'I will make it!'

Guest blogger Khanyisa Melwa

Since I haven’t penned one of these in a while, I would like to begin by apologising to my readers for temporarily neglecting them. This is due to unforeseen yet foreseen circumstances, which briefly estranged my hand from my pen. But fret not, for I will make it.

These were the words uttered by our brave chief executive and Vice-Chancellor, Prof Derrick Swartz at the rowing challenge at the Fitness and Aquatics centre yesterday in response to what his mantra will be as he attempts to summit the more than 3700-m high Mount Fuji in Japan next week.

So there I was, waiting for this rowing challenge to begin; learning new words like “ergo machine” from those with an adept knowledge of all things fitness. Then came the Q & A session – while some took this opportunity to personally wish the VC good luck – I couldn’t help but pick his brain and by extension, his soul, when I asked him what his mantra be will.

NMMU Vice-Chancellor Prof Derrick Swartz participates in a rowing challenge as part of his preparaion

You see, we all have our mottos/quotes/sayings which we internalise and repeat to ourselves to keep ourselves motivated. We often remember these during times of strife and hardship, as it is through this adversity that one’s character and mettle is tested. And there is no doubt that his will be tested on the mountain.

In my nervous attempt to string together coherent sentences while asking the VC a question, I remembered the African proverb which I hold dear.

It reads thus:

“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”

I thought this to be quite symbolic owing to the nature of the #climb4nmmu campaign, which has sought to raise funds for academically deserving yet financially needy students using a crowd funding model. This model challenges corporates and individuals alike to donate however much they are willing, with the aim of reaching R500 000; a target which we have since surpassed, as we now stand at R764 000 (at last count), with a new target of R1 million.

The #climb4nmmu campaign has consisted of a number of events that have seen corporates, staff, students and the Nelson Mandela Bay community coming out to show their support for the VC. This proves that although he might be climbing that mountain alone, we are with him in spirit.

Those of you who are acquainted with Prof Swartz’s oratory prowess should be aware of how strongly he believes in the power of the human spirit. This, he says, is going to be his driving force as he climbs up that mountain with the occasional “I will make it” emanating from under his breath.

“The belief that I know I’m going to make it,” is what will keep him going.


Remember not too go fast Prof, but go far; we are right beside you every step of the way.

Below: A selection of photographs from the Rowing Challenge at NMMU's Human Movement Science Centre on South Campus.

My amazing lunch with the VC

Guest blogger Sakhumzi Dukwe chats to Vice-Chancellor Prof Derrick Swartz

By Sakhumzi Dukwe, Second Year Psychology student and NMMU Trust Bursary Legacy recipient

Friday, 24 July 2015, was one of the most amazing experiences I've ever had at varsity. A date to keep forever and a moment to treasure.

I had lunch with the Vice-Chancellor and other prominent people from NMMU, where the VC got to know me better as he is supporting the NMMU Trust Bursary legacy campaign of which I am a recipient. 

The glorious moment was when I asked the VC some tough questions about his life, leadership and his dreams for our continent as a whole. His answers were spot on, heartfelt and had an element of hope for a better world.

Myself and the VC have a similar leadership style and I will definitely adopt a lot of his ideologies  - from his words paraphrased – “let's strive for a more peaceful, equal, gentle Africa. Where being educated is compulsory for everyone and education is life-long. Where we use words rather than weapons to settle our issues”. 

I totally enjoyed myself and ate the delicious food that was served. I hope I can have that experience again in the near future.

Thanks to the VC, the NMMU Trust team and everyone who made that lunch possible.

What do you do for fun?: "I climb mountains"

Guest blooger Roslyn Baatjies

I imagine that the answer to this question: ‘’So, prof what do you do for fun?’’, to NMMU Vice-Chancellor Prof Derrick Swartz would be, ‘’I climb mountains’’.

I thought about that this morning when the man himself spoke about his planned climb of Mount Fuji in Japan next month to raise funds for bursaries for our financially needy students.  He mentioned that he recently did mountaineering in Norway and that he was invited to climb Kilimanjaro with another group. Unfortunately the latter clashed with his university commitments.

As part of Prof Swartz's personal commitment to the University's 10-year celebrations, he will be climbing Mount Fuji in Japan on 7 August to raise funds for academically-deserving but financially-needy students at NMMU.

The poster for the VC's #climb4nmmu

The #climb4nmmu campaign will also give Prof Swartz the opportunity to highlight the extent of the need for financial support for such students especially within the Eastern Cape, which is recognised as the poorest province.

Prof Swartz's 3,7km climb will be symbolic of the challenges many students face in order to get a tertiary qualification such as perseverance, taking responsibility and integrity. There are 10 base camps leading up to the peak, one for each year of NMMU's first decade.

All funds will go to the University's Bursary Legacy Campaign run by the NMMU Trust. Their Ignite a Candle campaign is already supporting worthy students.

The University is hoping to raise at least R500 000 to support a further students for the duration of their degrees or diplomas.

"I studied at university because of the bursary support I received from people I never knew personally. My bursary was a gift from the past to the present.”

"I strongly believe that this is our generation's responsibility too. We can give back in thousands of different ways. The #climb4nmmu campaign is just one way,’’ says Prof Swartz.

The VC, Prof. Swartz during fitness test.

The VC addressing the media this morning.

Everyday mountains have a way of humbling us. It has a way of connecting us to ourselves, nature and to others, by simply being out there. Embracing adventure means knowing it’s not always going to turn out exactly the way we want it or expect it to and so are the mountains, just like life. 

So in the same way the daily challenges give our needy students a new perspective, we bid that our vice-chancellor will embrace this adventure and not only raise funds, but come back to NMMU with new ideas to challenge us and the status quo.

The University has created a dedicated website in support of the #climb4nmmu campaign. Go to http://trust.nmmu.ac.za/VC-s-Climb-Campaign

Opportunities galore for learners and students this recess

Guest blogger Roslyn Baatjies

For many learners school’s out, but for those who intend improving their marks and getting into university next year, there is no rest.

Driving into work this morning, we saw a number of young people entering the campuses and someone asked when lectures are ending. I responded that lectures have ended and that those young people were learners attending either the accounting or engineering winter schools or the Science Discovery Week at NMMU.

This week close to  900 Grade 11 and 12 learners will be exposed to the fascinating worlds of accounting, science and engineering over the June/July school holidays at Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University.

The Science Discovery Week – that will be attended by 300 learners from 56 schools in the Eastern Cape - promises to open the eyes of Grade 11 and 12 learners to the intriguing fields of Science in a fun and informal setting. Daily activities will include visits to various Science Faculty departments where learners will participate in subject-specific experiments.

Offered for the past eight years, the event started off with 60 learners and has now grown to 300 participants. With topics like ‘’Game Changers - The Good, the Bad and the Ugly of Science”, “Light Fantastic” and ‘’Chemistry Unplugged‘’ learners will not only be educated, but also entertained.

NMMU’s Accounting winter school programme, geared towards helping Grade 11 and 12 pupils improve their marks and their chances of attending university, boasts an impressive track record.

Almost a third of the 520 pupils who attended last year’s Grade 12 winter school successfully registered for degrees or diplomas at NMMU. An analysis comparing their June matric results with their December results has revealed that many of them shot up by as much as 30%.

This year’s week-long Accounting winter school for Grade 12s, sponsored by Deloitte, takes place from June 29 to July 3, while the three-day Grade 11 winter school, sponsored by PricewaterhouseCooper (PwC), takes place from July 7 to 9.

The annual engineering winter school has been offered for the past 10 years and will take place from 12 to 17 July. The programme for 30 learners from 14 high schools will include, among others, visits to VWSA and Continental Tyre.

In addition, a winter school project with a difference will be held off-campus by the NMMU Department of Social Development Professions and driven by social work lecturer Dr Veonna Goliath.

Dr Goliath says the winter school is truly interdisciplinary in nature and has a longer term community development focus.

The project, located in the Northern Areas at Bethvale Primary School, was initiated by the Uniting Reformed church in Chatty and part of Dr Goliath’s  post-doctoral work. From Monday 29 June to Thursday 2 July 2015 tutors from mainly the Faculty of Education’s postgraduate programme will tutor Grade 10 and 11 learners in specific subjects.

And in rural Eastern Cape, our SRC is making information accessible in a bid to assist high school learners in raising their awareness of matters relating to access to higher education.

At NMMU there definitely is no lack of opportunities to share or gain knowledge. 

NMMU funny man in the running for SA Comics Awards

 Guest Blogger Khanyisa Melwa

Accolades amassed by NMMU students and staff are never in short supply. It is not everyday however, that we can say that one of our own IT students stands a chance of winning awards at the South African Comics Choice Awards.

Our very own, Lukhanyiso Matshoba’s people-centred style of comedy has earned him nominations at the 5^th Annual South African Savanna Comics Choice Awards.

Lukhanyiso has been nominated in the following categories: Best friend of Comedy and the Audience Choice, for which he will need the public’s votes in order to win.

The budding comedian recently returned from Johannesburg where he was battling it out with stand-up comics from around the country, for the coveted Best Newcomer nomination which will be announced in early July.

Lukhanyiso "DirtyBumzz" Mathshoba on the carpet in Joburg recently.

This young man, who is currently completing his IT Diploma at NMMU, started stand-up comedy in 2013.

“It was when I was in the Drama Society that I discovered I had a knack for making people laugh,” he says.

He says he chose the stage name “DirtyBumzz” because he wanted to destigmatise the name.

"Dirty bums" is a term that is often used when one is referring to disadvantaged or marginalized people. My aim is to give those people hope and to motivate them. To make them believe that they are capable of doing so much.” says the budding comedian.

His material consists of stories about his township upbringing; and he compares this with life in surburbia, in a bid to ultimately unite people through laughter.

Lukhanyiso doing his thing on stage.

“Winning these awards would be great. No one from the Eastern Cape has ever won a Comics Choice Award. So it’s not only me who will be winning, but PE and the Eastern Cape too,” says Lukhanyiso.

For Lukhanyiso to win in the aforementioned categories, members of the public will need to vote and stand a chance to win a VIP experience to the awards. The winner will receive two double tickets to the awards show on the 15^th of August 2015, dinner at Montecasino to the value of R500, a chance to sashay down the yellow carpet with celebs, comedians and media as well as access to the after party.

SMS 3975 to 45757 to vote.

SMS’s cost R1.50 | Limited to 20 votes per mobile number | RSA Only

Let's get behind our funny man, and bring those accolades home!

Open Day, Madibaz Day – All in May!

Guest blogger Khanyisa Melwa

8 and 9 May was a busy weekend in Nelson Mandela Bay, as a number of events were hosted in our beloved city, namely: The Spar Ladies Race, Kaizer Chiefs vs Chippa United, The DA Congress and of course, NMMU Open Day.

NMMU Open Day 2015, under the banner of “Putting your future in focus”, hosted thousands of high school learners from Port Elizabeth and the greater Eastern Cape. The aim of this annual event is to assist and guide learners in selecting their desired field of study, and ultimately, career.

These kids were bursting at the seams with excitement as they wandered through the Vodacom Indoor Sports Centre on South Campus. Over 120 stalls were set up with staff and students ready to answer the plethora of questions from prospective students. These stalls were beautifully branded with the relevant department’s posters and other marketing materials aimed at inform the eager grade 11s and 12s.

Inter alia running around campus and attending to questions from both parents, teachers and learners, I took some time to ask a few of these learners what they thought about Open Day. The general consensus was that it was very insightful but there was just too much from which to choose.

Prizes were awarded to departments/faculties that boasted the most visually-appealing and interactive stalls, respectively.

Just as we thought things were over, Madibaz Day came along!http://nmmu10.nmmu.ac.za

Students at NMMU's George Campus for Open Day

NMMU celebrated their 10 year anniversary with an exhibition followed by a picnic-in-the-park themed concert at the Madibaz Stadium.

Quick question, how many of you knew about the VC’s illustrious dancing career in his past life? Okay, no, I’m kidding. But the Professor has rhythm.

Those in attendance were serenaded by the smooth sounds of the NMMU Choir, Two Tone Band and the NMMU Big Band to name just a few. We enjoyed a jovial atmosphere all round. It was a prime opportunity to once again showcase our diversity – in music and in culture.

Fast-forward a few days later, and off we were to our oft-forgotten, yet beautiful George Campus for the George Campus Open Day.

George Campus at the foot of the Outeniqua Mountains

George Campus is home to offerings such as Nature Conservation, Agriculture, Forestry, Wood Technology and the like. It is also known as our “green campus”. Surrounded by a majestic mountainous range, you cannot help but enjoy some piece of mind when you are here.

Although operating at a much slower pace, the George Open Day was just as successful – attracting learners from both the Southern and Western Cape.

I would like to quote the George Campus Principal, Quinton Johnson’s speech prior to the Open Day festivities when he said: “The great philosopher, Frantz Fanon, once said: ‘Every generation, out of relative obscurity, must discover its mission. Fulfill it, or betray it’. The mission for this generation is education.”

I sincerely hope that these learners manage to put their futures in focus and are now ready to apply to NMMU, the University for tomorrow.

‘We are Africans, before we are South Africans!’

Guest blogger Khanyisa Melwa

In recent weeks, South Africa has seen the re-emergence of a phenomenon that has claimed the lives of a number of our fellow African brothers and sisters; one that has divided our nation and continent - this phenomenon is that of xenophobia.

While some might wish to engage in intellectual debate of Afrophobia vs xenophobia, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU) students chose to have their voices heard and marched against the senseless killing of Africans by Africans. The #SayNOToXenophobia march was a joint effort between student leaders, the Centre for the Advancement of Non-Racialism & Democracy (CANRAD) and many others, which took place on 23 April – and saw about 3 000 students, staff and members of the Nelson Mandela Bay community uniting in one voice to say: Not in our name!

NMMU staff and students came out in large numbers, marching from North to South Campus to make their voice heard

NMMU Vice-Chancellor Prof Derrick Swartz

Staff and students at NMMU come together in a march against xenophobia 

The march began at North Campus, just outside the Conference Centre, with scores of people from all walks of life coming together as one, against the scourge of xenophobia. We then proceeded to South Campus where a pledge, signed by over 10 000 members of the NMMU community was handed over to the Vice-Chancellor, Prof Derrick Swartz, together with Chairman of Council Judge Ronnie Pillay, Nelson Mandela Bay Mayor Councillor Ben Fihla and Eastern Cape Premier Phumulo Masualle.

Prior to the handing over of the pledges, we were greeted by the beautiful voices of our world- renowned NMMU choir, followed by speeches from the Mayor, Premier, VC and student leaders.

Students at NMMU make their voices heard with a silent march

What is also worth noting is that although it was a silent march, we weren’t completely silent, as the march afforded us the opportunity to interact and engage with people you otherwise might never have met.

I had the pleasure of having a conversation with Port Elizabeth businessman and former political activist Khusta Jack about the state of our nation and the advent of these xenophobic attacks. Such opportunities are few and far between. Hence I relished the pearls of wisdom he imparted.

He encourages us to read more and engage each other on critical issues, thus raising our sense of consciousness, just as they did during the struggle for liberation.

Residence students were there too

In his infectious and charismatic manner, our Vice-Chancellor delivered a speech that spoke to three very important themes. The first being the apprehension and punishment of those who are inciting these violent attacks and calls for the arrest of anyone who brandishes weapons with the intent of causing harm to another.

Secondly, accountability … “Those who are responsible for these crimes should be held to account” he says.

Thirdly, he encourages the creation of an inclusive economic system; one that will see every citizen existing in a politically, socially, as well as economically just South Africa.

It was very interesting to see the kind of celebrity status our VC enjoyed once the event was over. Almost every student was trying to either get a selfie (selfie sticks and all) or introduce themselves to the man. The excitement and jubilance shown by the students when in the presence of our leader must not be neglected. That one speech, that engagement, will surely bode well for the camaraderie among our students. Hopefully, more engagements will follow.

This violent scourge has sadly divided Africa and her people. It is however refreshing to know that the consciousness of NMMU students has been awakened. This asserts my belief that it is our generation that will change the status quo, and alleviate these unjust social ills that continue to plague our society.

Furthermore, this reinforces our stance as a dynamic African university that seeks to produce quality individuals who will add to the global knowledge economy.

It also reinforces our commitment to uphold the values of Ubuntu and respect for diversity; our students espouse these values with aplomb.

It was only fitting that we stand firmly against xenophobia, bearing in mind that about 8% of the 27000 students that attend NMMU are international students. Some identify with NMMU and South Africa as their home. We identify with them as our brothers and sisters and nothing less.

If we err, let us err on the side of compassion. Because we are Africans, before we are South Africans.

PS And thanks to NMMU staff member Selwyn Milborrow and Nikolaas du Plooy for the photographs.