P A G E 3 - University of Limpopo
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P A G E 3 - University of Limpopo
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AN IMPORTANTMESSAGE FROM THEVICE-CHANCELLORAlumni Special EditionI HOPE (says Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Mahlo Mokgalong) that I am addressing many thousands <strong>of</strong> our alumnithrough the medium <strong>of</strong> this special edition <strong>of</strong> 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 value<strong>of</strong> your degree. And activeparticipation in the affairs <strong>of</strong> youruniversity will link you to apowerful network <strong>of</strong> pr<strong>of</strong>essionalsthat 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 Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Mahlo Mokgalong’sfull message to all alumni.Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Mahlo MokgalongP A G E 1
tTHIS ISSUE OF <strong>Limpopo</strong> Leader IS INTENDED TO BE A DISCUSSIONDOCUMENT ON ALUMNI. IT’S PACKED WITH OPINIONS AND IDEAS<strong>of</strong> why firmer links between past students and their old university shouldbe maintained, and <strong>of</strong> how this should be achieved. The relationshipbetween alma mater and alumni is potentially a win-win affair: theuniversity can definitely benefit from the network <strong>of</strong> thousands <strong>of</strong>pr<strong>of</strong>essionals spread across the country and beyond; and individualpr<strong>of</strong>essionals stand to make significant gains by maintaining old links andgenerating new ones in their chosen fields. Read on to find out more.<strong>Limpopo</strong> Leader ispublished by the Marketing andCommunications Department,<strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Limpopo</strong>,PO Box X1106,Sovenga 0727,<strong>Limpopo</strong>,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 <strong>of</strong> what you’ll find. The Vice-Chancellor’s message is anabsolute must. He provides a brief history <strong>of</strong> 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 <strong>of</strong> the Institutional Audit panel, which interviewed nearly 350university stakeholders, and came up with an initial response that wasboth positive and instructive.Much <strong>of</strong> this special issue is devoted to the voices <strong>of</strong> alumni themselves.There are reports from the five provincial Alumni Association chaptersthat exist in <strong>Limpopo</strong>, 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 <strong>of</strong> suggestions and ideas with regard tomaintaining good university/alumni relationships. And there’s plenty <strong>of</strong>opportunity 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 <strong>of</strong> the <strong>University</strong> Council, makes thepoint with considerable power. So do the faculty deans.What emerges from this special alumni issue <strong>of</strong> the university magazine isthat alumni are indispensable to maintaining the university’s currenttrajectory. The university is on the up. The actual angle <strong>of</strong> the ascent willin large measure be decided by a merging <strong>of</strong> the talents – and theenthusiasms – <strong>of</strong> all the university’s constituencies. As readers will see asthey read further, alumni are not the least <strong>of</strong> 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.<strong>Limpopo</strong> 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 <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Limpopo</strong>’s improving libraryservices come under the spotlight, with particular attention being paid toa new deal in the <strong>of</strong>fing 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 <strong>of</strong> the <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Limpopo</strong> – and the rising potential <strong>of</strong> 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 <strong>of</strong> 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 <strong>of</strong> yourdegree. And active participation inthe affairs <strong>of</strong> your university will linkyou to a powerful network <strong>of</strong>pr<strong>of</strong>essionals 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 <strong>of</strong> 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 <strong>of</strong> thatpast. Neither did the advent <strong>of</strong>democracy immediately rectify thesituation. Indeed, 1994 marked thebeginning <strong>of</strong> a period <strong>of</strong> necessarychange and instability in the highereducation arena generally, butparticularly for the so-calledhistorically disadvantageduniversities.Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Mahlo MokgalongP A G E 4I hardly need to tell alumni from the1970s and 1980s that theseinstitutions – our own <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong>the North and Medunsa included –
PROFESSOR MAHLO MOKGALONG:Being an active alumnus means coming out <strong>of</strong> isolation and joining a powerful team.were underresourced. And after1994 there were no quick fixes asthe new national Department <strong>of</strong>Education struggled to rationalisethe tertiary education terrain.Apartheid had meant a hugeamount <strong>of</strong> duplication, and beforethe end <strong>of</strong> 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 <strong>of</strong>rationalisation 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 <strong>of</strong> the<strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> the North, the nationalauthorities were obliged to suspendthe <strong>University</strong> Council and appointan Administrator in an attempt toestablish organisational andfinancial stability, a state <strong>of</strong> affairsthat lasted until the beginning<strong>of</strong> 2003.By then, <strong>of</strong> course, the universitywas embroiled in the complexprocess <strong>of</strong> merging with Medunsa.The merger, first promulgated in theGovernment Gazette in June 2002and finally coming into effect inJanuary 2005, added many layers<strong>of</strong> complexity to the task <strong>of</strong>maintaining and growing theorganisational and financial systemsestablished by the Administrator inthe early years <strong>of</strong> 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 <strong>of</strong> thefinancial and administrative realities<strong>of</strong> driving the merged universityfrom the apartheid past <strong>of</strong> itsconstituent parts to its new place inthe development <strong>of</strong> a democraticSouth Africa.By early 2007, and for manydifferent reasons, the financial andadministrative affairs <strong>of</strong> the<strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Limpopo</strong> were inserious disarray, so much so thatthe then Minister <strong>of</strong> Educationappointed an independent assessorto examine the situation. Theassessor recommended that whilethe <strong>University</strong> Council and executivemanagement should remain inplace, the university should submitto the introduction <strong>of</strong> an externallyguided institutional operating plan(IOP), and that the universitydisconnect its day-to-day activitiesfrom its mission – that <strong>of</strong> 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 <strong>of</strong> theprogrammes on <strong>of</strong>fer.• 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 <strong>of</strong> 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 <strong>of</strong> R136-million. Ayear later, thanks to recapitalisationfunding and certain reversals inprovisions, that deficit had beenturned into a R43-million surplus.The introduction <strong>of</strong> tight financialcontrols reinforced and sustainedthis remarkable reversal <strong>of</strong> fortunes.By the middle <strong>of</strong> 2009, the positiveeffects <strong>of</strong> the IOP were being feltthroughout the institution. Mostgratifying was the new sense <strong>of</strong>purpose 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 <strong>University</strong><strong>of</strong> <strong>Limpopo</strong>. Appropriately enough,as we proceed from this point, one<strong>of</strong> the most important processes,begun in 2009 but only culminatingtowards the end <strong>of</strong> 2010, is anevaluation <strong>of</strong> our efforts so far. TheInstitutional Audit, conducted by theHigher Education QualityCommittee (HEQC) <strong>of</strong> the Councilfor Higher Education, will bringrenewed external scrutiny to bearon our efforts and will <strong>of</strong>feradditional 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 <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong><strong>Limpopo</strong>. I personally believe thatthe notion <strong>of</strong> 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 <strong>of</strong> excellence initself, not merely a generalenvironment in which small centres<strong>of</strong> excellence manage to survive.We are becoming the pride <strong>of</strong> ourprovince, and <strong>of</strong> our nation. We’reone <strong>of</strong> a team <strong>of</strong> 23 publicuniversities in South Africa, and weare no less than any <strong>of</strong> them.But what does all this mean forthose <strong>of</strong> you who have alreadygraduated to swell the ranks <strong>of</strong> theuniversity’s alumni?There are several things <strong>of</strong> greatimportance that I can think <strong>of</strong>, and Iwill list them briefly here. Being analumnus means much more thanwearing a university tie or attendingthe occasional braai. It means,instead, coming out <strong>of</strong> 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 <strong>of</strong> 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 <strong>of</strong> networking withpeople from your university class, orwith people in your specificpr<strong>of</strong>ession, to further your individualcareer or business ventures. Youralumni networks facilitate this. It’scertainly better than floundering onalone.For the institution, the advantages<strong>of</strong> an active alumni constituency aremany. Such a constituency increasesthe lobbying power <strong>of</strong> the universityin high places. An active alumniconstituency <strong>of</strong> pr<strong>of</strong>essionals wouldalso ensure that the universitymaintained a network <strong>of</strong> tentaclesspreading into all walks <strong>of</strong> life, notonly within the various levels andspheres <strong>of</strong> 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 issue<strong>of</strong> <strong>Limpopo</strong> Leader is full <strong>of</strong> detailsand suggestions regarding the whysand hows and wherefores <strong>of</strong> thepartnership that could and shouldexist between alumni and theinstitution that helped to get theirfeet on the first rungs <strong>of</strong> the ladder.My hope is that as you read on youwill become enthused.One final point. Readers will noticethat I have made no mention <strong>of</strong>money. I have not appealed fordonations. Neither does any part <strong>of</strong>this publication. Of course money isimportant. But the building <strong>of</strong>relationships that <strong>of</strong>fer 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 <strong>of</strong> 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.Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Mahlo MokgalongVice-Chancellor, <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong><strong>Limpopo</strong>* See page 7 for an un<strong>of</strong>ficial summary <strong>of</strong> theHEQC auditors’ visit which took place in lateSeptember 2010.P A G E 6
First impressions <strong>of</strong> 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 <strong>of</strong> selfevaluation.They praised the logisticalarrangements that had been made t<strong>of</strong>acilitate the audit panel’s visit.’For nearly 18 months Ngoepe, who isthe university’s Director <strong>of</strong> QualityAssurance, has been working towardsthis visit – which finally took placeduring the last week in September2010. The audit is a legal requirementin terms <strong>of</strong> the Higher Education Act <strong>of</strong>1997, which stipulates that universitiesare responsible for their own qualityassurance, but under the jurisdiction <strong>of</strong>the 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 the<strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Limpopo</strong> in the next threeto five months.There’s a lot <strong>of</strong> 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 <strong>of</strong> theinstitutional audit panel.UNIVERSITYOF LIMPOPOINSTITUTIONAL AUDITSEPTEMBER 2010Plan – Ngoepe and his team had organised a total <strong>of</strong> 356 interviews withvarious internal and external university stakeholders, no less than 95 percent<strong>of</strong> 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 <strong>of</strong> a record.’On the final day, the audit panel gave an initial verbal report <strong>of</strong>approximately one hour to senior members <strong>of</strong> 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 <strong>of</strong> a real organicrelationship between the three elements <strong>of</strong> 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 <strong>of</strong> the Institutional AuditHERE’S EVIDENCE OF THE STAR’S TRAJECTORYteaching and learning, research,and community engagement. Therewas evidence <strong>of</strong> excellence in allthree, but little evidence <strong>of</strong> 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 <strong>of</strong> 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-ChancellorPr<strong>of</strong>essor Mahlo Mokgalong early in2009, was to avoid the traditionalacademic silo approach in theuniversity’s response to its missionand vision 1 . Perhaps the insights <strong>of</strong>the audit panel will encourage theuniversity planners to forge aheadwith the implementation <strong>of</strong> the Hubidea.‘The second key area identified bythe panel as requiring specialattention,’ Ngoepe continued,‘relates to the general lack <strong>of</strong>influence exerted by the vision andmission on the programmes andcurricula <strong>of</strong>fered 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 <strong>of</strong> 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 <strong>of</strong>programme review.’The third key area identified by theaudit panel related to the mergerbetween the two universities that nowconstituted the <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Limpopo</strong>.‘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 <strong>of</strong> 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 <strong>of</strong> our corebusiness. So the overall massage is:you have the requisite infrastructure,systems, policies and procedures inplace, but you have to do more interms <strong>of</strong> monitoring and evaluatingthe implementation and impact.’Asked if he felt disappointed by theinitial outcome <strong>of</strong> 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 <strong>of</strong>provision on continuous basis.‘Another thing that encourages me,particularly as Director <strong>of</strong> QualityAssurance, is that the whole concept <strong>of</strong>quality assurance is much betterunderstood and appreciated on bothour main Campuses. It’s not aboutminimum standards and compliance,but about the pursuit <strong>of</strong> best practice atall times.‘Oh, and another good thing that cameout <strong>of</strong> the audit,’ Ngoepe concluded,‘was that our university infrastructure,given the history <strong>of</strong> 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 <strong>University</strong>’s Mission andVision’, page 13, <strong>Limpopo</strong> Leader 16, Summer 2009.2 See stories on pages 17 and 19 in <strong>Limpopo</strong> 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 <strong>of</strong> 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 <strong>of</strong>Marketing and Communications,and is himself an alumnus with aTurfloop BA and BEd earned duringthe turbulent 1980s. This nurturingprocess forms an important part <strong>of</strong>Mohuba’s portfolio at the merged<strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Limpopo</strong> 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 <strong>of</strong>Council 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 <strong>of</strong> our two main campuses.Not many people realise thatseveral ministers in the currentcabinet are alumni. We also havequite a few prominent captains <strong>of</strong>industry, as well as hundreds <strong>of</strong>pr<strong>of</strong>essionals 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 <strong>of</strong> 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 <strong>of</strong> the two institutionsthat have now merged. But there areonly 18 000 alumni on the <strong>Limpopo</strong>Leader distribution list. And Mohuba’sfocus is even smaller when he talks <strong>of</strong>ACTIVE alumni.‘Our immediate target is by next Juneto collect a core <strong>of</strong> 5 000 alumniwho want to become activelyinvolved, 3 500 <strong>of</strong> 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 <strong>of</strong> lost alumni wasbased on the principle <strong>of</strong> marketsegmentation. This meant thatdisciplines were being separated, aswell as classes, and targeted on thebasis <strong>of</strong> renewing old friendshipsand allegiances. ‘My own class <strong>of</strong>1987 is a case in point,’ he adds. ‘Ifind it most interesting to talk to them.Some <strong>of</strong> us were active together instudent politics, and we <strong>of</strong>tenreminisce and share very challengingmoments and also quite a few jokesabout those times.’Working with Mohuba on the alumniside <strong>of</strong> things are two full-time alumnirelations <strong>of</strong>ficers, 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 north<strong>of</strong> 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 <strong>of</strong> PR, communicationstrategies and skills, pr<strong>of</strong>essionalfundraising techniques, communityleadership and pr<strong>of</strong>essionalphotography. He has worked withMedunsa alumni since 1997.When asked to describe the detailedgoals <strong>of</strong> his job, Menziwa provided acomprehensive list which included thefollowing:• Recognise and acknowledge thevalue <strong>of</strong> active alumni• Develop and maintain theuniversity’s alumni database• Facilitate two-way communicationbetween university and alumni• Establish and maintain regional andpr<strong>of</strong>ession-specific alumni chapters• Build lifelong relationships withalumni in support <strong>of</strong> their university• Involve alumni as advocates <strong>of</strong> theuniversity’s vision and mission• Encourage alumni to recruitpromising undergraduate andpostgraduate students for theuniversityPlaatjie came to the then <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong>the North (now the Turfloop campus <strong>of</strong>the <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Limpopo</strong>) in 1997 asa theology lecturer. She enrolled as apart-time law student in 1999 toimprove her analytical skills. Shecontinued in the Department <strong>of</strong>Theology 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 <strong>of</strong> this university.This has helped me in the work I do.As has my alumnus status at the<strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> KwaZulu-Natal.’ Plaatjiehad spent five years on thePietermaritzburg campus <strong>of</strong> the thennamed<strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> 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 <strong>of</strong> 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 <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Limpopo</strong> areorganised into five provincial chapters (or branches)situated in <strong>Limpopo</strong>, Mpumalanga, North West,Gauteng and Free State. Of course, there are alumni inother parts <strong>of</strong> the country, and indeed the world, andthey are all brought together in the university’s AlumniAssociation under the co-presidency <strong>of</strong> Pr<strong>of</strong>essor 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 <strong>of</strong> interest thatpast students were expressing in their alma mater.Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Golele described this level, particularly asmanifested towards a special alumni road showorganised in the provinces, as ‘dismal’. ‘We need t<strong>of</strong>ind 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 <strong>of</strong> a mutuallybeneficial relationship between university and paststudents. We must find ways to make increased buy-inworthwhile. Perhaps one <strong>of</strong> the areas that demands ourspecial attention is the area <strong>of</strong> communication. We need tocommunicate more purposefully with our alumni. We needto constantly remind them <strong>of</strong> the benefits <strong>of</strong> being part <strong>of</strong>what 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 <strong>of</strong> convocation. These things couldtoo easily lead to a sense <strong>of</strong> solidarity and independence –and <strong>of</strong> course the apartheid state was more interested increating a sense <strong>of</strong> dependency. ‘But we’ve broken awayfrom that past now. Since 1994, we’ve been workingsteadily towards parity with the previously privilegeduniversities – certainly in terms <strong>of</strong> state funding and qualityoutputs. But there’s still a long way to go – certainly in terms<strong>of</strong> awareness <strong>of</strong> the importance <strong>of</strong> the relationship betweenpast students and the institution that conferred theirdegrees.’Now let’s hear from the chairpersons <strong>of</strong> 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 <strong>of</strong> curiosity, Isuppose – and also with a convictionthat maintaining contact with my oldinstitution might well be important.‘At the end <strong>of</strong> 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 <strong>of</strong> 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 <strong>of</strong> the reasons why his replyhad been so emphatic.The first reason was that the university– any university, but particularly onelike the <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Limpopo</strong> with itshistory and its current efforts toemerge out <strong>of</strong> 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 <strong>of</strong> course besignificantly influential in the sphere<strong>of</strong> fundraising.‘An example <strong>of</strong> how alumni wereable to help the institution was in theprocess <strong>of</strong> the merger. I am aMedunsa alumnus,’ Mashilo pointedout, ‘while most <strong>of</strong> my chaptermembers are from Turfloop. Wewere able to help build a newunified sense <strong>of</strong> 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 <strong>of</strong> ‘fellowshipversus isolation’. And the idea <strong>of</strong>alumni forming regional chapters tomaintain these links had the addedadvantage <strong>of</strong> bringing pr<strong>of</strong>essionalpeople 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 <strong>of</strong> 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 <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong><strong>Limpopo</strong> and its many thousands <strong>of</strong>past students from both main campusesas they seek to build stronger and moreproductive ties.‘What does <strong>of</strong>ten appear to be lackingis real commitment,’ he said. ‘There’s adefinite despondency sometimes –particularly among alumni who werestudents in the final years <strong>of</strong> apartheid.Their student days weren’t the happiestfor many <strong>of</strong> them, and being active inthe alumni chapters provides constantreminders <strong>of</strong> 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 <strong>of</strong>fered as acriticism <strong>of</strong> the university’s alumni<strong>of</strong>ficers. But the university must try tomake it worthwhile for alumni to remaininvolved, if only by keeping them intouch with the marketing side <strong>of</strong> thingsso that alumni can play their part inenhancing the reputation <strong>of</strong> their almamater. But there are challenges even atthis level. On my own initiative in2008, I tried to organise a medicalclass <strong>of</strong> 1988 reunion. I failed. Therewere only 45 <strong>of</strong> 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 <strong>of</strong>thing, I must say, also encouragesdespondency.’Mashilo said it was sad that somany past students <strong>of</strong> the <strong>University</strong><strong>of</strong> <strong>Limpopo</strong> were intent on sendingtheir own children to the largeurban-based universities like Witsand the universities <strong>of</strong> Cape Townand KwaZulu Natal. Was thisbecause <strong>of</strong> the stigma <strong>of</strong> the past?‘It’s disappointing to me because ouruniversity, in spite <strong>of</strong> 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 <strong>of</strong> the results <strong>of</strong>being seen to be close to the bottom<strong>of</strong> 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 <strong>of</strong> 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 <strong>of</strong> a winning team.P A G E 1 3
NORTH WESTsSIMMY MORWANE came toTurfloop in 1986, havingregistered for a Bachelor degree inOptometry. In June <strong>of</strong> that year, aState <strong>of</strong> 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 <strong>of</strong>survival. Those times taught usnever to give up.’It was a lesson that Morwane hasrepeatedly applied as anenthusiastic alumnus, and not leastas chairperson <strong>of</strong> the North Westalumni chapter <strong>of</strong> the merged<strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Limpopo</strong>.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 <strong>of</strong>the <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> 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 <strong>of</strong>science classes thrown in’. Helaughed at the memory. ‘Theuniversity was in a fairly chaoticstate,’ he recalled: ‘I think theysimply forgot to take my name <strong>of</strong>fthe 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 <strong>University</strong>, 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 <strong>of</strong> South Africa and holds several high-levelbargaining-chamber positions with Anglo Platinum andother prominent mining houses.On the alumni side <strong>of</strong> his career, Morwane describes thechallenge <strong>of</strong> sustaining the enthusiasm that had beengenerated through the 1997 alumni day and theestablishment by Morwane <strong>of</strong> 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 <strong>of</strong>the country. But to be able to sustain this process, weneed reliable data. Otherwise how can we organisemeetings and activities? How can we harness theenthusiasm <strong>of</strong> 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 <strong>of</strong> need. But in fact she ispart <strong>of</strong> a family comprising tens <strong>of</strong> thousands. We need toremobilise our family – but we need reliable data and avery clear programme <strong>of</strong> action to do so.’Morwane stressed that there was a high degree <strong>of</strong>enthusiasm among alumni. A group <strong>of</strong> 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 <strong>of</strong> 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 <strong>of</strong> their alumni. They represent abroad-based power, a network that infiltrates many strata <strong>of</strong>expertise 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 <strong>of</strong> theMpumalanga Chapter <strong>of</strong> the<strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Limpopo</strong>’s Alumni,talks specifically about thepossibility <strong>of</strong> 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 the<strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Limpopo</strong>, 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 <strong>of</strong>ficer, andthen as a senior investigatorinvestigating complaints <strong>of</strong>misconduct against the police from1998 to 2002. While he studiedfor his LLB, he held the position <strong>of</strong>Assistant Provincial Head with theIndependent Complaints Directorate(ICD) in North West province. He isnow Provincial Director <strong>of</strong> the ICDin Mpumalanga. (The ICDinvestigate complaints <strong>of</strong> criminalityand misconduct against members <strong>of</strong>the 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 largely<strong>of</strong> 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 <strong>of</strong> 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 <strong>of</strong> the lectures being done by alumni in relevantsectors.There’s a lot more that the alumni can do for both campuses <strong>of</strong> the<strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Limpopo</strong>, and, he says, there are alumni in Mpumalangararing to get involved. ‘We in this chapter are proud <strong>of</strong> 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 <strong>of</strong> the university’s alumni.Apart from consulting on curriculumdevelopment and lecturing, we canalso get involved in promoting theuniversity and all that it <strong>of</strong>fers locallyin schools, businesses, government<strong>of</strong>fices 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 <strong>of</strong> the most valuablecontributions the alumni can make topresent undergraduates is apowerful and positive messageabout the bright future that ispossible – with a lot <strong>of</strong> hard work.Tsimane points out that asMpumalanga doesn’t have auniversity <strong>of</strong> its own, the <strong>University</strong><strong>of</strong> <strong>Limpopo</strong> is one <strong>of</strong> the closestuniversities to the province. It’snaturally the university <strong>of</strong> 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 <strong>of</strong> 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 <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong><strong>Limpopo</strong>, encourages the universitymanagement to harness the vastpotential that the alumni has to<strong>of</strong>fer, 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 <strong>of</strong> communicationbetween the alumni and itsmanagement and to share newsabout what’s happening on thecampuses. He also applauds thealumni edition <strong>of</strong> <strong>Limpopo</strong> Leader,and suggests that a magazinedevoted to the achievements <strong>of</strong>alumni would also be valuable. ‘Itwould boost greater involvement inthe university and it would be <strong>of</strong>value 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 the<strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Limpopo</strong> 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 <strong>Limpopo</strong>Leader’s special alumni edition. Hedeclined the appellation <strong>of</strong>president 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 <strong>of</strong> anyeconomy depends on skills,knowledge and the education <strong>of</strong> itslabour force. Consequently, hismain aim is to improve the quality<strong>of</strong> education in South Africa. Oneway to achieve that, he says, isthrough making sure that universitiesprovide relevant and appropriateskills required by the economy‘Universities are <strong>of</strong>ten 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 <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Limpopo</strong>’sTurfloop campus in the 90s. He achieved the Agricultural EconomicsAssociation <strong>of</strong> SA’s Award for the best final-year student in the <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong>the North in 1993 as well as the W.K. Kellog Foundation and FulbrightScholarships to read for his Master <strong>of</strong> Science degree in the United States.During his Honours course, he took up the post <strong>of</strong> Teaching and ResearchAssistant in the university’s Department <strong>of</strong> Agricultural Economics, which wasfollowed by a lectureship in the same department for 10 years, until 2005.He moved on to the Department <strong>of</strong> Trade and Industry, where he held theposition <strong>of</strong> Director: Economic Research and then to the City <strong>of</strong>Johannesburg’s Department <strong>of</strong> Economic Development’s Economic ResearchUnit as Director and Senior Economist. Since December 2009, Moholwahas held the position <strong>of</strong> Lead Economist for the Land Bank <strong>of</strong> 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 <strong>University</strong> in the United States and an MCom (Fin-Econ)from the <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> Johannesburg. At the moment he is working towardshis PhD (Econ), also from the <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> 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 chairmanship<strong>of</strong> the Free State chapter <strong>of</strong> theAlumni Association <strong>of</strong> the <strong>University</strong><strong>of</strong> <strong>Limpopo</strong>.‘The members <strong>of</strong> 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 <strong>of</strong> myuniversity days.’M<strong>of</strong>okeng went further by declaringthat Turfloop ‘had literally mademany <strong>of</strong> 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 <strong>of</strong>ten I’veencountered proud Turfloopers whoare keen to keep the memory <strong>of</strong>their 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-<strong>of</strong>-mouth –especially when a braai wasorganised that followed the formalchapter business.‘Turfloopers love to get together andreminisce,’ M<strong>of</strong>okeng said. ‘Themembers <strong>of</strong> the Free State chapter<strong>of</strong>ten 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 <strong>of</strong> 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.’M<strong>of</strong>okeng agreed there was a lot thatcould be done to encourage alumnito become more actively involved inthe affairs <strong>of</strong> their alma mater. ‘It’salways pleasant to get together withother pr<strong>of</strong>essionals 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 <strong>of</strong> the university, recruitment<strong>of</strong> undergraduate and postgraduatestudents that would enhance theperformance <strong>of</strong> 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,’M<strong>of</strong>okeng concluded. ‘In fact, I stilllove the place.’P A G E 2 0
Listen to the alumniPROFILES AND PERSPECTIVESoOn the <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Limpopo</strong>website, alumni were recentlyinvited to submit short pr<strong>of</strong>iles onwhat they’re doing and where oldcampus friends can get hold <strong>of</strong>them, 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 <strong>of</strong> recentlypublished South African books were<strong>of</strong>fered to some <strong>of</strong> 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 <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Limpopo</strong>. I amcurrently in an internshipprogramme at the <strong>Limpopo</strong>Department <strong>of</strong> Education in theCurriculum Development ServicesSection. I have been exposed to theimplementation <strong>of</strong> policies fromnational to provincial level, as wellas the formulation <strong>of</strong> other policiesat provincial level, in districts,circuits and schools. I attendedworkshops that aim to improve thequality <strong>of</strong> teaching and learning inthe province. Our challenge now isto implement the recovery planproposed at national and provinciallevel after the disruption <strong>of</strong> 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 <strong>of</strong> 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 <strong>of</strong> the <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Limpopo</strong>.Good luck to all the social workers inthe making. You can reach me atzodwa@mes.org.zaPat MabalaI studied at the <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Limpopo</strong>,Turfloop campus, from 1992-1997,obtaining a BA and Honoursdegrees, and a HE Diploma. Iworked for the <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Limpopo</strong>as 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 <strong>of</strong>Defence 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 <strong>University</strong><strong>of</strong> <strong>Limpopo</strong>, 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 <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Limpopo</strong>,Medunsa campus. I am currently working as a Psychometrist for one <strong>of</strong> theleading IT companies in South Africa – Gijima. I learned a lot from Medunsa,under the guidance <strong>of</strong> the staff at the Department <strong>of</strong> Psychology. Boikanyo.matloha@gijima.comAndrew ModibaI am a former student <strong>of</strong> the <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Limpopo</strong>’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 <strong>Limpopo</strong> Department <strong>of</strong> 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 <strong>of</strong> course itwas a phenomenal experience to be called a graduate. Regardless <strong>of</strong> how far Igo, the <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Limpopo</strong> 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 <strong>of</strong> Accounting) with Unisa. I am serving my last year <strong>of</strong>SAICA articles at the Auditor-General’s Pretoria <strong>of</strong>fice. I am also inspired to addto the number <strong>of</strong> Black Chartered Accountants who are fuelling transformationthat is under way in our country. I would urge current <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Limpopo</strong>students 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 <strong>of</strong> the<strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Limpopo</strong> Turfloopcampus. It is with great pleasureand pride that I announce thatwithin a record time <strong>of</strong> 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 <strong>of</strong> 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 <strong>of</strong> 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 <strong>of</strong>fice 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 <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> 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 <strong>of</strong> these Turlo<strong>of</strong> andMedunsa campus graduates <strong>of</strong> the <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong><strong>Limpopo</strong> on the idea <strong>of</strong> 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 <strong>of</strong>.P A G E 2 3
An alumni association should be the ambassador <strong>of</strong> 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 <strong>of</strong> 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 <strong>of</strong>what the <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Limpopo</strong> 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, regardless<strong>of</strong> the different directions they go. ‘An alumniassociation should also be the ambassador <strong>of</strong> 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 <strong>of</strong> Turfloop. And you get a chance tonetwork and get hold <strong>of</strong> your old buddies and find out whatthey are doing.’For Mangena, the benefit that an association <strong>of</strong> 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 <strong>of</strong> events that alumni can be a part <strong>of</strong>.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, chairpersonj<strong>of</strong> the <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Limpopo</strong> Counciland one <strong>of</strong> 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 <strong>of</strong>the board <strong>of</strong> the university’s StudentTrust Fund since 2000, and is onlythe second person to serve in thatcapacity since the Trust wasestablished in 1995. Pr<strong>of</strong>essor SamMokgokong, previously head <strong>of</strong>Medunsa’s Department <strong>of</strong>Neurosurgery and now at the<strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> 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 <strong>of</strong>Africa, in the world.’Mailula believes that her deepseatedinterest in the progress <strong>of</strong> 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 <strong>of</strong> my community – and it’sexciting to be a part <strong>of</strong> theuniversity community,’ she says.Of course, another reason for herinvolvement is simply that she getsinvolved – and makes thingshappen. Her pr<strong>of</strong>ile on theWoman <strong>of</strong> the Year website, asthe chairperson <strong>of</strong> this year’sjudging panel, lists some <strong>of</strong> herinvolvements: ‘Judge Lucy Mailulawas the first black female judge tojoin the High Court Bench in1995 and is a judge <strong>of</strong> SouthGauteng High Court and theCompetition Appeal Court. She isalso Chairperson <strong>of</strong> theMembership Committee <strong>of</strong> theInternational Association <strong>of</strong>Women Judges and Chairperson<strong>of</strong> 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 <strong>of</strong> African LawReview and was a member andlater Deputy Chairperson <strong>of</strong> theSouth African Law ReformCommission.’ There is more, butthis gives a general idea <strong>of</strong> herlevels <strong>of</strong> 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 <strong>of</strong> 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 <strong>of</strong> about threemonths every four years. During this time it could bepossible to spend a couple <strong>of</strong> weeks or more at theuniversity giving a short course.’Pragmatically she points out that in advancing theinterests <strong>of</strong> 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 <strong>of</strong> 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 <strong>of</strong> the <strong>University</strong><strong>of</strong> <strong>Limpopo</strong> who have achieved much and would makeexcellent mentors. I can even think <strong>of</strong> 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 <strong>of</strong> work. Forinstance, students could be shown around the HighCourt and attend a trial to get a good idea <strong>of</strong> what thesystem entails. But anyone could have students at theirworkplaces, meeting and interacting with people in theoutside world, exposing students to what could beexpected <strong>of</strong> them in the future.about the dire need for funds to enable the amount <strong>of</strong>support 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 <strong>of</strong>f. 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 <strong>of</strong>f inlife. It shows diligence which is a trait that futureemployers will look for.‘To the university: let’s all focus on our business <strong>of</strong>imparting learning and teaching to students. Teachingdoesn’t only mean in lectures, it’s how you prepare thechildren to come out <strong>of</strong> university ready to face thechallenges.‘To the alumni: your different areas <strong>of</strong> experience are allvery important for building the community <strong>of</strong> the<strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Limpopo</strong>. 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 <strong>of</strong> 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 SPEAKPr<strong>of</strong>essor Hlengani Siweya,Executive Dean <strong>of</strong> the Faculty <strong>of</strong>Science 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 <strong>of</strong> curriculumreview. How do our courses relateto the practicalities <strong>of</strong> the world <strong>of</strong>work? Our alumni are spread injobs throughout the science andtechnology sectors, and <strong>of</strong> coursethrough the various agriculturalfields as well. What better way toevaluate what we teach than to askthose who have taken ourknowledge with them into the world<strong>of</strong> work?A second obvious reason is thatpast students, particularly those withpostgraduate degrees, could playan important role in the spheres <strong>of</strong>teaching and research. I would liketo see the faculty engagingpostgraduate alumni as guestlecturers. We might even be able tobestow a suitable title – somethinglike Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Extraordinaire – onthose who can find the time. Aweek <strong>of</strong> lectures by a guest lecturerwould free up our staff academicsto concentrate on their ownresearch projects. There’s also thepossibility <strong>of</strong> involving suitablyqualified alumni as co-supervisorsfor current post-graduate research,a course <strong>of</strong> 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 <strong>of</strong>Agriculture, 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 <strong>of</strong> authority,opportunities for students toexperience the realities or workingfor a big organisation.Finally, we run an annualprogramme <strong>of</strong> ‘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 <strong>of</strong> 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.Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Hlengani SiweyaThe appointment <strong>of</strong> a dedicated facultymarketing <strong>of</strong>ficer would also help to makemaximum use <strong>of</strong> this really significantresource. Close co-operation between thefaculty and the university-wide Department<strong>of</strong> Marketing and Communications will alsobe essential to further develop our ideasand plans.PROFESSOR HLENGANI SIWEYAAlumni can help in the regular process <strong>of</strong> curriculum reviewP A G E 2 7
PROFESSOR NHLANHLA MAAKEWe need to establish a computer-based network <strong>of</strong> facultyalumni to strengthen alumni relationshipsPr<strong>of</strong>essor Nhlanhla MaakePr<strong>of</strong>essor Nhlanhla Maake, ExecutiveDean <strong>of</strong> the Faculty <strong>of</strong> Humanities,says: I <strong>of</strong>ten think that the reason for the lack<strong>of</strong> alumni participation in the affairs <strong>of</strong> 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 <strong>of</strong> Wits in Johannesburg.Not too long ago they organised an‘Assembly <strong>of</strong> Alumni’. The messagewas ‘let’s make a new start in thealumni relationship with theuniversity’. The Assembly was like aritual, a kind <strong>of</strong> cleansing <strong>of</strong> 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 <strong>of</strong> 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 <strong>of</strong>Humanities.The first is that we are hoping todedicate a fully equipped <strong>of</strong>fice foruse by alumni who come to <strong>Limpopo</strong>to 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 <strong>of</strong> faculty alumni thatwould strengthen interrelationshipsamong our family <strong>of</strong> 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 conferring<strong>of</strong> extraordinary pr<strong>of</strong>essorships –as happens in other South Africanuniversities. There is also thepossibility <strong>of</strong> 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 <strong>of</strong> the talking.This year 3 , we have includedpostgraduates from theuniversities <strong>of</strong> Venda and NorthWest. And next year we’d like asignificant input from alumni askeynote speakers and asmembers <strong>of</strong> our discussion panels.We really like the idea <strong>of</strong> 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 studentsPr<strong>of</strong>essor Obeng MirekuPr<strong>of</strong>essor Obeng Mireku, ExecutiveDean <strong>of</strong> the Faculty <strong>of</strong> Managementand Law, says: When it is considered thatmost <strong>of</strong> 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 <strong>of</strong> 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 <strong>of</strong> it takes placealready. For example, Judge BernardNgoepe who graduated fromTurfloop with a BJuris degree in1972 and is now Judge President <strong>of</strong>the Gauteng North High Court inPretoria, delivers an annual lecture tocurrent law students. A similararrangement has been establishedwith Tito Mboweni, erstwhileGovernor <strong>of</strong> the South AfricanReserve Bank and currently chairman<strong>of</strong> AngloGold Ashanti, who has beenmade an honorary pr<strong>of</strong>essor in theDepartment <strong>of</strong> Economics at Turfloop.But a lot more needs to be doneapart from the efforts <strong>of</strong> theseluminaries. We are toying with theidea <strong>of</strong> 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 <strong>of</strong>Leadership (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 <strong>of</strong>students 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 <strong>of</strong> such activities, thatlarger investments into the <strong>University</strong><strong>of</strong> <strong>Limpopo</strong> can flow. An example <strong>of</strong>such alumnus-inspired investment isthe recent establishment <strong>of</strong> a fullSchool <strong>of</strong> Accounting and Auditingin my faculty which is built aroundthe Nedbank Chair <strong>of</strong> Accountancy.These significant academicenrichments were made possible byalumnus Dr Reuel Khoza, chairman<strong>of</strong> the Nedbank Group, and also <strong>of</strong>course the Chancellor <strong>of</strong> theuniversity.But all these ideas for greaterinteraction with our past students willneed to be incorporated into aconcrete plan, the execution <strong>of</strong> whichwill require the support <strong>of</strong> a viableand inventive alumni <strong>of</strong>fice.P A G E 2 9
How highly does the university value alumni involvement?MEDUNSA’S COURSE FOR ALUMNIPr<strong>of</strong>essor Robert Golele <strong>of</strong> the Department <strong>of</strong>Orthopaedics and President <strong>of</strong> the MedunsaConvocation; Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Pindile Mntla <strong>of</strong> theSchool <strong>of</strong> Medicine and SpecialistCardiologist; Pr<strong>of</strong>essor NomathembaTaukobong, Head <strong>of</strong> Physiotherapy; Pr<strong>of</strong>essorHerman Joubert, Acting Director <strong>of</strong> the School<strong>of</strong> Pathology and Pre-clinical Sciences; andPr<strong>of</strong>essor Eucebious Lekalakala-Mokgele,Director <strong>of</strong> the School <strong>of</strong> Health Care Sciences.From the left:Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Herman Joubert, Acting Director <strong>of</strong> the School <strong>of</strong> Pathology and Clinical SciencesPr<strong>of</strong>essor Robert Golele <strong>of</strong> the Department <strong>of</strong> Orthopaedics and President <strong>of</strong> the Medunsa ConvocationPr<strong>of</strong>essor Nomathemba Taukobong, Head <strong>of</strong> PhysiotherapyPr<strong>of</strong>essor Pindile Mntla, Director <strong>of</strong> the School <strong>of</strong> Medicine and Specialist CardiologistPr<strong>of</strong>essor Eucebious Lekalakala-Mokgele, Director <strong>of</strong> the School <strong>of</strong> Health Care SciencesPROFESSOR ERROL HOLLAND, Dean <strong>of</strong> the Faculty <strong>of</strong> Health Sciencesat Medunsa, sets the tone for Medunsa’s response to the alumniquestion. ‘Alumni are a part <strong>of</strong> the citizenship <strong>of</strong> 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 <strong>of</strong> thosewho’ve passed through the university portals as a barometer <strong>of</strong> theexcellence it strives towards.‘The university is extremely proud <strong>of</strong> the eminent scholars who receivedtheir training at the <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Limpopo</strong> and now hold prominentpositions in the country. More should be done to pr<strong>of</strong>ile thesecelebrities as esteemed products <strong>of</strong> our institution, as this is animportant source <strong>of</strong> 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 gathering<strong>of</strong> some <strong>of</strong> the faculty’s pr<strong>of</strong>essorial 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 <strong>of</strong> 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 <strong>of</strong> 210delegates.Mntla explains: ‘We started small in the early90s, inviting Medunsa alumni from Gauteng toa refresher course in Cardiology to help themstay abreast <strong>of</strong> 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 <strong>of</strong> 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 Pr<strong>of</strong>essionalDevelopment points for attending, addingfurther to the value <strong>of</strong> the course.P A G E 3 0
SHOWS WHAT CAN BE DONEThis course also <strong>of</strong>fers the universitymanagement an excellent opportunityto interact with alumni from as farafield as the Northern Cape, NorthWest, Mpumalanga, Eastern Cape,Free State, and <strong>Limpopo</strong> Province, aswell as many from Gauteng – most <strong>of</strong>whom 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 <strong>of</strong> 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 <strong>of</strong> our alumni hold positions <strong>of</strong>power 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 Pr<strong>of</strong>essions Council <strong>of</strong> 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 orientation<strong>of</strong> new students, where alumni can be asource <strong>of</strong> encouragement andmotivation for the students. Alumni too,represent a source <strong>of</strong> 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 <strong>of</strong> 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 d<strong>of</strong>or Medunsa. It’s also about whatMedunsa can do for alumni. Theanswer is, a lot. Medunsa – as ishappening with the Cardiology course– can <strong>of</strong>fer more refresher courses andother programmes to help the alumnidevelop pr<strong>of</strong>essionally. For that tosucceed, it’s agreed, the full support<strong>of</strong> 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 <strong>of</strong> research generated by theuniversity. This could extend to alumniwho are at eminent universitiesaround the world: collaboration withinternationally renowned institutionswould raise the pr<strong>of</strong>ile <strong>of</strong> 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 <strong>of</strong> alumni from one university.To benefit all who are a part <strong>of</strong> 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 <strong>of</strong> the book prizes <strong>of</strong>fered to the mostinteresting alumni contributions (see page 21 for thecontributions) to this special alumni edition <strong>of</strong> <strong>Limpopo</strong>Leader are as follows.The overall prize goes to Pat Mabala who is a LanguagePractitioner: Editing and Translation, for Unisa. His succinctpr<strong>of</strong>ile and his advice to the youngsters studying at the<strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Limpopo</strong> 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 <strong>of</strong>ten brings itsown set <strong>of</strong> 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 <strong>of</strong> the last issue <strong>of</strong><strong>Limpopo</strong> Leader (Number 22,Winter 2010) we state that in1981 Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Mbudzeni Sibarawas on his way to the <strong>University</strong><strong>of</strong> 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 <strong>Limpopo</strong> Leader 22 we ranon page 31 a pr<strong>of</strong>ile <strong>of</strong> Dr JohnsonJerry Mahlangu, the HOD for theMpumalanga Department <strong>of</strong> 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 <strong>of</strong><strong>Limpopo</strong> Leader has written to MsMahlangu (the MEC) and to DrMahlangu (the HOD) apologising forthe mix up. The Editor alsoapologises unreservedly to <strong>Limpopo</strong>Leader readers for this lapse.3: THERE’S ALSO A CORRECTIONNEEDED IN THE 2009 ANNUALREPORT.On pages 38 and 39 <strong>of</strong> the 2009Annual Report <strong>of</strong> the <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong><strong>Limpopo</strong>, published in August 2010,there appeared the comments <strong>of</strong> theExecutive Dean <strong>of</strong> Humanities,Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Nhlanhla Maake. In thebiographical preamble on page 38,it is stated that Maake ‘has alsoreceived fellowships from the BritishCouncil … and the universities <strong>of</strong>Western Cape and theWitwatersrand. This is partlyincorrect. Maake has never held afellowship at the <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> theWestern Cape, but he has from the<strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> Cape Town. Thecompilers <strong>of</strong> the 2009 Annual Reportregret this error, and apologise toPr<strong>of</strong>essor Maake and to theinstitutions involved for theinadvertent switch <strong>of</strong> names.
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