By Lebone Rodah Mosima 

Losing her father to chemotherapy-related complications three years ago spurred Dr Bawinile Hadebe to explore improved approaches to cancer treatment, a pursuit that has earned her the Saul Hertz Young Investigator Award.  

Hadebe, a senior UKZN lecturer and head of the Nuclear Medicine Clinical Unit at Inkosi Albert Luthuli Central Hospital (IALCH) in Durban, received the award at the eighth Theranostic World Conference in Cape Town in February in recognition of her PhD work in theranostics.  

ALSO READ: Weekend round up | Roedean principal quits after antisemitism claims, Joburg ramps up youth role, GDE appoints law firm to probe death of Grade R pupil

Theranostics is a personalised approach to treatment that integrates diagnostic techniques and targeted therapies to detect and treat various cancers.

The award honours her PhD work in CXCR4-targeted imaging and her contribution to targeted radionuclide therapies for prostate and neuroendocrine tumours.

The work was done under the guidance of her supervisor and head of the Nuclear Medicine Discipline, Professor Mariza Vorster, UKZN said.

“Cancer is a growing challenge worldwide, and we urgently need new ways to fight it. Theranostics is an exciting approach that lets us ‘see what we treat and treat what we see’,” said Hadebe.

“We use a special ‘search-and-destroy’ approach that involves injecting the patient with a specific radiotracer, which finds and highlights cancer cells on a scan (allowing us to see the cancer). We then inject a radiotracer with a more potent radiation, which delivers a targeted dose of radiation to kill those cancer cells while leaving the healthy parts of the body unharmed.

“Since this treatment targets the cancer directly, unlike other treatments such as chemotherapy, which target the whole body, we can avoid many of the harsh side effects often seen with chemotherapy,” she said.

Hadebe, who hails from eHlokozi in iXopo on the south coast of KwaZulu-Natal, said she knows the harsh effects of chemotherapy after watching her father endure the physical and emotional toll of treatment, a journey that ended with his death in 2022.

ALSO READ: Roedean principal quits after antisemitism claims

Targeted radionuclide therapy, she said, remains a distant dream for many patients and more effort is needed to make it more accessible.

Watching what happened to her father deepened her conviction that patients deserve treatments that are more precise and less debilitating, she said.

“My father is the quiet strength behind my work. I see his face in every patient I treat, fuelling my drive to redefine what is possible in cancer care.”

The award is named after Dr Saul Hertz, described as the father of theranostics, and is marking its 85th anniversary this year, recognising Hertz’s pioneering work with radioactive iodine, which began in 1941 and laid the foundation for radiotheranostics.  

INSIDE EDUCATION

• – Roedean principal quits after antisemitism claims

The resignation of Roedean School’s principal has intensified a row that Jewish groups allege amounts to antisemitism, after the Johannesburg private girls’ school cancelled a tennis fixture against King David High School earlier this month.

Roedean principal Phuti Mogale resigned with immediate effect, the school board said on Thursday, after the school issued an apology to King David for cancelling the 3 February match.

Roedean principal quits after antisemitism claims

• – GDE appoints law firm to probe death of Grade R pupil in Coronationville

The Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) said it is finalising the appointment of a law firm to probe the circumstances surrounding the death of a Grade R boy learner from Bernard Isaacs Primary School in Coronationville, Johannesburg.

It said the firm will be formally introduced to the bereaved family and the school community by Gauteng Education MEC Matome Chiloane on Tuesday.

Read the full story below.

GDE appoints law firm to probe death of Grade R pupil in Coronationville

• – GDE appoints law firm to probe death of Grade R pupil in Coronationville

The Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) said it is finalising the appointment of a law firm to probe the circumstances surrounding the death of a Grade R boy learner from Bernard Isaacs Primary School in Coronationville, Johannesburg.

It said the firm will be formally introduced to the bereaved family and the school community by Gauteng Education MEC Matome Chiloane on Tuesday.

GDE appoints law firm to probe death of Grade R pupil in Coronationville

INSIDE EDUCATION

By Thapelo Molefe 

The resignation of Roedean School’s principal has intensified a row that Jewish groups allege amounts to antisemitism, after the Johannesburg private girls’ school cancelled a tennis fixture against King David High School earlier this month.

Roedean principal Phuti Mogale resigned with immediate effect, the school board said on Thursday, after the school issued an apology to King David for cancelling the 3 February match.

ALSO READ: WATCH: State of the Nation Address 2026

The apology followed public outrage and claims from King David that the match was cancelled because some parents objected to playing against a Jewish school.

Roedean had initially told parents it could not field a team due to prior school commitments, including compulsory academic workshops, but King David said Mogale phoned its head, Lorraine Srage, the day before the fixture and raised parental objections linked to the school’s Jewish identity.

In a letter to the general director of the South African Board of Jewish Education, Rabbi Ricky Seeff, Roedean board chair Dale Quaker said the school “recognises that it is our obligation to ensure that religious and any other form of discrimination do not come into school sport”.

“We acknowledge that our actions which led to the cancellation of the match with King David were deeply hurtful to the Jewish community and sincerely apologise,” Quaker said.

He added that while “communication challenges… compounded this incident, these were not the cause of the cancellation of the match as Roedean originally understood and communicated, as has become clear from our ongoing independent investigations”.

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King David chair Alan Joffe said the school’s requests were “simple; that we receive an unequivocal apology for the antisemitic actions which resulted in the cancellation of the match, and a commitment to playing each other in the future”.

Mogale reportedly told Srage: “Parents are basically saying because of the stance that the government took [on Israel and Gaza], we are supposed to support that. I just needed to pick your brain about fixtures… because we are facing a bit of pressure from our community and our constituents regarding just not playing against King David.”

The South African Jewish Board of Deputies (SAJBD) publicly condemned Roedean’s refusal to honour the fixture, describing it as “blatant prejudice” and a “discriminatory refusal to play” a Jewish school.

Roedean, meanwhile, has said it “unequivocally rejects antisemitism and all forms of discrimination or prejudice” and that both schools are committed to rescheduling the fixture.

“In the spirit that sport should unite rather than divide, we look forward to rescheduling the match for our girls,” Quaker said.

INSIDE EDUCATION

By Charmaine Ndlela

President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced plans to reform and reduce the number of Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETAs) to improve governance and strengthen South Africa’s skills development system.

Delivering his 2026 State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Thursday, Ramaphosa said the reforms are aimed at strengthening industry participation, improving training quality and better aligning skills development with the needs of the economy.

ALSO READ: Cape Peninsula University students hold protest outside SONA

He said government will enhance the role of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges as primary sites for occupational training and artisan development.

“To support effective workplace-based learning, we will increase the proportion of the skills development levy returned to employers, restoring it to its original level of 40%,” he said.

Ramaphosa also announced that the National Skills Fund will be transformed into a more agile, outcomes-driven instrument focused on helping unemployed youth gain workplace experience and access employment opportunities. He said this would build on initiatives such as Jobs Boost.

“These reforms will ensure that the various training programmes we have in government are a door to opportunity, not a dead end,” he said.

Addressing the growing number of matriculants entering the post-school system, Ramaphosa said government will expand access to higher education.

“To absorb the increasing number of young people passing matric, we will expand opportunities for young people to enter institutions of higher learning,” he said.

He has directed the ministers of Finance and Higher Education to develop proposals for building more universities and TVET colleges focused on specialised areas of study.

ALSO READ: Limpopo launches state-of-the-art DZJ Mtebule school upgrade

Ramaphosa also identified the shortage of student accommodation as an urgent challenge.

“An immediate problem is the great shortage of student accommodation at our institutions of learning. I have directed the minister of higher education to address this challenge, working together with financial institutions on innovative methods through which government can provide student accommodation,” he said.

Reaffirming the broader reform agenda, Ramaphosa said reducing the number of SETAs would strengthen the overall system.

“We will reform and reduce the number of sector education and training authorities to improve governance, strengthen industry participation, raise the quality of training and better align skills development with the needs of the economy,” he said.

He concluded by emphasising that national development depends on strong communities that care for their children.

INSIDE EDUCATION

By Charmaine Ndlela

President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced plans to reform and reduce the number of Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETAs) to improve governance and strengthen South Africa’s skills development system.

Delivering his 2026 State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Thursday, Ramaphosa said the reforms are aimed at strengthening industry participation, improving training quality and better aligning skills development with the needs of the economy.

He said government will enhance the role of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges as primary sites for occupational training and artisan development.

“To support effective workplace-based learning, we will increase the proportion of the skills development levy returned to employers, restoring it to its original level of 40%,” he said.

Ramaphosa also announced that the National Skills Fund will be transformed into a more agile, outcomes-driven instrument focused on helping unemployed youth gain workplace experience and access employment opportunities. He said this would build on initiatives such as Jobs Boost.

“These reforms will ensure that the various training programmes we have in government are a door to opportunity, not a dead end,” he said.

Addressing the growing number of matriculants entering the post-school system, Ramaphosa said government will expand access to higher education.

“To absorb the increasing number of young people passing matric, we will expand opportunities for young people to enter institutions of higher learning,” he said.

He has directed the ministers of Finance and Higher Education to develop proposals for building more universities and TVET colleges focused on specialised areas of study.

Ramaphosa also identified the shortage of student accommodation as an urgent challenge.

“An immediate problem is the great shortage of student accommodation at our institutions of learning. I have directed the minister of higher education to address this challenge, working together with financial institutions on innovative methods through which government can provide student accommodation,” he said.

Reaffirming the broader reform agenda, Ramaphosa said reducing the number of SETAs would strengthen the overall system.

“We will reform and reduce the number of sector education and training authorities to improve governance, strengthen industry participation, raise the quality of training and better align skills development with the needs of the economy,” he said.

He concluded by emphasising that national development depends on strong communities that care for their children.

INSIDE EDUCATION

By Charmaine Ndlela

President Cyril Ramaphosa announced during the State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Thursday that Grade R will be made compulsory as part of efforts to strengthen early childhood development.

He said the Department of Basic Education is expanding access to early childhood development (ECD) through the Bana Pele mass registration of ECD facilities and increased subsidies for ECD learners.

“By making Grade R compulsory, we are getting all children off to a good start. We are intensifying efforts to fix the basic education system, with a focus on early learning, literacy and numeracy, and mother-tongue-based bilingual education,” Ramaphosa said.

The President also congratulated the Class of 2025 for achieving an 88% matric pass rate — the highest in the country’s history.

He said the result reflects both the commitment of learners and government interventions aimed at improving learning and teaching.

“Last year we saw the highest matric pass rate, with more than two-thirds of all bachelor passes coming from schools in the most disadvantaged communities,” he said.

Ramaphosa applauded the Class of 2025 for the sacrifices that contributed to their achievement.

However, he raised concern about the high dropout rate in the final years of schooling, saying more learners must be supported to write matric and take gateway subjects such as mathematics and science.

Nationally, the percentage of matric learners taking mathematics has declined from 46% in 2011 to 34% in 2023. In 2024, the number of learners registered for mathematics dropped to 255,762 — down by more than 12,000 from the previous year.

“To absorb the increasing number of young people passing matric, we will expand opportunities for young people to enter institutions of higher learning,” he said.

INSIDE EDUCATION

By Marcus Moloko

Scores of students from the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) are staging a picket roughly 100 metres from the Cape Town City Hall while President Cyril Ramaphosa delivered the State of the Nation Address (SONA).

The protest, held roughly 100 metres from the venue, highlighted the growing student housing crisis.

Many demonstrators carried luggage, blankets, and placards, saying they had nowhere to sleep after being evicted from residences earlier in the day.

Students claim they have been left homeless due to ongoing evictions from university residences.

CPUT declared its residences full earlier this month, directing thousands of students to seek private accommodation.

Reports from SABC News and Daily Maverick revealed that many students, particularly from the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal, have been sleeping on pavements and in campus hallways while awaiting placements.

The protesters are demanding urgent intervention from government, citing unresolved funding issues and the lack of stable student housing. They are reportedly waiting for feedback from Minister of Higher Education Buti Manamela following Ramaphosa’s address.

“We are carrying our bags because we have nowhere to go tonight. We want answers, not promises,” one student told reporters at the scene.

A heavy police guard blocked the students’ path, keeping them approximately 100 metres away from the president’s address at City Hall.

This picket follows a week of escalating tensions at CPUT. Earlier in February, the university confirmed that its residences had reached capacity, leaving thousands without accommodation. The crisis has intensified as evictions continued, with students forced out of housing even on the day of the SONA.

INSIDE EDUCATION

By Marcus Moloko

Minister of Higher Education and Training, Buti Manamela, has reiterated that the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) continues to serve as a critical pillar of student access in South Africa.

Speaking before President Cyril Ramaphosa’s State of the Nation Address (SONA), Manamela confirmed that more students have been approved for funding in the 2026 academic year, widening participation.

ALSO READ: Joburg ramps up youth role in air quality policy ahead of Wanderers conference

For the 2026 academic cycle, NSFAS has provisionally approved 626,935 first‑time applicants, while 427,144 continuing university students successfully met academic progression requirements.

To ensure a smooth start to the year, NSFAS disbursed R3.6 billion in allowances to universities and R679 million to TVET colleges in early February.

These upfront payments cover registration, tuition, and initial living expenses, preventing students from being excluded from registration due to financial barriers.

Manamela emphasized that this proactive disbursement reflects NSFAS’s effectiveness in stabilizing the academic calendar and safeguarding access for vulnerable students.

While Manamela acknowledged that NSFAS has performed well in dispensing bursaries, challenges remain in addressing the “missing middle” students from households earning between R350,000 and R600,000 annually.

“The money is there, but we’ve had only a few students applying. We have instructed our department to work together with NSFAS and the University of South Africa forum, alongside all stakeholders, to see how we can effectively use those resources to unlock potential,” Manamela said.

He further admitted that while bursary distribution has been effective, the loan scheme has faced hurdles.

ALSO READ: WATCH: Ramaphosa opens Nelson Mandela Rules training academy at Drakenstein prison

“There have been some challenges, and we’re hoping that the team we’ve put in place to look at how we can effectively deal with the challenge of the missing middle will be able to deliver a turnaround. We should be able to communicate something in the next few days,” he added.

Manamela also touched on the broader issue of capacity in the post‑school education system. Responding to questions about the promise of building two new universities, he said: “we’ll have to hear from the President what he says today about infrastructure in the post‑school education and training system. There’s more demand for university seats, and even more demand for TVET college seats. The important thing now has become the establishment of those universities legally. We’re exploring means to do that, and as soon as we can mobilize sufficient resources, we should be able to broaden out.”

He stressed that expansion is not limited to new institutions.

“Certain universities have individually grown, which means more space. So it’s not just about building two more universities, but also about growing the existing stock of universities, which is much more cost‑effective.”

INSIDE EDUCATION

By Charmaine Ndlela

President Cyril Ramaphosa on Wednesday officially launched the Nelson Mandela Rules Training Academy at the Drakenstein Correctional Facility between Paarl and Franschhoek in the Western Cape, saying the facility marked a new chapter in the country’s history.

Formerly known as Victor Verster Prison, the site was the last place Nelson Mandela was imprisoned before his release in 1990.

The academy is the first of its kind in Africa and forms part of correctional services’ efforts to adopt and embody the principles of the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners — known as the Nelson Mandela Rules — adopted by the UN General Assembly in 2015.

The training academy will serve as a centre for learning and rehabilitation, helping to shape improved correctional practises.

“Having spent 27 years in prison, Mandela championed the fair and humane treatment of all people. Mandela believed offenders deserve dignity, respect and humane treatment, and that justice is measured not by how harshly punishment is administered, but by how faithfully human dignity is upheld, even in difficult circumstances,” said Ramaphosa in his keynote address.

The facility will serve South African officials as well as the wider global corrections community.

Ramaphosa noted that visitors to the academy are welcomed by artwork created by offenders, saying, “This is not incidental. It is deeply symbolic. It reflects the very essence of rehabilitation. It is about unlocking human potential, creativity and self-worth.”

He added, “The furniture that fills this academy has also been produced by offenders within our correctional system. Every table, every chair, every crafted piece speaks to the power of skills development, meaningful work and the desire for change.”

Speaking about the facility’s transformation, Ramaphosa said, “Today we open a repurposed, renovated and expanded facility transformed into a modern training academy. One cannot help but marvel at the quality of workmanship. It fills me with pride to appreciate work of such high standard being produced by local hands, by men and women within our correctional system.

“The training academy will be a success through partnership with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, the custodian of the Nelson Mandela Rules. The academy will ensure that training, practise and policy are guided by the values Mandela stood for,” Ramaphosa said.

“This facility symbolises the humanisation of corrections, the elevation of dignity, and the global pursuit of justice rooted in humanity.”

He also paid tribute to correctional services officials.

“Every day, correctional officials operate under difficult and sometimes dangerous conditions. Their responsibility extends beyond custody and security. They are tasked with transforming lives and instilling hope where there is often despair.”

Acknowledging challenges in the sector, Ramaphosa said, “We appreciate and acknowledge the challenges posed by overcrowding and resource constraints. However, I take great encouragement from the efforts within the department to advance self-sufficiency and sustainability, skills development and productive work, ensuring that correctional facilities become places of rehabilitation rather than mere containment.”

The centre was unveiled on the 36th anniversary of Mandela’s release from prison on 11 February 1990.

INSIDE EDUCATION