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.

#NMMUWalk - Putting the ‘social’ back into ‘social media’

By guest blogger: Khanyisa Melwa

The advent of social media has completely changed the way we interact and engage with one another. Filters and hashtags have become somewhat of a lingua franca. As millennials, we are often referred to as hyper-taskers and our teenagers are now screenagers. We live in the information age, an age where one chooses to be ignorant as information is readily available with a click of a button.

With this in mind, it was quite refreshing to be a part of an event that puts the ‘social’ back into social media. I’m talking about the first #NMMUWalk that was hosted by Cityofpe together with the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU) on Tuesday evening.

The #NMMUWalk is essentially an Instawalk (Instagram Walk) which is about getting the community together to take pictures of our beautiful city/campuses and share them on Instagram. It’s an opportunity for people to get to meet the people behind the Instagram accounts and interact with them on a human level. “It’s about growing the community, that’s our emphasis” says Joshua Terry, one third of Cityofpe. The community in this case, was the NMMU community.

The walk began at Madibaz Café, with some quick treats, because you know – food. Whilst enjoying the delicacies, I couldn’t help but feel like an amateur (which I am) when I heard these guys and girls talk about their lenses and cool cameras. Canon 550D’s, ISO’s and Insta-lenses were the order of the day. Did you guys even know Insta-lenses existed? I didn’t. Apparently some company in Cape Town manufactures these, a pretty nifty gadget for you iPhone users.

Our Instawalkers at the kraal.

We then missioned down to the kraal to begin our expedition, in search for the coolest shots of our beautiful campus. Bar the odd selfie here and there, our Instawalkers achieved this with aplomb, as a plethora of beautiful pictures of the campus can be seen under the hashtag - #NMMUWalk on Instagram.

River Leask doing a 'RiverJump'

What was even more interesting was how 25 completely different students, with everyone studying different courses and from different backgrounds could come together for a new experience and enjoy it so much. We all came to take pictures of a beautiful campus and share these on Instagram but the bi-product of this was that friends and connections were made and for some, followers were gained.

Barriers were transcended at the #NMMUWalk; people you would normally speak to over an app using a smartphone were now standing right next to you taking the very pictures that would leave you awestruck on Instagram. Not only that, but societal barriers were also dismantled, this was evidenced by the diversity of the students present. This goes to show how social media – which is famous for rendering active-users as anti-social can now be used as a socializing agent, which can only bode well for social cohesion in our beautiful country.

It’s really cool to know that we go to a university that encourages creativity, diversity and a vibrant student life. Kudos to the lads from Cityofpe for hosting this event with NMMU, I hope this was the first of many.

Photo: Stuart William Black aka Crazyninja88 on Instagram

A sea of blue - celebrating 10 years

Guest blogger Bev Erickson

To say we were blown away is an understatement! NMMU staff certainly celebrated in style yesterday by wearing their 10-year T-shirts to work and taking photos of themselves.

Forming a ten with their staff, showing ten fingers, jumping in the air and smiling from ear to ear were the order of the day as the photos below will attest.

In recognition of NMMU’s 10th birthday celebrations, staff were asked to don their new NMMU 10th anniversary T-shirts on “T-shirt Tuesday” as we named it – and to capture the moment by taking photographs to be used on the university’s communication channels.

The last ten years has been an interesting journey at NMMU – for some it’s been challenging, for others, all part of a day’s work, but there’s no denying that a great deal has been achieved.

The team from Graduate and Student Placement

While giving some input into a yet-to-be-released celebratory publication commemorating NMMU’s first decade, it struck me just how much we have achieved in this short period of time. From our ground-breaking blended learning initiatives through to extensive community interaction, our comprehensive university is positively impacting on thousands of lives within and beyond the classroom.

We have pretty much cemented our name in the South African higher education landscape, and even internationally to a certain extent. We have empowered students, seen them graduate, built state-of the-art buildings, formed research chairs and worked with industry. We’ve established a set of values to live by, increased our research outputs and continue to work towards our vision of being “a dynamic African university recognised for its leadership in generating cutting-edge knowledge for a sustainable future”.

Science Faculty staff are all fingers!

Colleagues on the 17th floor of the tower block

We’ve had fun together – remember the 2010 Soccer World Cup? And we’ve cried together - saying farewell to our namesake. But all in all, we have stood together in building our new university.

Yes, I know many of you are thinking “what a load of nonsense, she doesn’t work where I work!” – but take a moment to reflect and I have no doubt that you will be proud of what we have done.

So wear that T-shirt with pride and continue to turn dreams into reality.

Faculty of  Engineering, the Built Environment and IT

View the T-Shirt Tuesday photos

Meeting the maths challenge

Maths was never my strong point. But I recognised its importance and thankfully was blessed with great teachers, which meant I was able to comfortably pass maths in my final matric year.

Not so for the majority of South African learners, and especially those living in rural backwaters in the Eastern Cape. The province’s dismal maths results speak for themselves.

The national 2014 matric results for mathematics, mathematics literacy and physical science were worse than in 2013, and those results were even worse in our province, which has traditionally always trailed the rest of the country. In fact, we are bottom of the class on a global scale.

Ouch! I cry.

Opportunity! cried Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU).

Yes, here’s an opportunity for the university to apply its research and give back to the society it serves.

So enter the Govan Mbeki Maths Development Unit (GMMDU) and a group of committed mathematicians who are determined to become part of the solution. They’ve been rolling out various initiatives aimed at both teachers and learners throughout our province for several years but are now able to seriously able to extend their efforts thanks to a R3.6-m donation from Old Mutual.

Seeking solutations ... Old Mutual's Nceba Papuma and Marshall Rapiya,
 and NMMU's Prof Werner Olivier and Prof Andrew Leitch 

As a result, 18 rural high schools in the Bhisho area will receive a maths and science boost in the form of an extensive offline programme that is aligned to the national curriculum.

The two-year project using tablets and other technological aids is being run in collaboration with the province’s Department of Basic Education.

And that’s another big plus about this Maths and Science Development Project – it’s not about one group working in isolation but about various players coming together to seek solutions. It’s about each one playing its part and working together to ensure that two plus two does not make five, but that it all makes sense.

Personally, this is the kind of research I enjoy best – real research offering real solutions.

About 2 500 learners from grades 10 to 12 will be assisted in this project – a drop in the ocean, but a start nonetheless.

The initiative recognises the education challenges that South Africa faces – under-resourced schools, teachers who lack the relevant maths and science skills and a lack of access to information. It’s a technology-based approach (this, after all, is the screenager generation) that offers lessons, science laboratory videos, old exam papers and self-tests. With each project that the GMMDU rolls out it makes improvements in its bid to better harness the potential of learners and ensure that their maths and science marks improve.

And while the learners are learning, NMMU will be learning too since it has a PhD project on the go examining the use of tablets and their impacts in terms of the expectations of modern learners.

Surely this is a win-win situation?

The proof will come with time - with the matric results.

Is this you? A tech-savvy, future-focused, mature Millennial …

Colour blurs with today's Millennials

I’m confused. I’m a Baby Boomer, born after the Second World, who inherited many of the traits of that generation. We’re self-starters; mostly independent and responsible for ourselves. We get on and do.

Now meet the Millennials – today’s student generation, aged 18 to 34. Who are you?

At Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU), you are our number one stakeholder, or to put it very simply, the reason why we exist. Without students, we would not be here.

And so it’s pretty darn important that the old-timers among us (the Baby Boomers, the Silent Generation before us and Generation X after us) understand just what makes you tick.

If I have done my research correctly, you’re pretty chilled when it comes to gender (blurring), modern families, race and with living alongside gran and gramps.

You believe in causes; endeavour to be ethical; are mature; seek solutions and sustainable values.

But you also, if what the experts are saying is true, like to set yourself apart with your lifestyle, the way you dress and even where and when you go on holiday. You like to volunteer and share, be it online or materially. This comes naturally to you.

You aren’t in a hurry to marry or have children and you have developed some excellent life skills just because of the period in which you have lived (a recession).

The Millennials or Generation Y  are set on seeking solutions

What amazes me most about you, however, is your ability to handle technology, lots of it, all at once. You can use five screens; think in 4D and not just multi-task, but hyper-task. Apparently, the latter has seen your brains evolve to process more information at even greater speeds.

Now that’s fairly frightening for someone who methodically likes to do one thing at a time, but we’re willing to try to understand you. Furthermore, I’d like to vouch that the Baby Boomer Generation and Generation X (aged 34 to 54) are all at pains to meet your needs (you are, after all, either in or about to enter the workplace and earn the stuff that makes the world go around - money).

So we’ll be trying to reach and inspire you as marketers by:

· Talking to you in images

· Keeping our communication tight and bright

· Talking to you as adults

· Tapping into your entrepreneurial spirit (come on, we want to help you find solutions to all the stuff we messed up – like our environment)

· Feeding your curiosity and

· Asking for your guidance

Yes, I am asking for your guidance. How do we connect with your generation?

We need your help in marketing to Millennials

Will Instagram and Twitter do it? Or should we showcasing the good deeds of NMMU – the outreach programmes that see borderline maths pupils pass with a distinction for Matric maths or our involvement in seeking renewable energy solutions. Or what? What can we do to ensure that NMMU becomes a university of first choice?

Tell us. Show us. Please be part of sharing the NMMU success story.

And end my confusion.

Living his Legacy

By Bev Erickson

As we celebrate the life of  Tata Madiba, our namesake,  on the first anniversary of his passing – it got me reflecting on the legacy he left behind, and the great leader he was.

I recently had the privilege of listening to the former private secretary of Madiba, Zelda la Grange. Her 60 minute presentation had everyone hanging on her lips as she told humorous and touching stories of her time with Nelson Mandela. She was just so “real” in her approach – nothing pretentious or fake about her – I guess like the man she called boss for more than half of her life.

The story I found particularly fascinating was his attention to detail and what a stickler he was for honesty and integrity. She spoke of a foreign visit when he was given the most beautiful hotel suite – complete with designer bottles of shampoo, body wash and fragrances in the bathroom. Late that evening, Zelda was summoned to his room and asked to fire the entire security team. Madiba had noticed that one of these little bottles had gone missing and would not rest until he had found the perpetrator. As the peacemaker, Zelda lined the entire team up in his room and the perpetrator was identified.  He took note of the little things and he had zero tolerance for dishonesty.

The interesting part of the presentation was the question time afterwards. And of course there were many! She handled them diplomatically and knew where the line was that she wouldn't overstep illustrating her own integrity. 

What a wonderful relationship these two totally different people had. A true testimony to both of them.

Then, last Sunday – I watched Long Walk to Freedom on TV with my husband and 17 year old daughter. I was reluctant to watch the movie as how could anyone even begin to portray such a colossus of a person? But Idris Elba did a pretty good job! It was wonderful to watch the life of Nelson Mandela played out in chronological order – giving a perspective of what he did and achieved in his life time.

Something else that opened my eyes were the comments by my 17 year old on the atrocities of our past and how foreign they were to her. “Did that really happen?”, “Didn't you know it was wrong?” 

But despite the wrong-doings, our beloved Madiba showed compassion and love for his country.

Tata – we will never forget you.

Living his Legacy 1918 - 2013

Our art students ... what were they thinking?

What are they thinking ... check out the art in K Block's studios

I find art fascinating. I might not know too much about it, but I find the result – the completed pieces of artwork – hugely interesting. I find some art beautiful, some blatantly ugly. Other pieces still, deathly dull.

But I am always intrigued.

What were they thinking?

I asked myself this question all over again – as I do every year – when I visited the Fine Art Graduate Exhibition in K block, North Campus, by our final year art students.

What were they thinking when they conceived their paintings, drawing, ceramics, glasswork and sculptures?

Both sculptures by Phiwokwakhe Tshona

What drove them to throw a myriad of three-dimensional shapes together to form giant kites? What caused a student to choose to merge man with frog, fox and elephant? What triggered an onslaught against diet cooldrink and media messaging; what pushed a student to delve in new techniques; what evoked the collection of thumb print …

Yes, it’s the thinking behind the art that intrigues me.

But let’s see what you think of the work by:

Robyn Munnick, Chelsea Bell, Kent Cairncross, Erica Fu, Gabriel Chaponda, Suzette Crafford, Sipho Makhanda, Namhla Mbalane, Neil de Lange, Sarah King, Justin Lucas, Pieter-Jan Kilian, Maqhawe Mkwanazi, Kyle Hamann, Nadia van der Merwe, Thabiso Patsi, Anja Roestorf, Ilse Volver, Dané Strydom, Phiwokwakhe Tshona, Sukesh Moodaley, Nadine Moolman, Midian Thackwray, Karen Yew-Sioung and Mandy Ndesi.

Their work can viewed until 4pm on 27 November.

The Fine Art work of the BTech students can also be viewed at the Athenaeum, Corner of Belmont Terrace and Military Road, Central, from 9am to 4pm daily, also until 27 November.

Three works by Dané Strydom

Glass works of famous faces

Digital print on enhanced matte by Sipho Makanda

Anja Roestorf' produced several skilful morphed drawings 

Midian Thackwray's wonderful mobiles and wall hangings are a show stopper  

Ceramic work titled the Puppet Master by Pieter-Jan Kilian 

A spider takes centrestage among the sculptures

Seeking a sense of self?  

Making art out of our identities?

A painting of a tumour

Archbishop Desmond Tutu by one of the Class of 2014

The long-awaited history of EC heroines

CELEBRATING STRONG WOMEN ... A glimpse of the exhibition panels that tell the fascinating stories of  Eastern Cape heroines

When I was at school, I hated history. It all just seemed to be about meaningless wars and expeditions in distant times and places. And dates, dates, dates. I dropped it as soon as I could.

But, as an adult, I’ve developed a love for past events, a curiosity for finding out why things happened – and I’ve discovered incidents and people far more interesting than the dreary textbook stuff we were force-fed at school.

Guest blogger Nicky Willemse

I was recently asked to edit the panels for NMMU’s upcoming exhibition, titled “The role of women in the shaping of Eastern Cape history”. I was educated, to say the least, reading about the achievements (often against all odds) of strong women from the late 1700s to the last century.

And I had a lightbulb moment.

I realised that in all the years of history I had to endure at school, the heroes profiled were men. In my junior school in Pietersburg/Polokwane (in the heart of Voortrekker country), we learned ad nauseum about the achievements of Jan van Riebeek, Piet Retief, Andries Pretorius, Andries Potgieter and others. Later, in Port Elizabeth, I was introduced to Bartholomew Dias, Vasco de Gama, Rufane Donkin.

All white men – at my white schools (I finished school in ’93).

Black leaders like Shaka and Dingaan were included too, but more as anti-heroes, conquests of the Brits and the boers.

At high school (Standard 6 and 7), history went overseas to World Wars and ongoing Middle-East conflict. But again, there was never a mention of any heroine.

Reading the panels was an eye-opener. How much more interesting history would have been had these women been included? People like Mary Elizabeth Barber, Nontetha Nkwenkwe and Yetta Barenblatt. No, of course, you haven’t heard of them.

Mary, a settler, was the Eastern Cape’s first botanist. She even used to exchange ideas with Charles Darwin. He even thanked her for her assistance in one of his publications.

Nontetha Nkwenkwe faded into obscurity because the government at the time was threatened by her and had her confined to one mental hospital after another, until she eventually died in isolation. There was nothing wrong with her, other than the fact that she was trying to make sense of a world where her long-held Xhosa traditions were being wiped out by colonisation. She did this by starting a church in the 1920s which preached a synthesis of Christian and Xhosa spirituality – she was influential and had a large following. And so she was locked up.

Industrialisation in the Eastern Cape brought with it the establishment of factories, which were filled with women. First white women, then coloured and later black women. Factories brought with them the trade unions, and many strong (but socially repressed) women suddenly had a voice, and they made it political. Irish-born Yetta Barenblatt was a skilled union negotiator in East London who would later become secretary of the Congress of Democrats and be detained during the 1960 State of Emergency.

I purposely chose these women, because they have faded into obscurity, but there are others profiled in the exhibition who are better-known: Saartjie Baartman, Dora Nginza, Molly Blackburn. Their stories are just as fascinating.

There are equally fascinating true tales of prostitution, assault and murder – real page-turning stuff. How could I ever have thought history dreary?

I know South Africa’s history textbooks have changed. I haven’t seen them, but I can only hope that they include some of the stories of these amazing women, who were working against the grain in strongly-patriarchal times (which we have not completely overcome yet).

These are stories that must be told.

• The exhibition – which includes factual and anecdotal information, poetry and photographs on 18 attractively-designed, ceiling-high panels – is on public display in the Archive Exhibition Centre on NMMU’s Second Avenue Campus, from Tuesday (25 November) to November next year.

VC’s Cultural Evening – feast of the senses

NMMU Vice-Chancellor Prof Derrick Swartz is joined by Acting Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Teaching  and Learning Prof Denise Zinn (left) and Lorraine Lawrence

“If it is true that a nation’s character is defined by the stories it tells about itself to the world, then ours surely could not have found more eloquent and amazingly talented voices than in the stunning performances of Gcina Mhlope, Steve Newton, Mahesh Narotam, and our awesome students. Such a rare feast of all the senses!”

That’s as Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University boss man Prof Derrick Swartz captured the essence of the annual Vice-Chancellor’s Cultural Evening – and we couldn’t have put it better ourselves.

An evening that traditionally celebrates the arts in its many forms, this year told a wonderful story of ourselves – as a hurt, confused, diverse, enthusiastic, talented, vibrant and ever-hopeful people.

That hope, “that hope in our eyes”, was captured in the opening poem by Gcina Hlope, who was every bit the dynamic storyteller as I’d hoped she’d be.

The audience immediately warmed to her, with her easy interaction and ability to pin-point home truths.

And there were more home truths and opportunities to reflect on all that makes us who we are, with the poetry, acting, singing, music and performances that followed.

I particularly like the “potato vendor” student and her humourous monologue on living the values (it’s just her pursuit of excellence in dusting her potatoes that attracts customers not the witch doctor’s muti), along with the sultry sounds of our jazz musicians.

At one stage, the entire well-heeled audience was on its feet dancing to Miriam Makeba’s click song … yes, it’s the kind of event that makes you want to celebrate. And yes, the VC’s Cultural Evening is a highlight for the 150 people in attendance.

This year the event was hosted at the Boardwalk Conference Centre and as plush as it is, there are many who prefer the artistic haunts of the city’s historic heart – the gallery or the athenaeum. Hopefully, with the refurbishment of Eendrag on the university’s Bird Street Campus, we can match the artistic performances with a more suitable backdrop and take this special evening back to Central. But that’s just me …

While this blog is unable to share the auditory benefits of the 5 November event (we are working on this and other additions), here are a few visuals of those who were fortunate to attend.

Melvin Syce and Willeen Syce

Lungsie Mhlantla and Kaya Mhlantla

Naydene de Lange, Willeen Syce and Melvin Syce 

Loshni Govender

David Blignaut, Hilda Israel and Nicole Ho Chong 

Silas Nkanunu, Sonja Tifloen, Mandla Madwara and Mzi Mangcotywa

Michael Barry, Merilyn Barry, Jacqui Lück and Gerhard Lück

Evatt Knoesen, Ilze Olckers and Adv Shauib Rahim 

Yanga Lusasa and Zizipho Matandabuzo