SOUTH Africa has taken a significant step towards curbing gender-based violence at institutions of higher learning.

Higher Health South Africa on Friday released a set of instruments, guidelines and protocols that will help turn the sectoral GBV Policy Framework into practical implementation across campuses at institutions of higher learning.

The document containing these protocols was released during a webinar on GBV in the higher education sector.

The instruments give directives to all institutions and management in higher learning to operationalise the necessary infrastructure for a comprehensive response to cases of sexual and gender misconduct, rape and sexual assaults.

This will help turn the sectoral GBV Policy Framework — launched by the Department of Higher Education, Science and Innovation last year — into action through the implementation of guidelines on sexual and gender related misconduct in Post-School Education and Training (PSET) institutions; implementation of the protocol on rape and sexual assault cases, and implementation of the protocol on the PSET Code of Ethics.

Working with judicial and police services, the guidelines and protocols will ensure the reporting of cases; the maintenance of disciplinary systems; safeguarding evidence; provision of rape kits; psychosocial support services and survivor-friendly infrastructure are rolled out across the sector.

Higher Health CEO, Professor Ramneek Ahluwalia, said the GBV Policy Framework pushes every institution of higher education to have structures, infrastructure, systems and controls when it comes to GBV, just as it was done with HIV and Aids, and with current the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ahluwalia said the early diagnosis and detection of abusive relationships will only be achieved through education and prevention programmes.

“There is a lot of work that needs to happen… We should also be ready… to intervene… [to] stop GBV on our campuses. For that, we need to put structures, policies, infrastructure, systems, and controls in place [including] safe guarding evidence, should a case of assault, rape or GBV happen on our campuses.”

Ahluwalia said capacity is needed in the form of security, survivor support (including the establishment of safe rooms, psychosocial support), and close partnerships with the judiciary to ensure justice is served.

Understanding threats and behaviour inside institutions

The Representative for UN Women’s South Africa Multi-Country Office, Anne Githuku-Shongwe, said in order to ensure that men and women in tertiary institutions are able to operate freely, one needs to know and understand what the threats are and the behaviour inside and outside the institution.

Githuku-Shongwe said the leadership of every tertiary institution should make it their business to ensure that they do not have cases of GBV under their watch.

From a prevention perspective, Githuku-Shongwe stressed the need to be able to identify norms, beliefs and stereotypes that perpetuate violence in and around universities and colleges.

“We need to understand this… [by doing some] really close profiling and mapping, and conducting targeted conversations and processes [to] ensure that we can actually change the game.

“We need to get inside the head of young men and boys in our institutions to really understand, and provide the support they need to be able to drive this work,” said Githuku-Shongwe.

She said there must be proper follow up, possibly every quarter, to reflect on the work done at institution level.

“We at UN Women are going to stand here to provide that support. We will continue to provide the technical support that is needed to rollout the monitoring of this GBV Policy Framework. We want to continue working with you in coordinating safer cities and safe public spaces…” she said.

Silence isn’t golden 

Chairperson of the Higher Health GBV Technical Task and University of South Africa Vice Chancellor, Professor Puleng LenkaBula, called for a culture of zero tolerance towards all instances of GBV on campuses and society.

LenkaBula said there should be no silencing of the voices of those who are agitating against violence.

“A culture of silence often creates room for this terrible behaviour and violence. Creating platforms for people [address issues] should be something that campuses allow, and they should enable the reporting of sexual violence, sexual harassment, GBV, or any acts that disabled the full participation of [all],” LenkaBula said.

* AfricaNews

BASTIAN BECKER|

CHRISTIAN missionaries were the first to introduce European-style education in sub-Saharan Africa. Mission societies often expanded into territories before colonial powers did, and providing education only cost them a little more.

Missionaries continued to be the main providers of education even after colonial powers established control during the so-called Scramble for Africa which occurred between 1884-1914.

Initially, their activities focused on coastal areas.

But with colonial conquest and antimalarial drugs, they moved further into the continent. Schools were deemed important. They provided missionaries a way to spread Eurocentric norms and attract new converts.

A large body of studies show that missionaries had a lasting impact beyond their early years. Today, local communities and ethnic groups that were more exposed to mission schools, still achieve higher levels of education, when compared to communities where there were no schools.

Some of the positive development outcomes of former British colonies are arguably the result of a permissive attitude towards mission schools.

Pushing the research frontier

Yet, the relationship between European missionaries and African populations had some contradictions. These contradictions are surprisingly absent from contemporary research. And that’s why I decided to look deeply into this issue.

In my study, I explored how colonial era conflicts – and disagreements over marriage norms – lastingly affected educational development.

By focusing on the African demand for education, I showed that Africans were not just passive recipients of mission schooling. Their personal and family choices influenced the expansion speed of missionary education.

I compared data on the historical locations of mission stations since 1924, in 26 sub-Saharan countries with recent education data between 2008 and 2018. I found that while educational outcomes are generally better in places that were exposed to Christian missions in the colonial era, traditionally polygamous societies benefited less.

This finding was supported by two types of analysis. First, I looked at how educational outcomes depended on the distance to historical missions.

Unsurprisingly, the level of education increased as one moved closer to the missionaries. But that increase was greater in monogamous societies.

I also matched up locations that differed in proximity to the mission stations, but otherwise had similar preconditions for educational development. This allowed me to estimate the impact of mission schooling directly. In traditionally monogamous societies, primary school completion increased by about eight percent, but only four percent in polygamous societies.

Making sense of the colonial struggle over polygamy

Mission schools were popular because of the new skills and opportunities they offered. Being able to speak and write in the coloniser’s language was considered a privilege. It offered the most direct path towards prestigious jobs in colonial administrations and European enterprises.

However, attending mission schools also meant exposure to colonial indoctrination. This conditioning was focused on norms that missionaries deemed incompatible with a Christian way of life. While they frowned upon bridewealth, female genital cutting, or matrilineality, they held a special grudge against polygamy.

In 1910, a prominent report of the World Missionary Conference concluded:

[T]here can be no ‘question’ of polygamy. It is simply one of the gross evils of heathen society which, like habitual murder or slavery, must at all costs be ended.

In addition to promoting a monogamous lifestyle in their schools, missionaries often insisted on divorces before polygamists or their children could even enrol.

The common response among traditionally polygamous people is well illustrated by a passage in Jomo Kenyatta’s famous book on the Gikuyu in colonial Kenya:

This [the insistence on monogamy] caused a great confusion, for the African could not understand how he could drive away his wives and children, especially in a community where motherhood is looked upon as a religious duty; the children are regarded as part and parcel, not only of the father, but of the whole clan (mbari), and without them the mbari is lost.

It was also terribly hard for a woman to be driven away, and to lose her status in the society where she is respected as a wife and a mother.

In an ironic twist, the more Africans became versed in the Bible, the more they began to challenge missionaries.

They discovered that the holy book did not clearly prescribe monogamy, and contained several examples of renowned Christian polygamists.

However, accustomed to monogamy, few European missionaries were open to such arguments.

Despite the skills and opportunities mission schooling afforded, many Africans were not willing to pay the price. They preferred to hold onto polygamy, even at the cost of illiteracy.

What would have happened if missionaries had not insisted on monogamy? The statistical evidence suggests that education would have spread more evenly. And traditionally polygamous societies would have higher educational outcomes today.

What next?

The struggle over polygamy is well-known to historians and anthropologists. This study simply offers systematic, long-term evidence of it. Although there were many disagreements between European missionaries and African populations, antagonising polygamy is probably the best-documented norm conflict.

In addition to studying the impact of these struggles on education, we also need to understand how they influenced gender inequality. In fact, most of the norms opposed by missionaries concerned gender relationships. Efforts to change these norms were often aimed at women.

Finally, education affects many other aspects of people’s lives, including economic opportunities and political attitudes.

The consequences of norm conflicts are likely to manifest beyond educational pursuit. There’s still so much to be learned from the history of education in Africa and its long-term consequences.

(Bastian Becker is the Postdoctoral Researcher at the University of Bremen, Research Center on Inequality and Social Policy (SOCIUM), Universität Bremen.)

The Conversation

SLAIN student Nosicelo Mtebeni was remembered at a memorial service at the University of Fort Hare in East London.

Mtebeni was murdered and her mutilated body parts discovered in a suitcase and a plastic bag last Thursday morning on the corner of Fitzpatrick and Fleet streets in Quigney, East London.

Her head and hands were found hidden in a cupboard in a nearby house.

The shocking crime has again brought gender-based violence concerns to the fore, with many from the area calling for the death penalty to be reinstated as a deterrent.

Fort Hare students believe the murder of Mtebeni is related to National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) funding issues.

They say they have not received accommodation allowances since March.

This is forcing many of them out of privately-owned student housing.

But the university says Mtebeni had received all funding, and it’s also helping other students.

The University of Fort Hare management has, however, condemned in the strongest possible manner the spread of alleged misinformation on social media networks following claims that Mtebeni became destitute and was forced into pursuing an unwanted living arrangement with her murderer are of a fictitious nature and untrue

“In the interest of a well-informed public sphere and based on the seriousness of the allegations levelled against of the institution and its senior management, the university is compelled to respond to these misleading allegations, release further information over student deaths and inform constituents of the UFH’s planned and intended course of action,” the university said in a statement.

“The UFH Student Fees and Financial Aid Office has confirmed that NSFAS payments to Ms.  Mtebeni were duly made and not outstanding in any way..  The UFH also wishes to emphasise that the decision of the deceased for a living arrangement with her former partner dates back to 2020, based on information supplied to the university.”

Inside Education

THE Department of Basic Education (DBE) on Tuesday released the May/June Second Chance matric examination results.

The May/June examinations are special exams offering an opportunity for adults who do not have their matric certificate, candidates who passed the 2020 November examinations but who want  to improve upon their results and those who did not pass their final matric examinations in the previous year, to obtain their matric certificate.

In a statement on Tuesday, the DBE said a total 239 024 candidates enrolled to write the exams. This included both the National Senior Certificate (NSC) and Senior Certificate examinations (SC). A total 95 525 candidates wrote the NSC exams while 143 499 wrote the SC examinations.

 “The 2021 May/June examination was written by a diverse cohort of candidates, comprising employed adults, unemployed youth and school learners that wrote the previous Grade 12 examination in November 202. The 2021 May/June examinations were successfully administered despite the enormous challenges related to the COVID-19. Both candidates with COVID-19 symptoms and those that tested positive were allowed to write the examination in special isolation venues,” the department said.

The results of the candidates cannot be reported in overall passes as candidates only sit for one or more subjects.

The department said examinations were administered under strict monitoring by the national and provincial education departments, Umalusi and the Council for Quality Assurance.

Examinations not affected by unrest, irregularities

The department reported that the prevalence of examination irregularities like cheating has declined over the years and any irregularities did not compromise the examinations which commenced on 26 May.

“[The] Council for Quality Assurance, after having scrutinised the reports from both the DBE and Umalusi monitors, declared the 2021 May/June examinations as being conducted in accordance with the standards prescribed in the Examination regulations. [It] also confirmed that there were no irregularities that were of such a nature so as to compromise the examinations as a whole,” the DBE said.

The marking of examination scripts was not affected by the civil unrest in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal in July.

“The marking of the 772 404 scripts, undertaken by 9323 markers, across 54 marking centres in the country was completed during the school vacation in July 2021. Despite the protests and the rise in infections during this period, in certain provinces, the marking was completed according to plan, observing the high standards commensurate with these examinations.”

Candidates who wrote the examinations can access their results at district education offices, centres where examinations were written or on the department’s website on www.education.gov.za.

Applications for requests to re-check or re-mark of examination scripts can be done at centres where candidates wrote their examinations.

The department has encouraged those who would like to sit for May/June examinations to register and participate in the Second Chance Matric programme.

“The Second Chance Matric programme offers face to face support programmes, learning support materials and online support,” the department said.

The exams concluded on 7 July.  – SAnews.gov.za

THE 25-year-old man who appeared in the East London Magistrate’s Court for the murder of Fort Hare University law student Nosicelo Mtebeni, has allegedly confessed that he killed her because she was “cheating on him”.

The case against the suspect has now been postponed until 28 September.

The 25-year-old man allegedly butchered her body and put the parts in a suitcase.

He is believed to have been in a romantic relationship with Mtebeni.

Her murder has sent shockwaves through the country, currently celebrating Women’s Month, with thousands calling for justice.

“There is more evidence to be collected. At the moment we have witnesses, one witness said she saw him leaving with the bags which carried the body parts. And also his confession, but there is more evidence that needs to be collected,” National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Anelisa Ngcakani said.

The Commission for Gender Equality and other women’s rights groups as well as University of Fort Hare students gathered outside the court calling for justice.

Last year, President Cyril Ramaphosa introduced three new bills to parliament that are designed to bring justice to the victims of gender-based violence (GBV). 

While these bills have been approved by the cabinet, they are still up for commentary and changes from the South African public.

With these bills, the government hopes to tackle three key issues that relate to GBV: the process of applying for a protection order; state police not taking harassment claims seriously; and the lack of accountability and adequate punitive measures for offenders. 

In one of his newsletters, Ramaphosa emphasised that these bills have come as a result of the public protests that erupted in 2019, following the deaths of University of Cape Town student Uyinene Mrwetyana, University of the Western Cape student Jesse Hess, and boxing champion Leighandre Jegels. 

He continued to highlight the importance of immediate response.

“The women of South Africa have had enough of lukewarm actions that do not address one of the most fundamental rights — to live in freedom of fear,” he said. 

All South Africans have the opportunity to review and add changes to the new bills before they become law.

This part of law-making is important because it helps each new law cater to as many people as possible, and makes sure that nobody is left out of the new legislature. 

Family spokesperson Teboho Mtebeni told the media on Sunday that Nosicelo was the beacon of hope for her family.

“As the family of Nosicelo Mtebeni, we are truly so hurt. We are truly so hurt. I cannot even express my feelings about it. We were looking forward to that she is going to change the situation within the family, but now it is not going to happen, she is no more.”

The incident has also shocked the community of Nosicelo’s home village, Khauoe in Matatiele, who say they found out about her death through social media.

A community member has called on people to stop sharing gruesome images on social media platforms.

“We are not happy about the social media in this country. We have just seen gruesome images on social media without being told what actually happened. We were hoping that the police will inform the family and the community in a decent manner but the images were just all over, we are not happy at all.”

Community members from Quigney held a short prayer session to show solidarity for Mtebeni.

A local church leader who led the prayer service, Pastor Corne Pretorious, said that the incident has shocked the community and as the church, they want to bring hope to residents and her family.

Higher Education, Science and Innovation Minister, Blade Nzimande, has conveyed his heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of a fourth year law student.

 Nzimande condemned barbaric and shameful acts committed against women, both in institutions of learning and in society in general.

“Our society cannot continue harbouring such disgraceful people and criminals, who are hell-bent to tear the moral fibre of our society apart. What is so even saddening is that the suspect would even commit such a gruesome act as we mark and celebrate Women’s Month,” Nzimande said at the weekend.

He said that he trusted that the criminal justice system will ensure speedy prosecution.

“By working together, by confronting difficult challenges, and by mobilising everyone in and around our institutions, we shall create a society where everyone, especially women, feel safe and are safe at all times and in all places,” Nzimande said.

Meanwhile, the University of Fort Hare management has condemned in the strongest possible manner the spread of misinformation on social media networks following claims that Mtebeni became destitute and was forced into pursuing an unwanted living arrangement with her murderer are of a fictitious nature and untrue

“In the interest of a well-informed public sphere and based on the seriousness of the allegations levelled against of the institution and its senior management, the university is compelled to respond to these misleading allegations, release further information over student deaths and inform constituents of the UFH’s planned and intended course of action,” the university said in a statement.

“The UFH Student Fees and Financial Aid Office has confirmed that NSFAS payments to Ms.  Mtebeni were duly made and not outstanding in any way..  The UFH also wishes to emphasise that the decision of the deceased for a living arrangement with her former partner dates back to 2020, based on information supplied to the university.”

“With reference to the student who ended his life, the UFH Student Fees and Financial Aid Office has confirmed that the deceased student funded his studies privately and was not registered as a NSFAS beneficiary. Claims and allegations that UFH and NSFAS created a psychological burden triggering suicide are false and baseless, once again.”

The university added: “It is the view of UFH that the deliberate injection of lies into spaces where social media conversations take place serves only the interests of a few who need to deflect public and media attention away from real issues and matters at hand. Furthermore, the use of human tragedy for misinformation peddling is indefensible, divisive, and unfortunate.”

* Inside Education

FORMER Fees Must Fall activist, Bonginkosi Khanyile, who was arrested in Johannesburg on Friday for allegedly instigating the recent unrest and looting in KwaZulu-Natal, on Monday morning appeared in the Durban Magistrate’s Court where the matter was postponed to Thursday.

He allegedly incited public violence during the recent unrest in Kwazulu-Natal and Gauteng.

Khanyile, 31, was arrested by police on Friday.

According to police, Khanyile is suspected of instigating last month’s unrest which resulted in the destruction of property worth more than R50 billion and the loss of more than 300 lives in KZN and Gauteng.

The National Prosecuting Authority said Khanyile incited the public to commit acts of public violence during his engagement with certain individuals at Durban’s Warwick Avenue around July 10.

In addition, it is also alleged that Khanyile convened a gathering in the Durban CBD in contravention of disaster management regulations.

“The matter was postponed to August 26 for a formal bail application,” NPA provincial spokesperson, Natasha Kara, said.

Khanyile is accused of convening a gathering, contravening a prohibition by holding a rally and/or address under Disaster Management Regulations, contravening regulation 31(2) regarding regulations 1, 3, 4 and 5 of Disaster Management Regulations, and incitement to commit public violence. 

Khanyile, a staunch supporter of former president Jacob Zuma, had called for Zuma’s release after his imprisonment last month for contempt of court.

He also spoke on behalf of former Ukhozi FM radio DJ, Ngizwe Mchunu, who was charged with incitement to commit public violence linked to the riots.

Mchunu was released on R2,000 bail by the Randburg Magistrates Court in late July.

The first, second and third charges go against adjusted level 4 lockdown, which was in place when the unrest was taking place.

Family spokesperson Philani Nduli said his family was baffled by the arrest. 

They believed Khanyile’s been targeted for speaking out against the arrest of the former president. 

“We are very dumbfounded by this arrest. We are deeply concerned as a family about how the State is victimising Bonginkosi Khanyile because it’s not the first time he is being arrested for believing in a particular idea. Bonginkosi Khanyile is known for his strong character. He is not a person who cries, he understands that what is happening to him must happen for the greater cause,” said Nduli. 

“He must be scarified for the greater cause of humanity. So we spoke with him, he is doing very feel he is fine, he was even smiling and sharing jokes. He is that kind of a person.”

In 2019, Khanyile received a three-year prison sentence, suspended for five years, and a fine of R5,000, also suspended.

He was ordered, however, to serve three years under house arrest by the Durban Regional Court.

He was arrested in September 2016 during running battles between police and Durban University of Technology students, which took place during the height of the Fees Must Fall protests.

Khanyile was charged with incitement to commit public violence, illegal gathering, possession of dangerous weapons (a slingshot), obstructing traffic, causing a nuisance on public roads and possession of explosives.

The student activist had earlier made headlines when his bail application made it all the way to the Constitutional Court (ConCourt) after being denied at the lower courts.

After close to six months in prison, the ConCourt granted him bail of only R250.

* Inside Education

CHARL DU TOIT had been training like a machine, until June. That’s when Covid hit him. It knocked his Paralympic Games preparation sideways, but it also shifted his ambition in a way he would never have imagined.

The double Paralympic gold medalist from Cape Town had always focused on winning, but a bout of Covid forced a re-set. “I was always so outcomes-based, but I’ve come to realise the journey is important too.

No matter what happens in Tokyo, I’ve had the privilege of training with special people for five years, I’ve gained awesome memories and had personal growth. None of this can be compared to medals.”

On Tuesday, another milestone looms: he and tennis player Kgothatso Montjane will be flagbearers for Team SA at the official opening ceremony.

Du Toit sprints in the T37 class, which incorporates his cerebral palsy, and which is fiercely competitive. He won Paralympic 100m gold in Rio in world record time, but it’s since been eclipsed several times over. He also competes in the 200m and 400m, the event he is especially focusing on at the Paralympic Games.

Just before Covid hit him, Du Toit ran a personal best (50.56 sec), not a long way off the 50.45 sec world record.

Success five years ago came as a big surprise. He wasn’t in great shape mentally, not least because his uncle, who had been one of his biggest supporters, was murdered in a house robbery on the eve of the Games.

He wasn’t supposed to be in his best shape, but his religious conviction helped pull him through and he returned a hero.

Notwithstanding his recent duel with his health, he enjoyed a successful training camp in Pretoria before the team departure earlier this month.

Aged 28, he came to athletics late after a schoolboy career in which he adored cricket and also played tennis and hockey. Having also suffered epilepsy until the age of 13, he was often a victim of teasing and bullies at junior school in Pretoria. His confidence took a knock, but with sport he found a way of fitting in. He took to it easily, probably because his parents had been top-class athletes.

Competing in para athletics since 2011, success came quickly and in 2013 he won his first medal at the world championship. He’s since won six more, two of them gold, plus Olympic success, making him one of the most consistent athletes in South Africa.

His energy is off the charts, which is just as well. Off the track, Du Toit is just as busy. He trains in Stellenbosch where he’s studying for a Master’s degree in health and sports science, specifically the impact of physical education on the attitudes and motivational changes of learners with a physical impairment.

Having fed off the energy of the crowds in Rio in 2016, he won’t have the same experience in Tokyo. Not that it troubles him.

“No crowds, no problem,” he says. “Growing up with a disability, you learn to adapt.”

Du Toit’s medal quest begins on August 27 (100m semifinals and final), followed by the 400m heats on August 31 (his mum’s birthday), the 400m final on September 1 and the 200m races on September 3 and 4 – all live on SuperSport.

SuperSport’s broadcasts of the Paralympics continue through to September 5 with extended daily coverage on SS Variety 2 and 3 and the SS Grandstand channels.

* SuperSport

MORE than 120 schools have reported cluster outbreaks of COVID-18 in KwaZulu-Natal since the start of the third term, according to KZN Premier Sihle Zikalala.

Two learners from KwaZulu-Natal died earlier this month after contracting the virus.

The third wave of the Covid-19 pandemic has raised concerns among parents and teacher unions, who are now calling for closures of certain schools due to infections reported in KwaZulu Natal.

“We have also noted an increase in cluster cases, with schools emerging as the biggest contributor in this regard. In fact, more than 120 schools have reported clusters in their school settings; and more than 800 learners and teachers have been affected. Learners make up at least 95% of this number, while educators account for the remaining 5%,” said Zikalala.

The province has also had an increase in the incidence risk from 116 – 131 cases per 100 000 population group, said Zikalala.

The increase occurred in eight districts, with the exception of Amajuba, Uthukela and Umzinyathi; while EThekwini, UMgungundlovu, Ilembe, King Cetshwayo and Zululand observed a drastic increase in cases.

Teacher unions and parents in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands are now calling on the Department Basic Education to shut down schools with a high number of Covid-19 infections.

The unions and parents are concerned that the number of infections may rise as matric pupils are still occupying classes where positive cases were detected.

National Teachers Union (Natu) said the rise of infections demonstrated that government had rushed the opening of schools without ensuring that schools were adequately equipped to deal with the large numbers of pupils returning to school at once.

“We should place the lives of learners above everything else, because while efforts can be made to recover lost time, a life lost can never be recovered,” said Natu’s Sibusiso Malinga.

The KZN chief executive of the National Professional Teachers’ Organisation of South Africa, Thirona Moodley, said Naptosa was saddened by the death of two pupils due to Covid-19.

“We have not previously seen such high learner infections. The experts did indicate that the Delta variant is more transmissible and we are seeing this in the infections in schools.

“We are also getting reports of teacher infections. Infections in schools result in learners in isolation or in quarantine. This results in learning losses and breaks the continuity of schooling. The stop-start schooling is disruptive and time lost cannot be made up.”

Last Friday, the province reported 4 198 new COVID-19 cases, followed by the Western Cape with 3828 new cases.

Department of Basic Education spokesperson Elijah Mhlanga said: “We are concerned about the increase in community infections regarding Covid-19. The closure of schools is provided for in the standard operating procedures as part of the safety-first focus in Covid-19 case management. Schools are supposed to close temporarily to protect learners and teachers, it is part of the process it is not an anomaly. It is allowed and needed when the situation calls for it.”

As Covid-19 cases in KwaZulu-Natal soared past the 4 000 new infection mark, Health MEC Nomagugu Simelane has warned against complacency and “Covid-19 fatigue”.

“In the face of rising new infections, citizens of the province can ill-afford to be complacent and not follow precautions,” said Simelane.

She raised concerns many people have stopped taking non-pharmaceutical measures, such as wearing masks, washing their hands with soap and water or hand sanitiser, and practicing social distancing.

“We know that, perhaps because we talk about Covid-19 on a daily basis, people may feel like they’re growing ‘tired’ of consuming this information. But the truth is that things are really getting bad,” she said.

“We’ve been saying in the past months that we were not in the third wave and it seemed as though when it would eventually come, we would not be hit that hard. But in the past two weeks or so, we’ve seen exponential growth in the number of new daily infections, which is extremely concerning.”

In the latest 24-hour reporting period, the province has had 3 884 new cases, bringing to 450 781 the total number of confirmed cases.

A day earlier, the number of new infections stood at 4 198. There are currently 50 477 active cases in the province.

“Instead of the numbers going down, they’re rising. That is why we are pleading with the people of this province to adhere to non-pharmaceutical measures,” said Simelane.

“Scientists have told us that the Delta virus that we are dealing with is a lot more infectious. That is manifesting in the high rate of infections among young people and at schools. We are seeing a lot of people dying because of COVID–19. It’s something that we all should be worried about.”

The increase in cases comes as vaccinations opened for all adults over 18 on Friday.

Inside Education

MAKERERE University’s College of Engineering, Art and Technology (CEDAT) in partnership with Kevoton Motion Engineering Limited (KMEL) yesterday unveiled a novel diesel engine.

The technological breakthrough is the latest from the university’s centre of excellence in Material Science and Nanotechnology.

The centre and Kevoton have also developed an artisan manufacturing process for low-capacity, low-grade casting, parts assembly and operationalisation of engine development.

Mr Rogers Mubiru KMEL’s lead innovator said the engine, which was developed using local technology, will only be used for agricultural and construction activities. Other permissible uses are in small home use equipment such as generators and water pumps.

“Our diesel engine has only one cylinder whereas that of an automobile has more cylinders. So we shall see how to develop automobile engines as well because we have the formula already,” he said.

The components used to make the diesel engine include an engine block, cylinder head, and water jackets to cool the engine. Other parts include tappets and crankcases, chain covers and top covers, valves, chains, piston and camshaft. The pistons are made out of aluminium alloy because it is light and releases heat very quickly from the engine during use. The diesel engine vibrates quite a lot as compared to that of its petrol cousin.

Mr Mubiru said this is down to the degree to which the fuel mixture is compressed before ignition.

Makerere University Vice Chancellor Prof Barnabas Nawangwe spoke glowingly about the engine, but hastened to urge the government to support such innovations.

The minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Dr Monica Musenero, acknowledged that some institutions are stuck with innovations due to lack of funding.

“… but I can assure you that since I am passionate about technology, we shall fight together to ensure that innovators are catered for,” she said.

* Monitor

GATHERED under the hot sun, dozens of women danced and sang in jubilation as children from the village of Salima, in central Malawi, started their first day at their new 3D-printed school, which had been built from the ground up in only 15 hours.

Made of concrete placed layer by layer through a computer-controlled nozzle, the school is made up of a single room with rounded corners and is big enough to accommodate 50 students.

Olipa Elisa said her 10-year-old son used to have to hike 5km every day to the nearest school, often arriving late and exhausted.

“I am very excited that we now have a school closer to my home, and my child will not have to take the long journey,” said Elisa, 38. “What we need is more of these learning blocks to accommodate other classes.”

Run by 14Trees, a joint venture between Swiss cement manufacturer LafargeHolcim and British development finance agency CDC Group, the project was faster, cheaper and less energy-intensive than conventional construction, said 14Trees MD Francois Perrot.

Its success shows how 3D printing could be transformative in Africa, where there is a dire shortage of classroom space, he said.

The UN children’s agency Unicef estimates there is a shortfall of 36,000 primary school classrooms in Malawi alone, a gap that Perrot estimates could be closed in 10 years using 3D-printing technology.

“Based on our calculations, if we rely on conventional methods it would take about 70 years to clear that backlog,” he told the Thomson Reuters Foundation in an email.

Large-scale 3D printing is gaining steam around the world, with some projects producing a home in just 24 hours of printing time for a few thousand dollars.

By the time 14Trees had built the Salima school — which the company says is the first 3D-printed school in Malawi — it had already printed the walls of a prototype house in the capital Lilongwe in just 12 hours, compared to almost four days using conventional methods.

As well as cutting the time it takes to build a structure, 3D printing also reduces the quantity of materials needed and the amount of carbon emissions produced by up to 70% compared with conventional methods, said Perrot.

As an example of the potential cost savings, he pointed to the “ink”, a dry mixture of cement, sand and additives that is mixed with water to form the concrete used to print the walls.

Perrot said that ink could be made in Malawi instead of being imported, as it was for the pilot school project.

“Manufacturing the ink on the ground will dramatically reduce the cost of the building for buyers and create local jobs in manufacturing,” he said.

“We (also) now have an indigenous Malawian team fully trained to operate the printer.”

‘Double disadvantage’

Limbani Nsapato, country director for Edukans, an international development organisation focused on education, said the shortage of classrooms in Africa is an urgent but overlooked issue.

The average ratio of pupils to teachers in Africa is 40-to-one, he said, but with only about 47,000 classrooms for nearly 5,420,000 students, the ratio in Malawi is closer to 115-to-one.

Overcrowded classrooms lead to poor quality of education because teachers find it difficult to engage with every student in a class, he said.

To accommodate their large numbers of students, many schools move classes outside, but when the weather is bad, classes are often cancelled, Nsapato explained.

“Pupils who live far from school have a double disadvantage because apart from getting (stuck) in congested traffic, they also have to face the challenge of covering long distances, which makes them late for class,” he added.

“This makes them arrive at school tired, leading to poor concentration. Such students often drop out or repeat classes because of poor performance.”

Another company trying to solve that problem is Studio Mortazavi, a global architectural firm that has designed a 3D-printed school in Fianarantsoa, a city in southern Madagascar, for the US non-profit Thinking Huts.

The school, which is due to be built next year, will be made of concrete and locally sourced construction materials and powered by solar energy, said Amir Mortazavi, founder of Studio Mortazavi.

The project will comprise several pods that can serve different functions, including as classrooms, science labs and dance studios.

Maggie Grout, founder and CEO of Thinking Huts, which is also working with 14Trees on the Madagascar school project, said 3D printing should make the project scalable while keeping down carbon emissions.

But first, the organisation has to make sure it can get the printer to the remote rural areas where classrooms are most needed, so it is currently working on streamlining the printing process on a university campus in Madagascar, she said.

“Once we launch the first school and more people know about our vision, we hope to conceptualise a new printer that is specifically created to be more easily transported to the communities we work together with,” Grout said in an email.

Cost

Catherine Sani, head of the Malawi Institute of Architects, worries that 3D printing may not be the cost-saving solution it is being touted as.

“Given our gross need for quick classrooms, this would indeed seem like a good option given the speed in production,” she said.

“However, we also note (that) this method is quick on a single site, but for multiple sites more 3D-printing equipment would be required, thus making this system very high-cost compared to other methods.”

As companies work on making 3D printing more portable and affordable, Tom Bowden, a trustee for Britain-based charity Building Malawi, said the technology holds promise in parts of the world where lack of funding can often stall or kill essential infrastructure projects.

His organisation builds schools, libraries and sports facilities which are operated by Malawian organisations.

Using earth bag construction or bricks and mortar, it costs about $20,000 to build a double classroom, Bowden said.

“The costs are high, we really can’t find cheaper solutions for the concrete floors, iron sheet roof and metal window frames (and) our build process takes about 10 weeks, depending on the specifications,” he said.

Given all of those issues, “3D printing sounds interesting,” he said.

* Reuters