The Grand Challenge Cup will remain in Matieland for another year after the FNB Maties wrapped up the top spot on the league log with a resounding 71-0 victory over visiting Villagers on Saturday.

It is the fourth league title in a row, which brings the Maties tally to an impressive 17 from 19 titles since 1997. The team scored 754 points in their 14 league games, which was only bested by Hamiltons. 

The key for the Maties was that they scored 109 tries the season, while only conceding 12. 

The biggest win of the season was a 102-10 result against Helderberg with St George's being beaten 97-7. Another major highlight was the Intervarsity victory over old foes UCT, with the Maties winning 31-12. 

False Bay inflicted the only loss of the 2015 season in April. After trailing 19-0 at the break the men in maroon battled back to 19-19 with a few minutes remaining. A late penalty saw False Bay take the win.

Tygerberg pushed the Maties as well, going down 17-14 after leading 12-10 at halftime. Tries by fullback Craig Barry and winger Brandon Asher-Wood (2) saved the Maties that day.

Due to test week and the conditioning of players for the 2016 Varsity Cup the Maties will field an emerging team for their Presidents Cup semi-final on 19 September. 

The Steinhoff Victorians will play in the quarterfinal before that, courtesy of their sixth place finish.

​

On returning from the meeting with the Portfolio Committee on Higher Education and Training in Parliament the Stellenbosch University (SU) management Tuesday afternoon extended an open invitation to the Open Stellenbosch movement to engage in discussions on transformation at the University.

“We are listening, we are talking. We are committed to open discussion and will continue doing so,” said Prof Wim de Villiers, Rector and Vice-Chancellor of SU. Management also said that it would carry on with efforts to engage with all stakeholders, including groupings that may be critical of the University. “We urge Open Stellenbosch to enter into constructive discussions with us, from setting the agenda to the terms of engagement.”

This open invitation follows earlier attempts to include Open Stellenbosch in on-going campus discussions with the wider student community. On 13 August 2015 management met with various student groups to discuss the points that were raised in their submissions to management on transformation and language implementation. 

Stellenbosch University was invited to a meeting of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Higher Education and Training on Tuesday morning. Management said that it was a constructive session, resulting in many useful inputs that will help the University address important issues.

The special meeting was called by the Committee to discuss transformation and the language issue at SU in the wake of the Luister video recently released on social media, which highlighted students’ experiences of racism and discrimination.

The Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee, Ms Yvonne Phosa, thanked SU for participating in the meeting, and added: “I commend the University for not denying the lived experiences of students exposed to racism.”

She urged the University and Open Stellenbosch to engage in dialogue. “There is no insurmountable problem. All that is required is a willingness to find solutions.”

“We appreciate the opportunity that we were afforded to engage with the Portfolio Committee and extend an invitation to Open Stellenbosch in response to Ms Phosa’s encouragement to find solutions,” Prof Wim de Villiers said. “We do not have all the answers. In the spirit of mutual responsibility and co-ownership, all stakeholders have to contribute to solutions.” He also added that SU should avoid the danger of polarisation. It causes serious problems for any democracy and the demonisation of institutions or individuals makes compromise more difficult.

In its submission, SU Management unequivocally condemned racism – whether overtly or covertly – at the University. It said that it was acting against racism and other forms of discrimination and marginalisation through disciplinary action and initiatives to promote diversity and integration on campus. (Click here to download a PDF of Prof De Villiers' presentation to the Portfolio Commitee.)

The meeting was also addressed by Dr Blade Nzimande, Minister of Higher Education and Training.

“Everybody must fight the scourge of racism, sexism and discrimination everywhere,” he said.

“SU is a highly respected university globally, but the things highlighted now could tarnish its reputation. We will support you on your journey of transformation, but it must be accelerated.”

Prof De Villiers said the University would “continue on our journey of transformation – we are imperfect, we are incomplete, but we are steadfast in our resolve.”

The other stakeholders who made submissions to the Portfolio Committee were the SU Council, Institutional Forum and Students’ Representative Council (SRC).

Protest action on campus

While members of University management attended the meeting of the Portfolio Committee in Parliament, Open Stellenbosch hosted a protest march on the Stellenbosch University campus.

The Stellenbosch Municipality Monday informed the University that it had denied permission for the protest action as the requirements in accordance of the Gatherings Act had not been met by the organisers. The march would have started on the Rooiplein and followed a route through the town centre, but when permission was denied, it was decided to limit the march to the campus area.

According to the Gatherings Act such events still require the approval of the local authority even if it is planned for the campus environment. Stellenbosch University did not receive an application from Open Stellenbosch.

An estimated 250 students arrived on campus in three buses from other Western Cape tertiary institutions just before 12:30 and joined a group on the Rooiplein . The protestors later proceeded to the Admin B building where a memorandum was handed over to Mr Pieter Kloppers, Director for Student Structures and Communities. The memorandum has been submitted to the University management. As reference is made to the University Council in the memorandum, management will have to discuss its content with the Chairperson and other members of Council before responding.

Just before 15:00 the group in front of Admin B dispersed and shortly afterwards the buses arrived to pick up their passengers and return to their campuses.

• Click here to download a PDF of Prof De Villiers' presentation to the Portfolio Commitee.

​An excellent agricultural engineering researcher who is also helping to build Africa's human resource capacity – that's Prof Umezuruike Linus Opara, holder of the DST-NRF South African Research Chair in Postharvest Technology, and distinguished professor in the Department of Horticultural Science at Stellenbosch University. He was recognised as such on Saturday with an IMPRESSA 2015/2016 Award by the Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture (RUFORUM). 

The award was presented to him in Windhoek in Namibia during the RUFORUM annual general meeting of RUFORUM, a continent-widel network of 46 African universities in Eastern, Southern, Central and Western Africa. The IMPRESSA Award recognises impact research and science in Africa, and honours outstanding university scientists who have made a significant contribution in the field of agricultural research and science for development in Africa, including human and institutional development.

"While I am delighted that my work has been recognised on a continent-wide scale, the award equally recognises Stellenbosch University and the small team of dedicated and productive students and staff I have worked with over the years," he acknowledges humbly.

Since joining Stellenbosch University in 2009, Prof Opara has set up a state-of-the-art research laboratory that develops and tests various postharvest technologies and advancements.

He works on a wide range of products - from the postharvest handling and storage of fruit and vegetables such as table grapes and apples and pomegranates to fish preservation and the use of cassava flour as an alternative bread making option.

In particular, Prof Opara is recognised as the world's leading researcher of matters relating to postharvest technology suitable for pomegranate fruit. The National Research Foundation recently estimated that the efforts that his team has put into develop handling technologies for this anti-oxidant rich fruit work has provided R65 million of direct and indirect benefits to South Africa's fledgling pomegranate industry.

Forty graduate students (19 PhDs and 21 MSc students) and four postdoctoral fellows from over 15 African countries have since benefitted from the training and mentorship in agricultural science and engineering research he has provided at Stellenbosch University.

Prof Opara's interest in making research work for farmers and agribusinesses has over the years taken him to several countries in Africa, Asia, the South Pacific, Europe and the Middle East. Thanks to support from many development agencies he has been able to implement in-country training programmes in among others the Kingdom of Tonga, China, Mali, Tanzania, Nigeria, Sultanate of Oman and Cambodia. 

Prof Opara serves on the advisory board of international organisations such as the Horticulture Innovation Lab of the Feed the Future Programme in the USA. He is the honorary vice president of the International Commission of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering (CIGR) and honorary chair of the CIGR Section VI: Postharvest Technology and Agro-Processing. He also chairs the

International Society for Horticultural Science's Vegetables Section (Roots, Tuber, Edible Bulbs, Brassica & Asparagus).

He is the founding editor-in-chief of the International Journal of Postharvest Technology, and has published over 200 articles in peer-reviewed journals, book chapters and industry journals. He has given over 150 oral presentations at international conferences, including several invited keynotes addresses and served in expert panels related to food security, value addition and agricultural transformation.

This member of the Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf) graduated in agricultural engineering from the University of Nigeria Nsukka, and holds a PhD from Massey University in New Zealand.

Photograph caption

Prof Linus Opara (right) received the IMPRESSA Award from Prof Levy Nyagura, outgoing Chairman of the Board of Trustees of RUFORUM and Vice Chancellor of the University of Zimbabwe. Photo: Supplied.

Media enquiries:

Prof Linus Opara

South African Chair in Postharvest Technology

Department of Horticultural Science, Stellenbosch University

opara@sun.ac.za

+27 21 808 4064

Stellenbosch University (SU) boasts five new research chairs as part of the South African Research Chair Initiative (SARChI).  These chairs, which are funded by Department of Science and Technology (DST) and the National Research Foundation (NRF), we awarded to five esteemed women researchers at SU. This brings the total number of research chairs at SU to 33 (24 SARChI chairs, and nine other chairs funded through other sources).

The new SARChI chairs are Dr Reinette (Oonsie) Biggs (Chair in "Social-Ecological Systems and Resilience", placed within SU's new Centre for Complex Systems in Transition); Prof Cherryl Walker of the Department of Sociology and Social Anthropology (Chair in Sociology of Land, Environment and Sustainable Development); Prof Amanda Gouws of the Department of Political Science (Chair in Gender Politics); Prof Anneke Hesseling, director of the paediatric TB research programme at the Desmond Tutu TB Centre and the Department of Paediatrics and Child Health (Chair in Paediatric Tuberculosis); and Prof Kathy Myburgh, distinguished professor in die Department of Physiology (Chair in Integrative Skeletal Muscle Physiology, Biology and Biotechnology).

SU Rector and Vice-Chancellor Prof Wim de Villiers congratulated the recipients: "It makes us very proud. This is recognition of their academic work and research, which is to the highest quality."

He linked it to the transformation of the University, which includes gender. "The University is committed to the career advancement of women, especially at senior levels, where they are unfortunately still underrepresented. We are working on correcting this."

"We are extremely pleased with the success of the five excellent SU candidates. For female researchers at SU and across the SA higher education sector this is a day to celebrate the important role of female academic staff members in this institution and in the country", said Dr Therina Theron, Senior Director: Research and Innovation at SU.

She added: "More importantly, the sector now has 42 new female SARChI role models who will do transformative research, train large numbers of postgraduate students, and hopefully inspire large numbers of female students to enter the area of academic research."

Theron said they will do their utmost to support these new Chairs, and to develop more capacity that will assist us in transforming and rejuvenating our academic cohort through programmes like this in the future.

The DST-NRF SARChI research chair initiative is designed to significantly expand the scientific research base of South Africa in a way that supports implementation of the national Research and Development policies. The main goal of the initiative is to strengthen and improve research and innovation capacity of public universities for producing high quality postgraduate students, research, and innovation outputs. Since its inception in 2006, 153 Research Chairs have been awarded in various disciplines and research fields and the Funding Instrument has been successful in retaining leading South African scientists in the university system and attracting leading foreign researchers and expatriate researchers to South Africa.

• ​Photo: Front Dr Reinette Biggs, Profs Amanda Gouws, Kathy Myburgh and Dr Therina Theron. Back Profs Eugene Cloete, Vice-Rector: Research and Innovation, Cherryl Walker and Anneke Hesseling.
  

​African Traditional Medicine Week 2015

A popular herbal remedy, Moringa oleifera (MO), colloquially known as "Saviour of the Poor", could interfere with antiretroviral treatment (ART) and have toxic effects when used concurrently with ART and other conventional medicine.

"In South Africa up to eight in 10 people with HIV use traditional medicines at some time," says Dr Charles Awortwe, a researcher in Clinical Pharmacology at Stellenbosch University.

His research on MO, also called "Miracle Tree", "Tree of Life", "Mother's Best Friend" or "God's Gift to Man", showed that taking MO as a herbal supplement could potentially worsen the health conditions of patients on drug treatment.

MO is rich in protein, calcium, iron and vitamin C, and is used in the management of about 300 medical and lifestyle conditions, including HIV, cancer, arthritis, asthma, high cholesterol levels (hypercholesterolemia) and high blood sugar levels (hyperglycaemia). It is also used as an aphrodisiac or to prevent pregnancy, however none of these uses are currently supported by good scientific evidence.

"A major concern is the concomitant use of herbal medicines alongside conventional drug treatments," says Awortwe. "It is well known that herbal products can interfere with the enzymes responsible for the chemical breakdown of drugs in the body and therefore have an effect on the clinical efficacy of a drug or its toxicity."

Awortwe's research found that MO inhibited two important enzymes – one responsible for the breakdown of ART, cardiovascular and antianxiety drugs, and the other responsible for the elimination of drugs decreasing gastric acid secretion, anti-arrhythmics and antimalarials – which could cause toxicity.

According to Awortwe, one-third of cases of acute kidney failure in Africa are estimated to be caused by traditional medicines.

Another important example of drug interaction between herbal and conventional medicine is the birth of "miracle babies" in women who are taking oral birth control, at the same time as St. John's wort. This herbal product stimulates the elimination of the hormones present in the birth control pills, thereby rendering it ineffective.

"The use of herbal medicines is increasing all over the world and many consumers assume that because these products are herbal or natural, they are also completely safe, but this is not true," says Awortwe.

He recommends that patients should avoid taking MO together with conventional drugs. "Patients already taking MO as supplement should inform their doctors about this to avoid further harm."

Media enquiries

Mandi Barnard
Marketing Coordinator
+27 (0)21 938 9505
mandi@sun.ac.za
Marketing and Communication Office
Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences  
Stellenbosch University                                  

Website:          www.sun.ac.za/health
Facebook:       www.facebook.com/SUhealthsci
Twitter:            @SUhealthsci

​​​Five MSc students of the Plant Breeding Laboratory in the Department of Genetics are among the first Stellenbosch University students to be using the upgraded growth room facilities of the Faculty of AgriSciences for grain experiments.

With the flick of a switch they can now change the light spectrum shining on the plants, and rest assured that the temperature in the growth room will remain constant.

Irma van Zyl is for instance conducting experiments on pollen mediated gene flow and crossability of small grain cereals. The research of Wandile Ngcamphalala, Jabulani Mthembu, Nondumiso Cebehulu and S-W Meintjes relates to the Plant Breeding Laboratory's wheat pre-breeding programme.

The facilities have been upgraded and modernised thanks to R2 million being made available through the Faculty of AgriSciences' Strategic Fund. "This is in an effort to ensure that we remain at the forefront of wheat and genetic research in South Africa, to the advantage of the local industry," explains Dr Michael-John Freeborough, manager of the Faculty of AgriSciences.

The building on the Welgevallen Experimental Farm in which the growth rooms are housed, was erected by the Wheat Board many years ago. It however started to became outdated and fell into a state of disrepair. "The lighting was not very energy efficient and had to be changed by hand, while adequate maintenance was becoming an issue," says plant breeder Willem Botes of the Department of Genetics.

The existing eight growth rooms inside the facility were demolished and the space re-utilised to establish six new growth room units and a preparation area. Each room has a small entrance lobby with a double door system to improve temperature management and to address bio-safety aspects.  New work areas and energy saving LED lighting to better regulate temperatures are part of the refurbushment

"Although the use of LED lighting is becoming more common in households, this growth room project is one of the first of its kind in South Africa to use this kind of lighting," Botes explains. The system was designed and installed by a South African supplier, Tech Trend.

Members of the Plant Breeding Laboratory are not the only to have access to the new facilities.  It is also regularly used by by the Department of Agronomy and Prof Anna-Maria Oberholster of the Wheat Genomics Laboratory in the Department of Genetics.

If all goes according to plan, the remaining space will be made available to other researchers in the Faculty of AgriSciences.

"It is ideal for researchers who need to perform experiments in a growth room under specific controlled light and temperature conditions," explains Botes.

Photo:

Plant breeder Willem Botes of the Department of Genetics and MSc student Irma van Zyl at work in one of the growth rooms. Photo: Engela Duvenage

​The waste tyres research group is an interdisciplinary effort between the Department of Process Engineering and the Department of Chemistry and Polymer Sciences at Stellenbosch University, sponsored by the Recycling and Economic Development Initiative of South Africa (REDISA). The research effort has a focus on the development of technological pathways for the revalorisation of waste tyres, both from an environmental and economic viewpoint.

South Africa currently has approximately 60 million waste tyres in landfills and stockpiles and annually 11 million are added to this problem. This type of disposal can result in significant environmental disturbances, such as uncontrolled fires (with accompanying pollution of the atmosphere, soil and groundwater) or by supplying breeding ground for rats, mosquitoes, etc. At its core REDISA concentrates on addressing this mounting environmental problem by finding solutions that benefit the tyre recycling industry with waste reduction and economic value adding, whilst simultaneously creating work opportunities.

In line with its mandate to develop a waste tyres collection and recycling industry, REDISA has entered into a four-year research agreement with Stellenbosch University (SU), entitled Beneficiation of Waste Tyres from Recycling. The RESIDA-SU research group supports the recycling industry by investigating several approaches for the recovery of value added chemicals/materials from waste tyres, either for re‐use in the production of tyres or other economically valuable applications.

The two main approaches currently under development are devulcanisation and thermal fractionation, followed by separations and upgrading. Both of these pathways generate a broad range of valuable products ranging from plasticisers, solubilised polymers, oils, pyrolysis-char and -gas, and numerous chemical species such as limonene, styrene, syngas, etc. Classical and novel separation processes, e.g. distillation, solvent extraction and membrane technology, are utilised. The group also investigates the production of environmental friendly tyres, using alternative, sustainable sources of raw materials. Further aspects of sustainable tyre recycling include conversion efficiency, economic viability and environmental impacts.

The REDISA-SU research group hosts ten postgraduate students and two postdoctoral researchers, supervised by Prof Johann Görgens and Drs Cara Schwarz and Percy van der Gryp from the Department of Process Engineering and Prof André de Villiers from the Department of Chemistry and Polymer Sciences.

This initiative by REDISA marks an innovative and daring research field, aiming to transform the tyre recycling industry, and making a valuable contribution to waste management in South Africa.

​Photo left: Monwabisi Scott doing pyrolysis of waste tyres.​ 

Photo right: Kirsty Henry does upgrading of pyrolytic char obtained from waste tyres.

​The Department of Business Management in the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences recently welcomed Prof John Latham, Vice-chancellor and CEO of Coventry University in the United Kingdom (UK) as extraordinary professor.

He presented a talk about the "Context and dynamics of the entrepreneurial university" during his recent visit to Stellenbosch University (SU).

He described the entrepreneurial university as a place where entrepreneurship and innovation form part of the institution's fabric and where students and staff members are actively encourage to pursue it.

According to him, the title 'VC and CEO' is becoming more and more common in the UK.

"Nine or ten years ago about 80-85% of our funding came from government. Now it's closer to 25%."

This meant that universities had to start thinking and functioning like business.

"Our students are paying clients and they place more value on indicators such as their ability to find a job after getting their degree," Latham explained.

Coventry University has an aggressive growth plan – the university currently has 42 000 students across the globe and wants to grow this number to 80 000 by 2020. It is also looking at an estimated turnover of 1 billion pounds by then.

Research is very important to the university and it is investing significant amounts of capital in research activities and facilities.

"Research must be impactful," Latham said. "We want to create areas of niche dominance."

Millions of pounds are also being invested in campus expansion and development to make student accommodation more attractive to students. "If you don't have flat-screen TVs and power showers they don't want to come," Latham said.

Each student enrolled at Coventry University, whatever their degree, will also complete modules in enterprise or entrepreneurship and staff members are encouraged and incentivised to be good examples of entrepreneurship and innovation.

Coventry University has received various awards over the past few years, including 'Modern University of the Year' in 2014 and 2015 and 'Entrepreneurial University of the Year'.

An award that Latham is particularly proud of, is the 'Queen's award for enterprise' that was awarded to Coventry University this year.

"This is not a university award, but rather a business award that acknowledges excellence in a certain business sector."

He explained to the audience, which included among others Prof Tobie de Coning, Chief Director: Strategic Initiatives and Human Resources at SU, Prof Stan du Plessis, Dean of the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences, Prof Ronel du Preez, Vice-dean: Teaching and Prof Christo Boshoff, Vice-dean: Research, that this business-oriented thinking is necessary to ensure the continued existence of the institution.

"It is no longer a god-given right that a university should survive," he concluded.

The Division for Social Impact (formerly Community Interaction) is now headed by Dr Antoinette Smith-Tolken, in the place of Dr Jerome Slamat, who was seconded to the Rector's Office in June as Executive Manager: Rectorate.

Dr Smith-Tolken has been with Stellenbosch University (SU) since 2000. Most recently she was Deputy Director: Community Interaction, heading up Service Learning and Community-Based Research.

The Division for Community Interaction has been renamed the Division for Social Impact. This forms part of changes in the Responsibility Centre (RC) of Prof Nico Koopman. He was appointed Acting Rector: Community Interaction and Personnel in June, after which his portfolio was restructured and enlarged. It is now called "Social Impact, Transformation and Personnel". SU Rector and Vice-Chancellor Prof Wim de Villiers informed Senate of this development on 28 August 2015.

"Greater impact on society is one of SU's strategic priorities. In this way, we endeavour to give effect to our goal of being future focused. By changing Community Interaction to Social Impact, we sharpen our focus," Prof Koopman explained.

He says Dr Smith-Tolken has the requisite expertise and relevant experience for her now position. "She is a sociologist and educationist who loves research. She will help us make our social impact research driven."

Dr Smith-Tolken holds an MPhil in Sociology and a PhD in Education (Curriculum Studies) from SU. Her fields of expertise are community development, experiential learning pedagogies and community-based research methodologies.

She plays a leading role in the proliferation of service-learning and community engagement in South Africa and beyond. She is a co-founder of the International Symposium: Service-Learning, which took place for the sixth time earlier this year – in Indianapolis in the US. Her research record reflects several national and international publications.

Dr Smith-Tolken will be an ex officio member of Senate, and will serve on the Senate Committee for Social Impact (previously Community Interaction).​

​Adults in Stellenbosch who act as role models for young people and help empower and develop them received honorary awards at the launch of the 2015 e-Bosch Heritage Project on Tuesday (1 September 2015).

The event was hosted jointly by the Executive Mayor of Stellenbosch, Mr Conrad Sidego, and Stellenbosch University (SU) in SU's Art Museum. Mr Conrad Sidego awarded the certificates to the role models from Stellenbosch and 10 'dorpies'. Two winners from each 'dorpie' received an award.

Guest speaker Dr Jeanette De Klerk-Luttig of the Office for Moral Leadership at SU described the adult role models as asset builders who support and empower young people and offer them activities through which they can use their time wisely.

"Tonight is all about the solid foundations of assets that you guys built into the lives of the young people from where they can really flourish," she said.

De Klerk-Luttig added that in every community there are adults that must see to it that children enjoy a healthy, happy and balanced life.

Echoing the sentiments of De Klerk-Luttig, Mr Sidego said adult role models create an enabling environment for young people. "The work that you are doing bears witness to our faith in the youth of South Africa."

SU Rector and Vice-Chancellor Prof Wim de Villiers said the e-Bosch Heritage Project "is proof of how the University builds a future heritage with the Stellenbosch community". He expressed his joy about SU's involvement in the e-Bosch Heritage Project.

A full programme was also launched at the event. It includes, among others, the e'Bosch Heritage Lecture, a school choir festival, a tour of places of worship, road and canoe races, and a commemoration cricket match.

• Photo: Prize-winners with Prof Wim de Villiers and Mr Conrad Sidego at the launch.
  
• Photographer: Anton Jordaan
  

You just can't keep Toni Mould down. This alumnus of Stellenbosch University (SU) and co-founder of Bridging Abilities, a Non-Profit Organisation (NPO), has shown that even with a disability one can still fulfil your dreams. 

Despite having had cerebral palsy since birth, which affected her speech, balance and coordination, Mould went on to obtain her degree in social work from SU in 2009. Here she was also a recipient of the prestigious Rector's Award for Succeeding Against the Odds – awarded to Matie-students who excel academically despite challenging socio-economic conditions, limited opportunities or disability.

Although she had very little time for extra-mural activities during her studies, she did Ballroom and Latin Dancing for Maties Dance Society and participated in a few competitions.

"The Maties Dance Society always made room for the dancers with disabilities. We had our own class every week."

Today Mould is an accomplished cyclist. She started cycling in 2013 and took part in the local league.  With an iron will to succeed, Mould won two gold medals at this year's National Championships. As a member of Maties ParaSport Club, she will be representing South Africa in the local Paracycling World Cup this month.

Reflecting on her time at SU, Mould says she received a lot of support from her alma mater.

"I was given extra time to write my tests and exams, and I had someone type my social work exams for me as I orally answered the paper. The university also put rails in the bathroom in my residence."

Mould says she had to buy a word prediction computer program to type her assignments.  She also speaks fondly of the electronic scooter he parents bought her to get around campus.

As one of the directors of Bridging Abilities, Mould currently provides opportunities for people with disabilities to foster their personal and social development through sport and recreation.  She does the administration and event organisation for her NPO.

Mould says she works from home which gives her the freedom to set her own hours. "While it does get very lonely at times, the flexibility allows me to work with what my body can cope with on a given day and also allows me to take time off for my training," she adds.

• Photo: Toni Mould in her South African colours.
  
• Photographer: Armand Hough
  

Balancing her studies with her career as Paralympic cyclist has been a greater challenge for Roxy Burns (26) than coping with her disability while studying at Stellenbosch University (SU).

Roxy, who is busy with her honours degree in Education, has Ataxia Telangiectasia (AT), a rare, genetic, progressive disorder that manifests as a combination of cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy and immune disorders.

Both her parents happen to have the recessive gene that causes this condition and Roxy's 22-year-old brother James, a BSc Geo-informatics student, also suffers from AT.

Although the original diagnosis sounded bleak – most AT sufferers are in a wheelchair by the time they are 10 and many of them don't reach the age of 20 – it has since been discovered that the Burns siblings have an atypical, mild version of this disorder.

Roxy mainly has to deal with symptoms of cerebral palsy – problems with balance, coordination and fatigue – and this hasn't stopped her from getting her degree or performing on the international cycling stage.

"I don't need much help to be independent," Roxy says. "I'm blessed to have AT so mildly. In fact, I'm grateful that I'm disabled. People find it strange when I say that, but I wouldn't have had so many opportunities or have met so many people from all over the world otherwise."

She matriculated from Rhenish Girl's High in 2006 and went straight to SU where she studied and completed a BA degree in Sport Science.

"The only understanding regarding my disability I needed from the University was that my handwriting was terrible and I that wrote slowly which meant I was granted extra writing time for tests and exams. Also, with the practicals required for Sport Science my lecturers had to know that I got tired quicker than the average student."

To make time for her cycling she spread her modules over a number of years and finally graduated in March 2011. "Because of cycling I had to make use of the second exam opportunity in November 2010, thereby missing the cut-off date for the December graduation. I also just made my graduation. Our flight from Italy, where I had been competing, was delayed by nine hours so I attended my graduation straight from the airport," she recalls.

"Currently I'm studying towards my honours in Education and again I extended my degree over two years for training purposes. I still make use of the extra time for tests and exams and I use a computer for exam purposes. This is for my benefit and also for the benefit of the people who have to mark my answers sheets, because now they don't have to deal with my handwriting," she jokes.

Her cycling career started at the beginning of her high school career and her first international competition was the Cerebral Palsy-International Sports and Recreation Association World Championships held in the USA in 2005. She hasn't looked back since. 

"I specialise in track cycling (para-cycling) and am currently ranked sixth in the world. There are five bicycle classes, C1 to C5, with C1 being the most severely disabled and C5 the least affected," she explains. She was recently reclassed from C4 to C3.

Roxy represented South Africa at the Beijing and London Paralympic Games and describes both as an amazing experience. "The atmosphere in especially London was electric and the stadium was packed. The crowd cheered for every single rider."

Her eye is now firmly set on Rio 2016. She competes in the 500m time trial and 3 000m individual pursuit events on the track, but is specifically focusing on the 500m time trail event as that is where she believes she has the greatest chance of winning a medal.

Her advice to other disabled athletes is: "Give your all and work as hard as you are able to get what you want."

New drugs and an effective vaccine are vital to overcome Tuberculosis (TB) but winning the age-old war against the disease will also require a proper understanding of the biology of the bacterium that causes it.

This was one of the viewpoints of Prof Nico Gey van Pittius of the Department of Biomedical Sciences in the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences (FMHS) at Stellenbosch University on Tuesday (1 September 2015). He delivered his inaugural lecture in the Education Building on SU's Tygerberg Campus.

Gey van Pittius said Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the organism that causes TB, has had a long and intertwined history with humans and co-evolved with us to become the most successful human pathogen known to date.

"For every defence we have come up with to halt the spread of this organism, it has developed a way to counter and outmanoeuvre our strategies."

Gey van Pittius said M. tuberculosis has a remarkable ability to handle stressful conditions within the body and is also impermeable to a number of compounds.

He added that different strains of the bacterium have acquired different observable (phenotypic) properties through evolution, resulting in strains with, for example, different levels of virulence in certain populations.

"Discovering the biological basis for how mycobacteria became such successful pathogens gives us the opportunity potentially to interfere with this close relationship in a more targeted manner, and hopefully will help us finally to break the bond and eradicate this ancient disease."

Gey van Pittius highlighted the need for new drugs and an effective vaccine against M. tuberculosis to successfully combat TB which remains one of the world's deadliest infectious diseases, having killed over one billion people globally over the last 200 years.

"No vaccine currently exists which effectively protects adults against the most transmissible form of the disease, i.e. pulmonary tuberculosis".

"It is estimated that around a third of the world's population (approximately 2 billion people) is currently infected with M. tuberculosis."

Highlighting the global prevalence of TB, Gey van Pittius said statistics of the World Health Organisation show that in 2013 an estimated 9 million people developed TB and 1.5 million people died from the disease (360 000 of whom were HIV-positive).

He added that the disease is particularly prevalent in the developing world where 90% of all cases occur.

"South Africa has both the highest incidence and prevalence of TB in the world, placing an immense burden on the health of the population."

However, Gey van Pittius did point out that despite this gloomy picture, the worldwide TB death rate dropped by 45% between 1990 and 2013, with around 37 million lives saved between 2000 and 2013 through effective diagnosis and treatment.

Unfortunately, the decline in TB rates is extremely slow, and varies in different parts of the world, he said.  

Although antibiotics have helped against M. tuberculosis, the indiscriminate use of these drugs made the bacterium more resistant, Gey van Pittius argued. Bacterial resistance is cause for extreme alarm, he said.

He added that although we may have won a few battles against the bacterium, the war is far from over.

• ​Photo: Proff Marietjie de Villiers, Deputy Dean: Education at the FMHS, Arnold Schoonwinkel, Vice-Rector: Learning and Teaching, Nico Gey van Pittius, Jimmy Volmink, Dean of the FMHS, and Paul Van Helden, Head of the Department of Biomedical Sciences at the FMHS.
  
• ​Photographer: Hermien Nel
  

​With emotions running high at Stellenbosch University (SU), it is important that we come together and learn from one another, writes Prof Julie Claassens of the Department of Old and New Testament in SU's Faculty of Theology in an opinion article published in Cape Times on Friday (4 September 2015).

• Read the complete article below or click here to read the article as published.
  

It was a tumultuous week at Stellenbosch University leaving students, lecturers and staff trying to make sense of events. Social media is buzzing; the Luister Video as well as footage of Elsenburg students being whipped by another student who earlier featured in the Luister video have been watched by thousands. The pressure cooker events of this past week with emotions reaching a boiling point beg interpretation as we are contemplating a way forward.

When white people see students carrying signs reading One Settler, One Bullet,  or hear that the protest songs speak of violence and guns, they inadvertently get afraid. And fear leads to boundary creating actions, for individuals retreating into gated communities or the proverbial Afrikaner Laagers, resorting to physical or virtual emigration. And God forbid, also to violence.

So how do we overcome fear, and disrupt the disgust that is often rooted in stereotypical constructions of the Other that are creating further divisions and boundaries between white, black and coloured members of this country? In her book, The New Religious Intolerance:  Overcoming the Politics of Fear in an Anxious Age, Martha Nussbaum offers three principles that may be helpful to us as we are contemplating a way forward:

First, Nussbaum argues that in order to overcome intolerance is the basic assumption that all human beings are equal bearers of human dignity that cannot be lost or forfeited. The Luister video spoke of persons on our campus who feel that their dignity has been assaulted, something to which the management team of the university rightly has responded by saying that they will not defend the indefensible. All human beings, no matter what colour, gender, class, sexual orientation, or physical and mental capability, deserve to be treated with respect and appreciation. In all instances. Always. In light of this, I cannot help but being concerned also about the numerous instances of aggression that have accompanied some of the recent protests on our campus, treating those whom the protesters are resisting with disrespect, contempt and even violence. I deeply hope that as we move forward we can all hold fast to this principle of human dignity according to which everyone is respected and valued.

Second, Nussbaum highlights the importance of critical thinking in overcoming fear. She argues that people often tend to make decisions in an uncritical way without much self-reflection. What is needed is what she calls, "the examined life," in showing the inconsistencies in people's reasoning, the blind spots in one's own thinking and actions. For instance, we at Stellenbosch University should critically reflect on the myriad ways in which we are casting as Other everyone that does not fit into the white, male, heteronormative, abled-bodied mould. As woman, I can speak a little bit from experience that even when Others are allowed into this white male heteronormative world, we still are having to play the game with rules made by the dominant paradigm. I believe that what is asked from us is that we together in humbleness come up with new rules of engagement and perhaps even with a new game to play together?

But also with regard to those struggle songs which as my black colleagues have told me are so deeply rooted in violence: Is it responsible in this day and age to talk about bringing my machete or my machine gun and reserving one bullet for one settler? I was glad to hear that Open Stellenbosch condemned the use of the "One Settler" posters. But it is vital that we realize the ways in which such speech may foster a culture of violence. Metaphors can hurt, metaphors can kill. If not by the protestors singing the songs, by some mad man who takes a gun and literalizes the metaphor to terrifying effect. Individuals do have the power to start a race war. It is up to us to stop it.

This is where Martha Nussbaum's third point is so important, that is to cultivate an empathetic or participatory imagination, in which one is able to consider how the world looks from the point of view of a person of a different religious or cultural tradition. In what she calls, "cultivat[ing] the inner eyes," Nussbaum talks about the importance of a "curious, questioning, and receptive demeanour that says, in effect, 'Here is another human being. I wonder what he (or she) is seeing and feeling right now'" (pp140-143). This happens through encounter, through dialogue, through really seeing the vulnerable face of the other. For white students and staff this means to truly listen to the Luister video. To feel the pain of the students and to say as the Rector of Stellenbosch University has said that it is not acceptable for any of our students to have this type of experience. But for Open Stellenbosch students it would also mean to understand that people are scared and confused, and that we ought to rather take one another's hands as we walk together on the way forward. As the Acting Vice-Rector Social Impact and Transformation (formerly Dean of the Faculty of Theology where I teach) is so fond of ending his emails: "In Verbondenheid." In Togetherness. In holding on to one another and never letting go.

As a White Afrikaner female lecture at Stellenbosch University who is committed to all forms of justice and who actively seeks for ways of collaboration and solidarity across our various struggles for justice, I believe that the way forward is to vulnerably, humbly walk together. So this last paragraph is directed to the students in my classes – the black, coloured and white students who I love teaching. My hope is that my classroom will be a space where we can come together, cross boundaries, learn from one another and also challenge one another. But most importantly, my hope is that you will achieve that for which you came to Stellenbosch University in the first place: to grow in knowledge, to get better at reading, writing and presenting, and to become the critical thinkers, well-rounded individuals, engaged citizens and dynamic professionals that we hope all our Stellenbosch University Graduates will be.

Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences (FMHS) staff members and students planted trees on the Tygerberg Campus to celebrate Arbour week, marked from 1 to 7 September. This annual event is held in collaboration with the faculty's Trees for Green Travellers project.

One of the FMHS's strategic goals is to promote environmental sustainability and the Faculty's Green Committee assists in focusing on these matters. 

The Trees for Green Travellers project encourages staff to pay a small levy of R100 when travelling by air. "The contributions are used to plant trees and support small scale projects to enhance sustainability on campus," said Prof Bob Mash, the Chairperson of the Green Committee.

"There are more than 600 trees on the Tygerberg Campus, of which 160 were planted through this initiative," Mash said. "Trees are planted for two reasons, to increase biodiversity and to pay for our carbon 'sins' – the offset of our carbon emissions," he said.

Over the years, it has become customary to plant memorial trees for colleagues and students who have passed away during the previous 12 months. Prof Marietjie de Villiers, Deputy Dean: Education, delivered a short message and eulogy for each of the following staff members and students.

Ms Nolubabalo Ncapo

Ms Nolubabalo Ncapo, a fourth-year medical student, passed away after a motor vehicle accident in East London in December last year. She was known as a joyful and successful student who was loved by students and staff alike. She is remembered for her exuberance, her strong leadership qualities and the enthusiasm with which she embraced life.

Prof Stephen Hough

Prof Stephen Hough passed away in December 2015 after a short battle with lung cancer. 

His special fields of interest were endocrinology and osteoporosis. He developed a metabolic unit at the FMHS which became one of the top training and referral centres in South Africa. In 1992 he founded the National Osteoporosis Foundation of SA, of which he was president ever since.

After his retirement in 2012, he opened a private practice but still committed one full day per week to the Faculty where he stayed involved with teaching and mentoring PhD candidates.

He was a national and international icon in his field, but was never pretentious nor ever acted superior to even his most junior colleagues. Prof Hough was always warm to all and sundry and was not bothered by ego.

Mrs Delene Swart

Mrs Delene Swart passed away in January this year.  During her career of 20 years at the Division of Ophthalmology at the FMHS, she first worked as academic secretary and later as senior secretary. She is remembered for her work ethics, accurate execution of her duties and high level numerical and computer skills.

Prof Budgie van der Merwe

Prof Budgie van der Merwe was a much beloved colleague who worked at the Department of Paediatrics and Child Health as well as the Centre for Health Professions Education. He joined the FMHS in 1975 and spent his professional life caring for children with heart disease, as well as training future doctors for South Africa.

Prof Budgie was actively involved in the teaching of undergraduate medical students until his death. He was involved in the development of both under- and postgraduate curricula nationally and institutionally for medical students and future paediatricians respectively.

His expertise was excellent and he published several scientific papers.

Prof Budgie is remembered for his enthusiasm, his optimistic personality and his commitment to medical education. He was a pillar of strength to his colleagues who always shared his wisdom and had a steadfast belief in the potential of the students.

Ms Hilory Munhuweyi

Ms Hilory Munhuweyi was a brilliant young lady who died tragically in an accident in August 2015. She hailed from Hatfield, Harare in Zimbabwe and came to South Africa on a Presidential scholarship, to pursue a BTech in Biomedical Technology at CPUT.

She went on to do her honours degree in Medical Virology at Stellenbosch University and was in the first year of her Master's degree in the same field at the time of her passing. She was an excellent student who passed every level with a distinction and Africa has lost a promising young scientist.

​

Stellenbosch University researchers work on ways to authenticate where South African lamb was farmed

It's not your imagination that there's a difference between Karoo lamb chops and those that come from the Ruênsveld or the Hantam. Food and meat scientists from Stellenbosch University (SU) have just released the first scientific evidence to show that lamb from different parts of South Africa vary. It is based on the ratio in which specific minute element markers named isotopes (see below) occur in the meat. These differences relate to what the sheep feed on in each region, and can eventually help to authenticate the origins of South African lamb being sold.

The findings are published in the scientific journal Food Chemistry, and form part of the PhD research in food science by SU student Sarah Erasmus. Her supervisors are sensory food expert Nina Muller of the SU Department of Food Science and Prof Louw Hoffman, South African Research Chair in Meat Science in the SU Department of Animal Sciences.

Erasmus analysed the plants and meat of Dorper sheep from seven farms in various regions in the Western Cape, Northern Cape and the Free State. For this purpose she used a method called stable isotope analysis. It is an accurate method used in for instance the USA to ascertain the origins of farm products.

Erasmus says that the isotope value of meat from a specific region reflects the type of food available to sheep in each region. The exact isotope ratio depends among others on how much is eaten of certain kinds of plants, and the climate in which these grow. The saying "you are what you eat" is therefore also true for sheep.

"The isotope value of the meat from sheep that graze in the Karoo, for instance, is similar to the ratio found in the plants that grow in a typical Karoo veld," she explains.

According to Erasmus the specific isotope value associated with meat from different regions is like a "fingerprint" that indicates specific origins. It could for instance be used to authenticate if meat that is advertised and sold at a premium as Karoo lamb is indeed so.

The Isotope Mass Spectrometry technique used by Erasmus is however not such a practical method to use in industry to authenticate the origins of meat. She is therefore now working towards developing easier, handheld analytical methods to be used for instance by inspectors at abattoirs.

Erasmus is also researching other chemical markers that can be combined to further "fingerprint" and map meat from different regions.  Her preliminary results show that the levels of fatty acids and volatile components in meat are also quite unique to different regions, and are also influenced by the plants that sheep graze on.

• This article can be downloaded for free until 20 September from http://authors.elsevier.com/a/1RRn816Ds1RU3L

What is an isotope?

Everything is made up of elements, such as carbon, hydrogen and nitrogen. In turn, each of these elements is made up of atoms that contain the same number of protons and electrons. A specific element is identified through its atom number which is determined by the number of protons in the atom's nucleus, and it always remains constant. The atom number of carbon, for instance, is always 6.

The atom mass of a specific element can however vary. This is because the number of neutrons contained in the nucleus of an element's atom can differ. Atom mass is therefore determined by the number of protons plus neutrons.

Isotopes relate to atom mass. The different isotopes of a specific element contain the same number of atoms, but differ according to their atom mass.

There are specific patterns regionally and differences worldwide in the ratio by which different isotopes of the same element occur in plants, animals and water. Therefore researchers often use it to determine geographic origin.

A high nitrogen isotope ratio can for instance indicate how dry or extreme a landscape is. The nitrogen isotope value can also indicate whether animals feed on legumes, or whether organic fertilizer is being used.

The type of plant involved has a significant influence on the specific ratio of carbon isotopes. This is because there are three different ways in which plants photosynthesise carbon dioxide and sunlight into plant tissue. These pathways are called C₃, CAM and C₄, and are specific to certain types of plants. For instance, C₃ is associated with shrubs, tree leaves, lucerne or grass growing in cooler regions. Succulents use the CAM pathway, and tropical grass and maize C₄.

Each of these three pathways causes different, discernible ratios of carbon isotopes to be produced within the different plants. The ratios in which these isotopes reflects within an animals tissue like meat depend among others on how much of each type of plant an animal has eaten.

When an animal eats and digests plants, the specific isotopes in the food is metabolised and incorporated into the meat and bones of the animal. Therefore the carbon isotope value of a sheep feeding exclusively on the leaves of shrubs or trees will be reflecting that of C₃ plants, and those eating succulents will have values associated with CAM plants. The ratio of these isotopes within C3, C₄ or CAM plants of the same species will also differ slightly based on the region and climatic conditions in which the sheep is farmed with.

Media enquiries:

Ms Sarah Erasmus
PhD student in Food Science, Stellenbosch University
0726728688
15615138@sun.ac.za

​Thirty percent of students who graduate with Baccalaureus degrees from Stellenbosch University (SU), have studied in the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences, Prof Stan du Plessis, Dean of the Faculty, told prospective students and their parents recently. “Our alumni are found in all spheres of the South African economy.”

Prof Du Plessis hosted prospective first generation students and their parents at the CGW Schumann Building on the Stellenbosch campus on Saturday, 5 September 2015.

In her presentation, Mrs Ilze Gelderblom, the Faculty’s Coordinator of Student Affairs, spoke about the support services available to students. Apart from psychotherapeutic, academic and career-related services offered by the University, the Faculty has various academic support services. These include academic tutors and mentors, a student committee and winter and summer schools.

Concluding his message to prospective students, Prof Du Plessis advised them to make the most of the time before the final matric exam. “It’s fewer than 40 days to the exam. Put everything in you can! The results can lead to an experience which can be truly transformative for you and your family.”

On the photo are (f.l.t.r.): Mr Len Steenkamp from the School of Accounting, with two prospective students of the School; Prof Willie Conradie, chair of the Department of Statistics and Actuarial Science, with prospective student Couthar Sakir; and Lorenzo Pick, prospective student in Actuarial Science, with his parents, Mr Mario and Mrs Marilyn Pick of Wellington.

An ancient Egyptian raptor mummy from Iziko Museums of South Africa in Cape Town has yielded a world first when researchers discovered the remains of at least two house mice and a small sparrow in its stomach.

The discovery was made possible through digital 3D X-ray imaging at the CT scanner facility at Stellenbosch University. In other words, without disturbing the ancient wrappings, the contents were scanned and then digitised as a three dimensional image. The technology is so sophisticated that it can produce a 3D image of a human hair. The model is then used to analyse the outside and inside of the object in the wrappings.

The results of the study, published in the Journal of Archaeological Science, are also the first evidence to point to mass breeding of raptors as offerings to deities.

Animal mummies were common in ancient Egypt and used in religious ceremonies, often as offerings. Millions of mummified animals have been found, most dating from around 600 BC to AD 250. Ancient Egyptians believed in many deities and associated different animals with them; raptors were connected to the sun god Ra.

The birds were in general prepared by being gutted and dried, then dipped into molten resin and wrapped. In this case, however, raptor mummy SACHM 2575 was not gutted, giving the researchers a chance to have a glimpse of its last moments on earth.

Inside the raptor's gullet and crop they found the tail of a young house mouse (Mus musculus), which appears to have caused it to choke to death. Looking further into the gizzard and stomach, they found other mouse fragments, including 27 loose teeth, and parts of a small house sparrow (Passer domesticus). This indicates that the raptor was forced-fed its last meal. It also suggests that the bird was kept in captivity.

Based on the morphology, limb measurements and beak shape of the raptor, they established it was a European kestrel (Falco tinnunculus).

Dr Salima Ikram, professor of Egyptology at the American University in Cairo and lead author of the study, says until now the sheer number of raptor mummies had been a mystery: "Our results explain why they had so many: we now think it was because of active breeding programmes to meet the demand for these mummies."

Dr Ruhan Slabbert, research associate at the Department of Ancient Studies at Stellenbosch University and co-author, says the Egyptian raptor mummy is one of five animal mummies from Iziko Museums of South Africa in Cape Town and two animal mummies from Ditsong Museums of South Africa in Pretoria that were scanned as part of a project between the museums and SU's Department of Ancient Studies and the CT scanner facility.

Dr Slabbert and Dr Anton du Plessis, manager of the CT scanner facility, also generated a high-resolution 3D print of the skeleton of the raptor mummy, with the tail of the house mouse clearly visible. A print will be donated to Iziko Museums of South Africa for display inside the glass case containing the original raptor mummy.

Ms Esther Esmyol, curator of Social History Collections at Iziko Museums of South Africa, said they are excited about the technology and the project undertaken by Stellenbosch University: "Raptor mummy SACHM 2575 has been on display at the Iziko Slave Lodge in the Egyptian room for a number of years. This project has brought him and a number of ancient Egyptian animal mummies to life," she said.

Prof. Sakkie Cornelius, an expert on Ancient Near Eastern Cultures in the Department of Ancient Studies at SU, says the study of ancient animal remains (called zooarchaeology) is revealing fascinating information about the ancient Egyptians, such as their funerary beliefs and embalming technology, disease and veterinary care, breeding programmes and the environment and fauna of ancient Egypt.

Where did these animal mummies come from?

There is very little information available about how the animal mummies came to South Africa. The raptor mummy, SACHM 2575, was donated to the museum in 1911 by one S. Kavanagh.

Another mummified bird was obtained via the curator of the South African Museum at the turn of the century, Mr William Lutley Sclater, in 1904. It may have belonged to his father, Philip Lutley Sclater, who obtained the mummy in 1889 from a Mr Arthur J. Scott.

The other two bird mummies were excavated from Kafr-'Ammar in Egypt by the British archaeologist and Egyptologist, Sir Flinders Petrie, in 1912.

The analysis of the other three bird mummy scans revealed that one is a fake and that the wrappings presumably contain feathers, plant material and mud. The second bird mummy only contains a claw, while the third mummy contains a complete bird skeleton. The fifth mummy, presumed to be a cat, has only a partial front, full hind body and limbs preserved.

Caption 1 [Falcon mummy 2575.jpg]

Bird mummy SACHM 2575 has been brought to life with the help of digital 3D X-ray imaging at Stellenbosch University's CT scanning facility. Photo: Carina Beyer ©Iziko Museums.

Caption 2 [BirdMummy_skeleton.jpg]

A 3D image of the raptor mummy shows the tail of the mouse extending through the bird's oesophagus, crop and into its gizzard. Image: ©Stellenbosch University.

Caption 3 [Birdmummy_stomach.jpg]

A 3D image of the bones and teeth inside the stomach of the raptor mummy SACHM 2575. Image: ©Stellenbosch University

Media interviews

Dr Ruhan Slabbert

Research fellow, Department of Ancient Studies

Stellenbosch University

E-mail: rslabbrt@sun.ac.za

Tel: +27(0)21 808 3210

Prof. Sakkie Cornelius

Department of Ancient Studies

Stellenbosch University

E-mail: sakkie@sun.ac.za

Tel: +27(0)21 808 3210

Dr Anton du Plessis

Manager: CT-scanning facility

Stellenbosch University

E-mail: anton2@sun.ac.za

+27(0)21 808 9389

Ms Esther Esmyol

Curator: Social History Collections

Iziko Museums of South Africa

E-mail: eesmyol@iziko.org.za

Tel: +27(0)21 467 7205

Media release issued by Wiida Fourie, media: Faculty of Science, Stellenbosch University, science@sun.ac.za/ 021 808 2684, 071 099 5721

​After a tumultuous week at Stellenbosch University (SU), Rector and Vice Chancellor Prof Wim de Villiers received a standing ovation at the institution's annual Student Leaders' Conference (SU Leads) Sunday afternoon (6 September 2015).

"Who better than our student leaders to help SU have the honest and difficult discussions so sorely needed," De Villiers said in his opening address (CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD ON PDF).

This is the 7^th SU Leads conference, with SU's Frederik Van Zyl Slabbert Institute for Student Leadership Development (FVZS) as organiser. It is attended by student leaders across the University, and ends on Tuesday (8 September).

De Villiers's speech comes in the wake of the Luister-video – linked to the Open Stellenbosch grouping – in which black students speak about their experiences of racial discrimination. They also criticise the University's language policy, saying that they are excluded by the use of Afrikaans in lectures.

"It was painful for me to watch," De Villiers said.

"I do not want any of my students to suffer. I am not going to defend the indefensible – discrimination, marginalisation and racism. It is wrong, and I am sorry it happened. It needs to be addressed.

"However, I can say without a doubt that SU is not a racist institution. We are working very hard to become more inclusive and welcoming in practice, but there seems to be a gap between our sincere intentions and the reality experienced by some."

"We have reached a crucial moment in the history of Stellenbosch, and we all need to contribute to solutions. And who better to help guide this process than our campus leaders? There are a number of established structures and elected bodies such as the SRC that can take the conversation forward."

De Villiers warned against divisions. "We must avoid polarisation at all costs. If the different sides demonize the other, compromise becomes more difficult. We have to reach out to each other in the search for common ground instead of retreating to 'us' and 'them' camps."

De Villiers added that all individuals on campus have to assume 100% responsibility for creating the truly "inclusive, innovative and future focused" institution envisaged in SU's vision statement.

Dr Leslie van Rooi, Head of the FVZS Institute, said that student leaders will be challenged at this conference to reflect on the role they can play – not only at SU, but also in the world they will enter as graduates.

"We have already seen that students ask different kinds of questions. I urge you to be willing to talk. Do not tap out when things get difficult. Be part of the conversation so that you can help lead not only yourself but others as well."

• CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE RECTOR'S SPEECH ON PDF.

With Spring in the air, Stellenbosch University's Botanical Garden launched the multilingual Garden Explorer-webpage on Friday, 4 September. This explorer enables visitors to use their mobile devices to locate plants in the garden and get more information about those species.

With almost 100 years of written records in books and field notes, the Botanical Garden decided to digitalise its records in 2013. IrisBG, the modern database the Garden implemented, not only keep record of plants, but can also map individual plants within a couple of centimetres.

It is precisely this information and mapping that is used by the Garden Explorer, one of the components of the database, to make the Garden more accessible to the public.

Over the last two years the database itself has been a big asset for researchers, since they can now update records fast and effectively using their mobile devices or barcode scanners while working in the garden. Researchers can also easily extract data from the system to do more complex analyses, and it also helps with the day to day management of the Garden.

"But what makes the Garden Explorer component's launch exciting, is its link with the public and the opportunities it offers for the training of students," said Mr Martin Smit, Curator of the Botanical Garden.

"This new component unlocks selected information for the public, among which the exact location of plants and it makes it possible for visitors to explore the garden on their own. Plant lovers can use their own mobile devices to access information, or they can use the information point at the Botanical Garden."

Though the IrisBG system is quite commonly used, SU's Botanical Garden is the first of its kind in South Africa to use the Garden Explorer, and the first in Africa to make it available in more than one language.

Prof Wim de Villiers, SU's Rector and Vice-Chancellor, said the Garden Explorer is an example of the innovative culture at Maties. "The Curator has provided details of how research is supported here, how learning by students and school learners takes place and how community engagement takes place, he said.

"We are very proud of our Botanical Garden – not just because it is old and beautiful and serene, but because of the valuable contribution it makes to our core functions – research, learning & teaching, social impact," Prof De Villiers added.

The Botanical Garden is located in the historical centre of Stellenbosch and is the oldest university botanical garden in South Africa. This compact Garden houses more than 2300 plants species, both indigenous to South Africa and exotic. The Garden, the Katjiepiering Restaurant and the shop, is open seven days a week from 08:00 -17:00. Entrance is free. 

• Visit the Botanical Garden's website at www.sun.ac.za/botanicalgarden. The database, IrisBG's website can be visited at http://www.irisbg.com/ and the Garden Explorer's at http://sun.gardenexplorer.org.
• ​Photo: Martin Smit explains to Prof De Villiers how the Garden Explorer works. (Photopgrapher: Justin Alberts)