Student Media news feeds

The private student accommodation company is caught between the Unemployment Insurance Fund and workers stressed by the regulations to control the coronavirus pandemic.  The management of South Point private student accommodation has blamed the department of labour (DoL) and the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) for the delay in paying its workers from the covid-19 Temporary

The launch of a new queer virtual cinema intends to promote social change  A new virtual film theatre called Kasi 2 Kasi Queer Cinema, launched on Tuesday, July 28, aims to give society access to queer films.   “Before the pandemic, Kasi 2 Kasi was actually a film festival that has been running for three years, and the virtual cinema is a way that

“It is only fair that you get your allowance because you are eating somewhere.” National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) funded students at Wits University who live in catered residences will receive a monthly allowance of R1 500 starting in August. The increase is meant to compensate the students for the meals they would have

JAMEO CALVERT AND PRIDE MATHEBULA On 23 May, the Minister of Higher Education, Science and Technology, Dr Blade Nzimande, announced that universities would open in phases from 1 June, allowing the return of 33% of students, including final year students, postgraduate students (who require laboratory work to complete their degrees) and students with online learning challenges to be prioritised. The University of Pretoria has allowed some students back into its residences, making it easier for students to undertake online learning. In online learning, students encountered challenges due to network problems and inability to access online resources. Students reported that studying at home is more challengingRead More →

NOKWANDA KUBHEKA The SRC Postgraduate and International Students Affairs office with University of Pretoria International (UPI) Student Society have raised concerns with the university. They argue that international students, some of whom are paying higher fees than local students, have not received aid from UP during the national lockdown. The petition requests that they be exempted from paying residence fees since they are not using the facilities, a fee adjustment of 20% to 25%, and no fee increment for international students for the 2021 to 2022 financial calendar. They also request that UP forms a solidarity fund aimed at assisting international students with tuition credit,Read More →

MANELISI MAGORO Tertiary institutions across South Africa shared their COVID-19 related statistics and figures with Universities South Africa (USAF). “Twenty staff members and two students from across the country have died from the coronavirus” reported the Mail and Guardian in an article published on 23 July. Below are COVID-19 statistics across South African Universities. UP’s Current COVID-19 Count The University of Pretoria (UP) reported its first and second cases of COVID-19 in March. The first being a faculty member at the Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) campus and the second; a staff member from the Veterinary Sciences Faculty at Onderstepoort campus. To date, UPRead More →

Schemes put in place to close the gap left by the lockdown-induced suspension of the food bank.  Wits students at risk of hunger are benefiting from two monthly feeding schemes that were launched on July 6, in readiness for the commencement of the second semester. Wits Citizenship and Community Outreach (WCCO) distributed food parcels to

DALUVUYO MAPUZI With over 50 years in the entertainment industry, Mary Twala was a figure we expected to see on our television screens. Her small stature and big personality were an appreciated addition to all her roles. As we remember her life, let us look back at some of her biggest roles. Taxi to Soweto (1991) – The Manie van Rensburg directed satirical film sees a headstrong Afrikaans couple being thrust headfirst into unfamiliar territory after a myriad of misunderstandings in a minibus taxi. Mary Twala was nominated for Best Supporting Actress at the 6th Africa Movie Academy Awards for her role as Fedora. SarafinaRead More →

EMILY HARRISON Following on from her SAMA wins, she also took home the Best International Act BET award and was nominated for the same category this year. Her international attention led to her sharing the stage with Beyoncé and Ed Sheeran at the Global Citizen Festival last year. Her song ‘John Cena’ gained a lot of attention in 2019, spawning a viral dance that led her to the American talk show, The Kelly Clarkson Show. The WWE legend surprised her on the show and her catchy hit singles cemented her as an international icon. To date, two of her songs, ‘John Cena’ and ‘Huku’ haveRead More →

EMILY HARRISON Mi Casa just marked their decade in the industry with the appropriately titled 5th album, We Made It. The iconic Afro-pop trio seems to be on a winning streak with the first single of the album ‘Church Bells’ soaring to the top of charts across the country, and they recently signed with Afroforce1 Records, part of the Universal Music Group. The creative process behind the album was aided by the band renting a house in the middle of Mpumalanga so that they could work without distractions. This dedication is can be seen in the highly anticipated album which can be described as theRead More →

STEPHANIE COOKSON At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, it was widely circulated that in 12 to 18 months, a vaccine might be available. It became a general consensus that the public needed to push to the foreseeable future and that the vaccine would put an end to the pandemic. However, experts have pointed out that this process will likely take much longer, increasing the importance of safety measures like masks and social distancing, as they may be the best defense for many months to come. PDBY spoke to Professor Jan Verschoor from UP’s Department of Biochemistry, Genetics, and Microbiology, to find out why aRead More →

MARREN MCKAY As a university student, the prospect of being eco-friendly can often feel overwhelming as well as expensive. It is, understandably, difficult to try, and be both sustainable and stick to a budget. However, it is important to note that every small change a person makes can benefit the environment, and it is not necessary to change one’s whole lifestyle overnight. The journey to living plastic-free and eco-friendly is taken in small steps. Professor Peter le Roux, an Ecology and Biodiversity Professor at the Department of Plant and Soil Science, who focuses on community ecology, with particular attention to interspecific interactions and the impactsRead More →