On the fly: Ikey fullback Therlow Pietersen capped a sterling performance against Maties with this try, just evading the attentions of Maties’ Charl Weideman.

Here’s the nub of last night’s FNB Varsity Cup encounter in Stellenbosch – for much of the game, UCT’s Ikey Tigers made a very, very good Maties side look very, very ordinary.

And but for a few stray kicks, fumbles and errant passes, that final scoreline of 17-23 in Stellenbosch University’s favour could have looked very different. As has become custom after their clashes against their archrivals, UCT will rue what should have been.

That said, however, the home side showed just why they’ve won the trophy two years in a row, and why they’ve scored 291 points and conceded only 79 this campaign. (Their point difference of 212 dwarfs all others, with UCT coming in a distant second best with a margin of 70 points.) Lethal on the counterattack and always able to create an overlap on the wings, their two tries came from UCT mistakes well in the Maties half.

Although, for much of the second half, you wouldn’t have thought that it’s Maties sitting pretty on the top of the Varsity Cup log. Trailing 0-13 at one stage and 5-23 by early in the second half, the Tigers’ running game – which seemed to backfire in the first half – came into its own, and with tries from Mark Esterhuizen and Therlow Pietersen and more than 20 minutes left on the clock, UCT looked the team most likely to win.

But handling errors from the Tigers and tenacious tackling from Maties kept the scoreline and Maties’ undefeated run intact.

“We showed for the first time in this tournament our real pattern of play,” said coach, John Dobson, after the match. “We opened them up at will.”

A pity, then, that UCT couldn’t convert their possession into points. But, noted Dobson, he’d rather lose now than in the final his side must be confident they’ll reach. (And probably play Stellenbosch again.)

There are a few areas his side will have to do some homework on before then, however, notably around their set pieces, admitted Dobson. The Tigers’ lineout work and restart kicking let them down and cost them valuable territory against Maties.

“We need to be more clinical around those set pieces.”

But before that potential rematch, UCT will focus on their last stage game, against University of Pretoria’s Tukkies at UCT on 15 March. The Tigers will have to win the game to secure a precious home semi-final.

Read More on University of Cape Town / Daily News: Ikeys give Maties pause for thought

In memory: Dr Lesley Bourne, wife of the late David Bourne, is flanked by Dr Reno Morar, health services adviser to the Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences, and Prof Leslie London, head of the School of Public Health & Family Medicine at the memorial service of her husband.

David Bourne may have passed on but his legacy will continue through a prize that UCT’s School of Public Health and Family Medicine has named in his honour.

The prize, worth R 5000, will be awarded annually to an excelling postgraduate student in the Master of Public Health programme, starting at the end of this year.

“This will help to keep David’s legacy alive and remind us of the contribution this extraordinary scientist, demographer, health advocate and general enthusiast for life made to public health in South Africa,” said Professor Leslie London, director of the school, at a memorial service held for Bourne this week.

Bourne was a chief research officer at the school, and was a leading demographer and statistician in the field of HIV prevention and its impacts in South Africa. He died suddenly in February last year.

London said Bourne’s death left a huge gap in the national capacity to understand the impact of the HIV epidemic, and the opportunities to address prevention.

“As colleagues, we felt it important to honour his legacy and to acknowledge his unstinting willingness to put science ahead of ideology in the fraught world of HIV prevention and treatment in South Africa over the past decade.”

This commitment to scientific integrity, London said, often brought Bourne into conflict with authorities who did not like to hear the evidence emerging from the data. “But David was adamant about ensuring that the science should speak for itself.”

At the memorial, attended by family, friends and colleagues, a compendium of a selection of his published works (over 130 in total) was presented to his widow, Dr Lesley Bourne. Copies were also given to the dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences and the faculty library.

Read More on University of Cape Town / Daily News: Bourne’s contribution honoured

Kopano Malebo, head student of Rochester residence at the health and safety debate.

Recent violent crime incidents around the medical campus have prompted the Health Sciences Student Council to host a safety and security campaign from 1 to 5 March.

Vera-Genevey Baloyi, the council’s student wellness officer, said the campaign’s objectives were to raise awareness about safety and security in and around campus, to equip students with self-defence skills, as well as make them aware of all the structures and procedures they need to adhere to when they have been victims of a crime.

Basically, we want every student to start making an effort to be accountable for their own safety and security, and for them to be aware of the support structures that have been made available by the university and the faculty,” Baloyi said.

She said it all started when the council was alerted that students have become the prime victims of a range of crimes committed on and off campus, specifically around the Observatory area.

“In a space of one year or less, we have had two murders, numerous muggings and a handful of hijackings around the Health Science Faculty and the surrounding areas,” she explained. “This intimates that this side of the greater UCT community is the most vulnerable for such events to occur.”

Baloyi also said it was worrying that students seem oblivious at times to the dangers around them, and are sometimes negligent about their own safety.

“Furthermore, most students lack vital information with regards to keeping themselves safe, reporting crime, holding CPS officers accountable, and who to go to within student leadership circles should they have comments or questions with regards to safety and safety procedures on campus.”

During the campaign, the council used posters, pamphlets, T-shirts, talks and debates, self-defence classes and other fun activities to achieve their set of objectives. The campaign was driven by the council in conjunction with the faculty management, the Students’ Representative Council, the South African Police Services, Campus Protections Services and the other student organisations in the faculty. The campaigns will continue throughout the year.

See also information on campus safety on the website.

Read More on University of Cape Town / Daily News: Students taught more about safety

It’s time to get into the spirit of the soccer world cup by wearing Bafana Bafana shirts. This is the challenge to the campus community laid down by the acting dean of commerce, Professor Mike Wormald, in picture with his personal assistant Freda Williams.

“In the interests of national reconciliation I invite you to get into the spirit of The Beautiful Game,” Wormald said. “We need to get behind the national team, so please wear Bafana Bafana shirts on Fridays.”

International staff and students are invited to wear the shirt of their home countries, to reflect diversity within the university.

It’s also time to blow our own vuvuzela about UCT becoming the country’s largest hotel for the world cup, said the head of UCT’s 2010 task team, Emeritus Professor John Simpson. Staff and students should invite relatives to stay in residences during the world cup, he added.

“They will have access to the university’s extensive shuttle system which will transport them to and from the airport and world cup fixtures. As a signatory to Cape Town’s Tourism Code of Responsible Pricing, UCT will provide accommodation that offers excellent value at fair prices.” (Single rooms are going at R550 a night excluding VAT.)

Proceeds will be channeled into legacy projects including programmes that enable financially-needy students to complete their studies.

Visit www.campus2010.co.za for further information. And for more information about Campus Accommodation 2010 please contact:

• Jackie Ardinois by email or at 0861 226 787
• Celeste Gaskin by email or at +27 21 591 1260 or 0765517125.

Read More on University of Cape Town / Daily News: If it’s Friday, wear your Bafana Bafana shirt

Mesmerising: The Soweto Gospel Choir kept the audience on their feet at the annual RAG Kirstenbosch Concert on 27 February.

It was all perfect at this year’s annual UCT RAG (Remember and Give) Kirstenbocsh Concert on 27 February. The weather was fine, the stage looked wonderful and the performers were nothing short of brilliant, leaving the audience begging for more.

The Rudimentals got the event off to a great start, pulling the crowd to move to right in front of the stage to join in the dancing. When the main course was dished in the form of the two-time Grammy-award-winning Soweto Gospel Choir, the audience burst into cheers.

Their earthy rhythms, rich harmonies, a capella numbers, alongside energetic dancing and vibrant, colourful costumes, made for an awesome mix. All was for a good cause as the Old Mutual-sponsored concert allowed RAG to raise money for SHAWCO’s outreach programmes.

The concert is the only RAG project that targets both students and families around Cape Town, given the relaxed, classy nature of the event. UCT RAG 2009/2010 Chairperson Aliyah Allie said what she loved about the event was that the vibey audience was a wonderful mix of young and old, of different income levels and colour, all dancing, singing and picnicking together – as was intended when the vision for the event was created.

Read More on University of Cape Town / Daily News: Kirstenbosch concert a big success

Battling it out: UCT Tigers’ Alexander Macdonald tackles a UJ player.

A late Marcello Sampson try helped FNB Ikey Tigers to maintain their unbeaten record in the 2010 Varsity Cup, edging out the FNB University of Johannesburg (UJ) by 30-23 in a classic encounter in Johannesburg on 1 March.

The win will be a confidence booster for the Tigers ahead of their next game against the mighty Maties in Stellenbosch next Monday. It will also stand the UCT side in good stead in their bid for a third successive semi-final spot.

The Ikeys looked the better team in the first half, punishing poor tackling from the home side to take a 17-13 lead at half time.

UJ dominated much of the second half with only penalties keeping the Cape Town side ahead. UJ equalised in the 65th minute, but the Sampson breakaway try and Doug Mallett’s conversion gave UCT the advantage again with only seven minutes left on the clock.

The score from Sampson – the leading try-scorer in the Varsity Cup’s three-year history – handed UCT a fourth win of the season and four points on the evening.

In the Steinhof Koshuis Championship, UCT Tornadoes were on the wrong end of a 5-39 scoreline, losing to the Free State University’s Vishuis. Tornadoes beat Madibaz of Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University by 38-21 in their first game.

In this picture, Matthew Rosslee (10) and Marcel Brache tackle UJ captain, Clinton de Klerk.

Read More on University of Cape Town / Daily News: Tigers win again

Making history: Attending the Métissages/Mixing Cultures media launch was (from left) Prof Harry Garuba of the Centre for African Studies and Prof Jean-Louis Cornille of UCT’s School of Languages.

No direct English translation for the French word ‘métissages’ would fully explain the concept, but it could be described as those spaces where blending occurs.

This was the focus of a two-day Métissages/Mixing Cultures conference hosted by UCT’s Centre for African Studies and the French section of the School of Languages and Literatures from 18 to 19 February, in partnership with Alliance Française, Artscape, and Paris VII University.

The conference featured presentations by researchers from Africa, Asia, Europe, Saudi Arabia and the US, examining cross-cultural encounters from different eras, deconstructing gender and race stereotypes. South Africa’s coloured identity also came under the spotlight.

The conference also served as the platform to introduce the Mitchell’s Plain Oral History Project, a partnership between Alliance Française and Artscape, and supported by the French Embassy and the Department of Social Development.

Central to the project is the publication of a book to be launched in 2011, which will unfold the histories – and herstories – of Mitchell’s Plain and its people. The book will recognise those who contributed to the development of this community, and inspired many others. The project is also about those who have taken the baton to continue developing it into a place of hope and possibilities, and shifting the perspectives of Mitchell’s Plain as a place of poverty, violence and despair.

For more information on the project visit Alliance Française website. The book on Mitchell’s Plain will be based on nominations appointed by the community. Contact Nolan at Artscape by email, or telephone: 021 410 9800.

Read More on University of Cape Town / Daily News: Conference explores cultural encounters

The toxic mix: Such is the scale of the problem that everyone’s going to have to chip in to sort out the shortcomings of the South African school system, said Graeme Bloch.

Graeme Bloch admits that he’s somewhat “bipolar” when it comes to the South African school system – there are some days when he’s convinced that things are moving in the right direction, but there are also others when he’s depressed by the sheer scale of the problems.

“There are so many things to do, we could start anywhere,” said Bloch, author of 2009’s The Toxic Mix: What’s wrong with South Africa’s schools and how to fix it, speaking at a meeting hosted by UCT’s Schools Development Unit on 24 February.

As he does in his book, Bloch, an education specialist with the Development Bank of South Africa (and a member of UCT Council), took his audience through some of the troubles that currently beset the education system. These include ongoing problems with outcomes-based education, the nature – and lack – of teacher support, the public’s frustration with teachers’ unions, the strained relationship between teachers and the education department (not helped by the repeated postponements of the occupation-specific dispensation for teachers), the need for an inspectorate to check on performance, and the ongoing debate around money and resources.

In addition, there are concerns around outcome (learners’ performance) and inequalities (black learners still do worse at schools than their white peers).

That said, there are grounds for some optimism, said Bloch. Yes, there are issues with the qualification, but today more black children complete matric than ever before. So, too, teachers from all walks of life are working together to improve the system. In addition, there are models that can be mimicked: the work of the Bitou 10 Foundation to support learning at 10 Plettenberg Bay schools, or the organisation in Hermanus that draws on professionals in the area to run workshops and the like for schools.

“I think we need to bear in mind that sense of progress, but also the challenges,” said Bloch.

It’s going to take a concerted effort from many – teachers, government, society – to tackle the problems, he cautioned. “Given the complexity of education… it really is going to be called on all of us to get active.”

Read More on University of Cape Town / Daily News: Amid many troubles at schools, there’s been progress, says Bloch

Leading from front: SRC members Saif Islam, Richard McLaverty, Michell Mpike, Londeka Mkhize, Wandile Mamba, Lwando Maki, Sizwe Mpofu-Walsh and Shannon Bernhardt acted as role models when they publicly tested for HIV.

Some UCT students are still indifferent to and surprisingly ignorant of the dreadful HIV/AIDS pandemic, despite the fact that millions of South Africans are infected and affected by it, according to the Students Representative Council.
To compound the situation, the estimated 10% of students living with the virus are subjected to stigma by certain fellow students.

For these reasons, the Students’ Representative Council (SRC) has put HIV/AIDS on their priority list for the year, and on 24 February its members “led by an example” and went for voluntary counselling and testing during a Student Wellness Services drive at Jameson Hall.<Some UCT students are still indifferent to and surprisingly ignorant of the dreadful HIV/AIDS pandemic, despite the fact that millions of South Africans are infected and affected by it, according to the Students Representative Council.
To compound the situation, the estimated 10% of students living with the virus are subjected to stigma by certain fellow students.
For these reasons, the Students’ Representative Council (SRC) has put HIV/AIDS on their priority list for they year, and on 24 February its members “led by an example” an d went for voluntary counselling and testing during a Student Wellness Services’ drive at Jameson Hall.

The three-day campaign was one of the two that the Wellness Services hosts each year – in addition to the daily services available at the Sports Centre and Student Wellness Services – to promote testing, and to make it available and easily accessible to staff and students.

Sizwe Mpofu-Walsh, SRC president, said that the SRC would be running a campaign on HIV/AIDS later on in the year, and the first thing was for members to get tested publicly and act as role models to students who are afraid.

Michell Mpike, an SRC member responsible for health, safety and security, said testing is important to promote responsible living. “There are a lot of people who are ignorant about HIV,” she explained. “There is also a mentality that ‘it won’t happen to me’”.

While the turn-out was “overwhelming”, the process itself can be nerve-wrecking, as one student attested “I was scared when I came to test for the first time because you never know what will happen,” she said. “But testing is a responsible thing to do in order to make informed decisions about your future.”

Read More on University of Cape Town / Daily News: SRC members test for HIV

Budget brief: According to Emer Prof Brian Kantor (right), the recent budget speech bodes well for the country.

Bar a few swipes at the Reserve Bank and ESKOM – no one’s favourite utility right now – Emeritus Professor Brian Kantor’s review of the 2010/2011 national budget was a very upbeat one.

Speaking at a post-budget breakfast talk, hosted by the Graduate School of Business on 22 February, Kantor, emeritus professor at UCT as well an investment strategist and economist with Investec Private Securities, had plenty of praise for finance minister Pravin Gordhan and his budget speech. Coming in the wake of a severe recession, much was expected of the budget and the minister’s response was a “sensible” one, said Kantor.

“The budget had to answer a number of questions. Not all these answers are popular with all quarters, but certainly the answers are clear enough and, I would say, very encouraging in general.”

For one, the government is running a growing deficit of 7.3% of gross domestic product (GDP) as revenues are falling – tax revenue alone will be R69 billion short of last year’s budget estimate – and spending is still on the rise. No wonder, then, that there were concerns that the state would raise taxes.

But it didn’t. Instead, it has accepted that it would have to borrow more to continue its social spending, and government debt is expected to top R1 trillion over the next few years. That debt will amount to around 40% of GDP, which, while “uncomfortably high”, is manageable, said Kantor. (And much better than the Americans and Greeks, where government debts stand at about 100% of GDP.)

The state will have to take some control over its expenditures, however, particularly its spending on government employees and their benefits, added Kantor.

One authority Kantor did target – other than ESKOM, making ever greater demands on consumers’ wallets – was the Reserve Bank, particularly under former governor, Tito Mboweni. In particular, Kantor took issue with the Reserve Bank for its intransigent inflation-targeted policies, which pushed interest rates higher than they ought to have been, and kept them at those high levels way too long.

The problem, said Kantor, was that the Bank was no longer fighting inflation, but rather inflation expectations.

“And therefore, even if the economy is on its knees, when inflation expectations are alive, you fight it with high interest rates. Regardless of its impact on the economy.”

South Africa, like most other countries, needs consumption-led growth. For this to happen, interest rates will have be kept down, which is what is expected will happen in 2010 in South Africa, the US and Europe, said Kantor.

“And so, a little less pessimism about the prospects for the South African economy in 2010 are in order,” he ended. “And I think the budget certainly doesn’t provide any grounds at all for pessimism.”

Read More on University of Cape Town / Daily News: Good prospects for the economy – Kantor

Law and language: Law faculty’s Assoc Prof Loretta Feris, an environmental specialist, is one of several UCT law academics lined up for the Woordfees (Wordfest) in Stellenbosch next week.

The Faculty of Law will present an actuality programme in Afrikaans at the 11th annual Woordfees (Wordfest) in Stellenbosch from 1 to 5 March. This will be the first law programme to be presented at this festival.

The discussion programme, Reg met Afrikaans (Law in Afrikaans), is a contribution by lawyers to the recognition of Afrikaans as a language that has a vital role in discussion and debate on law subjects.

Through their participation, several UCT lecturers will be supporting Afrikaans as an academic language and a language of law, said programme convenor, Professor Rochelle le Roux. “For us it is a privilege to present legal topics in Afrikaans. In this way we can stimulate debate among lay people on a variety of legal matters that concern the public. We also want to illustrate that law can also be an adventure.”

This venture is supported by UCT law dean, Professor PJ Schwikkard.

“South African law is the best explored and developed with an appreciation of history, language, diversity and creativity,” she said. “So it is entirely appropriate for the law faculty to be involved with the discourse, Reg met Afrikaans.”

Woordfees director, Professor Dorothea van Zyl of Stellenbosch University, one of the festival’s sponsors, welcomed the goodwill extended to the festival by a “neighbouring university”.

Topical subjects will be discussed during lunch hour each day. On 1 March UCT’s Professor Pierre de Vos will speak on constitutional matters in a presentation titled, Is die grondwetlike regstaat ‘n struikelblok op weg na transformasie? (Is the constitutional state based on the rule of law a stumbling block on the road to transformation?)

UCT speakers will also include Associate Professor Loretta Feris of the Institute for Marine and Environmental Law, who will explore the new environmental laws; Professor Jaco Barnard-Naudé on the relationship between law and literature; Meryl du Plessis, a specialist on workplace issues, will discuss stress and depression in the workplace; and Professor Elrena van der Spuy, a specialist in aspects of police matters, will discuss the role of South African women police officers in peace missions in Africa, particularly in the Sudan.

Read More on University of Cape Town / Daily News: Law faculty helps underpin Afrikaans as an academic language

Spacing out: UCT team members work on their game plan at the recent Global Game Jam.

UCT recently hosted the second Global Game Jam (GGJ), which saw its computer science team finish third for the game that they developed.

The event had teams from 38 countries – straddling 23 time zones – go into a lock down, competitors having 48 hours to develop and implement a fully functional computer game.

“It is exciting to see the growth of this event from nine participants last year, to 35 this year,” said Dr Patrick Marais, a senior lecturer in the Department of Computer Science and the organiser of the South African leg of the competition. “It is a very positive indicator of games development in South Africa.”

The teams survived the two days inside the Computer Science Senior lab by consuming vast amounts of coffee, Coke and pizza. They even brought their sleeping bags along and grabbed a few hours of sleep wherever they could.

Prizes were offered as an incentive at the local event, even though the GGJ is not a competition. The completed games are assessed by the wider internet community who use an approval rating system to come to a final decision. The UCT Department of Computer Science hopes to continue to host the event in the future, and those interested in seeing the developed games can visit the GGJ website.

Read More on University of Cape Town / Daily News: Global Game Jam showdown

The right constitution: Judge Arthur Chaskalson and retired Judge Albie Sachs lead discussions at the first day of Constitution Week.

UCT’s Democratic Governance and Rights Unit (DGRU) is hosting Constitution Week this week, a retrospective series of talks and discussions on the life and times of the Constitutional Court, which marked its 15th anniversary on 14 February.

That anniversary, plus the retirement in 2009 of four – Chief Justice Pius Langa, Justice Yvonne Mokgoro, Justice Kate O’ Regan and Justice Albie Sachs – of the original eleven judges, makes this an ideal time for such a reflection.

Over the four days of Constitution Week, which runs from 22 to 25 February, delegates will look at the court’s record up to now, and comment on the legacy of the retiring justices. The judges have stood up well to the enormous task before them, and have established the court as an internationally admired authority, says the DGRU’s Vanja Karth. (A pity, though, she adds, that only one of the four new appointees is a woman.)

“The judges have shown themselves as capable of maintaining the court’s independence, and having the courage to make controversial and unpopular rulings that often have upheld claims against other branches of government, ensuring that the separation of powers remains solid.”

How they managed to do that that will be discussed over the week, with contributors to include retired judges, scholars and activists.

On Tuesday, panellists debated whether the court is able to hold high-profile public officials to account; on Wednesday, experts will comment on the performance of the public service in the constitutional era; and on Friday, speakers will look at the role that civil society has played in bringing landmark human-rights cases before the court.

Download programme of events.

Read More on University of Cape Town / Daily News: Unit gives Constitution a check-up

Speaking out: Dr Max Price addresses students and staff at the Dominic Giddy memorial service and march on 22 February.

A cash reward of R50 000 is being offered for information leading to the arrest and successful conviction of the killers of UCT third-year student Dominic Giddy (21) who was stabbed to death on the corner of Main Road and Kotzee Road in Observatory at about 12h30 on Saturday, 13 February.

Giddy and two friends, also UCT students, were attacked by three men as they were walking to their digs nearby. The three attackers drove away from the scene in a motor vehicle.

If you have information that you think may assist the police in apprehending the killers, please contact Detective Constable Petersen of the Woodstock Police Station on 021 486 2840 or 084 019 7467.

Yesterday, 22 February, UCT held a memorial assembly and march to protest the levels of violent crime in the surrounding areas. Two students have been murdered in the Observatory area in the past five months.

In addition, an email address, wesayenough@uct.ac.za, has been established for members of the UCT community to send pledges of support. At Monday’s memorial assembly, vice-chancellor, Dr Max Price, also urged the UCT community to add the Crimeline number, 32211, to their cell phone contacts list, part of the university’s campaign against crime.

Download podcast of the memorial assembly.

Download transcript of the Vice-Chancellor’s speech.

Watch video clip of the start of the march from Jameson Hall.

Read More on University of Cape Town / Daily News: Reward offered, email established for support

Battling it out: Ikey Tigers’ Marcello Sampson attempts to break through Johan Swartz of TUT Vikings during a Varsity Cup clash between the two sides at UCT on 22 February.

In spite of producing what has been called their worst performance of the year, UCT’s Ikey Tigers extended their unbeaten run in this year’s FNB Varsity Cup when they beat Tshwane University of Technology’s (TUT) Vikings by 25-19 at UCT on 22 February.

The win boosted the Tigers’ chance of a semi-final spot as they are second in the standings on 15 points – five points adrift of champions and bitter rivals, Maties from Stellenbosch University – with only three games remaining.

The error-riddled encounter, played in strong south-easterly winds, saw the determined Vikings, who are second from bottom, holding Tigers 16-all going into the break. This was after the Ikeys wasted no time to open their account, Tim Whitehead strolling over the goal line within 90 seconds after some half-hearted tackling from Vikings.

Matt Rosslee made it 7-0 with the conversion. TUT centre Jaco Oosthuizen then scored three penalties in the space of 12 minutes, with Rosslee replying with a penalty in between to take the score to 10-9.

The Pretoria side then took the lead, much to the home crowd’s disbelief, when captain Emile Verster touched down with Oosthuizen converting (10-16). Roslee added two more penalties to put the sides level at halftime.

The Ikeys flyhalf put his side in front with another penalty on the 48th minute, but Oosthuizen, having returned from the sin bin, levelled the scores – again – as the end of the third quarter approached. Replacement back Doug Mallett, the third kicker employed by the home team, then slotted a penalty from 60 metres out, and Rosslee added his fifth penalty of the evening to make it 25 – 19.

The UCT side will need to improve their game going into their next two away games against fourth-placed University of Johannesburg, who are breathing down their necks on 13 points, and pacesetters Maties.

Read More on University of Cape Town / Daily News: Ikey Tigers win despite bad day

Taking the lead: Dr Max Price (in blue); chair of UCT Council, Archbishop Njongokulu Ndungane; and SRC president Sizwe Mpofu-Walsh (far right) at the front of the march at UCT this afternoon.

The memorial service hosted for Dominic ‘Dom’ Giddy at UCT today – drawing hundreds of staff and students – hit many emotive notes. On the one hand were the touching expressions of love, sorrow and even forgiveness from family and friends of the student killed in Observatory on 13 February. On the other, anger and frustration from UCT vice-chancellor, Dr Max Price, who did not mince his words, calling for action from both civil society and, more pointedly, from the state.

“Our lives are staler without his indiscriminate kindness and warmth,” said friend Matt Alves. “Speechless,” added father Patrick Giddy, “we stood on Muizenberg beach Saturday night last, family and friends, in a circle of love, in tribute to a prophet of gentleness.”

In her message, sister Isabelle, added: “I’m sad that my brother was taken away from me, from us, so mercilessly.”

But, as Price noted in his opening address, the occasion was one for mourning, for dealing with anger and loss, but also to protest the lack of political will to tackle crime head-on. No one has yet been arrested for Giddy’s murder, or for that of student Benny Pakiso Moqobane and staff members Mike Larkin and Kevin Rochford.

“Justice has not been done, and has not seen to be done,” said Price. “It is a system that has failed us, and those in authority in that system must hear our message – head of the investigations, you have failed us; councillor for the area, you have failed us; minister of safety and security, you have failed; president of the country, you have failed us.”

If the country can muster its talent and resources to stage a soccer World Cup, how can it not bring criminals to book, Price asked? Should politicians show the will to curb crime, it will have the support of its citizens, but – in a stiff rebuke – Price reminded politicians that people will not remain quiet should the state not live up to its duties.

“If you are flippant with our lives, as you have been, we will object,” he said. “We will show the middle finger at your convoy, and we will vote you out. We say, enough.”

It was a sentiment mirrored by Sizwe Mpofu-Walsh, president of the Students’ Representative Council, who also called on UCT to take action as a community.

“Quite frankly, students, we’ve come to the point in our society where unless we start coming up with solutions, unless we gather here in the numbers that we’ve gathered here today, unless we start telling politicians what to do and stop waiting for them to tell us what to do, unless we do that, students, then this problem is going to continue, and many more of us are going to be innocently murdered.”

Following the memorial service, staff and students marched from the university’s upper campus into Mowbray, Observatory and Rondebosch, donning T-shirts and bearing placards that echoed the day’s message: “We say: Enough.” and “How Many More?”.

Some students said they were still reeling from the murder.

“I’m not sure what to do. Dom was in res with me. He was a part of us,” said third-year student Tapiwa Nyabadza.

Others were willing to take the lead to change things.

“We have marched before,” said one student, “and the more we do so, the bigger the difference we can make.”

Read More on University of Cape Town / Daily News: UCT takes to the streets to protest murders