please send your name and cell number to heita@tut.ac.za on or before 16 February 2017. Mark the subject field: BAG
To win this
SPORTS BAG,
With this image, Visual Communication (Photography) student, BETTY SELLO, inspires us to let our flames burn brighter in 2017!
Hendrick Kosamo Masunda (26), a Public Management student at the Polokwane Campus, is the new President General of the Institutional Student Representative Council (ISRC). Heita! spoke to him shortly after his election.
WHO IS HENDRICK? (WHERE WERE YOU BORN AND BRED, HOW DID YOU BECOME INVOLVED IN STUDENT POLITICS, WHAT DO YOU STAND FOR?) I was born on 15 May 1990 in a small town called Seshego (Zone I) outside Polokwane in the Limpopo Province. I attended the Letlotlo Primary School until Grade 7 and then enrolled at the Mohlakaneng High School where I completed my matric. I grew up in a Christian family and believe that if God is with you, who can be against you? I got involved in the student movement to get a better understanding of students who cannot afford to pay for their studies. I will never sell the student interests for money. I stand for the truth. My advice to the newly-elected leaders is to lead by example. Take your academics seriously and champion the interests of our students.
We want to ensure that TUT is an environment conducive to studying.
FOR THE BENEFIT OF THOSE STUDENTS WHO DO NOT KNOW, WHAT IS THE ROLE OF THE STUDENT REPRESENTATIVE COUNCIL? To represent students’ issues, be accountable and responsible. We do not represent management. We want to ensure that TUT is an environment conducive to studying. We represent all students, regardless of their race, gender, beliefs, etc.
WHAT ARE YOUR VIEWS OF THE NATIONAL DRIVE FOR FREE EDUCATION AND THE SUBSEQUENT DISRUPTIONS IT LED TO AT VARIOUS UNIVERSITY CAMPUSES IN 2016? Government must stop wasting our time and implement free education for the poor and the needy. They must understand that education is not a privilege, but a right. If government can offer it for free in prison, what prevents it to invest in it for the future generation?
WHAT IS YOUR TOP PRIORITY AS ISRC PRESIDENT? To respect and represent all students, without discrimination or favours.
HOW WOULD YOU ENCOURAGE A PROSPECTIVE STUDENT TO MAKE TUT HIS OR HER ACADEMIC HOME? The University provides quality and inexpensive education, thereby it encourages equality and not discrimination.
I stand for the truth. My advice to the newly-elected leaders is to lead by example. Take your academics seriously and champion the interests of our students.
WITH SEVERAL CAMPUSES IN DIFFERENT PROVINCES, HOW DO YOU PLAN TO UNITE STUDENTS? I want to ensure that all programmes for students contained in our strategic plan are active on all campuses. I also want to visit all campuses regularly to unite students and to address issues that affect them.
WHO ARE YOUR ROLE MODELS, AND WHY? My role model is my mother, Maria Mamoshabi Masunda. She has always been there to guide and motivate me.
LEADERSHIP
MEET THE
PRESIDENT
Hendrick Kosamo Masunda (26) is the new President General of the Institutional Student Representative Council (ISRC).
WELCOME!
You are entering a professional institution of higher learning that is focused on the holistic development of young adults. THIS ENVIRONMENT WILL CHALLENGE AND CHANGE
YOU profoundly.
Since the establishment of TUT in 2004, Student Affairs and Extracurricular Development (SAED) has been leading the way in the holistic development of progressive young adults that are constructively contributing to the reconfiguration of the South African society.
Our division offers you A UNIQUE AND VIBRANT UNIVERSITY EXPERIENCE from the first year of enrolment onwards.
Now, you are a member of the TUT student community that upholds VALUES AND PRINCIPLES OF TOLERANCE, MUTUAL RESPECT AND UNDERSTANDING, with a common focus on academic excellence. You will enjoy a significant amount of freedom and exposure to new facilities and resources. We would like you to remember that, WITH FREEDOM COMES RESPONSIBILITY. SAED has staff members that are committed to ensure that you get the necessary support and guidance throughout your journey with us.
We look forward to SHARING IDEAS
and working with you and various student formations collectively. TUT is a national
asset. As such, we must all take
responsibility and
exercise maximum
discipline to ensure
that a positive TUT
legacy lasts for
generations to come.
Dear first-year student,
Congratulations on being accepted to study at the Tshwane University of Technology (TUT). We are excited to have you with us in 2017. We welcome you to this well-known and respected institution of higher learning.
YOU HAVE MADE THE RIGHT CHOICE and we trust that you will feel at home in this community of friends.
The next couple of years will likely be
THE MOST INTERESTING AND ENJOYABLE TIME OF YOUR LIFE. You can be assured that every effort is being taken to ensure that your transition into TUT and university life will be a smooth and seamless one. One of the first important events is the first-year orientation. During this session, you will learn different skills that will make your transition more pleasant and your integration into the new community simpler. It is therefore ESSENTIAL THAT YOU ATTEND THE FIRST-YEAR ORIENTATION PROGRAMME and get support as early as possible.
Let us be mindful of the generations of young South Africans who are yet to pursue their studies at this institution.
I therefore appeal to you that we WORK TOGETHER to preserve what we already have and work hard to build even more infrastructure, facilities and history.
SAED exists to serve you and we are hard
at work to ensure that YOUR EXPERIENCE ON CAMPUS IS EXTRAORDINARILY PLEASANT.
I look forward to meeting and getting to know you individually at various student events. I wish you all the best on your academic journey. May your hard work and perseverance during this exciting period of your life gain you all the fortune you desire.
Yours sincerely,
Dr Ezekiel Moraka
Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Student Affairs and Extra-Curricular Development (SAED)
Jan Lampen
Seasoned film and television producer Jan Lampen takes us along his professional journey which started as a student in the eighties, to more recently when he won the 2016 Radio Sonder Grense (RSG) Sanlam Radio Drama Writing Competition. At 53, Jan is enrolled for his Master’s degree in Film at TUT. Not that age matters to him. “In my head I’m 23 and desirable; but in my body, 53 and beyond hope,” he says wryly.
HOW DID YOU FEEL WHEN YOU HEARD THAT YOU WON THE COMPETITION, WHICH IS ACCOMPANIED BY R25 000 IN PRIZE MONEY? I was driving, fetching my son from school when they announced the winner on radio. I felt vindicated and relieved. I have an immense empathy for all writers. We work alone in a world where writing is undervalued. The major dragon though is self-doubt. So, winning the competition felt like an affirmation.
PLEASE SHARE A FEW CAREER HIGHLIGHTS WITH US. I’ve been a film producer for a very long time. I started producing inserts for Carte Blanche and enjoyed traveling a lot. Highlights include doing a story in Bosnia during the war, filming chimps in the Congo and a weird ceremony called Turning of the Bones in Madagascar. I had fun with a youth talk show called Kniediep, modelled on a court scenario where ordinary people could air their grievances with friends, family or lovers in front of a jury (the audience) and where the accuser and the accused could bring three witnesses to testify on their behalf. I like true stories and in fact, the first mini-drama series that I wrote and directed for the SABC was inspired by a gentleman who appeared on another talk show I produced called Voorblad (Front Page).
AS A FILM AND TELEVISION PRODUCER, HOW DID IT COME ABOUT THAT YOU DECIDED TO TAKE PART IN A RADIO DRAMA COMPETITION? Frustration. I wrote the screenplay for a film called The Year of Hunger. It took five years to develop and we managed to get 85% of the finance. So close, but no cigar. It is expensive to make films and difficult to get finance. Drama for radio is much cheaper and I have learnt that sound is an incredibly strong medium. Pictures give you orientation. Sound speaks to the heart. Also, the same structural rules apply no matter what medium one writes in. A story is either well told or falls flat. Of course, I’m hoping the winning story (Pointe-Noire) will find its way onto the screen one day. Pointe-Noire revolves around South African mercenaries in the Congo.
YOU ARE CURRENTLY ENROLLED FOR YOUR MASTER’S DEGREE WITH TUT. WHAT IS THE THEME OF YOUR STUDIES? I have always been interested in scriptwriting and the creative processes required to construct a credible and marketable script around a protagonist. I have found such a case study in Madame Blavatsky, an extraordinary woman of the 19th century who was either the most advanced clairvoyant
of her time, or the biggest fraud in history. So, the study would involve exploring these processes and coming up with a model that could be used by others.
WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO STUDY AT TUT AGAIN AND ARE THERE ANY FOND MEMORIES YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE WITH US OF YOUR TIME HERE IN THE EIGHTIES? I used to tell dinner guests that I got lost in the old Technikon building in Church Street and enrolled for the wrong course. But, that, of course, is not entirely true. Film production in those days were marginally less frowned upon than a career in acting. We were even allowed to smoke in class those days, during lectures, can you believe it? (1984 - 1987). The classes were small and intimate. In our final year, we went to Israel with lecturer Fanie van der Merwe and made two or three small films which I enjoyed. I’m still in contact with some of the students who went on that trip.
ANY ADVICE FOR CURRENT FILM STUDENTS? Never give up. I still believe if you follow your passion, the money will come. I’ll let you know how that works out for me one day.
ACCOLADE
CHRIS MOKWATLO (23)
HOSPITALITY MANAGEMENT
“I wish somebody told me that growing up and taking care of responsibilities will not be easy. That would’ve prepared me for my first year.”
FINE BUSAKA (21)
INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING
“I wish someone had taught me how to be financially responsible.”
FREDERICH JACOBS OOSTHUISEN (21)
INDUSTRIAL DESIGN
“I wish someone had told me how badly I would need a laptop for CAD (Computer Aided Drawing). I have spent countless nights on campus trying to get work done, before even realising it the sun would be out. I only got a laptop a few months ago, but it would’ve definitely helped back then.”
MATTHEW WEBSTER (21)
EVENTS MANAGEMENT
“I wish someone had told me that as much as varsity is an absolute blast, it is not all fun and games. The fun comes after the work is done. The hardest thing was the Sunday night feeling when you have left a two-week assignment ‘til the last minute and you have a test at 9:00 in the morning.”
SARIT SHULL (21)
MECHATRONICS
“I wish someone told me where on earth the ladies’ bathrooms were. It took me forever to find it.”
BRADLEY STARR (21)
INDUSTRIAL DESIGN
“Funnily enough, I think that I was told everything. My family prepared me well for this life. The mistakes I made weren’t because I wasn’t told, it was because I wanted to go out and experience it myself.”
THEMBINKOSI MOYO (22)
HORTICULTURE
“I wish someone had told me about the available financial aid for students who struggle to cover their fees. I had no idea what was available, or how to apply for it. I was lucky enough to find someone to help me a couple of months after I enrolled.”
GUNDO CRYSTAL TSHIVULE (20)
INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING
“I would’ve loved to hear about the difficulties of varsity because I think we are sold dreams by TV that varsity is simple and glamorous. This is not true. None of this is easy. One needs to be determined to be at varsity.”
TO VIEW ANSWERS,
CLICK ON
ANY OF
THE IMAGES.
TAKE A BOW!
THREESOME SHOW OFF THEIR DESIGN SKILL IN DUBAI
Industrial Design students stepped up to the challenge when they were asked to design, test and take to scale, prototype stage, manually-operated clothes washing machines as part of a departmental project. Three of the designs (have a look below) were handpicked to participate in the Global Design Exhibition in Dubai alongside young industrial designers representing high-status design schools, such as RCA London in the UK and MIT in the USA.
MOHOLOLO NKOANA
Ziggy is a personal hand-operated, portable clothes washing device. It is made from EPDM rubber, which allows users to effectively wash their clothes, then compress and fold the device for storing or traveling. The Ziggy concept offers an alternative to conventional ways of washing clothes that proves to be faster and more comfortable than hand washing and more cost-effective and reliable.
BALUNGILE MAHLANGU
Water Pot is a non-mechanical washing device for residents of rural South Africa. The device provides a simple solution to the difficulties and dangers of washing by hand, such as back problems, skin irritations, water pollution and accidental drowning. The Water Pot concept is inspired by the traditional pot used to beat maize with a long stick. There is no back bending, contact with detergents and the pot is covered when in use, preventing accidental drowning.
GEORGE GIBBENS
Wasser is a hand-operated machine designed to wash clothes where running water and electricity is not readily available. Wasser converts an up and down motion into the same back and forth rotating movement found in electric washing machines. After completing this process, Wasser is tipped upside-down to drain the water, while the lock-on lid acts as a sieve and prevents the clothing from falling out.
heita!
STAY IN THE PICTURE
Heita! is an electronic student newsletter of the Tshwane University of Technology (TUT).
It is edited and published by the Directorate of Corporate Affairs and Marketing.
EDITOR
Gerrit Bester
TEL 012 382 4306
WRITE TO US AT
LAYOUT
This publication may contain third party advertisements and links to third party sites. The Tshwane University of Technology does not make any representation as to the accuracy or suitability of any of the information contained in these advertisements or sites and does not accept any responsibility or liability for the conduct or content of those advertisements and sites and the offerings made by the third parties.
FLIPSIDE
win R300
It’s easy! All you have to do is answer the following
question (don’t fret, you should get the answer somewhere
in this edition): WHO IS THE NEW PRESIDENT
GENERAL OF THE INSTITUTIONAL STUDENT
REPRESENTATIVE COUNCIL?
Please send your answer, name and contact number to heita@tut.ac.za on or before 16 February 2017. Mark the subject field: COMPETITION. The winner will be announced in the next edition. Only registered TUT students can enter.
Good luck!
TRISHA VAN DER MERWE (23), an Architecture student at the Pretoria Campus, is the winner of the competition featured in Heita! Vol8 no8 2016.
CONGRATULATIONS!
SPEND THE R300 WISELY.
The winner of the TABLET SLEEVE is XOLILE MEYA (20), a Logistics student at the Pretoria Campus.
All work and no play make Jack (and Jill) a dull boy (and girl).