​​

Dr Willem Anker and Dr Alfred Schaffer (who both teach creative writing at the Department of Afrikaans and Dutch) received the kykNET-Rapport Prize for fiction and the Dutch PC Hooft Prize, respectively, in ceremonies that were, as a result of the pandemic, wholly or largely held without face to face interaction.

Alfred had been announced as the winner of the coveted PC Hooft Prize on 14 December 2020 for an oeuvre already comprising nine volumes of poetry. He was able to receive the award in person in The Hague on 9 September. As part of the programme, a number of poets, among them the South Africans Antjie Krog and Ronelda S. Kamfer, read extracts from his and their own work and shared their thoughts on what makes his poetry so exceptional.

Willem was awarded the kykNET-Rapport Prize for the second time on 11 September – on this occasion for his third novel, Skepsel. His novel Buys (appearing in English as Red Dog courtesy of translator Michiel Heyns) won the same prize in 2015. The kykNET-Rapport Prize is not the first award to be bestowed on Skepsel. The novel scooped up the 2021 UJ Prize on 31 March. (Of course, Buys won the UJ Prize in 2015 and in 2008 Willem won the UJ Debut Prize with Siegfried.)

Skepsel is also in the running for an ATKV Woordveertjie – specifically the ATKV Prose Prize. The ATKV is due to announce the winner on Friday 17 September.

Later this year, Alfred will be honoured at the Breytenbach Centre's annual Tuin van Digters [Poets' Garden], to be held on 22 and 23 October.

The Department of Afrikaans and Dutch is proud of the achievements of these two author-lecturers and is delighted that their work is receiving such acclaim. Undergraduate and postgraduate students at the Department are privileged to learn from such talented writers and they definitely have an advantage when it comes to Afrikaans and Dutch literature and creative writing.

​Gangs in the Western Cape aren't picky when it comes to recruiting new members. They also rope in girls and women, some as young as 12 years, to do their work for them.

“Women play various roles in gangs. These include being information carriers, hiding and handling contraband; 'trapping' rival male gang members, selling drugs and taking part in robberies. This clearly shows that women are in fact part of core gang activities, and do not just exist on the periphery of gangs," says registered counsellor Imanuella Muller who recently obtained her Master's degree in Psychology at Stellenbosch University.

Muller did research on how young girls and women in the Western Cape are recruited and initiated into gangs, and what their role and functions are in these gangs. She also tried to find out what could be done to prevent them from joining gangs as well as how women who want to leave a gang or who have already chosen to do so can be supported.

Muller interviewed women who have been involved in gang culture to differing extents and who participated in an intervention project that offered them a new lease on life.  

She says her findings show that some girls are deceived or seduced into becoming involved with gangs through socialising with or by dating gang members. Gangs know the needs and the vulnerabilities of girls in their communities, and they tug at these vulnerabilities to exploit them for their benefit and gain, adds Muller.

“Gangs sometimes target women who are addicted to drugs or who come from family backgrounds of financial wealth and standing in communities, in order to utilise their financial resources and status for the benefit of the gang. A common pathway into gangs is through becoming romantically involved with a male gang member.

“Young women may be attracted and drawn to gangs because of the easy access to, and the availability of drugs."

Muller says gangs use fear and intimidation to recruit women and young girls and to keep them trapped in gangs.

“One of the participants mentioned that when socialising with gang members and being in gangs, women are exposed to many details regarding the activities of gangs. Having this knowledge of gang activities as an outsider puts the gang at risk, and due to this, they need to then become a part of the gang to prove that they can be trusted. Resisting that pressure puts them and their families at risk."

Muller says even though the participants didn't mention a specific initiation ritual, they still emphasised the importance of having to prove their loyalty and commitment to the gang.

“The act of 'trapping' or seducing a rival male gang member is something that's unique to female gangsters.  They will lure or seduce a male member from a rival gang that may be on their gang's 'hit' list, so that it becomes easier for their gang to kill him.

“Initiating a woman into a gang symbolises or communicates to gang members that she can be trusted and has proven her loyalty."

Muller says it's difficult for a woman to leave a gang, especially if she has children fathered by a gang member or is financially dependent on a gang member.

“They can leave if they have the necessary support systems in place (a safe place to stay, financial means to support themselves and their children), although sometimes this can also mean leaving their homes and families behind in order to pursue a new life in a different town or city.

“These women need supervised and safe recreational clubs or groups where they can be involved in exciting yet healthy, constructive activities and experience a sense of belonging and community; mental health services; counselling and therapy, mentorship and career guidance programmes; educational opportunities, as well as funding opportunities for those who want to complete high school, study further and become skilled and find a job."

According to Muller, existing pre-and-post-intervention initiatives may not offer sustainable change for some young girls and women due to a lack of funding.

She adds that some programmes may not be holistic enough in addressing the diverse needs of this group of women.

“For example, drug addiction is a common challenge among women in gangs, which requires specialised treatment and management. In the absence of viable economic opportunities, the likelihood of returning to a gang is very high."

Muller says ex-female gangsters, the government, NGOs, community organisations, community leaders, private sector funders and multidisciplinary teams (registered counsellors, psychologists, psychiatrists and social workers) should be involved in pre-and post-intervention initiatives.

FOR MEDIA ENQUIRIES ONLY

Imanuella Muller

Email: muller.imanuella@gmail.com

ISSUED BY

Martin Viljoen

Manager: Media

Corporate Communication and Marketing

Stellenbosch University

Tel: 021 808 4921

Email: viljoenm@sun.ac.za

​

​​​​​​In celebration of the opportunities and possibilities multilingualism gives us, the Division for Learning and Teaching Enhancement is hosting Language Day 2021. It will take place online on 30 September, from 08:00 to 14:00. The event is open to a limited number of Stellenbosch University (SU) staff and registered students, and if you still would like to join, watch this video, be sure to read on and register your interest via the indicated form.  

Thanks to a partnership between the Holland Stellenbosch Medical Foundation (HSMF) and Stellenbosch University (SU), medical care is available to thousands of people in rural areas for whom it would not otherwise have been possible.

The foundation was established by two Dutch pulmonologists, Drs Stijn Mol, HSMF chairman, and Maarten van Nierop. It was the brainchild of Mol, who decide to plough back into South Africa after receiving training at SU's Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences (FMHS).

One initiative that has resulted from this is a bursary programme for medical students. For 2021, the year in which the HSMF commemorates its twentieth year of existence, the total funding amounts to R2,4 million.

The HSMF bursary project is coordinated via the Ukwanda Centre for Rural Health by Ms Lindsay-Michelle Meyer.

The HSMF has been supporting Ukwanda financially since 2007 but was initially involved in various projects. After a visit in 2009 by the Dutch ambassador to South Africa and other dignitaries, a more focused approach was decided upon. At a later summit in Amsterdam, which Meyer also attended, bursaries for senior medical students were identified as the greatest need. “Many of our top achievers have recruitment bursaries that are only valid for four years. That is why they struggle financially in their final years," she explains.

Doctors with student debt often end up in the private sector or go abroad, she adds.

One condition of the HSMF bursary is that students must work in a rural environment or underserved area for the same period that the bursary was made available to them. “It therefore fits in with our retention strategy for rural doctors," says Meyer.

The HSMF's aim is greater access to medical care in rural areas and informal settlements in South Africa's largest cities. It is estimated that at least 200 000 people for whom it would otherwise not have been possible, gain access to medical care each year thanks to these bursaries.

The bursary period varies between one and three years, and students must indicate annually whether they are still in need of support.

Among the nine students who were awarded the first bursaries in 2012, four were quite aptly also amongst the second cohort of the Rural Clinical School in Worcester.

The HSMF funding initially applied to all FMHS programmes. “Because many therapists have struggled to find work and therefore also to meet their bursary conditions, is it is now available to medical students only," says Meyer. Over the years, 58 medical students, six occupational therapists, three dieticians, two physiotherapists and two speech therapists have benefited. The vast majority (69%) are female.

Between 2012 and 2021, R13,7 million was paid out for 174 bursary years. A total of 24 students – 14 pre-existing and 10 new – will each receive R100 000 this year.

Meyers describes it as an incredible partnership between a university and a non-profit organisation. “And is has a huge impact on our retention strategy, especially in rural health where we are struggling to retain health professionals."

“While I cannot exactly say what I plan for my future … I know that I will be staying in South Africa," says Nicole Petersen, a HSMF scholar. “I grew up in a family dependent on the public health sector for all their medical needs. One of my family members lost his sight because of uncontrolled diabetes mellitus at the young age of 47 and his livelihood as a result – he was the breadwinner. In a case such as this, prevention of end organ damage is the responsibility of primary health care facilities and it is often these centres – the first contact point of patients with the health care system – that are most under-resourced and understaffed.

“Our clinical rotations are mainly in state facilities, and the need of the patients is overwhelmingly obvious, and therefore it is not something that I could just easily turn my back on. So, while I do not know exactly where I will be able to find work, I strive to work in my community where I can serve those whose health is affected and influenced by factors other than just the pure pathophysiology of diseases."

According to Ukwanda Director Prof Ian Couper there is international evidence of the success of these types of programmes. “Bursary programmes that require graduates to give service in return for their funding, have been shown internationally to make a difference to rural care, and are suggested as one of a range of recommendations that can make a difference to the rural health workforce by the World Health Organisation," he says.

​Caption: Members of the Holland-Stellenbosch Medical Foundation met with FMHS management and staff during a visit some years ago.

This article was first published on The Conversation. Read the original article here.

As a team of South African researchers we have identified a new lineage of SARS-CoV-2, the virus causing COVID-19. A lineage represents a genetically distinct virus population with a common ancestor. This virus may be designated as a variant in future, based on significantly altered properties, but first we need to understand it better. Our findings so far are set out in a non pre-peer reviewed paper.

The new lineage, assigned the name C.1.2, has been found in all provinces in the country. While it shares some mutations with other variants, it is different in some respects.

Viruses mutate all the time. Sometimes the mutations result in an added benefit for the virus, such as increased transmissibility. But often mutations don't do anything beneficial for the virus. So more mutations do not always mean trouble for us, its host.

For C.1.2, a lot is still unknown. For example, it's too early to tell whether these mutations will affect transmissibility or vaccine efficacy.

The Network for Genomics Surveillance in South Africa has been monitoring changes in SARS-CoV-2 since March 2020. South Africa was one of the first countries globally to introduce systematic and coordinated genomic surveillance, sequencing genomes of SARS-CoV-2 from patient samples representative of different geographic regions and over time.

Its findings have provided insights into how and when SARS-CoV-2 was introduced into the country, and into its early spread. The Network has also been sequencing virus genomes to identify newly developing viral lineages of particular concern.

Later in 2020 the network detected what is now called the Beta variant of concern and more recently observed, almost in real-time, the arrival and rapid “take-over" of the Delta variant in South Africa.

What's known, and what's not known

We select patient samples from diagnostic laboratories throughout the country and perform sequencing to analyse the virus genomes. We then compare these sequences to those seen before and elsewhere. It's very much like the game where you spot the difference between nearly identical pictures.

We're playing spot the difference with SARS-CoV-2. When we find many differences – or differences in certain particularly important places like the spike of the virus – we pay special attention. We then look to see how often we see this particular virus and where – in one region of the country or in multiple regions, only in South Africa or also in other parts of the world. We also monitor whether it increases over time, which would suggest that it is replacing previous versions of the virus.

When we sequence the virus and compare it to other SARS-CoV-2 viruses it gets assigned a name based on the closest matching virus. We then look at the virus and the one that it matches to see how similar they are to each other. If we see a lot of differences that could be an indication of a new lineage.

In May 2021 we first detected a mutated group of related SARS-CoV-2 viruses in South Africa which has been assigned the lineage, C.1.2. So far, from May to August 2021, C.1.2 has been detected in all provinces. Yet it occurs at relatively low frequency and though we see small increases in this lineage overtime they remain very low.

This lineage possesses mutations within the genome that have been seen in other SARS-CoV-2 variants.

The network alerted the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the South African National Department of Health to this lineage in July. The two months between our first discovery and the notification comes from the lengthy process of sequencing and analysis. In addition, mutated viruses appear from time to time – but many disappear again. Therefore we needed to monitor this particular one to see if it would be detected in additional regions. Only when we started detecting it in other provinces and when it was reported also from other countries did we feel we had sufficient evidence to suggest a new lineage.

The surveillance network is continuing to monitor the frequency of the lineage across the country, and helping other African countries do the same. Also, tests to assess the functional impact of the mutations it harbours are under way – for example, how well do antibodies in people who have been vaccinated or infected previously neutralise the new virus, how well does it multiply in cell cultures compared to other virus variants, and so on.

The virus has not yet fulfilled the WHO criteria to be classified as a variant of interest or variant of concern. A variant of interest has genetic changes affecting important virus characteristics (transmissibility, disease severity, immune, diagnostic or therapeutic escape) and epidemiological impacts suggesting a risk to global public health. A variant of concern is the worst category – it's a variant with proven increased transmissibility and/or virulence and/or decreased effectiveness of public health or medical tools such as vaccines, therapeutics and tests.

Delta is a good example of a variant of concern that rapidly came to dominate the epidemic globally, causing major waves in many countries including those with advanced vaccination roll-out programmes.

The C.1.2 lineage shares a few common mutations with all other variants of concern, including the Beta, Lambda and Delta variants. But the new lineage has a number of additional mutations.

The implications

We are still gathering more data to understand the impact of this lineage on transmissibility and on vaccines.

SARS-CoV-2, like all viruses, mutates with time, usually in a way that affords the virus some kind of advantage. Some of the mutations in the C.1.2 lineage have arisen in other SARS-CoV-2 variants of interest or concern. But we still don't have a full picture. It will take a combination of ongoing thorough surveillance (especially to see whether it perhaps displaces the currently prevalent delta variant) and laboratory-based studies to characterise its properties.

Based on our current understanding of the mutations in this particular lineage, we suspect that it might be able to partially evade the immune response. Despite this, however, our view based on what we know now is that vaccines will still offer high levels of protection against hospitalisation and death.

We expect new variants to continue to emerge wherever the virus is spreading. Vaccination remains critical to protect those in our communities at high risk of hospitalisation and death, to reduce the strain on the health system, and to help slow transmission. This has to be combined with all the other public health and social measures.

We therefore advise the public to remain vigilant and continue to follow COVID-19 protocol by including good ventilation in all shared spaces and wearing masks that cover your nose, mouth and chin. These non-pharmaceutical interventions are still shown to be preventing the spread of SARS-CoV-2 irrespective of the variant.

We are also of the view that the mutated lineage is unlikely to affect the sensitivity of PCR tests. These tests typically detect at least two different parts of the SARS-CoV-2 genome, which serves as a backup in the case of a mutation arising in one of them. Studies are ongoing to assess any implications for diagnostic testing.

Why vigilance is needed

The Network for Genomic Surveillance in South Africa links National Health Laboratory Service and private COVID-19 testing laboratories to academic sequencing centres. This collaboration has allowed South African experts to rapidly generate and analyse sequence data to inform regional and national responses.

As of late August 2021 the delta variant accounted for over 90% of sequences in Southern Africa. But virus evolution is ongoing, as long as the virus can spread from person to person, multiply, and be passed on. It is thus necessary to continue monitoring its evolution, to detect new problematic properties early and institute countermeasures, where possible.

Authors

• Prof Wolfgang Preiser - Head: Division of Medical Virology, Stellenbosch University

• Cathrine Scheepers - Senior Medical Scientist, University of the Witwatersrand

• Jinal Bhiman - Principal Medical Scientist at National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD), National Institute for Communicable Diseases

• Marietjie Venter - Head: Zoonotic, Arbo and Respiratory Virus Programme, Professor, Department Medical Virology, University of Pretoria

• Penny Moore - Reader and DST/NRF SARChI Chair of Virus-Host Dynamics, National Institute for Communicable Diseases, CAPRISA Research Associate, University of the Witwatersrand

• Tulio de Oliveira - Director: KRISP - KwaZulu-Natal Research and Innovation Sequencing Platform, University of KwaZulu-Natal

Wednesday (15 September) is the International Day of Democracy. In an opinion piece for Daily Maverick, Dr Chris Jones (Unit for Moral Leadership) focuses on the war in Yemen and how South Africa's arms exports to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates fuel the humanitarian crisis in that country and violate the human rights of Yemenis.

• Read the article below or click here for the piece as published.

Chris Jones*

Human rights have been described by many as irreplaceable principles (or the cornerstone) of democracy. In the light of this, and in celebration of the International Day of Democracy (15 September), I would like to focus on the dire human rights situation in Yemen to which South Africa and several other democratic countries have been contributing.

Humanitarian crisis

We know that Yemen has become the world's largest humanitarian crisis because of its ongoing civil war. A staggering 80% of the population or approximately 24 million people, desperately need humanitarian help. An estimated 85 000 children had already starved to death between the start of the war in September 2014 and 2018.

After six years of armed conflict, over 18 400 civilians had been killed. This country experiences the world's worst food security “with 20.1 million people – nearly two-thirds of the population – requiring food assistance at the beginning of 2020".

By the end of 2019, 18 million Yemenis did not have access to safe water and more than a million were affected by a cholera outbreak.

In 2017 over a million pregnant Yemeni women were suffering from moderate to acute malnutrition. It should be pointed out that women account for more than three-quarters of internally displaced people in Yemen.

Air attacks

In 2020 at least 212 civilians, including 54 children, were killed or injured by Saudi air attacks. According to the 2019 Human Rights Watch Report, at least 90 “apparently unlawful coalition airstrikes" took place since 2015, hitting essential infrastructure facilities such as schools, hospitals, homes, markets and mosques, killing thousands of people.

In September 2015 there was an air attack on a wedding party in Al-Wahijah, killing 131 civilians (“the corpses were scattered among the trees"), while a similar attack in 2016 on a funeral in Sana'a, killed 155 people and wounded hundreds more – at least 525.

The Yemen Data Project (an independent data collection project on the conflict in Yemen) has recorded 23 351 Saudi-led coalition airstrikes since the start of the war, killing or injuring more than 18 600 civilians.

Yemen finds itself in this crisis because there was/is a lack of accountability and no consequence for parties contributing to this conflict. Also, war criminals have not been held to account and victims have not received any redress. Unsurprisingly, the United Nations Human Rights Council describes the country as “a tortured land, with its people ravaged in ways that should shock the conscience of humanity".

Democratic South Africa's role

This brings us to South Africa who has sold weapons worth R11 billion to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) between 2010 and 2019. Both countries have been accused of diverting arms to Yemen, fuelling the devastating conflict and worsening the widespread suffering and human rights abuses there. They are also among the biggest importers of South African munitions since 2014. The evidence suggests that some of these weapons have been used in attacks on civilians. In 2015 and 2016 approvals of exports to these two countries spiked and made up over 40% of all approved weapons exports from South Africa.

But we weren't the only suppliers of weapons. Other countries like the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, and Spain all played their part. For example, the United States topped the list of arms exports to Saudi Arabia between 2015 and 2020, delivering $10 billion worth of weapons, followed by the United Kingdom who provided weapons worth $2 billion.

The United States also topped the list of exporting weapons to​ the UAE – with exports valued just under $3 billion. However, Germany and Italy have banned the export of weapons to Saudi Arabia, the UAE and other countries “directly involved" in the Yemeni civil war, whilst the US and the UK have, at least temporarily, suspended their arms exports to Saudi Arabia (in the UK, the temporary freeze on exports was short-lived – however, the matter is again before the courts).

In South Africa, the National Conventional Arms Control Committee (NCACC) – comprising several ministers and deputy ministers directly appointed by the president – was established to specifically ensure that our sale of weapons, would be in line with our constitutional values. In other words, countries to whom weapons are sold, must uphold, respect, and protect human rights, and also promote democracy. So too, should a democratic institution like the NCACC.

In fact, by law, the NCACC should stop weapons from leaving the country if they will contribute to human rights violations or worsening conflict. Unfortunately, this Committee is described by Open Secrets as a “toothless arms watchdog", indicating its failures since 1995 – involving countries such as Rwanda, Syria, Zimbabwe, Turkey and Libya.

The question is: How is it possible that the NCACC approved the export of weapons to Saudi Arabia and the UAE worth R7 billion since the start of the Yemen war, whilst South Africa has repeatedly expressed its concern about the human suffering in Yemen? Let's not kid ourselves: our government wasn't interested in addressing the human rights abuses in that country.

Even in 2020, weapons were imported from Rheinmetall Denel Munition by Turkey, whilst the latter was heavily involved in the conflicts in Libya and Syria.

The apparent failure of the NCACC to fulfil its legal duties and properly investigate weapons exports, made South Africa up till now part of the crimes committed on a daily basis, and it undermines the vision of our democracy that places human lives and human rights at the centre of its (foreign) policy decisions.

So, what can we do about this situation?

We need urgent reform of South Africa's arms sector. Fortunately, the Gauteng High Court in Pretoria recently granted an urgent order forcing the NCACC to “disclose the names of all permit holders in South Africa that are authorised to export arms to Saudi-Arabia and the UAE" (brought by Open Secrets and the South African Litigation Centre). This is a significant first step to stop powerful state institutions and large arms companies from selling weapons to these two countries.

Furthermore, as civil society, we must stand in solidarity with the people of Yemen – by among others trying to end the supply of weapons used against them. If we fail to do this, we will be failing the fundamental values of our own struggle for freedom and constitutional democracy.

• Photo: A destroyed house in the south of Sana'a. Credit: Wikimedia Commons.
  

*Dr Chris Jones heads the Unit for Moral Leadership in the Faculty of Theology at Stellenbosch University.

​

The recent enrichment programme for teachers by SU's School of Accountancy in collaboration with the Western Cape Department of Education (WCED) attracted more than 330 Western Cape teachers this year.

The annual Teacher Enrichment Programme (TEP) is a focused, online training course for Grade 9 economic and management sciences teachers in the Western Cape. Its purpose is to provide EMS teachers with knowledge and skills to strengthen their teaching capabilities, and to help them explain difficult concepts to learners.

The four-week programme was coordinated by Ms Waldette Engelbrecht, lecturer at the School of Accountancy. Weekly sessions commenced in July 2021 and were offered in both English and in Afrikaans. Every session focused on elements of basic financial literacy, such as accounting for debtor and creditor transactions, from the use of the correct source documents to recording transactions in financial statements.

The programme was concluded by an insightful presentation by Professor Stephen Coetzee of the University of Pretoria on the future of education in view of the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Dr Antoinette Venter, Director of the Economic and Management Sciences curriculum at WCED, expressed her satisfaction at the end of the course. She remarked that the collaboration between WCED and the School of Accountancy had proven positive, and that the training was of a high professional standard. “The WCED looks forward to a continued roll-out of this programme to teachers in other grades as well," she said.

• Illustration (supplied): One of the slides used in the enrichment programme. School of Accountancy lecturers Petro Gerber, Juan Ontong, Sher-Lee Arendse, Chrystal Schonken, Danielle van Wyk, Andrea van der Merwe, Nicolette Klopper, Lee-Ann Kelly and Armand Bruwer gave presentations during the enrichment programme coordinated by Waldette Engelbrecht.
  
  

The second response report, compiled from all input received on the second draft of Stellenbosch University's revised Language Policy (2016), is available on the Language Policy revision webpage. The University Council will consider this response report and the second draft of the revised Language Policy (2016) to provide feedback to the Language Policy Revision Task team at its meeting on 27 September 2021. These documents were also tabled at the Senate meeting on 10 September 2021.

In the second consultation round 297 responses were received – 126 via www.sun.ac.za/taal and 171 via www.sun.ac.za/language. A significant number of responses – 119 in total – were duplicate submissions, and eight responses were left blank in terms of both general and specific feedback.

In July/August 2021 internal and external interested parties were invited to participate in the second phase for public consultation of the language revision. This followed after the task team compiled a first draft of the revised policy earlier this year and released the document for public input in March/April 2021. All the contributions received during the first public participation phase were included in the first response report, and considered for possible inclusion in the second draft of the revised policy. The second response report also contains all the feedback received, but as for the first public participation phase, it will not be possible to include all the input in the next draft of the policy.

The language revision process was initiated in October 2020 by convening a task team and proposing a timeline based on the University Almanac for 2021. The 2021 revision forms part of the mandatory five-year revision cycle prescribed in the Language Policy (2016) itself. Paragraph 10 of the Language Policy (2016) stipulates that the policy “lapses five years after the date of its implementation" and that it “must be reviewed during its fifth year of operation". The current policy was implemented at the beginning of 2017.

The Stellenbosch University Statute (2019) stipulates that the SU Council must determine the institution's language policy with the concurrence of Senate and in accordance with section 27(2) of the Higher Education Act (Act No 101 of 1997, as amended).

The task team will complete the final draft of the revised language policy during October/early November 2021 after considering the input received during the second public participation phase, as well as the feedback from faculty boards, the Institutional Forum, Senate and Council.

The final draft of the policy will be tabled for approval at the Senate meeting on 26 November 2021, and at the Council meeting on 2 December 2021.

Read more about the 2021 revision of the Language Policy (2016):

Timeline and milestones

 Second public participation phase (July/August 2021)

Contextual documents

First public participation phase (March/April 2021)

Afrikaans as indigenous language

Read more about language at Stellenbosch University:

Articles on language, media releases and media responses, as well as frequently-asked questions and answers 

​

First-year Achievement Awards
Eerstejaarsprestasietoekennings
IiMbasa zokuWonga iMpumelelo yaBafundi boNyaka wokuqala

FOR THE 2020 ACADEMIC YEAR and PRESENTED ON 9 SEPTEMBER 2021

The 13th annual First-year Achievement Awards event, hosted by Prof Deresh Ramjugernath (Deputy Vice-Chancellor:  Learning and Teaching), was presented as a virtual event via Microsoft Teams for the second year in a row.

The First Year Achievement Awards aim to recognise top performing first-year students within each faculty as well as the lecturers who had a positive influence on the academic experience of these students as nominated by each of these top performing first year students. .

Even though it was a virtual event, the interaction and excitement were almost tangible. Via the chat function attendees expressed pride and virtual applause as the names of the awarded students and lecturers were announced per faculty by the Master of Ceremonies, Dr Antoinette van der Merwe (Senior Director: Learning and Teaching Enhancement).

The guest speaker of the evening, Emerita Professor from the FMHS, Julia Blitz, presented us all with a pensive and provocative address entitled “Lift as you Rise". She encouraged students to “broaden your experiences" and not “setting yourselves apart" as the 6% who achieve degrees in South Africa, but rather to “engage in activities" and communicate with a “range of people" outside of higher education. She said that this is where we “can learn from". Prof Blitz encouraged the institution towards embracing a learning-centered approach which enables all students to co-create knowledge and empowers them to be locally as well as globally engaged. She further urged all top students and lecturers to assist and share with those less successful in their academic studies as this, rather than top marks, could become our “greatest success"

The evening drew to a close with a rolling PowerPoint presentation depicting the students and lecturers and a range of positive, encouraging conversations in the chat.

Congratulations to all awardees and continue to “Lift as you Rise"!

 IsiXhosa follows

First-year Achievement Awards
Eerstejaarsprestasietoekennings
IiMbasa zokuWonga iMpumelelo yaBafundi boNyaka wokuqala

ZONYAKA-MFUNDO KA-2020 yaye ZINIKEZELWA NGE-9 SEPTEMBA 2021 

Itheko le-13 laminyaka le lokuWongwa Kwempumelelo Yabo Bakunyaka Wokuqala, lisingathwa nguNjing. Deresh Ramjugernath (oliSekela Nqununu:  icandelo Lokufunda Nokufundisa), liye laqhutywa kumajelo onxibelelwano ngeMicrosoft Teams yaye ngunyaka wesibini lo kuqhutywa ngolo hlobo. 

IiMbasa Zokuwongwa Kwempumelelo Yabakunyaka Wokuqala ijoliswe ekugqaleni abafundi abaphume phambili abakunyaka wokuqala kwifakhalthi nganye kwakunye nabahlohli abaye banefuthe elibalaseleyo kumava aba bafundi kwezemfundo njengoko amagama abo ephakanyiswe nguye ngamnye kwaba bafundi bonyaka wokuqala baphumelele emagqabini. 

Nangona ibilitheko eliqhutywa kumajelo oqhagamshelwano, unxibelelwano nemincili belulolokoqobo. Besebenzisa icandelo lokuncokola, abebekho baye babonisa ukuziva benelunda ngokuqhwaba kweli jelo lonxibelelwano njengoko amagama abafundi nabahlohli abawongwayo ebebhengezwa ngokweefakhalthi nguMphathi-theko, uGqr. Antoinette van der Merwe (uMlawuli Oyintloko: Ukuphuculwa Kokufunda Nokufundisa). 

Isithethi sembeko sengokuhlwa, uNjingalwazi Odla Umhlala-phantsi waseFMHS, uJulia Blitz, uye wasinika sonke intetho evus' ingqondo nexhokonx' iingcinga enomxholo othi “Phakamisa Njengoko uNyuka". Uye wakhuthaza abafundi ukuba “benze banzi amava abo" yaye “bangazikhethi" njenge-6% yabo bafumana izidanga eMzantsi Afrika, kodwa “babandakanyeke kwimisebenzi" baze banxibelelane “nabantu abahlukeneyo" abangekho kwimfundo ephakamileyo. Uthe  “singafunda" kule nto. UNjing Blitz uye wakhuthaza eli ziko ukuba likhuthaze ukufunda nto leyo eyenza bonke abafundi bancedisane ekwakheni ulwazi nokubaxhobisa ukuba babandakanyeke kweli lizwe nasehlabathini. Uhlabele mgama ebongoza bonke abafundi abaphumelele emagqabini nabahlohli ukuba bancede baze babelane nabo bangapumelelanga kangako kwizifundo zabo, njengokuba le nto, ngaphandle kwamanqaku aphezulu, kunokuba “yeyona mpumelelo inkulu". 

loo nkqubo yangokuhlwa ivalwe ngemifanekiso yePowerPoint ezihambelayo ebonisa abafundi nabahlohli nothotho lwamagqabaza akhuthazayo kwicandelo lokuncokola.

Sithi huntshu kubo bonke abawongiweyo nize niqhubeke “Niphakamisa njengoko Ninyuka"!

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​As has been the case in previous years, Stellenbosch University (SU) will once again be well represented at the annual National Science and Technology Forum (NSTF)/ South32Awards. Six finalists from SU will be competing for the 2020/2021 NSTF/South32 Awards at South Africa's “Science Oscars" on Thursday 30 September 2021.

This year, the NSTF Awards Gala Event will take place as a hybrid event to be broadcast from two cities – Johannesburg and Cape Town. This means the usual Gala Dinner will be reintroduced with the addition of a celebration in Cape Town and broadcasting from both cities to an online audience via the NSTF YouTube channel. The patron of the Awards, the Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation, Dr Blade Nzimande has been invited to preside over the presentation of awards.

Regarded as the most sought-after national accolades of their kind in the country, the NSTF/South32 Awards recognise, celebrate and reward the outstanding contributions of individuals, teams and organisations to science, engineering and technology (SET) in the country. Among the competitors are experienced scientists, engineers, innovators, science communicators, engineering capacity builders, organisational managers and leaders, as well as data and research managers.

According to the organisers, it is an extraordinary honour to be a finalist given the quality of the nominations received every year, the fierce competition that nominees face and growing interest from the SET community over the years.

The SU finalists (with department or environment) and the categories in which they will compete are as follows:

Lifetime Award

• Profs Soraya Bardien & Eileen Hoal (Division of Molecular Biology and Human Genetics)

TW Kambule-NSTF Awards: Researchers

• Prof Anton du Plessis (Department of Physics and Manager: X-ray Computed Tomography Scanner Facility)

TW Kambule-NSTF Awards: Emerging Researchers

• Dr Wynand Goosen (Centre of Excellence for Biomedical TB Research, Division of Molecular Biology and Human Genetics, Department of Biomedical Sciences)
• Dr Caitlin Uren (Division of Molecular Biology and Human Genetics). She is also a finalist in the Data for Research category.

Innovation Award: Corporate Organisation

• Innovus Technology Transfer Office Team with Leader and Head Dr Madelein Kleyn
  

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Stellenbosch University's sixth annual Homecoming and Family Weekend is taking place virtually this year.

“Covid-19 with its many waves has put paid to our well-laid plans, but not to worry," says Karen Bruns, Senior Director of the Development and Alumni Relations Division. “We're still bringing the Matie gees and we're ready to roll out the virtual maroon carpet for our alumni, staff and friends of the University. See this as a chance to log on and meet up with the rest of your Matie family, wherever they may find themselves in the world."

On Thursday, 23 September at 19:00 you can join an online conversation with the highly acclaimed South African author and screenwriter, Deon Meyer. Deon's books have been published in more than 40 countries and translated into 27 languages worldwide. Matie alumnus, Jonathan Amid, well-known books journalist and critic, who is pursuing a PhD in South African crime-writing, will lead this conversation. Deon will share his story of becoming a celebrated author and discuss his recent bestseller, Donkerdrif, which is set in the beautiful town of Stellenbosch.

On Friday, 24 September you can light your braai fires at home. Please wear your Matie maroon and invite your nearest and dearest to join in on the Matie gees. All you need to do is post a picture on DAR's social media platforms of you, your family and the braai and stand a chance to win wonderful prizes. We also lined up a few winemakers to share their best braai dish recipes and wine pairings with you before the big day.

On Saturday, 25 September you can dust off those running shoes, take on the open road and support the next generation of Maties while you're at it! You can run a 5km, 10km, or 20km along your selected route anywhere in the world. For every kilometre that you run or walk, please consider donating to the University's Annual Fund, Bridge the Gap. Bridge the Gap​ is an annual fundraising initiative that invites alumni, the student community, staff, parents, and friends of the University to support our students in overcoming the obstacles on their path to success. You can register, track and share your progress on Strava.

Please send an e-mail to marvin@sun.ac.za to book your spot for Homecoming 2021.

Follow DAR's social media platforms for the latest information and Homecoming competitions.  

• Facebook – Stellenbosch Alumni
• Instagram – @MatiesAlumni
• Twitter – @SU_Alumni 
  

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Stellenbosch University vaccination statement

Sonke siya phambili: Khetha ugonyo

We call on the people of Stellenbosch University (SU) to choose vaccination against COVID-19, a severe, life-threatening disease. The vaccine is the most effective way to protect yourself as well as your family, friends, colleagues, fellow students and members of our community.

The coronavirus pandemic has had a far-reaching impact on our lives. Some of us have lost loved ones, while others have survived COVID-19, but now face its lingering after-effects. The lockdown restrictions have dealt our country a financial blow, which has put livelihoods at risk. The pandemic has also forced us to adjust to the “new normal" of life with COVID-19, a harsh reality that has changed how we live from day to day.

Move forward together

Consistently adhering to all the relevant health and safety measures and choosing to get vaccinated is the best way to overcome this pandemic and the risk it poses to our lives and livelihoods.

We know some are hesitant to get vaccinated. However, we assure you that the COVID-19 vaccine is safe, whether you receive Pfizer's (double-dose), Johnson & Johnson's (single-dose) or any other approved vaccine. It has been tested scientifically and approved by medical authorities, and – most importantly – it undoubtedly reduces risk and saves lives.

Vaccines are designed to prevent loss of life, and have been doing just that for decades across the globe. They not only reduce the consequences of infection for those who contract an infectious disease, but – above all – largely prevent infection altogether. Vaccines helped eradicate smallpox and continue to prevent devastating viruses such as polio from causing severe illness and death. The COVID-19 vaccine is doing the same for the coronavirus.

Choose vaccination

As part of our commitment to overcome this pandemic, the University has established a vaccination site at the Lentelus clubhouse at SU's soccer complex in Hammanshand Road, Stellenbosch. The site is open to staff, students and members of the broader community. Click here for more information.

Please make use of the vaccination services at this site or one closer to you, and encourage others also to vaccinate.

Choosing vaccination is the responsible choice, and a commitment to moving forward – for yourself, your family, your community and our nation.

Choose vaccination | Kies inenting | Khetha ugonyo

This statement was adopted by the Stellenbosch University Rectorate on 15 September 2021:

• Prof Wim de Villiers, Rector and Vice-Chancellor
• Prof Stan du Plessis, Chief Operating Officer
• Prof Nico Koopman, Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Social Impact, Transformation and Personnel
• Prof Deresh Ramjugernath, Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Learning and Teaching
• Dr Ronel Retief, Registrar
• Prof Eugene Cloete, Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research, Innovation and Postgraduate Studies
  
• Prof Hester Klopper, Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Strategy and Internationalisation
  

The African Food Dialogues is an initiative of Stellenbosch University's Strategic Fund, implemented by the Southern Africa Food Lab in partnership with the Law Faculty and the Department of Agrisciences, with the purpose of fostering a space for dialogue and interaction around African food systems.

Ngcukaitobi traced the land issue from pre-colonialism through to today and considered some of the implications on current food systems. 

"Focusing on land reform is the ultimate guarantee of food security so that African people do not need to depend on crumbs from the masters' table," he said.

In answer to the question “What should we be doing now?", Ngcukaitobi referred to the tabling of the constitutional amendment for expropriation of land without compensation, saying, “We need to stop the gimmicks. The ANC has engaged this country in a monumental waste of time for four years debating an amendment that in itself is not necessary. There are people who made restitution claims in 1998. We need to start by resolving those."

Ngcukaitobi also made the point that land allocation tends to favour men and gender inequality is a major issue. In addition, he noted that tribal chiefs hold too much power when it comes to communal land ownership, “The true and beneficial owners of the land must be the people."

An additional challenge to communal land ownership, according to Ngcukaitobi, is a lack of access to capital. Because banks lend based on title deeds, it is difficult for communally owned land to access capital. “This policy must change. Alternative assets like cattle could be used as collateral. Banks should change their policies to support such people."

Contributing via the online chat, Rhoda Malgas, a lecturer in the Department of Conservation Ecology and Entomology, noted that when we advocate for restitution of land, is it not incumbent upon us to advocate also for the restitution of the natural systems without which the land means very little." 

Visit www.southernafricafoodlab.org or follow @SAFoodLab on Twitter for more information on the African Food Dialogues. 

A new lineage of the COVID-19 virus recently detected across South Africa – the so-called C.1.2 – is being closely monitored, and is not yet considered a serious threat.

This emerged during an online question-and-answer session hosted by Stellenbosch University (SU) on topics relating to the COVID-19 vaccine, such as the importance of getting vaccinated, myths around the vaccine, and access to vaccination. Prof Wolfgang Preiser, head of the Division of Medical Virology, and Dr Jantjie Taljaard, head of the Division of Infectious Diseases, both from SU's Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences (FMHS), addressed the audience.

Responding to concerns about the C.1.2 variant, Preiser said: “At this stage, the C.1.2 is a lineage of the COVID-19 virus that we found in a small portion of infected people across the country. Apparently, it has not increased in prevalence over the past eight weeks. The majority of infections are still caused by the Delta variant. There is no evidence to date that C.1.2 would be worse than the Delta variant, so based on what is known, it is currently not regarded as a variant of interest (VOI) or of concern (VOC).

“We are watching very closely to see if the C.1.2 variant might take off. If, during this heightened observation period, it proves to be potentially problematic – if, for instance, it increases in prevalence, or infects a lot of people who have been vaccinated – it could be declared a variant of concern. But at this stage, there is nothing to be alarmed about. Take comfort in knowing it is under observation."

The following pertinent questions were also addressed:

If I had COVID-19, is it possible to have a heightened response to the vaccine, and perhaps more side-effects, since I already have antibodies?

Preiser: Yes, on both counts. Reports indicate that vaccine-associated side-effects (feeling unwell, fever, headaches for a day or two) are probably more likely in people who have some degree of previous immunity from a COVID-19 infection. That is the downside. As per the South African authorities' recommendations, you should wait a month after your recovery from COVID-19 before you get the vaccine. On the positive side, you will have a very good immune response if you get vaccinated after having had the infection as well.​

How does the COVID-19 vaccine affect fertility? How would we know the long-term effects, since we don't have the results from long-term studies?

Taljaard: The issue around fertility originated from a theoretical concern raised at the start of COVID-19 research in early 2020. The possibility of the presence of an antigen on the surface of the placenta that may mimic the spike protein on the surface of the SARS-CoV-2 virus was investigated in depth, but found to have no biological truth. Ongoing surveillance post-vaccination has not shown decreased fertility. This underlines the data from vaccine trials, which revealed similar pregnancy rates in vaccinated and unvaccinated people. We know that pregnant women are at an increased risk of severe COVID-19, hospitalisation and death compared to non-pregnant women, and they can also infect their newborn child. That is why it is now universally recommended that pregnant women get vaccinated, to protect both themselves and their offspring.

Some sources say that the COVID-19 vaccine can cause certain types of cancer. Is this true?

Preiser: I haven't heard that before, and don't know where it comes from. It can't be proven because nobody has had any COVID-19 vaccine before April 2020 or thereabout, and cancer develops over years. I am not aware of anything plausible that would suggest that the vaccines have any cancer implications. Remember, the concepts behind the vaccines have been tested and, in some cases, used for decades in numerous experimental animals as well as humans, and contain nothing that is known or suspected to cause cancer. Our verdict? Nonsense.

It seems that many of those ending up in hospital with COVID-19 are older, so why should young adults get vaccinated?

Taljaard: It is not untrue that COVID-19 is more severe in the elderly. To prevent unnecessary deaths, there was a staggered approach to the vaccination process, starting with the elderly, after which we moved into the younger age brackets. However, we are now at the point where we're trying to achieve herd immunity, which means that we have to vaccinate more than 80% of the total population. Personally, I think younger people getting vaccinated is extremely important for our education system – for learners and students to get back in the classroom and onto the sports field. If they do not get vaccinated and outbreaks continue, government will have no choice but to close down institutions. And we have seen how damaging that is for young people's education and social development, among other things. Also, the third wave was characterised by increased numbers of young people admitted to Tygerberg hospital. Children can also become infected and transmit the disease. In fact, in many of our households, infections now come via our children. The aim is to vaccinate ourselves out of this pandemic, and everyone counts!

Podcast: Click here to listen to a podcast by Prof Wolfgang Preiser on COVID-19 and vaccines.

Three students in the Faculty of AgriSciences were acknowledged as being among the top first years attending Stellenbosch University in 2020.

Kelsey Dellar and Lize Theunissen, who are both studying towards a BSc in Food Science, were the top students in the mainstream programme, while Kondwani Ngulube was acknowledged as the best student in the faculty in the extended degree programme. Ngulube is working towards a BScAgric in Plant and Soil Sciences.

Dellar comes from Pietermaritzburg, and finished school at St John's Diocesan School for Girls, while Theunissen hails from Caledon, and matriculated from Paarl Girls' High School. Ngulube hails from Zambia, where he also finished his schooling.

Their academic achievements were honoured along with those of the other top students in each of the University's faculties at a virtual event hosted by Prof Deresh Ramjugernath, SU Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Learning and Teaching.

The event also acknowledged the valuable role that lecturers play in support of such academic achievements.

The students all had the opportunity to nominate the lecturer whom they felt had made the greatest contribution to their academic success thus far. Dellar nominated Prof Pieter Gouws of the Department of Food Science, while Theunissen suggested Dr Marietjie Lutz of the Department of Chemistry and Polymer Science. Ms Marisca Coetzee of the SU Language Centre was nominated by Ngulube.

The three AgriSciences students were congratulated as such on their academic achievements by Prof Maret du Toit, vice dean of teaching and learning in the Faculty of Agrisciences: “I know each of the students' journeys were very different in 2020, what with all the challenges of being a first time student and studying online, for instance. Despite the challenges the students embraced the opportunities and excelled academically, which is a testimony of their great character and motivation to reach their goals and dreams."

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​As a responsible public institution with accountability as one of its values, Stellenbosch University (SU) urges all staff members and students to make use of their democratic right to vote in the upcoming municipal (local government) elections scheduled for 1 November 2021.

If you have not done so yet, you are encouraged to register as a voter. You can do so at your nearest IEC registration centre on 18 and 19 September 2021, between 08:00 and 17:00. Or you can register online. Please visit www.elections.org.za for more information.

SU's Frederik van Zyl Slabbert Institute for Student Leadership Development (a structure within our Centre for Student Leadership, Experiential Education and Citizenship, Division for Student Affairs), is planning a social media campaign to create awareness and encourage students to vote.

This will be aligned to its mandate of cultivating active citizens. The team is already working on the campaign and encouraging students to be active and responsive citizens, a theme which is at the heart of most of the Institute's short course discussions.

The University will also support campaigns by our Students' Representative Council (SRC) to encourage students to vote.

– Issued by SU's Corporate Communication and Marketing Division

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​In celebration of Women's Month, the Transplantation Society, Stellenbosch University's (SU) Women's Forum and the Department of Surgery at the University of Cape Town (UCT) co-hosted a discussion around systematic issues that women in medicine and science face. The discussion, which took place on 27 August at Groote Schuur Hospital, was moderated by Professor Elmi Muller, Dr Lydia Cairncross and Professor Keymanthri Moodley and attended both virtually and in-person by guests from around the world.

Prior to the event, attendees were asked to watch “Picture a Scientist" – a film that documents the groundswell of female researchers in the United States (US) who are paving the way to equality for women in science. In this film, biologist Nancy Hopkins, chemist Raychelle Burks and geologist Jane Willenbring take viewers on a journey of their own careers and the struggles they endured in male-dominated fields.

Against the backdrop of this impactful documentary, conversations were sparked on the systemic and invisible oppression against women in workplaces across South Africa. From subtle slights to deliberate discrimination, surgeons, doctors, researchers, academic and administrative staff shared their experiences during the Women's Month event.

The gender pay gap in medicine and science

The most explicit example of where women still bear the brunt of their industries is the gender pay gap. “I think that salary is a big problem in South Africa," says Dr Simphiwe Simelane from UCT. “In my previous job as a research medical officer, my starting salary was significantly less than what was offered to a male peer for the same job description." Beyond the borders of South Africa, unequal salaries are a global issue according to Dr Camille Kotton from Massachusetts General Hospital in the US. “While starting salaries in medicine are quite equal, they start to change for a whole host of reasons as we become more senior. When we look at this systematically, it's definitely an issue."

The career sacrifices of parenthood

Parenthood is another topical example of where women are often treated unfairly. One female surgeon from Cape Town, who is currently completing her studies while caring for two children, says she noticed that a lot of talented women stepped back from progressing their careers once they started a family. She adds that she hopes there can be more options for surgeons to complete their studies part-time so that female surgeons are not excluded from programmes simply for becoming mothers. On family life, Professor Nancy Kwan Man from the University of Hong Kong says that balancing family duties is a challenge especially for women in senior leadership roles. She adds that women should support and encourage each other to fill senior positions and progress in their respective fields.     

The role of male allies in women empowerment

While the event was mostly attended by women, a few men also participated and opened up the floor for a discussion on how male allies can understand and support the needs of professional women. Professor Helmuth Reuter from SU's Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences says he realises how important it is to hear women's voices directly and reflect on how men can also do introspection into their own roles. “Where I can, I would certainly like to work with my female colleagues and I am open to criticism where other men and I are at fault. I hope we can reflect on how we can work together better."

The prolonged impact of unconscious biases

From the overarching to the underlying, the discussion also shed light on the subliminal effects of years of low-key discrimination. Dr Allison Moore, an urologist at Groote Schuur Hospital, says that throughout medical school, internship and training it was always the small sexist comments, rather than large acts of harassment, that undermined her as a young surgeon. Cairncross, a consultant surgeon at Groote Schuur Hospital and associate professor at UCT, says she was reminded of unconscious biases while working in Covid-19 wards last year. “I was walking with a white, male colleague and patients just assumed he was the professor and I was not," she recalls. “As women, we constantly need to be present and show up while power often just flows directly towards men."

Which begs the question: How do institutions move away from a culture of compliance to a culture of change to address underlying biases?

“In the Women's Forum, we've been working on a number of issues to empower women and to remove obstacles in terms of career progression over the years," says Moodley, who chairs the Tygerberg branch of SU's Women's Forum. “Currently, we're working on a childcare facility at Tygerberg hospital and we've established a lactation room, but we're also looking at other ways in which women are impacted negatively in the work environment."

For more information on this event and to view the full discussion, visit The Transplantation Society.​

​Mr Abdul Hakeem Ajijola, Chair of the African Union Cyber Security Expert Group was the keynote followed by two panel discussions on Maritime cyber security and governance in Africa – challenges and solutions and Emerging threats and the African maritime cyber landscape. Proceedings available at  https://issafrica.org/events/maritime-cyber-security-preparing-for-rough-seas-ahead 

Two Creative Writing lecturers in the Department of Afrikaans and Dutch at Stellenbosch University (SU) recently received coveted awards in recognition of their extraordinary literary contributions. Dr Alfred Schaffer was awarded the Dutch PC Hooft prize, and Dr Willem Anker the kykNET-Rapport prize for fiction as well as the ATKV prose prize.

Alfred Schaffer

Schaffer, regarded as one of the most talented Dutch poets of his generation, was announced the winner of the prestigious PC Hooft prize on 14 December 2020 for an oeuvre already comprising nine poetry volumes. The PC Hooft prize is one of the highest literary awards in the Netherlands. It was last awarded to someone with a South African connection in 1991, when Elisabeth Eybers won the prize for her oeuvre of Afrikaans poetry.

On 9 September 2021, Schaffer was finally able to receive the award in person during a hybrid ceremony in The Hague. As part of the programme, a number of poets, including South Africans Antjie Krog and Ronelda S Kamfer, read extracts from his and their own work and shared their thoughts on what makes his poetry so exceptional.

“The honour is huge," says Schaffer. “I have received fantastic literary prizes before, but I guess the impact of this one is on another level. In a way, it is lifechanging. Because I was lucky enough to be there and receive the prize in person, I experienced first-hand how the award is seen in the Netherlands and Belgium.

“My collected work to date was published as well − a book of 720 pages, encompassing a bit more than 20 years of my life. It feels like the closing of one chapter, and the start of a new one."

Of Krog and Kamfer's presence at the prizegiving, he says: “It feels only right that they were there, and their presence really meant a lot to me. I am a great admirer of them both. Ronelda said the kindest things about me and my work, and Antjie's Afrikaans translations of two of my poems about my deceased parents almost brought me to tears.

“It was important to me that not only the Dutch language was involved, but also South Africa through Antjie and Ronelda, as well as Papiamentu, my other language, the language of my mother, who was born on the Caribbean island Aruba."

On 22 and 23 October, Schaffer will be honoured at the Breytenbach Centre's annual Tuin van Digters (“Poets' Garden") in Wellington as well.

In April 2021, Schaffer also won the prestigious Herman de Coninck prize for his collection of poetry Wie was ik (“Who was I"). His list of accolades further include the Jo Peters poetry prize, Hugues C Pernath prize, the Ida Gerhardt poetry prize and the Jan Campert prize.

Over the years, Schaffer has published numerous poetry and prose collections, such as Zijn opkomst in de voorstad (His Rise in the Suburbs, 2000), Dwaalgasten (Vagrants, 2002), which was nominated for the VSB poetry prize, Geen hand voor ogen (No Hands Before Your Eyes, 2004), Schuim (Foam, 2006), and Kooi (Cage, 2008). His work has been translated into Afrikaans, English, French, German, Macedonian, Turkish, Indonesian and Swedish.

Willem Anker

In an online ceremony on 11 September, Anker was awarded the kykNET-Rapport prize for the second time – this time for his third novel, Skepsel. In 2015, he received the same accolade for his novel Buys, which appeared in English as Red Dog, courtesy of translator Michiel Heyns. The national kykNET-Rapport award recognises and rewards excellence in Afrikaans writing.

“I am very honoured to win this prestigious prize," says Anker. “It means a lot to me. It is an affirmation of the work done, and an incentive to keep going."

The kykNET-Rapport prize is not the first award he has received for Skepsel, however. The novel also scooped the 2021 UJ prize on 31 March 2021.

And on 17 September it was announced that Skepsel has earned Anker the ATKV prose prize. It goes to the author of the best popular Afrikaans prose work that appeared in the previous calendar year.

“I am very glad about the response to the book, and honoured that people like the book and find it of a certain quality," says Anker.

Anker is certainly no stranger to award ceremony stages. With Buys, he also won the coveted Hertzog prize, the highest honour in the Afrikaans literary world, in 2016. The prize recognises original literary work in Afrikaans and is awarded annually for poetry, drama and prose respectively.

Buys earned Anker the 2015 UJ prize as well. In 2016, Anker received a Fleur du Cap award for his play Samsa-masjien in the category “Best new South African script", and, in 2008, he won the UJ debut prize with the novel Siegfried.

SU's Department of Afrikaans and Dutch is proud of these two author-lecturers' achievements, and delighted that their work is receiving such acclaim. “Our undergraduate and postgraduate students are privileged to be able to learn from such talented writers. This definitely gives them an advantage when it comes to Afrikaans and Dutch literature and creative writing," the Department said.

Mr Kaylan Reddy (24), a PhD-student in the Department of Botany and Zoology​ at Stellenbosch University, has just received two awards at international conferences: one for the best poster in ethnobotany at Botany 2021 virtual conference, hosted by the Botanical Society of America, and the other for the best PhD presentation at the International Symposium of Phytochemicals in Medicine and Food, hosted by the Phytochemical Society of Europe and the Phytochemical Society of Asia.

Kaylan, a first-generation student, first completed a BSc-degree in Biochemistry and Chemistry at the University of Pretoria (UP). An interest in how one could manipulate the chemistry of life within humans led him to a BScHons in Medicinal Plant Science at UP under the guidance of Dr Gary Stafford. Dr Stafford then introduced him to Prof Nox Makunga at Stellenbosch University's research into ethnobotany and plant medicine. In 2020 his MSc project, with Prof Makunga as study leader, was upgraded to a PhD.

For his studies, Kaylan is looking into the chemical and genetic differences between eight different species of the medicinal plant Sceletium exclusively found in the Northern, Eastern and Western Cape. Sceletium, also known as 'kanna' and 'kougoed', has been used by indigenous peoples for centuries for relaxation, stress reduction, and calming thirst and hunger signals. Kaylan hopes to characterise the chemical components found in the Sceletium genus that are effective for relieving the symptoms of anxiety and depression. The next step is then to determine the most effective combination of these chemicals in order to develop substances that can be used in the treatment of anxiety and depression.

The search for this elusive species have awakened a newfound love for plants in him: “These plants are quite rare in nature and difficult to find, as they literally hide underneath other plants. Some of the species I am studying have not been seen since the 1980s. Most of the time we have to talk to people living in those areas to find the plants. Last week, an 80-year old gentleman helped us to find a population of Sceletium growing in an area he last visited when he was 16 years old," he explains.

Kaylan is also passionate about science communication, and frequently shares his work on his Instagram account at @sceletium.sci.guy and on Twitter @Plant_Detective. He is also representing SU at the national semi-finals of FameLab 2021 where he will talk about medicinal plant science and mental health.

On the photo, Kaylan Reddy. Photographer: Stefan Els

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