Ms Zanele Mohoto, ABASA General Secretary, congratulates Mr Bongani Tshabalala, winner of an ABASA award

ABASA’s vision is to redress the inequalities of the past by facilitating access to the accounting profession for black people. With around 300 members at UKZN, ABASA members organise workshops on topics like time management and conduct extra classes for first, second and third year accounting students. They also visit schools to raise awareness among learners about the profession. After the public sector strike, they offered classes in Accounting, Mathematics and Science at Thembelihle High in Newcastle.

Participants in the second African Leadership Seminar: People and Conservation.

The Centre for Environment, Agriculture and Development (CEAD), based on UKZN’s Pietermaritzburg campus, has successfully hosted the second African Leadership Seminar: People and Conservation.

The Seminar is an ongoing partnership programme designed to explore and improve individual and collective understanding about issues at the interface of people and conservation. CEAD’s partners in this initiative include the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service, Welsh Assembly Government, the University of Montana, International Centre for Protected Landscapes (Wales), Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife and SANParks.

“The partners recognise that conservation in southern Africa is increasingly challenged to realise concrete benefits for society – it is as much about engaging local communities, accommodating their interests, and promoting their quality of life as it is about managing biodiversity per se,” said Mr Duncan Hay, convener of the Seminar.

The partners also acknowledge that conservation and natural resource management is at a tipping point; that the connections between global environmental health, human health and the very future of global society are finally being drawn, and that the protection of the Earth’s resources is now firmly part of mainstream global debate and action.

Twenty-three senior conservationists, natural resource managers and researchers from Namibia, Angola, Zambia, Botswana, Kenya and South Africa participated in this year’s Seminar which took place in the Northern Tuli Game Reserve and Mapungubwe World Heritage site in the Limpopo-Shashe Transfrontier Conservation Area, and the Waterberg Biosphere Reserve. For eight days they were exposed to new ideas in structured and informal working sessions, and to a range of landscape, ecosystems and socio-economic circumstances that acted as catalysts for discussion.

According to Dr Marlize Coleman, AVRI program manager, the workshop encouraged interaction and participation among participants to facilitate healthy debate and sharing of research experience and research challenges within the African context. The main focus areas included:

For further information and future course dates please contact Prasidh Ramson at Prasidh@iceeafrica.co.za

Professor Johan Jacobs

“Professor Jacobs is an outstanding scholar and researcher and I urge the University community to give him all the support,” said Vice-Chancellor Professor Malegapuru Makgoba.

Professor Jacobs obtained the MPhil and PhD degrees at Columbia University in New York, specialising in American Literature. He has been the recipient of a number of scholarships and awards, including the Ernest Oppenheimer Memorial Trust Scholarship, the HSRC Doctoral Bursary for Overseas Study, the Witwatersrand Council of Education Travel Bursary (for travel and study in Britain), as well as a Columbia University Graduate Scholarship and President's Fellowship.

Professor Jacobs joined the University of Natal as a lecturer in English in 1975, eventually being promoted to Senior Professor. Since the late 1970s his research specialisation has been mainly in South African and Postcolonial writing, and he has published approximately 75 journal articles, chapters in books, and books on South African and postcolonial fiction, autobiography, prison memoirs and travel writing. A book of critical essays on the writings of Zakes Mda is currently with UKZN Press. In 2003 he was elected a Fellow of the former University of Natal and is also currently President of the International Literature of Region and Nation Association.

He has served on a wide range of University committees, and has been the Humanities representative on the University Research Committee and many of its subcommittees for a number of years. He is also currently Chair of the Ethics Sub-Committee for Human and Social Sciences.

Professor Malegapuru Makgoba, Vice-Chancellor UKZN, said “She is an extremely talented person, with drive and compassion. She is a wonderful colleague to work with and have around in your team. She more than deserves this recognition which can only inspire her to greater things. UKZN is proud to have an academic and an outstanding leader of this calibre.”

Professor Dasarath Chetty

The citation read out by Dr T P Naidoo stated: “Professor Dasarath Chetty is an exemplary example of a small band of accomplished academics who have not forgotten their humble roots and have ploughed back their talent into community development and upliftment of people from previously disadvantaged communities. While his prowess and skills in being the public face of the University of KwaZulu- Natal were always in sharp focus, it was actually in a totally different arena that he made an even greater impact in redressing the apartheid legacies – especially among the forgotten and the socially oppressed.

“He diplomatically engineered the amalgamation of the apartheid divided child welfare societies. He faced bouquets and brickbats, accolades and antagonism - but he steadfastly made his point and created history by breaking down barriers and by driving the amalgamation process of Indian, White and African child welfare societies in Durban. He was rewarded with being the first President of Durban Children’s Society the amalgamated entity in 1999 after serving for 7 years as the President of Durban Indian Child Welfare Society. He then became the first National President of Child Welfare South Africa (CWSA) in 2004, representing 250 Child Welfare Societies, a position he still holds.

“As the current President of CWSA, Professor Chetty led the restructuring of the movement so as to improve service delivery to the previously marginalised and entirely neglected – the rural poor and African communities. From a historical focus on the urban, predominantly White areas, Professor Chetty took this venerable organisation, founded in 1917 as the South African National Council for Child & Family Welfare, into the modern era.

“Professor Chetty is truly an embodiment of all that UKZN represents – scholarship within an African context; an ethos of mutual respect; collaboration and collegiality; synergy between research, teaching and community engagement and the highest standard of academic response to the challenges of our country.” 

Professor Karthy Govender

His address included federalism, affirmative action, reservation and reverse discrimination.

Professor Govender, a Human Rights Commissioner, was invited by the BP Koirala India-Nepal Foundation (BPKF) to address leading experts, decision and policy makers as well as the wider public in Nepal, India and other countries on key aspects and issues in the process of constitution drafting.

The four-day intense interaction with the key players took place in Kathmandu, Nepal from September 2-5. The BPKF is an autonomous bilateral body formed by both the governments of India and Nepal to engage in promoting discussion around issues and debates for Nepal's new constitution.

Ambassador of India to Nepal and Co-Chairperson of the BPKF, Mr Shiv Shankar Mukherjee, who extended the invitation to Professor Govender, said: “Given your expertise, experience and standing in areas related with constitution making in South Africa, we would feel privileged if you could find it convenient to participate in the event, which we plan to be a flagship event in the ongoing discourse in Nepal on drawing up a new constitution.”

Professor Karthy Govender said: “The Nepalese and Indian Governments want to ensure a settlement that is enduring and will guarantee participation and dialogue enabling the people to make a more informed decision.” He added that it was a daunting but exciting challenge.

Professor Oluyinka Adejumo wearing the President’s Purple Cord

The School of Nursing has received the President’s Purple Cord Award for being the most active and responsive sub-chapter of the Sigma Theta Tau International (STTI) Tau Lambda-at-Large Chapter in Africa. The STTI award is in recognition of various activities the school has been involved in over the past two years. The award was made by the president of the Africa Chapter, Dr Naomi Seboni of Botswana.

The STTI is the second largest international organisation for nursing in the world. It recognises high achievers at university programmes in nursing as well as community leaders. It recruits members through university schools of nursing and in Africa the Chapter has about 15 university schools active in the organisation. In August the President of STT International, Dr Carol Picard, visited UKZN to inaugurate new members into the organisation.

The School of Nursing has successfully undertaken various projects over the past two years. Among the most prominent was organising and hosting last year’s annual Tau Lambda Chapter conference attended by 200 international delegates and the Joanna Briggs Institute Colloquium - which promotes the STTI, internationally - attracting 150 international delegates.

Professor Oluyinka Adejumo, Head of the School of Nursing, has recently been elected onto the Board of Directors of the STTI Africa Chapter with the Portfolio of Director of Resources. He was also awarded a travel fellowship for senior executive attachment in a university of his choice by the Association of Universities in Africa.

Professor Leana Uys, Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Head of the College of Health Sciences said: “The School of Nursing has brought great honour and acclaim to the University of KwaZulu-Natal over the years and we congratulate the entire team of staff and students for their contribution to the enrichment of the nursing profession.”

Professor Emily Akuno

“The new Head of School, Professor Akuno is bright, eloquent and she speaks her mind as many artists do in a diplomatic and polite manner. I have no doubt that she will lead the School into a brighter future,” said Professor Sihawu Ngubane, Deputy Dean: Undergraduate, Faculty of Humanities, Development and Social Sciences (HDSS). 

L-R Miss Monica Otu, Miss Sabelo Zondo , Ms Mahesvari Naidu (lecturer), Miss Ashling McCarthy

Ms Maheshvari Naidu, a lecturer at the School of Anthropology, Gender and Historical Studies, has been awarded a grant of
R38 000 by the African Origins Month project.

The grant also allowed Ms Naidu to develop a mini documentary on the fossil site of Sterkfontein in the Cradle of Humankind and to make this available to students as an additional resource.

He is doing this in co-operation with Rob Mr Davies and Mr Stewart Ngandu of the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) and Mr James Thurlow of the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).

The project has three components:

The project is funded by the Conflict and Governance Facility (CAGE) - a partnership project between the South African government and the European Commission - and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI). Research team members recently presented some initial findings to a group of policymakers and research experts at a seminar held at the HSRC in Pretoria.

Dr Kriben Pillay with Woza Moya youth co-ordinator Mr Gundane Mthembu

Dr Kriben Pillay of the Leadership Centre, conducted a two-day community outreach workshop for the Woza Moya Project in the rural Midlands of KwaZulu-Natal in July. Supported by author Mr Steven Harrison, the founder of the Living School in Boulder, Colorado, the workshop focused on discovering leadership skills, and is seen as the first part of an on-going youth leadership development programme in an area devastated by AIDS-related deaths.

Dr Pillay worked with 13 scholars and young adults, many from single parent homes - one of the scholars was recently orphaned when her mother died in April this year. Using experiential learning activities and taking the approach of working from within resulted in there being very little theory - except for theory that came with reflection. However, Dr Pillay found the group unearthed notions of leadership and ensemble working that has only surfaced fairly recently in organisational learning. The group displayed amazing creativity in activities that ranged from role-play and drawing to choral singing.

On August 30, there was a special presentation ceremony at Woza Moya when Dr Pillay handed over Certificates of Participation to all the participants.

Mr Sisa Nhlabathi and Mr Nkanyiso Maphumulo, both from the University of Zululand, made arrangements for students to attend and they were impressed by the keen interest exhibitors showed towards the students.

Law Professions Day is now an annual event on the Law Faculty calendar.  

SIFE members celebrate their success at the National Competition in Johannesburg.

The students entered six of their projects in the competition:

Mr Mandla Ndaba, Student Development Officer, who is the Faculty Advisor to the UKZN SIFE Team, won the Faculty Advisor of the Year award which earned him a trip to the SIFE World Cup in New York in October. Ms Zime Ngcobo, SIFE Team presenting member on women empowerment projects, was selected to represent South Africa at the Financial Literacy Forum in New York in October.

Back L-R Mr Brian Kwazi Majola, Mrs Kalnisha Thomas Professor David Coldwell and Mrs Judith Nzimande Front L-R Miss Levania Singh, Mr Christian Nyaba and Mr Calvin Thomas

Professor David Coldwell, Head of School and Professor of Management, accompanied the South African students to Germany. Academic staff from the three institutions taught at the Summer School. Plans are afoot to make the School an annual event, with it rotating among the three partners.

Many international students at UKZN undertake a course in Service Learning, to meet the requirements in their home country for a community work component.

Dr Mxolisi Ngcongo, Lecturer in the School of Sociology and Social Studies teaches this course to international students. He is keen to introduce the course to students in the College of Humanities as a pilot project for the whole University.

“Service Learning allows students to gain experiential learning and training; and to volunteer their services to the community in line with government’s idea of volunteerism,” said Dr Ngcongo. He adds that Service Learning helps students unpack concepts and get a better understanding of the theory that they learn in the classroom.

International student Ms Megan Larscheid worked with street children through Street Wise. She described her placement as “an amazing experience… I was a bit intimidated at first… but now I would not have changed my placement for anything. My skills in forming relationships have grown, and I have learned the importance of good communication. I have grasped the reality of the situation of street kids here in Durban, and I have no doubt that I will be connected with this issue for the rest of my life. As a social work student I have been struggling in narrowing down the field that I wish to work in. Now I am certain that I would like to work with adolescent groups.”

The UKZN School of Music will present two lunch-hour concerts next week:

Luis Magalhaes and Nina Schumann will perform Brahms 'Paganini Variations' and Rachmaninoff 'Suite no.2'

On Wednesday the School of Music presents a selection of the finest singing from a range of students at the Opera Studio and Choral Academy.

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