NDABA MAY 2006.pmd - University of KwaZulu-Natal

Face2Faceukzndaba speaks to Kesh Govinder, Associate Professor in Applied Mathematics and the Chair of the National Tertiary Education Staff Union (NTESU) at UKZNWhat were the key reasons forthe nine-day strike?The main motivation was really the‘corporatisation of UKZN’. All theissues raised during the strike couldbe placed under this banner.What exactly does this mean?It means that UKZN is being runlike a corporation where finance isthe main rationale for decisionmaking.This is reflected in the factthat salaries are low (and so the budgetlooks better) as well as the tight controlover academic and related matters bymanagers. ‘Ordinary’ staff have lesssay in the running of the University,which is typical of most corporations.What gains did the strike secure?The most obvious victory was thesalary increase. We also managedto get task teams set up to takeforward the many important issuesraised during the strike. For me, thegreatest victory was forcing theUniversity management to actuallyengage in negotiation. Their stancein late 2005 was that a position hadbeen decided on with regards to thesalary increase and that there wouldbe no further negotiation. Ourstrike action forced this intransigentposition to be reversed. Wealso cannot forget the wonderfultogetherness of all (non-Executive)staff at UKZN during the strike. Itreally built a unified University likeno other event did.Kesh Govinder.What progress have the taskteams made?The governance task team has beenmaking considerable progress.Unfortunately the finance task teamhas not met as yet. The issue offinding an appropriate independentchair has hampered its functioning.Some say the unions are beingused by conservative anti-mergerforces.I certainly don’t think so. Ofcourse, during a strike, manyelements will surface with theirown agenda.Student benefitsfrom Golf DaySPONSORS of the 2005 UKZNGolf Day, the WSP FacilitiesManagement Group, presented abursary cheque from the proceedsof the tournament at a function onthe Westville campus.Second year Mechanical Engineeringstudent Barry Nyuswa wasexcited to receive the R10 000bursary which he said would changehis life for the better. His granny hasbeen paying his fees and he is happyto remove some of the financialburden from her. Hailing from adisadvantaged family with fourchildren, Barry liked working withmachines and moving objects froma young age. “When I did mathematicsand physics at school Ithought how could I transform thisinto something workable in life,” hesaid. His interest led naturally to acareer in mechanical engineering.- Bhekani DlaminiWhy are there four unions atUKZN?This is historical.Will we soon see a unified unionfor the merged institution?Discussions about this are ongoing.Quite honestly, we have all beentoo busy to look into our structuresin any great detail over the past twoyears. We are more concerned withrepresenting our members duringthese tumultuous times.What is the unions’ vision oftransformation?A brief glance at our equity reportmakes it clear that our demographicsare not representative ofthe region or the country. We mustmake a concerted effort to change thesituation, but in an inclusive manner.We must supplement our various discussionswith concrete, realistic plans.Transformation and equity is notjust about racial issues. UKZN isalso doing very poorly in the areaof gender equity.Then, there is the issue of transformingthe ethos of UKZN. We aregoverned in a corporate style thatcontinues to be exclusive ratherthan inclusive.What kind of a university wouldyou like to see UKZN become?I would like to see UKZN becomea truly excellent University bybeing at the forefront of cuttingedgeteaching, taking its researchexcellence to new heights as wellas being socially and politicallyrelevant to South Africa.What are the current ‘bones ofcontention’ between managementand the unions?The three main issues are governance,matching and placing, and areward system for support staff.Despite the strike, Universitymanagement is still not properlyengaging with the unions and staffon a number of issues. On matchingand placing, we need an agreementbetween the University andDistinguishedalumnus visitsUKZNthe unions to review the first phaseproperly so that measures will beput in place to ensure that themistakes of the first phase are notrepeated. We cannot understandwhy the University refuses to openits books on the first phase of theexercise.For some unknown reason, supportstaff have not received any recognitionfor their efforts over the pastthree years. While the academicstaff have been able to apply forpromotion, there is no equivalentsystem for the support staff. Apparentlya performance managementsystem is envisaged. Thisdoes not really make up for thepoor manner in which support staffhave been treated in this regard.What are unions doing to ensurebetter rights for contract staff?This issue has been discussedextensively in the Joint Executive/Unions governance task team.NTESU have also created a forumabout this issue on our website (http://ntesu.ukzn.ac.za). We have also setup a subcommittee to formulate aproper policy on the employment ofcontract staff (including fair conditionsof service). We hope toengage with the University on thispolicy once it has been finalised.This interview has been edited andapproved by the interviewee.Picture: Marlan PadayacheeWith the beneficiary, mechanical engineering student Barry Nyuswa, (secondfrom left), are Professor Leana Uys (Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Head ofthe College of Health Sciences); Mr Nigel King (Office Director, WSPConsulting SA); and Mr Jay Ramchander (Director, WSP FacilitiesManagement).The Deputy Minister of Education of Ontario Province, Canada, Dr Philip Steenkamp, visited UKZN on 22 May,discussing labour market issues with academics from Industrial, Organisational and Labour Studies, after whichhe exchanged ideas on Access with Professor Elizabeth de Kadt, and was then briefed on the merger by ProfessorDasarath Chetty, Executive Director, Public Affairs and Corporate Communications. Dr Steenkamp is a distinguishedalumnus of UKZN, having graduated with a BA Honours degree on the Howard College campus in 1984. Heearned his MA and PhD at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario.Picture: Thembeka Dlungwane3

GraduationFirst inlanguagesFRANCES HEATHCOTE graduatedsumma cum laude and top ofher class in both French andGerman.Currently a boarder mistress at alocal girl’s school, Ms Heathcotecompleted a Bachelor of Artsdegree on the Pietermaritzburgcampus. She has achieved consistentlygood results and receivedfunding from the Universitythroughout her studies. She alsoreceived a bursary from theGerman Embassy and was able tomake sponsored trips to ReunionIsland and Germany.“I firmly believe that what weachieve is 90% the result of hardwork and only 10% because ofability. While some may possessmore talent and capability thanothers, we all have the same abilityNEWLY-QUALIFIED mechanicalengineer Jean Pitot, who graduatedas the top engineering student atUKZN, is inspired by the pioneeringspirit of innovation, adventureand creativity that defines theprofession for him.Mr Pitot (22) believes that theengineering profession “is at the4Frances Heathcote.to work hard. If Columbus hadturned back before he reachedAmerica, no-one would haveblamed him but no-one would haveremembered him either.”Top engineerJean Pitot.heart of the advancement of mankindin every shape and form”.He is currently working on hisMasters project at the University.This involves research into theadvanced analysis of compositematerial rocket nozzles. It willenable him to study an aerospacerelatedtopic.A hard-working person who has adesire to succeed, Mr Pitot says thatthe secret to his success is “probablya collection of values thatcharacterise who I am”. His adviceto students is that “what you put inis what you get out”. He doesn’tbelieve, however, in the need toturn one’s bedroom into a studysweatshop. Instead, he advocatesstudying smart and making sure ofpriorities.Pharmacy starLaw boffinCANDIDATE attorney LeishenPillay was named top law studentfor the past four years of hisacademic career. He is serving hisarticles at Strauss Daly AttorneysIncorporated in uMhlanga Rocks.Leishen (22) loves litigation oncommercial matters but at StraussDaly Inc. he is being exposed to thewhole gamut of property law. Hebelieves the legal profession is agood foundation for everything inlife, because it allows one to makean informed opinion.He attributes his success to dedicationand commitment and heFORMER gardener and constructionworker Mxolisi RusselMchunu has received his Mastersdegree in History. Mr Mchunu, whoworks as an educational officer andlectures in History, hails fromKwaShange near Pietermaritzburg.While still at school, he decided topursue “this something called‘Masters degree’ even though I hadno clue what it meant”. Afterfinishing matric in 1996 he workedas a gardener and in a road constructioncompany, which paid himR350 a month. He enrolled in anaccess programme at the formerUniversity of Natal in 1998, andwent on to study at the former Universityof Durban-Westville to doa teaching degree. But lack offinances still posed a challenge. Hehad a good matric, but only discoveredhe qualified for remissionof fees late in the day.He gave up his studies in teachingand went on a Media and Com-points out that nothing is possiblewithout the combination of the twoelements.Leishen Pillay.Overcominghurdlesmunications degree at HowardCollege. He received a KillieCampbell bursary, TEFSA andBlack Academia Scholarship topursue further studies.Mxolisi Mchunu.“Womencanexcelcel”MRS Sindile Amina Ngubane isnot only a wife and a mother ofthree children, she is also a topstudent who graduated summa cumlaude with a Bachelor of EducationHonours in Educational Technology.After teaching for four years, MrsNgubane realised that what she wasearning could not give her childrenthe type of education and life thatshe wanted to provide for them. Sheleft teaching to becoming a fulltimestudent. She admits that it wasnot easy, and that sometimes herchildren did not understand whyshe had to be away from them allthe time.She is registered for a MastersDegree in Digital Media Studieswhich involves the development ofdigital teaching materials, creationand maintenance of websites,collection of data and data analysisusing digital means and software.Her future plans include studyingtowards a PhD, and research usingdigital means in the field of educationand communication.“The best way of motivating yourselfis to always be positive andbelieve that you are doing it foryour personal growth and a betterfuture. To all the women, includingmothers, wives, grandmothers outthere, know that you can excel aslong as you learn how to manageyour time. Seeing yourself in abetter world with your familyalways drives you to succeed”, shesaid.Stories: Bhekani Dlamini andThembeka DlungwanePictures: Bhekani Dlamini, JeevaRajgopaul and suppliedPHARMACY graduate Sumayya Motala graduated summa cum laude, obtaining more than 85% in all her courses over four years of study. She is currently serving a one-yearinternship at King Edward VIII Hospital in Durban.Her ultimate goal is to go into industrial research and do a Masters degree in pharmacology through part-time study. “Hard work and dedication helped me achieve this. You haveto enjoy what you are doing, just like I love pharmacy. It opens up vast opportunities. I can teach, work in industry or the public sector.” Ms Motala was inspired by her aunt whowas a pharmacist.She advises fellow students “to attend lectures all the time, create a good working relationship with lecturers and be self-disciplined”. She adds that voicing your concerns, doingextra work and striking a balance between fun and work lead to success. She misses her fun days at the University.

specialDoctors allA family affairNINETY five candidates received their doctorates at the graduationceremonies in May. Among them were:Mxolisi Ngcongo, whose thesiswas entitled “A sociological studyof sex education in a primaryschool”.Graeme Shannon, who studied the“Effects of sexual Dimorphism onthe Movements and ForagingEcology of the African Elephant”.TWO husband and wife teams whograduated prove that love anddedication go a long way towardssuccess.Phakamile (known as PK) and hiswife, Nqobile Vicky Madonsela area case in point. Phakamile is aPrincipal Accounting Officer deployedfor the past year as CampusFinancial Manager, Howard College& Medical School. He hasserved on numerous decisionmakingbodies at the University.Mxolisi Ngcongo.Nqobile is an environmentalscientist and a registered ProfessionalNatural Scientist. Afterhaving spent the first five years ofher career with the Council forScientific and Industrial Research(CSIR), she recently joined GolderAssociates Africa, an internationalenvironmental and engineeringconsulting firm, as an environmentalpractitioner.The couple met 10 years ago at theUniversity of Swaziland whilstdoing undergraduate study. Theyjoined the then University of Natal,got married in 2001 and enrolled fora Postgraduate Diploma in BusinessManagement and Bachelor ofScience Honours, respectively.Having achieved this goal, the nextstep was Masters Degrees.Phakamile and Vicky Madonsela.Phakamile received his Master ofBusiness Administration (MBA) on13 May, while Nqobile graduatedon 8 May with a Master of Science(MSc) (Environmental Science)degree. The couple celebrated theirfifth wedding anniversary on12 May. Their secret for success?“Support each other at all times, anddraw from each other’s strengthswhen the road gets long andhard.”Mr David and Mrs Ganesh Govenderalso celebrated their joint achievements.While he received his NationalProfessional Diploma in Education(NPDE) (summa cum laude), shewas awarded a Bachelor of Com-merce in Business and InformationSystems.The newlyweds tied the knot on7 January this year. Mr Govender,a teacher, is currently doing anAdvanced Certificate in Education(ACE), while Mrs Govender is registeredfor a BCom Honours degree.She advises other couples that “nomatter how busy they are, they mustalways take an hour a day and justtalk to each other about your dayover a cup of tea/coffee togetherand at least once a week go outand forget about all the work youhave to do. Just enjoy each other’scompany while you can”.Graeme Shannon.No obstacle too greatVISUALLY impaired student,Dharshan Naidu received his BAHonours degree in IndustrialOrganisational and Labour Studies.Mr Naidu is currently involved inresearch for his Masters thesis onthe effectiveness of the disabilityDharshan is accompanied by his brother Rushen Naidu.grant for the visually impaired. Hesays that UKZN has all the necessaryresources, but not enough staffto help blind students. He thanksall staff in the Industrial Organisationaland Labour Studies fortheir continued support, especiallyProfessor Ari Sitas.Dreams fulfilledDESPITE finding the University“disabled unfriendly” Free StaterAndrew Lifalakhe Smith.Andrew Lifalakhe Smith (27)graduated with his LLB. Hehopes to represent the needs ofdisabled people in Parliament oneday.Zodwa Zwane (32) graduated witha Bachelor of Social Sciences andDevelopment Studies. She says thatshe is determined to break thestereotypes surrounding disabledpeople. “We may do things differently,but with the right attitude,nothing is impossible.”Thirty one year-old TembinkosiShezi received a degree in Mediaand Communication Studies. Hisstudies were financed by the Departmentof Labour. Tembinkosi,who hails from Mariannhill, wouldlike to start an organisation forpeople with disabilities in hiscommunity. His dream is to workfor companies like Vodacom andTelkom.ChallengeDR Nicholas Waterman receivedhis PhD in Business Administrationfor his study on “Commercial SexWork in Maseru: an exploratorystudy of public policy-making inLesotho”.Having witnessed the desperationof young girls soliciting in the mainthoroughfares of Lesotho’s capitalwhere he worked, he observed thatthere was no public acknowledgementof their presence, despite thefact that the country has a highprevalence of HIV/Aids.Living in Maseru for the durationof his research, Dr Waterman hadto travel 1 200 km to Durban toattend lectures, tutorials and writeexaminations.He describes the programme atUKZN as “well-structured and flexibleenough to adapt to my own personaland professional interests”.5

UKZN achieversPicture: Vicky CrookesGift of the GiversbursariesThe 2006 Gift of the Giversbursary and scholarshipholders were presented toDr Sooliman, founder of theorganisation, at a function on thePietermaritzburg campus. Thishumanitarian and disaster relieforganisation has contributedR1.3 million towards scholarshipsand bursaries for undergraduatestudents in the agricultural fields.Dr Sooliman expressed his pleasureat being involved with the Schoolof Agricultural Sciences and Agribusinessand congratulated therecipients. He emphasised theimportance of agricultural developmentin Africa and commented that“seventy percent of economies inAfrica depend on agriculture” andtherefore, “we want agriculture tocome right to the top”.- Vicky CrookesThe 2006 bursary and scholarship holders with Dr Sooliman (left-right) Nonhlanzeko Mthembu, Thandi Msomi,Nqobile Nkosi, Dr Sooliman, Pam Neubert, Michelle Brown, Cindy Moon, and Nkosi Mkwanazi.Global leadersUKZN students Rebecca Arangiesand Amy Juliet Morrow are two ofthe six South African students whohave been named 2006 GoldmanSachs Global Leaders.For five years, the Goldman SachsGlobal Leaders Programme hasidentified and developed some ofthe world’s most promising futureleaders. The UKZN students areamong 100 outstanding secondyearstudents selected from over 70of the world’s top colleges anduniversities.Goldman Sachs Global Leaders,who represent more than 40 countriesto date, are chosen preciselybecause they already know how tomake a difference in the world. Inaddition to their academic achievements,many have already begun tofind solutions for problems acrossthe globe. Amy Morrow, for example,initiated a public awarenessand community outreach programmein the Tongaat, Kwa Zulu-Natal area in 2005. This initiativehas subsequently been namedHIVACT and takes the form of aschool society that focuses on Aidsawareness and education in theschool and community. Continuedmonitoring and research of itseffectiveness is done.“Global Leaders are extremelytalented academically and havealready shown proven leadershipabilities and a strong interest inglobal affairs,” said Stephanie Bell-Rose, President of The GoldmanSachs Foundation, as she announcedthe 20 US and Canadian2006 Goldman Sachs GlobalLeaders. “Goldman Sachs and IIEcreated this programme to help thesepromising young people developtheir leadership skills and goals ata critical juncture in their academiccareers in order to become evenmore effective agents of change.”Each Global Leader receives a$3 000 grant for educationalexpenses. In addition, 50 of thisyear’s 100 Global Leaders,including Ms Morrow, have beenselected to participate in theannual Goldman Sachs GlobalLeadership Institute, July 8-14,2006, in New York City. At theInstitute, they will spend time withrenowned leaders from the private,public and nonprofit sectors,learning about leadership andglobal issues.stThe 1 st LEAP Academy 2006EVOLVING policy, legislativeframeworks and other environmentalfactors have redefinedthe notion of leadership inHigher Education. No longercan university leaders andmanagers slip into an administrativecareer stream withoutspecialist training. Theleadership and managementfunctions of the modern HigherEducation institution demandparticular knowledge and skillsthat cannot be developed fullythrough the process of osmosisby which past and currentgenerations of university administratorshave had littlechoice but to learn their jobs.The LEAP Academy, which isfunded by the Carnegie Corporation,reflects the University ofKwaZulu-Natal’s proactiveapproach to building the leadershippipeline. Ms Reena Budree,Co-Project leader for LEAP, saysthat the Academy is intended tofill a very serious trainingvacuum by providing up-to-date,cutting-edge and locally relevanttraining for new and emergingleaders and managers within theUniversity.The Academy incorporates ongoingshort professional developmentworkshops and seminars,networking opportunitiesand culminates in a 4-day interactiveworkshop.Presenters are experts in theirfield drawn from South Africaand where possible internationally.The Academy is aimed at existingand aspirant Deans, DeputyDeans, Heads of Schools andDirectors of Support Divisions.The response to the first call forparticipants was phenomenal.Applications are submittedthrough the Deputy Vice-Chancellor/ Head of the Collegeof operational unit.The first Module on 29 Mayheld at the University InnovationCentre, entitled AcademicPlanning, was presented byProfessor Nthabiseng AudreyOgude, Deputy-Vice Chancellor(Academic) at the NelsonMandela Metropolitan University.Professor Ogude.Professor Ogude is an accomplishedacademic and researcher.When she became the first blackwoman to obtain a doctorate inanalytical chemistry at WitsUniversity in 1992, she did notsee it as something to be proudof: “Instead, I found it sad, andalmost ridiculous,” she reflects.“It reminded me of the historyof this country more thananything else. It says somethingabout South Africa that it tookthat long for a black women toachieve something like this.”The second session on 12 June2006 was on Partnership Developmentand Institutional Advancement,presented by ProfessorMahlubi Mabizela, ResearchSpecialist in the Education,Sciences, and SkillsDevelopment (ESSD) ResearchProgramme of the Human SciencesResearch Council (HSRC).There was also a workshop byMs Shelagh Gastrow entitled“Exploring the Donor World”.Shelagh Gastrow is the ExecutiveDirector of Inyathelo: TheSouth African Institute forAdvancement which she helpedto establish in 2002.Professor Mahlubi Mabizela.The next module on ResearchPlanning and Development is on26 June. Presenters includeProfessor Cheryl De La Rey,Deputy Vice-Chancellor Researchat the University of CapeTown, Gerhad Moolman andAndrew Kaniki from the NRFas well as Professor AhmedBawa.6

UKZN achieversScientist elected toWHO committeeInternationalrecognitionProfessor and senior scientistin the department of Paediatricsand Child Health,Anna Coutsoudis has been electedonto two prestigious groups. Shehas been elected to serve on theTechnical Steering Committee ofthe World Health Organisation’sChild and Adolescent HealthDepartment.The Technical Committee reviewsthe policies, activities and budgetof the department. Recommendationsfor research and developmentand programme implementationprovide the WorldHealth Organisation with anindependent assessment of theDepartment’s activities, saidProfessor Coutsoudis.Professor Anna Coutsoudis.PioneerA UKZN lecturer has broughttogether two of the oldesttraditional healing techniquesand aspects of drama to devisea combination course that shebelieves will help unlockpeople’s true potential, as wellas create an awareness of imbalanceswithin the body.Dr Pamela Tancsik, a lecturer atthe Opera School says she hopesthe concept of PranaDrama willhelp people adopt a differentattitude to stress and ways ofdealing with it.PranaDrama merges aspects ofHatha Yoga, Ayurveda anddrama. While researching theconcept Dr Tanscik said shediscovered that yoga was includedas part of the curriculumat most UK and US dramastudios. While PranaDrama isnew to Durban and SouthAfrica, it could benefit peoplefrom all walks of life. “Althoughthus far I have had drama studentsin attendance, the asanasand postures help with innerstress and particularly peoplewho are in crises.”Dr Tancsik also hopes to helppeople cope with pain in theirlives: “Pain is viewed with anegative attitude by society, butthe course promoted a differentapproach to dealing with it.When doing the exercises youmight experience pain that youHer second appointment is to serveas the South African representativeof a technical co-operation projectbetween the National EnergyCorporation and the InternationalAtomic Energy Agency (IAEA)based in Vienna. The IAEA hasinitiated a large programme ofresearch into “using isotopes toassess nutrition intervention programmesrelated to HIV/Aids inAfrica”, explained ProfessorCoutsoudis. “In March this year, DrGurpreet Kindra from the Departmentof Paediatrics and I attendeda meeting at the IAEA in Vienna todiscuss our particular project whichwill examine the impact of providingbreastfeeding HIV-infectedwomen with nutritional supplements.”Professor Coutsoudis serves onnumerous local, national andinternational bodies and is highlyrespected for her research inbreastfeeding and HIV and Motherto-Childtransmission of HIV. Sheis currently an advisor to theDepartment of Health on nutritionpolicies.would otherwise ignore. Theidea is to use the pain experiencedas a window to showthe imbalances within yourbody. The exercises are designedto show you the realityof your body.”When Dr Tancsik is not impartingknowledge to students,she writes and performs inpuppetry in her spare time.For more information on thenext PranaDrama Course call DrPamela Tancsik on 082 4031-707.- Beverley SigamoneyProfessor Henda Swart.THE internationally-acclaimedjournal Utilitas Mathematica hasdedicated its latest volume toUKZN Professor of MathematicsHenda Swart in appreciation of herresearch and service to mathematics,in particular graph theory,in South Africa.Professor Swart, who is a fellow ofthe Royal Society of South Africasaid that she is “overwhelmed andhumbled by knowing that the threeguest editors and 48 fine mathematiciansfrom Australia, Canada,South Africa, Thailand, the UK andUSA, have dedicated good researchpapers to me”. The special editionwas prepared without her knowledge.She says that the honour willinspire her to rededicate herself tocontributing to the development ofgraph theory. This includes collaborationwith the fine graphtheory group at UKZN and coresearchersfrom abroad, as well ashelping undergraduate and postgraduatestudents discover the joysof mathematics.Professor Swart introduced the firstundergraduate course in graphtheory offered in South Africa in1980. She recalls that “the subjectis so exciting that it drew studentsinto research projects”. Three ofher more than 20 postgraduatestudents have been rated by theFoundation for Research andDevelopment. She established theGraph Theory Research Group atUKZN, which is now under theable leadership of Professor PeterDankelmann. She feels that “it isvery important that we work as agroup and involve our students inour research”.Having introduced an undergraduateand an honours course incryptography, Professor Swart hasattracted students from both mathematicalsciences and computerscience. She is involved in jointresearch with her peers fromUKZN, Israel and the USA.She is the recipient of numerousscholarships, including the VacuumUnion Scholarship which enabledher to be awarded the first doctorateof science in Mathematics atthe University of Stellenbosch.As part of her community involvement,Professor Swart has servedon the board of prism (PlannedRoute into Science and Mathematics),which provides postmatrictutoring to enable studentsfrom disadvantaged communitiesto be admitted to the University.She also served the ‘Bright Future’educational project in Eshowe forsome years. The project preparesmatriculants for examinations byoffering free tuition during theJanuary and June vacations.- Bhekani Dlamini7

Cinematic feastOrganised by UKZN’sCentre for Creative Arts,the 27 th Durban InternationalFilm Festival takes placefrom 14-25 June. An extensiveprogramme of over 300 screeningsat 25 different venues across theDurban district will be augmentedby free workshops and seminars toinspire young filmmakers andstimulate the film industry inKwaZuluNatal.With films from over 50 countries,the Festival opens a window ontofilmmaking around the world.Including numerous award winners,the line-up of cutting edge featurefilms is supplemented by a primeselection of topical documentariesand short films. A highlight of thefestival is the presence of local andinternational filmmakers who willpresent their films, interact withaudiences, and participate in theextensive workshop and seminarprogramme.The festival will also present theleading African productions of thepast year. South African representationis a core component of thefestival, with seven feature films, 19documentaries and 18 short films.Following the success last year ofthe collaboration with the WavescapesSurf Film Festival, andcelebrating Durban’s legendarystatus as Surf City, DIFF hosts asix-day focus on the cult genre ofsurf movies.The Festival Competition willculminate in a special AwardsNight on 24 June, where awards in15 categories will be announcedbefore the festival closing party.Other special events include theDurban Film Office (DFO) Youthin Film Music Concert on 16 Junein Gugu Dlamini Park, alongside ashortfilm programme, and a SABCscriptwriting competition for 10-15year olds, and the African RefugeeCultural Day of activities at BATCentre on 17 June. Wajahat Khan,the master sarod player from India,gives a oneoff performance inconjunction with a special screeningof the great Satyajit Ray’s TheMusic Room on June 22 at NuMetro Cinecentre, Suncoast.Full festival details can be foundon www.cca.ukzn.ac.za or bycalling: (031) 260 2506 or 2601650.THE first UKZN STRONGMANPower-Lifting contest, under theauspices of the Westville campusSports Union and the Departmentof Sport Science, was held at theWestville campus quad on 20 April.Fifteen strongmen took part in thecompetition, which attracted a hugecrowd of both students and staff.The sport of power-lifting consistsof three lifts, namely the Squat,Bench Press and the Deadlift. Thecontestant who lifts the heaviestweight in relation to his bodyweightis judged the winner.The organiser of the event, MrDeckline Leitao, said that “the aimof the power-lifting contest was tobuild an interest in strength trainingamongst students. Like bodybuilding,power-lifting requiresdiscipline, focus and respect forone’s body”. He noted that therewas a huge increase in studentsjoining the gym after last year’s MrUKZN Bodybuilding contest.Sameer Khan scooped the UKZNSTRONGMAN, BEST SQUAT(165 KG) and BEST DEADLIFT(232.5 KG) titles. His total lift was507.5 KG at a bodyweight of 74.9.Sameer, 19, is in his second yearof a BCom Accounting on theWestville campus, was inspired bySport CornerUKZN PowerLiftinghis neighbour who is involved inpower lifting. Reza Moodley wonthe BEST BENCH PRESS titlewith a lift of 120 KG at 71.2 KGbodyweight. Joe Xaba was judgedthe Best Future Potential, andByron Blom was judged the CrowdFavorite.The main sponsor of the show wasSSS Supplements and Gym locatedat Westville village, and the winnerwalked away with supplementsworth R800. The owner of thecompany Mr Naveen is a formergraduate from the sport sciencedepartment. Public Affairs presentedUKZN track suits to thewinners, and also provided gifts forthe judges. Gift vouchers worthR100 each for the UKZN STRON-GMAN winner were sponsored byLes John’s Café, Lower Café,Welile Caterers and Florists, SSConnections, Premier Bookshop,and Adams Bookshop – Westville.The Discipline of Physiotherapysponsored a full body massage forthe top title winners. Organisationalsupport was provided by UKZNInternational, Westville and theInternational Students Association,Westville.- Bhekani DlaminiKwashaIt’s happening!Send your diary of events to events@ukzn.ac.zaBOOK LAUNCH Professor Cromarty,Head of School for Language, Literature& Linguistics will be hosting two forthcomingevents: the LLSA/SAALA conferenceand a book launch on Wednesday5 July at the Science Lecture Complex,Howard College campus. The book isentitled Understanding Concepts inMathematics and Science. For furtherinformation contact Jacqui Ingram-Klopper, Tel: (031) 260 1854.SCHOOL OF LANGUAGE, LITERA-TURE AND LINGUISTICS OF THEUNIVERSITY OF KWAZULU-NATAL HOWARD COLLEGE CAM-PUS, will be hosting, The Joint AnnualLinguistics Conference 2006 of TheSouth African Applied Linguistics Associationand the Linguistic Society ofSouthern Africa. This Conference will beheld in the Science Block, 5-7 July 2006.For further information, contact EsmeBilliet, Tel: (031) 260 2617 oremail: billiet@ukzn.ac.zaSOUTH AFRICAN SOCIETY OFBIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLE-CULAR BIOLOGY. 20 TH CONFER-ENCE. A MOLECULAR MEANDERIN THE MIDLANDS. The Biochemistsat UKZN Pietermaritzburg are hostingthe 20 th Conference of the South AfricanSociety of Biochemistry and MolecularBiology under the title of “A MolecularMeander in the Midlands”. The conferenceruns from 2-6 July 2006 on thePietermaritzburg campus. The conferencehas attracted over 300 delegatesfrom Southern Africa. Further informationcan be found at http://www.sasbmb.org.za/sasbmb2006/ or contactProfessor Dean Goldring, ConferenceOrganising Committee.THE SCHOOL OF MUSICPRESENTS PUBLICEXAMINATION RECITALSMon 19 June(Classical) Masters Students BernardKruger (French Horn) accompanied byLiezl-Maret Jacobs; and AntoinetteOlivier & Olga Fadina (Classical Voice)accompanied by Andrew Warburton.Howard College Theatre5pm – 7.30pmFREEEnquiries: 260 3353(Jazz) Post graduate Music studentsNathi Zungu (Piano - BA. Hons) andNikki Lotter (Bass Guitar - B.Prac.Mus)accompanied by fellow UKZN Musicstudents.Centre for Jazz & Popular Music5pm – 7pmFREEEnquiries: 260 3385Tuesday 20 JuneMasters Students Antoinette Olivier(Classical Voice) accompanied byAndrew Warburton; Marina Solomon(Harp) and Kim Watson (Flute) accompaniedby Liezl-Maret Jacobs.Howard College Theatre5pm – 7.45pmFREEEnquiries: 260 3353Wednesday 21 JuneMasters Students Filip Kormuth (Piano)and Bernard Kruger (French Horn)Howard College Theatre5pm – 7.30pmFREEEnquiries: 260 3353For Further information contact:Debbie Mari, Tel 031-260 3353,e-mail: marid1@ukzn.ac.zaSOCIAL BADMINTON (PIETER-MARITZBUG CAMPUS) takes placeevery Tuesday evening from 7-9 pm.Both beginners and more experiencedplayers are very welcome to join oursmall friendly group. The cost is minimalbut the benefits enormous. For moreinformation contact Glynn Davies, tel.office (033) 260 5242 home (033) 386555 7or email: daviesgr@ukzn.ac.zaThe University of KwaZulu-Natalwill be hosting its 3 rd GOLFTOURNAMENT on Thursday, 31August 2006 at the Bluff NationalPark. For further information pleasecall Shakila Thakurpersad on ext.7893 or email: thakurpersads@ukzn.ac.zaCompiled by Fikisile MabasoSameer Khan won the UKZN Strongman competition.Recycle your ukzndabaPlease don’t litter ... when you’ve finished with yourukzndaba, why not pass it on to someone else, or place it ina bin for recycling with other paper-waste.Picture: Sally Giles8Produced by Public Affairs and Corporate Communications l www.ukzn.ac.za l Tel: 031 260 1245/2027/2957/7115 l Fax: 031 260 2813