facility is unique in that it will be used to hospitalise clients’ animals. Similar facilities exist, for example at zoos, but these are all only used for the entity’s own animals,” he said. The clinic can accommodate carnivores up to the size of lions, as well as herbivores, from small antelope to the size of young rhino. Patients come from South African game farms, zoos and other registered wildlife breeding and holding facilities. “With the new facilities, animals can be kept under close supervision and regular treatment is now possible. It also allows the wildlife clinicians to perform more specialist diagnostic procedures than would be possible on the farm,” said Dr Van Dam. While the Faculty’s wildlife clinicians have the expertise to treat all species of wildlife, they can now also call on specialists from other disciplines in the OVAH for procedures – including radiology, surgery, anaesthesiology, medicine and reproduction. Dean of the Faculty, Professor Vinny Naidoo, said in addition to the actual management of wildlife under hospitalised conditions, the general training of students in hospitalised care of wildlife is important. “This will allow our new graduates the opportunity to be more innovative in how they manage wildlife when they get into practice. If one looks at the equine industry, the introduction of specialised equine care at the academic hospital many years ago has completely changed how equine patients are managed nowadays.” He predicts the same positive effect of training veterinary students in the hospital care of wildlife – the major impact of the facility will be the advancement of the field of wildlife medicine in the near future. Prof Vinny Naidoo, Dean of the Faculty of Veterinary Science (left) and Prof Tawana Kupe, Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the University of Pretoria, who officially opened the wildlife clinic, at the entrance to the herbivore bomas.

52 TUKKIE | University of Pretoria

Smart moving, smart living Author: Primarashni Gower

The University of Pretoria (UP) and the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), an entity of the Department of Science and Innovation (DSI) signed a memorandum of agreement (MoA) on 22 July 2020, to collaborate in the area of smart transport, cities and environments.

Engineering 4.0 building, a collaboration between UP, the South African National Roads Agency (SANRAL) and the CSIR which will be launched soon, hosts Africa’s first independent transport reference and testing facility, which will test materials for the road construction industry.

Disruptive technologies are changing the face of transportation in the world, Prof The aim is to reduce energy consumption Maharaj said, and transport systems will look levels in transportation, maximise a lot different in 20 years. “Due to the vast productivity in industry, and provide a higher distances between communities, economic quality of life for citizens. opportunities and agricultural resources in Africa, an extensive transportation network According to Professor Wynand Steyn, Head of some sorts will remain essential for the of the Department of Civil Engineering in UP’s social and economic development of the Faculty of Engineering, Built Environment Professor Sunil Maharaj and Professor Wynand continent in the next few decades.” According Steyn and Information Technology (EBIT), “The to UP Vice-Chancellor and Principal Professor cooperation means that UP can focus on creating a pipeline of Tawana Kupe: “We signed this MOA following a national and global potential researchers in these areas. fight against the COVID-19 health crisis. This pandemic requires us to look at innovative and unconventional ways of doing things in the “In order to work towards smart cities, there is a need to develop higher education sector, in partnership with institutions like the CSIR. researchers with advanced skills in robotics, artificial intelligence, the It is a big wake-up call to think and do things differently if we want to Internet of Things, and satellite technology. To this end, researchers take the lead as South Africa, with our universities playing an essential will be trained through complementary skills at UP and the CSIR.” This role in co-creating the continent we want beyond COVID-19.” will further develop the skills required to design, construct, maintain and rehabilitate the extensive roads network in South Africa. He said in this partnership UP seeks to advance the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with particular focus on Kenny Kistan, CSIR Executive Cluster Manager: Smart Mobility, innovation, infrastructure and sustainable cities and communities as said: “The Smart Mobility Cluster of the CSIR sees the collaboration critical for developing any economy. with the Engineering Faculty of UP as an integral component of its strategic initiative to address transport and infrastructure challenges Speaking at the signing ceremony, CSIR CEO Dr Thulani Dlamini said in the country and the continent. This will undoubtedly contribute that the collaboration with UP has a long history and has always been to improving and advancing economic activity. This partnership will productive. This agreement is further testimony to the enduring enable us to share our expertise to accelerate technology solutions in partnership between the two institutions. “Our collaborations with South Africa’s smart mobility sector.” higher education institutions such as the University of Pretoria enhance CSIR’s research, development and innovation activities “Besides, this initiative is a positive start to co-create scientific through production of high-quality knowledge, technologies knowledge and multi-faceted technological innovation and solutions, and innovations in the chosen sectoral areas of focus. Further, which is in line with our implementation plan and is linked to the they provide a solid platforms for advancing our human capital CSIR’s mandate to support and strengthen industrial activity in the development skills objectives and in this case we will jointly be country,” Kistan said. developing skills of the future as part of the scope of the agreement.” The collaboration includes the cooperative use of the CSIR laboratories and UP’s Engineering 4.0 facility. These facilities complement each other and allow for larger research projects to be executed, with the involvement of postgraduate students. The collaboration also entails jointly working towards the establishment of a CSIR Research Chair in Smart Mobility at UP. This Chair funds senior researchers and postgraduate students who will conduct research in areas of targeted need. Professor Sunil Maharaj, Dean of EBIT, said the state-of-the-art

Dr Dlamini further said the partnership was truly synergistic in that the envisaged application of emerging and fourth industrial revolution (4IR) technologies, among others, in this collaboration in fact executes the new CSIR strategy and does so as the CSIR mandate intended. “What is even more meaningful is that through this partnership, we will also contribute to addressing the triple challenges of unemployment, poverty and inequality in our country, as smart transport, cities and environment are key to addressing these challenges,” Dr Dlamini said.

University of Pretoria | TUKKIE 53

Social d i s t a n c i n g didn’t stop volunteering By Dr Martina Jordaan Senior lecturer: Community-Based Project Module

When the lockdown linked to COVID-19 challenged students on how they were going to complete their 40 hours of compulsory community work*, many of them found creative ways to do their fieldwork. Several students helped teachers with online teaching via Google Classroomdeveloped YouTube videos and PowerPoint presentations, and taught learners via WhatsApp. Some students developed YouTube videos focusing on specific topics in the curriculum and shared them with the learners. Two students, David de Villiers and Kian Strydom, also helped shelters and communities across Tshwane by developing an app for the Tshwane Homelessness Forum. The app helped manage shelters’ needs and supplies during the COVID-19 pandemic, so that they could optimally provide for and assist their communities. Ongoing projects include students making masks and visors for schools, clinics and NPOs that deliver them to the communities.

Assisting teachers with online teaching.

To achieve the outcomes of the compulsory undergraduate course Community-based Project Module (code: JCP) of the Faculty of Engineering, Built Environment and IT, students must work 40 hours in the community. In the 2020 academic year 1 909 students enrolled for the module.

Nishsai Veerappa, a second-year BCom (Informatics) student, said she had a newfound appreciation for teachers. “I did not realise how difficult a teacher’s job is, especially in the current pandemic. Learners rely on these presentations to learn the work that they should have learnt in their classroom.” Jano Esterhuizen, a second-year Electronic Engineering student, reported “as the youth we have the power to set the standards for the future. The JCP project made me realise the great need for volunteering work in our communities. The small deeds that we as youth do which do not require much of us can make a massive impact on other people in need”.

54 TUKKIE | University of Pretoria

Tyler Schwegler, a second-year mechanical engineer, delivered his homemade masks at the SPCA.

Kgomotso Motau, a second-year Quantity Surveying student, delivered masks to Thushanang Primary School in Middleburg.

’It’s a joy!’ Endangered cheetah cub triplets born Juno, a four-year-old cheetah from Cheetah Experience, gave birth to a stillborn cub, and went about her normal routine. Days later, a caesarean section helped her become a mother to three healthy cubs. Domestic cats are known for having the ability to pause labour and resume it a few days later. This phenomenon is not well studied in wild felids so when the caring staff at Cheetah Experience noticed movement in Juno’s abdomen, she was rushed to UP’s Veterinary Academic Hospital. Dr Jacques O’Dell, specialist wildlife veterinarian in the Faculty’s wildlife unit, examined her and found her in good health. Dr Geoff Brown (reproduction specialist) performed a reproductive examination and found no signs of obstruction. Radiographs revealed three healthy foetuses and they were considered full term. Cheetah females have a gestation period of approximately 90-98 days.

Due to the unique challenges in monitoring labour in wild cats, the decision was taken to not risk the lives of the mother and her cubs and to rather proceed with a caesarean section. Juno was rushed to theatre where Dr Roxanne Buck, specialist veterinary anaesthesiologist, and her anaesthetic team did an excellent job of keeping Juno and the cubs alive during surgery. In particular, anaesthesiology resident, Dr Abdur Kadwa was instrumental in resuscitating the newborns. While recovering from the anaesthetic the team ensured that the cubs could suckle from their mom. These first few sips of milk (known as colostrum) are vitally important as it contains antibodies and strengthen the cubs’ immune system. After mom recovered sufficiently from the procedure, she went home to raise her three cubs so they can also one day contribute to the cheetah gene pool. The current conservation status of the cheetah is classified as vulnerable.

University of Pretoria | TUKKIE 55

Vaccine trial for bovine TB could help eradicate TB among humans Professor Anita Michel and Dr Jennie Hewlett, researchers in the Faculty of Veterinary Science, have announced the start of vaccine trials for tuberculosis (TB) in African buffalo. Bovine tuberculosis is an extremely slow but steadily progressing disease that poses a serious health threat to cattle, wildlife and people, especially in developing countries. Without active surveillance, bovine TB typically goes unnoticed for years until it has escalated to a point where one or more animals present with severe disease. At this stage, the spread of TB within and between animal populations is virtually unstoppable, and culling infected animals becomes the only solution. This is unfeasible in wildlife populations. “The urgent need for alternative control strategies, which are able to reduce and ideally cease disease spread, sparked plans for an important TB vaccination trial among African buffalo,” says Dr Hewlett, who is a lecturer in the Department of Paraclinical Sciences. “The protective effects of two different anti-TB vaccines will be

56 TUKKIE | University of Pretoria

systematically studied in buffalo under controlled conditions for nine to 12 months in the state veterinary quarantine bomas at Skukuza,” explains Prof Michel of the Department of Veterinary Tropical Diseases. Dr Hewlett is a wildlife veterinarian at the Faculty of Veterinary Science and is a PhD candidate on this vaccination project. Prof Michel and Dr Hewlett have received overwhelming support from a team of local wildlife, veterinary and state veterinary professionals who ensured a safe and efficient operation, from capture and testing to translocating the buffalo. “For the study, Phinda Private Game Reserve and the Manyoni Private Game Reserve in KwaZulu-Natal donated 26 buffalo,” says Prof Michel. “The level of stakeholder involvement is indicative of the disease challenge at hand.” “It is crucial to remember that bovine TB is a zoonotic disease, and can be spread from animals to humans,” adds Dr Hewlett. “According to the World Health Organisation’s Global Tuberculosis Programme, 147 000 new cases of zoonotic tuberculosis occurred in 2016 worldwide, with some 12 500 people dying of the disease. In South Africa, the burden of zoonotic TB is not known because the required diagnostic methods are not applied in medical TB laboratories. It will be impossible to successfully eradicate TB among humans without tackling zoonotic TB.”

Research study on returning to sport after COVID-19 Author: Primarashni Gower

The Sport, Exercise Medicine and Lifestyle Institute (SEMLI) at UP, in association with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Research Centre of South Africa, has launched a study on the effects of COVID-19 and other respiratory infections on athletes returning to training and competition. “Since the first case of the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) was described in late 2019, the COVID-19 pandemic has added an unparalleled threat to the health of all people, including recreational and professional athletes around the world,” says Professor Martin Schwellnus, director of SEMLI. About 50% of all acute illness in athletes during competitions and tournaments affect the respiratory tract, he explains. Some acute respiratory infections, such as COVID-19, negatively affect multiple organs in the body, which can cause a drop in exercise performance and increase the risk of medical complications occurring during exercise. As lockdown restrictions are lifted, the SEMLI community is being called on to urgently advise and guide organisations and individual athletes on how they can safely return to sports training and competitions following a COVID-19 infection. “The current return-to-play guidelines for

athletes are an adaptation of a clinical tool known as the ’neck check’, where the decision to exercise or not is based on symptoms and signs being either localised (above the neck) or systemic (below the neck),” explains Prof Schwellnus. “But limited research data supports its use, and the use of this tool to guide return-to-play following COVID-19 has been questioned.” There is increasing evidence that the virus can affect multiple organs including the lungs, kidneys and heart, and increases the risk of blood clot formation. There might also be neurological symptoms and potential negative effects on skeletal muscle. There is, however, no data that determines whether the negative effects on organs are exacerbated in athletes as they return to full training and competition. “Such residual symptoms might not affect only sports performance but could increase the risk of medical complications occurring during high-intensity exercise,” Prof Schwellnus says. “The decision as to when it is safe for an athlete with recent or current symptoms of an acute respiratory infection can return to exercise remains one of the most challenging clinical decisions for a sport and exercise medicine physician or health professional involved in the management of athletes.” The AWARE research study aims to answer these questions by tracking the symptoms

and recovery of athletes after they have experienced a recent acute respiratory infection, including COVID-19. This will allow guidelines to be established that health professionals around the world can use to advise competitive and recreational athletes as they return to sport after COVID-19 or some other respiratory infection. SEMLI is inviting athletes who compete at all levels and in different sports to be part of this important research, including: • elite/professional, competitive and recreational athletes (those participating in community-based sports events, and who regularly train a minimum of 3 hours per week or under the guidance of a coach), with or without disability • athletes between 18 and 60 years of age • athletes who have had any symptoms of a respiratory infection (any flu-like illness including COVID-19) in the past six months, such as a sore throat, blocked or runny nose, cough, loss of smell or taste, difficulty breathing, chest pain, fever or chills, excessive tiredness or unexplained general muscle/body pain, or • who have had a COVID-19 test in the past six months (with or without symptoms). Participants will be asked to complete an online questionnaire about their history of symptoms that are suggestive of a recent acute respiratory infection, including COVID-19.

The Athletes With Acute Respiratory InfEction (AWARE) research study is done in collaboration with local academic institutions (South African Medical Research Council, Stellenbosch University and University of the Witwatersrand), international academic institutions as well as sports organisations such as the IOC, FIFA and World Rugby.

For more information about the AWARE study and how to become involved, contact: aware_covid@semli.co.za. University of Pretoria | TUKKIE 57

Africa’s sporting powerhouse UP’s focus on sport and sport development, also through our world-renowned High Performance Centre, is a major drawcard for student athletes to study at UP. With the new Sport, Exercise Medicine and Lifestyle Institute (SEMLI) launched in 2018, UP has further distinguished itself as a centre of excellence in sports medicine, sports science and research on healthy lifestyles. In a year where COVID-19 hamstrung many athletic performances, our athletes still managed to make their mark on the global stage, reports Wilhelm de Swardt. TuksAthletics

Simbine caps dream season running 9.96s Akani Simbine has achieved something few athletes have managed to do: not to lose once in a season. He won seven 100-metre races on the trot clocking two of the four fastest times in the world. For Akani’s coach, Werner Prinsloo, it is mission accomplished. “The big thing for Akani and me was that 2020 should not be remembered as a wasted year. We wanted to race, and we wanted to win. We did both. The fact that Akani managed to clock two sub-10 times is an absolute bonus. “Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it was never going to be about times this season. In June, I was prepared to ’scrap’ the year because Akani was not able to train properly. When things started to change for the better, it was vital for us to make the most of every opportunity. “It helped that he never felt under pressure to perform. To be on the track in Europe, training and competing was all that mattered. His continuous winning streak did a lot for his confidence.” Akani is preparing for next year’s Tokyo Olympic Games and hopes to qualify to race the 100m as well as the 200m at the Games.

TuksSquash

Above: TuksSquash league winners Helena Coetzee, Mariska Wiese, Nothando Ntimane and Jess McDonald.

Tuks women win the Northerns Squash Blitz League Tuks’s women’s squash team bagged their first title for the season when they won the Northerns Blitz League in February 2020. Their secret? Camaraderie, according to Mariska Wiese. “The four of us had only one goal, and that was not to let the team down. It meant we fought for each point we played. Our coaches at Tuks also

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it was never going to be about times this season.

deserve a lot of credit. They left nothing to chance.” The Tuks players each have their own unique way of approaching a game. Helena Coetzee will tell you it is about never giving up. “It is a matter of pride to me to chase down every ball. If you can do so, you start to frustrate your opponent as they don’t know what shots they need to play to win a point. I also like to dominate the centre of the court where it’s easier to dictate the play.” Jessica McDonald prides herself on being able to quickly identify any opponent’s strengths and weaknesses and adapt her way of play to it. She also favours a no-nonsense approach on the court. “I like to get any rally over and done with as soon as possible.” Nothando Ntimane is totally focused. “One moment’s lapsed concentration is all it takes to be caught off-guard. In a way, squash seems to calm me. At times it feels like it is only me and the ball. Nothing else matters.”

58 TUKKIE | University of Pretoria

TuksSwimming

Schoenmaker sets SA 200m breaststroke record Tatjana Schoenmaker surprised herself during the trials for the South African Shortcourse

records in one specific event at the same time. Five of the six Africa breaststroke records

Championships by setting an Africa as well as a

also belong to Tatjana. The 50m short course

new national record in the 200m breaststroke.

breaststroke is the only record she has not yet

She won in a time of 2:18.20, which is 0.53s faster than the record set by Suzaan van

claimed. Meiring (TuksSwimming head coach)

Biljon during the 2008 Short Course World

said he was precise in what he expected from

Championships in Manchester. The former Tuks

Schoenmaker.

swimmer swam 2:18.73. Tatjana’s heroics mean she now can boast

“I wanted to see how fast Tatjana can swim the second 100 metres. So I told her to swim the

a “full house”. She also holds the short course

first 100 metres on a slow stroke count. We only

records (25m) in the 50m as well as 100m

afterwards realised that she had set a record. It is

breaststroke events. The Tuks swimmer’s talent

unusual for, a national and continental record of

for breaking records is not restricted to short

this level to get broken at altitude in a school pool

course galas. She has set national records in all

in good old Pretoria of all places.”

three of the long course (50m) events. She is possibly one of only a handful of South African swimmers to ever hold all six national

According to Meiring swimming times at altitude tends to be near a second slower in all events longer than 100 metres.

TuksGolf

Coach overcomes COVID-19 virus to help win in Portugal The COVID-19 virus could not stop TuksGolf’s

at Royal Obidos. After the first round, he was tied

head coach, Llewellyn van Leeuwen, from helping

eighth.

to guide George Coetzee to win the Portuguese Masters Tournament in September. For four days in July Llewellyn was “man down”. There were times when it apparently felt like a fat person was sitting on his chest, making

Van Leeuwen tends to play down his role in Coetzee’s success. “George likes to run ideas past me. I would tell him to go ahead or to reconsider.” But there is more to it—the Tuks coach

it difficult for him to breathe. The one thing that

considered to be one of the best when the technical

kept him going was his passion for golf. After a

aspects of the game. In 2015 he was voted the PGA

week, all he wanted to do was to be back at the

of South Africa’s Teaching Professional of the

TuksGolf range helping players to better their

Year.

game. Llewellyn and George’s “working relationship” goes way back. “I first coached George when he was 14 when he won the South African Amateur Championships and his first professional tournament. Soon

Many would go as far as to say Van Leeuwen is the “Master of Swing”. That is one aspect of Coetzee’s game that tends to let him down at crucial moments. Van Leeuwen still remembers what happened a few years back. “I had only started to coach George again when

afterwards our ways parted. It was only three years

he played the Portuguese Masters. On the last day,

ago that George had approached me to help him

he was second with one hole to play. He mistimed

again,” Llewellyn explained.

his swing. The ball twice landed in the water.

It is possibly one of the best decisions George ever made. Winning the European Tour’s

George ended up playing seven shots. “The past Sunday on the same hole George

Portuguese Masters Tournament in 2020 was big

played it beautifully. The ball landed perfectly in

for him. It was the first time that he won in Europe.

the middle of the fairway. It was possibly one of

Besides his victory in Portugal he has also won the Titleist Championships in Pretoria and improved his international ranking by more than 80 positions. He is currently ranked 85th. He is currently playing the Open de Portugal

As a youngster, Van Leeuwen was considered

the best T-shots he ever played. It was a mental

to be exceptionally talented. Unfortunately, he got

victory.

hit by a cricket ball in the eye while at school and

“To me, it was if three years of hard work

suffered a detached retina that affected his vision.

all came together. That is what makes coaching

It put an end to his plans to play golf competitively

rewarding.”

but led to him starting to coach.

University of Pretoria | TUKKIE 59

In memory of … Gawie Fagan

It is fitting that he spent the

practice in Cape Town and undertook his first

last few months of his life in Die

conservation project, La Dauphine, in 1966.

The University of Pretoria’s

Es surrounded by the mountain

This was followed by Tulbagh Main Street

Faculty of Architecture recently

and sea, with his wife of 71 years,

renovations in 1969, then his longest-running

lost one of its longest-living

Gwen.

project, the Cape Town Castle, for which he

alumni, Gabriël (Gawie) Theron

Fagan was one of four

won the SAIA Award of Excellence in 2002. In

Fagan, who passed away at the

brothers born in Newlands, Cape

1988, Fagan received a Gold Medal from SAIA,

age of 94.

Town on 15 November 1925.

the organisation’s highest honour for local

Fagan graduated with a BArch

Music, motorcycles and maidens

architects.

in 1952 and was a recipient of the

took up much of his engineering

He is also regarded by many as a polymath,

University’s Chancellor’s Award in 2003. He

study time at the University of Cape Town,

having made an epic journey from Portugal

is best known for his domestic architecture

after which his mother encouraged him

to Mossel Bay in a replica caravel to celebrate

and his own house, Die Es (The Hearth) in

to study architecture at the University of

the 500th anniversary of the arrival of

Camps Bay, Cape Town was a labour of love.

Pretoria. He excelled and displayed great skill

Bartolomeu Dias in the Cape in 1488. Then

The house epitomised everything that the

as a designer, with his prize-winning projects

in 1982, he won the Transatlantic yacht race

architect stood for during his 68-year career:

featured in several South African Institute of

from the Cape to Punta del Este and the 2003

a sensitivity to the landscape, hand-forged

Architects (SAIA) journals.

race to Bahia.

materials, an appreciation of history and the creation of place for modern living.

Fagan began his architectural career with

Author: Professor Arthur Barker

Volkskas Bank in 1952. In 1964, he set up a

Dr Claude De Villiers

In 1955 he became a full-time

he accepted a lectorate in anthropology at

missionary on the Rand (Mayfair

the University of Pretoria. Claude wrote one

Claude was born in Villiersdorp

West, Johannesburg), where

chapter in Godsdiens (edited by PJ Coertze)

in the Cape Province on 29

he worked among the coloured

and Inleiding tot algemene Volkekunde

June 1924. At the age of 16, he

community. In 1956 he accepted a

(1959). In 1972 he completed his PhD thesis,

matriculated at De Villiers Graaff

position as Chief Superintendent

Die vryetydsbesteding van volwasse manlike

High School in Villiersdorp as one

of Daveyton in Benoni.

Bantoes in die gebied Pretoria-Witwatersrand-

of the top ten pupils in the Cape

From 1955 he researched the

Province. In 1947 he completed

history and activities of the ANC,

his MTheology at the Seminary,

and interviewed, among others,

Vereeniging, with the help of a grant from Dr Anton Rupert. Claude retired in 1984. He was married to

Stellenbosch University. He was the itinerant

Oliver Tambo. He also met Nelson Mandela.

Mercia Loraine Pietersen of the Uitenhage

minister of the SCA for two years (1948-

In 1956 he completed his MA dissertation,

District (Eastern Cape) for 66 years, and

1949), after which he accepted a position at

Die “African National Congress” en sy

they had six children, 14 grandchildren, and

the NG mission congregation Vlakfontein

aktiwiteite aan die Witwatersrand (1912-

12 great-grandchildren. On 29 July 2020, he

(the present-day Mamelodi) in Pretoria East.

1956) with distinction. The year after that,

passed away at the age of 96 in Pretoria.

Dr Rolf Stumpf

Prof Stumpf was a member of

authored and co-authored a large number

the Board of the Higher Education

of policy reports in the field of education,

University of Pretoria mourns

Quality Committee (HEQC) and

especially in higher education.

the passing of the first Vice-

was elected as a member of the

Chancellor and CEO of Nelson

Executive Committee of Higher

KwaZulu-Natal. After completing his schooling

Mandela Metropolitan University

Education SA (HESA), now known

in Vryheid and Pietermaritzburg, he enrolled

(NMMU), Dr Rolf Stumpf. Dr

as Universities South Africa

for a degree in Mathematics & Statistics at

Stumpf was Vice-Chancellor of

(USAF).

the University of Pretoria and graduated with

NMMU from 2006 to 2008. As Vice-Chancellor and CEO

He was also a Trustee of the Centre for Higher Education

Dr Stumpf was born in 1945 in Vryheid,

a BA (cum laude) in 1967. He continued with his studies in statistics while lecturing at the

of one of our predecessor institutions, the

Transformation (CHET), a member of the

University of Pretoria, receiving a BA Hons (cum

University of Port Elizabeth (UPE) from April

Academy of Science of SA and served on the

laude) in 1969 and an MA (cum laude) in 1972.

2002, he was instrumental in leading the

Board of Directors of the PE Regional Chamber

merger of the former UPE, the PE Technikon

of Commerce.

and Vista University’s PE campus in 2005.

Dr Stumpf authored a number of scientific

In 1974, while studying full-time and lecturing part-time, he completed a Diploma in Theology (cum laude) at the Baptist College of

He was thereafter appointed Interim Vice-

articles in the field of statistics (qualitative

SA in Johannesburg. He was awarded his PhD in

Chancellor of NMMU, and in September 2005

data analysis) and was co-author of a book on

Statistics (Analysis of Qualitative Data) from the

appointed as Vice-Chancellor.

Graphical Exploratory Data Analysis. He also

University of South Africa in 1984.

60 TUKKIE | University of Pretoria

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