Latest news with #TshwaneUniversityofTechnology
IOL News
2 days ago
- Politics
- IOL News
TUT Vice-Chancellor could face lawsuit from Bapedi Kingdom over Sekhukhune campus dispute
The Bapedi people of Sekhukhune have threatened to take the Vice-Chancellor of Tshwane University of Technology, Professor Tinyiko Maluleke to court. Image: Thobile Mathonsi / Independent Newspapers The controversy surrounding the Tshwane University of Technology's (TUT) Sekhukhune campus has taken a dramatic turn, with the institution's Vice-Chancellor and Principal, Professor Tinyiko Maluleke, being dragged to court. The lawsuit follows Maluleke's alleged ignoring of a letter of demand from the Bapedi Kingdom to settle the matter out of court three weeks ago. The Kingdom had given Maluleke 14 days to respond to their letter regarding the establishment of a campus in Sekhukhune, or face a legal challenge, and claim Maluleke ignored it. The Bapedi Kingdom and TUT Sekhukhune campus coordinator, William Maphutha has made claims that TUT has failed to honour its commitment to establish a campus in Sekhukhune. The dispute between the Bapedi Kingdom and TUT centres around the university's decision to establish a campus in Giyani, which the kingdom views as a violation of the duty of good faith. Maphuta expressed frustration over the lack of response from Maluleke saying according to the brief he received from their lawyers, Maluleke had not responded to their demands. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ Maphuta further revealed that they have written to both the Minister of Higher Education and the Portfolio Committee Chairperson, but there has been no response. Maphutha also claimed that that efforts to establish a university in Sekhukhune, had been sabotaged. He says he pioneered the project and accuses TUT of hijacking it without proper consultation. "We are law-abiding citizens, we trust and believe that the courts will come to our rescue," Maphuta said. "The level of arrogance from the management of the university is appalling, let alone the silent treatment from Prof Tinyiko Maluleke,' he said. Both Maluleke and TUT spokesperson Phaphama Tshisikhawe did not answer questions about whether they would challenge the court action. The only correspondence from Maluleke was a leaked letter he had written to the Bapedi Kingdom on May 16, appreciating the hospitality they received while visiting the kingdom during a meeting the day before. 'It was an honour and a privilege for our delegation to connect with the Bapedi Kingdom and to discuss opportunities for mutual growth… TUT is eager to continue this journey with the Bapedi Kingdom. We look forward to future engagements,' Maluleke wrote.
SowetanLIVE
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- SowetanLIVE
Clive Mathibe and Lebohang Toko prove that you can't hurry love
Film director Clive Mathibe and musical-theatre multi-hyphenate Lebohang Toko seal their 17-year love story with an epic celebration. The meeting Lebo: I thought he was an arrogant little somebody on campus, the senior who is so full of himself. Our love story took shape four years later in Grahamstown in James Ngcobo's Touch My Blood play. On the first night, we saw each other and I was like, 'Not this guy again.' Clive: We went to Tshwane University of Technology and I was ahead of Lebo by three years. I was doing my drama degree and Lebo was at the musical-theatre department. When we saw each other after four years, I was like, 'Oh my god, this guy is so hot.' He wore a black velvet tracksuit. I told the friend who was with me that I was in love and was going for him. The dating life Clive: I drove back to Joburg with two of my friends, one of whom was the actress in the play I was directing in Grahamstown. I remember thinking I needed to see him again, and called him. Lebo: He asked me out to dinner and we never stopped seeing each other. Dating was fun; he would pick me up after my show and we would sing along to Beyoncé, go out, eat, party — and neither of us was broke because we were both working in the industry. The lightbulb moment Clive: We were back together after a seven-month breakup and had finished eating dinner at Lebo's place. As we were washing the dishes, we got into a real conversation. I told him that I wanted this and wanted us to go to the next level and build a life together.
The Citizen
2 days ago
- The Citizen
E-hailing scare in Alexandra triggers missing girl alert
Concern grew for Mbali Ncaku after she sent a worrying message to her friend on June 18 about an e-hailing ride she requested from Bramley to Pretoria, and then became unreachable. This prompted social posts suggesting that she was missing. However, she has clarified the matter, noting that she realised later that she was panicking when she sent the message. In the message, she told her friend to call the police if she did not make it to Tshwane University of Technology Soshanguve South campus in about an hour and thirty minutes. But the friend called Ncaku's mother right away. Read more: What to do if a family member is kidnapped, especially a child 'I got scared when he asked me to cancel the ride, and when he said he was taking a different route because he was trying to avoid the police, I panicked. I think my friend also panicked, that is why she called my mother immediately. But I got to the campus safe and on time for her exam,' she explained, adding that now when she thinks about it, she was not in danger and it was just a misunderstanding. Tumisho Sekhukhune, the e-hailing driver, acknowledged that the incident was unfortunate. 'My mistake was asking her to cancel the ride. We were just having a casual conversation, maybe that is why I did not realise she was scared or anything. She told me her exam was about an hour and thirty minutes long. I even asked if she was going to come back to Bramley because I would have waited to give her a ride back.' Also read: 16-year-old girl arrested after man is kidnapped and assaulted Sekhukhune said he did not take a different direction because he was trying to avoid the police, he was only using an alternative route displayed on his GPS. Asked why he told Ncaku to cancel the ride, he explained that he did not force her, he was just asking because he was trying to avoid their e-hailing platform from taking a portion of the trip fare. 'I am not the only person who cancels the trips. Drivers know that prices on our e-hailing platform are more beneficial to the customers than drivers. For instance, it would charge a customer R80 for a long drive and still deduct a certain amount from that R80, it affects us,' he exclaimed. Follow us on our Whatsapp channel, Facebook, X, Instagram, and TikTok for the latest updates and inspiration! Have a story idea? We'd love to hear from you – join our WhatsApp group and share your thoughts! Related article: Child kidnapping prevention tips for all ages At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
The Citizen
10-06-2025
- Health
- The Citizen
Government slammed for not employing health inspectors as food poisoning incidents rise
Unemployed health inspectors say lives are at risk due to government inaction. With South Africa facing a looming food safety crisis – with increasing incidents of food poisoning – the government continues to 'ignore' that there are not enough environmental health inspectors, unemployed practitioners say. This follows allegations that the government has failed to keep its promise after announcing last year it had set aside R205 million to employ 520 health inspectors to address the rampant outbreak of foodborne cases that had led to the deaths of 22 children and hundreds being hospitalised. The announcement came after the food poisoning outbreak was declared a national disaster. Environmental health inspectors are employed by the department of health and deployed in different municipalities. Their job is to protect the public against foodborne diseases. Qualified but unemployed A 30-year-old unemployed environmental health inspector, who wished to remain anonymous fearing reprisal, said she completed an environmental health practitioner degree at Mangosuthu University of Technology several years ago, but has not got a job. 'After completing my studies, I joined a group of graduates doing community service training for a year. But after that we did not get jobs. I am frustrated because we all see that our services are needed but the government does not want to employ us. 'Looking at the rising number of foodborne poisoning cases tells you that something is wrong and there is a need to employ health inspectors. Our job is to make sure that businesses and other entities comply with public health laws to prevent the spread of diseases and ensure that the public is safe. 'First line of defence' 'We are the first line of defence when it comes to making sure that residents are safe from foodborne and related problems. Now, the government has said the spaza shops and other small businesses should be regulated but with the low number of health inspectors, how are they going to do that?' She said the deaths of children due to food poisoning and the rising number of cases could have been avoided if there were enough health inspectors. NOW READ: Manufacturer agrees to R500 000 fine for supplying contaminated peanut butter Unused skills and suspended practitioners Another unemployed practitioner, a 28-year-old who has an environmental health practitioner's BSc from Tshwane University of Technology, said it was painful to know that he had skills that could save lives but he was unemployed. He said he was one of the practitioners who could not pay his accreditation fee to the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA). 'I know of some people who owe the HPCSA more than R15 000 each and they were suspended, meaning they are no longer allowed to work as health practitioners until they pay to regain their membership,' he said. Recently, environmental health graduates from different provinces staged a march and demonstrated at the head offices of the department of health and the department of cooperative governance and traditional affairs, demanding that they be employed. Speaking on behalf of the unemployed graduates, Zandi Dlamini said it's been some time since they submitted the memorandum but there has still been no response. Consumers left vulnerable Dlamini accused the government of contravening the National Health Act, Section 24 of the constitution of South Africa and the standards of the World Health Organisation. 'This leaves consumers vulnerable to foodborne disease outbreaks, as well as other environmental health issues threatening public health,' said Dlamini. 'About 3 000 cases of food poisoning illnesses were reported to the notifiable medical conditions system. According to the South African Local Government Association, only 1 651 practitioners are employed out of 6 300. 'The country has 4 116 inspectors registered with the HPCSA and ready to serve.' Department of health spokesperson Foster Mohale did not respond to questions sent to him. NOW READ: Mpumalanga primary school pupils treated for food poisoning after eating oranges
IOL News
09-06-2025
- Politics
- IOL News
Education or Entrapment? How Student Debt Sustains Systemic Youth Oppression in a Democratic South Africa
Awam Mavimbela is a registered social worker, former Walter Sisulu University Lecturer, PhD candidate with University of the Free State, and a published author Image: Supplied Apartheid-era education policies, rooted in oppression and segregation, have necessitated post-apartheid efforts to redress historical injustices by broadening access to the university system. Education remains a critical instrument for addressing inequality and alleviating poverty. However, despite gains in access, post-apartheid South African youth are now confronted by a new barrier, student debt. Even within this debt crisis, the enduring deliberate inequalities of apartheid are evident. Institutions historically serving white students tend to have significantly lower levels of student debt compared to universities predominantly attended by African, Coloured, and Indian students. For instance, as of 2021, student debt at Tshwane University of Technology amounted to R4.4 billion; Cape Peninsula University of Technology stood at R1.13 billion; Central University of Technology at R1.78 billion; and the University of KwaZulu-Natal and the University of the Witwatersrand at R1.7 billion and R1.062 billion, respectively. In stark contrast, Stellenbosch University's student debt was only R16.3 million; Rhodes University, R15.3 million; and the University of Cape Town (UCT), the lowest, at R14.1 million. The consequences of student debt are severe. They include withholding of academic certificates, exclusion from further studies, and blocked registration for subsequent academic years. These frustrations contributed to the #FeesMustFall protests of 2015/2016, when students, particularly from marginalised communities, reached a breaking point. While student demographics are not always disaggregated by race within institutions, without doubt African, Coloured, and Indian students bear the brunt of student debt an inference supported by national socio-economic disparities released by StatsSA yearly. Thus, student debt emerges as a modern mechanism of continued systemic oppression in South Africa, reinforcing historical patterns of exclusion and undermining constitutional promises. Section 29(1)(b) of the South African Constitution obliges the state to make higher education "progressively available and accessible." This means there should be funding (NSFAS) reform as the current leads to student debts. The existing debt crisis contradicts this mandate, challenging the myth that access to education is purely merit-based. Instead, structural inequalities ensure that student debt perpetuates intergenerational poverty as per apartheid policies. During apartheid, racial exclusion from education was legally enforced through instruments such as the Bantu Education Act of 1953, the Indian Education Act, and the Coloured Persons Education Act. Today, universities—ostensibly democratic institutions—function as more subtle vehicles of exclusion through financial mechanisms, particularly student debt. The discourse around student experiences is increasingly colour-blind, overlooking the racialised nature of economic and educational policy legacies. Within a neoliberal framework, student debt is framed as a personal burden rather than a manifestation of systemic socio-economic oppression. This neo-liberal individualistic perspective erases the structural dimensions of debt, which enforces racial and class stratification. As such, debt is not merely a technical or financial issue, it is youth symbolic violence (continuation of oppression). For Black graduates, many of whom are financially responsible for extended families, student debt is a source of mental illnesses like, trauma, stress, and delayed economic participation. Historic debts contribute to the intergenerational mental health burdens—depression, anxiety, social isolation, and trauma—among previously oppressed populations. Furthermore, the student debt crisis reveals how universities have become corporatised entities, dependent on student fees for financial viability. Students are no longer just recipients of education; they are financiers sustaining the neoliberal university model. This article contends that student debt is a consequence of apartheid-era oppression and calls for solutions beyond the current frameworks, such as debt cancellation, free education, or universal basic income. Without reimagining education funding, existing approaches risk entrenching the status quo of racial inequality, thereby serving elite interests. Student debt also undermines initiatives like the 1997 White Paper for Social Welfare, which identified education as a vehicle for redressing historical imbalances (poverty). The fragmented social welfare systems experienced by Africans, Coloureds, and Indians cannot be remedied without addressing the racialised nature of educational debt.
