"It is regrettable that South African citizens have stooped to criminal behaviour to threaten the dignity, safety and livelihood of fellow-Africans in our country," said Prof Wim de Villiers, Rector and Vice-Chancellor of Stellenbosch University in response to the latest xenophobic incidents reported in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal. "These actions are immoral, reprehensible and inhumane, and should be addressed by the relevant authorities, not only reactively, but to specifically determine the root causes and prevent similar events from occurring in future. South Africa is known internationally for its progressive Constitution, but it has little value if we as citizens have no regard for the human dignity and rights of others.

"At Stellenbosch University we have around 2 000 students from other African countries every year, and we also have colleagues from elsewhere on the continent. Our institution is engaged in several African consortia through which important themed research fields, relevant to the African development context, are dealt with. We value our partnerships with other African academic institutions.

"The African Doctoral Academy (ADA) hosts the bi-annual Winter and Summer Schools in July and January. We would like to re-affirm that all our African students, fellow-academics and other visitors from our continent are most welcome on our campuses. I would like to appeal to all our students and staff members to extend our Matie hospitality to fellow-Africans on our campuses.

"There have been no reported incidents or xenophobic threats in the Stellenbosch area during the current wave of violence. However, I would like to invite our visiting students and academics to report any xenophobic actions or implied threats to Campus Security at tel: 021 808-4666. The emergency contact number is 021 808-2333. Incidents may also be reported on the following website: http://reportxenophobia.iafrikan.com"

Did you know it takes as little as three minutes to commit a theft?​

Follow these tips to NOT become a victim of theft:

• Lock your residence's door when you leave your room, if only for three minutes.
• Windows must be closed when leaving rooms. Windows with burglar bars should also be closed, especially on the ground floor.
• Avoid leaving valuable items close to or in sight near open windows.
• Get to know your fellow-residents.
• Avoid giving unknown individuals access to your hostel.
• Access cards should not be borrowed out. If your card is lost or stolen, cancel the card immediately.
• Valuable items such as cell phones and laptops should not be left unsupervised, especially in public areas.
• Keep a record of your property's serial numbers. Write it down and/or take a photograph.

Report any suspicious people, with a good description, to Campus Security immediately. Memorize the emergency numbers of Campus Security, 021 808-2333 (Stellenbosch) and 021 938-9507 (Tygerberg). Or send a whats app message  082 808 2333.

​Change Test

Five African records and seven South African records were broken by athletes from the Maties-Helderberg Sports Club for People with Disabilities at the national event held in Johannesburg recently.

No less than nine Matie athletes were crowned South African champions at the event. Anika Pretorius (T13), Anruné Liebenberg (T47), Ilse Hayes (T13), Charl du Toit (T37), Dyan Buis (T38), Divan Engelbrecht (T44), Kerwin Noemdo (F46), Zanele Situ (F54) and Reinhardt Hamman (F38) are all South African champions in their respective events.

Liebenberg (100m, 200m and 400m), Du Toit (100m, 200m and 400m) and Hamman (discus, javelin and shot put) all won three titles each. They were the most successful athletes at the event. 

Hayes (100m, 200m), Buis (100m and long jump), Pretorius (long jump and 400m), Noemdo (shot put and discus) and Situ (javelin and shot put) won two titles each.

Jenny King from Maties High Performance congratulated all the athletes and the club on the successful event. "We are proudly associated with the club and glad that we can help the athletes to reach their goals."

​It may have been four decades ago when he graduated, but Reg Barry says he is still using the knowledge he acquired through completing his MBA degree – in particular the financial part.

The Capetonian recently visited the Bellville Park Campus to purchase a copy of USB's 50 year commemorative book. One of the first things his attention was drawn to in the book was a photograpgh of his Part-time class. He started his MBA studies in 1970 and graduated in 1972.

"Back then I have just completed my engineering degree and started working. I was very young still, probably about 25 years old. Then I decided to do my MBA to acquire a broader perspective on life and on business," says Barry.

What he remembers from those days is that there were only about four permanent lecturers at USB and the learning value that was added by visiting international lecturers. Names popping up when he thinks back on his time as an MBA student include those of former director Prof Jan van der Meulen, former student/lecturer Billy Gresty and classmates such as Nols Louw and Coenie Swart.

After his MBA studies Barry worked until retirement about eight years ago as a consulting engineer for the company V3. Prior to that he was employed by a Danish company, which was largely involved in construction at Table Bay harbour and the N1 freeway.

Since then he has also been active in property development through a company focussing on office blocks and petrol stations. "I am still involved with the company – and it is particularly here that I can still use my MBA knowledge, especially when it comes to the financial part."

About the book Barry says he finds it quite interesting and he feels it is a good idea to record the business school's history in this one. If he could choose, however, he would include more class photographs.​

Order the book at http://www.usb.ac.za/Pages/AboutUs/USB-50-prospectus.aspx​

The Military Academy has turned 65 on Wednesday 1 April 2015.  The unit celebrated this joyous occasion with a sports day and a braai on 31 March. 

The Military Academy came into being on 1 April 1950 under the auspices of the University of Pretoria, as a branch of the SA Military College at Voortrekkerhoogte.  The Military Academy was established with the aim of elevating the training of permanent force cadets to the level of a baccalaureate, to provide the Defence Force with a competent, highly professional corps of officers.

In order to establish the Academy as a separate institution, and facilitating the participation of naval students, it was decided in 1953 that the Military Academy would be moved to Saldanha.  Here it was to resort under the trusteeship of Stellenbosch University.  The first group of students began attending classes at Stellenbosch at the beginning of 1955.

In December 1957, the headquarters of the Military Academy moved to Saldanha.  An important milestone was reached in January 1961 when the Academy became a faculty in its own right - the Faculty of Military Science of Stellenbosch University.

In celebration of the 65^th birthday, the unit members gathered at the sports fields of SAS SALDANHA, since the Military Academy sports grounds are undergoing renovations.  After a great warming up session, and with great enthusiasm, staff and students divided into teams to participate in potted sports.  This provided for lots of fun and laughter.

After the completion of the sports, the Commandant of the Military Academy, Brigadier General Lawrence Mbatha, addressed the members and cut the birthday cake.  Members then proceeded with a unit braai and the day was well spent socializing with each other out of the offices.

Photos:  Warrant Officer Class 1 Melanie Smit

Photos

1.The 65^th Birthday cake

2. Brig Gen Lawrence Mbatha cutting the birthday cake

3. Members participating in the ski-race

​If it weren't for renewable energy resources, we could have had more load shedding.

This was one of the viewpoints of Prof Wikus van Niekerk, Director of the Centre for Renewable and Sustainable Energy Studies in the Faculty of Engineering at Stellenbosch University, on Monday (20 April 2015).

He was the speaker at the second Stellenbosch Forum Lecture of 2015. The Stellenbosch Forum lecture series provides regular opportunities to staff and students at SU, as well as interested people from the public, to learn more about the relevant, world-class research that is being done at SU.

Van Niekerk said renewable energy (wind and solar energy) is saving Eskom from having to implement more load shedding.

Referring to the contribution of solar energy in particular, Van Niekerk said "solar panels on roofs help to reduce electricity costs and to meet the demand for electricity generation. These solar panels also save both diesel and water."

He added that thermal energy of the sun collected with mirrors or lenses in certain areas can be stored and used to generate electricity in the evening.

Van Niekerk said we have areas in South Africa where we could use devices to collect solar energy and convert that to electricity.

"If we were to cover a small area in some parts of the country we could produce all the energy used in a year."

"As a country, we are blessed with solar energy."

Van Niekerk added that wind energy technology is well established and has a low water consumption and low impact on the land.

He pointed out that South Africa is now seen as one the biggest markets of renewable energy on a utility scale.

"The current Eskom crisis will stimulate the renewable energy (and gas) electricity market in South Africa," Van Niekerk said.

Unfortunately, the current debate on whether we should focus more on nuclear power or gas and renewable energy will continue, he added.

"While the National Development Plan states that we should focus more on renewal energy and gas, the Department of Energy is interested in building a large number of nuclear power plants."

Highlighting the need for more renewable energy in future, Van Niekerk said 85% of the electricity Eskom generates come from coal-fired power stations, most of which are 30 years and older.

"We are sitting with a lot of very old power stations. We need to replace all the old power stations but are not building enough power stations at the moment. "

Van Niekerk said Eskom is in a very precarious position, with significant technical and financial challenges that need to be resolved.

"We need to fix Eskom because it drives our economy. If Eskom is broken, our economy is broken."

• ​Photo: Prof Wikus van Niekerk speaking at the Stellenbosch Forum.
  
• Photographer: Justin Alberts
  

World Immunisation Week is marked from 24 to 30 April. Immunisation is one of the most effective ways of reducing illness and death in children, yet many children in South Africa and the rest of the African continent do not benefit from this life-saving measure.

It is estimated that 1.5 million children died globally from vaccine-preventable diseases in 2013.

"Vaccines are different from medicines. Normally people only take medicines when they are sick, but you take vaccines to prevent disease in future," explains Prof Charles Wiysonge, deputy director of the Centre for Evidence-based Health Care at Stellenbosch University's Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences (FMHS).

South Africa has one of the most robust immunisation programmes on the continent, offering vaccinations against some of the common diseases responsible for childhood deaths and disability, including polio, measles, TB, tetanus (an infection characterised by muscle spasm), rotavirus (which causes diarrhoea in children) and pneumococcal disease (responsible for pneumonia, ear infections, meningitis and other diseases).

But despite the range of vaccines available, only about two-thirds of South African children are estimated to receive the full series of immunisations. Although the National Department of Health provides vaccination coverage figures of close to 100 percent, frequent outbreaks of vaccine-preventable disease (especially measles) prove that full coverage is not yet achieved.

There is an urgent need for education on immunisation among parents and health care workers. Ignorance around the importance and safety of vaccines cause many people to forgo the opportunity to be vaccinated.

"Vaccines undergo strenuous testing and there is a strong emphasis on safety," says Wiysonge. "One can comfortably say that all the vaccines used in our immunisation programme have a very good safety profile."

Before any vaccine is made available to the public it undergoes several safety and efficacy tests. The results are then combined in a systematic review (an overview combining the results of all available trials), and is scrutinised by a World Health Organisation (WHO) Task Group.     

According to Wiysonge, who serves on the WHO's Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunisation as well as the African task force on Immunisation, the low uptake of vaccines are mostly due to health care staff and parents' lack of knowledge about immunisation, human resources and financial constraints, and systematic challenges such poor refrigeration facilities and availability.

"In line with the Millennium Development Goals, we have to ensure that our children's right to health, development and survival is respected, protected and promoted," says Wiysonge.

Research by Wiysonge and colleagues have found numerous promising strategies for improving the country's immunisation programme including education and support for health care staff, reminders and recall systems, and educational drives for parents.

Transformation, diversity and language are hot topics on campus. In light of students' pleas for tangible transformation actions, the Listen, Live & Learn (LLL) initiative and the Postgraduate and International Office (PGIO) at SU held a Mystery Dinner for international and LLL-students on Tuesday (21 April 2015). The event took place at the LLL Village in Victoria Street.

"We planned this event to highlight the power of a conversation and a plate of food in the discourse of addressing transformation," says Ms Kayla Alexander a Listen, Live & Learn Intern. "It is also a celebration of diversity and multiculturalism," she added.

Echoing the sentiments of Alexander, Mr Wayde Groep, also an LLL intern, said conversations about issues affecting students is important and by eating together students can share their ideas and difference. "Sharing a meal creates strong sense of community and promotes diversity," he said.

Groep said international students were invited so that they could also speak about the barriers they face at SU.

According to Mr Werner de Wit, Coordinator for Short Courses and Integration at the PGIO, the Dinner was also aimed at improving the integration of international students at SU and to prevent them from becoming isolated.

"This event helps break down barriers between international and local students," he added.

• ​Photo: Students at the Mystery Dinner 
• Photographer: Melissa da Costa
  

The Management of Stellenbosch University this week confirmed a decision to remove the HF Verwoerd plaque. 

The plaque will be removed in the next few days and placed in the University Museum and properly contextualised. Management will also consult with among others the Student Representative Council on an initiative to present a forum discussion on the role of visual elements and symbols on campus. Having such an event is not only the ideal opportunity to listen to various viewpoints, but also true to the nature of a university as an institution of learning and critical debate.

In a statement last week, the University said that it has worked hard over the last few years to create student-friendly living and working spaces, such as the refurbishment of faculty buildings to create a more welcoming atmosphere.

However, based on a longstanding awareness that  visual elements and symbols are a reminder of a hurtful history and therefore create an unwelcoming environment, the University  has begun a process to make the physical environment acceptable to a diverse group of Matie students and staff members.

This process includes changing controversial names of buildings. The most recent change was the renaming  of the DF Malan Memorial Centre to the Coetzenburg Centre (in 2014), while the names of the former BJ Vorster and HF Verwoerd buildings were changed more than a decade ago to the Arts and Social Sciences and the Accountancy and Statistics building (Rek- en Stats-gebou) respectively (also see information below).

In addition, linked to a campus renewal project and tying in with a renewed effort to improve the welcoming campus culture, the University in 2013 embarked on a journey of reviewing the names of buildings and venues, and historical features such as portrait paintings and busts – including contextualising certain visual representations such as plaques and properly documenting artefacts from bygone days.

In line with our vision to be future-focused, a part of the project will be dedicated to adding new symbols and cultural icons.

​In April Stellenbosch University's Centre for Renewable and Sustainable Energy Studies (CRSES) hosted a very successful launch of the Solar Thermal System at Huis Horison in Stellenbosch. 

This system has been operating and monitored for more than 12 months. The positive effect that the SOLTRAIN initiative has seen, was highlighted. (Read more about the initiative.)

The launch was attended by interested parties of the industry as well as personnel from the Centre for Renewable and Sustainable Energy Studies.

Photograph:

From the left Ben Schoeman (E3 Energy), Corli Leonard (CRSES), Elza Bresler (Huis Horison), Prof Wikus van Niekerk (CRSES), Ryan Dearlove (E3 Energy) and Doran Schoeman (E3 Energy).

​Stellenbosch University's (SU) Centre for Medical Ethics and Law (CMEL) was designated by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as a member of its Global Network of Collaborating Centres for Bioethics in April 2015.

This international network consists of seven academic centres dedicated to ethics of public health and research and are based in Toronto, New York, Zurich, Miami, Melbourne, Singapore and now also Cape Town, the only centre in Africa to be invited to become a member.

The Collaborating Centres for Bioethics (CCs) are key institutions with relevant expertise distributed throughout the world, assisting the WHO to maintain its ethics mandate through ongoing collaboration and dialogue with academic centres.

Dr Andreas Reis, who represented the WHO's Department of Knowledge, Ethics and Research, said in his designation address that the Collaborating Centres have to carry out activities of support in countries and regions to the mutual benefit of the WHO, the institutions and the regions in which they operate. 

He noted that the CMEL is one of the oldest working ethics centres in South Africa with an excellent training and research offering. "The Centre is already well connected with others in the network. With these networks and their work on interdisciplinary research, a joint work plan for the next three years has been accepted," he said.

According to Prof Anton van Niekerk of SU's Centre of Applied Ethics, the WHO could not have made a better choice in selecting the CMEL as the seventh Collaborating Centre. "The Centre for Medical Ethics and Law at Stellenbosch University has played a significant role in the history of bioethics in South Africa," he explained. "They were one of the first to introduce ethics into undergraduate training."  They also are actively involved in research and postgraduate training projects such as Advancing Research Ethics Training in South Africa (ARESA)."

The SU's Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences (FMHS) has a long standing relationship with the WHO, contributing to various WHO initiatives. Prof Jimmy Volmink, Dean of the FMHS said in his opening remarks that a number of faculty staff are involved in an advisory capacity, serving on boards and are members of working groups. "We have been involved in the development of treatment guidelines, research synthesis programmes and training initiatives. With the inclusion of the CMEL into this international network of Collaborating Centres for Bioethics, the University's African footprint has been extended even further," Volmink said.

The research agenda of the CMEL will include ethical challenges in HIV prevention, treatment and cure research; governance and biobanking; neuroethics and health research ethics.

At the designation ceremony, which was held on 20 April 2015, Reis handed a ceremonial flag to Prof Keymanthri Moodley, head of the CMEL, which will be displayed at all collaborative meetings with WHO.

Moodley thanked the WHO for their trust placed in the Centre and acknowledged all her colleagues, staff and other stakeholders who helped to establish and develop it. "It is an honour and a privilege to join the global network of WHO Collaborating Centres in Bioethics. The potential for research and teaching collaboration amongst the seven centres will be both stimulating and interesting and I look forward to our first meeting in Prato, Italy in June 2015," she said. 

Moodley concluded with a quote from a fifth year medical student who expressed his gratitude for the ethics module: "Ethics makes us think and challenge."

Photo: From the left are Profs David Durrheim and Andreas Reiss, both of the WHO, Profs Jimmy Volmink, Rafique Moosa and Keymanthri Moodley, of Stellenbosch University.

At the WoordTROfees ceremony, held on Monday, 20 April at Tokara, the SU Woordfees (Wordfest) rewarded its best artists for outstanding and creative performances. The festival celebrated its 16th year with the theme "16 Onse".

Saartjie Botha, who had her first year as festival director, said this year's festival, which was held from 6 to 15 March in Stellenbosch, showed an increase of 34% in ticket sales compared to last year.

The play Dogma by Christiaan Olwagen (a SU alumnus) received two awards: Olwagen for best director for Dogma, Die Seemeeu and Son.Maan.Sterre; and for best festival production.

Tinarie van Wyk Loots was named the best actor at the festival for her performance in Orgie. The award for best supporting role went to the young actor Richard September, who played in Rondomskrik.

Among the music productions, Zoid.Zanne.Zolani was awarded with the prize for best music-driven production.

The best solo music artist is Joshua na die Reën, with Mango Groove winning the award for best contemporary music group. The SU Chamber Choir's Afrikaanse Lied concert is the best classical music production.

The best newcomer at Aan de Braak is Ont(Pop).

Sandra Hanekom received the prize for best visual arts presentation for her exhibition Museum: Van Been en As.

Writers also received accolades. Deon Meyer's Ikarus is the most popular novel, Die dans met God by Abel Pienaar is the most popular lifestyle book, while Antjie Krog's Mede-wete is the most popular poetry collection.

Two prizes were also awarded by the Woordfees's WOW Project. Carol Adonis of Reygersdal Primary in Atlantis was named teacher of the year, while Bernadino Heights Secondary School is the school of the year.

Elwin September and Joey Farao received prizes from the Woordfees for being festival heroes.

​​​​Students of Stellenbosch University raised their voice against xenophobia during a march held on campus on Thursday 23 April.

"We are all African. No to xenophobia," they chanted as they walked from the offices of the Postgraduate and International Office (PGIO) to the Rooiplein.

There a minute of silence was held for the victims of xenophobia and several students spoke about their experience as guests in South Africa.

"Every senseless killing on the continent of Africa reduces our humanity," said Frederick Adetiba, an international student from Nigeria.

He expressed his disillusion at the "failure of leadership" and encouraged emerging leaders to speak up and speak out.

Patrick Kadima, who describes himself simply as 'African', echoed many of Adetiba's sentiments.

"We are the future leaders of this country and continent. Let it not be the first and last time that we unite.

"We do not need a conflict in South Africa. We have enough conflicts in Africa," he said. "Say no to xenophobia, say no to afro-phobia," he added.

The march was also the launch of a 3-week-long campaign against xenophobia. Students had the opportunity to pledge their support for the fight against xenophobia.

Photograph: Hennie Rudman, SSFD

From an economic and safety viewpoint it makes sense to first determine the degree to which wood has been degraded during a plantation fire, before deciding what to do with it. While not all pine trees that have survived such wildfires should still be used to make roof trusses, they could be used to make furniture, flooring, fencing, pulp or as fire wood.

This is the message from wood scientist Prof Martina Meincken of the Department of Forest and Wood Science at Stellenbosch University at the recent symposium on silviculture and the management of dryland forests. It was held in Stellenbosch in March.

Her research group conducted a series of experiments testing the maximum temperature that South African pine wood can take before it deteriorates and is no longer usable.

Her research team is currently developing a non-destructive method with which to determine the temperatures to which wood was exposed during a wildfire. It can be used to decide on the end use of such wood. The project is funded by the National Research Foundation of South Africa.

The local sawmill industry follows one of two strategies when it comes to handling trees from plantations that endured a forest fire. Either none of the trees are used, which comes at a huge economic loss, or they are treated as normal wood.

"With the latter there's always the chance that you might end up with several problems due to changes in the wood property," explains Prof Meincken, who has done previous research showing how higher temperatures (as experienced during a veld fire) cause changes in the chemical, physical and mechanical properties of wood.

Research done by one of her students, Dr Benedict Odhiambo, showed that a tree's bark is its best protection against heat and fire damage. The thicker the bark, and the more fissures or narrow cracks on it, the better its heat resistance and ability to protect the concealed wood.

"However, when the bark is exposed to a very hot fire for long enough, the wood behind the bark will inevitably be exposed to elevated temperatures and start to degrade," Prof Meincken explains.

Little is known about the exact temperature at which changes to wood start to occur, and whether all tree species react the same. Therefore Prof Meincken's team set about testing pine wood burnt at temperatures ranging between 150 and 350 degrees Celsius. This is typical of what is experienced during a forest fire.  To better understand how heat affects the wood, it was viewed in detail using solid state Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and computed tomography (CT) scanning.

The results clearly show that burnt pine wood, even if only mildly damaged, behaves differently from "normal" wood and should therefore be processed in another way. This decline becomes especially significant at temperatures above 250 degrees Celsius. It becomes weaker and can break more easily when a load or pressure is applied to it. Also, the density of the wood and the thickness of the cell walls decrease along with increased temperatures.

South African pine wood is widely used to make roof trusses for the building trade. The wood should therefore be strong enough to hold up the weight of an entire roof. "Our findings show that wood that has been exposed at temperatures higher than 250 degrees Celsius should not be used for such structural purposes," she advises. "It no longer meets minimum strength requirements."

Moisture content also comes into play in building matters, as wood that has not dried out correctly could shrink and cause deformation of the structures in which it is used. Therefore Prof Meincken's team also conducted relevant experiments to see how the moisture content of pine wood changed after being exposed to high temperatures. When dried using a typical drying schedule of a saw mill, it was found to have a higher final moisture content than is usual after such treatment. Moisture content also varied much more within the samples than was the case with normal wood.

"This might be because the wood has already been partially and irreversibly pre-dried during the fire, which caused structural changes to the cell wall of the wood fibres," she says.

"The maximum temperature that a tree can tolerate before changes in its wood takes place will most likely differ from species to species," believes Prof Meincken.

"We need to do more research to find out what this 'cut-off' point is for other tree species of economic value, so that we can know whether burnt wood could still be used as normal wood, if it should be processed in a different way, or not as structural wood," she emphasises.

Media enquiries:

Prof Martina Meincken

Department of Forest and Wood Science
mmein@sun.ac.za

021 8082618

http://academic.sun.ac.za/forestry/People/mm

​LC

The Meiring Naudé medal for the top student in physics in the Faculty of Science at Stellenbosch University has been awarded to Zander Lee, a former pupil of Pearson High School in Port Elizabeth.

The medal is awarded annually to the top student who obtained at least 80% in his or her BSc Honours programme as well as an average of at least 60% for each module in the programme.

Zander, who is currently busy with a MSc in particle physics, says he has always been interested in how the world works: "At school I wanted to become a programmer, but after talking to a physicist as part of a school project in Grade 11, I realised that I would rather study physics."

"Physics seek answers to how everything in this world works and ranges from the smallest of particles to the study of how the universe started."

On the difference between mathematics and physics, he says that physics is more rooted in the physical world: "In physics we use maths to build models to understand the world, but eventually the models need to give us the same results as our experiments, otherwise it does not really describe the natural world.

"Mathematics, on the other hand, is about logical reasoning. Mathematicians start with a set of axioms and from there they use pure logic to arrive at a conclusion. These axioms can be physical or abstract.

His advise to prospective students is to study physics if they want to know how the world works, but physics is also a good option if you are considering a career in science, but are not sure which direction to go in: "With physics you can easily move into other fields in science later on," he says.

Apart from academic research, there are also numerous career paths open to physicists: "With a degree in physics you can work at just about any technology company. These days one requires a strong physics background to understand most of the technologies. In physics you also acquire mathematical techniques and a way of thinking which is very relevant to the financial world.

"Theoretical physics also requires programme, as we have to do many numerical simulations," he adds.

Zander had to complete two projects during his Honnours programme: Under Prof Herbert Weigel he did a project about how to solve the energy spectrum of the hydrogen atom using algebra. Under Prof Michael Kastner, chief researcher at the National Institute for Theoretical Physics, he did a project about the transition of quantum states to thermal equilibrium.

On the photo, Physics student Zander Lee (middle) with Prof Louise Warnich, Dean: Faculty of Science, and Prof Erich Rohwer, head of the Department of Physics at Stellenbosch University: Photo: Wiida Fourie-Basson

For the first time in the history of Stellenbosch University (SU), staff members and students, as well as members of the Stellenbosch community, will have the opportunity to experience the inauguration of a rector.

On Wednesday 29 April Prof Wim de Villiers will be inaugurated as the 12th Rector and Vice-chancellor of the SU and anyone can attend this festive event. Prof de Villiers requested that it should be hosted in such a way that no-one is excluded and that it is accesible to all.

The inauguration will take place in an area in front of the Ou Hoofgebou under a marquee tent (without walls). Approximately 500-600 guests, who will gain access with a ticket, will be accommodated in this area. On the pavement and in Ryneveld Street in front of the building, 500 chairs will be available for anyone who wishes to attend the event.

​The event starts at 14:30 and guests are requested to be seated by 14:15. They will be able to see the procession walking from the Wilcocks Building across the street, the parade of the Military Academy, and the journey of the procession in Ryneveld and Victoria Street after the event.

The Stellenbosch University Choir, the Stellenbosch University Symphonic Wind Ensemble and the OKOSI Marimba Ensemble will all perform at the event.

Speakers include Dr Johann Rupert, Chancellor of SU, Mr George Steyn, Chairperson of the SU Council, Prof Adam Habib, on behalf of Higher Education South Africa and Mr Mduduzi Manana of the Department of Higher Education and Training.

Prof De Villiers will deliver an inaugural address.

The ceremony is expected to be done by 16:15.

All staff members and students as well as invited guests are requested to park at their faculties or divisions and to walk to the Ou Hoofgebou or to use the shuttle busses that will be moving around on campus for this purpose. Parts of the parking areas in front of Administration Building A, B and C will be made available to guests, and the parking area at the Ou Hoofgebou will be closed on Wednesday. Alternative parking arrangements will be made for people working in that building.

The inauguration can be followed on www.sun.ac.za/streaming or follow it on Twitter #SUrector. Read more about Prof De Villiers at www.sun.ac.za/rector.​

​The young South African democracy is experiencing a serious crisis of legitimacy, businessman and philanthropist Isaac Shongwe warned at the fourth annual Frederik Van Zyl Slabbert (FVZS) Honorary Lecture at Stellenbosch University (SU) Wednesday evening (22 April 2015).

The Lecture is hosted by SU's FVZS Institute for Student Leadership Development with the support of the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung. This lecture serves to pay tribute to the late Frederik Van Zyl Slabbert, academic, politician and SU alumnus after whom the institute is named.

"For a democracy to survive it needs to be legitimate, and legitimacy requires citizenry to believe that they have a fair chance of lifting themselves out of their circumstances," said Shongwe, founder and chairperson of the African Leadership Initiative (ALI) and a former executive director of Barloworld.

"Last year at this lecture, Jay Naidoo spoke of a country against the ropes. I believe we are now a country on the floor gasping for air. We see the hopelessness of people who don't see a future for themselves manifesting as xenophobia, the vandalising of statues and daily service delivery protests that sometimes result in people burning down their own libraries and community clinics. This represents a systemic failure and an incompetency in most of our state institutions."

Shongwe emphasised that the circumstances of one's birth should not be the determinant of where one ends up. Although he grew up in poverty, he managed to become a business and social leader through the help of others, education and hard word.

"I am not defined by my circumstances, nor should anyone be," he said.

Shongwe maintained that apportioning blame achieves nothing. But he lashed out at the privileged "who choose to stay on the side-lines, complaining and passing judgement about all that is wrong".

"Where is the courage to step into the arena? It used to be that our best and brightest were drawn to civic-minded endeavours – even at great personal risk. It seems as if many have withdrawn to less risky lives in the private sector."

He urged the audience to contribute to the new struggle that South Africa is facing – against inequality, poverty, racism, sexism and "other bad things crippling our country".

Shongwe argued that because most citizens see no future for themselves, the Constitution is being compromised, and many leaders – both in government and the private sector – behave in a self-interested and callous manner, there are only three options. We can choose to believe we are fine while building higher walls and making use of private schools, healthcare and security. We can choose to go abroad and forget what we left behind. Or we can get into the arena and do something.

"The only legitimate option is getting into the arena. A virtuous and active citizenry is one of the key solutions to our country's problems. Nelson Mandela said that one of the most difficult things is not to change society but to change yourself. And this is underscored by Ghandi's famous challenge for us to be the change that we want to see in the world. The greatest ability of leadership is bringing people together."

Shongwe said that successful action needs an acknowledgement of Ubuntu, an understanding that it is a commitment for the rest of your life, and that small challenges as well as big audacious goals have to be tackled.

And the answer does not lie in throwing faeces at statues: "It is a low deed and in the end somebody's mother or father will have to clean it up."

His involvement with ALI and the Open Society Foundation has shown him that being an active citizen is not always an easy path. But he is always reminded of the importance of courage by examples such as Sello Mokhalipi, of the Free State branch of the Treatment Action Campaign, who received death threats and was dismissed from his job for speaking out against the provincial government and its poor performance regarding the supply of anti-retroviral medicine.

Addressing the students in the audience directly, Shongwe said: "The shape and nature of South Africa's future will undoubtedly be determined by you and others like you from institutions such as this. One of the burdens of such institutions, other than producing well educated and well-rounded individuals, is to produce future leaders and to be relevant to the societal issues of our time."

Christina Teichmann, project manager of the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (South Africa) echoed Shongwe's thoughts by saying: "A crisis, be it political, economic or even personal in nature puts pressure on people and forces them to take a stance and act. It e no surprise that times of turbulence and crisis have in the past produced great leaders, such as Mahatma Gandhi, the Dalai Lama, Nelson Mandela or in my home country Germany- Konrad Adenauer, who was the first democratically elected German chancellor after WW2."

She said South Africans refer to different things when speaking of a crisis. Some refer to an energy crisis, others to xenophobia and others to education. 

"These different crises are in fact nothing else than a crisis of leadership. One can forever blame apartheid, colonialism, neo-liberalism or globalization for all the challenges that South Africa is currently facing but will that help to overcome these challenges and create a vision for the future?

"True leaders have always refused to see themselves as victims of history and circumstances. They have actively shaped their own destiny and the destiny of their constituencies by developing a vision for the future."

She added: "The FVZS Institute for Student Leadership Development is making an important contribution to groom young people to become tomorrow's leaders. Through seminars, lectures, and discussions, students receive the opportunity to get new insights, exchange their views and train their leadership skills. Most of all students are encouraged to become active citizens and take an interest in political and socio-economic affairs."

• Issued on behalf of Stellenbosch University's Frederik Van Zyl Slabbert Institute for Student Leadership Development.
• For further information, please contact Stephanie Nieuwoudt (FVZS Institute) on 083 297 8785 or send an e-mail to snieuw@gmail.com

​Stellenbosch University alumni who had been involved with Maties Sport at some stage were invited to an event where they were informed about Maties Sport's plans for the future.

The Maties Sport Alumni Club's first gathering coincided with the Varsity Athletics meet held at Coetzenburg on Monday 20 April.

"Welcome home," said well-known long-distance athlete Elana Meyer, herself a Maties alumna and now also Director: Maties Sport, to the group of people who included names such as Clive Dale, Danie Malan and Shawn Abrahams.

Wium (Mossie) Mostert and Jannie van Eyk, whose involvement with Maties Athletics stretches over many years, attended the event in their Matie jackets.

Meyer and Ilhaam Groenewald, Chief Director: Maties Sport, invited the alumni to become part of Maties Sport's journey.

"We want people to come here to study and to participate in sport," Meyer said. She asked alumni to support Groenewald in her task of taking Maties Sport forward.

Groenewald referred to Maties Sport's vision and told the audience what they would like to achieve: "Athletics is one of our high performance sports – we have seven of them – and our dream is to be number one in South Africa."

She has to present an athletics plan to the rector's management team soon and is going to ask for more investment in athletes, coaches and facilities.

"We need your support and your advice. Please be our ambassadors," she asked.

After the function the guests had the opportunity to watch the athletics.

Any person who wants to be included on the alumni list can contact Elana Meyer at elanameyer@sun.ac.za..

Maties who did well at the meet:

• Justine Palframan won the 100 m race;
• Jean-Mare Senekal won the 110 m hurdles race and came second in the 400 m hurdles;
• Karla Bronn was third in the high jump with a height of 1,65 m;
• Maties' women won the 4x100 m relay.