UKZN Ranks #332 in latest Best Global Universities Rankings
UKZN is ranked 4th in South Africa in the latest Best Global Universities rankings.Click here for isiZulu version
The University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) tied for #332 in the world’s top universities in the 2021 US News & World Report’s Best Global Universities rankings, which measure academic research performance, such as highly cited research papers, and the global and regional reputations of nearly 1 500 of the world’s top universities from more than 80 countries.
The University placed fourth out of 57 institutions in Africa and ranked #61 out of 250 institutions for space science, based on research performance in the field. UKZN ranked fourth in South Africa, after the University of Cape Town, the University of the Witwatersrand and Stellenbosch University.
Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Research at UKZN, Professor Deresh Ramjugernath remarked on the research excellence at the University and commended its academics and research scholars for putting the Institution on the global map.
‘Now, more than ever, the academic prowess of a university is able to make a real difference in the lives of our fellow citizens. The behind the scenes work of staff and students must be focused on addressing social and economic challenges to improve the lives of all our people,’ said Ramjugernath. ‘I am delighted at this acknowledgement of the hard work of our students, academics, and researchers.’
The seventh annual US News & World Report Best Global Universities rankings compare how universities perform globally, providing insight for prospective international students looking to study abroad. The 2021 Best Global Universities rankings are based on data and metrics provided by Clarivate, a research and analytics firm.
Visit https://www.usnews.com/education/best-global-universities/university-of-kwazulu-natal-504296 to read the full report.
Words: Raylene Captain-Hasthibeer
Image: Supplied
author : .author email : .First World Food Day Symposium for UKZN
Students at UKZN’s World Food Day stand learnt about growing their own food, how to eat a balanced diet and understand food labels and how to shop for healthy food on a limited budget.Click here for isiZulu version
The College of Agriculture, Engineering and Science (CAES) hosted UKZN’s first celebration of World Food Day with an online symposium, accompanied by a food stand on the Pietermaritzburg campus, aimed at encouraging research and technology for the development of symbiotic ecological food production systems and sustainable food production.
UKZN joined the nation and the world to highlight the plight of 870 million undernourished people globally, many of whom live in rural areas where their main source of income is agriculture.
More than 130 participants joined the online symposium. Deputy Vice-Chancellor of the CAES Professor Albert Modi said the aim of the event was to explore what is done with the research produced at UKZN to change people’s lives. He noted that many UKZN students come from rural and peri-urban areas where poverty and hunger are prevalent, and many across the University’s five campuses live in residences and are funded by government.
Modi announced that UKZN is developing a model of zero hunger for all students, exploring innovative ways for students to grow their own food, and providing them with the skills and knowledge to address their own situations by looking to both health and academic outcomes.
Ms Shelley Barnsley from the CAES Student Support Services spoke about the hidden, prevalent, and escalating problem of hunger among students at UKZN, emphasising that a healthy student is a healthy university and providing an overview of contributing factors and proposed solutions.
Professor Tafadzwa Mabhaudhi from UKZN’s Centre for Transformative Agricultural and Food Systems (CTAFS) presented a perspective on the Water-Energy-Food nexus, highlighting research done at UKZN in this regard, emphasising that COVID-19 had worsened existing inequalities and that integrated, nexus planning was needed to ensure there is more balance in terms of equitable access to these resources post-COVID-19.
Professor Suna Kassier from Dietetics and Human Nutrition stressed the importance of students following a healthy diet and explained what it means to be food secure, emphasising food quality as well as access to adequate quantities of food.
Professor Betty Mubangizi, South African Research Chair of Sustainable Local (Rural) Livelihoods at UKZN addressed food security and local government and how sectors can work together for sustainable food security.
Professor Maheshvari Naidu from the Discipline of Anthropology spoke of the importance of context and connection in framing any point of view, including those on food sovereignty and food justice.
Mr James Martin, Acting CEO of the UMgungundlovu Economic Development Agency (UMEDA) noted that agriculture is a cornerstone sector of economic activity, while Shoprite’s Mr Lunga Schoeman detailed the retail group’s focus on sustainability and hunger relief programmes, particularly those being developed in partnership with universities.
Modi complimented the event’s focus on the topic, and said these discussions would form part of the University’s model for the Zero Hunger campaign.
Participants commented that the event was informative, that engagements provided insight into issues of food security, and that the focus on multiple disciplines was interesting.
Students on the Pietermaritzburg campus were also able to visit a food stand where students and facilitators from Dietetics and the CTAFS discussed the food insecurity challenges faced by students, and introduced competitions challenging students to grow their own food at their residences and to shop efficiently with limited funds to purchase nutritious and affordable food. Dietetics students demonstrated food preparation tips for handy meals and the Rise Against Hunger meal packs, while a Shoprite Checkers food truck distributed free meals.
Students were able to access resources explaining how to understand food labels, and how to eat a balanced diet, and could pick up a booklet on how to eat healthily on a limited budget.
The event featured the participation of several organisations, including the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations; Enactus; the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform; Shoprite Checkers; the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Agriculture and Rural Development; UMEDA; the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs; the South African Weather Service; the South African National Biodiversity Institute; the National Research Foundation; the Institute for Commercial Forestry Research; the Institute of Natural Resources; uMngungundlovu District Municipality; the Water Research Commission; the Sustainable and Healthy Food Systems programme; and the uMngeni Resilience Project.
Words: Christine Cuénod
Photographs: Nicole Chidzawo and Ntokozo Dladla
author : .author email : .UKZN Scientist Scoops International Award
Dr Sooraj Baijnath, the 2020 Bioanalysis Rising Star.Click here for isiZulu version
Dr Sooraj Baijnath, an honorary research fellow in UKZN’s Discipline of Pharmaceutical Sciences has won the international Bioanalysis Rising Star Award.
Baijnath competed against internationally-recognised young scientists from countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom, India and China. He is the first person from Africa and South Africa to have scooped the prize.
The Bioanalysis Rising Star is a prestigious annual award that recognises the most promising early career scientists in the field of bioanalysis. Sponsored by the Waters Corporation, the aim is to promote the work of highly talented researchers, offering them a springboard to become established in the exciting world of bioanalysis. Baijnath’s prize includes an all-expenses paid trip to the Waters Corporation in the United States to learn about the latest technologies in the field.
Baijnath commented, ‘The amount of support I have received globally is overwhelming. I would like to thank the award sponsors, the Waters Corporation, and Bioanalysis Zone for this opportunity.’
A recipient of the National Research Foundation’s 2016 Excellence award for Next Generation Researchers as well as UKZN’s College of Health Science’s Teaching and Learning 2018 award for the Best Emerging Teacher, Baijnath’s research career started during his Master’s degree in Medical Science that saw him develop an animal model to study changes in physiology and molecular biomarkers at different stages during a pre-eclamptic pregnancy. During his PhD, he was extensively involved in the evaluation of antibiotics, targeting tuberculosis meningitis in animal models using LC-MS and mass spectrometry imaging (MSI). He conceptualised an innovative project during which various cryoprotectants were compared as lung inflation media with the aim of preserving lung structural integrity during sample preparation, after noting a shortfall in current MSI protocols.
Baijnath recently moved to Uppsala University in Sweden to take up a position as a researcher in the Medical Mass Spectrometry Department. He was nominated for the award by Dr Sanil Singh who commented, ‘Sooraj’s skills have been recognised nationally and internationally by being part of the DIPLOMICS South Africa Mass Spectrometry Society and being a successful co-applicant on a seeding labs equipment grant and a STINT Swedish collaborative grant. His skills are of the highest standard, having received training at the Bruker Headquarters in Germany and at Uppsala University in Sweden.’
Words: MaryAnn Francis
Photograph: Supplied
author : .author email : .Debunking the Myth of Artemisia Annua for the Treatment of COVID-19
Newly appointed AFREhealth executive committee member, Professor Fatima Suleman.African Forum for Research and Education in Health (AFREhealth) investigators from across the globe recently published a paper in the prestigious scientific Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene assessing the bioactive compounds, pharmacological and immunological effects, and traditional uses for the derivative Artemisia annua (A. annua) found in the medicinal herb Artemisia spp. which has been proposed as a possible treatment for COVID-19.
UKZN’s pharmaceutical policy expert who was recently appointed to the Executive Committee of AFREhealth, Professor Fatima Suleman co-authored the study. She commented: ‘In an era where there is no proven remedy, and where treatments are becoming politicised, with no evidence of efficacy, it is important to ensure that the efficacies of proposed therapies are evaluated and communicated to the public carefully and factually, without exaggeration.’
The unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic caused by the novel zoonotic pathogen of humans, SARS-CoV-2, commonly presents as a severe respiratory tract illness. It causes multisystem disease and deaths have been attributed to cytokine storm, acute respiratory distress syndrome and excessive aberrant immunological responses. In South Africa, as at 22 October 2020, there were more than 725 500 cases of infection and 18 826 deaths.
Scientists around the world are desperate to find a possible cure, resulting in a number of randomised controlled trials. Of the recent and ongoing treatment intervention trials, only two randomised controlled trials have to date demonstrated the benefits of specific therapies. Many low-income countries are relying on herbal medicines as a possible cure; however, it is essential that there is conclusive scientific evidence proving the efficacy of these suggestions.
In April 2020 a herbal tonic derived from A. annua extracts by the Madagascar Institute of Applied Research and branded “COVID-Organics” was launched. Derivatives from the herb A. annua have been used as a traditional medicine over centuries for the treatment of fevers, malaria, and respiratory tract infections. COVID-Organics has been promoted as a cure for COVID-19. However, reliable pharmacological and efficacy data is lacking, and there is concern that its widespread use for COVID-19 could result in reduced access to effective medicines as well as possible antimicrobial resistance by exposing patients to suboptimal concentrations of artemisinin when malaria cases are misdiagnosed as COVID-19.
A. annua is an annual herbaceous plant of the Asteraceae family native to Asia and Eastern Europe. It is the source for leading World Health Organization (WHO) approved antimalarials; hence, seed varieties have been adapted by breeding for lower latitudes and cultivation has been successfully achieved in many tropical countries. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, formulations of A. annua have been used in Africa and China for COVID-19 prevention and treatment. In the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), herbal formulations have been used for the prevention and treatment of COVID-19 by fumigation, infusion, or decoction.
While the use of A. annua for COVID-19 is widely promoted by politicians and others in low-income countries, there is no scientific data to prove its efficacy. ‘It is essential that new drug discovery that builds on extracts from traditional medicinal plants is encouraged but this needs to be evaluated for efficacy through controlled trials, the development of formulations and dosing as well as defining the pharmacokinetics, toxicology, and safety,’ said Suleman.
Words: MaryAnn Francis
Photograph: Supplied
author : .author email : .Maths PhD Candidate Part of Top Women Conference Panel
Clockwise from top left: Ms Leanne Manas, Ms Anne Githuku-Shongwe, Ms Sinenhlanhla Precious Sikhosana, Ms Zozibini Tunzi and Ms Wendy Dobson.Click here for isiZulu version
Ms Sinenhlanhla Precious Sikhosana participated in a panel at the Standard Bank Top Women Conference where she joined Miss Universe, Ms Zozibini Tunzi; Standard Bank Head of Policy, Advocacy and Sustainability, Ms Wendy Dobson; and United Nations Women South Africa representative, Ms Anne Githuku-Shongwe to discuss how to build a future ready generation.
The two-day virtual conference comprised a rich programme featuring 100 global thought leaders and experts who provided inspiration, practical solutions, networks and support to 10 000 female entrepreneurs in Africa.
The PhD candidate at UKZN’s Astrophysics Research Centre (ARC) was approached through the ARC to contribute her knowledge and experience as a scientist to the discussion. A passionate advocate for the representation of women in science, Sikhosana believes women should aspire to hold positions where their input will lead to lasting change.
‘I was really excited to be part of such a prestigious event,’ she said.
The discussion included an outline of how much remains to be done to ensure generational and gender equality, with panellists emphasising that action taken by the current generation would be key to enabling the next generation to make greater equality a reality.
‘Our generation took the baton from the generation that fought for freedom and quality education; it is now our time to ensure that the future generation has equal access to all spheres, which includes opposing current systems that are barriers to entry,’ said Sikhosana.
Adding to the experiences of Tunzi, Dobson and Githuku-Shongwe, Sikhosana spoke on equal access to quality education, saying this is crucial to ensure that future generations are able to participate fully in all sectors of society and industry, even those that are currently male-dominated. She noted that big change in the future begins with small actions taken today in one’s immediate setting.
Working in a sphere where outdated systems often discourage women from remaining and flourishing in academia has inspired Sikhosana’s advocacy for women in science. She called for female scientists to engage with their communities, particularly young women who aspire to pursue scientific careers, in order to demonstrate that women belong in the sciences. She also encouraged women to mentor younger generations in an effort to promote the contributions of women to science.
In 2017, Sikhosana was named one of the College of Agriculture, Engineering and Science’s (CAES) Wonder Women in Science. Her achievements include being awarded her undergraduate and honours degrees cum laude, being listed amongst the top performing students in the CAES, and winning the Hope Scholarship that took her to Princeton University in the United States for a month. More recently, she received a Department of Science and Innovation TATA African Women in Science Doctoral Scholarship, and a L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women In Science research grant. She was amongst the top 20 young scientists selected to represent South Africa at the 69th Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting in Germany, and is currently a blog team member at the South African Young Academy of Science.
Sikhosana is conducting her PhD research on diffuse radio emission in Atacama Cosmology Telescope (ACTPol) clusters. Using radio telescopes such as South Africa’s MeerKAT, this research involves understanding how photons emitted by fast-moving electrons travel to extremely large scales. It would aid in mapping the interactions of relativistic electrons with large scale magnetic fields in the universe.
Words: Christine Cuénod
Image: Supplied
author : .author email : .Maths Boffins Battle it out Despite COVID-19 Restrictions
UKZN’s Siyanqoba 2020 Mathematics teams.Emeritus Professor at UKZN Poobhalan Pillay did not let COVID-19 restrictions prevent him from coaching KwaZulu-Natal’s up-and-coming mathematics boffins.
When lockdown prevented him from holding classes in person for mathematically talented school pupils, he moved the Siyanqoba Mathematics Olympiad training programme online.
On 17 October, the young mathematicians met physically for the first time since March at the annual team competition of the South African Mathematics Foundation (SAMF). The national competition attracted top maths learners from across South Africa. UKZN’s Siyanqoba programme entered two 10-member junior teams and two senior teams.
The senior “UKZN” team was placed fifth out of 55 teams and the “AMESA” team 16th, while the junior “UKZN” team finished 8th out of 58 teams and the “AMESA” team 18th.
‘I think our teams did fairly well if you take into account what a hectic year this has been,’ said Pillay.
Whilst Pillay trained the junior teams, Mr Aaron Naidu was senior coach. Naidu, himself a product of the Siyanqoba Mathematics training programme, is a two-time SAMF competition winner who has represented South Africa at two International Mathematics Olympiads and is currently studying towards a Bachelor of Science degree at UKZN, majoring in Data Science.
Since 2011, the Siyanqoba programme, co-ordinated by Pillay, has assisted high school students to achieve success in the South African Mathematics Olympiads (SAMO). ‘Hundreds of learners have benefited from the programme,’ he said.
UKZN is one of 10 centres, which train interested high school pupils to solve challenging mathematical problems.
Words and photograph: Sally Frost
author : .author email : .Poetry Africa Competition Winners Announced
Poetry Africa competition winners Mr Mjele Msimang (Slam Jam) and Ms Kelsey Thlosane (Open Mic).Following a weeklong celebration of poetry and poets, the 24th edition of the Poetry Africa festival, hosted by the Centre for Creative Arts (CCA) in the College of Humanities, announced its competition winners during a celebratory closing ceremony.
‘We are proud to have embraced change, as it gave access to thousands of our followers to immerse themselves in quality programming through our online platforms,’said Ms Siphindile Hlongwa, the curator of the Festival.
The finalists and winners in the schools, open mic and Slam Competitions were honoured during the closing ceremony. In previous years, the Schools Competition was reserved for learners in KwaZulu-Natal. This year’s online version made it possible for anyone in South Africa to participate. Next year, Poetry Africa will present a live event for school-level poets in the province and an online event for those across the country.
Kwa-Bhekilanga Secondary School learner Ms Praise Mlalazi known as PRYZ the poet won the Schools Competition, for her poem Alexandra named after her hometown. The 19-year old poet fell in love with writing at the age of 12, and her poem speaks about all the things she experiences in her town.
Second prize and third prize went to 16-year old Tumelo Mohoto and 17-year old Lebo Nxele, both learners at George Campbell School of Technology in Durban.
The Open Mic competition is one of the most popular public participation events at the festival. This year’s competition attracted almost 300 entries. The youngest entrant was 15 and the oldest 65. The themes included gender-based violence, homelessness, identity, dreams, love and almost anything that stirs our consciousness. In the past, the Open Mic competition was also reserved for participants from KwaZulu-Natal.
Twenty-eight-year-old Ms Kelsey Tlhosane took first prize in the Open Mic with her poem, If Love Was a Colour, it would be Blue that is themed around gender-based violence. Second prize went to Floatry and third prize to Mondli Kwasa Ndlovu.
Finally, the Slam Jam winner, Tshwane-based Mr Mjele Msimang, was announced live on the Poetry Africa stream. ‘Thank you so much to the fellow poets, I really appreciate your work, you guys inspire me,’ said Msimang who is an educator and writer based in Tshwane. His academic work centres on decolonisation while his poetry explores and challenges the impact of neo-colonialism on the continent.
Curator for the Slam Jam Mr Ishmael Sibiya said: ‘It was a very tough competition. The poets really brought their A-game and submitted videos that included poetry, music and visuals. This pandemic allowed poets to step out of their comfort zone, and encouraged them to get creative when submitting their videos.’
Words: Melissa Mungroo
Photographs: Supplied
author : .author email : .Webinar Celebrates and Remembers ANC Stalwart Saul Msane
Mr Thapelo Mokoatsi, writer and NIHSS Doctoral Fellow who presented the webinar.The College of Humanities in partnership with local non-governmental organisation Sinomlado Centre, Queens University (Canada) and Msunduzi Library hosted a webinar on the life and times of Saul “Mayimayi” Msane.
The webinar was part of the Edendale History Project, a community engagement initiative that seeks to document the history of Edendale in Pietermaritzburg.
The project’s Mr Zamo Hlela said: ‘The Edendale History Project’s overall objective is to document the history of Edendale prior to and post 1851 from the local community’s point of view including those in the diaspora. 6 October marks the centenary of Saul Msane’s passing, which coincided with the end of his political career in the then Transvaal where his ANC colleagues labelled him isitha sabantu (enemy of the people). However, in his hometown of Edendale, he is a hero.’
Writer and National Institute for Humanities and Social Sciences (NIHSS) Doctoral Fellow at Rhodes University, Mr Thapelo Mokoatsi presented the webinar. His research on Saul Msane eventually led to him becoming his biographer.
Mokoatsi located Msane’s legacy within the discourse of freedom fighters in the popular memory. ‘Msane should be remembered as one of the best Zulu writers and most importantly as the father-figure of the Congress as Sefako Makgatho eulogised him. In reconstructing his writing over his life span, Msane’s life teaches us that political figures of his generation had flaws, but they should not only be judged on these due to the complexities of the time in which they lived,’ he said.
Mokoatsi’s PhD thesis, focuses on Msane’s life and he often refers to Msane ‘as a man of good character; an individual who had excessive appreciation of the finer things in life as opposed to being an antagonist.’
Msane’s father, Matthews “Matiyose” was among one of the first groups of Zulu people to be converted to Christianity and owned land in Edendale where Msane was born in 1856. ‘The birthplace of Msane is as complex as his life’s twists,’ Mokoatsi said. Msane completed a Teachers’ Certificate in Healdtown in 1882, and taught at Driefontein, now Ladysmith, until 1892 when he joined the Zulu Choir before moving to Nuttall College. During both his teaching spells, he was under the tutelage of Reverend Ezra Nuttall who first arrived in Natal in 1875. His missionary work covered Umdlhoti, Ndaleni (Richmond) and Driefontein. The school was named in his honour but is now known as Edendale Primary School.
‘In 1918, Msane opposed a miners’ strike planned by the ANC to demand higher wages as he believed that a settlement could be reached through negotiation with the White mine owners. He did not attend the strike planning meeting, resulting in the newspaper Abantu Batho calling him isitha sabantu or an enemy of the people. However, after his sudden death in October 1919, both the ANC and Abantu Batho paid tribute to him for his various contributions,’ explained Mokoatsi.
He believes that ‘we should keep the legacy of Saul Msane alive and make it known to as many South Africans as possible. As we know a people who do not know where they come from will definitely not know where they are going.’
Words: Melissa Mungroo and Sinoyolo Mahlasela
Photograph: Supplied
author : .author email : .Education Student Launches Foundation and First Career Guidance Event for Learners
Highlights from a career guidance event hosted by Education student, Ms Phakamile Mazibuko.Master’s in Education student, Ms Phakamile Mazibuko has launched her non-profit organisation, the Phakamile Mazibuko Foundation that aims to enhance the lives of young people through various developmental engagements, with priority given to women.
‘The Foundation focuses on three facets, namely, academic, leadership and community engagement in order to assist young people to reach their full potential and achieve greatness in their respective fields. Positive enhancement of communities is at the core of our ideals and we aim to serve with compassion and humility,’ said Mazibuko.
As part of their launch event, they embarked on a Career Guidance week by visiting 10 schools located in deep rural areas around Mahlabathini, Ulundi Municipality (Zululand District).
‘This initiative aimed to offer career guidance and psychosocial support to encourage Grade 12 learners to thrive, especially in this difficult time of COVID-19. Schools in deep rural areas are our priority and we would like to humbly thank everyone who participated and contributed to making this initiative a success, including the Durban University of Technology, UKZN, Mahlabathini CMC, school principals, teachers, learners and other stakeholders,’ said Mazibuko.
The Foundation will be hosting a three-day Leadership Bootcamp in November to teach young girls about leadership and how to use their skills to enhance their communities.
‘We believe in young girls who lead in the spaces that they occupy, to influence or initiate positive movements. We are happy to collaborate with various organisations/individuals to ensure the success of the Leadership Bootcamp and other engagements to come. Please follow and connect with us on our social media platforms,’ said Mazibuko.
Facebook: Phakamile Mazibuko Foundation
Instagram: phakamilemazibuko_foundation
Words: Melissa Mungroo
Photographs: Supplied
author : .author email : .UKZN Unites with Water and Agriculture Sectors for World Food Day Dialogue
Clockwise from top left: Professor Sylvester Mpandeli, Mr Dhesigen Naidoo, Professor Albert Modi, Professor Fhatuwani Mudau, and Professor Sue Walker.UKZN’s Centre for Transformative Agricultural and Food Systems (CTAFS) joined the Water Research Commission (WRC), the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development, the Agricultural Research Council (ARC) and the University of Venda (UNIVEN) to commemorate World Food Day via a virtual dialogue on strengthening indigenous food systems for more sustainable, equitable and healthy systems.
Facilitated by the WRC’s Professor Sylvester Mpandeli, presenters shared ideas and research findings, and highlighted some of the WRC’s work on food security, nutrition and health.
The WRC hosts World Food Day celebrations annually, and because of COVID-19 restrictions proceeded with a virtual event.
The event showcased the knowledge the WRC has developed with key partners on underutilised indigenous and traditional crops, a strategic initiative of the WRC.
‘We believe that through partnership and collaboration we can address some of the key challenges we are facing across the water and agriculture sectors,’ said Mpandeli.
WRC Chief Executive Officer Mr Dhesigen Naidoo welcomed guests and acknowledged partners, co-hosts and others who enable the organisation to achieve its goals.
‘2020 is the year of COVID-19 and life after this depends almost solely on the actions that you and I, and our organisations, and communities that we serve, take after this crisis,’ he said. ‘Post-COVID food insecurity will possibly be devastating, and science, technology and innovation must play a much bigger role than ever before.’
Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Head of the College of Agriculture, Engineering and Science at UKZN, Professor Albert Modi presented on indigenous crops as part of a transformative agenda with a focus on strengthening local food systems. He thanked the WRC for allowing UKZN to raise South Africa’s flag high on World Food Day, and addressed the potential of indigenous knowledge systems (IKS) and crops to contribute to the food system and promote rural transformation, recommending that they be included in education and research systems. Modi also suggested that the WRC establish a “World Food Day Award” to form part of the World Food Day agenda from 2021.
The ARC’s Dr Hintsa Araya used a case study of a school garden project in Gauteng to speak about building food and nutrition security at local level, describing school gardens as a vehicle of knowledge and skills transfer to younger generations, and an opportunity to teach them that agriculture can enable any household to be sustainable and positively influence health.
Professor Victor Mmbengwa from UNIVEN and Professor Fhatuwani Mudau, Dean and Head of UKZN’s School of Agricultural, Earth and Environmental Sciences, discussed the inherent resilience of indigenous food systems, with Mudau emphasising Africa’s capability and self-sufficiency for food production if it maximises its competitive edge and resources and makes use of science and technology and research and development.
Professor Sue Walker from the ARC drew on a lifetime’s experience to provide insight into the future of food in the context of indigenous crops, saying that alternative, underutilised crops need to be explored as the global population faces a high risk of food insecurity. She highlighted the need for more research and development, and innovation to secure food for the future and generate new knowledge of underutilised crops.
Professor Tafadzwa Mabhaudhi from the CTAFS concluded by reiterating the importance of policies and institutions to support a just transition to equitable, inclusive and sustainable food systems that value natural capital and indigenous knowledge systems, and the inclusion of youth in agriculture. He thanked all the presenters and the WRC, saying the WRC’s support had made possible much of the research presented on underutilised, indigenous crops.
Words: Christine Cuénod
Image: Supplied
author : .author email : .Media Freedom is Real Freedom
.The release of Anton Harber’s new book, So, for the Record, about state capture, immediately released a hornet’s nest, so to speak. The trigger was his description of well-known self-styled hack, David Bullard, as “right wing”, picked up from the book by Jeremy Gordin in his review published in Politicsweb. The alleged hack responded, also in Politicsweb, with a satirical unpicking of Harber’s alleged category error. He mischievously titled his riposte “Harbering a grudge”.
The common understanding by lay folk of media freedom is that it confers a license to say anything. Not so. Media freedom confers upon journalists the right to report facts, events and stories supported with evidence, and for columnists to draw inferences from these in terms of prevailing - even competing - frames of reference. Much of the rest is “fake news”, peddled by fake presidents and the purveyors of disinformation. But readers cannot always tell the difference. For example, there are those in the US who, despite media freedom, refuse to believe that COVID-19 is not a Democratic Party conspiracy, sourced from the Chinese, and designed to promote mask wearing as an anti-Trump fashion item. As a result, the whole society is now paying the price in infections and deaths.
In fact, there is no real difference between fake news, Fox News and Russia Today. They are all geared to promote vested interests whether or not they are true. The real media try to debate different perspectives, which is why DSTV is such a wonderful facility. Surfing the same breaking stories between CNN, BBC, Sky, Euronews, CGTN, NDTV, Russia Today, CNBC, Al Jazeera, and locally between eNCA, SABC, Newzroom Africa, Business Day, Africanews, etc, exposes different ways of making sense. Try it sometime; as a viewer you can compare notes on the same stories and build your own composite picture of the mad, mad world.
In recent years, journalists in both South Africa and the US have been at the forefront of authoring many books exposing state capture, corruption, and skullduggery. Bernstein and Woodward, who broke the Watergate scandal in the early 1970s, are now amongst many breaking the Trump scandal as he and his cronies try to break America. This is the gig moment of exposé reporting and the return of investigative journalism. Previously, bottom lines and social media disrupted this crucial beat, expensive, time consuming and exhausting as it is. It took The New York Times 10 years to research and write the story that revealed that billionaire Trump proudly pays hardly any income tax. The rest of us do, so why not him?
Journalists and the media have led the way in such exposés. In the background is the academic sector that offers the usual birds-eye theoretically-led studies of media as institutions and their associated professional practices. Theory - as explanation - tends to mute the personalities and textured examples on which the much more grounded and embattled journalists cut their teeth. The former are explanatory and evidentiary based, while the journalist’s work is of-the-moment, descriptive and fact-based. The one kind of reporting (explanation) interacts with the other (the breaking story). They are both needed.
Journalists can change the world. Newspapers can suggest alternatives, with editorials and commentators debating the possibilities. Democracies cannot exist, let alone survive, without a free media. When the media are under threat, so is society, and that affects every one of us. We could lose our freedom without even knowing it. Black Wednesday, when the apartheid government banned Black edited newspapers on 19 October 1979, outraged the world.
We came pretty close to this condition again when rogue elements seized control of the public broadcaster, set up new media outlets, and closed down public debate. The seeing off of the Protection of State Information Bill and the Media Tribunal by both the media and civil society organisations saved the day - for the moment at least. Journalists themselves exposed these attempts, and many of them published books based on their reporting. In 2007, newspaper cartoonists banded together on 19 October with their own Black Wednesday protest cartoons against threatened censorship.
Journalists have written the detailed, traumatic and traumatising histories that will be studied as history by future students. They put themselves at physical risk in doing so, and some international correspondents died, were incarcerated, and were assassinated as they tried to do their jobs and bring us readers the news.
Make no mistake, journalists are on the frontline. They are our defensive ramparts against tyranny, the last bastion against corruption. When senior detectives are brazenly assassinated in full public view, those who report on such events are often next in the firing line. And, once the assassins have eliminated the decent cops, the investigative journalists and the honest lawyers and incorruptible judges, they are going to come for me, you, our families and anyone who gets in their way.
Achieving democracy is one thing. Sustaining it requires a free press and accountable institutions. Allies of the media include the Zondo and similar commissions, the whistle blowers, and the media’s informants. All commentators, including the hacks, should operate like hornets, exposing defects, and proposing solutions, and watching those who watch us, the ordinary citizens.
The media range from community freesheets, to subscription newspapers, the digital media and TV and radio outlets. It also includes community newpapers and the student press (if it still exists). Any venue that operates in terms of journalistic ethics, and evidentiary, and verifiable reporting procedures, is at the heart of a healthy democracy.
The next Black Wednesday may well be just around the corner. As citizens, we should never let journalists and the media down. That is our collective responsibility.
Keyan G Tomaselli is Professor Emeritus and Fellow, UKZN, and Distinguished Professor, University of Johannesburg. He is a previous director of the Centre for Communication, Media and Society at UKZN.
*This opinion-editorial was originally published in the Daily News and Cape Argus on 21 October 2020.
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