THEWITSBOOK HISTORY, TRADITIONS AND INTERESTING SPACES
COMPLIMENTS OF ALUMNI RELATIONS
Table of Contents Welcome to the World of Wits
1
Defending Social Ideals
3
Timeline of Wits Milestones
5
Alumni
15
Convocation
16
General Assemblies
17
Graduation Ceremonies
19
The Mace
23
Coat of Arms
25
The Wits Mascot
27
Traditions, Superstitions & Rites of Passage
33
History of Traditions
35
Annual Events
39
Sport & Recreation
43
Interesting Spaces & Places
47
Illustrious Witsies
55
Johannesburg - City of Gold
61
If I only knew then ‌
63
New Traditions
71
Welcome to the World of Wits 1
E
stablished in 1922, Wits University has a proud and distinguished record of innovation, excellence, enlightened discourse, and academic leadership. This handbook is your introduction to the world of Wits, its history, traditions, rituals, symbols, and interesting spaces. Over its long history some unique and quirky traditions have developed. Some are austere and academic, others just silly and fun! They’re all part of the fabric and fascinating legacy of one of the world’s top universities. Whilst this handbook can’t do justice to the rich tapestry and enormous variety and diversity of everything Witsie, it will give you a taste of the unique Wits experience as you progress through being a student today, to being a Witsie forever. History binds us in memory and traditions are a way of bonding and connecting with an institution, giving it a unique sense of identity. Some traditions are long-since gone and are simply part of history. New ages bring new traditions. As Wits continues to grow and progress, new traditions will evolve. Join us in this evolution that, for almost a century, has been a unique part of giving Witsies the edge.
We hope that you will celebrate your identity as a Witsie and feel proud of being part of the Wits experience.
You are a Witsie for life so truly make this a Wits to call your own.
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Defending Social Ideals
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Wits is a vibrant University in the heart of cosmopolitan Johannesburg. Throughout its long history the University has been synonymous with progressive thought, public engagement and academics and students who speak up and speak out. Whilst its history is inevitably tainted by the exclusionary policies of apartheid, Wits has a proud record of standing up for social justice, freedom and democracy. Wits is renowned for its demonstrations in defence of human rights and freedoms, from the splendour of formal academic marches in full regalia to messy skirmishes with the teargas and batons of the former “riot police�. From the time Wits defied segregation by permitting black students to study in the 1930s, through the wave of student activism in 1948 when the National Party formalised apartheid, to the hotbed of political unrest during the turbulent 1980s, the University has always been the breeding ground for bold leadership and a diversity of voices. The University’s commitment to liberty and justice continues to this day where Wits holds public forums for discussion and debate on current social issues and has spoken out on media freedom, xenophobia, HIV Aids and the right of the Dalai Lama to visit South Africa.
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Defending Social Ideals
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Defending Social Ideals
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Wits Milestones
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Wits Milestones
1896
1934
1896
Wits University’s forerunner, the South African School of Mines, is established in Kimberley.
1904
The School moves to Johannesburg and is renamed the Transvaal Technical Institute.
1906
The Institute is renamed the Transvaal University College.
1922
The University is formally inaugurated on 4 October at a ceremony at the Johannesburg Town Hall and Professor Jan Hofmeyr is appointed the first Principal. Full University status is granted and the University of the Witwatersrand is established with about 1 000 students. The Johannesburg municipality donates a site in Milner Park to the University and construction begins on what is now East Campus. Prince Arthur of Connaught is installed as the University’s first Chancellor. Sir William Dalrymple is elected as the first Chairperson of the Wits Council.
1923
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Mr H Hofmeyr is elected the first President of Convocation. Wits University Press founded.
1925
The Central Block is officially opened by His Royal Highness, Edward, Prince of Wales. In a famous student hoax, a ‘bogus’ prince is initially presented to the crowd. Raymond Dart publishes in Nature his discovery of Australopithecus africanus.
1928
Professor Humphrey Raikes is appointed Principal. His tendency to fall asleep during important meetings and even official public occasions causes alarm, but is later recognised as narcolepsy and treated.
1931
Central Block is gutted by fire and the library destroyed.
1934
New Library, now the William Cullen Library, is officially opened by Prince George, Duke of Kent. The University’s Council decides to begin admitting black students to Wits.
Wits Milestones
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1939
1960
1939
The Right Honorable Jan Hofmeyr is installed as the University’s second Chancellor.
1940
The Governor-General, Sir Patrick Duncan, officially opens the Great Hall in the now completed Central Block.
1943
The first major Wits student protest, against increased fees, takes place.
1946
Wits launches its ‘crash’ programme for ex-volunteers returning from World War II. The University enrolls 2 825 ex-volunteers, more than twice as many as all the other South African universities combined.
1947
Honorary alumnus Dr Robert Broom and Professor John Robinson discover ‘Mrs Ples’ at the Sterkfontein Caves.
1948
The National Party wins the South African election, prompting student politics to begin engaging with issues of national significance. Various student organisations become more politicised and involved in the anti-apartheid movement.
1957
Two thousand academic staff, students and members of Convocation march from the University to the City Hall behind the banner ‘Against Separate Universities Bill’.
1959
On 16 April, thousands of students and staff stand in silence on campus to mourn the passing of academic freedom as the National Party passes the Extension of University Education Act (a follow-up to the Bantu Education Act of 1953). Both acts exclude blacks from white schools and universities.
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Opening night of the African jazz opera, ‘King Kong’ is staged in the Great Hall featuring Miriam Makeba as the leading lady and Hugh Masekela on trumpet. 1960
The University purchases the Sterkfontein site, an area with limestone caves that are famous for their fossil finds and palaeo-anthropological significance. On 12 October the first full-sized planetarium in Africa, and the second in the Southern Hemisphere opens its doors on Wits Campus to the public.
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Wits Milestones
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Pictured clockwise from the left: Council Chairperson, Saki Macozoma, Chancellor Digkang Moseneke, President of Convocation Professor Mamokgethi Phakeng, Vice-Chancellor and Principal Loyiso Nonxga and founder Principal Jan Hofmeyr.
Jan Hendrik Hofmeyr was a child prodigy, matriculating at age 12, obtaining his BA aged 15 and MA aged 17. At age 25 he was appointed as the first Principal of Wits University. He was later elected Chancellor of Wits and is remembered for a forthright address at a graduation ceremony in 1946 where he branded the tyranny of prejudice as the greatest evil facing South Africa. Throughout his life Hofmeyr was very attached to his many cats. Wits Milestones
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1961
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1993
1961
A plaque is unveiled at the Great Hall declaring: “We affirm in the name of the University of the Witwatersrand that it is our duty to uphold the principle that a university is place where men and women, without regard to race and colour, are welcome to join in the acquisition and advancement of knowledge; and to continue faithfully to defend this ideal against all those who have sought by legislative enactment to curtail the autonomy of the University.”
1966
United States Senator Robert F Kennedy addresses Wits students in the Great Hall.
1968
The Wits Graduate School of Business (Wits Business School) is established in Parktown.
1976
The University expands into Braamfontein where it buys Lawson’s Corner and renames it University Corner. Senate House, the University’s administrative premises, are occupied the same year.
1980
The University occupies two new buildings in De Korte Street - Campus Lodge and Convocation House.
1981
Felicity Steadman (nèe Wright) (BA Social Work) becomes the University’s 50 000th graduate.
1982
Wits alumnus Sir Aaron Klug wins the Nobel Prize for Chemistry.
1983
The Wits Theatre is opened.
1984
The University purchases the Milner Park showground from the Witwatersrand Agricultural Society and converts the grounds into West Campus.
1988
Wits confers an honorary doctorate on Nelson Mandela. Honorary Wits alumna Nadine Gordimer wins the Nobel Prize for Literature.
1989
The Chamber of Mines Building for the Faculty of Engineering is inaugurated and the brick-paved AMIC deck, linking East and West Campus, is built. Wits University purchases the Umbabat Farm in Bushbuckridge, Limpopo Province, to launch the Wits Rural Facility, an interdisciplinary research facility to develop the local community.
1993
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Honorary Wits alumnus Nelson Mandela wins the Nobel Peace Prize.
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Wits Milestones
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1997 1997
2008
The new South African Constitution takes effect and contains a Bill of Rights which recognises the right of academic freedom in institutions of higher learning. Wits alumnus Professor Ron Clarke unearths the first known Australopithecus skeleton, known as ‘Little Foot’.
2002
The Johannesburg College of Education in Parktown is incorporated into the University merges with the School of Education. The University’s Donald Gordon Medical Centre, South Africa’s only independent academic medical facility, is launched as a result of a R100-million donation by the Donald Gordon Foundation.
2003
Professor Loyiso Nongxa is appointed Vice-Chancellor and Principal. International House, a residence designed for the growing international student population, and the revamped student mall, The Matrix, are opened.
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2006
Wits alumnus, writer and director Gavin Hood, together with five other Wits alumni, win an Oscar Academy Award in the category ‘Best Foreign Film’, for Tsotsi.
2007
Justice Dikgang Moseneke is installed as the eighth Chancellor of the University. The Wits mascot, Kudos Kudu is introduced to inspire Witsies to greater glory.
2008
The first FIFA Medical Centre of Excellence in Africa is inaugurated at Wits. Mr Saki Macozoma is elected Chairperson of the Wits Council. The Faculty of Humanities’ inaugural Wits Arts and Literature Experience (WALE) is launched in April as an annual weeklong celebration of all things literary and artistic. Seven-hundred Wits academics and staff, including the Vice-Chancellor, don their academic gowns and bear placards on Jan Smuts Avenue in protest against nationwide xenophobic attacks. The Wits Theatre celebrates mounting 2 000 productions in its 25-year history.
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Wits Milestones
Photo: Herman Booyens
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Wits Milestones
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2009 2009
2012
The new FNB Commerce Building and the Commerce Library are completed. The University issues a public statement condemning the South African government’s denial of a visa to His Holiness, the Dalai Lama.
2010
A groundbreaking discovery of Australopithecus Sediba fossils (one of which is named ‘Karabo’) is announced to the world by Wits palaeoanthropologist Professor Lee Berger. Wits University serves as the training base for the Dutch football team and South African national football team, Bafana Bafana, during the 2010 FIFA® Soccer World Cup. The new Professional Development Hub and the fourth quadrant of the Chamber of Mines Building are completed. Construction begins on the Wits Art Museum at University Corner in Braamfontein and the Public Health Building on the Education Campus in Parktown.
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Bidvest-Wits FC (aka ‘Clever Boys’/‘The Students’) make history by winning the Nedbank Cup in the first match to be held in the brand new Soccer City stadium in Johannesburg. 2011
Professor Mamokgethi Phakeng is elected President of Convocation. A new student residence complex in Parktown, Wits Junction, and the Science Stadium on West Campus are opened to students.
2012
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Wits celebrates its 90th birthday.
Wits Milestones
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Wits Milestones
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Alumni
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Former students of the University are known as ‘alumni’. Derived from an Arabic word aalim, ‘alumni’ means ‘scholar or an expert in a particular field’. The word is also a Latin noun (alumnus), meaning ‘foster son or pupil’, and derived from the verb alere (‘to nourish’). If you’re a female graduate, you’re an ‘alumna’ and if you’re a male graduate, you’re an ‘alumnus’. The university you graduated from is your alma mater (‘nourishing mother’). The Office of Alumni Relations helps maintain a lifelong bond between the University and its alumni.
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Alumni
Convocation
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Convocation is a statutory body that elects the University Chancellor, the President of Convocation, and the ten members of the Executive Committee of Convocation (EXCO). You automatically become a member of Convocation when Wits confers a degree on you. Convocation’s role is “to discuss and state its opinion upon any matters relating to the University, including matters referred to it by Council.” Convocation EXCO also has two representatives on the University Council and represents alumni on several influential University committees. Comprised of some 135 000 graduates, Convocation is the University’s largest constituency. Convocation also includes academic staff and retired academics who served Wits consecutively for at least a decade. What Wits does today can influence the value of your qualification tomorrow. Convocation is a forum for alumni to have a say in University affairs and thereby ensure that the quality and reputation of their Wits qualification is maintained and strengthened.
Convocation
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General Assemblies
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A General Assembly is a gathering of Convocation members.
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General Assemblies
The University held its first ever General Assembly in 1959 in the Great Hall to protest against the imposition of university apartheid. Two General Assemblies have been held more recently: Affirmation of Autonomy General Assembly
On 19 October 1987 the old South African government renewed its systematic violation of the autonomy of universities. On 28 October, a Wits General Assembly affirmed that: “The University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg is dedicated to the acquisition, advancement and imparting of knowledge through the pursuit of truth in free and open debate, in the undertaking of research, in scholarly discourse and in balanced, dispassionate teaching. We reject any external interference designed to diminish our freedom to attain these ends. We record our solemn protest against the intention of the government, through the threat of financial sanctions, to force the University to become the agent of government policy in disciplining its members. We protest against the invasion of the legitimate authority of the University. We protest against the proposed stifling of the legitimate dissent. In the interest of all in this land, and in the knowledge of the justice of our cause, we dedicate ourselves to unremitting opposition to these intended restraints and to the restoration of our autonomy.”
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General Assembly and Special Graduation Ceremony
On 24 September 2005, a special General Assembly and graduation ceremony was held to enable alumni who had boycotted their graduation ceremony in protest against apartheid education to reclaim ownership of their alma mater, and be formally awarded their qualification. In honour of the ceremony, the Vice-Chancellor and Principal, Professor Loyiso Nongxa, made a landmark proclamation, stating: “We can never claim that this country is completely liberated if there are places that are not ours, that are perceived to belong to the ‘other’. Wits is your university, it is our university as South Africans. Wits belongs to all of us: Black and White, Muslim or Jewish, Christian or Hindu, gay or straight.”
General Assemblies
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Graduation Ceremonies
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A graduation ceremony is held so that the Chancellor of the University can formally confer a qualification on a student. It is the ultimate university experience and the culmination of your years of hard academic slog. Before the graduation ceremony graduates traditionally pose for photographs with the Kudos Kudu mascots on the steps of the Great Hall with the majestic pillars as a backdrop. Graduation ceremonies are a dignified occasion held in the iconic and majestic Great Hall. They begin with the academic procession (Chancellor, President of Convocation, Chairperson of Council, Vice-Chancellor, Deputy Vice-Chancellors, guest speaker, honorary graduands, SRC President, and academic staff) led by the bearer of the University mace and accompanied by the processional song, sIhele. During the ceremony, graduands, wearing black academic gowns, cross the stage to be ‘capped’ and ‘hooded’. The Chancellor taps his hat on the head of the graduate, thereby conferring the degree, and the President of Convocation places the ‘hood’, representing the particular degree qualification obtained, over the graduand.
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Graduation Ceremonies
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Graduation Ceremonies
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Alma Mater
Nourishing Mother
During the graduation ceremony, tribute is paid to the University and to graduands with the singing of the Alma Mater and sIhele
Alma Mater Stans in monte Alma Mater Ubi alba fluit aqua, Omnes doces nos virtutes, Artes et Scientam; Digni simus aula tua, Fortiter et recte stemus, Una voce te canamus Tui nos discipuli. Dure laborabimus, Semper te amabimus, Crede Alma, crede, Mater, Nobis concinentibus.
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Bountiful Mother Standing on the mountain, kind Mother, Where the water of good fortune is flowing You teach us all the virtues, The Arts and Science; May we be worthy of your princely dignity Let us stand powerfully and upright, Let us celebrate you in song unanimously We, your scholars. We shall toil relentlessly/rigorously We shall always delight in/love you Have faith, kind Mother, have faith In us, harmoniously singing your praises.
S.B.P Mnomiya, who wrote sIhele (also known as the ‘black’ Gaudeamus Igitur - Let Us Rejoice) uses poetic language to describe a graduation ceremony. The soloist sings of the ‘strange’ procession of people in long robes and head gear. The choir responds by saying that these people are academics who read profound books of knowledge. Mnomiya goes on to say that the graduands are an inspiration to all of us, and we will graduate like them one day. The song goes on to wish the graduates well and it ends with a resounding “halala” (well done!).
THEWITSBOOK
Graduation Ceremonies
sIhele
The Procession
Anhom Falalala Obani labo? Baphi? Ahhom?
Who are those? Which, Falalala?
Ngibona beza Beyikazela Bathwel’ongiyane Bavela kuphi na? Obani labo? Ongqondongqondo Osibakhulu Yibo labo hhom! Yini na leyo? Ihele Ihele lezingwazi zakithi Ahhom udwendwe Ahhom Udwendwe lwezingqwele zakithi Nant’ ihele Longqondongqondo Nant’ ihele Losibakhulu Udwendwe Udwendwe lwezingqwele zakithi
I see them coming Walking with swinging garments They are wearing head rings Where do they come from? Who are those? They are people with knowledge They are people in authority These are the ones What is that? It is a procession A procession of our heroes
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It is a procession A procession of our champions Here is a procession Of people of knowledge Here is a procession Of people of knowledge A procession A procession of our heroes
Graduation Ceremonies
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The Mace
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The Mace
The University Mace is presented at all graduation ceremonies. Maces (sceptres or ‘swords of state’) were originally weapons of defence. In medieval times, bishops carried a mace instead of a sword into battle to enable them to defend themselves. Over time, the mace has come to be regarded as a symbol of delegated authority vested in a person or an institution. At Wits, it is a symbol of the authority vested in the Chancellor, and a reminder of the mandate given by the legislature of South Africa to the University, to grant degrees. Edinburgh silversmith and engraver, William Kirk, created the Wits mace. It is plated with gold and silver, measures 1 070mm long by 180mm broad and weighs 7kg.
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The heraldic decoration reflects the character of the University as an institution of learning within a mining centre in the Republic of South Africa. The spreading vertical blades at the head of the mace symbolise the horns of the springbok. The central vertical spike depicts a mining rock drill, representative of the University’s mining heritage. The amber stone is a tribute to a former Chancellor, Professor Bernstein (‘bernstein’ being German for ‘amber stone’). The cogs symbolise the cogwheel in the University coat of arms, again a tribute to mining and industry. The words, Universitas Witwatersrandensis Johannesburgi and MCMLXXVI (roman numerals for 1977) depict the year of dedication of the mace.
The Mace
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Coat of Arms
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Coat of Arms
Scientia et Labore through knowledge and through work
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The Wits coat of arms is an adaptation of the South African School of Mines badge. It has evolved over time to reflect various influences on Wits and the academic nature of a University. The motto, “Scientia et Labore” is Latin for “through knowledge and through work”. • • • •
The crest reflects the University colours of blue and gold. The gold background in the upper part of the shield represents the Witwatersrand gold fields. The open book represents learning/knowledge, overlaid on a cog to represent industry. The two wavy silver bars in the lower half of the shield symbolise the Vaal and Limpopo Rivers which border the Witwatersrand gold fields. • Above the shield is the head of a Kudu, a powerful southern African antelope.
Coat of Arms
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The Wits Mascot
The Wits Mascot Kudos Kudu Affectionately known as “Kudos” or “Kudu”, he is imbued with the characteristics that generally typify successful Witsies: He is a leader and an achiever; intelligent, confident, and disciplined. Naturally curious and inquisitive, Kudos is an innovative and progressive thinker and problem-solver who is socially aware, charitable, compassionate, tolerant and civic-minded. His innate stamina and endurance enable him to work his magic relentlessly towards unifying Witsies, lifting their spirits, pride and passion and bringing them good luck. Although Kudos is hardworking, he isn’t averse to kicking up his hooves and having fun! He loves meeting Witsies and celebrating their achievements. He is an extremely loyal friend to Witsies and does everything he can to make sure Witsies are his BBF (best buddies forever). Nothing makes him sadder than when he loses touch with a Witsie who moves without telling him.
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Kudos is tolerant and averse to aggression, preferring diplomatic resolution, but he’s no push-over. Some of Kudos’ natural irritants include the African Hoopoe, which nests at the University of Johannesburg, and the gnome-like ‘Oom Gert’ who, since being kidnapped by Witsies in the 1950s, seldom emerges from his hideout at the University of Pretoria. Ikey Tiger, who prowls the University of Cape Town and Pokkel S. Quirrel, a rodent at the University of Stellenbosch, remain on Kudos’ radar.
The mascot of Wits University , Kudos Kudu, is a cool and cosmopolitan Joburger who is proudly Witsie, proudly South African and a global citizen!
The Wits Mascot
THEWITSBOOK
His natural habitat Kudos can always be found wherever Witsie spirit, pride and passion is needed/resides. Family is also important to him and he enjoys spending free time with his sister Witsie, Ms Kudos and their younger brother, future Witsie, Kudly Kudos. Typical of his breed, Kudos also has a solitary streak. When he’s not in the company of Witsies he ruminates on how to contribute further to giving Witsies a sense of belonging and pride, and truly making Wits a University to call your own.
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Where you can find him Some of Kudos’ regular haunts include graduation ceremonies, where he congratulates graduands and welcomes them to the alumni and Convocation fold; major sports and social events; O-Week; WALE; and surprise walkabouts around campus to meet and greet Witsies. He is, of course, on Facebook where he’d love you to become his Friend and join the Wits Fan Page.
THEWITSBOOK
The Wits Mascot
e and powerful African A Kudu is a beautiful, larg annulated spiral horns, antelope with magnificent ring, a keen sense of a remarkable sense of hea Kudus can outrun most smell and sharp eyesight. ce fro m a sta ndi ng ani ma ls, jum p a 1.5m fen a force strong enough start and can kick with to break a jackal’s back.
Where does Kudos Kudu come from? Kudos has resided quietly on the Wits Coat of Arms since 1922 and has always been looking after Witsies. However, in 2007 he decided to make his presence more visible on campus to unite students in support of a “Proudly Witsie” campaign, initiated by the SRC. He made his debut appearance on October 20, at the Bidvest-Wits vs Santos football match. The rest of Wits met Kudos the next day, at the University’s 85th anniversary celebrations on the Library Lawns.
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Kudos soon found comfortable lodgings for his sister, brother and himself at Alumni House on the West Campus, where he entranced the Alumni Relations officers with his magnetic appeal. They have given him a permanent home and consider it an honour and a privilege to keep him well- groomed, run his errands, and manage his busy schedule of appointments and appearances. His free spirit also lives at the Wits Rural Facility in Limpopo Province, where a majestic Kudu was named Kudos in his honour. Where did Kudos get his name? Alumna and Wits librarian, Diane Hillman (BA 1974, BA Hons 1990) submitted the name ‘Kudos’ in response to a competition run by the Alumni Office in 2007 to name the Kudu. ‘Kudos’ is derived from a Greek noun meaning ‘honour, glory and praise for exceptional achievement;’ all attributes that typify successful Witsies.
The Wits Mascot
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A Mascot History A Mascot History Phineas
The earliest Wits mascot was a wooden Scottish highlander called Phineas. Associated with Men’s Residence, Phineas first appeared in 1922. During intervarsity tournaments - particularly between Wits and the Universities of Cape Town and Pretoria - Phineas was often kidnapped and then boldly rescued. These shenanigans took their toll on poor old Phineas, who had to be resurrected as Phineas II and even Phineas III. The cessation of the intervarsity with Pretoria after 1971 heralded the end of Phineas III’s public appearances. He emerged again in 1987 as the Wits rugby team mascot and was insured for the princely sum of R10 000. He retired from service a long time ago and now resides in the University archives in Senate House.
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Mr Wu
In the 1980s, Mr Wu (short for “Wits University”) emerged as a cuddly mascot based on TV character, Alf. Some traditions endure; others don’t – and such was the fate of Mr Wu, who also now resides in the University archives in Senate House.
Zorbo: RAG mascot, 1960s and 70s
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A Mascot History
Ducks and Pigeons
Ducks loom large in the student psyche, especially as the various campuses are home to many wild creatures that look like ducks but are actually Egyptian geese. The most famous “duck” is Penelope, the Knockando residence mascot, co-custodian of the “Duck & Bull” establishment at the residence. Whilst these birds can be feisty, wild rumours of firstyears being eaten by ducks, pigeons or hadedas on campus have not been independently verified. According to our resident ornithologist the best strategy if “attacked” is not to run, but to show your Witsie courage and calmly stand your ground.
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Zorro, the Men’s Residence cat
Zorro, the Men’s Res cat, was more a residence fixture than a mascot, per se, but distinguished himself in the noisy act of lovemaking. According to legend, on one particularly noisy occasion, Sunnyside Residence’s second-year students were unable to endure his amorous side any longer, resulting in an infamous assault to which Zorro succumbed. Zorro was buried with a bottle of Claret, to keep his memory sweet. His monument (erected with purloined bricks) is at the back door garden of Old College House.
A Mascot History
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Traditions, Superstitions & Rites of Passage
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Traditions, Superstitions & Rites of Passage
Engineering Spring Breakfast
Engineering students gather early in the morning at the Amic deck on the first day of September each year and prepare breakfast to celebrate the arrival of spring. Whilst they are meant to wear pyjamas, many students nowadays dress in their old school blazers or just dress outrageously. Superstition of the Jacarandas
Spring in Jozi brings with it the blossoming of the beautiful Jacaranda flowers. Witsies believe that if one of the purple flowers falls on your head and you haven’t started studying for your year-end exams, then it’s probably too late and you’re doomed to failure…
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Pillow Fight
In what originated as a fundraiser to beat a Guinness World Record for the number of participants in a pillow fight, Witsies now gather on the Library Lawns every September armed with pillows to pummel each other in a riotous explosion of feathers, fabric and foam. Skiffyskofbaas Day (Miners’ Day)
Mining engineering students don their underground mining gear for Skiffyskofbaas Day in July/August each year and traipse around campus in a mining-related rendition of ‘trick or treat’. ‘Skiffy’ translates loosely to menial worker (‘skivvy’), while ‘skofbaas’ refers to a shift boss. After the festivities the students down a pint at ‘Ore House’ on West Campus. Nowadays this tradition is known as the more politically correct ‘Miners’ Day’. Knock Streak
Not condoned by the University, this risqué tradition of Knockando students streaking through the nearby streets of Parktown after imbibing ‘Courage Juice’ has endured for decades.
Traditions, Superstitions & Rites of Passage
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History of Traditions
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History of Traditions
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History of Traditions
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Intervarsity
Today Wits University sport is most famous for its Premier League football team, Bidvest Wits FC or the “Clever Boys”, as they are affectionately known. However, back in the day, rugby was the most popular game on campus and the intervarsity tournament against the University of Pretoria (‘Tukkies’) was the highlight of the sporting calendar. For weeks prior to the match, students would gear up for the game with sing-songs to boost morale and student support. New students would learn the varsity songs, led by cheerleaders. There were also clandestine raids between the two universities, mainly involving students living in residence. The raids were a fun way to rile up the opposition ahead of an important match. In 1956, a Wits University raid resulted in Tuks’ administration buildings being painted red. The controversy generated by such events resulted in the raids being banned in the 1950s. Though students continued the raids illicitly, they eventually stopped in the 1960s when a student was killed in a car-chase. A high-profile affair, the intervarsity game itself was seldom won by Wits University, despite having a few Springbok players in its ranks. The games were played at Loftus Versveld and Ellis Park and supporters from both sides were always decked out in their university colours. Student dress-code
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The standard student’s uniform at Wits University today includes a pair of jeans and a T-shirt, but just 40 years ago the University had strict rules about acceptable dress on its grounds. It’s hard to believe that Wits, a bastion of free-thinking, would dictate what students wore, but up to the 1960s women were only allowed to wear formal dresses and men were required to wear trousers and shirts with a collar and tie, as laid out in the 1922 dress rules. In the mid-1960s students rebelled, wearing more casual clothing. As a result, the rules were relaxed. In 1967, women were allowed to wear trousers and men were permitted to wear open-necked shirts without ties or jackets. Shorts were also allowed – provided they were worn with ‘long stockings’. Women were permitted to wear skirts and blouses and trouser suits – but only in the libraries; trousers could not be worn in lecture halls. Mr and Miss Wits
The Mr and Miss Wits beauty pageant used to take place annually in the Great Hall with a panel of celebrity judges. During their reign, Mr and Miss Wits were required to do charity work and to encourage students to do the same.
THEWITSBOOK
History of Traditions
“The Hatters” taken in 1960 The Hatters: In 1960 a spirited group of second year medical and dental students decided to spice up their lives by wearing bowler hats and dark suits, with the added touch of brollies at lectures on the last Friday of each month, rounding off the day with an evening celebration of “The Mad Hatters”. They made their debut at a lecture by a suitably impressed Professor Phillip Tobias.
Wits Rag
For many decades, Wits students held an annual Rag (Remember and Give) Parade after an intensive six-week charity fundraising campaign. After many festive late nights spent decorating their floats, students would take to the streets of Johannesburg in their finest fancy dress, parading through town and showing off their fabulous floats in an attempt to win the award for best float. In the run-up to the parade, students would hit the streets selling copies of Wits Wits Rag magazine, in a campaign commonly known at the “Wits blitz”.
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Each year, a Rag Queen was elected and, after the parade, a Rag Ball was held in the Examinations Hall. The ball was always a most elegant affair where only evening gowns and dinner suits were considered appropriate attire. Graduation Ball
Graduation Ball was a festive and formal annual event organised by students. The Ball, usually held at the Wanderers Hall, saw a host of high-profile guests mingle with recent graduates dressed in their finest attire, in the hope of being mentioned in the local newspapers. The Hall was decorated in Wits blue and gold, and dinner, drinks and dancing to a live band were the order of the day. The Students’ Representative Council (SRC) election results were traditionally announced at the Ball.
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Annual Events
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Founders’ Tea
‘Founders’ are alumni who graduated forty or more years ago. Annually in November, Founders gather for tea on the Gavin Relly Green to reminisce, engage in spirited debate and catch up on the latest developments at Wits. Up to 400 alumni attend the Founders’ Tea, held until 2009 at Savernake, the Vice-Chancellor’s residence. Wits Arts and Literature Experience (WALE)
First conceived in April 2008 by the Dean of the Faculty of Humanities, Professor Tawana Kupe, WALE is an annual public festival celebrating the music, drama, film, literature and art of academics, students and alumni. This week long public festival of the liberal and classic arts kicks off with a campus parade.
Annual Events
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Lenn Smith Inter-Faculty Campus Road Race
Lenn Smith was a stalwart of the Wits Metallurgy Workshop and a running enthusiast. The first race took place in the 1980s, off campus (around the Gas Works), with the chemical and metallurgical departments the only contenders. Nowadays, this annual race takes place on East and West campuses and attracts some 350 staff and postgraduate students across all faculties. Wits Road Race
The first annual Wits Road Race took place in July 2011. Now a fixture on the Central Gauteng Athletics calendar, more than 2 000 Joburgers, Wits alumni and Varsity Kudus (Wits’ running club) participate in the 21km or 10km scenic runs through Parktown and Westcliff or 5km fun run on campus. Wits Alumni Relations and the Varsity Kudus host the race, which culminates in a festive social gathering on campus. Nadine Gordimer Lecture
The annual Nadine Gordimer Lecture brings some of the world’s top academics to the University. Established by the Wits School of Literature, Language and Media in 2004 to honour Wits alumna and Nobel Laureate Nadine Gordimer’s contribution to literature, the public lecture provides an opportunity to reflect on the role of literature in the public sphere and in education.
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Yebo-Gogga and amaBlomo
Since 2003 the School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences (APES) has transformed the Life Sciences Museum, for three days each year, into an exhibition of live bugs, plants, animals and critters to engage and educate the public – and school children in particular – about the fascinating world of APES.
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Annual Events
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Annual Events
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Sport & Recreation
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Sport & Recreation
Witsies work hard and play hard. Sport and recreation is an important part of the life of many students. Wits boasts some of the finest sports facilities in Johannesburg and students participate in over 40 sports ranging from snow ski to squash, rock-climbing to rowing. Wits is also the only University in the country with a soccer team in the premier division of the soccer league. Bidvest-Wits, popularly known as “The Clever Boys�, is jointly owned by Wits and Bidvest and won the Nedbank Cup at Soccer City in 2010. Many students show their support for the team by wearing lab coats and goggles at games. The Wits Sports Council awards colours for sporting achievement. The highest sporting award the University can bestow is a Wits Full Blue awarded with honours (Cum Laude). This award is granted to students who represent South Africa or who have played in a representative national side, for exceptional sporting performances, sportsmanship, or outstanding contribution to a Club.
Sports colours awarded by the University are: Team Badge Half Blue Full Blue Cum Laude
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the coat-of-arms surrounded by a green laurel wreath, below which appears the name of the sport alone as for the team badge, but with a silver laurel executed in wire as for the team badge, but with a gold laurel executed in wire as for the full blue badge, but with Cum Laude appearing below the name of the sport.
The colours are awarded at the annual Sports Awards dinner at which the Sportsman and Sportswoman of the year is announced.
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Mini Baja Competition
A Mini Baja is a 4-wheeled single-seater off-road vehicle with roll cage, powered by a single cylinder stock 10hp Briggs & Stratton engine. Most tertiary institutions that offer technical or engineering courses compete in an annual Mini Baja design competition. The competition allows students to face off and compare their design efforts and vehicle performance with students from other universities nationally and around the world. Witwatersrand University Flying Association
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One of the more exotic societies to be found at Wits is the Witwatersrand University Flying Association, founded by Wits Vice-Chancellor, Humphrey Raikes, during the 1930s. Raikes was an avid pilot who flew in the Royal Flying Corps during World War I. He passed on his love of flying to Wits students by organising flying lessons for them, courtesy of the South African Air Force. Following Raikes’ retirement in 1954, the association dropped off the radar until the 1970s when a student brought it to Vice-Chancellor Bozzoli’s attention that Wits University no longer had a flying club, while the University of Cape Town did! Although Bozzoli raised the issue with Council, the idea was rejected as too risky. Undeterred, however, and with the help of Supreme Court judge, keen pilot and alumnus, Cecil Margo, Bozzoli came up with a solution and in 1974 the Witwatersrand University Flying Association was reborn. Today the Association is based at Lanseria International Airport and offers fixed wing training, conversions, renewals and “hire and fly” for those who are already qualified.
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Sport & Recreation
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Interesting Spaces & Places
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Interesting Spaces & Places
Champion Bluegum Tree
The giant Bluegum tree on the Gavin Relly Green by the lake on West Campus is a 35m high champion with a stem girth of 7.6m and crown diameter of 40m. Planted sometime in the 1930s, this Eucalyptus grandis thrived next to the main road used by early traders on the Rustenburg-Johannesburg route in the 19th century when gold mining was in its infancy. It is the largest tree in Johannesburg and has been declared a Champion Tree in terms of the National Forests Act of 1998.
48 Graduate School of Business Administration (Wits Business School – WBS)
East Campus
The original University buildings were erected in 1922. The iconic Great Hall (which is a national monument) and Central Block were built in the late 1930s just before World War II and were an elegant addition to the existing infrastructure. The steps of the Great Hall are a favourite meeting place and Witsies love to relax on the lawn between the Wartenweiler and William Cullen libraries.
The WBS was established in 1968. After the establishment of the Graduate School of Public and Development Management (P&DM) in 1992, both WBS and P&DM were integrated into the new Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management in 2001. The WBS is internationally renowned and respected. It’s an entirely postgraduate school – offering, amongst others, a master of business administration (MBA) degree – also certificate and executive programme courses. WBS and P&DM are located at No.2 St. David’s Place in Parktown.
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Health Sciences Memorial
The memorial sculpture outside the Medical School commemorates the acceptance of the Faculty’s Internal Reconciliation Commission manifesto in February 2000. The sculpture depicts two figures – representing medical students – holding books. One figure looks down, representing the years of shame when apartheid legislation limited the participation of black students in medical training facilities. The sharp barbs represent the pain of this indignity. The other figure depicts a student looking up and outwards towards the future, representing a united, non-racial Faculty. The sculpture was created by plastic surgeon, Dr Laurence Chait (MBBCh 1968).
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West Campus
A branch of the British Medical Association originally established the now world-renowned Wits Medical School back in 1916. The school’s first premises were in Hospital Street, Hillbrow in 1919, and the first doctors graduated in 1924. A dental school was established the following year. The Medical School outgrew its premises by 1969 and moved (temporarily) to a new building in Esselen Street. In 1972, construction began on the current Parktown location and the existing school opened in 1982. The faculties of medicine and dentistry amalgamated in 1997 to form the Faculty of Health Sciences. A medicinal garden was established in May 2012 in partnership with Joburg City Parks.
Wits’ West Campus used to be Milner Park and the Witwatersrand Agricultural Society, established in 1894, hosted the Rand Easter Show here from 1907 to 1984. West Campus is the site of David Pratt’s attempt to assassinate apartheid architect, H.F. Verwoerd, on 9 April 1960, while the Prime Minister was watching a cattle show. West Campus’s signature feature is the Tower of Light, designed by Wits’ first Professor of Architecture, Geoffrey Pearce and built in 1936. Back then, a cable car used to run from the Tower down to Empire Road.
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Interesting Spaces & Places
Wits Club and Alumni Pub
The Wits Club and Barns Complex, comprised of Cape Dutch-style buildings nestled amongst ancient Oak trees, includes a restaurant, alumni pub, conference centre and Alumni House which houses the Office of Alumni Relations. The complex is popular with Witsies who enjoy a meal in the stylish and elegant restaurant or under the majestic Oak trees. The barns, which once stabled ponies, has been converted into a conference centre (ideal for alumni weddings, 21sts and birthday gatherings).
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Art on West Campus
The development of West Campus into an ‘art route’ began in 2008. Artworks by eminent artists and alumni including William Kentridge, Cecil Skotnes, Madelaine Georgette, Azwifani Ragamanzi, Deborah Bell, Roy Ndinisa, Francina Ndimande, and Jurgen Schadeberg enhance Witsies’ overall experience through displays of tapestries, photography, sculpture, paintings and beadwork.
Science Stadium The Wits Science Stadium is located on West Campus on the site of the former Charles Skeen athletics stadium. Officially launched on 7 June 2012, the science stadium enhanced the University’s capacity to produce the much-in-demand science, engineering and technology graduates and researchers. The stadium accommodates up to 3 400 students in world-class, state-of-the-art facilities.
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Witwatersrand ‘spruit’ and the Wits Water Divide
The translation of the Afrikaans ‘Witwatersrand’, from which the University is named, is ‘ridge of white water’. This ridge runs east to west through Gauteng and the University’s main campus is located directly on the water divide. As a result, rain that falls to the north of Senate House ends up in the Indian Ocean, while rain that falls to the south of Senate House ends up in the Atlantic Ocean! A beautiful hidden gem on West Campus is a waterfall hewn from the Witwatersrand rock, flowing down to a lake alongside the Gavin Relly Green.
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Senate House
Built in 1977, the Senate House complex houses the University’s top management and central administrative staff. The vast internal expanse of Senate House, known as the Concourse, accommodates the Wits Shop, the Student Enrolment Centre, the International Office, the mailing and post offices, and a café. Before the establishment of the Matrix in 2003, the Concourse was the main meeting and eating-place for students. THEWITSBOOK
Interesting Spaces & Places
Postgraduate Club (aka the Blind PiG)
Wits Education Campus (WEC)
The PiG was established in 1976 and has been in its present location on East Campus, opposite the Origins Centre, since 1990. Exclusively for Wits postgraduate students and staff, membership of the PiG exceeds 200 Witsies. Over the years, activities at the PiG have included quiz nights, live music, vicarious (and sometimes vociferous) participation in televised international sport, and spontaneous games of darts, dominoes and backgammon. You’ll also find highly charged profound philosophical debate, lucid commentary on the state of the nation, and more or less continuous thirst-slaking.
Wits has been teaching teachers since the Johannesburg Normal College opened in Eloff Street in 1909 and enrolled 67 students. Rapid expansion resulted in relocations to Plein Street and Hoofd Street respectively. In 1936, the institution was renamed the Johannesburg Teachers College and then rechristened the Johannesburg College of Education (JCE) in the 1940s. The Wits/JCE relationship has endured since 1919 when it was agreed that JCE students would attend academic courses at what was then the University College of Johannesburg.
‘Mandela Square’
This quadrangle is located outside the New College entrance of Men’s Residence. Students unofficially named the quad ‘Mandela Square’ to commemorate the historic release from prison of former President Nelson Mandela in 1990.
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JCE relocated to its current Parktown campus in 1978. In 1991 JCE underwent a complex but short-lived amalgamation with the Pretoria College of Education, and was subsequently incorporated into Wits in 2001 and merged with the School of Education. The campus is home to Girton, Medhurst and Reith halls of residence, affectionately known as the “Three Towers”.
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Planetarium
Wits Theatre Complex
The Planetarium was started with the sale of a Zeiss Projector by the Johannesburg City Council to Wits for teaching purposes and as a public amenity. Plans for a building to house the projector were drawn in 1958 and building commenced in 1959. On 12 October 1960 the first full-sized planetarium in Africa, and the second in the Southern Hemisphere, opened its doors to the public. The Planetarium is located on Yale Road, East Campus and offers school and public shows, children’s parties, astronomy courses, advice, and access to telescopes.
The Wits Theatre, which includes the Downstairs Theatre and Amphitheatre, features a bar and cafeteria and is one of the finest performing arts facilities in the country. The Theatre was opened in 1983 with its first production being William Shakespeare’s The Comedy of Errors.
53 University Corner - WAM and VOW University Corner, on the corner of Jan Smuts Avenue and Jorissen Street in Braamfontein was originally a 12-floor office and apartment block known as Lawson’s Corner, famous for its revolving rooftop restaurant. When Wits bought the building in 1976 it was converted into a dentistry and dental hospital, later housing the School of Oral Health until the school relocated to the Charlotte Maxeke Academic Hospital in 2002. In 2010 construction began on University Corner to transform the ground and lower floors into the Wits Art Museum (WAM) to house the University’s extensive and priceless African art collection of some 9 000 artefacts assembled over 70 years. The Museum opened to the public on 19 May 2012 and boasts one of the largest collections of African art on the continent. The 9th floor of University Corner is home to the Wits Journalism and Media Studies Department which produces the weekly newspaper Vuvuzela and operates the campus radio station, Voice of Wits 90.5FM. THEWITSBOOK
Interesting Spaces & Places
William Cullen Library
After the original university library in Central Block burnt down in a devastating inferno on Christmas Eve, 1931, the William Cullen Library, now perching on the west side of the Library Lawn, was opened by HRH Prince George in 1934. Architecturally modelled on the Petit Trianon in Versailles, the Cullen is named after Dr William Cullen, a Scottish chemical technologist who came to South Africa in 1902 to work at the Modderfontein Dynamite Factory. He headed an appeal committee to build a new library, which not only raised much of the funding, but also collected 32 000 volumes. The Cullen houses the world famous Mandela Papers original, handwritten notes Mandela made in preparation for his sentencing at the Rivonia Trial - and extensive collections, including the Africana (from the period 1501 to present), early and fine printed books, government publications, and historical and literary papers. Material dated before 1925 may not be photocopied, although digital photography is permissible in selected sections. Nowadays, Witsies have access to state-of-the-art electronic and digital library services in the Cullen.
54 Richard Ward
One of the more quirky buildings is the Richard Ward on East Campus alongside Senate House. Legend has it that no-one realised there was no internal staircase to the top floors when the building was built in 1966, resulting in a spiral staircase being tacked onto the outside of the building.
The oldest monument in the country, the Diaz Cross, is stored in the Cullen. The Diaz Cross commemorates the discovery of South Africa by Portuguese navigator, Bartholomew Diaz, in 1488. Diaz erected the cross near the Bushman’s River Mouth. It was found by historian Dr Eric Axelson in 1938.
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Illustrious Witsies
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Arguably the University’s most famous student is iconic former South African president and Nobel Laureate, Nelson Mandela. Mandela befriended human rights advocate, George Bizos and anti-apartheid activists, Joe Slovo and Ruth First at Wits. Mandela left without completing his law studies and increasingly dedicated his life to fighting apartheid. Wits awarded Mandela an honorary doctorate of law in 1991. He received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993 together with SA’s last apartheid President, FW De Klerk.
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Illustrious Witsies
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Wits has produced numerous illustrious alumni who have excelled in every field of human endeavour. Almost 100 Rhodes Scholars are Wits alumni and four alumni are Nobel Prize Laureates: • Sir Sydney Brenner (BSc, BSc Hons, honorary DSc): 2002 Nobel Prize in Medicine • Nadine Gordimer (honorary DLitt): 1991 Nobel Prize in Literature • Sir Aaron Klug (BSc, honorary DSc): 1982 Nobel Prize in Chemistry • Nelson Mandela (honorary LLD): 1993 Nobel Peace Prize Business leaders and entrepreneurs
• Alderman Michael Bear, former Lord Mayor of the City of London Corporation • Sir Winfried Bischoff, Chairman of Lloyds Banking Group • Sir Donald Gordon, founder of Liberty Life • Brian Joffe, founder and Chief Executive of Bidvest • Sol Kerzner, creator of Sun International • Mark Lamberti, former Chief Executive of Massmart Holdings • Graham Mackay, Chief Executive of SAB-Miller • Nthato Motlana, South African business icon and anti-apartheid stalwart • Patrice Motsepe, Chairman of African Rainbow Minerals • Adrian Gore, Chief Executive of Discovery Holdings • Percy Tucker, founder of CompuTicket • Robbie Brozin, co-founder of Nando’s • Steven Collis, President and CEO of Amerisource Bergen Corp.
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Illustrious Witsies
Legal Luminaries • George Bizos, human rights activist and Mandela’s defence in his Rivonia Trial • Arthur Chaskalson, former Chief Justice, South African Constitutional Court • Richard Goldstone, Supreme Court Justice and international war crimes prosecutor • Sir Sydney Kentridge, legendary Senior Counsel and Constitutional Court acting Justice • Mervyn King, former Chief Justice and Chairman of the King Committee on Corporate Governance in South Africa • Ismail Mahomed, SA’s first post-apartheid Chief Justice • Margaret H. Marshall, former Chief Justice, Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Sports legends
• Bruce Fordyce, Comrades Marathon legend • Hendrick Ramaala, international award winning ultra-marathon athlete • Jan Mallen, the first woman in the history of the Comrades to officially be awarded a silver medal • Tefu Mashamaite, former captain of ‘The Clever Boys’ Bidvest-Wits FC, the first team to win a game at the new World Cup stadium, Soccer City, when they won the Nedbank Trophy in May 2010 • Mark Plaatjes, world-champion marathon-runner Creative talent
Musicians: Johnny Clegg, musician Jaluka/Savuka • Jonathan Crossley, guitarist • Claire Johnston, vocalist Mango Groove • ‘Danny K’, musician,
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Clockwise (L) to (R): William Kentridge, Xolela Mangcu, ‘Danny K’, George Bizos, Ferrari design by Rory Byrne, Soccer City designed by Bob van Bebber and Johnny Clegg Centre: Phillip Tobias
Illustrious Witsies
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songwriter • Sibongile Khumalo, singer • Terence Reis, guitarist who filled in for Dire Straits’ front man, Mark Knopfler at a show at London’s Royal Albert Hall in 2011 • Tessa Ziegler, violinist Theatre & Film: Sylvia Glasser, founder Moving Into Dance Mophathong wa Thabo • Atandwa Kani, actor • Barry Ronge, film critic • Nat Ramabulana, actor • Dame Janet Suzman, actor Artists: William Kentridge, visual artist, recipient of the 2010 Kyoto Prize for Lifetime Achievement in Arts and Philosophy • Alan Crump, the youngest-ever head of the Wits Fine Arts department, he championed the department’s development to rival the best in the country • Cecil Skotnes, acclaimed mixed-medium artist • Gerard Sekoto renowned for his pencil drawings • Deborah Bell critically acclaimed for her print-making • Robert Hodgins took up art after retiring at the age of 63 and subsequently earned recognition as a master satirist, working in oil, watercolours and print Writers & Journalists: William Gumede, former Deputy Editor The Sowetan, author of best-seller Thabo Mbeki and the Battle for the Soul of the ANC (2005). He also wrote a children’s book, The Kite’s Flight • Ferial Haffajee, Editor, City Press • Craig Higginson, award-winning author (The Landscape Painter, 2012) and playwright • Anton Harber, Caxton Professor of Journalism at Wits,
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Illustrious Witsies
author (Diepsloot, 2010) and former Editor, Rand Daily Mail • Xolela Mangcu, columnist and award-winning author (Biko, 2012) and Director of the Steve Biko Foundation • Johnny Steinberg, the only author to have twice won the Sunday Times Alan Paton Award for Non-Fiction (Midlands, 2002; The Number, 2004) Politics and civil service
• Barbara Hogan, former Minister of Public Enterprises • Tony Leon, former leader of the Democratic Alliance • Mary Metcalfe, former Director-General: Higher Education • Angie Motshekga, SA Minister of Basic Education • Helen Suzman, the sole voice of opposition in SA’s apartheid parliament for 36 years • Lulu Xingwana, Minister for Women, Children and People with Disabilities • Helen Zille, Mayor of Cape Town and former leader of the Democratic Alliance Palaeosciences
• Raymond Dart, discovered ‘The Taung Child’ and ‘Mrs Ples’ fossils Australopithecus africanus, Africa’s first • Phillip Tobias, was a world-leading authority on the evolution of humankind associated with the discovery of Australopithecus africanus and Zinjanthropus (‘Nutcracker Man’), amongst many others • Lee Berger, discovered Australopithecus sediba
Clockwise (L) to (R): Ivan Glasenberg (BAcc 1982), Patrice Motsepe (Gallo/Getty Images), Gail Kelly (MBA 1986), Maria Ramos (BCom 1986; BCom Hons 1987) and Patrick Soon-Shiong (MBBCh 1975).
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Alumni on the Rich and Powerful Lists
• Wendy Appelbaum: Nett worth, R1.99bn (Gordon Family Trust) • Koos Bekker: Nett worth, R4.93bn (Naspers) • Ivan Glasenberg: Nett worth, R7.3bn (Glencore International) (# 125 Forbes Billionaires andnamed one of London’s 100 Most Influential People in 2012, by the Evening Standard) • Sir Donald Gordon: Nett worth, R5.71bn (Liberty International) • Gail Kelly: CEO Wespac, (# 60 Forbes Power Women) • Patrice Motsepe: Nett worth, R26.68bn (Rainbow Minerals) • Maria Ramos: CEO ABSA (#93 Forbes Power Women, 2011) • Patrick Soon-Shiong: Nett worth, R7.3bn (#47 Forbes 400 Richest People in America and #127 Forbes Billionaires) • Sharon Wapnick: Nett worth, R334m (Premium Properties/Octodec) (Sources: Wikipedia, Forbes.com and The Rich List, Itellidex, January 2012)
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Johannesburg City of Gold
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Wits University is based in the heart of the City of Johannesburg. Affectionately known as Joburg, Jozi or Egoli, the city was born in 1886 when gold deposits were discovered in the area. Since then, the city has grown into the commercial and financial capital of the country and is known as a city where people come to realise their dreams. Wits campuses are located in the historical suburb of Parktown, which bristles with heritage buildings, and in the cosmopolitan and vibrant suburb of Braamfontein - currently enjoying a massive resurgence as a place to live, work and play. Alumnus Adam Levy has rejuvenated historical buildings here, including The Alex Theatre, Kitchener’s Carvery (one of the city’s oldest bars) and penthouses overlooking the iconic Mandela Bridge. Braamfontein nestles in a cultural arc that includes Newtown, Wits, Constitution Hill and the city’s metro centre. Recent additions include the Wits Art Museum (WAM) and the Saturday morning Neighbourgoods Market.
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Johannesburg City of Gold
With 40% of all the gold ever mined coming from the Witwatersrand, the University appropriately has gold as one of its two corporate colours. Joburg enjoys one of the world’s most pleasant climates. Its subtropical highveld climate means the city has dry, sunny weather with late-afternoon thunderstorms in the summer months of October to April, often accompanied by magnificent electric storms. Winter is the sunniest time of the year, with mild days and cool nights that occasionally drop to below freezing. Joburg at a glance
• • • • •
Almost 4 million inhabitants The second largest city in Africa and one of the 40th largest metropolitan areas in the world One of the world’s leading financial centres With over ten million trees, it is the largest man-made forest in the world Standing at 270-metres (or 90 storeys), the Hillbrow Tower dominates the Joburg skyline and is the tallest tower in Africa • OR Tambo is Africa’s busiest airport • Hosted the 2010 FIFA©World Cup Final at Soccer City
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Johannesburg's twin towns and sister cities include:
• • • • • • •
New York City, United States London and Birmingham, United Kingdom New Delhi and Mumbai, India Kathmandu, Nepal Kobe, Japan Sao Paulo, Brazil Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
(Sources: Wikipedia, www.joburgtourism.com, www.joburg.org.za)
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if I only knew then advice from alumni & students
The following is verbatim advice posted on Facebook and LinkedIn. Advice from Alumni to Firstyears Do your best in every class so that your average will be high and your options will stay open. Be prepared to do your honours degree so that if you end up oversees your degree will be recognized (North American degrees are all 4 years long). There are too few jobs for the amount of graduates so be prepared to do your very best and start networking early. Gareth Dunn (B.Comm, CHRP)
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Don’t be shy to ask questions when you’re not sure about something. Make sure you keep your grades good - well above 65%. Be active around campus i.e have a balanced student life. Yolisa Mfaise (LLB 2010)
Explore Wits, its people, and the courses on offer. Sit in on classes you don’t take. Get involved in sports or recreation on campus. Join at least one society a year. Don’t take yourself too seriously. Join the annual fee increment protests at least once. Run for SRC at least once. Make sure you visit BAQT! But most of all enjoy the time you spend there, you’ll never get it back. Everyone is in a rush to get out, get a job and start making money, but when you’re out you’ll wish you could spend a bit more time there. Sivene Lolwana (BSc 2005)
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If only I knew then
Slow down, relax and make friends ;-) It actually took me a while to absorb the whole “I am at university ” thing that I forgot to enjoy the moment, think laterally and smell the flowers ;-) Mpho Langa (BSc 2003)
Take it from an old Witsie, it’s the time of your life! stay focused, balance your social time with study time, ask for help think laterally and smell the flowers Embrace new ideas, kiss someone you never thought you would I also wish I’d known how to use the library better Get involved in the world around you - it’s your time to change it for the better! You must be streetwise.
Tony Cave (BA 1987, MA 1992)
Be yourself. There’s more than enough friends to choose from so don’t compromise who you are to “fit in”. Ask questions before choosing specialised majors and find out about what is required to get into restricted courses. Follow your passion because it’s hard to study and even harder to study something that doesn’t interest you. Don’t let one bad mark throw you off, just work harder at improving it. Look for bursaries or courses early on in the year prior to the year you need them as most application deadlines begin from June onwards. Most importantly ask questions and keep an open mind to what you are taught - educators know a lot but they don’t know everything. Andrea Olga Papadopoulos (BSc 2009, BSc (Hons) 2010)
U are responsible for yourself....no one is to be blamed. It’s ok to skip lec for a few drinks just make sure its doesn’t become a habit! Karishma Tulsi (BSc 2006)
Never assume that the admin process will be followed automatically. Mithun Kalan (MBA 2010)
My comments might seem obvious but nonetheless, here they are. Listen well in every class and do not fall into the trap of not attending lectures. School is a lot more strict than Uni and one needs to remain disciplined. If one attends all lectures, pays attention and properly focuses then the job of studying is halved. Also, Wits is an amazing campus and can be really impressive. Try to see one new thing on campus each day. At least for your first year!! If nothing this will keep you fit. Carl Dos Santos (BA 2005)
Have more fun and network.
make friends
University is a wonderful time to explore new experiences with new people. Embrace new ideas, debate your mates in the Senate House coffee area (is it still there?), change your clothes, kiss someone you never thought you would, make friends with people you’d never have met at school. Learning takes place in and out of the lecture theatre.
Mpho Langa
kiss someone
Steven Lea (BSc 1988)
If only I knew then
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if I only knew then advice from alumni & students
embrace new ideas Tony Cave
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If it is a challenge you are after, Wits will definitely give you one! However, don’t be too quick to “throw in the towel”. The start might be different and challenging but definitely gets easier as you catch up. Catching up will definitely cost you some of your newly found “freedom” and requires more discipline/maturity than in your High School days. Don’t be scared to ask questions on things you don’t understand no matter how stupid they may sound to you! Once you have your study routine sorted, take some time to socialise and learn things outside your discipline or curriculum. No matter what you do, make sure you enjoy the experience!
Beyond the academic challenge, be open and willing to learn from your fellow students. Every person you come across has their own dream and story, all differences whether they may be faculty, year, belief etc should rather be seen as a bridge to facilitate personal growth in a nurtured environment. Every Sunday evening decide on how many new people you plan to meet during the week and on Friday morning check to see if you managed or need to sprint the last hours. Networking skills practiced at Wits will be one of the best gifts you could ever give yourselves Enjoy with passion
Paul Nkamankeng (BSc 2004)
Colin Kramer (BSc 1981, MSc 1986)
As a long-time ex Witsie (BSc 1985) I wish I had taken the opportunity to sit in on non-course lectures. There is a wealth of opportunity to explore other disciplines / subjects - for pure interest rather than academic scores. Use your free time to stretch yourself and sit in on a lecture that falls outside your sphere of specialisation. Enjoy every minute of being a student - it is your time to stretch and grow! Vivienne Gordon-Turner (BSc 1985)
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If only I knew then
At the heart of working smart is working hard. share your knowledge and your experiences. Hard work reaps success! study hard! play hard! and dnt fall off the edge term breaks are not holidays, but times to study. be patient, persistent and dedicated to your studies. But don't forget to have fun! learn where you can and can’t park. there is no substitute for hard work.
enjoy every minute
By being accepted into Wits it means that you have the potential and the intellectual capacity to complete your studies successfully, and that applies to every other student in campus. What will set you apart is the extra mile that you are willing to go to make your dreams a reality. Approach your studies like it is a job, put in the necessary hours into getting familiar with your course work, engage/network with other students and consult with your lecturers. Some of your biggest challenges will be coming from your personal life and beyond the lecture room, do not let this deter you from your goals. Keep focused and keep strong, you can do it... Neo Nong (BAcc 2008)
A word of advice for Engineering students - If you achieved good marks for matric, you may well find first year easier than expected. Don’t be fooled. First year is just levelling the playing fields. Second and third year are considerably more difficult. You need good grades in first year to make it through second year. Also don’t think that because students from other faculties can afford to spend time on the lawns chatting and miss the odd lecture, that you can do so as well. It’s a tough degree and only the hard working few make it through to fourth year and eventually graduate. Peter Hartley (BSc 1980)
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Get involved and volunteer; make every activity part of your education. Employers look for things like that. Use every resource available, they are there for you. Terence Mbulaheni (BA 2008)
You must be stree twise. Social life ca n be shocking and then int erfere with one's stu die s. There is never balan ce, one must just kn ow the correct side the scale must tilt (perio d). Jafta Lejwe Namo (BSc 2000)
get involved
Nadine Tucker
If only I knew then
THEWITSBOOK
if I only knew then
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exams do loom
Linda Geyser
advice from alumni & students
Be prepared to learn, be enthusiastic about learning not just being a WITS Student. Stay positive even when all seems to not go right, acknowledge when you are not optimistic enough about your studies and go back to re-fill your spirit {Church, chat with family, meditation, etc.} and re-build interest and enhance your curiosity. Be prepared for a challenge to your character and to build on it. STRONG BALANCED CHARACTER is ver y important at WITS UNIVERSITY for one not to fall off the edge because WITS GIVES YOU THE EDGE. Kagiso Madimabe (BCom 2009)
Keep an open mind and remember that there is no substitute for hard work. At the heart of working smart is working hard. Choose courses that you enjoy. With each year that you accomplish success for your courses, also aim to grow personally and strive to be a better person more than you were the previous year. Remember, no man is an island; share your knowledge and your experiences. What good will a graduate do if they are not willing to share knowledge? Refilwe Shelembe (BSc 2003; BSc Hons 2004; MSc 2007)
Develop a studying routine as early as possible and stick to it and make sure you prepare for lectures and do your tutorials, this is the only way you gonna keep pace with the course material. Bongani Manhlaka (BCom, CIA)
THEWITSBOOK
If only I knew then
nd properly a the library e us rt a to he w e at th Learn ho he library is T . um m xi a to its m and you. 7) of learning 5; LLB 199 in (BA 199 Adam Lev
First year is the transition from the order of school to the free acquiring of knowledge. You become responsible for all your actions and there will be no teacher to advise what to learn and proactively advise you when necessary to improve. Thus choose your friends wisely and study with them. Enjoy sporting activities and limit extramurals to the time available from your studies. If you have restricted space to learn where you live, use the library effectively all the time it is available to you. The term breaks are not holidays, but times to study. The lecturing staff are not on holiday during the breaks so there is the opportunity for you to request assistance, just keep in mind that the staff are giving of their time and be grateful for any assistance received. Louis Mielke (BSc 1971)
Take it from an old Witsie, it’s the time of your life! stay focused, balance your social time with study time, ask for help think laterally and smell the flowers Embrace new ideas, kiss someone you never thought you would I also wish I’d known how to use the library better Get involved in the world around you - it’s your time to change it for the better! You must be streetwise.
always a Witsie
the time of your life
Nadine Tucker
Learning at Wits is not limited to academics only. Moeketsi Makhalemele (PDM 2008)
Be extremely courteous to secretaries and front line librarians. They can make your life SO much easier! :) Gordon Freer (BA 1988; BA Hons 1989; MA 1995)
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Your first year is the best year of your studies, the trick is to make sure it does not become the best two years of your study! Obed Matlala (BSC-2003; Dip Eng 2006)
We all know that hard work never killed anyone. However what one should remember is that you can always put an extra effort in your studies to grow. Like I’ve quoted on my facebook profile “All stars know that they shine, but only those brighter ones work much harder to glow”. At Wits the cerebral box is not the limit, but the sky. Remember a student today, always a Witsie:) Potso Joeborden Mazaka (HDip Ed 2008)
If only I knew then
THEWITSBOOK
if I only knew then advice from alumni & students
...Advice from Students to Firstyears Here is some practical advice - learn where you can and can’t park. If you are going to arrive later during the day, plan for delays in finding undergrad parking. And if you are going to risk parking somewhere you shouldn't, be prepared to pay fines. The guys are sharp and you will not talk your way out of it!First year is so much fun, enjoy the difference in Varsity life as opposed to school life. Find your feet, play around a bit, take as many courses as you can so you can find where your passion lies. Tertiary studies are about learning how to think outside the box and stretch your analytical thinking skills.
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Melanie Gard
I doubt this will make much of a difference, it's always about first hand experience, I wish I had studied more, but i kept on not studying as much year after year. typical of students really.
That first year is the hardest and panicking will not help my case. Don’t stop living now that you’re at varsity. Those random, senseless conversations can gain you a lot of much-needed information, instead of spending all day trying to find the page! Walkabouts do help de-stress.
Tebello Mofokeng
Shereen Abrams
Hardwork reaps success! study hard! play hard! and dnt fall off the edge
yep dat Wits either gives u or pushes u over da EDGE.. either way expect 2 b der an extra year... hw u use dat year is up 2u.
Ajayson Gopie
Princess-Maemu Chestnut
dnt fall off the edge
Ajayson Gopie
THEWITSBOOK
If only I knew then
At the heart of working smart is working hard. share your knowledge and your experiences. Hard work reaps success! study hard! play hard! and dnt fall off the edge term breaks are not holidays, but times to study. be patient, persistent and dedicated to your studies. But don't forget to have fun! learn where you can and can’t park. there is no substitute for hard work.
study hard! play hard!
Musa Kurhula Baloyi
do ur work Khaya Mqikela
English has always been a 2 language 4 me so during my 1 year at varsity i tried by all means nt 2 communicate wit othas coz i ws afraid thy'd laugh at my messed up english if only id put 2 gud use da saying dat practise makes perfect...as luck wud hv it i ended up as a tutor in final yr :)
Brian Mabilu
Naledi Mosikare
d and make sure Don’t get intimidated - try har would be surprised you keep up to date - you e the transition how quickly you get behind. Mak ....to making learning from having to get a degree on a lifelong pursuit. Renee Ho
i say ur studies must be a priority no matter what. Learn to use the library asap.writing centre is there to help with academic writing. consult as much with u tutors n lecturers n have fun being a student cos life change in the workplace...n read as much anythn from ur course packs to any book...
do ur work
One thing i wish i had known, appropriate behaviour, especially on the internet. I never knew that the rude feedbacks i gave were traceable and you could be charged with misconduct. which goes into your record.
Khaya Mqikela
Remember to consider your fellow beings for they are a crucial part of what you are
when u see the plants on the walls of the buildings near greathall going brown then green and the jacaranda trees blosoming outside Watenweiller and cullan libraries and u havent passed your 101 or 102 assignments and tests and you havent started preparing for exams know u r in hot waters. Oh, ATTEND ORIENTATION WEEK very very impotant, at least u can explore and experiment spare yourself the stress of having to look for a lecture hall u cant find on a monday morning b4 class. Jennifer Mamabolo
Be honest to 1st Yrs: Wits is harder....the secret is simple either a Genius or a hard Worker! Rhulln Stephan
Nthabiseng Mofokeng
If only I knew then
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New Traditions
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Did we miss an old tradition, or is there something new that has become a tradition? Let us know. Send to alumni@wits.ac.za. For more information on Wits’ history, traditions and legacy go to www.wits.ac.za/alumni/traditions.
THEWITSBOOK
New Traditions
Social Media
facebook.com/witsuniversity
00 youtube.com/witsalumni
om/witsalumni
flickr.c
www.wits.ac.za/alumni
twitter.c
om/wits
alumni
s, Alumni Relation by the Office of 10 © 20 in rg First published bu srand, Johannes er at itw W e th University of RELATIONS WITS ALUMNI est Campus Alumni Pub | W d an ub Cl its W | e us Alumni Ho 7 0 11 403 4493 7 1090 Fax +2 71 11 0 7 +2 l Te ac.za/alumni .za | www.wits. alumni@wits.ac ition, 2012 © 2011© | Third ed Second edition, d traditions visit Wits’ history an of ion at m or inf For more itions. a/alumni/trad www.wits.ac.z
