In 2022, the University of Fort Hare unveiled its new consolidated five-year strategic plan, titled “Towards a Decade of Renewal”. With the appointment of a new council and top management team, the university community embraced the concept of renewal.

The new strategic plan serves as a blueprint for the upcoming reconstruction efforts over the next five years to strengthen the university. It incorporates principles of transformation, equity, and socioeconomic contextualization. 

Now, midway through the plan, the university is on track to reclaim its position as one of the premier institutions of higher learning in South Africa and the continent.

Multimillion-rand greenfield infrastructure projects and property upgrades are either planned, underway or completed. These include smart classrooms, biometric security upgrades across all three campuses, a new student centre in the East London CBD, water security through the upgrading of water treatment plants in Alice, a new early childhood development centre and refurbishments for the Alice library.  

These projects aim to enhance the student experience by providing modernised infrastructure and incorporating new technologies suitable for quality teaching and research. 

Through curriculum renewal, UFH will offer innovative, socially and contextually relevant programmes to produce graduates with attributes that meet the needs of society and future workplaces. 

Pending approval from the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) and the Council on Higher Education (CHE), UFH will offer new programs in liberation and heritage studies, dairy science and technology and entrepreneurship.

UFH will also impact society through its new niche research, which responds to the National Development Plan (NDP), other national or regional priorities and the needs of stakeholders.

Last year, the institution launched its new niche areas: renewable energy; sustainable agriculture, water usage, and the impact of climate change; infectious diseases and medicinal plants; research in inclusion and township economies; and African liberation heritage in citizenship and society.

“UFH has committed to putting in the significant work required to strengthen its foundations and reimagine itself. The renewal project will see the university flourish increasingly as the end of the decade approaches,” said Prof Sakhela Buhlungu, Vice-Chancellor and Principal of UFH. 

“The institution will be offering new niche programs and cutting-edge curricula, conducting high-quality, high-impact research, supporting innovation, embracing innovative pedagogies, utilising hybrid modes of delivery, and providing a supportive learning and quality living environment for our students,” he said. 

“We are currently reaping the rewards of the renewal programme, and there is stability within the university. No student unrest has occurred in the last three years.  There is an explosion of student success both in and out of the classroom. Students are performing academically while also excelling in sports. Within a period of two years, our men’s and women’s rugby teams have lifted the Varsity Shield. New graduates are securing positions across the globe,” he said.

“Our mandate will be to ensure that the institution reclaims its place as a leading African university, with a continental, national and provincial focus, geared towards addressing contemporary challenges. We plan to continue to produce leaders who impact the trajectory of history. This was the role that the University of Fort Hare played in the past; this is the role it must continue to play now and in the future,” Prof Buhlungu concluded. 

The long-awaited establishment of the University of Fort Hare’s new Research Niche Areas (RNAs) is set to bolster the institution’s research and innovation profile worldwide.

The five RNAs, which were unveiled during a ceremony at the East London International Convention Centre in September 2023, form part of Fort Hare’s strategic plan for institutional renewal.

After an extensive application and approval process that began in 2022, the RNAs are:

•       Renewable Energy;
•       Sustainable Agriculture, Water Usage and Impact of Climate Change;
•       Infectious Diseases and Medicinal Plants;
•       Research in Inclusion and Township Economies; and
•       African Liberation Heritage in Citizenship and Society.

In his opening remarks, UFH Vice-Chancellor and Principal Prof Sakhela Buhlungu said Fort Hare attracted students because its teaching and learning, and its research portfolios remained resilient. While the annual intake is limited to 3 700, more than 45 000 students applied in 2021 and a staggering 219 000 in 2022. At the time, 140 000 applications had already been received for 2024.

However, Prof Buhlungu added, the university had experienced fluctuations in productivity, and one of the functions of the RNAs was to address this.

Academics from the various niche areas were then given an opportunity to present their work at the event.

Dr Patrick Makumba from the Department of Physics in the Faculty of Science and Agriculture emphasised why renewable energy was the best solution to South Africa’s power crisis.

His team’s research focuses primarily on wind energy and biogas technology, and how these can be used to produce electricity for both generators and the grid.  “We can provide a centre of excellence in terms of renewables,” he said, as they are working on projects like optimising biogas for vehicle fuel.”

His team have, for instance, discovered that biogas from as few as two cows can provide electricity for a family of two. Dr Makumba and other researchers also aim to develop a wind renewable energy system for nodes in the Eastern Cape. This will create employment opportunities as its installation, operation and maintenance require skilled workers.

Prof Philani Moyo, Director of the Fort Hare Institute of Social and Economic Change, presented on climate change’s impact on pre-existing livelihoods, especially those of poorer people. He said while there had been much work on climate change policy, there was a dearth of intellectual thought on the subject. 

“Our aim is to explore the extent climate change is compounding multidimensional rural poverty, deepening precarious livelihoods and reconfiguring rural food systems,” he explained. “We will also look at the adaptation responses of resilient households and communities.”

The nexus between the climate’s impact on rural livelihoods and multidimensional poverty would also be studied, while examining the extent to which it affected rural vulnerabilities and inequality, according to Prof Moyo.

In terms of the Infectious Diseases and Medicinal Plants RNA, three sub-units will operate in concert, namely: Medicinal Plant Research, Indigenous Knowledge Systems and Environmental Infections Pathogens Research. 

Prof Uchechukwu Nwodo from the Faculty of Science and Agriculture said it was imperative to study and analyse pathogens as a public health priority. The seven members of his sub-unit will also busy themselves with the subject of pathogenic determinants and virulence.

Prof Nwodo’s work is especially vital in that Fort Hare is one of eight South African tertiary institutions that comprise the Institute of Pandemic Prevention and Preparedness, which in turn is connected to networks across the world. The institute has been granted funding of R5 billion over the next 15 years. Research to be conducted by the Inclusion and Township Economies RNA is especially relevant to the Eastern Cape, where 62% of households are poor.

According to its representative, Prof Munacinga Simatele of the Faculty of Management and Commerce, townships are hubs of exclusion. “A lot of people are excluded socially and economically, and our work addresses this,” she said.

“As a university, we need to find a way to tackle these issues to influence policymakers. As such, our RNA addresses poverty, empowerment of women and reduction of inequality.” She cited the example of stokvels, which control R5 billion in South Africa, and said the question should be how these could be leveraged to create employment.

The final presentation was made by Dr Motsamai Molefe of the Centre for Leadership Ethics in Africa in the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities. 

He said the purpose of his RNA, African Liberation Heritage in Citizenship and Society, is to establish what assumptions, insights, lessons, narratives and theory could be drawn from the history of liberation movements so that African society could be reimagined.

The RNA intends contributing to “growing stories” of liberation histories while expanding on the ideas of consciousness and lived experience to make sense of the world. Another pillar is to draw on the theories and praxis of African liberation movements to “think about politics as we think about society”.

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NOMINATIONS FOR 2018’S 200 YOUNG SOUTH AFRICANS LIST ARE NOW CLOSED

You can see the 2017 M&G 200 Young South Africans here.

The minister announced the suspension in a terse, one-line statement on Monday afternoon.The sanction was confirmed in a one-sentence statement released by Mkhize without any reason given.

READ MORE: Gigaba dodges accountability on Guptas’ citizenship

Apleni’s tenure at the department of Home Affairs has not been without controversy, with the department coming under sharp scrutiny after it emerged that former home affairs minister Malusi Gigaba had granted the Gupta family citizenship, despite a senior official having previously turned down the request. 

This story will be updated as more details emerge. 

Black Sash and Sassa by Christine Rupiah on Scribd

Thandi Klaasen was known and celebrated for being a member of the era defining singers who emerged from Sophiatown, a racially mixed cultural and artistic hub where South African jazz took shape from the 1950s, until it was “brought down”, as her song Sophiatown relayed in 1956.

Born in Sophiatown in 1931 to a shoemaker father and a domestic worker mother, Klaasen decided to embark on a career in music after a jazz band visited her school as a child. By the time she was a teenager, she was performing in churches and other local spots but during this time, she was severely injured when a caustic mix of petroleum and thinners was thrown at her face, causing permanent damage to her facial skin and a 12 month hospital stay.

Despite the tragedy, the raspy-voiced Klaasen went on to be one of contemporary revered singers with Sophie Mgcina, Dorothy Masuka, Dolly Rathebe and Miriam Makeba, whom she performed with. Klaasen’s career flourished and she travelled to London as a cast member in Todd Matshikiza’s King Kong. She traveled to many countries, gaining a reputation as a jazz singer but also branching out in range to share stages with singers like Roberta Flack and Patti LaBelle.

Klaasen was the recipient of awards both locally and internationally, the most significant being the Presidential Order of the Baobab from President Jacob Zuma in 2006.

The senior party member’s comments come a week after Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa publicly expressed support for Gordhan, saying the case against him should not be allowed to undermine his efforts to revive the economy.

Prosecutors have ordered Gordhan to appear in court on November 2, in what his supporters and analysts say is an attempt to muzzle the Treasury over its criticism of the undue political influence exerted by the wealthy Gupta family, close friends with Zuma.

“In my view, a minister is being pursued for political reasons, and then charged with fraud. That’s why I’ve then said, perhaps we are not the leadership that can take the ANC forward under these conditions,” Mthembu said on Enca television.

“President Jacob Zuma is the president of the ANC. When I said the entire ANC leadership that has already taken collective responsibility must take the fall, I meant everybody, myself included, including president Zuma,” he said.

South African media has reported growing rifts within the African National Congress since it suffered its worst electoral performance in August.

Unemployment, economic stagnation and scandals around Zuma led voters to punish the ANC in the local government vote, changing the outlook for national elections in 2019.

Publicly, Gordhan has said that he still enjoys a good relationship with Zuma, and that he is hard at work preparing a budget policy speech to be delivered next week.

But investors fear his prosecution on charges of committing fraud while running the tax agency could see Gordhan removed as finance minister, opening South Africa to possibly losing its investment-grade credit rating.

Also be sure to enter our competition here to win one of five free copies of Beyoncé’s highly acclaimed Lemonade album. 

Our lead – Diary of a Gupta guard
From countless trips to Zuma’s guesthouse, to the dignitaries that visited and the overflowing bags, we talk to the guards for South Africa’s most notorious business family.

Note: The M&G sent questions to Tokyo Sexwale on Tuesday about his visits to the Guptas, but by the time of going to print he had yet to respond. On Thursday however, the Daily Maverick published an open letter authored by Sexwale and addressed to Ajay Gupta. In the letter, Sexwale confirmed that he had meetings with Ajay at both the Gupta homestead and his own home.

DA’s election list woes
Claims of nepotism, and favouritism amongst members of secret organisations have forced the Democratic Alliance in Tshwane to compile its election lists afresh.

Tempest in China’s teapot
Climate change means tea across the world is in danger of tasting worse and dropping in production – and that includes our beloved Rooibos

Interview with Mr Please Call Me
It’s being hailed as the ultimate David vs Goliath story of the South African corporate world. Read our profile of the man set to win billions.

‘Campus rape plans favour perpetrators’
Following the furore at Rhodes University, the Mail & Guardian looked into the sexual offence policies of five universities.

Business – The story of South Africa’s rusting iron heart
The Kumba iron ore Sishen mine and surrounding town that went from boom to bust in five years

Arts – Songs of freedom reign at Jo’burg’s best-kept secret
Read about the Afrikan Freedom Station or “hole in the wall” on Thornton Street in the Johannesburg suburb of Westdene.

Watch your back, JZ 
Leaders from the ANC-led alliance this week rallied behind President Jacob Zuma, who faced yet another motion of no confidence, tabled by the Democratic Alliance in Parliament.  But behind the scenes senior alliance leaders were quietly discussing his removal from office, and other former loyalists were said to be turning against him. 

ANC Chief Whip: We told Zuma to pay back the money all along 
Outgoing ANC Chief Whip Stone Sizani does a surprising about turn in an exclusive interview with the M&G and says the ANC parliamentary caucus, under his leadership, always wanted President Jacob Zuma to repay a portion of the millions of rands spent on security upgrades at his Nkandla homestead and had always supported the public protector, Thuli Madonsela, in that regard. 

We answer the Hawk’s 27 questions to Pravin 
The Hawk’s 27 questions to finance minister Pravin Gordhan ahead of this year’s crucial budget speech, linking him to an investigation into SARS, has sparked a storm within the country, with those sympathetic to Gordhan seeing it as an attempt to intimidate the minister. Long-time investigative journalist Sam Sole answers the 27 questions in the M&G. How much of it is legitimate – and how much is just plain ridiculous?   

Sex-crazed dragonfly on ‘suicide mission’ 
New research shows that the Pantala flavescens, a type of dragonfly, flies up to 7 000km in a single journey. The record-smashing trip is all about sex. This wanderlust makes the Pantala different from their cousins — the average dragonfly struggles to leave the pond where they’re born. Maybe Pantala just don’t find each other that attractive. 

White women trumping black people for transformation targets
White women are scoring top jobs at the University of Cape Town as a way to beat transformation targets, according to a group of black alumni. Out of eight dean appointments in the past three years at UCT, only two were black African men, one was a coloured woman and the rest were white people.      

Mahikeng, Potch & Vaal: A tale of three campuses  
In 2004 a historically black institution, formerly known as the University of Bophuthatswana, combined with the Afrikaans Potchefstroom and its extension campus in the Vaal. Last week protests highlighted how although there have been many efforts to unify the three campuses, according to the students, it will take more than just a name to bring that about. 

Spy tapes: Get the lowdown on the 3-day hearing this week 
To charge, or not to charge, President Jacob Zuma with corruption again will define how the public view the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), all those involved in the so-called spy-tapes saga agree. What they cannot agree on is whether putting Zuma in the dock will bolster democracy, or undermine it. 

Barclays sale: what next? 
It’s not often that a controlling stake in a high-quality bank comes on to the market, but hard times have hit the global banking sector and are forcing Barclays Plc to sell off its African business. But the news comes at an inopportune time for almost all likely buyers. Whatever happens it’s not going to be the usual suspects this time around.    

Windpower: beating fossil fuels at their own game 
Five years ago there were just eight wind turbines spinning in South Africa. Today there are at least 495 on 13 wind farms and they supply energy to more than half a million households. Meanwhile Eskom’s coal-fired power stations Medupi and Kusile remain many years behind schedule and many millions of rands over budget. 

South African romcoms a hit with audiences 
The recent local success of Happiness is a Four-Letter Word seems to herald a new box-office momentum for romantic comedies in South Africa. Thabang Moleya, the director of the movie, believes this success is related to the relief and escape from the “times that we are living in” offered by such films – and the fact that audiences can journey with “characters they can relate to”. Read more in tomorrow’s M&G.

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