P A G E 3 - University of Limpopo

AN IMPORTANTMESSAGE FROM THEVICE-CHANCELLORAlumni Special EditionI HOPE (says Professor Mahlo Mokgalong) that I am addressing many thousands of our alumnithrough the medium of this special edition of the university’s flagship publication. My belief isthat the message I wish to give them is perhaps the most important that they have ever heardfrom their alma mater. The message is simple.IYour university is on the rise. It’stherefore a good time to celebrateyour ‘alumnus status’. Why?Because your alma mater’sincreasing credibility will enhanceyour own. It will amplify the valueof your degree. And activeparticipation in the affairs of youruniversity will link you to apowerful network of professionalsthat could help to advance andenrich your own career. So putyour weight behind an institutionthat is now taking definite stridestowards becoming world-class andproudly African.I’d like to explain this message in more detail …Now turn to page 4 for Professor Mahlo Mokgalong’sfull message to all alumni.Professor Mahlo MokgalongP A G E 1

tTHIS ISSUE OF Limpopo Leader IS INTENDED TO BE A DISCUSSIONDOCUMENT ON ALUMNI. IT’S PACKED WITH OPINIONS AND IDEASof why firmer links between past students and their old university shouldbe maintained, and of how this should be achieved. The relationshipbetween alma mater and alumni is potentially a win-win affair: theuniversity can definitely benefit from the network of thousands ofprofessionals spread across the country and beyond; and individualprofessionals stand to make significant gains by maintaining old links andgenerating new ones in their chosen fields. Read on to find out more.Limpopo Leader ispublished by the Marketing andCommunications Department,University of Limpopo,PO Box X1106,Sovenga 0727,Limpopo,South Africa.HYPERLINK “http://www.ul.ac.za”www.ul.ac.zaEditor: David RobbinsTel: 011-792-9951 or082-787-8099 ordgrwrite@iafrica.comAdvertising:Clare-Rose JuliusTel: 011-791-4561 or072-545-2366 orinfo@developmentconnection.co.zaEditorial committee:DK Mohuba (chairman)Daphney KgwebaneDavid RobbinsGail RobbinsARTICLES:by JANICE HUNT – pages 17, 19, 21,25, 30PHOTOGRAPHS:by Liam Lynch - pages 4, 25, 27,28, 29 & 32by Janice Hunt - pages 17, 19, 23,30 & 32by Robbie Sandrock - page 5 & 26by David Robbins - page 7 & 14by Johannes Selepe - page 7by Edgar Malatji - page 12Design and layout:Nolene KrügerJam Street Design (Pretoria)Printing: Colorpress (pty) LtdProduction Management:Gail RobbinsDGR Writing & ResearchTel: 011-791-4561 or082-572-1682dgrwrite@iafrica.comwww.dgrwriting.co.zaArticles may be reprinted withacknowledgement.ISSN: 1812-5468EDITORIALHere’s a taste of what you’ll find. The Vice-Chancellor’s message is anabsolute must. He provides a brief history of the merged university, andshows that its fortunes are definitely waxing. What better time to becomeinvolved as an active alumnus? Then there’s the first verbal report on thevisit of the Institutional Audit panel, which interviewed nearly 350university stakeholders, and came up with an initial response that wasboth positive and instructive.Much of this special issue is devoted to the voices of alumni themselves.There are reports from the five provincial Alumni Association chaptersthat exist in Limpopo, Mpumalanga, North West, Free State andGauteng. These reports are followed by direct contributions from ordinaryalumni who responded to our invitation to make contact. Some interestingcontributions were received. They’re printed here. They containanecdotes, as well as plenty of suggestions and ideas with regard tomaintaining good university/alumni relationships. And there’s plenty ofopportunity to communicate. Finally, we asked the university itself torespond to a simple question: how important to the institution is alumniinvolvement? The unequivocal reply is that such involvement is crucial.Judge Lucy Mailula, chairperson of the University Council, makes thepoint with considerable power. So do the faculty deans.What emerges from this special alumni issue of the university magazine isthat alumni are indispensable to maintaining the university’s currenttrajectory. The university is on the up. The actual angle of the ascent willin large measure be decided by a merging of the talents – and theenthusiasms – of all the university’s constituencies. As readers will see asthey read further, alumni are not the least of these.NEXT ISSUEIt’s not a secret that a great deal in Zimbabwe, our northern neighbour,is in considerable disarray. The tertiary education sector is no exception.Limpopo Leader 24 talks to Zimbabwean academics working at Turfloopand Medunsa, and looks at what is being done to improve a desperatesituation. Also in this issue, the University of Limpopo’s improving libraryservices come under the spotlight, with particular attention being paid toa new deal in the offing for alumni.P A G E 2

IN THIS ISSUEcover picture:It’s a comet actually, the Hale-Bopp that was discovered in 1995 andphotographed here by John Chumack over the Arches National Monumentin Utah, USA. But we think the picture also illustrates perfectly the risingfortunes of the University of Limpopo – and the rising potential of thepartnership between the institution and its past students.page 4:OUR STAR IS RISING: JOIN US FOR THE RIDEThe Vice-Chancellor’s message to alumnipage 7:HERE’S EVIDENCE OF THE STAR’S TRAJECTORYFirst impressions of the Institutional Audit team’s visitpage 9:MEET THE ALUMNI AFFAIRS TEAMTrawling for past studentspage 11:THE SITUATION IN THE PROVINCESpage 12:Reports from LIMPOPO, NORTH WEST, MPUMALANGA, GAUTENGand FREE STATEpage 21:PROFILES AND PERSPECTIVES. Listen to what the alumni are sayingpage 25:Does the university value alumni involvement? PUT YOUR ALMAM AT E R O N T H E M A P, s a y s t h e U n i v e r s i t y C o u n c i l c h a i r p e r s o npage 27:Does the university value alumni involvement?THE FACULTIES SPEAKpage 30:Does the university value alumni involvement?MEDUNSA’S COURSE FOR ALUMNI SHOWS WHAT CAN BE DONEpage 32:WINNERS OF THE ALUMNI COMPETITION andTHE GREMLINS ATTACKP A G E 3

Get the VC's messageOUR STAR IS RISING:JOIN US FOR THE RIDEmMYMESSAGE is simple. Youruniversity is on the rise. It’s thereforea good time to celebrate your‘alumnus status’. Why? Becauseyour alma mater’s increasingcredibility will enhance your own. Itwill amplify the value of yourdegree. And active participation inthe affairs of your university will linkyou to a powerful network ofprofessionals that could help toadvance and enrich your owncareer. So put your weight behindan institution that is now takingdefinite strides towards becomingworld-class and proudly African.Now allow me to explain thismessage in more detail.The histories of both our maincampuses, Turfloop and Medunsa,are closely bound up with SouthAfrica’s apartheid past – and as aresult have tasted in full measure theinequities and disadvantages of thatpast. Neither did the advent ofdemocracy immediately rectify thesituation. Indeed, 1994 marked thebeginning of a period of necessarychange and instability in the highereducation arena generally, butparticularly for the so-calledhistorically disadvantageduniversities.Professor Mahlo MokgalongP A G E 4I hardly need to tell alumni from the1970s and 1980s that theseinstitutions – our own University ofthe North and Medunsa included –

PROFESSOR MAHLO MOKGALONG:Being an active alumnus means coming out of isolation and joining a powerful team.were underresourced. And after1994 there were no quick fixes asthe new national Department ofEducation struggled to rationalisethe tertiary education terrain.Apartheid had meant a hugeamount of duplication, and beforethe end of the 1990s, most HDIshad been plunged into the so-called‘size and shape’ debate and themergers that inevitably followed.Coupled with these convulsionscame the internal pain ofrationalisation within eachinstitution. The National Plan forHigher Education, introduced in2001, compelled universities tosubmit for ministerial approval theirproposed programme andqualification mix (the famous PQMcampaign). The idea was toeradicate unnecessary duplicationand to ensure a greater universityrelevance to regional and nationalneeds. The reality was that not afew universities came close tocollapse. In the case of theUniversity of the North, the nationalauthorities were obliged to suspendthe University Council and appointan Administrator in an attempt toestablish organisational andfinancial stability, a state of affairsthat lasted until the beginningof 2003.By then, of course, the universitywas embroiled in the complexprocess of merging with Medunsa.The merger, first promulgated in theGovernment Gazette in June 2002and finally coming into effect inJanuary 2005, added many layersof complexity to the task ofmaintaining and growing theorganisational and financial systemsestablished by the Administrator inthe early years of the new century.Meanwhile, the merged institutionhad made some progress inarticulating its new vision andmission: to be a world-class Africanuniversity responding toeducational, research andcommunity development needs.But these brave words soon came infor a battering at the hands of thefinancial and administrative realitiesof driving the merged universityfrom the apartheid past of itsconstituent parts to its new place inthe development of a democraticSouth Africa.By early 2007, and for manydifferent reasons, the financial andadministrative affairs of theUniversity of Limpopo were inserious disarray, so much so thatthe then Minister of Educationappointed an independent assessorto examine the situation. Theassessor recommended that whilethe University Council and executivemanagement should remain inplace, the university should submitto the introduction of an externallyguided institutional operating plan(IOP), and that the universitydisconnect its day-to-day activitiesfrom its mission – that of being aworld-class African university – andconcentrate on its fundamentalstruggle to survive.Then the turning point in youruniversity’s fortunes began.Throughout 2008, the workrequired to develop and execute theIOP dominated university affairs.Four areas in particular receivedattention. These were:• The entire academic structureexisting on both campuses, withspecial scrutiny around theeconomic viability of theprogrammes on offer.• Management information systemswere generally deficient andgiven a thorough overhaul.• Steps were taken to clean up thedata and re-engineer mostcomputer-based processesrelating to student affairs andhuman resources.• In terms of the nationalguidelines, the university wasemploying too manyadministrative staff (as opposedto academic staff) and steps hadto be devised to bring theinstitution rapidly into line.As important as these endeavourswere, the most central pivot in theuniversity’s turn-around was in thefinancial management sphere. Theuniversity had ended 2007 with anoperating deficit of R136-million. Ayear later, thanks to recapitalisationfunding and certain reversals inprovisions, that deficit had beenturned into a R43-million surplus.The introduction of tight financialcontrols reinforced and sustainedthis remarkable reversal of fortunes.By the middle of 2009, the positiveeffects of the IOP were being feltthroughout the institution. Mostgratifying was the new sense ofpurpose and optimism that hadbegun to percolate through theuniversity community.P A G E 5

OUR STAR IS RISING:JOIN US FOR THE RIDEActive alumni networks are indispensablefor universities claiming serious relevance tothe regions in which they operate.We are without doubt at a newbeginning for the merged Universityof Limpopo. Appropriately enough,as we proceed from this point, oneof the most important processes,begun in 2009 but only culminatingtowards the end of 2010, is anevaluation of our efforts so far. TheInstitutional Audit, conducted by theHigher Education QualityCommittee (HEQC) of the Councilfor Higher Education, will bringrenewed external scrutiny to bearon our efforts and will offeradditional guidelines for ourcontinued renaissance*.In casting our minds back over thepast two years it is difficult not toconclude that 2009 was awatershed year for the University ofLimpopo. I personally believe thatthe notion of a ‘historicallydisadvantaged institution’, an HDI,is now obsolete. We have brokenthe shackles. We have reached apoint where we can reclaim ourvision and mission with pride andconfidence. Our university is turningout to be a centre of excellence initself, not merely a generalenvironment in which small centresof excellence manage to survive.We are becoming the pride of ourprovince, and of our nation. We’reone of a team of 23 publicuniversities in South Africa, and weare no less than any of them.But what does all this mean forthose of you who have alreadygraduated to swell the ranks of theuniversity’s alumni?There are several things of greatimportance that I can think of, and Iwill list them briefly here. Being analumnus means much more thanwearing a university tie or attendingthe occasional braai. It means,instead, coming out of isolation andjoining an increasingly powerfulteam. There are obviousadvantages for both individualalumni and for the institution.For the individual, active support foryour university’s rising star helps toincrease the value of your degree.Think about it: nobody wants tohold a degree from a failing or amediocre university. Would you beencouraged to do serious businesswith someone who did? Thenthere’s the idea of networking withpeople from your university class, orwith people in your specificprofession, to further your individualcareer or business ventures. Youralumni networks facilitate this. It’scertainly better than floundering onalone.For the institution, the advantagesof an active alumni constituency aremany. Such a constituency increasesthe lobbying power of the universityin high places. An active alumniconstituency of professionals wouldalso ensure that the universitymaintained a network of tentaclesspreading into all walks of life, notonly within the various levels andspheres of the state, but also in civilsociety and the corporate sector.Such networks are invaluable – onemight even be persuaded to sayindispensable – for universitiesclaiming a serious relevance to theregions in which they operate.But I should say no more. This issueof Limpopo Leader is full of detailsand suggestions regarding the whysand hows and wherefores of thepartnership that could and shouldexist between alumni and theinstitution that helped to get theirfeet on the first rungs of the ladder.My hope is that as you read on youwill become enthused.One final point. Readers will noticethat I have made no mention ofmoney. I have not appealed fordonations. Neither does any part ofthis publication. Of course money isimportant. But the building ofrelationships that offer reciprocalvalue is much more so at this stage.Material support will follow naturallyfrom such relationships. So ourpriority right now is to build them.Remember, we no longer considerour university ‘disadvantaged’. Wewant full membership of the SouthAfrican university community. Wewant our alumni to join us in thisquest and to see that by joining theyalso help themselves. In short, theuniversity seeks to lay thefoundations for a united front.To beg for money before suchfoundations have been establishedis like putting the cart before thehorse.Professor Mahlo MokgalongVice-Chancellor, University ofLimpopo* See page 7 for an unofficial summary of theHEQC auditors’ visit which took place in lateSeptember 2010.P A G E 6

First impressions of the Institutional AuditHERE’S EVIDENCE OF THE STAR’STRAJECTORYt‘THE AUDIT PANEL was impressed withus,’ Dr Abbey Ngoepe said. ‘Theylauded our preparation. They praisedthe necessary evidence that we hadgathered for the process of selfevaluation.They praised the logisticalarrangements that had been made tofacilitate the audit panel’s visit.’For nearly 18 months Ngoepe, who isthe university’s Director of QualityAssurance, has been working towardsthis visit – which finally took placeduring the last week in September2010. The audit is a legal requirementin terms of the Higher Education Act of1997, which stipulates that universitiesare responsible for their own qualityassurance, but under the jurisdiction ofthe Council on Higher Education’sHigher Education Quality Committee(HEQC). It is this committee whichselected the audit panel, and to whomthe audit panel will in the first instancereport.Ngoepe estimates that the full detailedaudit report will filter back to theUniversity of Limpopo in the next threeto five months.There’s a lot of information andevidence to sift through. Apart from thedocumentary evidence that had beencollected for the self-evaluation processthat preceded the audit – for example,the university’s Strategic Plan (2010 to2014), the academic structure, theprogramme and qualifications mix(PQM), and the Institutional OperatingIt’s all over: a relaxed Dr Abbey Ngoepe sums up the visit of theinstitutional audit panel.UNIVERSITYOF LIMPOPOINSTITUTIONAL AUDITSEPTEMBER 2010Plan – Ngoepe and his team had organised a total of 356 interviews withvarious internal and external university stakeholders, no less than 95 percentof whom actually turned up at their allocated times. The interviews wereconducted simultaneously in ten venues across the Turfloop campus‘The panel was delighted by the seriousness with which our stakeholders –staff, students, communities, local and provincial governments and other stateand private sector agencies – took the audit process,’ Ngoepe said. ‘Theyintimated that our attendance level was something of a record.’On the final day, the audit panel gave an initial verbal report ofapproximately one hour to senior members of the university executive team.After praising the institution for the seriousness with which the audit processhad been taken, they focused on several key areas that the panel believedrequired special attention.‘The first,’ explained Ngoepe, ‘dealt with the lack of a real organicrelationship between the three elements of our core business, namelyteaching and learning andresearch community outreach andinfrastructure solutions for Africanproblems financial and qualitycontrol human developmentsupport servicesP A G E 7

First impressions of the Institutional AuditHERE’S EVIDENCE OF THE STAR’S TRAJECTORYteaching and learning, research,and community engagement. Therewas evidence of excellence in allthree, but little evidence of realcohesion and academic focusbetween them.’It is interesting in this regard to recallthe Rural Development andInnovation Hub that had first beenmooted in 2008. The Hub wasdesigned to assist the four facultiesto fulfil the essential aim of theuniversity, which was to findsolutions for African challenges bystimulating interdisciplinaryinnovation and a multidisciplinaryapproach to teaching and learning,research, and communityengagement. The intention,according to Vice-ChancellorProfessor Mahlo Mokgalong early in2009, was to avoid the traditionalacademic silo approach in theuniversity’s response to its missionand vision 1 . Perhaps the insights ofthe audit panel will encourage theuniversity planners to forge aheadwith the implementation of the Hubidea.‘The second key area identified bythe panel as requiring specialattention,’ Ngoepe continued,‘relates to the general lack ofinfluence exerted by the vision andmission on the programmes andcurricula offered by the university.But in this regard we shouldremember two things,’ he added.‘The first is that we were specificallyadvised by the Technical Task Teamfrom the Department of Educationwho helped us with our InstitutionalOperating Plan (IOP) to uncoupleour vision and mission from our shortto medium term objectives in order tobe in a position to implement the IOPintervention strategies. The second isthat, while our vision and missionhave now been restored, we are stilldeeply involved with our process ofprogramme review.’The third key area identified by theaudit panel related to the mergerbetween the two universities that nowconstituted the University of Limpopo.‘The panel was quick to see that asingle institutional identity had not yetbeen achieved,’ Ngoepe said.‘The point though is that the merger isstill being consolidated. It’s a longprocess. We understand this. Ofcourse, there has been opposition –the panel remarked upon this. In asmuch as we have moved a long waytowards a fully consolidated merger,there remain pockets of resistance.The panel picked this up clearly, andwill no doubt be suggesting waysdesigned to overcome this hindranceto overall university progress.’Ngoepe summed up the institutionalaudit panel’s visit by repeating howthe panel had concluded its verbalreport back. ‘You are moving on theright direction. You are definitely onthe right track. Your willingness to beassessed in a transparent manner,and to take the assessment seriously,is a definite plus. But there arechallenges, most notably with regardto the academic side of our corebusiness. So the overall massage is:you have the requisite infrastructure,systems, policies and procedures inplace, but you have to do more interms of monitoring and evaluatingthe implementation and impact.’Asked if he felt disappointed by theinitial outcome of the audit, Ngoepereplied, ‘Not at all. In fact, I amencouraged. We will be receiving veryprecise commendations andrecommendations when the full report ishanded to us early next year. And we’llbe required to furnish the HEQC withan improvement plan and regularprogress reports. This will help us tomaintain and enhance quality ofprovision on continuous basis.‘Another thing that encourages me,particularly as Director of QualityAssurance, is that the whole concept ofquality assurance is much betterunderstood and appreciated on bothour main Campuses. It’s not aboutminimum standards and compliance,but about the pursuit of best practice atall times.‘Oh, and another good thing that cameout of the audit,’ Ngoepe concluded,‘was that our university infrastructure,given the history of the institution, wasregarded as adequate and appropriateby the panel.’Especially when taking into account thenew facilities on the Medunsa campus,the expanded oral health centre andthe new skills centre 2 ; and the newlaboratories and multipurpose centrecurrently being built at Turfloop campus.1 See ‘Getting to Grips with the University’s Mission andVision’, page 13, Limpopo Leader 16, Summer 2009.2 See stories on pages 17 and 19 in Limpopo Leader22, Winter 2010.P A G E 8

Trawling for past studentsMEET THE ALUMNI AFFAIRS TEAMy‘YES, I AM one hundred percentcertain that alumni have a majorrole to play in the fortunes of ouruniversity. Our past students forman intelligence network thatstretches across the country, andeven further afield, which theinstitution would be foolish not tonurture.’This is DK Mohuba speaking. He’sthe university’s Executive Director ofMarketing and Communications,and is himself an alumnus with aTurfloop BA and BEd earned duringthe turbulent 1980s. This nurturingprocess forms an important part ofMohuba’s portfolio at the mergedUniversity of Limpopo today.‘There are two spheres in whichalumni remain indispensable to theiralma mater,’ he continues. ‘The firstis in direct service. Bear in mindthat our Chancellor, Chair ofCouncil and Vice-Chancellor arealumni, and this trend filters throughsenior management as well asthrough our academic andadministrative staff. The secondsphere is in the world beyond thegates of our two main campuses.Not many people realise thatseveral ministers in the currentcabinet are alumni. We also havequite a few prominent captains ofindustry, as well as hundreds ofprofessionals spread acrossgovernment and civil society.’But there are difficulties facingMohuba and his alumni affairs team.‘During the turmoil on the campus asapartheid collapsed,’ he explains,‘many of our alumni records werelost. So a real priority has been torebuild our database. It’s an exactingtask. We’re tracing people virtuallyon a one–to-one basis. We’re also, aswe speak, trying to create a networkthrough such social networkingplatforms as Facebook and Twitter.People should watch our website fornews on these initiatives.’Turfloop has been awarding degreessince the early 1960s, and Medunsasince the early 1980s. Someestimates suggest that in total around70 000 degrees, diplomas andcertificates have been conferredduring the life of the two institutionsthat have now merged. But there areonly 18 000 alumni on the LimpopoLeader distribution list. And Mohuba’sfocus is even smaller when he talks ofACTIVE alumni.‘Our immediate target is by next Juneto collect a core of 5 000 alumniwho want to become activelyinvolved, 3 500 of them fromTurfloop and 1 500 from Medunsa.This will be an important start – andI’m optimistic that our target will beachieved. With this active core we’llbe able to develop much widerinterest.’DK MohubaGloria PlaatjieMichael MenziwaP A G E 9

We always look forward to interacting with past students.Mohuba explained that the approachhis team had adopted regarding there-recruitment of lost alumni wasbased on the principle of marketsegmentation. This meant thatdisciplines were being separated, aswell as classes, and targeted on thebasis of renewing old friendshipsand allegiances. ‘My own class of1987 is a case in point,’ he adds. ‘Ifind it most interesting to talk to them.Some of us were active together instudent politics, and we oftenreminisce and share very challengingmoments and also quite a few jokesabout those times.’Working with Mohuba on the alumniside of things are two full-time alumnirelations officers, Michael Menziwa,who is situated on the Medunsacampus, and Gloria Plaatjie atTurfloop. Both are well qualified toencourage past students into the‘active alumni’ fold.Menziwa joined the Medunsa staffstraight from school in 1984. He hadbeen born in a peri-urban area northof Pretoria called Lady Selborne.After working as a laboratoryassistant for six years, he transferredinto Medunsa’s businessadministration section, and fromthere, in 1993, into the publicrelations department. He wasted notime in equipping himself for this newcareer direction, completing in quicksuccession courses in the basicprinciples of PR, communicationstrategies and skills, professionalfundraising techniques, communityleadership and professionalphotography. He has worked withMedunsa alumni since 1997.When asked to describe the detailedgoals of his job, Menziwa provided acomprehensive list which included thefollowing:• Recognise and acknowledge thevalue of active alumni• Develop and maintain theuniversity’s alumni database• Facilitate two-way communicationbetween university and alumni• Establish and maintain regional andprofession-specific alumni chapters• Build lifelong relationships withalumni in support of their university• Involve alumni as advocates of theuniversity’s vision and mission• Encourage alumni to recruitpromising undergraduate andpostgraduate students for theuniversityPlaatjie came to the then University ofthe North (now the Turfloop campus ofthe University of Limpopo) in 1997 asa theology lecturer. She enrolled as apart-time law student in 1999 toimprove her analytical skills. Shecontinued in the Department ofTheology for several more yearsbefore moving, in 2002, to Marketingand Communications as a ‘senioralumni relations practitioner’.‘So strictly speaking, although I was astudent here for only a year, I ammyself an alumnus of this university.This has helped me in the work I do.As has my alumnus status at theUniversity of KwaZulu-Natal.’ Plaatjiehad spent five years on thePietermaritzburg campus of the thennamedUniversity of Natal, from whichinstitution, in 1997, she graduatedwith a Masters degree in theology.Plaatjie, whose basic job descriptionis exactly the same as Menziwa’s,stressed the importance of accuraterecords and urged all alumni to makesure that their current contact detailswere accurately recorded on theconvocation database. ‘This can bedone directly on the university website– www.ul.ac.za – or alumni cancontact me personally by telephone ore-mail with any problems. I alwayslook forward to interacting with paststudents,’ she said.Gloria Plaatjie can be contacted on015-268-3286 or gloriap@ul.ac.zaMichael Menziwa can be contactedat Medunsa on 012-521-6444 ormike@ul.ac.zaP A G E 1 0

THE SITUATION IN THE PROVINCEStTHE ALUMNI OF the University of Limpopo areorganised into five provincial chapters (or branches)situated in Limpopo, Mpumalanga, North West,Gauteng and Free State. Of course, there are alumni inother parts of the country, and indeed the world, andthey are all brought together in the university’s AlumniAssociation under the co-presidency of Professor RobertGolele and Advocate Mike Mashego.Last year, in a special alumni publication entitled Onthe Move, the presidents were interviewed. Bothexpressed some concern at the low level of interest thatpast students were expressing in their alma mater.Professor Golele described this level, particularly asmanifested towards a special alumni road showorganised in the provinces, as ‘dismal’. ‘We need tofind where the problem is and rectify it,’ he said. ‘Butyou can’t realistically expect support when there seemsto be so little “buy-in” to the idea of a mutuallybeneficial relationship between university and paststudents. We must find ways to make increased buy-inworthwhile. Perhaps one of the areas that demands ourspecial attention is the area of communication. We need tocommunicate more purposefully with our alumni. We needto constantly remind them of the benefits of being part ofwhat should be a powerful movement.’Advocate Mashego said that many past students had grownup in an atmosphere that tended to devalue alumnigroupings and the idea of convocation. These things couldtoo easily lead to a sense of solidarity and independence –and of course the apartheid state was more interested increating a sense of dependency. ‘But we’ve broken awayfrom that past now. Since 1994, we’ve been workingsteadily towards parity with the previously privilegeduniversities – certainly in terms of state funding and qualityoutputs. But there’s still a long way to go – certainly in termsof awareness of the importance of the relationship betweenpast students and the institution that conferred theirdegrees.’Now let’s hear from the chairpersons of the variousprovincial chapters. Who are they, and what’s happeningon the ground?P A G E 1 1

LIMPOPOdDR MOTHIBEDI MASHILO, the currentchairman, graduated as a generalmedical practitioner from Medunsa in1988. For eleven years he ran hisown private practice, then returned toMedunsa where he specialised inanaesthetics, graduating in 2004.‘I must admit immediately,’ Mashilosaid, ‘that my initial involvement inalumni affairs was almost accidental.I had not long moved to Polokwanewhere I was working in the tertiaryhospitals. I heard that an alumnimeeting had been organised at a localhotel. On the evening in question,finding I had nothing particular to do,I went along. Why? Out of curiosity, Isuppose – and also with a convictionthat maintaining contact with my oldinstitution might well be important.‘At the end of meeting, I wasencouraged to volunteer my serviceson the executive committee. Idemurred, stating that I was too busy.Finally, however, I agreed, despite myreservations. Everyone was sopersuasive. But my reservations, Ithink, have proved to be correct. I feelI’ve not been a very good chairperson,due to challenges of time.Nevertheless, I attend the meetingsand do what I can to serve thechapter.’Asked whether he believed it wasimportant to maintain active linksbetween alumni and their university,Mashilo replied without hesitation: ‘It’sDr Mothibedi Mashilocrucial. Absolutely.’ He then outlinedsome of the reasons why his replyhad been so emphatic.The first reason was that the university– any university, but particularly onelike the University of Limpopo with itshistory and its current efforts toemerge out of the ‘previouslydisadvantaged’shadows – needed abroad base in the world at large. Ifthis base is well maintained, it canhelp the university with policydirection, point out where things aregoing wrong, and of course besignificantly influential in the sphereof fundraising.‘An example of how alumni wereable to help the institution was in theprocess of the merger. I am aMedunsa alumnus,’ Mashilo pointedout, ‘while most of my chaptermembers are from Turfloop. Wewere able to help build a newunified sense of the mergeduniversity. Such involvement, Ibelieve, was crucial – and it still is.’The second reason why active linksbetween the university and its paststudents were so important was tobe found in the idea of ‘fellowshipversus isolation’. And the idea ofalumni forming regional chapters tomaintain these links had the addedadvantage of bringing professionalpeople with a common origin intotouch with each other. The ‘intraalumnus’networking advantageswere obvious, Mashilo said.P A G E 1 2

DR MOTHIBEDI MASHILO‘I’M FROM MEDUNSA. MOST OF MY CHAPTER MEMBERSARE FROM TURFLOOP. WE WERE ABLE TO HELP BUILD ANEW UNIFIED SENSE OF THE MERGED UNIVERSITY.’‘I think sometimes,’ he continued,‘alumni aren’t aware of the manyadvantages – to themselves and to theirold university – that being active intheir regional chapters (or theirdiscipline-specific chapters) can deliver.’Mashilo then turned his attention to thechallenges confronting the University ofLimpopo and its many thousands ofpast students from both main campusesas they seek to build stronger and moreproductive ties.‘What does often appear to be lackingis real commitment,’ he said. ‘There’s adefinite despondency sometimes –particularly among alumni who werestudents in the final years of apartheid.Their student days weren’t the happiestfor many of them, and being active inthe alumni chapters provides constantreminders of an unpleasant past. Theirtime at university seems to be a periodthey’d prefer to forget.‘But we need to acknowledge at thesame time that commitment must be atwo-way street. This is not offered as acriticism of the university’s alumniofficers. But the university must try tomake it worthwhile for alumni to remaininvolved, if only by keeping them intouch with the marketing side of thingsso that alumni can play their part inenhancing the reputation of their almamater. But there are challenges even atthis level. On my own initiative in2008, I tried to organise a medicalclass of 1988 reunion. I failed. Therewere only 45 of us who hadgraduated that year, but there wereno records anywhere to be found.The links between the institution andthese highly trained alumni hadsomehow been severed. This sort ofthing, I must say, also encouragesdespondency.’Mashilo said it was sad that somany past students of the Universityof Limpopo were intent on sendingtheir own children to the largeurban-based universities like Witsand the universities of Cape Townand KwaZulu Natal. Was thisbecause of the stigma of the past?‘It’s disappointing to me because ouruniversity, in spite of its apartheidorigins and all the problemsassociated with location, fundingand staffing, has the potential tobecome world class. It’s almost as ifour alumni still believe the badpublicity that surrounded SouthAfrica’s so-called bush universities.Of course we’re a bush university nolonger – if we ever were one – butbad publicity takes a long time toovercome. And one of the results ofbeing seen to be close to the bottomof the heap is that alumni are afraidto show too much interest becausethey think the university willembarrass them by begging formoney.‘So what is to be done? Of coursefundraising is important. But evenmore so is a well-resourced andresponsive alumni and marketingfunction within the university. I knowthere have been serious problems inthe past, but we need good records,good networking facilities, and amarketing strategy that enhances theimage of the university by talkingconstantly about the institution’sachievements, its growth and risingexcellence, its international networks,its regional relevance, and itspotential in all these spheres.’Mashilo concluded by challengingalumni to rally behind their almamater to further strengthen its risingreputation, and in so doing tobecome part of a winning team.P A G E 1 3

NORTH WESTsSIMMY MORWANE came toTurfloop in 1986, havingregistered for a Bachelor degree inOptometry. In June of that year, aState of Emergency was declared.‘I remember the day exactly,’ herecalled. “I was studying for aphysics test. But I never wrote it.The campus was in turmoil.Students had to carry SADF identitycards. One day when I presentedmy card to the soldiers on dutythey tore it up, and then arrestedme for not having one. Mostscience students failed that year.All we learned really was the art ofsurvival. Those times taught usnever to give up.’It was a lesson that Morwane hasrepeatedly applied as anenthusiastic alumnus, and not leastas chairperson of the North Westalumni chapter of the mergedUniversity of Limpopo.With real enthusiasm and purpose,he organised in 1997 an alumniday on the Turfloop campus. It wasa huge success. Morwane, whohad played soccer successfully asa student, organised a specialmatch. ‘I’ve still got the T-shirt fromthat event,’ he said. ‘More than700 people attended, and we hadthe best fun in our lives. It waswonderful the way the alumniinteracted with the currentstudents.’Simmy MorwaneWithin two years Morwane hadlaunched the North West chapter ofthe University of the North AlumniAssociation, the first such chapteranywhere in the country. ‘I did thissingle-handedly. Serobi Maja inRustenburg was our first chairman.The chapter is still going, and Ihaven’t lost my enthusiasm fororganising alumni. I just think its veryimportant – not only for the university,but also for alumni themselves.’Meanwhile, Morwane’s career wasforging ahead. In 1998 he hadestablished his own labour lawconsultancy, a move underpinned byhis wide-ranging academic career.After his first encounter withoptometry, he switched to aBachelor’s degree, majoring incriminology, education andgeography, ‘but still with plenty ofscience classes thrown in’. Helaughed at the memory. ‘Theuniversity was in a fairly chaoticstate,’ he recalled: ‘I think theysimply forgot to take my name offthe various registers. But knowledgeis never redundant.’He graduated with his wide-rangingBA in 1990, adding a HEDqualification the following year.Since then, he has achieved anhonours in Labour Relations andLabour Law from the then RandAfrikaans University, and an MBAP A G E 1 4

SIMMY MORWANE‘WE NEED TO HAVE IMPROVED DATA, AND WE NEEDTO HAVE ACCESS TO IT.’from Liverpool. ‘Essentially I’m an entrepreneur, abusinessman,’ he explained. And he’s been singularlysuccessful, particularly within the mining sector. Herepresents the Togetherness Amalgamated MineworkersUnion of South Africa and holds several high-levelbargaining-chamber positions with Anglo Platinum andother prominent mining houses.On the alumni side of his career, Morwane describes thechallenge of sustaining the enthusiasm that had beengenerated through the 1997 alumni day and theestablishment by Morwane of the North West alumnichapter.‘People are forever coming to me and asking: how dowe get involved? I used to refer them to the universityitself. But the university has had problems. So the NorthWest chapter has started its own database. I personallyhave registered more than 300 alumni. But we need tohave improved data, and we need to have access to it.‘After the merger between Turfloop and Medunsa,several alumni workshops were held in various parts ofthe country. But to be able to sustain this process, weneed reliable data. Otherwise how can we organisemeetings and activities? How can we harness theenthusiasm of our alumni? And how can we helpindividual alumni to network themselves on the jobmarket?’Morwane recounted an experience he had recently had in arestaurant. The waitress recognised my Turfloop T-shirt. Shetold me she too was a Turfloop graduate, but had beenunable to find suitable employment.‘Why is this happening?’ he asked. ‘The waitress perceivedherself to be alone in her time of need. But in fact she ispart of a family comprising tens of thousands. We need toremobilise our family – but we need reliable data and avery clear programme of action to do so.’Morwane stressed that there was a high degree ofenthusiasm among alumni. A group of ex-students hadrecently organised an open day in Atteridgeville. More than600 alumni had attended. ‘Perhaps we should repeat whatwe did in 1997. Let’s have a Turfloop day and a Medunsaday. Let’s make a new start. I’m sure our people willrespond en masse.‘We all agree on the importance of a strong convocation.It’s important for individual alumni, and equally important –perhaps even more so – for the university itself. All thestrong leading universities in this country and abroad relyheavily on the strength of their alumni. They represent abroad-based power, a network that infiltrates many strata ofexpertise and power. I believe that an active and committed– and well-supported – convocation is the rock upon whichuniversity success is built. I have never lost my convictionabout this,’ he concluded. ‘It is something we should allwork tirelessly to achieve.’P A G E 1 5

MPUMALANGAt‘THE WORLD IS CHANGING andwe’re here in it. We understand itsdemands and expectations.’Mackenzie Tsimane, chair of theMpumalanga Chapter of theUniversity of Limpopo’s Alumni,talks specifically about thepossibility of alumni being used forcurriculum development. ‘We’renot academics,’ he was quick toadd, ‘but we have the expertise, theskills and the resources to help _and we want to.’Tsimane mentions his career as anexample. He studied law at theUniversity of Limpopo, firstobtaining his BProc degree in1995, followed by his LLB in 2005.In the intervening years – 1996 to2002 – he worked as a candidateattorney, a legal admin officer, andthen as a senior investigatorinvestigating complaints ofmisconduct against the police from1998 to 2002. While he studiedfor his LLB, he held the position ofAssistant Provincial Head with theIndependent Complaints Directorate(ICD) in North West province. He isnow Provincial Director of the ICDin Mpumalanga. (The ICDinvestigate complaints of criminalityand misconduct against members ofthe SA Police Service and theMunicipal Police Service.)‘The fact is,’ he says, ‘it wouldn’thave occurred to me that a careerMackenzie Tsimanein criminal investigation was an option when I first started studying law.And I’m sure many people are not aware that the crack investigationsteams, such as the Hawks – like the Scorpions in the past – consist largelyof lawyers. More information on niche career options available within thedifferent degree courses could be extremely useful to students. It could alsoadd value to different degree courses to have relevant and up to dateinformation on the constantly changing expectations in the private andpublic sectors. This type of information is readily available from paststudents who are out there in the real world.’His vision includes short courses on different employment sectors within adiscipline, with some of the lectures being done by alumni in relevantsectors.There’s a lot more that the alumni can do for both campuses of theUniversity of Limpopo, and, he says, there are alumni in Mpumalangararing to get involved. ‘We in this chapter are proud of our alma mater; weknow what it has contributed in our lives; and we know too that manypowerful people have passed through those doors. We want to keep thatpride alive; we would like our children to attend the same university andP A G E 1 6

MACKENZIE TSIMANE‘WE HAVE EXPERTISE AND RESOURCES –AND WE WANT TO HELP OUR ALMA MATER.’have even better experiences thanwe did; and we want to beassociated with it for many years tocome.‘We have discussed the variousthings we can do in our role as asector of the university’s alumni.Apart from consulting on curriculumdevelopment and lecturing, we canalso get involved in promoting theuniversity and all that it offers locallyin schools, businesses, governmentoffices and other key areas; we can“adopt” one or more needy students– helping them with fees, and morethan that, mentoring them throughouttheir university years; we can makeourselves available to consult incertain appropriate decision-makingsituations; and we can evencontribute financially to theuniversity.’Possibly one of the most valuablecontributions the alumni can make topresent undergraduates is apowerful and positive messageabout the bright future that ispossible – with a lot of hard work.Tsimane points out that asMpumalanga doesn’t have auniversity of its own, the Universityof Limpopo is one of the closestuniversities to the province. It’snaturally the university of choice formany youngsters – if they recognisethat they have the potential tosucceed there. Tsimane sees thealumni’s role developing to thepoint where prospective successfulgraduates can be identified andencouraged to go to university –and then be supported if necessary.He decries the levels of illiteracy inSouth Africa and believes thattertiary education is essential inhelping to change this status quo.‘We as alumni have the need toplough back into the university. Itdid so much for us; shaping ourfutures. The university is now ourmirror. What happens there affectsus; it reflects us – directly orindirectly.’Tsimane, who speaks with passionabout the strong bond between thealumni and the University ofLimpopo, encourages the universitymanagement to harness the vastpotential that the alumni has tooffer, and more particularly, tobring the young graduates into thealumni fold to get involved in theconvocation. ‘We need to inspireyoung, vibrant, and dynamicpeople to share their experiencesand ideas with us and to beprepared to give back to theiruniversity.’Essentially, he believes that animportant next step for the universityis to open lines of communicationbetween the alumni and itsmanagement and to share newsabout what’s happening on thecampuses. He also applauds thealumni edition of Limpopo Leader,and suggests that a magazinedevoted to the achievements ofalumni would also be valuable. ‘Itwould boost greater involvement inthe university and it would be ofvalue in sharing information on whatcan be achieved with differentuniversity degrees.’ He’s sure thatsuch a publication would appeal tocurrent students as much as to paststudents.Tsimane has no doubt that theUniversity of Limpopo is on its way totaking its place as a world-classinstitution alongside leadinginternational universities. And he’sequally sure that the alumni have arole to play in making sure thishappens.P A G E 1 7

GAUTENGIT WAS his absolute conviction thatian active alumni association wouldbe valuable to the university, tocurrent and past students, and tothe education sector as a whole,that convinced Gauteng chapterrepresentative Ben Moholwa toagree to an interview with LimpopoLeader’s special alumni edition. Hedeclined the appellation ofpresident or chairperson becausethere had been no election thatplaced him in the position; but hewas prepared to be aspokesperson.As a fully-fledged economist,Moholwa maintains that thefoundation and growth of anyeconomy depends on skills,knowledge and the education of itslabour force. Consequently, hismain aim is to improve the qualityof education in South Africa. Oneway to achieve that, he says, isthrough making sure that universitiesprovide relevant and appropriateskills required by the economy‘Universities are often not in closecontact with the private sector andindustry in general and as such canhave limited knowledge about thechanging environment. Alumni canplay an important role in helping tolink current students with the outsideworld.’Moholwa is well qualified to makethese statements. He obtained hisBen MoholwaBSc (Agric-Econ) and BSc Hons (Agric-Econ) at the University of Limpopo’sTurfloop campus in the 90s. He achieved the Agricultural EconomicsAssociation of SA’s Award for the best final-year student in the University ofthe North in 1993 as well as the W.K. Kellog Foundation and FulbrightScholarships to read for his Master of Science degree in the United States.During his Honours course, he took up the post of Teaching and ResearchAssistant in the university’s Department of Agricultural Economics, which wasfollowed by a lectureship in the same department for 10 years, until 2005.He moved on to the Department of Trade and Industry, where he held theposition of Director: Economic Research and then to the City ofJohannesburg’s Department of Economic Development’s Economic ResearchUnit as Director and Senior Economist. Since December 2009, Moholwahas held the position of Lead Economist for the Land Bank of South Africa.Over the years he has successfully supervised honours and masters studentprojects, and has also served on several public service committees.His studies have continued too. He has his MSc (Applied Econ/Agric-Econ)from Michigan State University in the United States and an MCom (Fin-Econ)from the University of Johannesburg. At the moment he is working towardshis PhD (Econ), also from the University of Johannesburg.P A G E 1 8

FREE STATEMZWAKHE MOFOKENG‘THE UNIVERSITY’S ALUMNIASSOCIATION MUST BE SEEN AS BEINGMORE THAN JUST A SOCIAL CLUB.’mMZWAKHE MOFOKENG was bornin Bethlehem in the Free State. Hestudied law at Turfloop, graduatingwith a BJuris in 1995 and an LLB in1997. He’s now working as anadvocate in his native province –and further afield – and early in2009 he took on the chairmanshipof the Free State chapter of theAlumni Association of the Universityof Limpopo.‘The members of the chapter,people from all five chapter subdistrictsin the province, asked meto be their chairman. I could hardlyrefuse. In any case,’ he added, ‘Ihave some extremely valuable –and sentimental – memories of myuniversity days.’Mofokeng went further by declaringthat Turfloop ‘had literally mademany of us’. ‘For myself,’ he wenton, ‘ the university taught me somuch about the law, and about lifein general. It was like my initiationschool. I’ve been all over thecountry and to many places in theworld, and so often I’veencountered proud Turfloopers whoare keen to keep the memory oftheir student days alive.’He admitted that attendance atchapter meetings was not alwayssatisfactory. But sometimesattendance rose to 60 or 80 peoplewhen the meeting was properlyadvertised on community radiostations and by word-of-mouth –especially when a braai wasorganised that followed the formalchapter business.‘Turfloopers love to get together andreminisce,’ Mofokeng said. ‘Themembers of the Free State chapteroften talk about a big get-together onthe Turfloop campus – with music andevents at the lake. Campus tourscould be organised. There havecertainly been many improvementsand infrastructural additions in recentyears that alumni would be interestedto see. But mainly they like fun for thefamilies, as well as plenty of musicand good food. We’re eager tosupport such a get-together, which I’msure would attract at least 500 paststudents. We’re even prepared as achapter to put some money into it.’Mofokeng agreed there was a lot thatcould be done to encourage alumnito become more actively involved inthe affairs of their alma mater. ‘It’salways pleasant to get together withother professionals from Turfloop andMedunsa, and certainly this shouldregularly happen. But the university’sAlumni Association must be seen asbeing more than just a social club.There’s a great deal that we asalumni can do to support theinstitution that meant so much to uswhen we were young. Many alumniask what this “great deal” entails.They get demotivated when thereare no clear answers comingthrough. I think the biggestchallenge for the Alumni Associationis the need for improvedcommunication. I am certain thatimprovements in this field wouldserve to increase attendance at ourmeetings – as well as activeinvolvement in clearly defined areasand projects.’He said he was referring to guestlecturing, mentoring, lobbying onbehalf of the university, recruitmentof undergraduate and postgraduatestudents that would enhance theperformance of the university, andeven fundraising for specific projectson both main campuses.‘I know there would be many whowould take up these challenges. Iknow there are many who would beproud to maintain their links withtheir old university. For myself, I feela deep affinity for my alma mater,’Mofokeng concluded. ‘In fact, I stilllove the place.’P A G E 2 0

Listen to the alumniPROFILES AND PERSPECTIVESoOn the University of Limpopowebsite, alumni were recentlyinvited to submit short profiles onwhat they’re doing and where oldcampus friends can get hold ofthem, with the promise that anattempt will be made to publishthem. Once the entries had beenreceived – and we’re thrilled that somany responded – we invitedfurther comment and suggestions ongetting involved in alumni activities.What’s more, prizes of recentlypublished South African books wereoffered to some of the mostpromising entries. See page 32 forthe prizewinners.Lisbon MonyelaI studied a three-year degree inBAdministration and further studiedfor a BA Hons (Political Science) atthe University of Limpopo. I amcurrently in an internshipprogramme at the LimpopoDepartment of Education in theCurriculum Development ServicesSection. I have been exposed to theimplementation of policies fromnational to provincial level, as wellas the formulation of other policiesat provincial level, in districts,circuits and schools. I attendedworkshops that aim to improve thequality of teaching and learning inthe province. Our challenge now isto implement the recovery planproposed at national and provinciallevel after the disruption of the strikesin our schools. The recovery planaims to help matric learners make upfor the time lost during the strike. Iplan to register to do a Masters nextyear, and one of my goals is to be aDirector-General in a governmentdepartment, and a political analyst.Lisbon.m@webmail.comZodwa VirginiaMathyeI did my bachelor degree in SocialWork and graduated on 17 May2007. I have been a social workerfor the past two years, working for anNGO called MES-CMR JHB, based inHillbrow. I’m the first social worker tobe employed by the organisation,which makes me the senior socialworker. Helping people has been mypassion from the beginning, andrealising that I can make an impacton someone’s life makes me sleepbetter at night. I am proud to be theproduct of the University of Limpopo.Good luck to all the social workers inthe making. You can reach me atzodwa@mes.org.zaPat MabalaI studied at the University of Limpopo,Turfloop campus, from 1992-1997,obtaining a BA and Honoursdegrees, and a HE Diploma. Iworked for the University of Limpopoas Assistant Residence Co-ordinatorand Residence Manager for six and ahalf years, first as a part-time studentemployee and later as a full-timeemployee. I served in the followingresidences: Amilcar Cabral, BernardNcube, and Gertrude Shope. I alsoworked for the Department ofDefence and Military Veterans forsix years as Language Practitioner:Editing and Translation; and for theGauteng Provincial Legislature fortwo years as Language Practitioner:Editing and Translation; and I’mworking for Unisa at the moment inthe same position. My email addressis mabalmp@unisa.ac.zaAser MathebulaMy name is Aser Mathebula. I am aproud graduate from the Universityof Limpopo, Turfloop campus. Icompleted my BSc Agriculturedegree in 2009 and graduated in2010. In March 2010 I wasrecruited by Monsanto in its plantbreeding department, where Icurrently prove to be an asset. Iwould like to express my sincereappreciation for the scholarlyexposure the university granted me.Studying at UL was the greatestprivilege that guaranteed fulfilmentafter completion. It is purely hardwork that made me settlecomfortably today and I willremember my lecturers, mentors,and study friends. My email addressis aser.bonginkosi.a.b.mathebula@monsanto.comP A G E 2 1

Listen to the alumniBoikanyo MatlohaI graduated BSc Hons (Psychology) in 2006 from the University of Limpopo,Medunsa campus. I am currently working as a Psychometrist for one of theleading IT companies in South Africa – Gijima. I learned a lot from Medunsa,under the guidance of the staff at the Department of Psychology. Boikanyo.matloha@gijima.comAndrew ModibaI am a former student of the University of Limpopo’s Turfloop campus. I joined theuniversity in 2007 when I enrolled for a Bachelor degree in Communication. Igraduated in 2010 after completing the degree in record time. Fortunately I wasemployed at the Limpopo Department of Local Government and Housing as aCommunications Officer in April 2010, before I even graduated. My emailaddress is andrewmodiba@webmail.co.zaJones KobelaI obtained my BCom Accounting degree from Turfloop in 2006 and of course itwas a phenomenal experience to be called a graduate. Regardless of how far Igo, the University of Limpopo remains the first pot to cook the best in me and tocontribute to my current and future career development. I also obtained myPostgraduate Diploma in Accounting Science, and I am now studying for my CTA(Certificate in the Theory of Accounting) with Unisa. I am serving my last year ofSAICA articles at the Auditor-General’s Pretoria office. I am also inspired to addto the number of Black Chartered Accountants who are fuelling transformationthat is under way in our country. I would urge current University of Limpopostudents to use the university facilities at their disposal to their advantage andthereby become the assets that this country is hungry for. jonesk@agsa.co.zaMeshack MawelelaMy name is Meshack SharamendeMawelela. I am a graduate of theUniversity of Limpopo Turfloopcampus. It is with great pleasureand pride that I announce thatwithin a record time of three yearsand without failure or supplement Icompleted my degree – BCom inHuman Resource Management. Ihave five distinctions in myacademic record. It seems little, butI am proud of them. In 2007, whilein my first year, I was recognised asthe Best First Year Student in BComHRM and the Best Student in BComHRM overall. For this I was giventwo cheques – one for R900 andone for R1 200 – together with acertificate. I also achieved a meritaward in first year which paid mytuition fees. I was awarded R10000 by the university’s trust fund,which paid a portion of my fees.Then, while in the queue to applyfor NSFAS to pay my fees for finalyear, I was told that the HCIFoundation had selected me due toacademic excellence and myoutstanding fees were paid bythem. I am currently a permanentGraduate in Training at Eskom’shead office in Sandton. I joinedEskom in April this year. Next yearI am looking forward to starting myHonours degree in BusinessManagement with Unisa,specialising in Human ResourceManagement.meshack.mawalela@eskom.co.zaP A G E 2 2

Listen to the alumniGETTING INVOLVED WITH THE OLD UNIVERSITYIsaac MangenaI graduated from the University of the North in 1998,with a BA majoring in Psychology. I always believed Iwas born a journalist. Even during my studies at Unin Iwas living and behaving like a scribe. After graduating,I persisted in my quest to be a journalist. I didn’t getanywhere and in the meantime worked as a cashier atCheckers in Bryanston, a warehouse driver, andsupervisor, before I decided to volunteer at anAlexandra Township community newspaper calledAlex News. I had never been happier in my life, eventhough I was paid only a small stipend. I took all mysavings and bought a ‘skorokoro’ to get around to findstories. My sister gave me a digital camera. I wasarmed to the teeth. I made sure everyone knew me –and that my name to them was synonymous with“NEWS”. Then I joined the Daily Sun and was soonhired onto permanent staff, where I worked for aboutthree years. After that I joined French news agencyAgence France Presse (AFP), based at theirJohannesburg bureau covering the southern Africanregion. I also covered parliament, and it was there thate-TV headhunted me for their new 24-hour newschannel. I joined e-News Channel in 2007, and amcurrently working as the Continental Operations Editor.My job entails travelling around the continent setting upbureaus, sourcing people to work for us, and negotiatingwith potential TV partners. I love my job now, and think Istill have some years to go in this field.isaac.mangena@etv.co.zarREAD ON AS WE question some of these Turloof andMedunsa campus graduates of the University ofLimpopo on the idea of being an involved alumnus. Issuch involvement important? The answers to thatquestion are short and sweet. Yes, Yes, Yes.Pat MabalaAsked why, Pat Mabala says it gives past studentsan opportunity to meet fellow alumni and find outwhat they are doing career-wise, and it keeps alumniinformed about new developments within theuniversity. ‘Alumni can help to establish projects forstudent developments; source donations andsponsorships for students; and come up withinnovative ideas that could take the universityforward.’ He says alumni could also get involved inmentoring, advising and motivating students.He believes that alumni involvement could help to‘dispel the perception that students from historicallydisadvantaged institutions are not employable or areless-skilled compared to their counterparts fromhistorically advantaged institutions. I have not beenwithout a job since I completed my studies at theuniversity. I also know many other alumni who aredoing well in the private sector and government.Some are prominent businesswomen and men.’Personally, he says he is already an ambassador forthe university – ‘I always tell people good things aboutit’ – and helps to recruit potential students. As far ascontributing to an alumni organisation, Mabala sayshe is in a position to help locate the alumni who usedto stay in student residences that he used to be incharge of.P A G E 2 3

An alumni association should be the ambassador of change andtransformation for the university as a world-class institution.Access to the alumni database for networkingpurposes is a facility that he hopes to see theuniversity provide for its alumni.His closing message to current students is that theyneed to focus on their studies by setting goals forthemselves. ‘They must always remember that theyneed to study, pass and go out to face the worldbeyond their student years. Whatever problems theyencounter, they need to raise them with lecturers,parents, support staff, counsellors and peer mentors –whomever they feel comfortable with. Keepingproblems to themselves for too long may distract theirprogress in studies, and they may end up staying atuniversity for more years than required. Studentsmustn’t allow this to happen.Jones Kobela believes that as an alumnus, gettinginvolved in your alma mater is a good idea becauseit’s recognition of where you come from. ‘If you don’tknow where you come from, you’ll never know whereyou’re going. Being an alumnus is the end product ofwhat the University of Limpopo is proud to haveproduced.’In this way, alumni are a motivation to the currentstudents and the university community to show thatgraduates can go far and still be united, regardlessof the different directions they go. ‘An alumniassociation should also be the ambassador of changeand transformation for the university as a world-classinstitution.’His request as an alumnus to the university isincreased communication about university activitiesand developments, and more interaction with thestudents and university community.What message did he want to send to currentstudents that may help them in their academicendeavours? ‘The best and worst is not what’s aroundyou but what’s inside you. If we are to change theworld, let’s change ourselves first – and the world willfollow. It may seem like the journey is too long, butevery step you make takes you closer to the finishline. Work hard.’Isaac Mangena says getting involved in your alma mater‘gives you a nice déjà vu feeling about the institution; youstill feel you’re a part of Turfloop. And you get a chance tonetwork and get hold of your old buddies and find out whatthey are doing.’For Mangena, the benefit that an association of alumni canhave for the university relates to ‘an old African adage thatsays the best way to know about the road ahead is to askthose who’ve been there (tsela o botsiswa go ba pele). Sothe alumni association can be a forum or a well from whichnew and current students can draw knowledge andinspiration.‘There’s a whole lot that they (current students) can learnfrom us, and that we can learn from them. The best way todo this would be to use newsletters or magazines like this ,and radio such as Turf FM, as a forum where former andcurrent students can interact, say, perhaps via a show like BaKae (Where are they?). He’s keen to make contact withcurrent and former lecturers and students, and also to bekept informed of events that alumni can be a part of.His message to current students is that ‘learning is amarathon not a 100-metre sprint. So stick to your books withthe knowledge that when you’ve completed your course, youwould have made not only yourself and your parents proud,but also the institution and those who came before you.’P A G E 2 4

How highly does the university value alumni involvement?PUT YOUR ALMA MATER ONTHE MAPJUDGE LUCY MAILULA, chairpersonjof the University of Limpopo Counciland one of the university’s mosteminent alumni, noted in the 2009Annual Report that it has been herprivilege to be able to serve heralma mater in this way. That’s goodnews for the university, but also asublime understatement. Mailulahas been keenly serving theuniversity as an alumnus one wayor another since she graduated withBProc and LLB degrees in the early1980s.She has also been chairperson ofthe board of the university’s StudentTrust Fund since 2000, and is onlythe second person to serve in thatcapacity since the Trust wasestablished in 1995. Professor SamMokgokong, previously head ofMedunsa’s Department ofNeurosurgery and now at theUniversity of Pretoria, was the first.‘I’ve always wanted to put my almamater on the map,’ she explains.‘We have a place in the world.Even the university’s motto – findingsolutions for Africa – highlights that.It places us in the continent ofAfrica, in the world.’Mailula believes that her deepseatedinterest in the progress of theuniversity stems in part from the factthat she grew up just 10km awayfrom the university’s Turfloopcampus, in a village calledGa-Maphoto. ‘The university ispart of my community – and it’sexciting to be a part of theuniversity community,’ she says.Of course, another reason for herinvolvement is simply that she getsinvolved – and makes thingshappen. Her profile on theWoman of the Year website, asthe chairperson of this year’sjudging panel, lists some of herinvolvements: ‘Judge Lucy Mailulawas the first black female judge tojoin the High Court Bench in1995 and is a judge of SouthGauteng High Court and theCompetition Appeal Court. She isalso Chairperson of theMembership Committee of theInternational Association ofWomen Judges and Chairpersonof the Standing AdvisoryCommittee on Company Law.Judge Mailula has worked as astate advocate in Mafikeng andadvocate at the Johannesburg Bar.She has lectured part-time incriminal law and was aparticipant in the BLA LegalEducation Centre’s Trial AdvocacyProgramme. She served on theEditorial Board of African LawReview and was a member andlater Deputy Chairperson of theSouth African Law ReformCommission.’ There is more, butthis gives a general idea of herlevels of commitment.Judge Lucy MailulaP A G E 2 5

JUDGE LUCY MAILULANo one should ever think his or her contribution is lessvaluable than someone else’s. Every contribution canmake a difference.It also underlines her credentials as a commentator onthe subject of alumni. Alumni have a role to play in theuniversity, she maintains. ‘Graduates who are in relevantpositions can go back to the university to addressstudents. For instance, as a lawyer I could address lawstudents; an economist could address business students;and so on. Judges have long leave of about threemonths every four years. During this time it could bepossible to spend a couple of weeks or more at theuniversity giving a short course.’Pragmatically she points out that in advancing theinterests of the university; alumni are also advancingtheir own. ‘They’re making sure that the degree theyhave is worth the paper it’s written on.’Mailula sees an important area of potential involvementas student mentorship, and remembers how inspired shewas when as a student, graduates who had done wellcame and addressed them. ‘It’s important to have rolemodels – and there are many graduates of the Universityof Limpopo who have achieved much and would makeexcellent mentors. I can even think of several in highpositions in the South and North Gauteng High Courtsas well as in ministerial positions.‘It should also be possible for many alumni to invite afew students at a time to visit their places of work. Forinstance, students could be shown around the HighCourt and attend a trial to get a good idea of what thesystem entails. But anyone could have students at theirworkplaces, meeting and interacting with people in theoutside world, exposing students to what could beexpected of them in the future.about the dire need for funds to enable the amount ofsupport for students from bad socio-economicbackgrounds to increase, enabling more students to beable to complete their degrees without anxiety aboutpaying their fees. ‘The Trust Fund depends entirely ongoodwill – and contributing to it is certainly an areawhere alumni can get involved, in their own capacity orin their corporate capacities. Enabling a student to beeducated is a great achievement in itself.’Mailula ends with succinct and encouraging messages tostudents, the university and to the alumni.‘To the students: focus on your studies and applyyourselves. It will pay off. It doesn’t mean you shouldn’tget involved in student life, but never forget that you areat university for a purpose; make sure you are achievingit. Remember that if you do well at university it pays off inlife. It shows diligence which is a trait that futureemployers will look for.‘To the university: let’s all focus on our business ofimparting learning and teaching to students. Teachingdoesn’t only mean in lectures, it’s how you prepare thechildren to come out of university ready to face thechallenges.‘To the alumni: your different areas of experience are allvery important for building the community of theUniversity of Limpopo. No one should ever think that hisor her contribution is less valuable than someone else’s.Every contribution can make a difference.’‘Giving students holiday jobs would also be of greatvalue to them. Even if they don’t earn much, they wouldcertainly be learning – and that’s what it’s all about.’Then Mailula dons her Student Trust hat again, and talksP A G E 2 6

How highly does the university value alumni involvement?THE FACULTIES SPEAKProfessor Hlengani Siweya,Executive Dean of the Faculty ofScience and Agriculture, says: Itis absolutely vital that we maintainclose ties with our past students. Isay this for several reasons.The most obvious one is the helpthat our alumni can provide in ourregular process of curriculumreview. How do our courses relateto the practicalities of the world ofwork? Our alumni are spread injobs throughout the science andtechnology sectors, and of coursethrough the various agriculturalfields as well. What better way toevaluate what we teach than to askthose who have taken ourknowledge with them into the worldof work?A second obvious reason is thatpast students, particularly those withpostgraduate degrees, could playan important role in the spheres ofteaching and research. I would liketo see the faculty engagingpostgraduate alumni as guestlecturers. We might even be able tobestow a suitable title – somethinglike Professor Extraordinaire – onthose who can find the time. Aweek of lectures by a guest lecturerwould free up our staff academicsto concentrate on their ownresearch projects. There’s also thepossibility of involving suitablyqualified alumni as co-supervisorsfor current post-graduate research,a course of action that wouldcertainly bring relief for ourfrequently overloaded academics.There’s also an important role foralumni who have reached highpositions in government andprivate sector organisations. Wealready do collaborative researchwith former students in thesepositions in organisations likeEskom, the Department ofAgriculture, the CSIR and NRF,and the mining houses. But there’sspace for a lot more. There’s alsoscope for alumni in seniorpositions to mentor currentstudents and to provide, withintheir own spheres of authority,opportunities for students toexperience the realities or workingfor a big organisation.Finally, we run an annualprogramme of ‘lunch-time talks’.Our minum is four talks each byour four schools. Next year, we’llbe publishing a booklet entitledFaculty Colloquium, containingthis year’s sixteen papers. Someexternal academics havecontributed papers, and nowwe’re keen to involve more of ourpast students as well.But all these possibilities will onlysuccessfully come to fruition ifaccurate databases relating to ouralumni – When did theygraduate? In what? Where arethey now? – can be establishedand maintained. It is for thisreason that ‘tracer studies’ arebeing undertaken; and I appeal toall our alumni to respond – and toencourage their ‘class mates’ todo the same.Professor Hlengani SiweyaThe appointment of a dedicated facultymarketing officer would also help to makemaximum use of this really significantresource. Close co-operation between thefaculty and the university-wide Departmentof Marketing and Communications will alsobe essential to further develop our ideasand plans.PROFESSOR HLENGANI SIWEYAAlumni can help in the regular process of curriculum reviewP A G E 2 7

PROFESSOR NHLANHLA MAAKEWe need to establish a computer-based network of facultyalumni to strengthen alumni relationshipsProfessor Nhlanhla MaakeProfessor Nhlanhla Maake, ExecutiveDean of the Faculty of Humanities,says: I often think that the reason for the lackof alumni participation in the affairs of theiralma mater is that their university days holdvery few good memories for them,particularly for those who graduated before1994. At Turfloop particularly, being auniversity student was a politically stressfuloccupation. But at other universities, too. I’malso an alumnus of Wits in Johannesburg.Not too long ago they organised an‘Assembly of Alumni’. The messagewas ‘let’s make a new start in thealumni relationship with theuniversity’. The Assembly was like aritual, a kind of cleansing of pastinjustices, and an invitation toestablish new relationships – in someways these relationships are almostlike those that bind families –between the institution and its paststudents.There can be no doubt that therelationship should be a two-waystreet, one of mutual respect, mutualsupport, and mutual enrichment. Butour university has for some yearsbeen very largely in survival mode.We’ve been building basic systemsfrom the ground up, ensuring solidinstitutional foundations. We wereeven obliged to shelve our missionand vision. But these things are back– and so should our concern be forbuilding that vitally importantrelationship with our alumni.What can the university do toenhance the building process? Thereare several ideas that are beingdeveloped here in the Faculty ofHumanities.The first is that we are hoping todedicate a fully equipped office foruse by alumni who come to Limpopoto work or research in the province.These facilities could be booked for afew hours, a few days or even a fewweeks. Coupled to this is the needfor us to establish a computer-basednetwork of faculty alumni thatwould strengthen interrelationshipsamong our family of alumni, aswell as between alumni and theuniversity.The second is to use alumni forteaching support and researchpartnerships. Retired people inparticular could be persuaded tolecture in exchange for academicrecognition through the conferringof extraordinary professorships –as happens in other South Africanuniversities. There is also thepossibility of using alumni asmentors for current students. Ofcourse, such ideas need to bediscussed across the university asa whole, but we will certainly bemaking our inputs.Finally, my faculty will be makingan effort to include moreprominent alumni in our annualSpring Lectures. Originally, theselectures were very much aninternal affair, with a few expertsand our own postgraduatestudents doing most of the talking.This year 3 , we have includedpostgraduates from theuniversities of Venda and NorthWest. And next year we’d like asignificant input from alumni askeynote speakers and asmembers of our discussion panels.We really like the idea of makingthis flagship occasion animportant venue for exchangingcultural capital.3 The 2010 Spring Lectures, which focused on Indigenous Knowledge Systems in the Post-Modern World, took place on the Turfloop campus between 6 and 9 September.P A G E 2 8

PROFESSOR OBENG MIREKUSuccessful alumni could act as role models and mentorsfor younger studentsProfessor Obeng MirekuProfessor Obeng Mireku, ExecutiveDean of the Faculty of Managementand Law, says: When it is considered thatmost of our students are recruited from ourhome province – which is predominantlyrural, with underresourced schools,widespread rural poverty and frequentlymarginalised population – our alumni havean important role to play in their olduniversity. I would go so far as to say thateven more important than money is theneed for interaction between students pastand present. Particularly with currentstudents who are struggling withcertain aspects of their curricula,alumni can be a real inspiration;especially alumni who are beingsuccessful in their chosen careers canact as role models for the youngergroups.But we need to formalise andincrease this interaction. Obviously, acertain amount of it takes placealready. For example, Judge BernardNgoepe who graduated fromTurfloop with a BJuris degree in1972 and is now Judge President ofthe Gauteng North High Court inPretoria, delivers an annual lecture tocurrent law students. A similararrangement has been establishedwith Tito Mboweni, erstwhileGovernor of the South AfricanReserve Bank and currently chairmanof AngloGold Ashanti, who has beenmade an honorary professor in theDepartment of Economics at Turfloop.But a lot more needs to be doneapart from the efforts of theseluminaries. We are toying with theidea of attracting mid-career alumniback to their old campus to interactwith both students and staff. Webelieve they could actually visit for aday or two, perhaps even stayingovernight in a students’ residence.This would well equip them to serveas ambassadors for their old faculty,not only by marketing it as a goodplace to study but by helping toenrich the student experience throughtargeted funding to be spent onimproved facilities.The Turfloop Graduate School ofLeadership (TGSL) could also benefitfrom heightened alumni attention.Here, the students tend to be older,and many are civil servants andothers holding down responsiblejobs. The networking opportunitiesfor involved alumni are obvious.Guest lecturers and alumniambassadors would also attractcurrent undergraduate students toEdupark, thus encouraging a flow ofstudents from Turfloop to the TGSL.Public lectures by alumni who aresuccessful entrepreneurs would alsostrengthen ties between the institutionand economic activity in the provincegenerally.It is from these activities, and thesustainability of such activities, thatlarger investments into the Universityof Limpopo can flow. An example ofsuch alumnus-inspired investment isthe recent establishment of a fullSchool of Accounting and Auditingin my faculty which is built aroundthe Nedbank Chair of Accountancy.These significant academicenrichments were made possible byalumnus Dr Reuel Khoza, chairmanof the Nedbank Group, and also ofcourse the Chancellor of theuniversity.But all these ideas for greaterinteraction with our past students willneed to be incorporated into aconcrete plan, the execution of whichwill require the support of a viableand inventive alumni office.P A G E 2 9

How highly does the university value alumni involvement?MEDUNSA’S COURSE FOR ALUMNIProfessor Robert Golele of the Department ofOrthopaedics and President of the MedunsaConvocation; Professor Pindile Mntla of theSchool of Medicine and SpecialistCardiologist; Professor NomathembaTaukobong, Head of Physiotherapy; ProfessorHerman Joubert, Acting Director of the Schoolof Pathology and Pre-clinical Sciences; andProfessor Eucebious Lekalakala-Mokgele,Director of the School of Health Care Sciences.From the left:Professor Herman Joubert, Acting Director of the School of Pathology and Clinical SciencesProfessor Robert Golele of the Department of Orthopaedics and President of the Medunsa ConvocationProfessor Nomathemba Taukobong, Head of PhysiotherapyProfessor Pindile Mntla, Director of the School of Medicine and Specialist CardiologistProfessor Eucebious Lekalakala-Mokgele, Director of the School of Health Care SciencesPROFESSOR ERROL HOLLAND, Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciencesat Medunsa, sets the tone for Medunsa’s response to the alumniquestion. ‘Alumni are a part of the citizenship of a university and it’sessential that every effort is made to make this a worthy experience forboth the alumni and the university,’ he says, adding that the university’sQuality Assurance programme takes into account the critique of thosewho’ve passed through the university portals as a barometer of theexcellence it strives towards.‘The university is extremely proud of the eminent scholars who receivedtheir training at the University of Limpopo and now hold prominentpositions in the country. More should be done to profile thesecelebrities as esteemed products of our institution, as this is animportant source of motivation for our students. This is particularlyimportant in inculcating the notion that it’s through education that wecan make a real difference in people’s lives.’Further response from Medunsa is gleaned at an auspicious gatheringof some of the faculty’s professorial minds. The contingent comprisesThe topic is alumni. Are alumni valuable toMedunsa? Very valuable, was the unanimousresponse. Making contact with and drawingalumni into faculty activities can be highlypositive for the university as a whole.The first example of this is outlined by Mntla,whose school hosts a highly successful annualCardiology three-day refresher course formedical school graduates, which in Septemberthis year attracted a record turnout of 210delegates.Mntla explains: ‘We started small in the early90s, inviting Medunsa alumni from Gauteng toa refresher course in Cardiology to help themstay abreast of new knowledge anddevelopments within the discipline, whilegiving them an opportunity to network. Back inthe early days, we started consulting thealumni on specific topics they wanted to coveras well as suggestions for speakers; which westill do. I believe this is one of the mainreasons that this is becoming more populareach year. We’re not prescriptive – we consult,we listen, and then we present.’ The delegatesearn essential Continuing ProfessionalDevelopment points for attending, addingfurther to the value of the course.P A G E 3 0

SHOWS WHAT CAN BE DONEThis course also offers the universitymanagement an excellent opportunityto interact with alumni from as farafield as the Northern Cape, NorthWest, Mpumalanga, Eastern Cape,Free State, and Limpopo Province, aswell as many from Gauteng – most ofwhom are influential in thecommunities they serve. A slot in thespeaker programme is always madeavailable to the university to updatethe alumni on what’s happening.Joubert, also involved in the refreshercourse, notes: ‘Some of our delegateswere students here 25 years ago,and have been in practice for morethan 20 years. It’s a pleasureinteracting with them.’ He adds thatmanagement is always welcome touse the course as a platform to makecontact with people who value theiralma mater.Mntla, who wore two hats – as analumnus having done his basicmedical training at Medunsa in theearly 1980s and as a staff member,having joined in 1994 – dons the firstone and elaborates on how alumnivalue being kept updated ondevelopments within their university,even being brought into the pictureon major changes such as the merger.‘Many of our alumni hold positions ofpower in the health sector and cancontribute positively to discussions ondevelopments.’The discussion drills down to practicalmatters. It’s necessary first to make surethe database is completely up to date.But that’s purely an administrative matteras every graduate is registered with theHealth Professions Council of SA.Reviving the alumni convocation wouldpossibly be the next step; where issuescould be discussed, opinions sought,and decisions made for future plans.Two primary areas are defined foralumni involvement: in academic andsocial matters. Academically, alumniinvolvement should start at orientationof new students, where alumni can be asource of encouragement andmotivation for the students. Alumni too,represent a source of mentors forpostgraduate students and as guestspeakers at prominent events. ‘Wevalue their input and insight and wecan consult them on growing ourprogrammes’ is another suggestion.Alumni presence at graduationceremonies is also valuable as it tangiblydemonstrates that graduates remain apart of the institution throughout theirlives. Social events in general, whichallow for opportunities to network, areconsidered a good idea.But it isn’t all about what alumni can dofor Medunsa. It’s also about whatMedunsa can do for alumni. Theanswer is, a lot. Medunsa – as ishappening with the Cardiology course– can offer more refresher courses andother programmes to help the alumnidevelop professionally. For that tosucceed, it’s agreed, the full supportof university management must bebehind the initiatives.Research is also placed on the tableas an area that could be mutuallybeneficial to the faculty and thealumni. Collaboration on researchprojects could see an increase in theamount of research generated by theuniversity. This could extend to alumniwho are at eminent universitiesaround the world: collaboration withinternationally renowned institutionswould raise the profile of Medunsalocally and globally.Suggestions for ‘what shouldn’thappen’ also flow readily from thisgroup. Such as, ‘We shouldn’t makealumni involvement dependent onfinancial contribution’, and ‘Weshouldn’t be prescriptive. We mustconsult on where, how and whenthey can and want to get involved.’And a final unifying declaration is:‘We shouldn’t run faculty-basedalumni programmes; it must be onegroup of alumni from one university.To benefit all who are a part of theuniversity.’Making contact with anddrawing alumni into facultyactivities can be highly positivefor the university as a whole.P A G E 3 1

AND THE WINNERS ARE!The winners of the book prizes offered to the mostinteresting alumni contributions (see page 21 for thecontributions) to this special alumni edition of LimpopoLeader are as follows.The overall prize goes to Pat Mabala who is a LanguagePractitioner: Editing and Translation, for Unisa. His succinctprofile and his advice to the youngsters studying at theUniversity of Limpopo today struck a compassionate chordwith the judges. Facing problems and dealing with them ishard, particularly because the university environment is verydifferent to previous experiences. Adapting often brings itsown set of hardships. Taking problems to someone who canhelp makes sense. Thanks Pat! Your encouragement is aperfect fit with the university’s programmes to increase itsstudent support at every level. Your books have been postedto you, and we trust you enjoy them.Runners up are Jones Kabela and Isaac Mangena.They will also receive book prizes for their entries. Happyreading!Pat MabalaGREMLINS ATTACK ON THREE FRONTS:1: TEXAS IS FAR FROMWISCONSINOn page 9 of the last issue ofLimpopo Leader (Number 22,Winter 2010) we state that in1981 Professor Mbudzeni Sibarawas on his way to the Universityof Texas. In fact he was headedfor Wisconsin. We alsoerroneously state that when hewas at Ford Hare he studied withSteve Biko.P A G E 3 22: APOLOGIES TO THE HEALTHAUTHORITIES IN MPUMALANGAAlso in Limpopo Leader 22 we ranon page 31 a profile of Dr JohnsonJerry Mahlangu, the HOD for theMpumalanga Department of Health.We regret that Dr Mahlangu’s namewas twice misspelled in theheadlines. To make matters worse, itwas again incorrectly spelt in thecontents page – and on that page hewas incorrectly designated as theMEC for Mpumalanga Health. In fact,Ms D G Mahlangu is theMpumalanga MEC for Health andSocial Welfare. The Editor ofLimpopo Leader has written to MsMahlangu (the MEC) and to DrMahlangu (the HOD) apologising forthe mix up. The Editor alsoapologises unreservedly to LimpopoLeader readers for this lapse.3: THERE’S ALSO A CORRECTIONNEEDED IN THE 2009 ANNUALREPORT.On pages 38 and 39 of the 2009Annual Report of the University ofLimpopo, published in August 2010,there appeared the comments of theExecutive Dean of Humanities,Professor Nhlanhla Maake. In thebiographical preamble on page 38,it is stated that Maake ‘has alsoreceived fellowships from the BritishCouncil … and the universities ofWestern Cape and theWitwatersrand. This is partlyincorrect. Maake has never held afellowship at the University of theWestern Cape, but he has from theUniversity of Cape Town. Thecompilers of the 2009 Annual Reportregret this error, and apologise toProfessor Maake and to theinstitutions involved for theinadvertent switch of names.

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