'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.

Nothing simple about Simon

Simon on an NMMU banner

I first met Simon on a paper bag. Yes, a paper bag. And not the Simple Simon of pie man lore, but Simon Harmer of Proteas spinner cricketing fame.

In 2010, he was simply a Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU) student beaming out from one of the institution’s branded paper bags – a good-looking young man in NMMU cricketing gear; a couple of years later I spotted him hanging about our workplace - along with two dozen or so other NMMU student ambassadors - on a branded airflow banner.

And then voila, Simon of paper bag and banner fame came to life as the Madibaz cricketer who made a highly successful debut as a Proteas Test player at Newlands, Cape Town, early this year.

The blond “pin-up” of our marketing materials had morphed into a national superstar spinner taking seven wickets in his first appearance for the Proteas in the New Year Test.

What a joy to witness!

Today, NMMU honoured Simon’s triumph in being selected as a Proteas player at an intimate lunch-time event. He’s the first Madibaz cricketer from our 10-year-old institution to have been selected to the Proteas Test squad. (We have had others who have been similarly honoured in other formats of the game including Wayne Parnell and Ashwell Prince).

Simon was presented with a mounted selection of photographs capturing his “magic moments” from that first Test.

And we – NMMU staff and the media – were presented with a glimpse of the not-so-simple Simon.

“There’s nothing simple about Simon. He’s affable. He’s articulate. He’s smart,” Madibaz Cricket Club president Gary Paul shared.

“He’s been developed holistically. He’s a role model. He can make statements about life, not just sport”.

Agreed.

Simon received this montage capturing his "magic moments"

But while Groot Rooi, as he is affectionately known on his Twitter handle, is destined for great things (he jets out of the country on Friday as part of the SA A cricket squad to play England in a one-day series), he’s not forgotten his roots – his parents, who moved from Pretoria to Port Elizabeth 18 months ago to support him, nor the university who gave him the opportunity to get to where he is today.

“If I hadn’t come to NMMU, I would probably only being playing club cricket in Pretoria and working as a lawyer.”

Sadly, cricketing commitments meant he was unable to complete his BCom Law degree, but he is grateful for the cricketing support he received from NMMU, and especially the likes of staff like Riaan Osman, Baakier Abrahams, Shafiek Abrahams and Kotie Grove.

“I was well looked after. Thank you!”

And thank you, Simon, for honouring your alma mater – and for bringing all those paper bags and our wall hanging to life!

In the pink …

AB de Villiers is in the pink. Picture: Reuters

Think pink and it’s likely that you’ll have all things feminine on your mind. Masculine pursuits like rugby and cricket are unlikely to feature in your colour-association mind game …

That is only, of course, if you missed Proteas’ captain A B de Villiers’ swashbuckling performance against the West Indies at the Wanderers in Johannesburg on Sunday when record after record tumbled (the fastest 50 and 100 in the One-Day International version of the game) with his historic knock of 147.

The affable AB was wearing pink. In fact, the entire team was donned in pretty rose pink as part of an annual awareness day for breast cancer, sponsored by Momentum and Bidvest.

“We love playing in pink,” De Villiers was reported to share before the game. “We haven’t lost while wearing pink.”

May that trend continue (especially as you head to Port Elizabeth this Sunday and off to the Cricket World Cup Down Under soon afterwards).

More especially, however, may the trend of raising awareness of breast cancer and other causes via this unlikely male medium continue.

A new flash of pink posters at Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU) assures me that is it for they are advertising the forthcoming Varsity Cup rugby. For the uninitiated (all newcomers to NMMU), Varsity Cup is a rugby competition between the country’s top rugby-playing universities. It is now into its seventh year and has been hugely successful, not least for the great student vibe it creates on campuses around the country.

But back to the pink.

The Varsity Cup rugby campaign starts on 9 February

This time the burly boytjies of the 15-man game at university level have embraced pink to create awareness against women abuse. This is in line with one of Varsity Cup’s catch phrases – “Keep the aggro on the field”.

Only the Man of the Match from the previous match is afforded the honour of wearing pink. And believe you me, that sole pair of pink shorts certainly stands out on the playing field.

So it’s kudos to the sportsmen who wear pink. Your gesture is appreciated.

Now roll on Sunday at St George’s Park where the Proteas play the Windies again (sans their pink), and Monday 16 February at our own NMMU Stadium when the Madibaz rugby team will play their first home game of the Varsity Cup contest against Central University of Technology (CUT).

We trust one of the latter team players will be wearing a pair of pink shorts after their first match against North West University (Pukke) on Monday 9 February (the game is being televised at 16.45pm).

We will, pun intended, be in the pink should that happen!

Pink shorts are worn by the Man of the Match from the previous game.

From world stage to Madibaz Stadium

Madibaz player Alexander Owusu prepares to pass the ball during Monday's clash with NWU at the Madibaz Stadium where the home team held the visitors to a 2-2 draw. Photo: Michael Sheehan/Saspa

I’ve been spoilt. A full month of world-class football in my lounge each evening, compliments of the Fifa Football World Cup, means my soccer benchmark barometer has been raised. Yours too?

When a long distance shot comes into the box area I now automatically anticipate a shot on target or at the very least a clean clearance. I don’t expect players to miss the ball completely or fail to control a ball or misjudge a tackle or erroneously forget about use the off-side rule or, or, or …

That’s as it went in parts during the first Varsity Sport Football match at Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU) yesterday afternoon when our Madibaz took on North West University before a vuvuzela-blowing crowd.

Yes, I have been spoilt.

In fact, I have been so spoilt that I almost failed to recognise that the Football World Cup is the benchmark to which these young university players must aspire.

Everyone has to start somewhere and having finger-pointing mother grundies like me on the sidelines is no help at all. These players, like any other sportsmen and women who are still working towards being at the top of their game, need encouragement.

The Varsity Sport concept provides a perfect platform for such encouragement.

Varsity Sport, like its successful sister brand Varsity Cup (for rugby), gives university students an opportunity to show off their talent on national television and before national sport selectors. It gives them all sorts of reason to literally “improve their game”.

Varsity Cup has already spawned a large number of Super Rugby players for South Africa, and I am pretty sure that other talented sportsmen and women will surface from its athletics, women’s hockey, men’s hockey, netball and volleyball competitions.

So this mother grundy, without lowering her soccer benchmark barometer, will be back at the next game home (against UCT on 4 August at 7pm) to shout for (and not at) the Madibaz.



And so as a show of my good intent, my congratulations go to Madibaz for their opening game. The final score was two all, with NMMU’s Kieran Koert scoring two quick goals to be named the match’s Samsung Super Striker and Madibaz captain Kurt Duff as the FNB Man of the Match.