Staff Reporter

THE University of the Western Cape (UWC) women’s football team delivered a dominant performance, thrashing Young Buffaloes of Eswatini 6-0 on Thursday to secure their place in the final of the 2024 CAF Women’s Champions League COSAFA qualifiers in Malawi.

UWC will face Gaborone United of Botswana on Saturday afternoon to determine the regional qualifiers, who will represent COSAFA in the eight-team CAF Women’s Champions League later this year.

This will be UWC’s second final in about two weeks, following their victory in the Varsity Football Women’s title on August 9.

They are currently second in the Hollywoodbets Super League – South Africa’s premier women’s football league.

At a packed Mpira Stadium in Malawi, UWC opened the scoring as early as the 7th minute, with Nondumiso Manengela converting a penalty after goalkeeper Philisa Mjambane brought her down in the box.

Captain Bongeka Gamede doubled the lead in the 26th minute when she netted her third goal of the tournament with a fine header from a corner.

The score remained 2-0 at halftime, but in the 65th minute, UWC extended their lead when substitute Ntombifikile Ndlovu capitalised on a goalkeeper error to slot in a rebound. Tiffany Kortjie, Koketso Mamabolo and Sibulele Holweni also found the back of the net, adding to the definitive result.

Coach Thinasonke Mbuli praised her team’s strong overall performance, acknowledging the challenges of the qualifiers.

“Our motto is, ‘One game at a time,’ and we’re not done yet. We have one more game to go. Gaborone United, our opponents in the final, are a solid team with experienced players who represent Botswana at the national level.

“They’re the only team that hasn’t lost a match in this tournament, which says a lot about them. If we give them time and space, we’ll be in trouble. We won’t take them for granted.”

Meanwhile, UWC’s dominance in the tournament is reflected in the CAF Women’s Champions League COSAFA Qualifiers team of the group stage, where five of the 11 top players are from UWC.

These include goalkeeper Siphesihle Dlamini, who conceded only two goals in the group stages; defenders Gamede (who scored twice during the group stage) and her Banyana Banyana teammate Fikile Magama; as well as midfielder Amogelang Motau and forward Noxolo Cesane.

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Staff Reporter

2024 is a critical moment for South Africa as the country celebrates 30 years of democracy, said Prof. Puleng Segalo, the Chief Albert Luthuli Research Chair and a professor of psychology at Unisa.

“These three decades offer us a moment to reflect on our progress in the efforts towards gender equity in all spheres of life,” said Segalo, adding that there have been positive shifts and policies that have greatly contributed towards increasing the involvement and inclusion of women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).

“But these shifts are not enough,” said the Prof.

In her 2017 article, “Looking through the Glass Ceiling: A Qualitative Study of STEM Women’s Career Narratives”, the Prof said Mary Amon highlights how, despite efforts having been made to advance women in STEM, many continue to lack social capital, which leads to challenges of work-life balance.

“Such challenges lead to some women struggling to attain and maintain leadership roles. In their journal article titled “The Knowledge Economy”, Kaisa Snellman and Walter Powell state that global discussions on economic development increasingly revolve around the concept of an innovation economy, which underlines the importance of knowledge, creativity and technological advancements as key drivers of economic growth and societal progress.

The shift from traditional means of production and manufacturing economies toward technology-based and intellectual capabilities has an impact on global competitiveness and economic stability,” the Prof added.

Are women playing a central role in this shift?,” Segalo asked.

“Reflecting on her academic and research journey as a woman in STEM, Moleboheng Mokhele-Ramulumo, a senior lecturer in the School of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education at North West university has seen firsthand how vital it is to engage and inspire the next generation in STEM fields,” said Segalo.

“The role of women in STEM goes far beyond simply meeting quotas; it involves bringing diverse perspectives that can lead to more comprehensive and innovative solutions to the world’s challenges.

“Women often approach problem-solving in ways that are empathetic, collaborative, and holistic. These qualities are invaluable in fields like science and technology, where understanding complex systems and working across disciplines are essential to achieving breakthroughs.”

Despite the significant efforts to promote women in STEM, gender imbalances persist in these fields, added Segalo.

In 2020, the Unesco Institute for Statistics reported that women constitute only 30% of researchers worldwide. These inequalities are most visible in specific STEM fields, such as computer science and engineering, where there is low involvement of women. This gender disparity is not only a concern, but also has significant implications for the innovation economy.

“Women in STEM have the potential to offer different perspectives and experiences that can lead to more creative solutions and breakthroughs in research and development. The underrepresentation of women represents a lost opportunity to maximise the innovative potential of the workforce.

“Many women still face numerous barriers that impede their progress and contribute to their underrepresentation, including gender biases and lack of mentorship. In addition, women in STEM are confronted with unequal access to crucial resources such as research funding and laboratory space, which hinders their ability to conduct groundbreaking research.

“This, in turn, reduces their ability to excel and innovate in the various STEM fields,” added Segalo.

The Prof said women are often confronted by the demanding culture of long work hours (e.g. running experiments in the lab) and lack of supportive policies like flexible working hours and parental leave.

These lead to higher attrition rates among women, reducing the diversity of thought and innovation potential. More conducive environments and support at both the personal and the structural level is required.

“Addressing these barriers is critical for fostering an inclusive environment that maximises the contributions of all talent and strengthens the innovation economy.

“As South Africa looks towards the next three decades of democracy, may we shift from rhetoric to action so that the next generation does not have to struggle with the same issues confronting us today.”

INSIDE EDUCATION

Thapelo Molefe

THE South African Communist Party (SACP) has rejected the Western Cape provincial government’s decision to reduce teacher posts by 2 407 in the 2025 academic year, describing it as a discriminatory measure that will further compromise learning performance in disadvantaged communities.

SACP provincial spokesperson Lizwi Gegule noted that the Western Cape Department of Education’s decision comes despite the province’s underwhelming academic outcomes in recent years.

“This move will further compromise educational performance and outcomes by, among others, compounding the skewed resource allocation between schools in affluent areas and those in townships and rural communities,” Gegule said.

He said that the Western Cape intends to exploit economic measures as an excuse to further discriminate against schools in working-class areas.

“It is these communities that will bear the brunt of the reduction in teacher posts,” he warned.

Gegule said they are working with the South African Democratic Teachers Union (Sadtu) in denouncing the DA’s attempt to weaken education in working-class communities.

“The DA-led government refused to reprioritise budgets for high-priority items, such as teaching and learning, to achieve better educational outcomes,” Gegula said.

Sadtu provincial secretary Sibongile Kwazi said the union has rejected the proposal and came up with a proposal to augment the finances for maintaining the current post basket.

However, Kwazi said the proposals fell on deaf ears, and the implications of the decrease in the basket of posts have dire consequences for contract educators.

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Johnathan Paoli

THE Portfolio Committee on Higher Education and Training said it is outraged at the persistent denial of governance irregularities and attempted justification for controversial “bench-marking” trip by the Construction, Education and Training Authority (CETA)’s Chief Executive Officer, Malusi Shezi, who also claims their appearance before the committee was based on unfounded rumours.

Officials from CETA, the Services Sector, Education and Training Authority (SSETA) and the National Education, Health and Allied Workers Union (NEHAWU) appeared before the committee on Friday, to account for issues including audit action plans to rectify the findings of the 2022/23 audit, employee wellness and allegations of corruption and governance irregularities.

Shezi was joined by Acting Chief Financial Office (CFO) Sanele Radebe, Accounting member of the AA Roy Mnisi and Executive Officer for Strategic Support, Mabo Thobela.

The CETA representatives delivered a report to the committee, justifying the “bench-marking” trip as crucially part of its Research and Innovation focus area and denied the allegations of corruption saying there is no substance to them.

The trip, punted as a study of best practices by board members in order to improve operations and sustainability at the institution, was reportedly expected to last 24 days at a cost of R4 million, with an additional subsistence and travel allowance of approximately R250 000.

The report indicated that the trip was postponed and not cancelled, as CETA was still planning to share strategic intent with the Executive Authority.

Shezi, said the allegations of corruption and governance irregularities, were the product of a media strategy to tarnish the reputation of the institution’s Accounting Authority (AA) and his own office.

However, Committee Chair Tebogo Letsie said he found the comments from the CETA executive distasteful and disrespectful, considering it was the committee’s mandate to hold those who use public funds accountable.

Letsie criticised the planned trip, and said the committee found it constitutes wasteful expenditure, in light of the fact that the present board’s time of office comes to an end on 31 March next year, asking who their newly-acquired skills would serve.

“It looks more like a holiday, that must not happen,” he said.

The chair said the countries targeted for bench-marking were not known for best practices in the construction sector, and those include Kenya, Egypt, the UK, Dubai and Saudi Arabia.

“We are going to write officially to the Minister of Higher Education and Training and the Director-General that the CETA bench-marking trip must be cancelled as the terms of the board are coming to an end,” he said.

Deputy Minister of Higher Education Mimmy Gondwe commended the Portfolio Committee for cancelling the trip.

“We are not in a favourable economic climate as a country, and what kind of message are our entities saying by taking such a trip?,” asked Gondwe.

Further, Letsie said the committee remained concerned that the SSETA had received a qualified audit opinion for four consecutive years since the 2018/19 financial year, while governance challenges had resulted in CETA being placed under administration in 2011 and 2020, with subsequent dissolution of the relevant boards.

The committee recommended that the DG responsible for CETAs should face the consequences if they were unable to deal with the problems under their portfolio.

Meanwhile, NEHAWU representative and Secretary for the union’s CETA branch, Olebogeng Tsitsi, told the committee of widespread bullying and victimisation saying she even felt scared for criticising the CEO.

“I would like it put on record, us being here as shop stewards, we might find our suspension letters on Monday,” she said.

Tsitsi said at CETA, the relationship between the board, NEHAWU and management is non-existent and that a recognition agreement which was signed in 2019, the CEO did not follow.

She said Shezi was running an “apartheid-like” institution involving intimidation, bullying of staff, harassment and changing policies as he saw fit.

Earlier in the month, the union welcomed the suspension of Shezi, following allegations of interference and misconduct by the board relating to procurement processes at the institution.

In closing, Letsie called for an instant pause in the issuing of adverts calling for nominations for new board members until the current board provides the committee with reports on current governance challenges.

The chair demanded a list of all senior executives including their professional history dating back ten years.

INSIDE EDUCATION

By Johannah Malogadihlare

Member of the Mayoral Committee (MMC) for Public Safety in the City of Joburg, Mgcini Tshwaku led an outreach programme on Tuesday where he celebrated Women’s Month by joining hands with various departments to distribute sanitary towels to Aurora Girls High School learners in Soweto.

The pupils received education on matters affecting their lifestyle such as the dangers of drug abuse, menstrual health and how to get full support and access to  affordable sanitary towels.

Stakeholders also mentioned that girls need to be educated about menstrual health and to get full support on their menstrual health.

Tshwaku encouraged girls to raise their voices and to gain interest in politics, drawing inspiration from prominent female figures in the struggle, such as Mama Winnie Madikizela-Mandela.

The MMC urged pupils to speak out against any kind of abuse they may experience either at home or at school, and that the Public Safety Department is always reading to tackle such matters.

“I urge girls to unite and advocate for their rights, as they are most aware of the issues that affect them”, said Tshwaku.

Addressing the importance of education in young girls, the MMC mentioned that every girl who finds it difficult to access sanity towels should be assisted to prevent women from losing their economic independence and being stuck in  abusive relationships.

INSIDE EDUCATION

Thapelo Molefe

Gauteng Education MEC, Matome Chiloane, said gangsterims will not be tolerated after a fire broke out in Lancea Vale Secondary School, Eldorado Park, alleged to be gang-related and involving a group of pupils.

Three classrooms were severely damaged when the fire broke out on Tuesday at the school and the incident has heightened concers about the safety and well-being of students and staff.

According to preliminary reports, the fire started in Room 81 on the first floor of Block C and spread rapidly, gutting three classrooms. 

The structural integrity of the building is now under inspection, and firefighters are assessing the damage to determine if the affected block can be safely used for teaching and learning.

“We will not tolerate violence or gangsterism in and around our schools. We are closely monitoring the situation and are certain that learning and teaching will resume accordingly at the school,” Chiloane said.

The police are currently investigating the circumstances surrounding the  incident, and the Gauteng Department of Education has urged anyone with information to come forward and assist with the investigation.

The incident is the latest in a series of violent incidents affecting schools in the area.

The South African Democratic Teachers’ Union (SADTU) spokesperson, Nomusa Cembi, said she is concerned and disturbed by incidents of violence in schools around Eldorado Park, including a shooting incident of two learners at Willow Crescent Secondary School and the stabbing of a pupil at Lancea Vale Secondary School.

“The safety and well-being of our learners and teachers is paramount. We call on the government to invest in tighter security measures in our schools and for all stakeholders in education to work together to make schools safe havens conducive for teaching and learning,” Cembi said.

The Democratic Alliance (DA) has reiterated its call to review the school safety strategy to protect learners and educators saying it has consistently raised concerns about school safety and the recent incidents have highlighted the need for urgent action.

DA Gauteng Shadow MEC for Education, Sergio Isa Dos Santos, said it was high time the Education MEC and the Premier’s office to stop talking and effectively address this challenge.

“This entails reviewing the school safety strategy to enhance security in and around schools, establishing clear safety plans with regular drills and emergency response procedures, and enhancing collaboration with local law enforcement,” Santos said.

INSIDE EDUCATION

Johnathan Paoli

THE National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) has announced that progress has been made in dealing with the challenges surrounding private student accommodation in the post-school education sector, but that “unavoidable risks” remained which required further work.

Administrator for the scheme, Sithembiso Nomvalo, presented a report to the Portfolio Committee on Higher Education and Training on Tuesday on the progress made in resolving payments to private accommodation and resolving outstanding student appeals.

Nomvalo said that thus far, NSFAS has made payments totaling R1.6 billion in private accommodation at the pilot institutions, with R311 million to TVET Colleges and R1.297 billion to university accommodation providers.

He said that some of the private accommodations are not offering suitable housing, especially in rural areas and some students enter unfavourable contracts with landlords.

Nomvalo confirmed that the scheme had received 94 469 appeals and that 63% have been resolved, while 35 226 remain unresolved, but are expected to be finalised by the first week of September.

He said that he was in the process of initiating a review of the NSFAS organogram to ensure roles and responsibilities are aligned with organisational and strategic objectives.

In addition, he said NSFAS was finalising filling critical positions within the scheme, such as Chief Financial Officer and Chief Internal Auditor.

The committee welcomed the report on the progress, including the setting up of task teams for engagements around student accommodation with landlords being part of the process across the country in order to mitigate against possible risk of instability.

However, Committee chair Tebogo Letsie, while welcoming the report, criticised the failures of the scheme in dealing with the challenges.

Letsie said there was a need for a skills audit at the scheme that will assist in dealing with identifying unsuitable employees that contribute to creating a chain reaction that ultimately inconveniences students.

He said the scheme needs to ensure that it strengthens its ICT systems as a matter of urgency to curb student data falling into the wrong hands.

Letsie welcomed the admission by Nomvalo that NSFAS does not possess credible student data and that it was vulnerable to cyber-attacks.

More importantly, the chair called for a forensic investigation on the National Treasury funds that were given to the scheme to improve its ICT systems that were never improved, with criminal charges being brought against any implicated in the embezzlement of funds.

He said it was apparent the scheme is plagued by the inappropriate use of funds, which required investigating and correcting.

“NSFAS cannot claim not having enough money on its administrative budget to hire staff to solve problems of students while at the same time renting a building at a cost of around R2 million a month,” Letsie said.

He called for an intensification of oversight, and keeping the scheme accountable during its path to recovery.

“We are going to conduct oversight over NSFAS until things turn around and going forward, the committee will need to be provided with a monthly report on what the scheme is doing with appeals, payment of student accommodation and allowances,” the chair said.

Earlier in the year, Finance minister Enoch Godongwana disclosed the 2024 budget allocation for education, with R53.6 billion being earmarked for NSFAS alone, a portion of which was specifically set aside to assist in the development of ICT systems.

INSIDE EDUCATION  

By Alicia Mmashakana

Chaos ensued as parents embarked on protest action at the Verulam Secondary in Durban after videos surfaced on social media showing a girl learner assaulting another at the school.

The angry parents are calling for the expulsion of the learner who was shown beating up the hapless girl on the video.

Provincial Education Department spokesperson Muzi Mahlambi said authorities were deeply disturbed by the video and urged learners, parents and educators to report any incidents of bullying or violence to school authorities without delay.

“We are deeply disturbed by the video that is circulating on social media depicting a learner from Verulam Secondary School bullying and assaulting another girl learner. We are investigating the matter through the circuit manager, we are definitely going to take disciplinary actions,” Mahlambi said.

The head of the department Nkosinathi Ngcobo called on all stakeholders to work together to create a safe and nurturing environment where all learners can thrive.

Reports show that every year, more than 3.2 million students in South Africa are bullied, leaving parents distraught.

Educators, principals, and members of the governing body are aware of the issues in their schools, but they are puzzled on how to address them, the report said.

According to statistics, students are responsible for 90% of all bullying in schools.

An important study found that the school environment, or at least students’ feelings about it, was linked to bullying behaviour.

INSIDE EDUCATION