Staff Reporter

THE University of Cape Town (UCT)’s incoming Vice-Chancellor, Professor Mosa Moshabela, will commence his tenure on 1 August 2024.

Further to the announcement of 24 May 2024 conveying the decision of the UCT Council to appoint Professor Moshabela, the incoming vice-chancellor has since become available to take up the appointment earlier than 1 October 2024.

He will succeed Emeritus Professor Daya Reddy, who has led UCT on an interim basis since March 2023.

Chair of Council, Norman Arendse (SC), said: “Professor Reddy, who is in full support of the earlier start date, will step down as vice-chancellor interim on 31 July 2024 and will continue to be available to support Professor Moshabela in a part-time advisory capacity for a period that is to be determined.

“UCT owes Professor Reddy a debt of gratitude for taking on the responsibilities of vice-chancellor at a very challenging time for our institution, and making a significant leadership contribution when it was most needed. 

“The UCT Council extends its deep gratitude to Professor Reddy and welcomes Professor Moshabela as the next vice-chancellor with effect from 1 August 2024.”

The new UCT Council, which held its first plenary meeting on Saturday, 6 July 2024, has been constituted and all members (30 in total) have been appointed in terms of the institutional statute. 

The most immediate order of business was for Council to elect its chairperson and deputy and appoint members and chairpersons of key Council committees. Arendse was elected as Council chairperson, and Nomarashiya Caluza as deputy chairperson.

“Ms Caluza and I are honoured to have been elected to serve as the deputy chairperson and chairperson of the Council, respectively. We, and each of the members of the Council, embrace the fiduciary duties and associated responsibilities that we now have, and I am confident that as a Council, we will work collectively in the best interest of UCT.

INSIDE EDUCATION

Phuti Mosomane

Gauteng MEC for Education Matome Chiloane will officially announce the commencement date and process for the 2025 Online Admissions for Grade 1 and Grade 8 on Tuesday.

Chiloane will outline the application and placement process in Noordwyk Secondary School, Midrand.

Last year, the Online Admissions System successfully processed over 161,407 Grade 1 and 8 applications on the first day, a slight decrease from the 2023 application period, when over 165,000 applications were made.

According to the Gauteng Department of Education (GDE), the 2024 online admissions application period was successful, with 757 075 Grade 1 and Grade 8 applications processed.

324 756 Grade 1 applications and 432 219 Grade 8 applications were processed. Chiloane said the success can be attributed to system improvements over the years, necessitated by continuous stakeholder engagement and technological advancements.

The application period ran from 15 June to 21 July 2023.

However, the department has acknowledged some challenges applicants face when entering their ID numbers into the system. Several applicants applying for Grade 8 reported that they could not enter their previous schools on the system.

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Staff Reporter

THE Department of Basic Education (DBE) maintains its commitment to strengthening the Representative Council of Learners (RCL) functionality in public schools across all nine provinces.

As Youth Month activities continue nationally, the DBE gathered more than 90 RCL delegates at The Lakes Hotel and Conference Centre in Benoni for a two-day RCL Conference under the theme, “Equipping Learners with Knowledge and Skills for a Changing World”.

The Conference was organized as a platform for the DBE and Stakeholders to engage in progressive ways to improve RCL functionality.

The Conference also featured two-panel discussions, which explored strategies for curbing Gender-Based Violence (GBV) whilst promoting Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) in the schooling system, as well as supporting RCLs by way of equipping them with knowledge and skills for the changing world.

During the Conference, it was confirmed that many schools did not administer RCL structures well. “Where RCLs exist, they are not adequately established, trained and supported to play their expected roles effectively. In some schools, teachers appointed RCLs as prefects.

Some schools use dual systems of RCLs and prefects, with prefects being given a higher status by the schools. Poorly developed capacity-building programmers and lack of provincial support for RCLs have been cited as the main contributory factors for ineffective RCLs.

Some schools seem to have little appreciation of the youth’s role in creating a healthy learning environment for themselves. In this case, schools could mistakenly deny learners the right to contribute meaningfully to their academic development and well-being.

Chief Director for Planning Implementation and Support, James Ndlebe, recommended that RCLs should forge strong cooperation with School Management Teams (SMT) and School Governing Bodies (SGBs) to ensure quality school leadership and management, especially with respect to escalating factors that are affecting quality learning and teaching in schools.

“The voice of young people should be accommodated in all decision-making processes in the Basic Education Sector. The RCLs are a cornerstone in turning schools into centers of excellence,” remarked Mr Ndlebe.

According to Mr Matsetsebale Tleane, Managing Director for the Agape Youth Movement, RCLs are the voice of learners, adding that they should be used to improve quality learning and teaching in schools: “Learners in the RCLs play a significant role in school governance and paving the way for the academic and personal development of all learners.

“They, therefore, need to be guided and supported in discovering that future-focused and influential leader within themselves to present the RCL as a meaningful body and integral part of the school”.

Many presenters and RCL delegates pointed out that the DBE has made significant strides in providing guidelines on how GBV cases should be processed within the sector. They, however, urged provincial education officials to ensure that the RCLs were familiarised with the Protocol for the Management and Reporting of Sexual Abuse and Harassment in Schools to sustain a healthy learning environment.

The Protocol provides schools, districts and provinces with standard operating procedures for addressing allegations and ways in which schools must respond to reports of sexual abuse and harassment perpetrated against learners, educators and other school staff.

Schools are mandated to assist victims of sexual abuse and harassment by following standard reporting procedures and through the provision of appropriate support to learners.

Deputy Director-General for Delivery and Support, Ms Simoné Geyer, encouraged RCLs to be a bridge between learners and leadership, the voice for their peers, and the champions for positive change in their respective schools.

“The world is changing, and you, the RCLs, are at the forefront. Embrace the challenges, harness the opportunities, and, most importantly, believe in yourselves. You can shape the future, not just for yourselves, but for all South Africans.

“Through the RCL platform, you develop valuable communication, collaboration, critical thinking and problem-solving skills. These are the skills you need to navigate this changing world and become the innovators, the entrepreneurs and the leaders of tomorrow,” she said.

Day two of the conference saw delegates and stakeholders engaging in robust discussions during various commissions, where critical insights and a way forward regarding issues raised during the conference were tabled.

INSIDE EDUCATION

Sports Reporter

Allanzo DONN-LEA Mapoe survived a scare of losing his sight in Grade 3. When he was in Grade 6, a sister at the special school he attended predicted that he would only be able to gather information until the end of Grade 7.

Today, he is a second-year BA student at the University of the Western Cape (UWC) and a star cricket player.

Mapoe was born with cortical blindness, a condition that occurs when one loses their visual perception due to damage to specific brain areas. But Mapoe defied the odds to complete high school with good results and got into university. He excelled in sports and set his sights on representing his country on the world stage.

“From what the sisters told me in Grade 6, I’m overachieving. It is not supposed to be possible to do what I do, but I’m doing it. I’m truly grateful for what I’m achieving, and I’m hungry to achieve even more,” he said.

Mapoe was dealt a terrible blow when he missed the selection for the national blind cricket team – a sport he played from a young age – for the next Blind Cricket World Cup in Pakistan later this year.

“The afternoon I found out, I was sad and angry because I thought I would get the invitation to the national team. I left everything on the playing field during those past days. But my mother texted me to say I mustn’t be worried, as this time around, it might not be my time. God’s time is right, and He is preparing me for something big,” he said.

Mapoe vowed to work even harder to earn the national call-up in the future.

This is evident in his improved performance for the Boland provincial team at this year’s Blind Cricket South Africa (BCSA) T20 National Tournament, held in Potchefstroom in April.

“I had a wonderful tournament, taking five wickets and ending fourth overall. It is hard to take wickets in blind cricket because the bat is straight down on the pitch, and they mostly play swift shots. Getting so many wickets was pretty odd. But yeah, there is improvement for me. I would love to be on the Proteas team one day and don the green and gold. It has been a dream of mine since I was young, and I will wear the South African badge on my chest,” he said.

Born in Oudtshoorn and raised in Worcester, Mapoe’s love affair with the sport started when he watched cricket on television with his aunt and uncles.

When his friends introduced him to blind cricket at school, he loved it.

“I remember the first time I made zero runs. They bowled me out. Then I made eight, 10, 11, and then 21 runs, which became my highest score for quite some time. But then I got the knack of it. I love this game, and I have the desire to win. It gives me hope in life. That’s what blind cricket does for me.”

The all-rounder is the captain of Worcester Victorians in club cricket and has been grateful for the support UWC has offered him toward his studies.

“The university is supportive of students with disabilities. The Disability Unit is always available to help, and I appreciate it from the bottom of my heart. It’s so nice to know some people will support you through and through and walk the journey with you.”

On the sporting front, he believes the university could do more to support all athletes with disabilities. “They should just give us the necessary facilities that we can use. For me, in cricket, it’s just the nets to practice. I think the university is still learning when it comes to disability sports.”

The UWC Sports Council is reviving efforts to promote para-sports on campus. Plans are afoot to ensure that athletes with disabilities like Mapoe will be given the necessary resources to reach their sporting goals.

INSIDE EDUCATION

Johnathan Paoli

BASIC Education minister Siviwe Gwarube has called on all stakeholders to intensify efforts aimed at creating a conducive environment for teaching and learning.

Gwarube said over the weekend that the Department of Basic Education (DBE) welcomed all teachers, non-teaching staff and learners back to school following a three-week long break.

“We urge school communities to mobilise the rest of the society to ensure that effective teaching and learning takes place so that our learners can achieve their full potential,” she said.

The Minister said schools should ensure the completion of the set work for the year and should adequately ensure that revision is done in a timely and proper fashion.

In addition, Gwarube appealed to communities to support schools and refrain from causing disruptions to the school schedule in light of the devastating impact it had on learning outcomes.

She condemned the recent burglaries at four schools in Limpopo, including the Blinkwater Gidela Secondary school, where valuable items were stolen and one school set alight.

“We call upon members of the community to work with the police in order to bring the criminals to face the full might of the law. We cannot afford a situation where the future of our children is jeopardised,” the minister said.

Gwarube said the department could only achieve its goals with the assistance of stakeholders, school governing bodies and parents in ensuring that learners are in classrooms with teachers and receiving the quality education they require.

While teachers and non-teaching staff returned on Monday, learners are expected back in school on Tuesday.

The department confirmed that the new semester consisted of 11 weeks, with 53 actual school days.

INSIDE EDUCATION

Johnathan Paoli

THE South African Democratic Teachers Union (SADTU) has noted the appointment of Nobuhle Nkabane as the Minister of Higher Education and said it hoped her appointment would usher in a new drive for transformation and the rooting out of corruption.

“We would like to see her challenging the stubbornness of higher education institutions to decolonise the curriculum and being resolute in rooting out corruption in institutions of higher learning and SETAs,” the union said.

The union further called on the Minister to focus on rooting out corruption in NSFAS and in TVET colleges, with immediate effect, “where colleges are managed Hollywood-style where everyone is acting”.

Sadtu said there was an urgent need for collective bargaining and there was clearly an obligation by the government to meet the needs of the country as it related to higher education.

President Cyril Ramaphosa appointed Nkabane as Minister of Higher Education last week, taking over from former higher education minister Blade Nzimande, who was moved to Science, Innovation and Technology.

She previously served as the Deputy Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy from 2021 until this year.

Nkabane holds a BA (Honours) in Administration, an MBA, and a PhD in Administration, and is currently studying towards further qualifications at Wits and the University of London.

She has over 9 post-matric qualifications and impeccable public service experience.

Nkabane has experience as a tutor at the University of South Africa, which should stand her in good stead in dealing with student challenges ranging from financial to academic stress.

Throughout the previous administration, issues relating to increased tuition fees, outstanding student debt, and disruptions in the distribution of financial assistance have affected students.

Academics, institutions and students have expressed high anticipation of Nkabane’s contribution to possible reforms that will tackle long-standing challenges and create a fair and encouraging higher education environment in the country.

INSIDE EDUCATION

Staff Reporter

Blues head coach Chase Morison says this year’s USSAs will give his charges a taste of the intensity required to play Varsity Cup rugby.

The Blues view this week’s USSA rugby championships in Makhanda as a significant stepping stone in their quest to play elite-level FNB Varsity Cup rugby in the next few years.

The Blues’ never-say-die attitude saw them blitzing the opposition in the last few matches of this year’s Varsity Shield campaign to book their spot for the 2025 season.

They eventually ended fifth in the competition they famously won in 2022. Now, they are on a mission to become the first tertiary institution east of the Fish to play in the prestigious Cup competition.

“The boys have spoken. If we do well in the Shield next year, we could be the first university out of Walter Sisulu and Fort Hare to play in the Cup the following year,” UFH head coach Chase Morison said.

“That is the goal, the massive dream, and I think the USSAs will be an eye-opening experience for the boys to see the level of intensity the Cup teams will bring.”

At the USSAs, hosted at Rhodes University from July 1 to 5, they will dine at the table of several opponents from Varsity Cup fame, hoping to pick up more than just scraps.

Among these is CUT, who, despite not having had the best seasons this year, is still a formidable force given their status as a Cup mainstay.

Fort Hare has had mixed fortunes in the Border Super League competition, winning three and narrowly losing four out of their five other games.

Regularly having five or six players called up to the Border senior provincial side was a challenge regarding consistency, but Morison remained positive.

“The two months since the Shield ended have been about blooding new players, and I’m happy with the progress. Fifty per cent of our Border players will also be available for the USSAs.”

It was widely known that Fort Hare was always up for the big occasions, and he felt it would be no different at the University Sports South Africa event.

Morison participated in three USSA tournaments as a player, but the outing in Makhanda will be his first as a coach.

While he acknowledged that Fort Hare was not a “finished product,” he believed it was a fantastic base from which to work.

As much as 80 per cent of next year’s Shield team will be the same as it was this season, and this experience will prove invaluable.

Morison said he considered the first six months of 2024 a “trial run” and that the next six would be about “upping the ante.”

With inspirational skipper Kamvelihle Fatyela no longer at the institution after graduating earlier this year, the armband has been handed to Cinga Nqotyana, among those who had tasted championship success two seasons ago.

“Cinga has been in the setup for three or four years. He is a fantastic guy and understands better than anyone that filling the shoes of KV (Fatyela) is massive.”

Morison was convinced that Fort Hare could become a “very, very good team” if they focused on the positives.

INSIDE EDUCATION