EDWIN NAIDU

THE right-hand man of former University of Johannesburg (UJ) vice-chancellor, Professor Tshilidzi Marwala, has quit for an overseas posting in one of New Zealand’s prestigious institutions.

Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research and Internationalisation at the University of Johannesburg Professor Saurab Sinha will join the 150-year-old University of Canterbury on 1 July.

Marwala, his former boss, joined the United Nations University in Tokyo on 1 March.

Respected academic and author Sinha said in a post on social media that it was an immense privilege serving the UJ over the last decade. Sinha, supported by the U.S. Fulbright program is currently undertaking a research sabbatical at Princeton University.

The University of Canterbury is led since 2019 by Professor Cheryl de la Rey, who was the first – and only – woman vice-chancellor of the University of Pretoria in a century between 2009 and 2018.

Sinha contested the vice-chancellor post at UJ against Professor Letlhokwa George Mpedi, the former Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Academic, UJ, who succeeded Marwala on 1 March.

He becomes the second top executive to leave UJ. Professor Debra Meyer, Executive Dean: Faculty of Science, who also stood against Mpedi, left on 31 March to join the Sol Plaatje University as Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Teaching and Learning.

“Since joining UJ, she has played a vital role in driving the faculty’s strategy to support the University’s objectives. Prof Meyer, we wish you only the very best in your new role and future endeavours,” said Mpedi in a message to staff.

Sinha said: “With the UJ Community and partners, locally and abroad, UJ has continued to grow from strength to strength; the symbiosis of culture, people and strategy is setup for continued research, innovation and internationalisation excellence.”

Sinha, whose latest book, on 6G technology, has just been published, will remain a Visiting Professor at UJ.

Currently in Princeton on a fellowship, Sinha, said: “I’m looking forward to the next journey of learning, change, and contribution. Reporting to the Vice-Chancellor and Principal, University of Canterbury (UC), New Zealand, I’ll provide leadership to UC Engineering (Engineering, Forestry, Mathematics and Statistics, Product Design). I look forward to being part of the senior leadership team, UC and Christchurch/Canterbury Community.”

In 2023, UC celebrates 150 years – a significant milestone – furthering engagement with people for
education, research and impact.

With my departure, there is an exciting opportunity for the next leader – to serve as UJ’s Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research and Internationalisation,” he said.

Candidates can Apply: http://jobs.uj.ac.za

The University of the Western Cape is also looking for a new vice-chancellor following the announcement by incumbent Professor Tyrone Pretorius, who also worked under Prof De la Rey when she was at the University of Pretoria, announced he was leaving.

Professor Pretorius is an alumnus of the University of the Western Cape (UWC) and was appointed as the seventh Rector and Vice-Chancellor of the institution in 2015. Researcher Professor José Frantz is currently acting vice-chancellor.

INSIDE EDUCATION

STAFF REPORTER

THE University of Cape Town (UCT) has retained its excellence in the education of professional accountants through the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA) Initial Test of Competence (ITC) results announced on Friday, 31 March 2023.

This came at the end of a week of celebrating excellence at the university’s graduation ceremonies.  

The ITC, written in January 2023, aims to assess candidates’ technical knowledge and is the first of two professional examinations prospective Chartered Accountants (CAs) must pass to register with SAICA. 
 
The pass rate in this exam for the UCT Post Graduate Diploma in Accounting (PGDA) students is 97% – a notable improvement from 89% in January 2022 – with the pass rate for the UCT first-attempt candidates at 100% and 78% for repeat candidates. Of 183 UCT students who wrote, 178 passed (including repeats). 
 
Head of the UCT College of Accounting, Associate Professor Ilse Lubbe, lauded the performance of the university’s students, noting that these outstanding results were attained against the backdrop of challenging circumstances. 
 
“We are extremely proud of the performance of our UCT students in the ITC exam. The students displayed immense tenacity, given the impact of COVID-19 during their undergraduate and part of their postgraduate studies.”
 
The national pass rate for the January 2023 ITC is 75% (2022: 59%).

The national pass rate for first- attempt candidates is 93%, and 44% for repeat candidates. Of the first-attempt candidates, African candidates achieved a 91% pass rate, with the UCT African first-attempt candidates being 100% and an overall 96% for UCT African candidates, including repeats. This demonstrates UCT’s consistency in the success rate of its African candidates in line with Vision 2030’s pillars of excellence and transformation.  
 
Five UCT PGDA students achieved the commendable feat of being on the SAICA Honours Roll, which consists of candidates who demonstrated exceptional performance and showed remarkable insight in this strenuous exam. The five UCT candidates are MaJeff Mphahlele, Jade Honey, Caroline Koen, Leila Chin and Eloise Wilton. 
 
Mphahlele and Evan Walker (who completed the PGDA at the University of Pretoria) are academic trainees in the College of Accounting in 2023. 

Professor Suki Goodman, Dean of Commerce, congratulated all UCT academic trainees for passing the ITC and commended academic staff members for their integral role in this tremendous attainment.
 
The College of Accounting offers the UCT Board course for candidates preparing for the ITC. In preparation for the first sitting of the ITC in January 2023, 976 candidates registered for the UCT Board course.

These candidates represent most universities in South Africa (residential and distance learning). 
 
The UCT Board course has prepared ITC candidates for this strenuous examination for over 10 years.

The College of Accounting is working closely with SAICA to provide additional support to repeat candidates, and applications to enrol in the UCT Board course for June 2023 are now open.

Candidates can visit the College of Accounting website for more information and to register.

INSIDE EDUCATION

STAFF REPORTER

MINISTER of Basic Education has expressed her heartfelt appreciation to principals and teachers for their unwavering commitment to ensuring that all learners are allowed to receive a quality basic education.

“Our teachers, principals, and education managers, such as district directors, have shown remarkable resilience and determination in dealing head-on with daily challenges on the ground,” she said.

The Minister said she would also like to give a special shout-out to the parents, schooling communities, and caregivers who have supported learners following the devastations of families due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“This term has been a resounding success, with all schooling days being utilised for learning and teaching, except in unique circumstances where there were disruptive service delivery protests,” she added.

“As we move forward, let us continue to work together to improve the quality of basic education in our country. Let us work to ensure that all learners, regardless of their background or socio-economic status, are given an opportunity to receive a quality basic education that will empower them to realise their dreams and contribute to the growth of our nation.”

INSIDE EDUCATION

EDWIN NAIDU

SEFAKO Makgatho Health Sciences University became the latest among several institutions experiencing student protests last week. Since the 2023 academic year began, unrest has plagued universities and colleges across South Africa. Four students were suspended at Sefako Makgatho as protests turned ugly.

The tension escalated similarly to the challenges across many campuses, resulting from the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) allowances, accommodation capping, limiting space for registration, and infrastructure and security.

The Portfolio Committee on Higher Education, Science and Innovation heard about student unhappiness over NSFAS was delaying the list of funded students, making it harder for poor and middle-class students to register within the set registration window.

These negatively impacted the teaching and learning process, and poor performances in the first term and instability on many campuses could be expected.

The Committee said it was not pleased with the poor communication by NSFAS and Universities South Africa, as it came up with policies without informing the Committee about the reasons behind them.

In the current financial year, the Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) budgeted R47 billion to fund 1.1 million students.

According to Dr Marcia Socikwa, Deputy Director-General (DDG): University Education, Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET), the preparations for the 2023 academic year included hosting December 2022 engagements with registrars, Chief Financial Officers (CFOs), as well as NSFAS and developing a monitoring tool based on the experience of previous years.

The Monitoring Tool focused on Registration-related Issues, NSFAS-related Issues, student accommodation, returning student registration, and financial matters. Issues for the 2023 registration period included the late release of NSC results, issues relating to possible fraud, capping of accommodation costs to R45 000, delayed submission of funded lists to universities, and delays in confirming spaces.

This resulted in protests at the University of Witwatersrand, the University of Johannesburg, the University of Kwa-Zulu Natal, the Cape Peninsula University of Technology, Vaal University of Technology, Sol Plaatjie University (SPU), North-West University, the University of Cape Town, and the University of Western Cape.

Sam Zungu, DDG: TVET Branch, DHET, said the disruptions in teaching and learning included the delayed release of results, delayed disbursement of allowances, demand for accommodations, a rape incident of a Tshwane North TVET student in private accommodation, and there are mitigation plans set for the reduction and prevention of further disruptions.

Dr Phethiwe Matutu, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), USAf, said academic classes began at all 26 universities. In most institutions, registration overlapped with attendance of lectures.

Seven universities made provision for late registration for a selected number of students. Several universities had to extend their registration period and the start of the academic year because of the late release of matric results and delays in NSFAS funding. This was because decisions with students’ funding lists arrived late.

Prof Dipiloane Phutsisi, President of, South African Public Colleges Organisation (SAPCO), said 14 colleges experienced student unrest.

SAPCO will work closely with colleges to monitor the situation where there is unrest, and meetings will be held with SA TVET leadership for intervention.

NSFAS management will be continuously engaged to resolve funding issues, and more intervention processes will be implemented.

INSIDE EDUCATION

THE South African government is failing South Africans on several basic human rights. According to the Amnesty International Report 2022/23, new conflicts, heavy-handed oppression from authorities, economic crises, and discrimination against women, children, and LGBTI people have been prevalent worldwide in the last 12 months.

South Africa has seen a major increase in gender-based violence, with 989 women killed between July and September. Sexual offences (11%) and rape (10%) also grew in the timeframe.

Although South Africa adopted a National Strategic Plan on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide in 2019, a national council is still yet to be established. Moreover, a review of the first year since the plan’s adoption showed that 55% of targets had not been met.

The DNA backlog – crucial for gender-based violence cases – also remained high.

Despite nearly 99 cases of rapes by police officers being reported to the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID), only 64 cases were recommended for prosecution, raising concerns over police accountability.

In terms of sexual and reproductive rights, South Africa continues to have a large number of early pregnancies.

Over 90,000 girls between the ages of 10 and 19 gave birth between April 2021 and May 2022.

Amnesty International said that a lack of access to reproductive health services, shortage of contraceptives, inadequate sex education, poverty and gender-based violence are all responsible for the rise in early pregnancies.

In addition, the right to education is plagued by dangerous and inadequate infrastructure.

The Department of Basic Education’s 2021/22 annual report said that nearly 3,000 schools in the country still used pit latrines, which violates the rights to health, dignity, safety and life.

The situation has since worsened, with the minister of education, Angie Motshekga saying that over 3,330 schools currently have pit latrines.

As reported by EWN, the department said that it would eliminate pit latrines from schools by 2025, however, it has missed several previous deadlines to do so.

In terms of the right to water and sanitation, Amnesty International said that the government made no systematic efforts to ensure that people had access to water after widespread floods in KZN and the Eastern Cape in 2022.

Although the rainfall in KZN was exacerbated by climate change, Amnesty International said that the local government’s poor spatial planning and maintenance worsened the situation.

Moreover, the severe water shortages in the Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality have been worsened by the failure of local authorities to fix leaks that caused the city to lose 29% of its water.

The effects of the flooding in KZN also affected the right to housing for many South Africans, with over 8,000 houses destroyed and over 13,000 damaged. The European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations said that 40,000 people were left without homes.

Residents had been moved to the flood-prone area of Isipingo from Durban City in 2009, ahead of the 2010 World Cup. Although the government promised to find alternative housing within six months, this remains unrealised.

In addition, excessive use of force by the police remains an issue in South Africa.

The IPID’s 2021/22 annual report recorded over 3,000 cases of assault, over 700 discharges of an official firearm, and over 200 deaths in police custody.

The reported deaths as a result of police action also grew to 410, an increase from 353 the previous year.

Finally, Amnesty International said that South Africa lacks legislation to hold government and businesses accountable for climate commitments.

Although the Climate Change Bill was tabled in parliament, there are concerns that the bill in its current form does not go far enough to address the urgent imperatives of the climate crisis.

South Africa adopted a new Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) in 2021, aiming to reduce emissions with a 12-32% target range reduction. However, this figure falls short of the figure required to keep the rise of global temperatures below 1.5 celsius.

Although President Cyril Ramaphosa Just Energy Transition Investment Plan at COP26, mining-affected communities in Mumpalagna have rejected the bill due to a lack of consultation.

Business Tech

PHUTI MOSOMANE

EMERGENCY Medical Services have confirmed the death of  Onkutlwile Pholo who tragically drowned in a pit toilet in Odendaalsrus in the Free State.

Upon arrival at the scene, the EMS spokesperson, Sipho Towa, confirmed that the child had already passed away.

The EMS team then promptly handed over the scene to the law enforcement agencies.

According to SA Police Services (SAPS) provincial police spokesperson Captain Stephen Thakeng, the toddler was with her sister when they went to the back of the shack at the time of the incident.

It was later discovered that the yard was unfenced and there was an uncovered hole leading to the pit toilet.

The police determined that the child fell into the hole and drowned in the water and rubble inside.

According to Thakeng, “Onkutlwile Pholo, a one-year and eight-month-old boy, fell into the pit toilet and drowned. We are currently investigating the incident as an inquest, and the child’s next of kin have been informed.

SAPS divers were called to the scene to retrieve the body from the pit toilet, and a case has been registered for further investigation.”

Meanwhile, the Democratic Alliance (DA) has extended heartfelt condolences to the Pholo family.

“No child should suffer such a fate. The DA has repeatedly raised concerns about the use of pit toilets in all provinces, but the replies show that little to no progress is being made to eradicate these undignified structures.”

“In response to similar incidents in schools, the DA is launching a 2-point plan to eliminate school pit toilets across South Africa to prevent any other family from experiencing the tragic indignity endured by the Pholo family. We will work with civil society organizations, public advocacy groups, and NGOs in the education sector to achieve these goals,” DA provincial leader Dr Roy Jankielsohn said. 

He said until all South Africans have access to basic necessities like housing, sanitation, and food security, “we will never be truly free.”

Last month, a four-year-old child Langalam Viki drowned inside a school pit latrine toilet in Lady Frere in the Cacadu district in the Eastern Cape.

There are over 1,000 schools in the Eastern Cape that are still using pit latrines.

INSIDE EDUCATION 

K and K Media has announced the appointment of senior journalists Tabelo Timse as Special Projects Editor, Deshnee Subramany as Editor-at-Large, as well as Busisiwe Kunene as Sales Manager of the company’s flagship publications – Inside
Education, Inside Politics and Inside Metros – with effect from April.  

Timse is an award-winning investigative journalist at amaBhungane Centre for Investigative Journalism, where she worked on the #Guptaleaks. She also exposed local government corruption and fuel theft syndicates, among other investigations.  

She was at amaBhungane for 10 years after covering the SADC region for Agence France-Presse (AFP) for two years.

A Journalism Master’s degree graduate from Nelson Mandela University, Timse began her career as a TV reporter and radio current affairs producer at the SABC. She then went on to work at The Herald and Weekend Post newspapers in Port Elizabeth as a general reporter. 

In 2018, Timse won the Vodacom Journalist of the Year Politics Category, for her work on two whistle-blowers who tried to expose corruption linked to the Guptas’ Estina dairy project in Vrede, Free State.

Also in 2018 she was part of the team that won the Taco Kuiper Investigative Journalism Award for their work on the Gupta Leaks.

In 2021, Timse was awarded the French-German Prize for Human Rights and the Rule of Law as recognition of her tireless efforts and the work of amaBhungane to advance the cause of the rule of law, social justice, and the strengthening of participatory governance in South Africa. She also conducts media and journalism training programmes at places such as the Thomson Reuters Foundation (London) and The Institute for the Advancement of Journalism (IAJ). 

The new Editor-at-Large- Subramany has been in the media industry for over 15 years, specialising in digital media. She has headed award-winning digital teams throughout her career.

Subramany cut her teeth in the digital space at Primedia Broadcasting’s Eyewitness News before she moved on to the Mail & Guardian, working at first as a sub-editor and later as day editor for its digital platform, mg.co.za. 

She has joined numerous newsrooms in various companies, such as Business Day at Arena Holdings, HuffPost at Media24 (news editor), and she was digital lead at investigative journalism organisation amaBhungane.

She most recently returned to Eyewitness News as digital editor of the brand, where she was responsible for maintaining the website’s strong presence among competitors. 

Subramany has also worked in TV, producing and building audiences for The Big Debate on SABC, as well as eNCA’s primetime shows. 

Kunene has been in the media industry for 16 years having started as a direct sales representative at Media24 for City Press and Rapport. She moved to TNA Media before she joined Mail & Guardian as a sales executive. 

An opportunity to spread her wings into the radio space arose and she joined MSG Group Sales as sales executive to be then promoted as a Sales Manager for Government Portfolio.

Before joining K and K Media, she was with Motswako Media Sales where she was Sales Executive for YOU FM. 

Her experience has led her to manage campaigns mostly in the public sector portfolio handling National, Provincial and local government including state owned entities.

Matuma Letsoalo, executive chairperson and founder of K and K Media Group, said: “The three new appointees brings a wealth of experience from various journalism disciplines, including multiple digital products. They each have a track record of building strong teams and excellent systems. We are excited to have Tabelo, Deshnee and Busisiwe as part of the team to help solidify Inside Education [both print and digital], Inside Politics and Inside Metros as premium brands for education, politics, business and local news in the country. Last month, K and K Media Group announced the appointment of veteran journalist Edwin Naidu as Editor-in-Chief of Inside Education Quarterly Print Publication, that is distributed to over 24 800 schools across the country, all universities and TVET colleges.”

INSIDE EDUCATION

STAFF REPORTER

BASIC Education Minister Angie Motshekga has wished various education stakeholders a happy autumn school holiday 

“As we close out the first term in ordinary public schools, I want to express my heartfelt appreciation for your unwavering commitment to ensuring that all learners are allowed to receive a quality basic education,” she said last Friday.

Despite the complexity of the task amid rising potential learners and fewer available places, Motshekga said teachers have gone “above and beyond to ensure that all learners who want to learn are placed in ordinary public schools.

“I am truly grateful. Our teachers, principals, and education managers, such as district directors, have shown remarkable resilience and determination in dealing head-on with daily challenges. In the same vein, I would also like to give a special shout-out to the parents, schooling communities, and caregivers who have supported learners and us following the devastations of families due to the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Motshekga said the term has been a resounding success, with all schooling days being utilised for learning and teaching, except in unique circumstances where there were disruptive service delivery protests.

“Despite the challenges faced in the basic education sector, provincial education departments have taken proactive measures to address the issue. Specifically, they have allocated funds to identified schools in Gauteng and Western Cape to build additional brick-and-mortar classrooms,” she said.

INSIDE EDUCATION

Teachers in England will strike on Thursday 27 April and Tuesday 2 May after members of the UK’s largest education union rejected a pay offer.

Teachers were offered a £1,000 one-off payment this year, and a 4.3% rise next year. Starting salaries would also rise to £30,000 from September.

The results of the NEU ballot found that 98% of members were in favour of turning the deal down.

The education secretary said it was “extremely disappointing”.

The National Education Union (NEU) described the offer as “insulting” and said it has “united the profession in its outrage”.

Speaking at the annual conference in Harrogate, Joint General Secretaries Mary Bousted and Kevin Courtney said the offer was “not fully funded” and did not deal with the shortage of teachers in schools.

In a ballot over the government’s pay offer, 191,319 NEU members voted to reject the deal with a 66% turnout.

After hearing the announcement, delegates at the conference chanted “come on Gill, pay the bill”.

Education Secretary Gillian Keegan said the NEU’s decision to reject the pay offer “will simply result in more disruption for children and less money for teachers today”.

“The offer was funded, including major new investment of over half a billion pounds, in addition to the record funding already planned for school budgets,” she said.

Ms Keegan said pay will now be decided by the independent pay review body, which will recommend pay rises for next year. This means the £1,000 payment for this year will not happen.

During a visit to Rochdale, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said the news of new strike dates was “extremely disappointing” following “a very reasonable pay offer”.

Ms Bousted confirmed plans to support GCSE and A-level students during the upcoming strike days and said head teachers will make sure those pupils are in class for exam preparations.

Following the vote, Ms Bousted called on ministers to “reopen negotiations” on pay.

On Tuesday at the NEU conference, members will vote on three more potential strike days at the end of June and the beginning of July, but this would have to be approved by the NEU executive.

Teacher salaries fell by an average of 11% between 2010 and 2022, after taking inflation into account, according to the Institute for Fiscal Studies. Most state school teachers in England had a 5% rise in 2022.

The government says it is giving schools an extra £2.3bn over the next two years. Most of the pay rise would have come from this money; schools would have received extra funding for the £1,000 one-off payment and 0.5% of the pay increase for next year.

Luke Sibieta, from the Institute for Fiscal Studies, said schools budgets could only absorb “a small amount” of the pay offer and that some schools are already seeing costs growing faster than funding.

The Education Policy Institute (EPI) says there is “only just enough headroom” to cover the current pay offer.

Natalie Perera, the Chief Executive of the EPI, warned that the current funding “does not compensate schools for the additional support they have had to provide for increasingly vulnerable pupils”.

Attending the conference, Sanj Beri, a secondary school science teacher from Nottingham, said the last thing teachers want to do is strike, but that “proper funding for our schools” is needed.

He said his school is struggling to recruit science teachers because people “don’t want to do the job anymore” due to “the amount of stress and workload for the pay you get”.

Katie Cooke, an NEU member from Tunstall in Stoke-on-Trent, took part in the first teacher strike earlier this year, but says she cannot afford to take part in any more as she does not get paid when striking

“As a single parent… I am struggling with the cost of living, with inflation, and feeding my family. Holidays are out of the picture… all the while I’m in a teaching profession at a reasonably high level.”

Reacting to the news of the forthcoming strikes at a park in Harrogate, Lauren Jevins says she understands the teachers’ position but wishes matters could be resolved in a different way, rather than industrial action.

She said taking more time off work to care for her children will mean losing out on money for everyday essentials.

Jacob Matthews is also frustrated at the prospect of more strikes and feels there needs to be a compromise.

“Inflation is nearly 11%, no-one is going to get that kind of pay rise… but I’m a parent, not a teacher and I know it’s not as simple as that”.

Sir Keir Starmer, the Labour leader, said he was disappointed and wants to see everybody “getting around the table and resolving these issues”.

The leader of the Liberal Democrats, Sir Ed Davy, also said the government needs to “get around the table” and negotiate with the teachers’ unions.

Devolved issue

The NEU is not the only union which is involved in pay discussions.

Three other unions have also been involved in intensive talks with the government: the NASUWT, Association of School and College Leaders and school leaders’ union NAHT. They are in the process of balloting members on the current offer from the government.

School leaders’ union, the NAHT, is also asking whether members would take industrial action if the pay offer is rejected. NAHT members voted in favour of strike action in January – but turnout was 42%, below the legal requirement of 50%.

Mary Bousted and Kevin Courtney, from the NEU, also questioned why teachers in England were “worth less” that those in Scotland and Wales. Education is a devolved matter, meaning decisions are made by the separate governments.

In Scotland, the dispute has been resolved after teachers accepted a 7% rise for 2022/23, which will be backdated to April. They have also accepted a 5% rise in April 2023, and a 2% rise in January 2024.

In Wales, the NEU, have agreed on an increased pay offer of 8% for 2022/23, which consists of a 6.5% annual pay rise and a one-off lump sum payment, as well as a 5% pay rise for 2023/24.

But Wales’ school leaders’ union, NAHT Cymru, has rejected the offer and says funding arrangements remain a major concern for school leaders. Members are continuing to take action short of strikes – which includes refusing to attend evening meetings and only responding to calls and emails between 09:00 and 15:00 BST.

In Northern Ireland, five teaching unions in will also strike for a full day on Wednesday 26 April.

Additional reporting by Nathan Standley and Rahib Khan.