Milestone Anniversary for UKZN’s Controlled Environment Facility
Staff and students at the Controlled Environment Facility.The Controlled Environment Facility (CEF) at UKZN’s Agriculture campus in Pietermaritzburg celebrated its 50th anniversary on 10 July 2018.
The world-class facility is vital for undergraduate and postgraduate student practical training and enables researchers to undertake controlled experiments and breed crops out of season using a controlled environment.
Notable practical and research contributions include horticultural research by the late Professor Peter Allan who erected the first tunnel, high protein maize research by Professor Hans Gevers, hydroponics work by Professor Irwin Smith; and research by Professor of Plant Pathology and Director of the African Centre for Crop Improvement (ACCI), Mark Laing.
Laing, Chairperson of the CEF management committee, has also modified a number of tunnels designed for European environments to better suit South African conditions.
The Disciplines of Crop and Horticultural Sciences, Plant Pathology, Plant Breeding, Soil Science and the ACCI make use of CEF, and staff from Agricultural Engineering utilise it for postgraduate training and research.
Undergraduate practicals take place at CEF and it has enabled researchers to conduct internationally renowned and collaborative research.
‘It is transformational,’ said Laing. ‘We can do two crops a year for postgraduate students which would otherwise be impossible.’
The facility boasts 16 greenhouses (or tunnels), two multi-span shade houses and 10 glasshouses. There are five large walk-in growth rooms, two small growth rooms, two convirons, four drying ovens, five laboratories, one post-harvest laboratory, eight potting media holding bays, a potting storage cage, three cold rooms, one milling room, lecture rooms, a media steamer, two fertigation units (combining irrigation with fertilisation) serving the greenhouses, the Horticultural garden and the Plant Pathology disease garden.
Numerous pot trials enable screening for abiotic and biotic stress tolerance and for multiplication of small quantities of seeds acquired from research collaborators. Heat pumps ensure efficient use of electricity and a system of water tanks, heat pumps and water pipes keeps plant roots at the optimum temperature.
Behind the facility, Agrometeorology’s automatic weather station records current and recent weather in real-time. It is anticipated that planned future tunnels will be equipped with loggers to record agrometeorological conditions.
Three technicians manage the facility: Ms Susan van der Merwe for the ACCI and Plant Pathology, Mr Matt Erasmus for Horticultural Sciences and Agricultural Production Sciences (AGPS) and Mr Brian Karlsen in Electronics.
Around 80 students currently utilise CEF, and numerous alumni of the University have conducted their research here, including 117 ACCI PhD graduates. Students in the Plant Breeding MSc Program for Africa conduct their trials in the facility, and CEF provides facilities essential for horticultural research into postharvest handling of fruit. CEF has been essential for more than 50 postgraduate students conducting biocontrol research, and several research projects have been conducted in its fields.
Current crops under research include maize, sorghum, beans, strawberries, wheat, cowpea, pawpaws and tomatoes.
Challenges facing the facility include costs of preventative maintenance and efficiency upgrades, as well as staff constraints and repair of damage from extreme weather events like 2015’s severe hailstorms.
Words and photograph: Christine Cuénod
author : .author email : .Uncle and Nephew Reunite for Creative Project
Professor Kriben Pillay and Mr Vaneshran Arumugam.Professor Kriben Pillay and his nephew, the acclaimed stage, TV and film actor, Vaneshran Arumugam, reunited after seven years to embark on another performance project.
The reunion was made possible when Arumugam took up a contract position in Drama at UKZN in Pietermaritzburg, an ideal interim position as he’s just relocated with his family to the Midlands from Cape Town.
Pillay and Arumugam collaborated on an original piece in 2011 that premiered at an Arts and Consciousness conference in the UK. The work explored consciousness through the works and words of Shakespeare.
The current collaboration is partly autobiographical and is a dramatic treatment of Pillay’s explorations in the field of leadership; especially bringing a consciousness rather than a materialistic perspective into the disciplinary discourse.
Well known for using baffling illusions in his teaching, the new piece will incorporate illusion-making as a central theatrical device to tell its story.
‘The story itself is a surprise, but one that most academics will relate to in one way or the other,’ said Pillay.
About working with his uncle again, Arumugam said ‘it was like coming home.’
‘I earned my first professional salary as a performer in a play done by one of my uncle’s Honours student in the UDW Drama Department in 1986. I was 11 years old at the time and went on to tour as a stagehand with my uncle’s hit play Looking for Muruga in 1992. I was lucky very early in my career to land roles in long running TV sitcoms like S.O.S. and Suburban Bliss, but one of the highlights of my career has been playing Hamlet for the Royal Shakespeare Company at Stratford-upon-Avon, the birthplace of Shakespeare, which was life-changing and set the foundation for collaborating with my uncle years later exploring Consciousness and Performance,’ said Arumugam.
His portrayal was featured in a BBC documentary about the role titled Imagine… Being Hamlet.
Pillay, a recipient of multiple national arts awards, said that the new play was planned for either later this year or early 2019 and is provisionally titled An Ill-disciplined Inquiry.
Words: Ndabaonline
author : .author email : .Grade 12 Learners Visit UKZN E G Malherbe Library
Holy Family College Grade 12 pupils at UKZN.Holy Family College matric pupils recently visited the UKZN E G Malherbe Library on the Howard College campus. Ms Rozelle Theresa Munien, a teacher at the school, said the selection of the E G Malherbe Library for the referencing workshop was a natural instinct for her as a teacher because it is a well-established library and she has had an experience with the library from when she was studying at UKZN.
Mrs Faith Magwaza, a Principal Librarian in the College of Humanities, saw this visit as an opportunity to introduce the learners to other referencing styles and showcase the services that subject librarians offer regarding the support of teaching and learning at UKZN. ‘It was an honour and a rare opportunity to share knowledge with our future students,’ said Bhengu.
Among the potential future students at UKZN was vibrant and outspoken Joshua Govindsamy, a Holy Family College prefect who has already been provisionally accepted at UKZN where he intends to pursue a Mathematics and Computer Science degree. For Govindsamy, this workshop has already given him a head start as a future student.
Munien further said the workshop offered her pupils an advantage of being able to use the library and locating the resources needed for assignments. ‘These skills nurture the spirit of enquiry, improves pupils’ researching skills as well as allowing them into the journey of imagination to identify and solve problems in the environment they live in,’ she said.
Words and photograph: Nokubonga Nomasiko Jele
author : .author email : .UKZN Students Participate in Youth Summit in Parliament
Young Mbazo and Miranda Mbonambi flying the UKZN flag in Parliament.Walking in the footsteps of the legends, members of Scathamiya group the Young Mbazo and Miranda Mbonambi recently visited the South African parliament in Cape Town. The visit was part of the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund Summit held in parliament from 10 to 12 July.
About 350 young people from across the country attended the summit where the Young Mbazo also got the opportunity to perform at the conference gala dinner. The Young Mbazo leader and founder is Babuyile Shabalala, the grandson of Dr Bhekizizwe Shababala, the leader and founder of internationally renowned acapella group Ladysmith Black Mambazo.
He is also the group’s Artistic Director and UKZN BA Music, Media and Drama Performance Studies student. Speaking on behalf of the group, Babuyile said, ‘This was an awakening experience that brought much understanding to us about Chapter 9 institutions and the structures in parliament.’
Mbonambi, an honours student with majors in Criminology and Forensic Studies was selected as one of the 20 delegates that were representing Durban after participating in a conference hosted by the Nelson Mandela Foundation. For Mbonambi, the summit was a memorable event as this was the very first youth summit to be held in parliament and also gave her the opportunity to travel around Cape Town and appreciate its beauty.
She said that as a delegate, she engaged in critical dialogue with political leaders about the challenges affecting the youth. ‘The youth for the longest times, has felt voiceless especially young kids from as young as eight years and this was a chance to visit parliament and be a voice for every child in South Africa that couldn’t attend,’ said Mbonambi.
Words and photographs: Nokubonga Nomasiko Jele
author : .author email : .UKZN Veterinarian Mentors Conservation Officer in SeycheIles
UKZN veterinarian, Dr Sanil Singh and Ms Nazreen Khan at Aride Island Conservation Centre in Seychelles.Dr Sanil Singh, UKZN Veterinarian and former Head of the Biomedical Resources Unit recently visited Seychelles where he spent a few days on the conservation island of Aride. This island is a unique bird sanctuary that is home to over 500 000 breeding pairs of seabirds.
The resident population of birds included greater and lesser noddies, sea terns, magpie robins and many more.
Singh dedicated one morning to train the conservation officer in Necropsy techniques for birds.
‘This training would enable the conservation officer to determine how and what samples they collect for further lab analysis,’ he said
‘In addition, we had discussion on biosecurity and role of conservation in One Health,’ Singh said.
The Seychelles Conservation Institute had invited Singh through his former student, Ms Nazreen Khan.
Khan completed her MSc from the School of Life Sciences but was resident at the Biomedical Resources Unit wherein Singh and Dr Linda Bester supervised all her research in conjunction with the KZN Sharks Board.
The total human population of Aride island is seven of which two are conservation officers and other boatmen and volunteers. The island is accessed by flying into the international airport in Victoria, Mahe and either by ferry or a quick flight to Praslin. It is from Praslin that he was picked for a 45-minute rubber duck journey on rough seas to Aride.
Words: Lihle Sosibo
Photograph supplied by Sanil Singh
author : .author email : .Stakeholder Workshop on Identification of Decision Support Tools for Sustainable Human Settlement
Delegates at the Workshop.Addressing the challenges of delivering sustainable human settlements in South Africa through the use of decision support tools was the topic of a workshop recently held at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. The project is funded by the Department of Science and Technology and managed by the Technology Innovation Agency.
The primary objective of the project is to identify an effective and high impact transformational decision support tool in South Africa that will assist in scaling up the delivery of sustainable settlements projects. The project is led by UKZN academics, Dr Sithembiso Myeni from the School of Built Environment and Development Studies and Dr Andrew Okem from the School of Life Sciences. They are assisted by postgraduate students from different academic disciplines at the University. The workshop was attended by key housing stakeholders from various levels of government as well as housing organisations in South Africa. Mr Tshepang Mosiea represented the Department of Science and Technology.
UKZN Deputy Vice Chancellor for Research, Professor Deresh Ramjugernath opened the workshop with a welcome message to the participants. He expressed his happiness that UKZN is involved in this exciting partnership with the Department of Science and Technology adding that a project of this nature is consistent with the University’s research priorities and flagship projects. On his part, the Dean of the School of Built Environment and Development Studies, Professor Ernest Khalema, noted that it was a great opportunity that the project is located in the School. He commended the project leaders and workshop participants and expressed optimism about the socio-economic impacts of the project of this nature.
Throughout the day, participants at the workshop engaged in lively discussions on the identification of decision support tools for sustainable human settlement. The experiences shared by the stakeholders who are on the frontline of human settlement in South Africa was a critical contribution to the project. The team looks forward to an exciting time ahead as they move towards the finalisation of the project.
Words: Andrew Okem and Sithembiso Myeni
Photograph: Onke Aphelele Qwabe
author : .author email : .#CoCreatemycity in The Netherlands
UKZN Cocreates in The Netherlands.The beautiful city of Den Haag (The Hague) and the renowned Technical University (TU) of Delft played host to the Dutch leg of the #Cocreatemycity initiative.
Introduced to UKZN’s School of Engineering by the Kingdom of The Netherlands Embassy in South Africa in 2016, the #Cocreatemycity initiative has developed into a well-established multi-disciplinary and transcontinental experiential learning process involving four universities namely UKZN, Durban University of Technology, TU Delf and Erasmus.
Under the guidance of skilled professionals, students develop a deeper understanding of their disciplines whilst they apply their minds to developing sustainable solutions to real world problems. In the words of former Dutch Ambassador Marisa Gerards, ‘If you combine business with government and knowledge institutions, you can solve almost any problem.’
In July 2018, five South African students; Ms Tauheeda Ahmed and Phakamile Ndlovu, both from UKZN’s Chemical Engineering discipline and three students from DUT with mentors, Drs Rudi Kimmie (UKZN’s AfriHub) and Sogen Moodley (DUT), winged their way to The Netherlands to participate with their Dutch counterparts in the Dutch leg of #Cocreatemycity. Wayfinding was the theme of the challenge presented by the Delft Municipality and the South African students with their Dutch colleagues had to develop a smart solution to optimise the cycling travel routes to TU Delft University.
The project cemented bilateral camaraderie and imparted valuable technical and innovative skills.
#Cocreatemycity will return to South Africa (Cape Town) in 2019.
Words and photographs: Rudi Kimmie
author : .author email : .Researcher Links Workshop Brings Together Scientists
Researcher Links delegates at Fountainhill Estate.The School of Agricultural, Earth and Environmental Sciences (SAEES) at UKZN recently hosted a five-day British Council Researcher Links Workshop on the topic of breeding and modelling underutilised crops for community resilience.
The workshop, held in July, was organised through the British Council Researcher Links programme, and funded through the Newton Fund and South Africa’s National Research Foundation (NRF). Proceedings were facilitated by principal facilitators Dr Sean Mayes and Professor Festo Massawe from the University of Nottingham, Dr Alice Muchugi and Dr Prasad Hendré of the World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF) in Kenya, and Professor Albert Modi and Dr Tafadzwa Mabhaudhi of UKZN.
More than 50 early-career researchers (ECRs), facilitators, mentors and students attended the event, including delegations of researchers from universities and research institutions in Kenya, universities in the United Kingdom and Malaysia, and universities and research institutions across South Africa. Attendees included a number of postgraduate students from South African institutions.
The purpose of Researcher Links workshops is to bring together early career researchers (ECRs) and seasoned researchers to provide mentorship opportunities and initiate long-term collaborations. The programme included an opportunity for participants to introduce themselves, with ECRs presenting a poster summarising their current research.
During the course of the workshop, ECRs formed multidisciplinary groups across countries and disciplines to evaluate across crops, worked on developing a plan for increasing uptake of each crop and investigated the requirements to exploit genomics. The groups compared crop-specific examples to develop a “generic” framework approach for any underutilised crop, and developed their understanding of the importance of field-based analysis and the farmer contribution to identifying key trait requirements for improvement.
The workshop activities facilitated career development, networking and mentoring through carefully tailored sessions.
A highlight of the workshop was attendance at the uMngeni Resilience Project (URP) Farmers’ Day at the Ukulinga Research Farm, where more than 200 small-scale farmers, extension officers, government officials and researchers gathered to hear about the experiences, challenges and aspirations of small-scale farmers from across the uMgungundlovu District and beyond. This enabled participants to interact directly with farmers in their efforts to breed and model underutilised crops for community resilience.
Another day of the workshop was held at Fountainhill Estate near Wartburg where numerous disciplines at UKZN conduct research.
‘I learnt a lot from the interactions and my interest in crops, particularly the underutilised, has grown many folds,’ said Dr Ojola Odeny of Kenyatta University. ‘I am looking at traditional crops differently after the workshop.’
Words and photograph: Christine Cuénod
author : .author email : .PhD Intern Researcher Presents Paper at Political Science Congress
Mr Lukhona Mnguni with former UKZN academic Professor Bheki Mngomezulu at the conference.Mr Lukhona Mnguni, a PhD intern researcher at the Maurice Webb Race Relations Unit (MWRRU) in the School of Social Sciences, recently attended the 25th World Congress of Political Science. This Congress was held in Brisbane, Australia, under the theme Borders and Margins.
It brought together over 2 000 academics and PhD candidates from all corners of the world to present their work in a variety of panels. Mnguni presented a paper titled African Presidential Systems and How to Fix Them.
The constructive feedback received from a reviewer and attendees of the panel has given Mnguni new insights on his work. He said, ‘I am grateful to my reviewer from Turkey whom I met at the conference. She provided great insights and asked important questions that will help me refine the paper as I work towards publishing it. The audience also had some exciting questions and viewpoints to share on the paper.’
Attending this prestigious and possibly the biggest conference on political science was a dream come true for Mnguni. He has the College of Humanities to thank for the support it provided him to make it possible to attend the congress. Mnguni also thanked his Director, Professor Paulus Zulu, who extends ongoing support to his personal and scholastic growth.
One of the highlights of the conference for Mnguni was a plenary presentation by Professor Lisa Hill who presented on Compulsory Voting in Australia: Effects, Public Acceptance and Democratic Justification.
This was an interesting learning point for Mnguni because, according to him, ‘the idea of compulsory voting is not widely talked about in South Africa as part of democracy innovation as seen in Australia. Safe to say it has made me think far and wide about formats of democracy even though compulsory voting is practiced in a few countries globally.’
At the conference there was also a plenary session by world renowned Professor Cynthia Enloe who presented on Patriarchy is Bigger than Donald Trump, giving a wide ranging view on feminist research and patriarchy, especially in the last 35 years or so. Mnguni is back home continuing work on his PhD.
Words: Ndabaonline
Photograph supplied
author : .author email : .UKZN Student Reflects on His Time Abroad
UKZN student Lloyd Chaitezvi exploring Trento, a picturesque town in Italy.UKZN Civil Engineering student, Mr Lloyd Chaitezvi has recently returned from Italy where he spent six months at the University of Trento, Italy, as part of the Erasmus+ Mobility Exchange programme.
Originally from Kadoma, a small mining city in Zimbabwe, the UKZN Master’s student is interested in the design and implementation of Smart and Sustainable cities in Africa using Sustainability Indicators.
While at Trento, he carried out his research under Associate Professor Antonnio Frattari who also supervised his case study in the city. Chaitezvi also presented a conference paper in Naples on Building a Framework for a Sustainable African City of the Future.
Chaitezvi was a dedicated student who made good use of his time abroad by immersing himself in Italian culture. His fondest memories include enjoying the stunning Italian scenery, exploring ancient castles and cathedrals and eating ‘marvellous pizza’!
He delighted in meeting “friendly and accommodating people” at the “culturally diverse” university. ‘It was also safe to walk around at any time of the day and I met students from around the world,’ said Chaitezvi.
The Engineering student relished learning how ancient buildings were designed and constructed and the measures the city (Trento) took to be ranked one of the Smart Cities in Europe.
While the medium of instruction at the University of Trento was Italian for Bachelor’s degrees, Chaitezvi was relieved that English was used for higher degrees. ‘I also attended Italian courses where they taught us the basics of the language to be able to effectively converse to Italian natives. Quite a number of Italian nationals spoke little or no English at all,’ he said.
Highlights from his trip include learning how to walk in the snow and how to make pizza.
Challenges he faced included the language barrier as well as learning to adapt to the extremely cold, snowy environment.
Student Exchange/Study Abroad Co-ordinator, Ms Preshantha Reddy was delighted that Chaitezvi enjoyed his time abroad and said the Erasmus+ Project was strengthening international collaborations.
The fourth born in a family of five children, Chaitezvi has two older brothers, William and Victor, an older sister Grace, and a younger sister named Sharon. ‘We are all enthusiastic about sport and our parents gave us a lot of support. They also ensured that we excelled both academically and in sport, becoming disciplined children in the process,’ he said.
His hobbies include playing cricket, rugby and hockey, travelling, reading motivational books and designing structures and houses.
Chaitezvi is set on being a renowned Structural Engineer and plans on going into industry after his Master’s. ‘I have a passion for bridge design, and later in life I intend to start my own Civil Engineering firm. I also want to help those less fortunate by putting them through school so they can better their lives,’ he said.
‘Be yourself, your only competition is you and you don’t need to be intimidated by other people’s success. Focus on you, believe in yourself, and whatever you do, do it to the best of your ability,’ he told fellow students.
Words: Raylene Captain Hasthibeer
author : .author email : .No Stopping UKZN Alumnus
Inspiring greatness: Dr Lethiwe Myeza.UKZN alumnus, Dr Lethiwe Myeza, recently graduated with a Diploma in Anaesthetics despite living with the debilitating and rare condition of Scleroderma. She is currently working in Pietermaritzburg as a Medical Officer in the Anaesthetics Department; undertaking rotations in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) as part of her duties.
Scleroderma is a group of rare autoimmune diseases that may result in changes to the skin, blood vessels, muscles and internal organs. The actual cause is unknown and there is no cure, except lifelong use of medications to suppress one’s immunity thereby reducing inflammation and the various symptoms associated with it. Myeza’s condition is quite progressive and debilitating, preventing her from pursuing a fellowship in Anaesthetics and registering with the Colleges of Medicine as an Anaesthetist. She was diagnosed in 2008 whilst still a Medical student.
‘The deformities on my hands have been making it difficult to do normal chores like zipping and buttoning up, tying shoe laces and holding utensils. Basically, my fine motor function is affected. Exposing my hands to water is another burden on its own. If I do house chores, I wear gloves but the gloves cause pain from frequent vascular ulcers on my hands, so the deformity is quite significant. The hallmark of this disease is tightness, thickening, excessive collagen production, decreased blood flow to the hands which all contributes to the symptoms mentioned above,’ she said.
Myeza is the last born in a family of five children. Her father passed away whilst she was very young and has no memory of him. She was raised by her mother with support from extended family and friends. After matriculating from Dikana High School in the Nkonjeni area in Ulundi, she managed to secure a Department of Health bursary to pursue her studies.
She graduated from UKZN’s Medical School in 2010 and went on to serve her internship at Ladysmith Provincial Hospital, thereafter completing her community service in 2013 at Vryheid District Hospital. Here, she remained until moving to Pietermaritzburg.
She was inspired to pursue a career in Medicine after her grandmother fell ill. ‘When I was still in primary school, my maternal grandmother got sick and at that age I had no idea what she suffered from. All I knew was that she was in pain and suffering and that really hurt me as I felt helpless,’ she said.
‘I remember very clearly that when my aunt and I took her to the nearest clinic for treatment, we had to use a wheelbarrow to transport her. From that experience, I vowed that I would do my best to ensure that none of my loved ones suffered in that manner. Through that experience, together with being inspired by my high school teacher, Miss Mncwabe, I pursued my dream to qualify as a medical doctor,’ added Myeza.
‘I am in a position whereby I have accepted that I’ve got an incurable disease but I feel my story will give someone hope and knowledge that having a terminal illness does not mean the end of you.’
Words: MaryAnn Francis
author : .author email : .Abafundi Baxwayisa Ngokuhlukunyezwa Ngokobulili
Amandla asedlanzeni Zethu.Click here for English version
Zi-1 KuNcwaba (Agasti) ngonyaka wezi-2018, abesifazane bazozonke izinkolo, izinhlanga kanye namasiko bebehlangane bemasha belwisana nokuhlukunyezwa ngokobulili.
Imashi yaqala e-Curries Fountain yaze yagcina eHholo Lasedolobheni eThekwini. Abafundi abenza unyaka wesine ku-Occupational Therapy eNyuvesi yaKwaZulu-Natal abasasebenza emphakathini baba yingxenye yemashi.
Inhloso yemashi kwakuwukuxwayisa ngokubulawa kwabesifazane futhi kuqedwe lokho. Imibala yemashi yayifaka umbala omnyama nobomvu njengoba lemibala kuyimibala emele amalungelo abantu. Umyalezo owawudluliswa kule mashi ukuthi 'umzimba wowesifazane awuyona indawo yokuba owesilisa agangele kuwo'.
‘Kubemnandi ukubona abantu besifazane besebenzisana beyimbumba ukuze bafeze umgomo owodwa,’ kusho uLindelwa Mamba, omumye wabafundi be-Occupational Therapy obebambe iqhaza kule mashi. UMamba kanye nozakwabo bazizwa beziqhenya uma bebona amandla abanawo abantu besifazane; babona nesidingo sokuqala iphrojekthi yabo ezoba semphakathini abasebenzela kuwona KwaDabeka. Abafundi be-Occupational Therapy sebeqale iphrojekthi yokuxwayisa ngokuhlukunyezwa ngobudlova kanye nosizo abangaluthola ukuqinisekisa ukuphepha.
UNozipho Tembe, ongomunye wabafundi be-Occupational Therapy, uthe, ‘Ngiyathemba sizowenza umehluko uma sisebenza emphakathini futhi sizophumelela kuphrojekthi yethu. ‘Abafundi kade besebenza ngokuzimisela kule phrojekthi yokuxwayisa ngokuhlukunyezwa ngokobulili ezoqala eMqhele High School KwaDabeka. Asenzeni umehluko'.
Amagama nesithombe: u-Aziza Mulla
author : .author email : .Umfundi Wezokwelapha Usungula Uhlelo Olunenqubekela Phambili Lokuxwayisa Ngezempilo
UKZN nabakwa-Habitat for Humanityngesikhathi kunomkhankaso we-TB and HIV Screening eMgababa ngoNtulikazi (Julayi).Click here for English version
Umfundi wezokwelapha ofunda unyaka wesithathu eSikoleni Sezokwelapha i-Nelson R. Mandela e-UKZN usesungule uhlelo olunenqubekela phambili lokwexwayisa nge-TB kanye ne-HIV e-Mgababa, eNingizimu yeTheku.
Uhlelo luka Mnu Ashiq Pramchand lwaqala onyakeni owedlule lapho wayebambisene ne “Habitat for Humanity”, inhlagano engenzinzuzo yamazwe omhlaba, eyakhela abantu abampofu izindlu.
‘Sesizwile ngezinhlelo zabo zokwakha izindlu eziyi-1000 endaweni yaseMgababa eminyakeni embalwa ezayo, ngibe sengithatha isinqumo sokuxhumana nabo, ngicele ukuba kube nokubambisana phakathi kwenhlangano yabo, i-SAMSA, i-BROCA (inhlangano eqeqeshanayo, engisanda kuyisungula) kanye neSikole Sezokwelapha. Ngicabange ukuthi kungaba ithuba elihle kakhulu lokuxwayisa umphakathi wethu nge-TB kanye ne-HIV/AIDS simeme nabantu abangathanda ukuzinikela,’ kusho uPramchand.
Ngosizo luka Nkk Eleanor Langley, uMgqugquzeli Wezempilo e-UKZN osebenzela eSikoleni Sezokwelapha, abafundi bezokwelapha base UKZN abazinikele kanye nabe-Habitat for Humanity basebenzise izinsuku zabo zokwakha njengethuba lokuxwayisa nge-TB kanye ne-HIV baphinde bahlole ezempilo ziyi-17-19 Ntulikazi (Julayi). Ukuhlolwa kwezempilo kwabanjelwa ehholo lomphakathi eHlanzeni eMgababa kubanjiswene nabahlinzekela ngezidingo endaweni kanye noMnyango Wezempilo KwaZulu-Natal.
Emva kokuhlola, iziguli zidluliselwa emtholampilo eMnini, okuyiyona ndawo yezempilo abangadluliselwa kuyona eseduze. ‘Siyathemba lomkhankaso uzokhula ngamandla kanti futhi sesizitholile nezindlela zokudlulisa ulwazi ngomsebenzi wethu emphakathini. Abaholi bomphakathi bawuthokozele kakhulu lo mbiko. Kumanje sidingida okungazuzwa ngokusebenza ngokubambisana kwethu esikhathini eside esizayo,’ kwengeza uPramchand ophinde abe uSihlalo we-BROCA, inhlangano eqeqesha abafundi kanye Nesekela Mongameli we SAMSA.
Amagama: uLihle Sosibo
author : .author email : .Law Lecturer Shares Expertise in National Magazine
.Law lecturer, Ms Sheetal Soni’s expertise in the niche area of Bioethics, Medical and Reproductive Technology Law, has been featured in the fertility questions and answers segment of the August/September issue of Your Pregnancy Magazine.
As a PhD candidate, Soni is researching the ethical implications of Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis for (PGD) the Purposes of Sex Selection and Tissue Typing.
Soni’s research proposes a reform of South African law to properly regulate PGD for tissue typing and sex selection to ensure that the children who are born as a result are not simply “spare part sisters, or bred-to-order brothers”.
‘The research is incredibly exciting because it asks us to answer very difficult questions such as what does it mean to have value as a person, what does disability really mean, and how much should the state be allowed to interfere in private and personal decisions one should be allowed to make? It analyses the ethical views of the most prominent minds, international human rights law, and the laws of some of the most technologically-advanced nations as well as the most culturally discriminating. This research is important for South Africa because we currently do not have any guidelines on the use of PGD to create saviour siblings,’ explained Soni.
Soni’s expertise also led to her being invited by the French National Institute of Health and Medical Research to participate in the launch of the international Association for Responsible Research and Innovation in Genome Editing (ARRIGE) which took place in Paris, France in March. She is also part of UKZN’s School of Law academics who co-signed the submission on the Phase 1 of the Draft of Intellectual Property Policy of the Republic of South Africa submitted to the Department of Trade and Industry for public comment in October last year. The submission proposed several access-friendly measures for policy and law reform and will see Soni and the other academics participate in follow-up processes such as contributing to the drafting of the necessary legislation to be tabled in Parliament.
The submission is available at http://law.ukzn.ac.za/Libraries/2017-doc/Submission_by_UKZN_Academics_on_SA_Draft_IP_Policy_2017_-_23_October_2017.sflb.ashx
Words: Thandiwe Jumo
author : .author email : .HR Boffin Appointed to Management
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Mr Skhumbuzo Mbona.Mr Skhumbuzo (Aubrey) Mbona has been appointed as College Manager: Human Resources in UKZN’s College of Health Sciences, with effect from 1 August 2018.
Mbona has a wealth of experience in Human Resources having joined the University of KwaZulu-Natal in 2002 as a Human Resources Officer based on the Westville campus. In 2005, Mbona joined CAPRISA as an HR officer but came back to UKZN in 2006 where he remained in the College of Health Sciences as a Human Resources consultant serving the School of Clinical Medicine and the College office.
Mbona has a BA degree, an Honours degree in Psychology and a Master’s Degree in Business Administration, all from UKZN. During his time at UKZN, he served in many capacities, including as a Trustee for the University of KwaZulu-Natal Pension and Provident Funds; a member of UKZN’s Convocation Executive (Alumni body) and on the HR Task Team (on special projects, e.g. departmental restructuring processes).
Mbona is an expert in the fields of strategic alignment, human resources, talent mapping, performance management, change management, labour relations, recruitment and selection, job evaluation and employee benefits.
Professor Fanie Botha, Director of Professional Services, was elated to welcome Mbona into the CHS management team, ‘We wish Mr Mbona well in his new portfolio and are honoured to have him as part of our team given his wealth of experience in human resources.’
Words: MaryAnn Francis
author : .author email : .UKZN Professor Emeritus Raises Unanswered Questions
Clydesdale Memorial.Shortly after delivering a paper at the Art, Materiality and Representation Conferencein London on 2 June, Professor Dennis Schauffer flew to Warsaw to present a paper entitled Clydesdale – The Unanswered Questions at the E-Leader Conference held at the SGH Warsaw School of Economics.
The rusting piece of mining equipment and a small plaque is the only monument ever raised in honour of the 435 miners who lost their lives in the Coalbrook coal mine in the Clydesdale Colliery on 21 January 1960.
The small inscription reads ‘After all these years you are still in our hearts and thoughts’ which is deeply ironic as you would be hard-pressed to find anyone today who can recall the names of a single one of these miners whose bodies remain more than 157 metres underground where they were trapped in a tunnel that slowly filled with water that seeped in through the rocks and was filled with methane gas as the air conditioning fan system had been disabled in the rock fall (Industry News: Minerals Council of South Africa. 21 Jan 2016 p.1).
The paper attempted to answer seven key questions:
1) Why was Colebrook required to step up coal production by an output that represented a 17-fold increase in the normal rate of production?
2) Why were some miners prevented from leaving the mine when they feared for their safety?
3) Why were the widows or families of Black miners paid such a poor rate of compensation in comparison to that paid out to families of the five White miners who lost their lives?
4) Why were miners not involved with the disaster confined to their workers’ dormitories and not allowed to speak to any reporters?
5) What were members of the * Special Branch doing at the mine?
6) Why was a serious rock fall and collapse of the roof in a mining tunnel in an older part of the mine just two weeks prior to the major disaster not reported to the Government mining inspector who visited the mine on a routine inspection?
7) Why did the labour Unions and relevant government departments not want to have anything to do with the 50th-year commemoration of this major event in our history?
The paper came to the conclusion that although a lack of suitable equipment, lack of geological research and seismic activity all played their role; the elephant in the room that nobody, to this day, wants to address is the socio-political climate that sustained the apartheid system and which kept up the profit returns to wealthy investors in London and New York. From this perspective, the disaster of Coalbrook and other related mining fatalities that persist, becomes a case of placing profits before people in a demonstration of the dark side of capitalism.
* During the Apartheid era the Security Branch of the South African Police was commonly known as the Special Branch.
Words: Kriben Pillay
author : .author email : .UKZN Welcomes Partnership with KNUST
The Delegation from KNUST tours UKZN.UKZN’s College of Health Sciences recently hosted a delegation from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) based in Ghana. Named after Ghana’s first president, the university is also structured on the College model. KNUST’s College of Health Sciences (CHS) found many synergies with UKZN and both parties were excited about the possibility of signing a Memorandum of Understanding in due course.
Professor Yaw Adu-Sarkodie, provost of KNUST’s College of Health Sciences, introduced the team which consisted of Professor Ellis Owusu-Dabo, Dean: School of Public Health; Professor Daniel Ansong, Dean: School of Medical Sciences; Professor Rita Dickson, Dean of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Dr Otchere Addai-Mensah, Dean of the Faculty of Allied Health Sciences.
The KNUST’s CHS is similar to UKZN’s CHS; offering similar courses and with a strong partnership existing with the Ghana Ministry of Health. KNUST was founded in 1951 and officially opened in 1952. It adopted a College model in 2005. Adu-Sarkodie mentioned that their College is based around the one health concept with collaborations across the various Schools and Disciplines. The KNUST is looking to partner with UKZN for staff and student exchange and research as well as assistance in the development of PhD programmes, especially in Nursing.
Dickson said KNUST’s Doctoral degree in Pharmacy is offered as a six-year course modelled on patient centered care. The students spend four years on campus with the fifth and sixth year clinical rotations taking place in various hospitals. The Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences also offers a BSc degree in Herbal Medicine which is very popular in Ghana. The Faculty has trained 95% of the Ghanaian workforce in Pharmacy. Said Dickson, ‘We want to make good use of the flora and fauna in our country by producing natural products that would deal with the medical conditions in Ghana.’
The School of Public Health offers postgraduate degrees as well as short courses to cater for those in industry. KNUST’s School of Public Health is renowned for its child survival development programmes. Owuso-Dabo commented that malaria is the biggest challenge in Ghana with approximately 20 000 children under the age of five dying annually. Even if a child survives, the consequences from severe malaria such as convulsions or brain dysfunction can hamper long-term development and schooling. In Ghana, 3.5 million people contract the disease annually, thus making it the largest health challenge in West Africa.
Ansong and Professor Ncoza Dlova, UKZN’s Dean of Clinical Medicine looked at the possibilities of Medical students from both universities exchanging for clinical electives in the two countries. Both Deans felt that the students would benefit greatly from the exposure to different conditions and the treatment thereof.
Professor Busisiwe Ncama, Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Head of UKZN’s CHS echoed the sentiments of the CHS team. ‘We have certainly identified a number of areas of synergy and look forward to fostering a partnership with KNUST. We have a lot to learn from each other.’
Words: MaryAnn Francis
author : .author email : .Agrometeorology Provides In-Demand Surface Renewal Training
Participants at the Surface Renewal Workshop in Pietermaritzburg.The Discipline of Agrometeorology in the School of Agricultural, Earth and Environmental Sciences (SAEES) recently held a one-day workshop on surface renewal (SR) for 33 participants from various institutions.
The workshop, held on the Pietermaritzburg campus, was the first of its kind in the country and was precipitated by the increased popularity in the use of the SR technique internationally and locally and the complete lack of SR training in South Africa.
According to Professor Michael Savage, Senior Professor of Agrometeorology at UKZN, SR is a micrometeorological method for measuring the exchange of sensible heat flux between the earth’s surface and the overlying atmosphere. Together with other measurements, the SR method allows for the estimation of evaporation.
Participants came from the University of the Free State (UFS), University of Pretoria (UP), University of Botswana, South African Environmental Observation Network (SAEON), the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and the Agricultural Research Council (ARC). Honours, Master’s and PhD postgraduates from Hydrology and Agrometeorology at UKZN also attended.
The SAEES LAN facility where the workshop took place ensured that each participant was able to use the relevant software and then with guidance analyse SR data.
Comments from participants highlighted the excellent planning and quality of the workshop, lauding the interactive sessions and the clear understanding communicated by Savage and his team. Participants said that following the workshop, they felt they had been well equipped to apply the theories and practices of SR to their work.
Savage plays a role in mentoring young scientists, academics and practitioners in his field, and views the hosting of these types of workshops as part of achieving that aim. He arranged a similar workshop in 2016 and one in 2017 on different topics. He indicated that future workshops on topics of relevance and importance in his field were also in the pipeline.
Words: Christine Cuénod and Michael Savage
Photograph: Ntokozo Dladla
author : .author email : .SANBI Board Visits Swayimane Research Site
Representatives from UKZN Foundation, UKZN, SANBI Board and UMDM at the Swayimane AIM station. The delegation is also seen admiring the produce of farmers in the community.Members of the Board of the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI) recently visited UKZN research sites in Swayimane. These sites form part of the uMngeni Resilience Project (URP), an initiative supported by the global Adaptation Fund and administered by SANBI in partnership with the Department of Environmental Affairs.
The URP is led by the uMgungundlovu District Municipality (UMDM) with UKZN as a sub-Executing Entity, acting through the UKZN Foundation.
Mr Steve Camp of the UKZN Foundation welcomed guests and thanked SANBI Board members for making the time to visit the project. A video featuring community members was shown to give visitors an overview of the project.
Dr Joseph Matjila, Chair of the SANBI Board, thanked the URP project team on behalf of the Board for arranging the visit to demonstrate to SANBI what the project is achieving. He also acknowledged UKZN, the UMDM and community members in the project areas for their work.
‘Work at local government is where real difference is made,’ said Matjila. ‘Climate change is a big issue in our lives, and this project has value as an enabler for the municipal planning system. We want to empower our local authorities in dealing with the realities of climate change,’ added Matjila.
Representatives from the UMDM also spoke about the synergies of the Biodiversity and Land Use Project underway in the district with the URP, highlighting the importance of ecological infrastructure, restoration projects and capacity building. Both projects emphasise the creation of municipal planning tools.
UKZN project leader, Professor Albert Modi, Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Head of the College of Agriculture, Engineering and Science, gave a presentation emphasising UKZN’s objectives in reducing the vulnerability of people so that they are resilient to climate change, with the ultimate goal being the creation of sustainable agro-ecosystems.
The Mayor of uMgungundlovu District Municipality, Thobekile Maphumulo, also addressed guests, saying that the added pressure of climate change and extreme meteorological events on an already strained economy would affect the most vulnerable communities.
‘Life under a changing climate is going to be tough if we do not act now to capacitate our community or respond proactively,’ said Maphumulo, who also emphasised the importance of public participation.
The URP aims to increase the resilience of vulnerable communities in the greater uMngeni catchment through interventions such as early warning systems, climate-smart agriculture and climate-proofing.
Following presentations, guests were shown the Agrometeorological Instrumentation Mast (AIM) and lightning warning systems installed at Swayimane High School, as well as crop trials and tunnels that facilitate climate-smart agriculture research. Community members gave SANBI members a warm welcome and displayed their crops and products.
URP researchers are creating platforms for reflecting on how South Africa, specifically different spheres of government, is preparing and responding to climate change induced disasters. They have hosted several workshops to build capacity in local government and have brought together partners and contributors from across South Africa and the globe to take research to where it is most needed.
Words and photograph: Christine Cuénod
author : .author email : .Successful Farmers’ Day Brings Together International Researchers and Subsistence Farmers
Community members from Tugela Ferry and a farmer from Kokstad display their produce at the URP Farmers’ Day.As part of efforts to pursue excellent agricultural research that will enhance food security and resilience to climate change, the School of Agricultural, Earth and Environmental Sciences (SAEES) and the uMngeni Resilience Project (URP) recently hosted a Farmers’ Day event at Ukulinga Research Farm.
The more than 200 guests included international researchers working in the field of crop sciences and plant breeding, as well as small-scale farmers, extension officers and government officials.
The programme included small-scale farmers from across the uMgungundlovu District and beyond speaking about their experiences, challenges and aspirations. A video on UKZN and the URP’s work with farmers in the communities of Swayimane and Nhlazuka, and on how URP learnings are being out-scaled to Umbumbulu, Deepdale, Kokstad and Tugela Ferry, was screened at the event.
Farmers brought along their produce, enabling attendees to view and purchase crops and products directly from communities. A friendly competition between the communities added to the fun of the day, with the Swayimane community taking home the prize.
The URP is supported by the Adaptation Fund and administered by the South African National Biodiversity Institute in partnership with the Department of Environmental Affairs. The URP is led by the uMgungundlovu District Municipality, with UKZN as a sub-Executing Entity acting through the UKZN Foundation. The URP aims to increase resilience of vulnerable communities in the greater uMngeni catchment through interventions such as early warning systems, climate-smart agriculture and climate-proofing.
‘Climate change is challenging our food security base and is creating a situation where the diversity of crops that people can grow is narrowing,’ said Professor Albert Modi, Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Head of the College of Agriculture, Engineering and Science and UKZN’s URP project leader.
‘It is forcing farmers in the rural areas, who do not use a lot of chemicals, to act like commercial farmers to grow maize and major crops which are not making them money,’ said Modi, who advocates for the valorisation of indigenous crops and knowledge to safeguard food security in the face of climate change and other threats.
The Farmers’ Day coincided with a workshop being hosted by UKZN on the topic of breeding and modelling underutilised crops for community resilience. This workshop was funded by the British Council’s Researcher Links initiative through the Newton Fund and South Africa’s National Research Foundation (NRF), and brought together early career researchers from South Africa, Kenya, the United Kingdom and Malaysia. The workshop included discussions around enhancing agricultural and plant breeding research to improve communities’ resilience to the challenges they face.
The Farmers’ Day enabled researchers to hear first-hand from small-scale farmers about the challenges they face and what their needs are, allowing researchers to work together on developing effective strategies to ensure that their research has real-world impact. The goals of researchers at the event include improving resilience to growing threats to agricultural production that include extreme weather events, crop pests and diseases, drought, fire and more.
Words and photograph: Christine Cuénod
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