Kicks for a cause

KICKS FOR A CAUSE: Sibangani Ncube the founder of Kicks for Charity, standing outside the clothing store debute in Braamfontien on Wednesday, where people can donate their old sneakers for kids that can’t afford them. Photo by: Raquel De Canha

 

Sneaker owners in and around Johannesburg are being called to donate a pair of their old takkies to make the day of some one less fortunate.

Sneakers have always been an important part of Sibanani Ncubes life. Now he has decided to spread a little joy this Mandela Day, by inviting people to come to the debuted store in Braamfontien to donate a pair of sneakers to those who would love them but just cant afford a pair themselves.

Kicks for Charity was formed in 2014, when Siba Ncube, challenged his friends to donate a pair of shoes, the hope was to collect 24 pairs but by Mandela day, they had surpassed this target and collected a total of 350 sneakers. These were then cleaned and donated to the Carl Sithole orphanage in Klipspruit.

This year they are hoping to top that with donations form people like Black Coffee and other well-known locals. “This year we want to donate to more orphanages in Joburg by the 18^th of July ”

“My birthday is in Jan and every year I knew all I wanted was a pair sneakers. But because of the time of the year, nobody had money so often I wouldn’t get a gift.” Ncube said. This made him think of those less fortunate. “Normally these kids are given school shoes and uniforms around this time of year. For me these show no personal identity. But sneakers, you can tell a lot about a person by the kicks they wear.” so Ncube created Kicks for Charity.

“Most guys who collect sneakers have had hand-me-downs. As a kid my cousins would often pass their kicks down to me. “Once he was old enough all Ncube wanted to do was work so that he could add to his collection of sneakers.

It seems the sneaker culture in Johannesburg is big, so if you have a pair of kicks that you haven’t worn in a while, head down to debute in Braamfontien, and donate.

The Tailor-Made Witsie

 

A group of Witsies have started a new fashion enterprise suiting up students who are looking to get their careers started. 

The company, Busani, started when an entrepreneur approached a fashion-forward Wits student who goes by the professional name “Leka”, with a plan to sell budget, quality suits to students who do not necessarily have the financial means to purchase retail suits.

Leka, who studied mathematics and economics at Wits, took on the challenge of taking the business plan forward. He approached a few fellow Witsies with the same aspirations and set the enterprise up.

The business is only a month old and has made only six suits, but Leka says that while the students who work for Busani have little experience in the fashion industry, they have a true passion for this type of creative work.

Suits that are being sold in many commercial stores are typically very expensive, making them unaffordable for many students. “A basic suit at Zara is like five grand, and on top of that it’s not even tailored,” claims Leka.

Busani’s services are comprised of two parts: they provide students with affordable suits that are tailor-made to their unique specifications, but they take it one-step further by additionally assuming the role of your own personal stylist, suggesting and organising accessories to jazz up the ordinary suited look.

“It’s a great feeling like you are part of making a person not only look good but also feel good.” Leka said. Busani’s team was recently involved in organising and styling a Wits engineering student for his first interview. They also sourced a suit for a Wits mining student who wears suits regularly and needed to expand his suit collection. “These are guys that take a taxi to work and are entering the working world and want to look good doing it. That’s who we cater to,” Leka said.

Busani means ‘to celebrate’ in Ndebele and Leka said it’s a “celebration” of young male professionals.

“The story [of Busani] is to say ‘Screw your circumstances,’ you don’t need to be from a wealthy family to afford a suit, you know?” Leka says.

Leka hopes that this business will be a success and helps Witsies look the part when going for that first interview or on graduation day.

“We understand that you’re a student … We’ll make you look good in a two-piece suit,” Leka says.

 

 

The Chronicles of a Catholic Schoolgirl

I like to think I am a modern woman: you know, I wear bold red lipstick, I have no problem with bringing home the bacon and I can navigate myself around a killer Instagram selfie.

 

If I am speaking honestly, I can admit that I have lived a relatively sheltered life and while I often joke that I am plagued by ‘Catholic guilt,’ the older I get the more I realise my conscience really does live in-between church pews and the confessional both.

 

I grew up around the Catholic calendar largely because I attended an all-girls convent primary school. This ensured that my choices were constantly centred around, “What would a good Catholic girl do?” Day-after-day the entire congregation of young Catholic schoolgirls gathered in the quad for morning prayers and as Wednesdays approached, so did mass day.  On top of all of this, my grandmother would double and triple-check that I attended mass every Sunday too; and if she got her way, I would be sitting front row!

 

When I got to high school, the bitchiness of an all-girls school got too much for me and so I made the decision to move to a co-ed school where I was introduced to a whole new world (cue Aladdin soundtrack). It was here that my religious obligations fell to the wayside. Church was no longer always in my face and while I thought that was it; I had no idea just how deep the impact religion had on me. I began noticing how Catholicism had infiltrated almost every aspect of my life, when I realized how I became plagued with guilt and a sense of shame whenever I would question it – hence the term, ‘Catholic guilt.’

 

My most recent experience of Catholic guilt came with the new discovery of Homo Naledi. All my life I had been taught to believe that the existence of humanity emerged from God’s creation of Adam and Eve; but with Homo Naledi being the second missing link to confirm the Theory of Evolution. What should I believe? I feel as though it’s reaching a point where I can no longer deny scientific facts and this is where my guilt comes in (cue grandmother shaking head in shame).

 

Now here’s the part where it gets tricky; I feel like we all like to indulge in a bit of mindless TV watching when we’re taking a break form the everyday rat-race, but does that mean I’m a sloth? According to the Bible, sloth is considered as one of the seven deadly sins and this encompasses carelessness and laziness. Surely St. Peter isn’t going to forbid me from entering the Pearly Gates because of a Kardashian’s marathon every now and then? I mean, shouldn’t feeling guilty be enough? I do work hard on other days.

 

I guess it’s safe to say that I’m stuck with Catholic guilt for as long as I shall live, but hey, at least my gran will be happy and give a big Hallelujah to that!

 

Timeline: the SRC campaign so far

On Friday the University of the Witswatersrand released a statement around the suspension of students and the exclusion of the Wits EFF society. This comes after a disruption that was initiated by the Wits EFF at the SRC debate which ended in a physical altercation between parties. It was the start of an unusual campaign season.

This year four parties registered to run for the 2016 SRC elections these included the Wits Economic Freedom Fighters, Project W, the Progressive Youth Alliance (PYA) and Democratic Alliance Students Organisation (DASO).

 

Cancelled SRC debate

Campaigning started off with a bang this year when the annual Student Representative Council (SRC) debate was cancelled after a fight broke out between parties.

Members of the Wits EFF filled the Great Hall stage dancing and chanting “No SRC!” The party continued to disrupt the proceedings of the debate.

The organisers, campus control head of investigations Michael Mahada, and campaign managers then went backstage for an emergency meeting. The group then came out and announced that the debate was cancelled. Chief electoral officer, Thembi Dlamini explained that the cancellation was based on a “collective decision”.

Exceptionally disappointed with the puerile & disruptive actions of Wits EFF. For Pete’s sake debate ideas & win argument through persuasion

— Kenneth Thobejane (@ramabifiT) August 22, 2015

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Circus Flop

Then more confusion hit at what was supposed to be the first campaigning circus for the year. Only the PYA and a few Wits EFF candidates arrived at the FNB building on Wednesday. According to PYA’s Twitter account, supporters were requested to meet at 1:20pm at the FNB building, for an official election circus. But on arrival it seemed that there was no organisation for the event and only a few PYA candidates handing out pamphlets. A handful of PYA members were handing out pamphlets encouraging students to vote for their party. When asked, the candidates told those that gathered that they were waiting on the party’s officials and the Independent Electoral Committee (IEC), none of whom showed up. PYA representatives told Wits Vuvuzela that, “It seems as though only Project W were made aware of the postponement, because it was only the EFF and the PYA that prepared for today’s circus.” What seemed at first, to be a defiance of the cancellation to those who knew about it turned into a simple misunderstanding and miscommunication on the part of the candidates and their parties.

We will be at FNB today for the first official election circus, 1:20pm! Come through, meet your PYA candidates and hear why #PYALEADS!

— WitsPYA (@WitsPYA) August 19, 2015

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The show goes on with circus at the Matrix

On Thursday the first organised and official campus circus was held at the Matrix on Wits East campus. Students were encouraged to question candidates on issues surrounding party mandates and burning topics related to the university. While at one point the EFF caused a bit of a disruption, all in all the circus went off with no major incidents.

Suspension of Wits EFF and students involved in debate disruption

On Friday the EFF were not at the second circus that was held at the Wits Medical campus. That evening at 6:30pm a statement was emailed to the Wits student body from the Council of the University of the Witwatersrand. The document gave comment on the decisions to suspend the Wits EFF as a society and said some of the students involved in the fighting at the Tuesday debate would be suspended.

@WitsElections @WitsUniversity has decided to expel us and remove @WitsEFF as a society at Wits KUBI!!!!! — EFF expelled at wits (@lovezamazama) August 21, 2015

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Varsity is a place where young intellectuals meet,discuss & bring new ideas, a hub for challenging the status quo so reinstate Wits EFF now

— Modibe J Modiba (@10dibz) August 21, 2015

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Q&A with Nina Hastie

NINA HASTIE is one of South Africa’s up and coming female comedians’. You might recognise her as a regular on shows like Late Night News with Loyiso, Next of Next Week, Cliff Central and more. She will also be performing in an upcoming show with Nik Rabinowits called “What the EFF”. She spoke to Wits Vuvuzela about freedom of speech for comedians in South Africa.   

 

Do you think South Africa allows for comedians to freely express themselves?

 

Absolutely, where else are you able to talk about our presidents “Special Showers”, his nine wives and his 365 kids for each day of the year?

 

Why do you think comedians get away with saying some of the things they say?

 

I think that it is all about the approach. Many artists have great material but don’t know how to deliver it, so it comes off as really rude.
It takes time to work on this skill and perfect a set so as to not just come across as a screamer.

 

Where do you think the line between freedom of expression and hate speech is for comedians?

 

There is a line?? Ooops.

 

Are their some topics that comedians should avoid?

 

Personal issues such as rape and the holocaust are not ideal. You also wouldn’t pick on something out of people’s control such as a disability. Just ask them if they are lazy.

 

Have you ever said something you regret? If so how did you deal with it?

 

A few time’s I have pushed the bar to see how far I can take an audience with me. You just tone it back down and be quick with what you say next.

 

First published in Wits Vuvuzela

Review: Furious 7

Movie: The Fast and the Furious 7

Cast: Paul Walker, Vin Deislel, Dwayne Johnson, Jason Statham and Michelle Rodriguez.

Directed by: James Wan 

Vuvuzela Rating: 7/10

 

Fast cars, loud music and action. Everything you really want from a Fast and Furious movie. 

This time round however, there was defiantly more emotion and you could feel it the moment Paul walker appeared on the screen. 

The seventh installation of the multimillion dollar franchise became an emotional tribute to its late star, Paul Walker. Walker died tragically in a car accident on November 30 2013 when the 2005 Porsche Carrera GT he was in lost control and burst into flames in Santa Clarita, Los Angeles, as he was leaving a charity event.

This installment is supposed to be the best yet, and it’s clear that the cast and production crew were dedicated to making it so for Walker and his family. But this time around, what 

Many had anticipated that the franchise would kill off Walker’s character due to his death, but the directors went another way.

Cable and Cody Walker– Paul Walker’s brothers – joined the cast to see the movie through to the end. 

The movie sees it’s lead characters having to deal with the some of the repercussions of  Fast & Furious 6, the last film,  where Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) and his team crushed a British criminal named Owen Shaw. 

Now, Shaw’s older brother Deckard Shaw (Jason Statham) is seeking revenge. Deckard murders a member of Dominic’s crew, attempts to blow up his home and attacks his secret agent friend, Luke Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson). 

The crew join forces with a government operative named Mr. Nobody (Kurt Russell) and the madness begins. Including stunts that only the Fast and Furious team could pull off. Skydiving out of planes behind the wheel of their custom cars, flying a Lykan HyperSport through 3 skyscrapers in Ahbu Dabi and running off a buss as it falls of a cliff. All in the name of family. 

All in all, the movie is a typical Fast and Furious film, and it seems they keep getting better. Its worth the watch. A fine tribute to Paul Walker and a pleasure for adrenalin junkies.  

First published in Wits Vuvuzela 

Attack on Kenyan university leaves at least 70 dead

• Attack started around 5:30am on Thursday
• Authorities gain control of the situation a short while ago
• 70 people reported dead
• 65 people seriously injured
• Hundreds unaccounted for
• Confirmed Al-Shabaab attack
• Militants say attack was in retaliation for Kenya deploying troops to neighbouring Somalia

At least 70 people have died in an attack at the Garissa University College in Kenya. Sixty-five people are seriously injured and hundreds are unaccounted for after Al-Shabaab militants attacked the university in the eastern part of the country around 5:30am on Thursday.

Al-Shabaab have claimed responsibility for the deadly attack, and said it was carried out because of the deployment of Kenyan troops in Somalia. The Kenyan ministry posted a “most wanted” notice for the man believed to be the mastermind of the attack, Mohamed Mohamud or Gamadhere.

The siege ended just a short while ago as Kenyan authorities announced they had brought the situation under the control of security forces.

According to the police services in Kenya, the gunmen forced their way into student dormitories opening fire and taking hostages. Kenyan Red Cross stated that 50 students were freed, and at least 65 people were hospitalized from the attack. There are also unconfirmed reports that the attackers had beheaded some of the victims.

Prior warning

In March Garissa University College’s chief security officer informed the institution that Al-Shabaab was planning an attack on the university. Both the United Kingdom and the United States issued warnings of attacks in Kenya just last week. The country’s government said it bolstered security following the warning, but residents say it was too little, too late.

President Kenyatta responds

“I am saddened to inform the nation that early today, terrorists attacked Garissa University College killed and wounded several people and have taken others hostage. On behalf of my government, I extend condolences to the families of those who have perished in this attack. We continue to pray for the quick recovery of the injured, and the safe rescue of those held hostage,” said Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta in a statement.

Condolences from UCT and the African Union Somali mission

The University of Cape Town (UCT) also released a statement condemning the attack, saying universities are places of learning, sharing and tolerance. The university extended it condolences to over 200 Kenyan students studying at the university concerned about the attacks back home.

“If you attack a military, it’s an equal battle, but if you go after students, who are learning, who are preparing for the future of Africa, it’s different … I’m a father myself – I am shaken,” said the head of the African Union mission in Somalia, Maman Sambo Sidikou.

First published in Wits Vuvuzela

Do you even speak emoji?

Graphic: Raquel De Canha

Apple introduced an array of culturally divers emojis last week and although the concept may seem new, it has in fact been around for years. Here is a brief timeline on how emojis  became apart of our daily conversations.

Whether you love them or hate them, it appears emojis are here to stay. Emojis can be described as a small digital image or icon that is primarily used in electronic communication to express certain ideas, feelings, and so forth. “Emoticons” are the predecessors of “emoji”.

Emoticons refer to a representation of facial expressions that are created by various combinations of keyboard characters, such as: “:-)” (representing a smile).

The launch of a new set of emoji from Apple is a sign that these signs of emotion are not going anywhere, but rather becoming more and more complex and nuanced. From their usage in text messages and on other social platforms, emojis have come to function as a shortcut for more complex language and emotions. While the term “emojis” was only coined much further on from its actual emergence, emojis have a rich history that dates almost 150 years back.

	Taken from abcnews.go.com 1862 – A speech by Abraham Lincoln included the symbol “;)” in it. This sparked debate over whether or not this symbol was merely a typo or actually written with its full intent of being an emoticon.
	1881 – The first instance where emoticons were purposefully used was in Puck Magazine. The team working for the satirical magazine formed these emotions with specific characters, which was also known as “typographical art”.
	1912 – Critic Ambrose Bierce wrote an essay on writing reform, wherein he suggested new punctuation marks to indicate humor and irony in writing. He called this piece: (‿), “the snigger point,” and it was used to represent a smiling mouth.
	Taken from mashable.com 1982 – Scott Fahlman, a computer scientist at Carnegie Mellon University, posted the first documented happy and sad emoticons (a happy face and a sad face). The respective emoticons were formed with a colon, a hyphen and parentheses. Writing on an online bulletin board, Fahlman told readers, “I propose the following character sequence for joke markers: : – ) Read it sideways.”
	1990 – The term “emoticon” was used in print for the first time in the New York Times.
	1994 – Online instant messaging lead a boom in the use of emoticons.
	1998 – The first emoji was created in Japan by Shigetaka Kuirita, who was part of the team working on NTT DoCoMo’s i-mode mobile internet platform. The emoji was created as part of i-mode’s messaging features to help facilitate electronic communication, in addition to acting as a distinguishing feature from other such services.
	2001 – The term “emoticon” was added to the Oxford dictionary.
	2002 – The term “emoticon” was dubbed the official Internet ‘lingo’ after being added to the Urban dictionary.
	2008 – Apple released emojis in the iOS 2.2 (iPhone) software update to the Japanese market.
	2009 – Google added emojis to Gmail and Fred Benenson initiated “Emoji Dick,” a crowd-sourced project that consisted of translating almost 10 000 sentences of Moby Dick literature into emojis.
	2010 – Emojis adopt a Unicode; i.e. a computing industry, standard for most of the worlds writing and character systems.
	2011 –Emojis had their first international debut on Apple iOS 5 system.
	Taken from abcnews.go.org 2012 – iOS 6 is launched and it includes new emojis, like the gust of wind emoji (now know as the ‘fart’ emoji). In addition, the front cover of the New Yorker was almost entirely made up of emojis.
	2013 – The term “emoji” is added to the Oxford dictionary and Katy Perry releases a lyric video predominantly comprised of emojis.https://youtu.be/e9SeJIgWRPk
	2015 – Apple releases its most revolutionized range of racially, sexually and culturally diverse emojis. Graphic: Raquel De Canha

First published in Wits Vuvuzela 

Witsies go to ConCourt

 

CONSTITUTIONAL ART: Nolubabalo Memese explains the symbolism of the architecture to 2nd year constitutional law students on Tuesday. Photo: Raquel De Canha

Over 300 Wits Constitutional Law students got their first chance to visit the Constitutional Court last week, as part of a programme that gives the students exposure to South Africa’s highest court.

Students for Law and Social Justice in collaboration with the Wits Law School and the Conhill Education Project, put together the event for 320 second-year Wits Law students.

“Less than 5% of Constitutional Law students have ever actually been to Constitutional Hill,”  said Tristan Jones, a member of Students for Law and Social Justice.

Claudia Oliveira, 3^rd year LLB, is one of the many Law students who have not had the chance to go visit the iconic space, despite Constitution Hill being within walking distance of Wits’ main campus.

“I didn’t have anybody interested enough to go with,” Oliveira said.

“Less than 5% of Constitutional Law students have ever actually been to Constitutional Hill,”

“It is definitely something that I want to do. But it would have been so much easier and more educational to have gone with Wits when it was relevant and I was learning about it,” Oliveira said.

Jones said the aim of the event is to “ensure that all Constitutional Law students are able to experience the highest court in the land”.

Constitution Hill in Braamfontein has a history dating back to the 1892 when the Old Fort was built under the Zuid Afrikaans Republiek functioning as a prison. Today the site is home to the Woman’s Gaol museum, Number Four museum and the Old Fort museum.

These areas host exhibitions that advocate human rights.

During the tour, students got an in-depth look at the jails on Constitution Hill, a tour of the art collection in the main Court and were also taken into the courtroom itself.

Students for Law and Social Justice is a South African students’ organisation which aims to protect human rights, encourage social justice and help make justice more accessible. The group was formed among students from various universities around the country.

 

First published in Wits Vuvuzela