COMPLIMENTS OF ALUMNI RELATIONS
contents T h e Wi t s B o o k – 2 019
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The wonderful world of Wits
Defending social ideals
Wits milestones
Celebrate your identity as a Witsie for life.
Wits has a proud record of standing up for justice
Important dates for the University since 1922
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Great Hall
Wits Alumni Convocation
General Assembly
The most recognisable symbol of Wits University
Make your voice heard in decisions about the University
Special gatherings to affirm the University’s stance
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Graduation ceremony
The mace
Coat of arms
The ultimate Wits experience for graduands and their families
A symbol of the authority vested in the Chancellor
What the colours and images on the Wits badge mean
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The Wits mascot
Traditions
Illustrious Witsies
Meet Kudos Kudu, the proudest Witsie of all
Superstitions, rites of passage and fun
Wits has produced many highly successful alumni
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Global rankings
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The bucket list
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Measuring graduate success around the world
Ten things you should do before graduating
Find your way around campus with our illustrated map
Map
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Celebrate your identity as a Witsie for life. Be proud of being part of the Wits experience.
Established 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 emerged. Some are formal 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. Traditions are a way of connecting with an institution and give it a unique sense of identity. Some traditions have survived through generations of Witsies, others are lost in the mists of time, while new traditions arise for new ages. As Wits evolves, so too will its traditions. Join us in this evolution, which, for almost a century, has been a part of giving Witsies the edge.
You are a Witsie for life, so make this a Wits to call your own.
While this handbook can’t do justice to the rich tapestry and enormous variety of everything Witsie, it will give you a taste of the unique Wits experience as you progress from being a student today to being a Witsie forever.
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defending social ideals 8
Wits has a proud record of standing up for social justice, freedom and democracy.
Wits is a vibrant University in the heart of cosmopolitan Johannesburg. Throughout its long history the University has been synonymous with progressive thought and public engagement. Its academics and students speak up and speak out. Although the University’s 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 academic regalia, to messy skirmishes against the teargas and batons of the former “riot police”. From the time Wits defied segregation in the 1930s by permitting black students to study, 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.
Wits holds regular public discussions and debates on current social issues and has demonstrated on issues of media freedom, xenophobia, the right of the Dalai Lama to visit South Africa, and the Marikana mine massacre.
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Wits
milest  10
 ones 11
The Institute is renamed the Transvaal University College.
1904 The School moves to Johannesburg and is renamed the Transvaal Technical Institute.
Central Block officially opened
1923 Henry John Hofmeyr is elected the first President of Convocation. Wits University Press established.
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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.
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.
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.
Central Block is gutted by fire and the library destroyed.
1934
1906
University of the Witwatersrand established
1931
Wits University’s forerunner, the South African School of Mines, is established in Kimberley.
1922
1896
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.
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.
1939 The Right Honourable Jan Hofmeyr is installed as the University’s second Chancellor.
1940 The Governor-General, Sir Patrick Duncan, officially opens the Great Hall in the newly completed Central Block.
1946
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.
1948
1957 1959
anti-apartheid movement
Dr Donald Moikangoa and Dr James Njongwe are the first black men to graduate from Medical School.
‘Mrs Ples’ discovered
1947
Wits launches its ‘crash’ programme for ex-volunteers returning from World War II. The University enrols 2 825 ex-volunteers, more than twice as many as all the other South African universities combined.
Two thousand academic staff, students and members of Convocation march from the University to the City Hall behind the banner ‘Against Separate Universities Bill’.
1943 The first major Wits student protest – against increased fees – takes place.
Dr Mary Susan Xakana (née Malahlela) is the first black woman to graduate from Medical School. Honorary alumnus Dr Robert Broom and Professor John Robinson discover ‘Mrs Ples’ at the Sterkfontein Caves.
On 16 April, thousands of students and staff stand in silence on campus to mourn the end 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 black students from white schools and universities. The University’s first ever General Assembly is held in the Great Hall to protest against the imposition of university apartheid. The opening night of the African jazz opera ‘King Kong’ is staged in the Great Hall, starring Miriam Makeba and Hugh Masekela on trumpet.
end of academic freedom 13
1972
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.
1980 The University occupies two new buildings in De Korte Street – Campus Lodge and Convocation House.
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1966 United States Senator Robert F. Kennedy addresses Wits students in the Great Hall.
Wits hosts the first Free People’s Concert on 12 March. It is a 12-hour non-racial open air event. Alumni including Johnny Clegg and Des and Dawn Lindberg perform.
1968
The University purchases the Sterkfontein site, an area with limestone caves that are famous for their fossil finds and palaeo-anthropological significance.
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 a 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.”
1961
1960
The Graduate School of Business Administration (Wits Business School) is established in Parktown.
Wits Business School established
1976
The University expands into Braamfontein, where it buys Lawson’s Corner and renames it University Corner. Senate House, the University’s administrative premises, is occupied.
1981
1982
Felicity Steadman (née Wright) (BA Social Work) becomes the University’s 50 000th graduate.
Wits alumnus Sir Aaron Klug wins the Nobel Prize in Chemistry.
1984 1989
The University purchases the old Rand Show grounds from the Witwatersrand Agricultural Society and converts the grounds into West Campus.
The new South African Constitution takes effect and contains a Bill of Rights which recognises the right to academic freedom in institutions of higher learning. Wits alumnus Professor Ron Clarke unearths an almost complete Australopithecus skeleton, now known as ‘Little Foot’.
The Chamber of Mines Building for the Faculty of Engineering is inaugurated and the brick-paved AMIC Deck, linking the East and West Campuses, is built. Wits purchases the Umbabat Farm in Bushbuckridge, Limpopo Province, to launch the Wits Rural Facility, an interdisciplinary research facility to develop the local community.
Honorary Wits alumna Nadine Gordimer wins the Nobel Prize in Literature. Wits confers an honorary doctorate on Nelson Mandela.
1993
2002 The University incorporates the Johannesburg College of Education into 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 R100m donation by the Donald Gordon Foundation.
Honorary Wits alumnus Nelson Mandela wins the Nobel Peace Prize.
2003
1983 The Wits Theatre opens
1997
1988
Professor Loyiso Nongxa is appointed as Wits’ first black Vice-Chancellor and Principal. International House, a residence designed for the growing international student population, and the revamped student mall, The Matrix, open.
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2008
2006 Wits alumnus Gavin Hood and five other Wits alumni win an Academy Award in the category ‘Best Foreign Film’, for Tsotsi.
2007
Kudos Kudu
Justice Dikgang Moseneke is installed as the eighth Chancellor of the University.
The University issues a public statement condemning the South African government’s denial of a visa to His Holiness, the Dalai Lama.
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The Wits Theatre celebrates mounting 2 000 productions in its 25-year history.
2010
The new FNB Commerce Building and the Commerce Library are completed.
The Faculty of Humanities’ inaugural Wits Arts and Literature Experience (WALE) is launched in April to celebrate 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 mascot, Kudos Kudu, is introduced to inspire Witsies to greater glory.
2009
The first FIFA® Medical Centre of Excellence in Africa is inaugurated at Wits.
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 the 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.
Karabo
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.
A new student residence complex, Wits Junction, and the Science Stadium on West Campus are opened to students.
2012
2011
Professor Mamokgethi Phakeng is the first black woman to be elected President of Convocation.
Wits celebrates its 90th birthday
Wits celebrates its 90th birthday with a party on the Library Lawns on 4 October.
Alumnus Professor Adam Habib takes office as Wits Vice-Chancellor and Principal on 1 June. The School of Construction Economics & Management building opens in May. It completes the Built Environment Precinct along with the John Moffat building extension and the Yale Telescope building.
2013
A R75m upgrade to the Richard Ward building, which houses the School of Chemical & Metallurgical Engineering, is completed.
Wits Art Museum (WAM) opens at University Corner and houses the largest collection of African art on the continent. The new School of Public Health building opens in Parktown. Dr Randall Carolissen is elected Chairperson of the Wits Council.
Madiba Wits’ most famous alumnus, former President Nelson Mandela (honorary LLD 1991), dies on 5 December, aged 95.
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2016
2014 On 20 October, Wits announces receipt of R100m from a single benefactor. R10m is allocated to the Wits Art Museum and the remainder to advancing research and teaching.
The Phillip V. Tobias Health Sciences Building in Parktown officially opens on 29 October.
Tshimologong
2015
Construction of the Nelson Mandela Children’s Hospital begins on the Wits Education Campus.
Tshimologong Digital Innovation Precinct opens in Braamfontein. It is an enabling space to develop new digital technologies.
Wits launches Digital Campus, an online learning platform.
eZone
2017 Wits physicists are part of the international observation of signals produced by the collision of two neutron stars. Southern Centre for Inequality Studies launched. Wits launches the eZone, a place to explore eLearning.
2018
Dr Judy Dlamini is installed as Chancellor, the first woman in the role. Wits doctors transplant part of an HIV-positive mother’s liver into her HIVnegative child Wits completes a Digitisation Centre to preserve resources, widen access to research and support digital learning Campus gets a biometric access system and upgraded gateways
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Wits
today
University Rankings 2018/2019
Times Higher Education
204th GLOBALLY
2nd
Times Higher Education Alma Mater Index
Centre for World University Rankings
54th
230th
GLOBALLY
Academic Ranking of World Universities
201-300
GLOBALLY
BAND GLOBALLY
1st 2nd 1st
IN SOUTH AFRICA
IN SOUTH AFRICA
IN SOUTH AFRICA
IN SOUTH AFRICA
QS World University Rankings
University Ranking by Academic Performance
Best Global Universities
Performance Ranking of Scientific Papers for World Universities*
382nd
321st
197th
318th
GLOBALLY
GLOBALLY
GLOBALLY
GLOBALLY
2nd 2nd 2nd 2nd
IN SOUTH AFRICA
IN SOUTH AFRICA
IN SOUTH AFRICA
IN SOUTH AFRICA
*National Taiwan Ranking
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20 Diversity Collegiality Integrity Accountability Academic freedom Social engagement
Excellence Leadership
the great hall
The Great Hall is one of the University’s most recognisable icons.
In 1920 architects Frank Emley and Frederick Williamson won the competition for the design of the future University’s main building (Central Block, now named Robert Sobukwe Block, which incorporates the Great Hall). Emley & Williamson originally proposed a block with a high, central dome above a large circular hall. The final design for the main building was neo-classical. The Great Hall seats 1 040 people and is renowned for its acoustics. It was designed by French consultant François Carpentier. The Great Hall was officially opened on 10 June 1940 by the Governor-General, Sir Patrick Duncan, and the first musical to be performed was Pergolesi’s “The Music Man”, in 1940. The musical “King Kong” was one of the most famous productions performed in the Great Hall. It told the story of Ezekiel “King Kong” Dlamini, a misfit from Natal who came to Jo’burg and made his name as a boxer. “King Kong” opened in February 1959 and drew global critical acclaim. It was the first full-scale South African musical across the country’s apartheid “colour bar”. Wits alumnus (and amateur boxer) Nelson Mandela, and his new bride, Winnie, were in the audience when the curtain lifted in the Great Hall for the opening night of “King Kong”.
The eight pillars of the Great Hall could be said to represent the core values of Wits.
Today the Great Hall is a national monument. The steps of the iconic building are a favourite meeting place for Witsies, and a place for new graduates to pose with Kudos Kudu.
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Wits alumni convocation
What Wits does today can influence the value of your qualification tomorrow. Convocation enables alumni to have a say in University matters, ensuring that the quality and reputation of your Wits qualification is maintained and strengthened.
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The university you graduate from is your Alma Mater − ‘nourishing mother’
Convocation is a statutory body and the name given to the University’s largest constituency – its alumni. Around 130 000 graduates, Wits academic staff, and retired academics with 10 years’ consecutive service to the University make up Convocation. You automatically become a member of Convocation when you receive a degree from Wits.
alumnae alumna
alumni alumnus
ALUMNI
‘Alumni’ comes from the Arabic word aalim (‘scholar’) and alumnus, Latin for ‘foster son’, comes from the verb alere − ‘to nourish’. Convocation’s role is “to discuss and state its opinion upon any matter relating to the University.” Convocation elects the University Chancellor, the President of Convocation and ten members of the Executive Committee of Convocation (EXCO).
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general assembly 24
A General Assembly is a special gathering of Convocation members
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.�
The University held its first ever General Assembly in 1959 in the Great Hall to protest against the imposition of university apartheid.
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“ Wits belongs to all of us: Black and White, Muslim or Jewish, Christian or Hindu, gay or straight. “
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16 APRIL
8 JUNE
26 AUGUST
Tenth anniversary of the 1959 declaration of the University’s commitment to remaining free and open
The University’s statement on the Minister of Justice’s prohibition of all protest meetings in South Africa
3 MAY
16 AUGUST
15 AUGUST
The objection to the Universities Amendment Bill, which gave the Minister power to impose racial quotas on universities
Commitment to the University’s academic principles and the right and freedom of the University to decide who may teach and who may be admitted to study
Declaration against the State of Emergency and the detention without trial of students and staff
28 OCTOBER
5 AUGUST
7 MARCH
1969 1972 1975 General Assembly 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.”
Protest against the detention of students without trial
1983 1985 1986
1987 1992 2001 Violation of the institutional autonomy of universities and the restriction of subsidies
Call to government to curb violence, combat poverty and call for a peaceful transition to democracy
The launch of Wits’ AIDS policy and commitment to fighting the epidemic
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graduation ceremony 28
Graduation The ultimate university experience
Graduation ceremonies are a dignified occasion held in the Great Hall. The ceremony begins 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). The bearer of the University mace leads the procession to the accompanying songs Alma Mater (‘Nourishing mother’) and Ihele (‘Let us rejoice’). S.B.P. Mnomiya wrote Ihele, a poetic song that describes the graduation ceremony. Ihele tells the tale of a procession of academics in long robes, who read books of profound knowledge and inspire graduates. The song wishes graduates well and ends with a resounding halala! (‘Well done!’) During the ceremony, graduands in black academic gowns cross the stage to be capped and hooded. The Chancellor taps his hat on the graduate’s head, thereby conferring the degree, then the President of Convocation places the hood, which represents the qualification awarded, over the graduand’s head.
At graduation the Chancellor of the university formally confers a qualification on a student. Before the graduation ceremony, graduates traditionally pose for photographs with Kudos Kudu on the Great Hall steps.
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the mace
The Wits mace was created by a Scottish silversmith and engraver, William Kirk. The amber stone in the mace is a tribute to former Chancellor Bertrand Bernstein (Bernstein is German for amber stone). The words Universitas Witwatersrandensis Johannesburgi and MCMLXXVI (Roman numerals for 1977) refer to the year of dedication of the mace.
The mace is a symbol of the authority vested in the Chancellor and of the mandate of the University to grant degrees.
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The University mace is presented at all graduation ceremonies Gold and silver plated
Vertical blades symbolise the horns of the springbok
Central vertical spike depicts a
mining rock drill, representative of the University’s mining heritage
Amber stone is a tribute to a former Chancellor Bertrand Bernstein
Cogs symbolise the cogwheel in the
University coat of arms – a tribute to mining and industry
7kg 1070 mm long | 180 mm broad
Maces were originally ‘swords of state’ and weapons of defence. Over time, a mace has come to be regarded as a symbol of delegated authority vested in a person or an institution.
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coat of arms 32
The motto “Scientia et Labore” is Latin for “through knowledge and through work”
Above the shield is the head of a Kudu, a powerful southern African antelope 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
The crest reflects the University colours of
blue and gold
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.
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the Wits
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Affectionately known as “Kudos Kudu”
Kudos Kudu is imbued with the characteristics that generally typify successful Witsies. He is a leader and an achiever; intelligent, confident, and with a wild, independent streak. 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. Kudos is tolerant, gentle and kind, but he’s no push-over. Some of Kudos’s 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’s 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. Although Kudos is hard-working, 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 all Witsies are his BFF. Be sure to let him know when you move so he can stay in touch.
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Where does Kudos Kudu come from? Kudos has resided quietly on the Wits Coat of Arms since 4 October 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 Student Representatives’ Council. Kudos made his debut appearance on October 20 at the Bidvest-Wits vs Santos football match. Other Witsies met Kudos the next day, at the University’s 85th anniversary celebrations on the Library Lawns. Kudos soon found comfortable lodgings for his sister, brother and himself at Alumni House on the West Campus. He entranced the Alumni Relations staff with his magnetic appeal and they gave him a permanent home. The Alumni staff consider it an honour and a privilege to keep Kudos wellgroomed, run his errands, and manage his busy schedule of appointments and appearances.
A Kudu is a beautiful, large and powerful African antelope with magnificent annulated spiral horns, a remarkable sense of hearing, a keen sense of smell and sharp eyesight. Kudus can outrun most animals, jump a 1.5 m fence from a standing start and can kick with a force strong enough to break a jackal’s back.
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Kudos
You can also find him on Facebook where you can “friend” him and join the Wits Fan Page.
Ms Kudos
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 the Alumni Office ran 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.
Kudly Kudos
Where you can find him Kudos can be found wherever Witsie spirit, pride and passion is needed. Family is important to him and he enjoys spending time with his sister, Witsie Ms Kudos, and their younger brother and future Witsie, Kudly Kudos. Some of Kudos’s regular haunts include graduation ceremonies, where he congratulates graduands and welcomes them to the Alumni and Convocation fold; major campus sports and social events; O-Week; and surprise walkabouts around campus to meet and greet Witsies.
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mascot history The murky history of Wits University’s first mascot.
Some traditions endure, others don’t, and such was the fate of (furry) Mr Wu, who now resides in the University Archives in Senate House. 38
Phineas III now keeps silent sentinel in the Wits Alumni Lounge & Pub, West Campus.
Phineas
Mr Wu
The original Phineas was the Highlander mascot of University College, London. His namesake, Phineas II, was a seven-foot wooden replica used to promote a barber shop in Jules Street, Johannesburg.
In an anonymous letter to the University, a man from Port Elizabeth wrote:
Phineas II was loaned to the newly established Wits University to serve as its mascot in 1923. However, that same year, Ikeys (UCT) abducted Phineas II. There are differing accounts on what subsequently happened to Phineas II. One theory is that he was reclaimed by his original owner. Phineas III emerged under mysterious circumstances around 1930. He proved to be as slippery as his predecessors and fell into the hands of Tukkies (University of Pretoria) in 1931. This marked the beginning of a series of raids between students of the two universities. Phineas III retired from active service in 1971 with the cessation of the Intervarsity tournament. He emerged briefly in 1987 as the Wits Rugby mascot and was insured for R10 000.
Zorro Zorro, the Men’s Res cat, was more of a residence fixture than a mascot. Zorro distinguished himself in the noisy act of lovemaking. According to legend, on one such particularly amorous occasion, Sunnyside Res second-years were unable to endure his amorous noises any longer. The result was an infamous assault to which Zorro succumbed. He was buried with a bottle of Claret (to keep his memory sweet). Zorro’s tombstone (erected with ‘borrowed’ bricks) is at the back door garden of Old College House.
“Dear Sir, I have been reading with great interest the accounts of Phineas II. I have in my possession a carved wooden figure I feel could be the father of both Phineas I and Phineas II. My brother, connected with the Taiping Rebellion in 1853 in China, smuggled this figure on board. On my brother’s death his belongings were made over to me, amongst which was this figure. I have no need to keep this ‘Chinese god’. To associate myself with the spirit of your University, I offer you this mascot.” This Mr Wu made occasional public appearances (as did another mascot, “Mompara”, who materialised briefly in the 1930s) but remained very much in the shadow of Phineas II. In the 1980s, Mr Wu emerged as a cuddly, furry mascot based on the American sit-com TV character, Alf – a far cry from the historic, imposing figure of the 1920s. Zorbo: RAG mascot, 1960s and 70s
Ducks and Pigeons Ducks loom large in the student psyche, particularly since Wits campuses are home to many wild creatures that look like ducks, but are actually Egyptian geese. The most famous “duck” is Penelope, the Knockando Res mascot and co-custodian of the Duck & Bull Pub.
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traditions Witsies believe that if one of the purple Jacaranda 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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Superstitions and rites of passage
Engineering Spring Breakfast
Skiffyskofbaas Day (Miners’ Day)
Engineering students gather early in the morning on the first day of September each year and prepare breakfast to celebrate the arrival of spring. While they are meant to wear pyjamas, many students nowadays just dress outrageously.
Mining Engineering students don their underground mining gear for Skiffyskofbaas Day in July/August each year and traipse around campus in a miningrelated 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 Skiffyskofbaas Day is known as the more politically correct ‘Miners’ Day’.
Knock Streak Not condoned by the University, this risqué tradition of Knockando Residence students running naked through Parktown to visit the women’s residences after imbibing ‘Courage Juice’ has endured for decades.
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.
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.
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History of traditions
Wits students held an annual Rag (Remember and Give) Parade after an intensive six-week charity fundraising campaign.
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40 years ago the University had strict rules about acceptable dress on its grounds. Student dress-code
Wits Rag
The standard ‘uniform’ for students at Wits University today is jeans and a T-shirt, but just 40 years ago the University had strict rules about acceptable dress on its grounds.
For many decades, Wits students held an annual Rag (Remember and Give) Parade after an intensive six-week charity fundraising campaign. After many festive 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 as the “Wits blitz”.
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 decreed 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 allowed – provided they were worn with ‘long stockings’. Women were permitted to wear skirts, 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.
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 newspaper. 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 SRC election results were traditionally announced at the Ball.
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history of traditions Inter-Varsity Today Wits University sport is most famous for its Premier League football team, Bidvest Wits FC or the “Clever Boys”. 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 song, 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 the opposition ahead of an important match. In 1956, a Wits University raid resulted in Tukkies’ 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.
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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.
Wits by the numbers
1994 to 2017
Since inception
Number of degree qualifications awarded
105111
177092
Number of graduates
83334
135995
–
184
Number of honorary degrees
Research facts & figures Over
77% Increase in research output from 2012-2017
85% of Wits
publications are in quality global journals
Staff and students have access to:
28 A-rated
Scientists
(recognised by their peers internationally as global leaders in their field)
234 online
databases 1206144 books collections journals 150012 3300
of historical, cultural and political importance
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Illustrious Witsies Wits has produced a vast number of illustrious alumni who have excelled in every field of endeavour. Almost 100 Rhodes Scholars are Wits alumni and four alumni are... Nobel Prize Laureates
Sydney Brenner
(BSc, BSc Hons, honorary DSc) 2002 Nobel Prize in Medicine
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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
Illustrious Witsies Humanities: Benedict Wallet Vilakazi (DLitt 1946): poet, author, educator Cecil Skotnes (BA 1951, DLitt honoris causa 1996): artist Johnny Clegg (BA 1976, BA Hons 1977, DMus honoris causa 2007): musician Kevin Volans (BMus 1972): composer Mzilikazi Khumalo (PhD 1988, DMus honoris causa): linguist and musician William Kentridge, artist (BA 1977, DLitt honoris causa 2004) David Goldblatt, photographer (BCom 1957, DLitt honoris causa 2008) Pancho Guedes, architect, sculptor and painter (BArch 1953, DArch honoris causa 2003) Patrick Deane, education leader (BA 1978, BA Hons 1979)
Tony Traill, linguist (BA Hons 1962, PhD 1981)
Stephen Koseff, business executive (BCom 1973, CTA 1975, MBA 1984)
Elisabeth Eybers, poet (BA Hons 1937, LLD honoris causa 1972)
John Robertson, business executive (BCom 1971, HDip Tax 1981)
Natalie Knight, art collector (BA 1975)
Andrew Teixeira, business executive (BSc QS 1991)
Harry Schwarz, politician and ambassador (BA 1947, LLB 1949) Shirley Eskapa, writer (BA Hons 1967)
Commerce and law: Wendy Appelbaum, investment executive and philanthropist (BA 1982) Steven Collis, business executive (BCom 1982, BCom Hons 1983) Dr Judy Dlamini, doctor, business executive and education leader (MBBCh 1985, MBA 1999)
Ruth First, journalist (BA 1946)
Des de Beer, business executive (BProc 1983)
Joe Slovo, politician (BA 1948, LLB 1951)
Barry Swartzberg, business executive (BSc 1987)
Helen Zille, politician (BA 1974, PDipEd 1974)
Johnny Copelyn, investment executive (BA 1973)
Helen Suzman, politician (BCom 1942, LLD honoris causa 1976)
Sifiso Dabengwa, business executive (MBA 1993)
Winnie Madikizela-Mandela (BA 2005), social worker and activist
Arnold Fourie, business executive (MSc Eng Chem 1987)
Thabo Makgoba, archbishop (BSc 1989, BA Hons 1991, MEd 1993, PDipEd 1997, LLD honoris causa 2016)
Jeffrey Wapnick, business executive (BCom 1985)
Jack Ginsberg, art collector (BAcc 1979, CTA 1972) Janet Suzman, actress (BA 1959)
Sharon Wapnick, lawyer (BA 1984, LLB 1986) Christopher Seabrooke, investment executive (MBA 1985)
Sean Melnick, business executive (BCom 1990, BCom Hons 1991) Dalikhaya Rain Zihlangu, business executive (BSc Eng Mining 1989, MBA 2002) Brian Joffe, business executive (CTA 1972) Gail Kelly, business executive (MBA 1986) Gary Barber (BCom 1979, CTA 1980): former CEO of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer George Bizos, human rights lawyer (BA 1951, LLB 1954, LLD honoris causa 1999) Arthur Chaskalson, former Judge President (BCom 1952, LLB 1954, LLD honoris causa 1990) Adrian Gore, health insurance business leader (BSc 1985, BSc Hons 1987, DCom honoris causa 2017) Bridget van Kralingen, business executive (BCom 1985) Derek Keys, former finance minister (BCom 1951, DSc honoris causa 1995) Mike Rosholt, business leader and Chancellor (LLD honoris causa 1996) Graham Mackay, business executive (BSc Eng 1973)
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graduate success
Wits in the global rankings
80th 54th 56th 133rd Center for World University Rankings 2018 Alumni Employability by number of alumni CEOs
Times Higher Education Alma Mater Index 2017 (degrees awarded to Fortune Global 500 CEOs) (the only African university in the top 100)
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Spear’s Top 100 universities with millionaire alumni (2013)
Center for World University Rankings 2018 Quality of Education by number of international prize-winning alumni
Illustrious Witsies Ivan Glasenberg, business executive (BAcc 1982)
Richard Goldstone, judge (BA 1960, LLB 1962, LLD honoris causa 1994)
Rory Byrne, racing car designer (BSc 1965, DSc honoris causa 2005)
Koos Bekker, business executive (LLB 1978)
Meyer Feldberg, former Dean of Columbia Business School (BA 1963)
Maria Ramos, business executive (BA 1983, PDipEd 1983)
Joel Joffe, lawyer and businessman (BCom 1952, LLB 1955, LLD honoris causa 2001)
Nthato Motlana, doctor, activist and businessman (MBBCh 1954, LLD honoris causa 1999)
Natie Kirsh, business executive (BCom 1953) Patrice Motsepe, business executive and philanthropist (LLB 1988, DCom honoris causa 2017) Mark Weinberg, business executive (BCom 1952, LLB 1954, DSc honoris causa 1990) Tony Trahar, business executive (BCom 1971, CTA 1973) Win Bischoff, business executive (BCom 1962) Garth Saloner, economist (BCom 1976, MBA 1977) Azhar Cachalia, judge (BA 1981, LLB 1984, HDipTax 1995) Ismail Mahomed, judge (BA 1954, BA Hons 1954, LLB 1957, LLD honoris causa 1997) Anthony Gubbay, judge (BA 1953, LLD honoris causa 2005) Margaret Marshall, US judge (BA 1967, LLD honoris causa 2000) Mervyn King, judge and corporate governance leader (BA 1958, LLB 1960, BCom 1969, HDipTax 1975, LLD honoris causa 2008) Bob Hepple, lawyer and academic (BA 1955, LLB 1957, LLD honoris causa 1996)
Thuli Madonsela, public protector (LLB 1991, LLD honoris causa 2017) Ann Pettifor, economist (BA 1971) Carole Lewis, judge (BA 1974, MML 1985) Leslie Boyd, businessman (BSc Eng 1957) Mahomed Jajbhay, judge (LM 1997) Ivan May, philanthropist (MSc 1970, PhD 1974, MBA 1977) Percy Tucker, entertainment industry entrepreneur (BCom 1950)
Science, engineering, architecture, medicine:
Patrick Soon-Shiong, doctor, research leader and business executive (MBBCh 1975) Ronnie Apteker, internet pioneer and film producer (BSc 1991, BSc Hons 1992, MSc 1994) Arthur Rubenstein, endocrinologist (MBBCh 1960, DSc Med honoris cause 2001) Max Price, former Dean of Medical Faculty and former UCT ViceChancellor (MBBCh 1979, DOH 1993) Loyiso Nongxa, mathematician and former Vice-Chancellor (BSc Hons 1976, MSc 1978, PhD 1982) Peter Sarnak, mathematician (BSc 1975, BSc Hons 1976, DSc honoris causa 2014) Mamokgethi Phakeng, education leader (BEd 1993, MEd 1996, PhD 2002)
Lewis Wolpert, developmental biologist (BSc Eng 1951)
Jack Zunz, civil engineer (BSc Eng 1949, DSc Eng honoris causa 2015)
Phillip Tobias, palaeoanthropologist (BSc 1946, BSc Hons 1947, MBBCh 1950, PhD 1953, DSc 1967, DSc honoris causa 1994)
John Burland, civil engineer (BSc Eng 1958, MSc Eng 1962, DSc Eng honoris causa 2007)
Tom Bothwell, former Dean of Medicine, iron metabolism expert (MBBCh 1948, DSc Med 1994) Denise Scott Brown, architect (Dip Arch 1952, DArch honoris causa 2011)
Michael Bear, civil engineer and former Lord Mayor of London (BSc Eng 1975) Rob Pullen, civil engineer and business leader (BSc Eng 1961, MSc Eng 1970)
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Bucket list 10 things to do before graduating
1 Watch a play at The Wits Theatre
4 Visit the Wits Art Museum
8 Sit under a Jacaranda tree
2 Watch a Bidvest Wits football game
5 Back your boytjies! Go to a Varsity rugby game
9 Be part of Wits Pride
3 Engineers’ Breakfast. Enough said
6 Join a protest march. There are a lot of them
7 Be engulfed in feathers in the Pillow Fight
10 Hug Kudos the Kudu Adapted from Vuvuzela (6 February 2013)
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Illustrious Witsies John Barlow, cardiologist (MBBCh 1951, MMed 1968, DSc Med honoris causa 1991) Jack Penn, plastic surgeon (MBBCh 1932) Glenda Gray, physician (MBBCh 1986) Terence English, cardiothoracic surgeon (BSc Eng 1954, DSc Eng honoris causa 2008) Percy Amoils, ophthalmologist and biomedical engineering inventor (MBBCh 1956) Priscilla Kincaid-Smith, physician (BSc 1946, MBBCh 1951, DSc Med honoris causa 1982) Danie Krige, statistician and mining engineer (BSc Eng 1939, MSc Eng 1951, DSc Eng 1963, DSc Eng honoris causa)
Seymour Papert, mathematician, computer scientist, and educator (BA 1950, PhD 1953, DEng honoris causa 2016)
Lucy Wagstaff, paediatrician (MBBCh 1952, DSc Med honoris causa 1999)
Sydney Brenner, molecular biologist (BSc 1945, BSc Hons 1946, BSc Lab Med 1951, DSc honoris causa 1972)
Colin Caro, bioengineer (BSc Hons 1950, DSc Eng honoris causa 2010)
James Kitching, palaeontologist (PhD 1973, DSc honoris causa 1997) Lee Berger, palaeontologist (PhD 1994, DSc 2014) Beric Skews, engineer (BSc Eng 1958, MSc Eng 1961, PhD 1967, DSc Eng honoris causa 2016) Tingye Li, optical communications pioneer (BSc Eng 1953, DSc Eng honoris causa 2011) Patricia Berjak, botanist (BSc Hons 1962)
David Pettifor, metallurgist (BSc 1966, BSc Hons 1967)
Claire Penn, audiologist (BASp&HT 1973, PhD 1983)
Aaron Klug, scientist (BSc 1946, DSc honoris causa 1984)
Barry Schoub virologist (MBBCh 1967, DSc Med 1992)
John Pettifor, paediatric bone health specialist (MBBCh 1968, PhD 1980, DSc Med honoris causa 2017)
Arthur Bensusan, doctor and photographer (MBBCh 1950)
Bernie Fanaroff, astronomer (BSc 1968, BSc Hons 1970, DSc honoris causa 2013) Friedel Sellschop, physicist (BSc 1949, MSc 1952, PhD 1957, DSc honoris causa 1997)
TW Kambule, maths educator (DSc honoris causa 1997)
Sport Ali Bacher, doctor, cricket player and administrator (MBBCh 1967, LLD honoris causa 2001) Bruce Fordyce, marathon athlete (BA Hons 1979, LLD honoris causa 2007) Chick Henderson, rugby player and commentator (BCom 1951) Mark Plaatjes, marathon athlete (BSc Physio 1987) Alan Menter, dermatologist and rugby player (MBBCh 1966) Frith van der Merwe, marathon athlete (BA 1985)
Emily Kark, community health leader (MBBCh 1938) Harry Seftel, medical educator (BSc 1949, MBBCh 1952, LLD honoris causa 1995) Bert Myburgh, surgeon (MMed 1966, DSc Med honoris causa 1996)
Stanley Mandelstam, physicist (BSc 1952)
Joel Mandelstam, microbiologist (BSc 1940, BSc Hons 1941)
Himla Soodyall, geneticist (MSc 1987, PhD 1993)
John Barlow, cardiologist (MMed 1968, DSc Med honoris causa 1991)
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First published by the Office of Alumni Relations, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg in 2010 © Alumni House | West Campus Tel +27 0 11 717 1090 alumni@wits.ac.za | www.wits.ac.za/alumni Second edition, 2011 © | Third edition, 2012 © Fourth edition, 2013 © | Fifth edition, 2014 © Sixth edition, 2018 © | Seventh edition, 2019 ©
For more information on Wits’ history and traditions visit
www.wits.ac.za/alumni/traditions
