​​Erasmus University Rotterdam and Stellenbosch University (SU) will be collaborating even more intensively in the future. 

On Tuesday 11 November 2014, Rector Magnificus Prof Huibert Pols, on behalf of Erasmus University, and Prof Johan Hattingh, Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences on behalf of SU, signed a Memorandum of Understanding and a partnership agreement in respect of a joint PhD programme. There is already faculty and institutional level cooperation with Stellenbosch University.

Amongst other things, Erasmus University and Stellenbosch intend to investigate in which areas they could cooperate even further; and programmes for joint scientific research will also be stimulated. 

In addition, both universities are investigating the potential for exchanging researchers and students, to broaden the curriculum for example. Erasmus School of Economics (ESE), the Faculty of Social Sciences (FSW) and Erasmus School of History, Culture and Communication (ESHCC) already exchange students with Stellenbosch University. The term of the MoU is five years.

PhD Students

As well as the MoU, Pols and Hattingh signed a partnership agreement for the development of a joint PhD Programme (joint doctorate). Since 2012, PhD students from the International Institute of Social Studies (ISS) and Stellenbosch University have been collaborating. Annually, a PhD workshop is organised whereby PhD students from both universities present their research, the purpose being to learn from one another. The success of these workshops has resulted in a joint PhD programme being established. The PhD collaboration will now be rolled out throughout the whole of Erasmus University.​

Thanks to a new grant of R2.3 million from the National Research Foundation (NRF), a database on South Africa's role in the Antarctic and sub-Antarctic since 1948 will now be made more comprehensive and more readily available to a wider audience via a website.

The Antarctic Legacy Database Project was initiated in 2009 to record the significant role South Africans have played in scientific, biological, meteorological and other research "down south" in the Antarctic region. The project was initially funded by the NRF under the auspices of the South African National Antarctic Programme (SANAP).

Ms Ria Olivier, Information Officer at the Legacy Project, says so far the database consists of nearly 3 000 entries. These include recordings of oral interviews conducted with ex-team members and other individuals involved with SANAP, newspaper cuttings, articles from popular magazines, bibliographic lists of academic publications in journals and books, black and white and colour photographic images, films and videos, unpublished drawings and other artwork, diaries, unpublished manuscripts and even artefacts (the last deposited at the Iziko Museums of South Africa).

The database is managed from within the Department of Botany and Zoology at Stellenbosch University and is hosted by the J.S. Gericke Library at SU.

Mr John Cooper, Research Associate in the SU's Centre of Excellence for Invasion Biology (CIB) and Principal Investigator on the project, says the database, once comprehensive, will become an invaluable source of information about South Africa's involvement in the region for researchers in the social sciences, law and humanities.

"Although the collection is extensive, there are still gaps remaining, notably written governmental records that have been deposited in national and other archives in South Africa. There are also gaps in the photographic records of activities at the South African bases at Gough Island and Marion Island, as well as the South African National Antarctic Expeditions since 1948. In this regard we will continue to make contact with ex-team members, researchers and other personnel involved," he says.

Prof Steven Chown, who initiated the Antarctic Legacy project while he was Director of the CIB at SU, says South Africans have played a considerable role in conducting scientific research in the Antarctic region: "The database should serve as an instrument to create awareness about South Africa's presence in the Antarctic region and to encourage the youth to learn more about two of the most remote islands on the face of this planet," he says.

Earlier this year, Prof Chown was awarded the SCAR Medal for Excellence in Research for his extensive contributions to Antarctic science and policy. SCAR is the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research and was established in 1958 to initiate, develop and coordinate international scientific research in the Antarctic region and to provide advice to the Antarctic Treaty System.

Both Prof Chown and Mr Cooper were instrumental in establishing the Antarctic Legacy Database Project in 2009.

The NRF grant is valid for three years. Mr John Cooper from Stellenbosch University (SU) is the Principal Investigator, with Ms Ria Olivier as the co-investigator. Other partners are Prof Sandra Swart, Department of History at SU; Mr Jaco Boshoff, Social History Collections Department at Iziko Museums of South Africa; Prof Steven Chown, School of Biological Sciences at Monash University in Australia; Prof Jan Glazewski, Institute of Marine and Environmental Law at the University of Cape Town, and Ms Wiida Fourie-Basson, media officer at the Faculty of Science at SU.

Background:

• The South African Government, under Prime Minister Jan Smuts, annexed the Prince Edward Islands on 4 January 1948, making them the true southernmost extent of South Africa. The islands lie some 1 400 kilometres south of Cape Agulhas and is nearly halfway between Africa and Antarctica in the southern Indian Ocean

• Marion Island and Prince Edward Island are collectively known as the Prince Edward Islands.
• Marion Island is the larger of the two islands with an area of just under 300 square kilometres compared to Prince Edward Island's 45 square kilometres.
• It is thought the islands were first discovered in 1663, but it was not until the end of the 18^th century that the first landings were made by sealers.

• Source: Terauds A, Cooper J, Chown SL and Ryan PG 2010. Marion and Prince Edward. Africa's Southern Islands. Stellenbosch: SUN Press.

Proudly funded by PRASA

The SU Language Centre's reworked Stylgids of 2012 now has an updated English counterpart: the 2014 Style Guide.

The Style Guide is a quick reference guide on the University's preferences concerning English usage. Although it is aimed specifically at language practitioners who do editing and translation for the University, anyone could put it to good use for whatever needs checking on the language front. Besides guidance regarding the usual suspects such as grammar, punctuation, numbers and abbreviations, the Style Guide also deals with plain language and inclusive writing, scientific writing, and legislation and case law. To keep up with what technology throws at us, we have dedicated a chapter to technical tips, mostly regarding functions of MS Word.

The Language Centre put extra punch in Translation Day celebrations this year by launching the updated and expanded Style Guide at a cocktail function at STIAS on 30 September. Using and offering style guides for Afrikaans and English is one way of ensuring that the Language Centre delivers a service of high and consistent quality.

So, how does one know whether data is or are? Consult the Style Guide! Both the Style Guide and the Stylgids are available in electronic format – visit http://www0.sun.ac.za/languagecentre/?page_id=329 to download them for free.

​​​Although progress has been made, more needs to be done to level the playing field for students with disabilities.

This was the view of the Deputy Minister of Higher Education and Training, Mduduzi Manana, on Thursday (2 October 2014).

He delivered the keynote address at a two-day symposium (2-3 October) of the Higher and Further Education Disability Services Association (HEDSA) held at the Stellenbosch Institute for Advanced Study (STIAS).

Manana said equal access to educational opportunities is a fundamental human right enshrined in our Constitution.

He added that both in its interpretation and application, this right should not be used to discriminate against people with disabilities.

 "We cannot afford a situation where education becomes a barrier that prevents people with disabilities from realising their full potential."

Manana said government remains commitment to providing the necessary support for students with disabilities. In this regard, he referred to a White Paper launched this year that will strengthen the need for the development of a national disability policy framework for the entire post-school education and training sector.

"We are almost certain this framework will pave the way for institutional policy development that will provide the road map for principles and process that take institutions beyond the mere provision of ramps and rails."

Manana said the policy framework will require post-school institutions to develop policies that will address disability.

He emphasised the importance of funding, research, correct policies and the collaboration between higher education institutions to achieve equality for students with disabilities.

Speaking on some of the challenges facing students with disabilities, Ms Marcia Lyner-Cleophas, Head of the Office for Students with Special Learning Needs (Disabilities) at Stellenbosch University (SU) and Chairperson of HEDSA, said funding remains an issue.

"Although many strides have been made over the last 20 years, we still do have a long road ahead of us," she said.

In welcoming the delegates, Dr Ludoph Botha, Senior Director of Student Affairs at SU, emphasised SU's commitment towards improving the lives of students with disabilities.

"Disability is a transformation imperative in society and correlates with SU's vision to be innovative, inclusive and future-oriented."

"Universities must create a welcoming culture for students with disabilities and management must support disability units."

Botha said we must look at disability in a holistic way and address all facets of university life.

He noted that there are more students with disabilities at higher education institutions than statistics reflect.

• Photo: Ms Celeste Wolfensberger, Vice-Chairperson of HEDSA, Deputy Minister Mduduzi Manana, Ms Marcia Lyner-Cleophas, and Dr Ludoph Botha at the Symposium.
• Photographer: Anton Jordaan​
  

​South Africa is progressively failing in its mission to provide safe sanitation for all, writes Dr Jo Barnes of the Division of Community Health at Stellenbosch University in an opinion article published in the Cape Times on Tuesday (18 November).

The complete article as submitted follows below: 

Functioning toilets, clean water reduce health risk

Until the turn of the century, the sanitation crisis was a low priority topic in much of the developed world, but one that affected the quality of life for billions of people globally.

This started to change, albeit slowly, on 19 November 2001 when World Toilet Day was established amid initial amusement and ridicule amongst those who lived in comfort. However, the day gathered support over the years in recognition of the crucial role that sanitation plays in community health. A resolution to this effect was adopted by 122 countries at the 67th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on 24 July 2013 and so World Toilet Day, celebrated on 19 November, became an official UN day.

What this day does is to highlight how access to safe sanitation, the practice of good home hygiene and a safe water supply could potentially save the lives of 1.5 million children across the world per year. This amounts to saving the life of a child somewhere in the world every 21 seconds. Unfortunately, in 2010 only 63% of the world population had access to safe sanitation. If current trends continue, 67% (2.4 billion people) will still be without safe sanitation by 2015, the year in which the Millennium Development Goals hoped to achieve a target of 75%.

At this point, it is should be noted that World Toilet Day is not only about the existence or specific type of toilet supplied to mainly poor households. A toilet cannot function on its own without a sanitation infrastructure supporting it. Thus, the focus is also on how sanitation systems, their functioning or lack of it influence the everyday quality of life for so many South Africans.

In South Africa, the backlog of provision of affordable housing and safe sanitation infrastructure is huge. Poor services delivery has become such a bone of contention that dissatisfied poor communities protest regularly to draw attention to their plight with the hope of exerting pressure on local authorities to provide them with proper sanitation facilities.

Adequate sanitation is vital to good health and prevents the spread of diseases such as diarrhoea, cholera, typhoid, intestinal worms and polio.

Provision of safe toilet facilities that are accessible to even the poorest can significantly decrease burdens of disease and therefore health costs. Improved health in turn gives rise to improved education achievements and economic output and thus help to improve the high levels of poverty in our country. With the advent of safe sanitation, the dispersal of sewage into the environment can be significantly reduced, thereby also protecting South Africa's vulnerable water sources.

The second essential link to safe hygiene is the availability of enough clean water for personal hygiene  ̶ especially washing hands  ̶  safe food preparation and household cleaning. The same communities protesting about poor toilet facilities also often lack sufficient clean water. The country made strides in the provision of safe water, but government's claims about the size of those improvements do not take into account that many of these projects fail after a short time and are no longer functional. The total number of South Africans with access to safe water does not reflect those who have such access at present; only those who had access at one point in the past. This approach needs drastic improvement since the consequences of poor sanitation cannot be managed in the face of misleading management information.

Unfortunately, South Africa is progressively failing in its mission to provide safe sanitation for all. The ratio of numbers of households to a toilet is very poor in many low-income areas, while more than 270 000  bucket toilet systems are still in operation. Toilets that are provided in such areas are often not operational; communal toilets are unsafe, poorly maintained and dangerously dirty. The sewerage systems serving those toilets are blocked in many places and then routinely spew out sewage into the surrounding areas, especially after rains. Living under such conditions are demeaning and contribute to poverty by affecting people's health and ability to earn an income.

In 2013, an investigation by the South African Human Rights Commission highlighted the gravity of situation by revealing that approximately 11% (1.4 million) of formal and informal households in South Africa  ̶ predominantly in rural settlements of KwaZulu-Natal, North West and the Eastern Cape  ̶  lack formal sanitation services. These households have never received a government supported sanitation intervention. At least 26% of households (3.8 million) within formal areas had sanitation services that did not meet the required standards. This was mainly due to the deterioration of infrastructure caused by lack of technical capacity to ensure effective operation, timeous maintenance, refurbishment and/or upgrading, pit emptying services and/or insufficient water resources.

Based on an assessment of the provision of water services, 23 municipalities (9% of the total) were in a crisis state, with an acute risk of disease outbreak; and a further 38% were at high risk, with the potential to deteriorate into a state of crisis. On a more local note, Cape Town has an estimated 112 000 people without access to safe sanitation.

So what is required to solve our sanitation crisis?

Local and provincial governments need better information on exactly how many persons live in the low-income areas and especially the informal areas under their jurisdiction as well as the real access to properly functioning toilet facilities. Using the minimum emergency guideline of five households per toilet is not an adequate service provision goal.

The maintenance and supervision of communal facilities in low-income areas leave a lot to be desired. Interim toilet facilities that are provided such as chemical toilets are no better than bucket toilets if they are not emptied regularly. Local authorities maintain that they do not get sufficient co-operation from the inhabitants to keep the facilities in working order.

At present, the underserved communities and the local authorities are in conflict, with both sides resorting to blame and unhelpful strategies. The situation needs wise counsel and cool heads to get both parties to change their entrenched positions so that realistic service provision on the one hand can meet sufficient behaviour change on the other hand to make the system work for all. If this can be realised, then South Africa can use this strategy in many spheres to meet social needs on a constructive basis. It can be done!

• Dr Jo Barnes works in the Division of Community Health at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences at Stellenbosch University.

​Farm workers in the Stellenbosch area will once again benefit from a significant grant from the Claude Leon Foundation to the Stellenbosch University Legal Aid Clinic.

The Legal Aid Clinic has a specialised focus on farm evictions, currently one of the most important legal issues affecting farm workers in the Boland region. 

Says Mr William (Bill) Frankel (OBE), Chairperson of the Foundation: "The specific programme supported by the Foundation ensures that poor farm workers in the Stellenbosch area and further afield in the Winelands, many of whom are only semi-literate, are made aware of their Constitutional rights to security of tenure and are given the means to enforce those rights.  The socio-economic rights conferred by the Constitution are at the heart of transformation to a fairer and a more decent and democratic society."

According to Frankel, the Foundation is encouraged that Stellenbosch University is supportive of this programme which also allows law students and academic staff at the University to be involved in providing their services on a pro bono basis and to be more in touch with people in the community who are often less fortunate than them.

"As someone who has been involved in human rights work most of my adult life I consider the work of the Clinic to be of considerable importance, therefore we are delighted to continue our close association with the Legal Aid Clinic with this new 3-year grant totalling R1.2 million," says Mr Frankel.

Prof Sonia Human, Dean of the Faculty of Law, says: "I wish to express my sincere appreciation for the generous grant.  The grant makes it possible for the passionate members of the Legal Aid Clinic to assist the most vulnerable members of society and to help restore their dignity.  We are proud to be associated with the Claude Leon Foundation."

The Claude Leon Foundation, a South African charitable trust, has been a valuable partner of Stellenbosch University for more than 30 years and has contributed almost R28 million towards postdoctoral fellowships, merit awards for lecturers, honours bursaries and  the expansion and operations of the Legal Aid Clinic, among others.

The Foundation has supported the Stellenbosch Legal Aid Clinic since 2007 and has previously made grants to the Clinic totalling just under R1 million. 

The Claude Leon Foundation is registered as a charitable trust formed out of a bequest made by Claude Leon (1884 - 1972) in 1962. Claude Leon was founder and Managing Director of the Elephant Trading Company, and helped start and finance several large South African companies such as Anglovaal, OK Bazaars and Edgars.

The Foundation supports projects that link with its five strategic themes: building research capacity in higher education; supporting innovation in schooling; early childhood development; the defence of democracy and building opportunities for post-school youth.

• Visit www.leonfoundation.co.za for more information. 
• Contact Stellenbosch University (Advancement) t +27 21 808 4020 or development@sun.ac.za to make a donation to the University. 
• For more information on the Legal Aid Clinic go to: http://blogs.sun.ac.za/law/legal-aid-clinic/​​

​South Africa is progressively failing in its mission to provide safe sanitation for all, writes Dr Jo Barnes of the Division of Community Health at Stellenbosch University in an opinion article published in the Cape Times on Tuesday (18 November).

The complete article as submitted follows below: 

Functioning toilets, clean water reduce health risk

Until the turn of the century, the sanitation crisis was a low priority topic in much of the developed world, but one that affected the quality of life for billions of people globally.

This started to change, albeit slowly, on 19 November 2001 when World Toilet Day was established amid initial amusement and ridicule amongst those who lived in comfort. However, the day gathered support over the years in recognition of the crucial role that sanitation plays in community health. A resolution to this effect was adopted by 122 countries at the 67th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on 24 July 2013 and so World Toilet Day, celebrated on 19 November, became an official UN day.

What this day does is to highlight how access to safe sanitation, the practice of good home hygiene and a safe water supply could potentially save the lives of 1.5 million children across the world per year. This amounts to saving the life of a child somewhere in the world every 21 seconds. Unfortunately, in 2010 only 63% of the world population had access to safe sanitation. If current trends continue, 67% (2.4 billion people) will still be without safe sanitation by 2015, the year in which the Millennium Development Goals hoped to achieve a target of 75%.

At this point, it is should be noted that World Toilet Day is not only about the existence or specific type of toilet supplied to mainly poor households. A toilet cannot function on its own without a sanitation infrastructure supporting it. Thus, the focus is also on how sanitation systems, their functioning or lack of it influence the everyday quality of life for so many South Africans.

In South Africa, the backlog of provision of affordable housing and safe sanitation infrastructure is huge. Poor services delivery has become such a bone of contention that dissatisfied poor communities protest regularly to draw attention to their plight with the hope of exerting pressure on local authorities to provide them with proper sanitation facilities.

Adequate sanitation is vital to good health and prevents the spread of diseases such as diarrhoea, cholera, typhoid, intestinal worms and polio.

Provision of safe toilet facilities that are accessible to even the poorest can significantly decrease burdens of disease and therefore health costs. Improved health in turn gives rise to improved education achievements and economic output and thus help to improve the high levels of poverty in our country. With the advent of safe sanitation, the dispersal of sewage into the environment can be significantly reduced, thereby also protecting South Africa's vulnerable water sources.

The second essential link to safe hygiene is the availability of enough clean water for personal hygiene  ̶ especially washing hands  ̶  safe food preparation and household cleaning. The same communities protesting about poor toilet facilities also often lack sufficient clean water. The country made strides in the provision of safe water, but government's claims about the size of those improvements do not take into account that many of these projects fail after a short time and are no longer functional. The total number of South Africans with access to safe water does not reflect those who have such access at present; only those who had access at one point in the past. This approach needs drastic improvement since the consequences of poor sanitation cannot be managed in the face of misleading management information.

Unfortunately, South Africa is progressively failing in its mission to provide safe sanitation for all. The ratio of numbers of households to a toilet is very poor in many low-income areas, while more than 270 000  bucket toilet systems are still in operation. Toilets that are provided in such areas are often not operational; communal toilets are unsafe, poorly maintained and dangerously dirty. The sewerage systems serving those toilets are blocked in many places and then routinely spew out sewage into the surrounding areas, especially after rains. Living under such conditions are demeaning and contribute to poverty by affecting people's health and ability to earn an income.

In 2013, an investigation by the South African Human Rights Commission highlighted the gravity of situation by revealing that approximately 11% (1.4 million) of formal and informal households in South Africa  ̶ predominantly in rural settlements of KwaZulu-Natal, North West and the Eastern Cape  ̶  lack formal sanitation services. These households have never received a government supported sanitation intervention. At least 26% of households (3.8 million) within formal areas had sanitation services that did not meet the required standards. This was mainly due to the deterioration of infrastructure caused by lack of technical capacity to ensure effective operation, timeous maintenance, refurbishment and/or upgrading, pit emptying services and/or insufficient water resources.

Based on an assessment of the provision of water services, 23 municipalities (9% of the total) were in a crisis state, with an acute risk of disease outbreak; and a further 38% were at high risk, with the potential to deteriorate into a state of crisis. On a more local note, Cape Town has an estimated 112 000 people without access to safe sanitation.

So what is required to solve our sanitation crisis?

Local and provincial governments need better information on exactly how many persons live in the low-income areas and especially the informal areas under their jurisdiction as well as the real access to properly functioning toilet facilities. Using the minimum emergency guideline of five households per toilet is not an adequate service provision goal.

The maintenance and supervision of communal facilities in low-income areas leave a lot to be desired. Interim toilet facilities that are provided such as chemical toilets are no better than bucket toilets if they are not emptied regularly. Local authorities maintain that they do not get sufficient co-operation from the inhabitants to keep the facilities in working order.

At present, the underserved communities and the local authorities are in conflict, with both sides resorting to blame and unhelpful strategies. The situation needs wise counsel and cool heads to get both parties to change their entrenched positions so that realistic service provision on the one hand can meet sufficient behaviour change on the other hand to make the system work for all. If this can be realised, then South Africa can use this strategy in many spheres to meet social needs on a constructive basis. It can be done!

• Dr Jo Barnes works in the Division of Community Health at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences at Stellenbosch University.

​​Gail Small, owner of Angel's Steel Fabrication in Mitchells Plain, was clearly overwhelmed when her name was announced as the top student of the Small Business Academy (SBA) Development Programme offered by the University of Stellenbosch Business School (USB). The certificate ceremony of the 2014 SBA group was held at the USB campus in Bellville last Friday.

Equally surprised was Reyaan Salie, owner of Salie's Hiring, also in Mitchells Plain, who received the award for the most dedicated student.

Small and Salie are two of the 19 small businesses owners from Mitchells Plain and Khayelitsha who completed the SBA programme. It is aimed at advancing the sustainability of small businesses operating in townships, by fuelling their growth and potential for job creation.

Small received the highest mark overall. Running her steel manufacturing business since 2009 in a male dominated environment has taught this mother of two just how imperative it is to focus on one's goals if you want to succeed.

"Our business has benefited enormously from what I've learnt during the course. I developed a proper business plan and strategy, and because I now understand our target market and how to sell ​​our services, I have been able to substantially grow our customer base," she said. ​​

Keynote speaker Melanie Burke, director of the Greater Tygerberg Partnership, said: "In the modern, highly competitive world we live in, the important sources of wealth and economic development are knowledge, learning and innovation. All three reside in people. Supporting small business owners through an initiative such as the SBA is about more than just developing businesses. We don't develop businesses. We develop people who are business owners."

​Since this weekend street robbers have been targeting students, especially females, on Stellenbosch campus.

Criminals are targeting the campus because it is quiet. 

Be extra careful and don't walk alone. Keep your pepper spray or whistle ready. 

Make use of the safety escort service provided by Campus Security. Phone 021 808 4666 to place an request.

Tosca Ferndale, a student at Stellenbosch University is the coordinator (and sometime facilitator) of the Frederik Van Zyl Slabbert Institute for Student Leadership Development short course Women in Leadership. She answers a few questions in this series about coordinators and facilitators at the Institute.

Why did you want to be involved with this specific course?

I did the course and the impact on me was phenomenal. I never considered being the coordinator, but when I was asked, I truly couldn't say no. The opportunity to develop, train and encourage young women leaders is such an amazing one. It is truly my passion to develop young leaders

How does your role help to hone your leadership skills?

I find that the course is not a case of the coordinators teaching the participants what "right" leadership action is as opposed to "wrong" leadership action. It is more a process of mutual learning – where everyone (facilitators, participants and coordinators) are equally developed. My leadership skills are sharpened by all the participants' keen insights, knowledge and experience.

Are you involved in other leadership roles on campus/off campus?

​I was a member of the Student Representative Council for 2014. My portfolios were Student Success and Communications. I was also the portfolio manager of Transformation and Leadership Development in my former residence, Heemstede. Before that I was on the Juridical Society – the Faculty of Law's student committee. 

Have you always regarded yourself as a leader?

I have. I have always stood up for others and believe in the power of people who are willing and able. I strongly believe that everyone is a leader in their own right; we just all lead different causes. Willingness, passion and ability make you a leader, and I believe in some aspect or another, everyone possesses these three things. 

What are the highlights as well as the challenges being involved with the FVZS Institute?

The highlight is working with all the amazing people at the Institute. The student leaders are special and the Institute a unique space to learn to think critically. It has helped me to change my thinking around leadership. Previously I thought of leadership as helping others to be leaders and now I think about explicitly developing others while still developing my own leadership skills. 

I have been challenged by the financial part of coordinating. Budgets and making books balance is truly not a strong point of mine. But I am learning, 

What are you studying?

I am studying a BCom (Industrial Psychology) and am wrapping up my second year in this direction.  I initially studied law for a few years. I want to practise as a consulting industrial psychologist, but I primarily want to work with institutes of higher and secondary education to help them maximise their resources and environments. I also wish to do training and development.

To what extent will what you learn in your leadership role here, aid you in your professional life?

​There is a very direct correlation. I feel very strongly about training and development and I believe this is primarily what you do as a coordinator. You assess where your participants are at, you design a programme to meet these needs, and you present it. Ideally I would like to do this for the rest of my life. 

​​Justice Edwin Cameron of South Africa's Constitutional Court and the late Prof Russel Botman, Rector of Stellenbosch University (SU) were recently honoured by the Old Student Representative Council Chairperson Club at an event in Stellenbosch. 

Mr George Steyn, Chairperson of the SU Council, said the University is very indebted to Mrs Beryl Botman, who accepted the award on behalf of her late husband, for her role as "the Rector's wife and counsel". He also said the University is still sad about the untimely passing of Prof Botman and that his legacy to SU is a very special one. "He was in all aspects truly a visionary". 

He highlighted the fact that SU is currently in third place on the ranking list of the best universities in South Africa and said a big focus must be to deliver the thought-leaders of the future. He also shed some light on the selection process for the new rector of SU and said the short list would be finalised soon. Although he couldn't say when the process would be wrapped up, he mentioned that he feels very positive about the future of SU.

At the annual meeting Dr Willem van Zyl was unanimously elected as honorary president. He also said in support of the award for Prof Botman that "our hearts beat strong for our alma mater. If we don't agree on anything agree on this." 

Mrs Botman said the award was a very "meaningful" award for Russel as he had a passion for students. "His involvement with students started in 2002 and this was something he chose to do and it was very important to him. This award and recognition is a sign of his commitment to the next generation and those that must still follow."

The other award was given to Justice Cameron who said he felt very privileged to be honoured on the same day as Prof Botman. He said in his life had three major pangs of conscience or qualms. The first one was that he didn't want to study law – he went to Oxford to study the classics and in 1977 he switched to law. "I wanted to get my hands dirty – and law was just that."

The second qualm he struggled with was his homosexuality. "I realised as a toddler that I was different." After his marriage he said he never wanted to hide who he is. "My homosexuality is intrinsically part of being a human being."

Justice Cameron said his third qualm was his HIV status. "I have been living with it since the early 80's. I suppressed it for years until I became an activist. The struggle was to come to terms with it on my own." Justice Cameron said the three pillars that defined his being was him being "a lawyer, a proud, gay man and one who is HIV positive."

He said if you don't confront the things that are in conflict inside of you, you can't be a public figure. "All the big, ethical and religious systems start with the self. Without it things go wrong."

He touched on the language issues at SU and said they (language issues) can be found all over the world. "The biggest pain you can experience is when you turn inward and confront the issues that are found there."

Modern Rasta bush doctors in the Western Cape are reviving traditional KhoiSan healing methods, thereby re-establishing a culture of healing and preservation of indigenous knowledge in the townships.

This is one of the findings of a major study of the informal trade in medicinal plants in the Western Cape by Dr Lisa Aston Philander, granddaughter of the well-known Afrikaans poet Peter John Philander. Over a period of five years she worked with researchers from Stellenbosch University (SU), Dr Nox Makunga and Prof Karen Esler, to obtain the information and conduct field work. She has recently obtained her doctoral degree from the University of Arizona in the United States.

Dr Makunga, a medicinal plant biotechnologist at SU, says the culture of medicinal plant use in the Western Cape is largely underground and understudied compared to what is happening in KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo and Gauteng. This is largely due to the emergent nature of this unique ethnomedicine which combines several forms of African healing.

"The Western Cape is interesting, as it has been a melting pot of different cultures right from the start. There is a strong link to the KhoiSan, but at the same time different systems and innovations are changing the way people view plants and the use thereof," Dr Makunga explains.

From 2006 to 2010, Dr Aston Philander conducted interviews with 62 bush doctors, 15 plant collectors, four Rasta spiritual leaders and had informal conversations with over 200 people from the Rasta community. She also accompanied ten bush doctors on 20 collecting trips.

She says Rastafari bush doctors view themselves as a socio-culturally distinct group, with unique philosophies of healing and religio-spiritual practices that vastly differentiate them from a sangoma or igqhira.

The term bush doctor, or 'bossiedokter' in Afrikaans, is held in high reverence: "It implies years of apprenticeship, learning from elders who have a deep knowledge of medicinal plants of the Western Cape. The term bossiedokter is associated with a long-standing tradition of herbalism, derived from ancient KhoiSan practices."

She found that contemporary Rasta bush doctors are on a mission to reintroduce KhoiSan healing traditions to people living in townships: "Bush doctors are an important element to revitalising a culture of healing and preserving indigenous knowledge specifically for urbanised Coloured communities, many of whom are marginalised and excluded from the formal health care system."

The Rasta trade of medicinal species is less than 1% of the estimated 35 000 to 70 000 tons annually traded in South Africa, the largest markets being those in KwaZuluNatal. But Dr Aston Philander says it is crucial to maintain a culture of plant use amongst particularly Coloured people: "Their level of knowledge of Western Cape plant species is deeper than that of the Xhosa healers, as plants are mainly endemic in the Cape Floral Region."

It is also important to monitor the impact of Rasta communities on local ecosystems, as the species in greatest demand in this trade often represent unsustainably harvested bulbs and roots, fynbos vegetation, and species listed on the International Union for Conservation of Nature's (IUCN) Red List.

This is why conservation authorities should include Rastafari bush doctors in conservation programs: "More than half of the bush doctors interviewed actively cultivated medicinal plants in their home gardens or as part of community gardens. Rastas also tend to trade plant materials amongst each other, rather than buying and selling, which also encourages the sharing of knowledge."

Their proclivity for home and community gardening can therefore be incorporated into community-based medicinal species conservation and production, she concludes.

Prof Karen Esler, deputy chair of the Department of Conservation Ecology at SU, agrees: "Real achievements in conservation are only going to come when we understand and address the ties that people have to the natural environment. This paper is one such example."

Photo courtesy of Dr Lisa Aston Philander

Contact details

Dr Nox Makunga

Department of Botany and Zoology, Stellenbosch University

Tel: 021 808-3061

E-mail: Makunga@sun.ac.za

Prof Karen Esler

Department of Conservation Ecology, Stellenbosch University

Tel: 021 808 4005

E-mail: kje@sun.ac.za

Dr Lisa Philander

University of Wyoming

E-mail: lisaphilander@gmail.com

​ 

Issued by

Wiida Fourie-Basson, Media: Faculty of Science, Stellenbosch University, 021 808-2684, 071 099 5721, science@sun.ac.za

@scienceSUN

https://www.facebook.com/StellenboschUniversityScience

​

What does a R50 voucher mean to a student in need? It means food in his/her stomach, a short reprieve from day-to-day worries and a message that somewhere, someone cares.

Vouch4US is a project initiated by university staff in collaboration with the university's social worker Lizzie Witbooi and aimed at students in need. Witbooi distributes the vouchers on a case-by-case basis. The feedback from students who have received vouchers speaks volumes:

• "I'd just like to convey my greatest gratitude to all the souls who donated towards the vouchers. These vouchers came in handy at a time of great need for me. I will remain eternally grateful to the initiative and I encourage more people to donate towards this as a little can go a very long way in helping students like me."

• "I would like to extend my gratitude to all the University staff members who have taken part. I honestly think it's a good initiative; it's very convenient and easy and the amount is quite sufficient.

• "The vouchers … made things a little better than they were before."

• "January was a very difficult time for me. I was struggling to purchase food and was feeling tired and unwell because I was hungry the whole day. I had to approach the social worker for assistance, and she provided me with the vouchers so that I could have something to eat while I was dealing with my problems. Without them I would not have coped."

• "The vouchers were a tremendous help. I used mine wisely and actually ended up sharing some with a friend who was also in need."

• "The fact that I ended up coming to you to ask for the voucher really proved that I had no one to help me out. Sometimes when everything is going wrong you start second guessing yourself and the thought of quitting crosses your mind. So to know that there is help, such as the voucher,

brings a different attitude and new energy to give it your all. I am really thankful to all who are donating money in order to change our lives."

According to Witbooi a R50 Pick n Pay voucher is best, since it can be used to buy food or medicine. Staff or divisions interested in participating in this project can deliver the vouchers directly to Witbooi at the Centre for Student Counselling and Development (lgwitbooi@sun.ac.za or phone 021 808 4511). – PIA NÄNNY

​

What does a R50 voucher mean to a student in need? It means food in his/her stomach, a short reprieve from day-to-day worries and a message that somewhere, someone cares.

Vouch4US is a project initiated by university staff in collaboration with the university's social worker Lizzie Witbooi and aimed at students in need. Witbooi distributes the vouchers on a case-by-case basis. The feedback from students who have received vouchers speaks volumes:

• "I'd just like to convey my greatest gratitude to all the souls who donated towards the vouchers. These vouchers came in handy at a time of great need for me. I will remain eternally grateful to the initiative and I encourage more people to donate towards this as a little can go a very long way in helping students like me."

• "I would like to extend my gratitude to all the University staff members who have taken part. I honestly think it's a good initiative; it's very convenient and easy and the amount is quite sufficient.

• "The vouchers … made things a little better than they were before."

• "January was a very difficult time for me. I was struggling to purchase food and was feeling tired and unwell because I was hungry the whole day. I had to approach the social worker for assistance, and she provided me with the vouchers so that I could have something to eat while I was dealing with my problems. Without them I would not have coped."

• "The vouchers were a tremendous help. I used mine wisely and actually ended up sharing some with a friend who was also in need."

• "The fact that I ended up coming to you to ask for the voucher really proved that I had no one to help me out. Sometimes when everything is going wrong you start second guessing yourself and the thought of quitting crosses your mind. So to know that there is help, such as the voucher,

brings a different attitude and new energy to give it your all. I am really thankful to all who are donating money in order to change our lives."

According to Witbooi a R50 Pick n Pay voucher is best, since it can be used to buy food or medicine. Staff or divisions interested in participating in this project can deliver the vouchers directly to Witbooi at the Centre for Student Counselling and Development (lgwitbooi@sun.ac.za or phone 021 808 4511). – PIA NÄNNY

​

Kollegas van die US se Sentrum vir Studentevoorligting en -ontwikkeling se

liefde vir koffie het tot die stigting van die Moerklub gelei – 'n klub waar nie net

oor koeitjies en kalfies gepraat word nie, maar waar ook kreatiewe idees hul

oorsprong het. PIA NÄNNY het by die Moerklub gaan inloer

Wanneer die werknemers van die Sentrum vir Studentevoorligting en -ontwikkeling (SSVO) soggens voor werk aan 'n koppie boeretroos teug, is dit meer as net informele koffiedrinkery: Dit is 'n yeenkoms van die Moerklub.

Dit is nie sommer 'n hierjy-klub nie. Hy is amptelik in 2005 gestig en het 'n president afgetrede personeellid Tewis Britz), 'n logo en 'n leuse: "Jou doepa tot sukses". Die Moerklub het boonop die sertifikaat om te bewys dat hulle die woord "moer" in die Woordeboek van die frikaanse Taal (WAT) se Borg 'n Woord-veldtog geborg het.

Die Moerklub is 'n inklusiewe klub (teedrinkers is ook welkom) en volgens prof Charl Cilliers, Direkteur van die SSVO, is dit 'n vrugbare spasie waar kollegas nie net sosiaal saam verkeer nie, maar waar hulle ook met van hul beste idees vorendag kom.

"Dit is baie lekker, want jy kom by mense uit en jy hoef nie 'n e-pos te stuur nie, en kreatiewe idees ontstaan daar."

En siende dat hulle nou koffie drink, het die Moerklub se lede besluit hulle kan net sowel ordentlike lekker koffie drink. Om te bepaal watter koffie die lekkerste is, het hulle oor die afgelope twee maande meer as 25 soorte koffie getoets (binne 'n sekere prysklas – ongeveer R65).

Die pakkie word op 'n skryfbord geplak, die koffiedrinkers gee dit 'n punt uit vyf en die gemiddeld word uitgewerk en neergeskryf. Vanjaar se wenkoffie – Antigua Italian Roast – het 'n punt van 4,4 gekry. In die twede plek van die rooi Kennapakkie (Master Blend).

 "Die gesprekvoering rondom die koffie en die grappies was net ongelooflik. Ons drink nou die wenkoffie. Ons sou meer getoets het, maar ons plek op die bord het opgeraak!"sê Cilliers. Antigua Italian Roast koffie word deur Checkers versprei, en toe Cilliers die verhaal van die Moerklub met die bestuurder van die plaaslike tak deel, het sy dit so geniet en gereël dat 'n geskenkpak vol Antigua-produkte aan die SSVO oorhandig word.

Daar word gereeld kreatiewe aktiwiteite vanuit die klub gereël. Die klublede het al 'n teeproesessie gereël (ter wille van die teedrinkers), en selfs 'n wynproe. Hulle kyk ook so nou en dan 'n "moerfliek" (Cilliers voorsien die springmielies).

"Die idee is om by mekaar uit te kom en die span te bou. Soos Shawn Achor in sy boek The Happiness Advantage skryf: Geluk lei tot sukses; sukses lei nie tot geluk nie."

​

One of the first experiences they had to share with each other….like this piece of lab apparatus: a complicated yet extraordinarily exciting discovery.

It is by no coincidence that these two remarkable leaders' initial association with Stellenbosch University was in 1969. Prof Cilliers, then known as just Charl, was busy with "opratting" in the corridors of Huis Marais while Dr Handre Brand, was crafting his future as a second year BA student which he completed in two academic years with Counselling Psychology and Geography as his majors. Both these icons could have been oblivious to the possibilities of the impact they would later have in our institution.

In 1998, Dr Brand was appointed at SSVO and a year later, Prof Cilliers came on board and this marked the beginning of very interesting advances at the Stellenbosch University's Centre for Student Counselling and Development.

"My coming to the SSVO happened beyond my own control. The university introduced a program of rationalization and restructuring with the end result: the incorporation of the previous Centre for Psychological Service and Training into a new structure, The Centre for Student Counselling." says Dr Brand.

Philosophical debates play a vital role in the promotion of social values, writes Prof Ashraf Kagee, Chair of the Department of Psychology at Stellenbosch University, in an opinion article published in the Cape Argus on Thursday (20 November 2014).

The complete article, as submitted, follows below:

Remembering Popper on World Philosophy Day

We all have ways in which we understand the world, which include intuition, common sense, authority, religion, and science. All of these methods are fallible and may lead us to incorrect ways of understanding the world. We need only think of a market analyst who had an intuitive hunch about a stock, leading her to lose millions of rands; or health care practice based on so-called common sense, which has in fact turned out to be either useless or harmful, such as homeopathy or the medieval practice of bloodletting; or the former president of our country who used his authority to try to mislead us into denying that HIV causes AIDS. In the context of misinformation all around us, the scientific method is the best way of establishing the factual veracity of the claims people make.

One aspect of scientific methodology is falsification, which is the idea that any claim to truth or statement of apparent fact needs to be stated in a way that it can be proved wrong, or falsified. As long as statements or claims withstand attempts at falsification, they remain tenable truths but if not, they should be discarded. Examples of ideas in history that have been falsified are flat-earthism, geocentrism (the idea that the earth is the centre of the universe), the idea that playing classical music to infants increases their intelligence, and the notion that illness can be cured through positive thinking.

Falsification is to be contrasted with verification or confirmation. The confirmation of an idea is not an effective way of rooting out error in one's beliefs, as it is always possible to find supportive evidence for any idea or theory. Even if one makes several observations about a phenomenon, this does not constitute evidence that the phenomenon is universally true. The most famous example of the error of verification is the statement that "All swans are white." One may sight a million white swans, which is confirmatory evidence, but this still does not make the statement that all swans are white true. One need only spot one black swan to dismiss the entire statement as being false. Thus confirmatory evidence of an idea is never evidence of its universal veracity. Truths are always tentative and temporary, always leaving room for the possibility that they may be falsified.

The philosopher of science who is credited for developing the notion of falsifiability as one of the major hallmarks of the scientific method was Sir Karl Popper (1902-1994). Of Austrian origin, Popper spent most of his academic life in the United Kingdom where he wrote on science and epistemology, that is, the study of how we come to know what we know. In his book Conjectures and Refutations, Popper developed the notion of falsification as an important attribute of the scientific method of acquiring knowledge, and indeed the criterion that distinguishes science from non-science. If a claim is non-falsifiable, it is therefore untestable and thus falls outside of the boundaries of science.

Popper's ideas have contributed substantially to epistemology, which in turn has helped to inform the way scientists, policy makers, educationists and social theorists think about how knowledge is constructed. Knowledge, its production, and the ways in which it is constructed are rooted in philosophy. The scientific method has brought humanity many benefits such as advances in medicine, food production, transport, and communication. It is sometimes useful to stop and contemplate the epistemological roots of these developments, and when we do so, to acknowledge the importance of the field of philosophy and of key ideas such as falsification.  Thus, as we approach World Philosophy Day on 20 November, it is appropriate to acknowledge the contribution of philosophers such as Karl Popper.

World Philosophy Day was established in 2005 by UNESCO as a way to acknowledge the importance of philosophy in encouraging critical and independent thought so that citizens may work towards a better understanding of the world in the interests of peace and tolerance. Irina Bokova, the UNESCO Director-General observed that "faced with the complexity of today's world, philosophical reflection is above all a call to humility, to take a step back and engage in reasoned dialogue, to build together the solutions to challenges that are beyond our control."

Despite the serious challenges faced by many societies around the world, which include war, political upheaval, social inequity, racism, human trafficking, and political corruption, there is also room for optimism. The present historical moment is characterized by a culture of human rights, the increasing free flow of information, and in democratic societies, by individual freedoms such as freedom of speech, movement, and the press. These social values in no small measure came about due to philosophical debates over the past several centuries. A society without philosophy is hollow and just as unimaginable as a society without music, poetry, art and literature. Even though the contributions of philosophers like Popper are not always obvious, they are all around us and influence our lives. ​

​

Philosophical debates play a vital role in the promotion of social values, writes Prof Ashraf Kagee, Chair of the Department of Psychology at Stellenbosch University, in an opinion article published in the Cape Argus on Thursday (20 November 2014).

The complete article, as submitted, follows below:

Remembering Popper on World Philosophy Day

We all have ways in which we understand the world, which include intuition, common sense, authority, religion, and science. All of these methods are fallible and may lead us to incorrect ways of understanding the world. We need only think of a market analyst who had an intuitive hunch about a stock, leading her to lose millions of rands; or health care practice based on so-called common sense, which has in fact turned out to be either useless or harmful, such as homeopathy or the medieval practice of bloodletting; or the former president of our country who used his authority to try to mislead us into denying that HIV causes AIDS. In the context of misinformation all around us, the scientific method is the best way of establishing the factual veracity of the claims people make.

One aspect of scientific methodology is falsification, which is the idea that any claim to truth or statement of apparent fact needs to be stated in a way that it can be proved wrong, or falsified. As long as statements or claims withstand attempts at falsification, they remain tenable truths but if not, they should be discarded. Examples of ideas in history that have been falsified are flat-earthism, geocentrism (the idea that the earth is the centre of the universe), the idea that playing classical music to infants increases their intelligence, and the notion that illness can be cured through positive thinking.

Falsification is to be contrasted with verification or confirmation. The confirmation of an idea is not an effective way of rooting out error in one's beliefs, as it is always possible to find supportive evidence for any idea or theory. Even if one makes several observations about a phenomenon, this does not constitute evidence that the phenomenon is universally true. The most famous example of the error of verification is the statement that "All swans are white." One may sight a million white swans, which is confirmatory evidence, but this still does not make the statement that all swans are white true. One need only spot one black swan to dismiss the entire statement as being false. Thus confirmatory evidence of an idea is never evidence of its universal veracity. Truths are always tentative and temporary, always leaving room for the possibility that they may be falsified.

The philosopher of science who is credited for developing the notion of falsifiability as one of the major hallmarks of the scientific method was Sir Karl Popper (1902-1994). Of Austrian origin, Popper spent most of his academic life in the United Kingdom where he wrote on science and epistemology, that is, the study of how we come to know what we know. In his book Conjectures and Refutations, Popper developed the notion of falsification as an important attribute of the scientific method of acquiring knowledge, and indeed the criterion that distinguishes science from non-science. If a claim is non-falsifiable, it is therefore untestable and thus falls outside of the boundaries of science.

Popper's ideas have contributed substantially to epistemology, which in turn has helped to inform the way scientists, policy makers, educationists and social theorists think about how knowledge is constructed. Knowledge, its production, and the ways in which it is constructed are rooted in philosophy. The scientific method has brought humanity many benefits such as advances in medicine, food production, transport, and communication. It is sometimes useful to stop and contemplate the epistemological roots of these developments, and when we do so, to acknowledge the importance of the field of philosophy and of key ideas such as falsification.  Thus, as we approach World Philosophy Day on 20 November, it is appropriate to acknowledge the contribution of philosophers such as Karl Popper.

World Philosophy Day was established in 2005 by UNESCO as a way to acknowledge the importance of philosophy in encouraging critical and independent thought so that citizens may work towards a better understanding of the world in the interests of peace and tolerance. Irina Bokova, the UNESCO Director-General observed that "faced with the complexity of today's world, philosophical reflection is above all a call to humility, to take a step back and engage in reasoned dialogue, to build together the solutions to challenges that are beyond our control."

Despite the serious challenges faced by many societies around the world, which include war, political upheaval, social inequity, racism, human trafficking, and political corruption, there is also room for optimism. The present historical moment is characterized by a culture of human rights, the increasing free flow of information, and in democratic societies, by individual freedoms such as freedom of speech, movement, and the press. These social values in no small measure came about due to philosophical debates over the past several centuries. A society without philosophy is hollow and just as unimaginable as a society without music, poetry, art and literature. Even though the contributions of philosophers like Popper are not always obvious, they are all around us and influence our lives. ​

​