progressive and transforming - Unisa

INSIDE
Page 3
State of Unisa
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Professor Theo van Wijk
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Five-year milestone marked
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Empowering young academics
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Community engagement
partnership
Page 12
Debating around the elections
“We want to say that for us transformation is a
strategic value; it is not just a matter of compliance.
It is really because we truly do believe that
as a progressive and transforming institution we
are enhancing learning and scholarship so that we
do not become an institution that is simply rooted
in the past without interrogation. It is, in fact, one
that is reaching into the future in order to provide a
better way in which scholarship can serve humanity.”
The Principal touched on the desire of Unisa
to become ideologically African, rooted in the
continent with its history and aspirations, conducting
dialogues with African scholars and drawing
students from across the continent.
He also emphasised that the University is committed
to employment equity, not just for its own
sake, but because it makes for a better institution.
“Nobody is appointed to this University only to
be black, or only to be white,” he affirmed. “We
are here to advance the academic project that this
University has set itself.”
STAFF NEWSLETTER
APRIL 2009
Unisa
progressive and transforming
The Principal addressing staff
“We seek to become a
progressive institution
par excellence,” said Prof.
Barney Pityana, Principal
and Vice-Chancellor, in
his address to staff in the
ZK Matthews Hall at the
Muckleneuk Campus on
30 March 2009.
Prof. Pityana concluded his address by referring
to the finalisation of the remuneration process for
2009. He said that Nehawu had declared a dispute
and referred the matter to the CCMA and that
Management and the union were engaged in a conciliation
process that had yet to be finalised. “It is
very important for those processes to be honoured
and to be respected,” he accentuated. “Even when
we disagree most, and perhaps because we disagree
most, we should find a way of sitting around
the table and debating and engaging with one another.
I certainly do not believe that it is ultimately
consistent with the University to resolve issues
by violence or threats or intimidation or even by
toyi-toying. What really matters, ultimately, is the
capacity of people who are rational beings to have
in themselves the confidence to sit around the table
in a civilised manner and debate and discuss issues
as long as it takes to come to a resolution.”

Providing clear
staff career paths
“Thank you for choosing Unisa to be your employer of choice,” were the welcoming words uttered by
Prof. Barney Pityana, Principal and Vice-Chancellor, at the induction of new staff in Senate Hall, Muckleneuk
Campus, on 10 March 2009.
Speaking to some 200 of the 317 staff
members who started at the University
between June 2008 and February 2009,
Prof. Pityana pointed out that, since the
merger, the number of academic staff with
doctoral degrees had dropped to 53% in
2009. In order to drive the research and
the postgraduate agenda, it was necessary
to increase the number of students not
only enrolling master’s and doctoral
degrees, but succeeding in the shortest
PAGE 2
possible time because of the quality of the
supervision that they can be assured of at
Unisa.
Prof. Pityana emphasised that the
University intends to provide clear
opportunities for staff to take further
degrees and to become successful
career academics. According to the
demographics of the University, most
academic staff fall into the black, female
and 30–35 age groups. “Clearly,” he said,
“this is where the future of the University
lies.”
Prof. Pityana was followed by an
excellent team put together by Dr Mala
Singh, Executive Director: Human
Resources, who managed to compact
all the necessary information on the
colossus that is Unisa into just over
two hours.
Mr Silo Thabethe (Manager: Labour Relations), Ms Nomonde Gwayisa (Manager: Payroll), Mr Robbie Arnold (Director: Protection Services),
Dr Mpine Makoe (Senior Researcher: Institute of Open Distance Learning) and Ms Feroza Patel (Director: Department of HR Development)
Why is Unisa your employer of choice?
To meet challenges, grow, acquire skills
and implement them on a day-to-day
basis.
Ms Mokgadi Margaret Thamahanyane,
Lecturer: Anthropology and
Archaeology
To get more experience and meet more
challenges.
Mr Moses Thabang Hlongoane,
Lecturer: Financial Accounting
To be more exposed to the academic
environment and challenges.
Mr Thabo Phillip Modibedi, Gauteng
South: Learner Support
To acquire more skills and experience.
Ms Johanna Dikiledi Malatji, Secretary:
Transport, Economics, Logistics and
Tourism
To contribute my expertise and experience
to transform students and the community.
Mr Ntwanano Jethro Godi, Lecturer:
Finance and Risk Management and
Banking
For growth and a need to belong to the
biggest institution, and also to contribute
towards the development and growth of
South African students.
Mr Moses Selokele, Computer
Laboratory Supervisor
To contribute my expertise and transform
students and the community for better
careers and to help Unisa reach its
strategic plan.
Ms Emily Mamokete Makoti, Gauteng
Central: Learner Support
To pursue a personal interest in the
academic environment that is the body of
knowledge necessary to transform and
influence various life roles. I see Unisa as
a relevant environment for doing that; I
have a contribution to make in line with
Unisa’s vision and mission.
Ms Tebogo Roseline Baloyi, Lecturer:
Social Work

State of Unisa
discussed at meeting
Prof. Barney Pityana, Principal and
Vice-Chancellor, hosted a special
meeting for all Unisa academics on
5 March 2009 in acknowledgement
of the critical role they play in
assisting Unisa to reach its objectives.
The ZK Matthews Hall on the Muckleneuk
Campus was almost full to capacity,
which shows that academics are truly
interested in the future of Unisa. In his
speech, entitled 2009 State of the
Institution, Prof. Pityana focused on a
number of areas, including the changing
face of the higher education environment,
Unisa as an open and distance learning
(ODL) institution, research and postgraduate
studies, organisational architecture
and integration, the registration process
and some of Unisa’s future initiatives.
Since 2008, there has been a strong focus
on the institutional and academic focus
of Unisa, and the establishment of Unisa
as an ODL institution. This will require,
amongst others, a process of recurriculation,
rationalisation of the PQM,
reskilling of staff in ODL practice and an
increased focus on learner support.
Prof. Pityana addressing Unisa academics
While speaking about the new registration
process, Prof. Pityana acknowledged that
there were teething problems. Despite
an intensive media campaign, Unisa had
to cope with a large number of walk-in
registrations, particularly of first-year students.
There were also delays at the South
African Post Office in distributing study
material to students and the problem of
inadequate bandwidth at the new registration
building.
The meeting concluded with a questionand-answer
session chaired by Prof. Peter
Havenga, Executive Director: Office of
the Academic Planner.
Unisa presence felt at CODESRIA
In December 2008, a Unisa
delegation of 16 young and
emerging researchers descended on
the city of Yaounde, Cameroon, to
attend the 12th General Assembly
of the Council for the Development
of Social Science Research in Africa
(CODESRIA).
The delegation was led by Prof. Tinyiko
Maluleke, Executive Director: Research.
Also present were Prof. Rosemary
Moeketsi, Executive Dean: College of
Human Sciences, Dr Godfrey Netswera,
Director: Research Administration, and
Dr Britta Zawada, Director: School
of Arts, Education, Languages and
Communication. The team comprised
researchers from the Colleges of Law,
Human Sciences, and Economic and
Management Sciences.
The assembly looked at the governance
challenges facing the African public
sphere. More than 100 papers were read,
drawn from scholars
across the entire
continent and ranging
from theories of public
realms/sphere, law,
politics and ethics in
Africa to struggles for
the democratisation
of the African public
realm. Five members
of the Unisa delegation
read papers, namely,
Prof. Andre Mangu,
Mr Sibonginkosi
Mazibuko, Mr Freddy
Mnyongani, Ms
Funmilola Abioye and
Dr Puleng Lenka-Bula.
Dr Lenka-Bula was also
elected as an additional
member of the SADC
Regional Executive
Management Committee
of CODESRIA.
Prof. Thobeka Mda (HSRC), Dr Mpine Makoe (Senior Researcher: Institute of
Open Distance Learning), Mr Oupa Masuku (SA diplomat in Cameroon),
Prof. Rosemary Moeketsi, Prof. Tinyiko Maluleke, Dr Godfrey Netswera and
Ms Valery Louw (Junior Lecturer: Public Administration)
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Paying tribute to
Professor Theo van Wijk
At an academic memorial held on 26 March 2009, the Unisa community paid tribute to the late Prof. Theo van Wijk,
Principal and Vice-Chancellor 1972–1988, who passed away on 15 March 2009 at the age of 92. It was fitting to
remember this remarkable man in the very building named after him and in the Senate Hall where he conducted
meetings, and guided discussions and decisions.
Prof. Anthony Melck, Principal and Vice-
Chancellor 2000–2001, compared Prof.
van Wijk to a conductor of an orchestra.
With a combination of great expertise,
Prof. Anthony Melck, Prof. Barney Pityana, and Prof. Marinus Wiechers,
Principal and Vice-Chancellor 1994–1999
wisdom and respect for people, Prof.
van Wijk enabled the University to play
a harmonious melody. He always stood
by his “musicians” in word and deed,
and taught them to play with a common
objective in mind. According to Prof.
Melck, Prof. van Wijk was a man of
quiet humility and humanity who treated
everyone as equals.
“Unisa essentially stands as a monument
to the late Theo van Wijk, whose
footsteps are clearly embedded in the
institution,” eulogised Prof. Barney
Pityana, Principal and Vice-Chancellor.
“He had a deep commitment to the
University and was quietly supportive of
the direction the University has chosen to
take.” Prof. van Wijk’s heart, according
to Prof. Pityana, was for Unisa to be
responsive to the needs of society and to
be a university that values institutional
autonomy and academic freedom.
Although this memorial was a sombre
occasion, it was also a time to celebrate
the life of Prof. Theo van Wijk. In the
words of Prof. Anthony Melck to Prof.
van Wijk’s family: “Thank you for
sharing him with us. It was a privilege.”
Prof. Theo van Wijk was a familiar figure at Unisa. He regularly came to the library for his reading. He made a point of attending
many of the official functions of the University, especially the music competitions. Prof. Van Wijk had an abiding love of this
University. Not surprisingly, if one has regard to the fact that he could justifiably be considered the founder of the modern University
of South Africa, having overseen the relocation of Unisa from downtown Pretoria, developing the buildings and infrastructure on
Muckleneuk Ridge, and fondly ensuring its autonomy as an academic institution of repute at a time when all public institutions were
being subordinated to apartheid diktat.
Prof. Barney Pityana
Progress in Library and Information Science
in Southern Africa Conference
Delegates at the ProLISSA conference
The Department of Information
Science hosted the 5th Biennial
ProLISSA conference from
4 to 6 March 2009. The
conference was preceded by a
doctoral forum, which attracted
nine doctoral students.
These students presented
their research proposals on
various aspects of Library
and Information Science
(LIS). A panel of eight senior
researchers offered some
constructive feedback on
these proposals.
A total of 40 delegates attended the main
conference. Among the distinguished
African scholars who attended were Prof.
Stephen Mutula (University of Botswana,
Department of Library and Information
Studies), Prof. Kingo Mchombu
(University of Namibia, Department
of Information and Communication
Studies, Faculty of Humanities and Social
Sciences) and Prof. Mutawakilu Tiamiyu
(University of Ibadan, Africa Regional
Centre for Information Science).

Five-year
milestone marked
The year 2009 marks an important
milestone in the development of
Unisa and it is only fitting that the
University should pause, take stock,
acknowledge and celebrate what
has been accomplished. In the
relentless tide of institutional change
fostered from within the institution
and energised by developments
from outside, it is all too easy to lose
sight of the many and remarkable
achievements that have marked its
journey thus far, as Unisa moves
inexorably to becoming a dynamic
open distance learning institution.
The National Plan for Higher Education
(2001) set out an ambitious agenda for the
restructuring of higher education in South
Africa through a highly contested and
quite fraught process of policy development.
The first indelible imprint on the
new higher education landscape was a
series of mergers that would reduce the
number of higher education institutions
from 36 to 23, the main aims being to
ensure a more equitable distribution of
higher education facilities and resources,
create a greater critical mass of personnel
and capacities, and to introduce a new
The conference was of a unique nature.
The first two days took the form of a
public conference and were attended by
more than 500 invited delegates (including
heads of schools, chairs of school
governing bodies, learners, representatives
of educational district offices, academics,
union representatives, private schools, the
press and industry). The other two days
took the form of an academic conference
aimed mainly at education specialists. The
papers presented on these two days will
be collated and published in accredited
academic journals.
The aim of this conference was to
provide the launching pad for a longterm
programme that will address this
very important area of education. It is
hoped that by bringing together all the
stakeholders in education today, and by
institutional type - comprehensives. The
six comprehensive institutions would offer
both academic and vocational tertiary
qualifications. On 1 January 2004, the
new University of South Africa was established
as the single dedicated distance
education and comprehensive institution
in South Africa.
“These past five years have borne witness
to a quite remarkable transition,”
says Prof. Barney Pityana, Principal and
Vice-Chancellor, in his message in the
publication that has been produced to
mark the transformation that has taken
place in the University. “Armed only with
a set of guidelines and a determination
and commitment to succeed, Unisa’s Executive
Management have led this mega
Institution through what is widely acknowledged
as one of the most successful
mergers in higher education. In 2009, five
years on, the only enduring characteristic
of the former Unisa is its historic edifice
on the Tshwane landscape – and even that
is undergoing a dramatic change!”
The publication was launched on 20 April
2009 and is intended to be a celebration
of the journey of a university which is
committed to the vision: Towards the African
university in the service of human-
pooling knowledge, experiences and
visions, the future leaders of tomorrow are
well prepared, disciplined and educated.
The logo symbolises the challenges of
positive discipline. Discipline rests on
three legs, like the pot:
1. The parents (including the
community and the unions)
2. The educators (including
educational officials
3. The learners
If any of these does not function
properly, it spoils the broth.
ity. ‘‘On one level it provides a fascinating
insight into the complexities involved
in the restructuring process, and on
another it offers up evidence of the kind
of perseverance that is required to drive
that process. It is at once a celebration of
achievement and a fitting testament to the
ability of ordinary South Africans to work
together for a greater good.” extolled
Prof. Pityana.
Conference on positive discipline in education
When Ms Angie Motshekga assumed office as MEC for Education in Gauteng, she asked heads of schools to identify
the most pressing problems they faced. “The principals were almost unanimous in pointing to a lack of discipline,” she
told delegates at the first Conference on Positive Discipline in Education, which took place between 28 February and
3 March 2009 in the ZK Matthews Hall on the Muckleneuk Campus. The conference was a joint effort between the
Gauteng Department of Education and Unisa.
PAGE 5

Empowering
young academics
Some of the 30 young academics with, in front, Prof. Phumla Mtala, Prof. Rosalie Finlayson, and
Dr Thandi Sidzumo-Mazibuko (Executive Director: Corporate Affairs)
March 2009 saw the launch of the 2009
Young Academics Project (YAP), which
was successfully piloted last year. The
aim of this project is to develop Unisa’s
young, promising and talented academics
for the future, with a view to developing
high-quality academics at Unisa.
The project focuses on fast-tracking
participants in the areas of tuition,
Group 1
Ms Magdeline Princess Bembe, Dr Natasja Holtzhausen,
Mr Ahmed Haroon Jazbhay, Ms Esther Joubert,
Mr Thompson Magezi Mabunda, Ms Francina Dikeledi Mahlo,
Mr Kabelo Kwame James Maja, Ms Julia Mathuetsi Matetoa,
Mr Mulalo Martin Mudau, Dr Mtholeni Nkosinathi Ngcobo,
Ms Ednah Onyari, Dr Rakgadi Phatlane,
Mr Boitumelo Ben Senokoane, Ms Elize Symington,
Ms Tintswalo Tivana, Prof. Charnelle van der Bijl
research and academic management,
and providing them with the knowledge
and skills required to be top achievers
within Unisa, within the national higher
education environment and on the global
stage. The project also aims to enable
these young academics to one day assume
a leadership role within their academic
departments, colleges and, in turn, Unisa.
Group 2
This year there will two YAP groups, one
in each semester. Prof. Rosalie Finlayson,
who coordinated the pilot project,
will coordinate the first semester’s
programme, while Prof. Phumla Mtala,
Human Resources Development, will
coordinate the second group.
The Young Academics 2009
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Mr Samuel Kgaugelo Bhoya, Ms Erika Botha, Ms Ann Cheater,
Ms Chrizell Chürr, Prof. Eesa Fredericks, Mr Olaotse John Kole,
Mr Matome Boaz Mankga, Mr Maudi Edward Masemola,
Mr Siyanda Bryton Masiye, Mr Buitumelo Mmusinyane,
Mr Amos Saurombe, Ms Victoria Seemela, Mr Shawren Singh,
Ms Meriam Malebo Tibane

How do they feel to have been chosen
as a Unisa Young Academic
Mr Mabunda Thompson
As a young academic who has
recently joined the University, I
feel honoured to have been chosen
to be part of YAP. Through this
programme, I am able to see the
extent to which University as an
institution has built its absolute trust
and confidence on us.
Prof. Charnelle van der Bijl
YAP is a huge privilege that provides
both stimulus and opportunity for
growth and knowledge, and which
empowers us for the future in order
to help us contribute towards Unisa
being the African university in the
service of humanity.
Dr Natasja Holtzhausen
I am delighted and feel privileged
to have been selected for the
programme. This programme allows
me to gain a greater understanding
of not only higher education but
also Unisa.
Ms Francina Mahlo
As a newly employed academic,
I feel blessed and humbled to be
chosen to participate in YAP; it
introduced me to many facets of the
academic world. I hope to use the
information I gathered to assist many
who did not have the opportunity to
be in this programme.
Dr Rakgadi Phatlane
YAP taught me that “I am Unisa”. For
Unisa to be the African university in
the service of humanity, I have to be.
Mr Shawren Singh
Opportunities are rare, and we have
been granted a rare opportunity.
Thank you.
Ms Ann Cheater (and friend)
I am passionate about my career! With
the correct tools, I will be able to better
my skills tremendously, particularly in the
fields of research, tuition and management.
YAP can facilitate this goal.
PAGE 7

Community engagement partnership
reaches out to Africa
Training in Swaziland in February 2009: Ms Debi Balladon (Unisa facilitator), Obama (student), Ms Winnie Mokgupi (Unisa facilitator), and
Ms Teresia Njoki (Kenya: World Vision Coordinator of Development Facilitator’s training)
World Vision International (WVI)
has partnered with Unisa to offer
a two-year certificate course in
Development Studies to its staff.
According to Dr Derica Kotzé,
Centre for Development Studies
(CDS), the focus of World Vision’s
development efforts is to contribute
towards poverty alleviation projects
that could improve the living
conditions and standards of poor and
disadvantaged communities.
“This requires development practitioners
who are skilled in finding appropriate solutions
to desperate problems and needs.
The selection, planning and implementation
of development projects ultimately
Did you switch off? Unisa did
The international Earth Hour
campaign, in which millions of people
around the world switched off lights
for an hour on the evening of 28
March 2009, resulted in a 15 percent
reduction in South Africa’s power
consumption for lighting.
The 400MW reduction in energy during
Earth Hour, from 20:30 to 21:30, is
roughly equivalent to half the energy output
of one of Koeberg’s nuclear reactors.
Unisa showed its support by switching off
all the non-essential lights of the Muckleneuk
Campus. Dr Maggi Linington,
PAGE 8
determine the extent to which projects are
successful in contributing meaningfully
to the sustained improvement of living
conditions,” she said.
To provide these skilled practitioners, the
CDS entered into a partnership agreement
with WVI in 1999, which resulted in an
NQF-approved Programme in Development
for Development Practitioners to
train World Vision Area Development
Programme (ADP) Managers working in
various African countries.
Between 1999 and 2007, a total of 351
WVI ADP managers from countries as
far afield as Kenya, DRC, Mali, Sudan,
Chad and Kenya, to name but a few, were
trained through distance education and
residency workshops.
Executive Dean: College of Agriculture
and Enviromental Sciences, said that
she hoped the dark hill at the gateway to
Pretoria during Earth Hour encouraged
everyone to think about their roles and
responsibilities in conserving energy and
protecting the environment.
Ms Melanie Nicolau, Head: Geography
Department, said that the department was
extremely excited about Unisa’s support
for Earth Hour. “We would like to commend
the University for adopting this initiative
and hope that, in future, Unisa will
extend its involvement in this initiative by
switching off the lights for one hour at all
In 2007, the programme moved to another
level when World Vision approached the
CDS with a request to present the programme
to WVI development facilitators
who work as field staff on grassroots level
in different African countries. In 2008,
64 development facilitators in Zimbabwe
and 76 in Malawi were trained. In 2009, a
group of 72 development facilitators from
Swaziland and 59 from Uganda enrolled
for the programme. Residency workshops
take place in the relevant country and
one two-day workshop and one three-day
workshop are presented by Unisa lecturers
in each country.
This partnership exemplifies Unisa’s commitment
to community engagement.
the Unisa campuses
across South Africa.
It is further hoped
that the Institution
will continue to
actively look for
ways in which Unisa
can become more
environmentally
friendly,” she stated.

Inaugural
lectures delivered
Prof. Peet Venter
Graduate School of Business
Leadership
A new look at marketing
intelligence: contemporary views
and directions for future research –
24 March 2009
Prof. Ruth de Villiers
School of Computing
EEEEEs, not EASE, in Unisa’s School
of Computing – 26 March 2009
Prof. De Villiers examined some of the
key terms, or themes, from the domain of
Computing, terms that provide snapshots
of various aspects of Computer Science,
Informatics and Information Technology
– the three inter-related and overlapping
disciplines within the School of Computing
in its context of a comprehensive
university. The School is unique in South
Africa in its approach of integrating the
Prof. Venter examined the current literature
on marketing information systems
and marketing intelligence and concluded
that prevailing views are challenged in
mainly three areas. Firstly, existing views
have not fully considered the effects of
theoretical developments such as competitive
intelligence, business intelligence and
knowledge management and its implications
for marketing information systems.
Secondly, from a marketing perspective
the lack of integration of structured and
unstructured data is a persistent and
serious problem. Thirdly, the focus in
the study of marketing intelligence has
traditionally been on system elements,
largely ignoring the role of humans in
processing and presenting intelligence to
decision-makers.
In response to these criticisms, a new
model for marketing information systems
is developed incorporating competitive
intelligence, business intelligence and
knowledge management. In particular, the
concept of liaison devices in marketing
intelligence is defined and presents a new
perspective in theory as well as a direc-
theoretical, application-oriented and
vocational sub-disciplines of computing
in a single holistic school. The terms she
selected were ‘entroduction’, expert, enduser
computing, engine, e-learning, evaluation,
and ethos. She also paid attention
to novel work being done in the usability
laboratory in the School and reflected on
the requirements for excellence in the
teaching of computing.
“These terms provide connections to
a surprising number of sub-disciplines
within computing and, for me, links to
several I’ve taught or researched, as well
as representing some of the aspects of
the School of Computing where I was
privileged to grow as a academic,” she
concluded.
Prof. Ruth de Villiers has initial qualification
in mathematics and computing. She
obtained a permanent appointment at the
then Department of Computer Science
and Information Systems in 1985 and was
promoted to Full Professor in January
2006. She obtained an MSc with a study
on Integrating a Software Engineering
Approach and Instructional Factors in
Instructional Systems Development. She
completed an MEd in Computer-based
Education at the University of Pretoria
and a PhD (Computer-integrated Educa-
tion for future research. Finally, the need
for more actor-based research in this field
is emphasised.
Prof. Venter completed his Doctor of
Commerce (Business Management) with
a thesis entitled Developing a marketing
information systems (MKIS) model
for South African service organisations.
In 2001, he joined the Graduate School
of Business Leadership (SBL) of the
University of South Africa as Associate
Professor of Strategy and Marketing. He
was promoted to Professor of Marketing
at the SBL on 1 January 2008.
During 2008, Prof. Venter was a Visiting
Research Fellow and International Fellow
at the Open University Business School
in the UK. His research interests include
e-learning in business studies, and the
support from competitive and marketing
intelligence systems for strategic and marketing
decision-making. He has published
several journal articles, conference papers
and research reports.
tion) with the title Dynamics of theory and
practice in instructional systems design.
Her research interests, in which she
publishes, are meta-research; e-learning;
human-computer interaction; and usability
evaluation, particularly evaluation of
e-learning, some of which is groundbreaking
work. She touched on these in her
lecture. She has published 12 accredited
journal articles, eight of them in the past
five years; 26 peer-reviewed conference
papers, 14 in the past five years; and three
book chapters. There have also been talks
at conferences, workshops and seminars,
and she was a keynote speaker at the
ICALT Conference. Her passions are
mentoring young academics and postgraduate
leadership of master’s and doctoral
students.
She is involved in international collaboration
with the University of Joensuu in
Finland, where she was the opponent at
a PhD oral defence. Recently, she served
as an expert referee for the appointment
of professor and head of discipline at the
University of Joensuu. Prof. De Villiers is
currently co-authoring a joint publication
with academics from Joensuu.
PAGE 9

Prof. David N Abdulai
Graduate School of Business
Leadership
The Chinese are coming: how African
countries can position themselves to
benefit from China’s foray into Africa
– 31 March 2009
Prof. Abdulai began his lecture by looking
at Sino-African relations from a historical
perspective, leading up to the awakening
of China, the sleeping giant, with specific
reference to the Great Leap Forward
policy and the Cultural Revolution of
Moa Tse Tung and their destructive consequences.
He considered the era of Deng
The book was edited by the late Prof.
Archie Mafeje and co-published by the
IEC, Unisa Press and Brill as part of the
PAGE 10
Xiaoping and his Opening-Up policy
as well as the factors that contributed to
China’s awakening.
Then the lecture explored the specific
reasons why China is interested in Africa.
Issues such as China’s interest in Africa’s
natural resources, the market for China’s
goods and services as well as China’s efforts
to buttress its One China policy were
discussed. Equally, China’s need for allies
to advance its interest at international fora
was explored.
Prof. Abdulai further dealt with the
benefits that will accrue to Africa with
China’s foray into the region. The criticisms
of China’s foray into Africa were
also looked at. Some of these include
China as the new “colonialist”, and how
such a foray will bring about an increase
in trade imbalance for Africa, as well as
the fact that China’s activities in Africa
undermine good governance and lead
to human rights abuse. Thereafter, the
lecture explored how African countries
can position themselves to benefit from
China’s foray into Africa. The lecture
concluded by looking at the way forward
for Africa and explored the prospects for
China and Africa into the future.
Prof. David N Abdulai holds a Bachelor
of Arts in Political Science and Journalism
from Howard University and an MA
Imagined South Africa book series, edited
by Prof. Abebe Zegeye, Primedia Chair of
Holocaust and Genocide Studies.
in International Development from the
School of International Service (SIS) at
American University in Washington, D.C.
His PhD (Distinction) is in International
Economics and Technology Analysis and
Management from the Graduate School of
International Studies (GSIS), University
of Denver in Colorado, US.
Prof. Abdulai has worked and consulted
for government and business around the
world. He is an adviser to some heads
of government in the developing world.
Most recently, he was the Dean of the
Faculty of Business and Law and the
Director of the Office of Internationalisation
and Institutional Collaboration at
Multimedia University, in Kuala Lumpur.
He is currently the Executive Director and
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Unisa
Graduate School of Business Leadership.
Prof. Abdulai has been published in many
newspapers and journals in the US and
the UK. Some of his most recent books
include African Renaissance: Challenges,
Solutions and the Road Ahead; Malaysia
and the K-Economy: Challenges,
Solutions and the Road Ahead; and Can
Malaysia Transit into the K-Economy?
Dynamic Challenges, Tough Choices and
the Next Phase.
Disclosing diverse voices on elections
“We hope that South Africans will learn from the lessons of the past as detailed in this book and continue to embrace
the notion that democratic elections are the most desirable and legitimate mechanism for choosing who should
lead them and in legitimising their government,” said Dr Brigalia Bam, Chairperson of the Independent Electoral
Commission (IEC), at the launch of The Disenfranchised – Perspectives on the history of elections in South Africa at
the Protea Restaurant on the Muckleneuk Campus on 19 March 2009.
Arriving just weeks before the country’s
fifth democratic elections, the book draws
together a diverse group of voices such as
Prof. Mandla Makhanya (Pro Vice-Chancellor), Prof. Abebe Zegeye, Prof. Barney Pityana, Dr Brigalia Bam, Ms Beth le Roux (Director: Unisa Press), and
Prof. Louis Molamu (Registrar)
To page 11

From page 10
those of Dr Pallo Jordan, Dr Joe Diescho,
Prof. Herbert Vilakazi and Ms Shireen
Hassim, and offers alternative views of
those formerly disenfranchised and voiceless.
Contributions cover a range of topics,
from women and suffrage, historical
narratives, contemporary historical
discussions and reflections on electoral
management from executive and activist
viewpoints.
Prof. Archie Mafeje championed the
pan-Africanist ideal that Africans should
Power sharing and
African democracy
Unisa’s Research Institute for Religion
and Theology regularly holds
conferences on topics
ranging from the links between
religion and evolution theory
to religious aspects of the Black
Consciousness Movement as
represented by Steve Biko.
On 26 and 27 March 2009, it presented a
conference on power sharing in Africa on
the Muckleneuk campus. While Africa’s
diversity is one of its greatest assets, its
history of ethnic violence, tribal wars,
faltering democracies and the like make
it an Achilles’ heel. Its cultural geography
is based on religious, ethnic and linguistic
heterogeneity, scores of political and other
minorities and increasing class divisions
(the result of a growing gap between rich
and poor), as well as developmental and
other differences.
speak for themselves and understand
themselves through their own efforts.
He was honoured worldwide for shaping
the lives and scholarship of three generations
of African social scientists.
“He was very good at pushing the boundaries
of knowledge,” said Prof. Barney
Pityana, Principal and Vice-Chancellor, in
acknowledging Prof. Mafeje’s contribution
to Unisa and to academic thought.
The Principal announced that the new
Unisa Institute for Applied Social Sciences
Policy and Research would be
Power sharing therefore remains a major
challenge to continental unity, peace
and progress. For the ideal of an African
renaissance to be realised, all energies
should be focused on establishing a
culture of power sharing. It will not come
cheaply: it demands sacrifices, especially
from dominant groups that are not
obliged to make sacrifices. But it cannot
be wished away. Two thirds of the world’s
population is still excluded from the allpowerful
market and from the benefits of
power. Unless a culture of genuine caring
and sharing permeates every facet of our
societies and all social strata, we cannot
hope for progress – ethnically, nationally,
continentally and globally.
Speakers at the conference included
Prof. Renfrew Christie, UWC, Mr Frank
Chikane, Presidential spokesperson, Prof.
Barney Pityana, Principal and Vice-Chancellor,
Prof. Tinyiko Maluleke, Executive
named after Prof. Archie Mafeje to
honour this eminent scholar and African
social scientist.
In conclusion, Prof. Zegeye asserted that
Prof. Mafeje was “one who believed that
South Africa, and indeed, Africa, was and
continues to be blighted by many forms
of hungers, of which the desire to set
strong electoral institutions was one such
hunger.”
Dr Simango Kumalo, Prof. Gerald West, Dr Frank Chikane, Prof. Renfrew Christie, Prof. Jean-Bertrand Aristide, Prof. Cornel du Toit,
Mr Cedric Mayson, Dr Dirk Louw
Director: Research, Mr Cedric Mayson,
former Head of the ANC Religious Desk,
Mr Jody Kollapen, Head: Commission
of Human Rights, Prof. Iqbal Jhazbhay,
Department of Religious Studies and a
renowned expert on Somaliland, Prof.
Jean-Bertrand Aristide, former president
of Haiti,
Prof. Gerald West, Theological Studies,
UKZN, Dr Dirk Louw, Centre for Applied
Ethics, US, Dr Simanga Kumalo,
Ministry, Education and Governance
Programme, UKZN, and Prof. Cornel
du Toit, Head: Research Institute for
Theology and Religion and host of the
conference.
The escalation of power sharing crises
on the continent, especially the ongoing
problems in neighbouring Zimbabwe,
makes this a highly pertinent issue at this
point in African history.
PAGE 11

Debating arou
The 2009 elections will see South
Africa’s democratic governance
rigorously tested. The changing
landscape, with its new political
formations emerging and existing
parties reinventing themselves, will be
infusing new meaning and substance
to the country’s democratic order. In
the run-up to the elections, the Unisa
community actively participated
in political debates, as one would
expect of an academic institution.
Voter education initiative
enlightens
As part of Unisa’s contribution to voter
education, the Department of Political
Sciences arranged public sessions for staff
and students to listen directly to political
leaders and to ask them questions.
Mr Bantu Holomisa (United Democratic
Movement) and Mr Jacob Zuma (African
National Congress) were two of the political
leaders who were invited to Unisa to
explain their election manifestos.
Speaking on 19 March 2009, Mr Holomisa
specified some of the key issues his
party wanted addressed. These included
the need for socioeconomic development
to alleviate poverty and for more intervention
from the state in the country’s
economy. “We need to bring back some of
the policies that worked for this country
in the past,” he declared. “Those policies
managed to create jobs for unskilled and
uneducated South Africans.”
Mr Zuma was due to speak on 26 March
2009, but was unable to attend. At time of
press, no further date had been set.
Tough on crime
The imminent general election in South
Africa prompted Unisa, the Institute for
Security Studies (ISS), and The Weekender
to co-host a public discussion and
debate about how political parties propose
to deal with the problem of crime and the
dysfunctional criminal justice system,
after the election. The seminar provided
an opportunity for four of the most prominent
political parties to discuss what their
election manifestoes say about how they
intend to address these issues.
The seminar took the format of a
panel discussion between Mr Malusi
Gigaba (African National Congress),
Ms Dianne Kohler-Barnard (Democratic
Alliance), Ms Nozuko Pikoli (Congress
of the People), Mr Zolisa Lavisa (United
Democratic Movement), Prof. Dirk Kotzé
(Department of Political Science), and Mr
Prince Mashele (Head: Crime Justice and
Politics Programme, ISS), and
was facilitated by Dr Chandré Gould
(Senior Researcher: Crime, Justice and
Politics Programme, ISS).
Mr Micheal Shemer (The Weekender), Dr Chandré Gould, Prof. Barney Pityana (Principal and Vice-Chancellor), Mr Prince Mashele,
and Prof. Tinyiko Maluleke (Executive Director: Research)

nd the elections
Speakers were asked to answer direct
questions from the facilitator and the
audience about their proposed approaches
to dealing with crime and the criminal
justice system.
In comparing the issues that political
parties raised in their election manifestos
on crime, Prof. Kotzé stated that all
parties, with the exception of the ANC,
raised concern over the dissolution of the
Scorpions. He noted that violent crime
was still not being effectively dealt with
by police and that the loss and theft of
licensed firearms (including those used by
the police) exacerbates the problem. To
effectively deal with the problems experienced
in the CJS, Prof. Kotzé suggested
that there should be a national conversation
about crime. This would ensure that
there is a holistic and integrated approach
to crime prevention.
Open letter to
SA political leaders
Prof. Tinyiko Sam Maluleke, Executive
Director: Research and President of
the South African Council of Churches,
addressed an open letter to South African
political leaders on the occasion of the
2009 elections, delivered at the Mpumalanga
Provincial Legislature’s 4th Annual
Speaker’s Breakfast in Nelspruit on 24
February 2009, and which was widely
reported in the press.
In it, he said that he does not put his ultimate
faith in any political system, political
party or political leader. “All political
parties, all political leaders and all political
systems are temporary custodians and
mere tools in our hands and ultimately in
the hands of God. Though I should be delighted
to see many Christians approaching
and evaluating politics from the point
of view of their faith; I shall not put my
faith even in those political leaders who
are Christian, including those who trade
on their Christianness.”
He went on to say that he was worried
that, “given the perceptions of glamour,
power and wealth associated with politics
for a long time, and certainly over the past
fifteen years, our country’s political arena
has become a magnet for all manner of
people whose ambition is to use politics
as the shortcut to fame and influence;
those whose main (if not only) interest
is their own ascendancy and their own
acquisition of power for themselves.”
He also touched on the ascendancy of a
culture of ‘disgrace politics’ rather than
the ‘politics of affirmation’; the increment
of incendiary and irresponsible language
from the leaders of virtually all of the
so-called major political parties; and the
extent to which the poor and the vulnerable
are slowly receding from the radars
of political programmes and manifestos.
He concluded with an urgent appeal for
morality and moral leadership, warning
that South Africans would not be misled
by false, narrow and individualistic no-
tions about morality and sin! “South Africans
want to experience the moral stature
of your structures, policies, processes and
your collective leadership. When rural
children pillage cow dung in order to
find food therein – that is a moral issue.
When people living with the HI virus die
needlessly and prematurely because of
political bungling and a lack of will that
leads to the unavailability of ARVs; that
is a moral issue. When women are raped;
battered and killed with impunity; that is a
matter of morality. When South Africans
cannot sleep in peace in their own
homes, for fear that criminals can come in
plunder, rape and kill; it is a moral issue.
When some become filthy rich and do so
overnight, while millions are still waiting
to cash the 1994 cheque of democracy,
that is a moral issue. When the burden of
caring for the poor is increasingly being
shifted to the poor themselves; that is a
moral issue. This is what South Africans
understand about morality.”
Read the full letter at http://www.sacc.
org.za/news09/openletr.html
Focus welcomes submissions from
readers on similar or other topics – send
your ideas to farres@unisa.ac.za.
PAGE 13

Game plan 2010
Mr Gary Bailey, former soccer star
and expert on the world of soccer,
visited Unisa on 16 March 2009 to
share how to make the 2010 Soccer
World Cup the best World Cup the
world has ever seen.
According to Mr Bailey, the 2010 World
Cup should bring in the region of
220 000 overseas visitors to South Africa,
while another 180 000 should come from
Africa. Whether or not these figures are
correct, however, it is clear that the 2010
FIFA World Cup will be the biggest event
ever to happen in South Africa.
The challenge is how to make the best of
this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, both
as South Africans and as a university.
Apart from the services and products required
to ensure that this World Cup is the
best ever, there will be opportunities for
organisations such as Unisa to network
with other companies and institutions of
higher education from abroad. “By applying
the right knowledge and strategies,
businesses and South African citizens can
make the most of 2010 and leave a legacy
to our children,” said Mr Bailey.
Are you World Cup language ready?
PAGE 14
In his concluding remarks, he stressed
the importance of South Africans being
great hosts. “Allow visitors to our country
to experience the wonders and beauty of
Mr Gary Bailey
our incredible country. Sell this fantastic
country to the world.” And, most of all,
“stand up to the challenge of the World
Cup and support it in all you do.”
Unisa’s latest initiative, a website where you can learn some basic phrases in an African language free of charge, was
launched on 23 March 2009 in the ZK Matthews Hall on the Muckleneuk Campus.
According to Mr Chris Swepu, Acting
CEO of the Pan South African Language
Board (PanSALB) and guest speaker
at the event, “Unisa is taking centre
stage in the promotion and development
of indigenous languages,” something
PanSALB is very excited about. Mr
Swepu stressed the importance of South
Africa using a number of its official
languages to welcome 2010 World
Cup visitors to the country, and to give
them the
opportunity
to experience
the rich
linguistic
and cultural
heritage of
this land.
Dr Britta Zawada (Director: School of Arts, Education, Languages and Communication),
Mr Chris Swepu, Prof. Mandla Makhanya (Pro Vice-Chancellor), Dr Thabazi Ntshinga
(Chair: Department of African Languages), and Dr Gerda Mischke
Dr Gerda
Mischke,
the project
coordinator,
believes
that it has
never been
easier to
learn an
African language, since the website offers
a choice of Northern Sotho, Southern
Sotho, Tswana, Xhosa and Zulu. The
courses are structured according to
themes, such as greetings and courtesies,
transport and finding your way, and
shopping and sport. Learning takes place
by means of text, sound and video clips.
No registration is necessary and progress
is measured through self-assessment.
The audience was treated to a beautiful
poem written and delivered by
Ms Danisile Ntuli from the Department
of African Languages, and a colourful
musical display by the Drum Café
performers.
The free basic online courses can be
accessed online from anywhere in the
world simply by going to www.unisa.
ac.za/free_online_course and clicking on
the language of your choice.

Advancement of
SA biotechnology
The Council for Scientific and
Industrial Research (CSIR) and
Unisa signed a Memorandum of
Agreement (MoA) on 4 March 2009
that officially seals collaboration for
the commissioning of a
high-powered instrument set to
position South African scientific
research on a more prominent level
on the world stage.
Using a magnetic force 300 times stronger
than the magnetic field of Earth, the
600 MHz nuclear magnetic resonance
(NMR) machine has the ability to catapult
local scientific research beyond what is
currently being achieved. In addition, the
new research partnership opens doors for
Unisa postgraduate students registered
in biotechnology to undertake practical
research training at a recognised scientific
research institution, an opportunity that
Unisa was unable to offer previously.
This NMR, worth more than R5 million,
offers scientists the ability to determine
the structure of organic compounds and is
especially useful in nutrition research as
well as drug development, an area that is
still in the infant stages in South African
research.
Dr Martin Myer, Senior Lecturer and
research coordinator in the Department
of Life Sciences and Consumer Sciences,
said that the acquisition of the NMR allows
local scientists to compete properly
at an international level. “There is great
investment in this type of equipment
overseas. One could easily find eight
NMR machines sitting side-by-side in one
room. Without an NMR, it’s as though
scientists are looking into space and
seeing a fuzzy picture of Mars. This partnership
is important to preserve our own
technology and technology transfer and
to stymie the proliferation of international
patents on South African biodiversity.”
This partnership resonates with Unisa’s
set of strategic objectives for 2015 which
state, among other things, that the Institution
aims to promote research, increased
capacity and productivity aligned with
national priorities for knowledge development.
Dr Martin Myer stands in front of the crated
NMR. A room with a reinforced floor is being
built to house the instrument at the CSIR.
What don’t we know about our students?
Mr Denzil Chetty (Religious Studies and Arabic), Ms Zaheera Jinna (Tutor Development Studies), Ms Sherina Balmakund (Student Admissions and
Registrations), Ms Boshadi Semenya (Psychology), Dr Paul Prinsloo (DCLD), and Ms Tshifhiwa Kodisang (Bureau for Counselling, Career and
Academic Development)
On 13 March 2009, the Directorate:
Curriculum and Learning
Development (DCLD) hosted its first
Conversation Forum for 2009.
A number of Unisa stakeholders and
prospective employers were invited to
share their thoughts and reflections on
the question: What don’t we know about
our students, institution and prospective
employers’ expectations that impacts
on what and how we teach and support
students’ learning?
The question was based on the belief
that Unisa and employers assume a
number of things about students’ learning
experiences that impact on what and how
lecturers teach. This forum will provide
an introduction to the series of forums
planned for 2009.
PAGE 15

Outreach
to stakeholders
The International Ambassadors’
Wives Club paid Unisa a visit on
5 March 2009, and were welcomed
by Dr Marié Ferreira, Executive
Director: Corporate Communication
and Marketing (CC&M). They learnt
a little about the University in a
series of presentations and then
visited Print Production, Despatch
and the Library to get an idea of the
magnitude of this open and distance
learning institution.
Shaping our future post-Davos 2009
PAGE 16
The CC&M Public Relations team, led by
their Director: Ms Laura Ann Coetzee, are
responsible for arranging many such functions
that grace the University calendar
and provide an opportunity to raise the
profile of Unisa.
Seeing to the mountain of logistics behind
even the simplest event, which could
be as disparate as a campus tour, a gala
dinner, a launch, a cocktail function, an
inaugural lecture, a memorial, or protocol
arrangements for VIPs, is a vital task that
is carried out unobtrusively and resourcefully
by PR. Every aspect of such events,
Dr Marié Ferreira, Ms Hannah Tilma (Ethiopia), and Ms Vandana Binvani (Singapore)
The interest in the annual meeting
of the World Economic Forum
in February was not confined
to Davos, Switzerland. A lively
debate led by a panel of experts
on Shaping our future post-Davos
2009 was organised by the Centre
for Corporate Citizenship (CCC)
in the College of Economic and
Management Sciences (CEMS) and
Unisa’s Research Directorate on
9 March 2009.
from the initial selection of the database
to the final follow-up correspondence,
provides an opportunity to establish or
strengthen relations with Unisa stakeholders.
In addition, Ms Coetzee is able to provide
support and advice to colleges and departments
when they conceptualise and plan
their own public relations events.
“We look holistically at an event,” she
stated, “and then approach it in a strategic
manner to balance the right people and
the right type of function.”
The panel who debated issues discussed by the World Economic Forum consisted of Dr Sunette
Steyn (CCC), Dr Kwandiwe Kondlo (Executive Director: Democracy and Governance, Human
Sciences Research Council), Prof. Olu Akinboade (Director: School of Economic Sciences), and
Prof. Carel van Aardt (BMR).

Where were you
when Aids killed millions of people?
Ms Jurnee Smollett, Ms Rina du Toit (Cultural Specialist at the US Embassy), Mr Christopher McShane (Cultural Attaché at the US Embassy), and
Prof Carol Allais (Department of Sociology), holding a khanga that features in the book, Khangas: homage to life, a new Unisa Press publication.
“HIV/Aids is waging war against my
generation and the only way to end
this scourge is by fighting the small
battles. Just like it was not Mr Nelson
Mandela or Archbishop Desmond
Tutu who ended apartheid in your
country, but the millions of people
who fought the small, everyday
battles, we all need to fight every day
to end HIV/Aids.”
Speaking at the Senate Hall on the
Muckleneuk Campus on 19 March
2009 at The use of drama in addressing
HIV and Aids, well-known American
actress and HIV/Aids activist, Ms Jurnee
Smollett, called for every individual to
“do what you have to do, in order to
get what you want – an HIV/Aids-free
society.”
She recounted being part of a TV talk
show one day where one participant
clearly declared: “You will never know
whether you will get cancer one day. You
will never know whether you will get
diabetes one day. You will never know
whether you will get any life-threatening
disease one day ... except Aids, because
you can make sure that you will never get
HIV/Aids. It is in your hands to make that
decision.”
Ms Smollett, the youngest board member
of the international organisation Artists
for a New South Africa (ANSA),
which includes board members such
as Alfre Woodard and Carlos Santana,
is passionate about youth “getting the
comprehensive dialogue they deserve.
They have so many questions, with so
few real answers. I still get young people
asking me whether they can be infected
through tears.”
She sees it as the job of artists to present
uncomfortable questions and to push
boundaries. Only through really seeing
can one begin to understand the other.
The event was a collaboration between
Unisa’s Unit for Social Behaviour Studies
in HIV/Aids and Health (USBAH) and
the US Embassy in South Africa.
PAGE 17

Out and about in the regions
Ms Liana Griesel and Prof. Narend Baijnath, front left, with KZN staff
IOP 2009–2010 road show
A series of meetings is scheduled across
Unisa to help illuminate the Institutional
Operational Plan (IOP) and promote
engagement and ownership at all levels
and in all sectors in manageable groups.
This will give the regions an opportunity
to engage with the IOP as planned.
Prof. Narend Baijnath, Vice-Principal:
Strategy, Planning and Partnerships, together
with Ms Liana Griesel, Executive
Director: Strategy, Planning and Quality
Assurance, visited the KwaZulu-Natal
region with the institutional road show
that is focused on the stated IOP objectives
and anticipated outcomes of the IOP
on 19 March 2009.
As 2009 marks the fifth year of implementation
of Unisa 2015, this discussion
was augmented by a critical response
from the regions on how Unisa 2015 has
impacted on their planning, and what
strategic priorities remain for the period
2010 to 2015.
Student marketing
Career exhibition in the Fezile Dabi
Municipality
At this time of the year, many tertiary
institutions start to market their programmes
and services, and a career
exhibition is one way of doing this. The
Midlands region recently participated in
Mr Alex Motseoakgosi sharing information with learners at the Unisa stall
PAGE 18
Mr Mayeshibe Setlatjile (of Corporate Communication and Marketing) talking to learners in Dundee
several career exhibitions organised by Heading for the rural areas of KZN
the Department of Education in collabo-
The Marketing Directorate joined other
ration with the Career Exhibition and
institutions of higher learning, private and
Information Association (CEIA). The
government departments in the central
CEIA’s core business is to provide career
areas of KZN in taking their message to
information through interactive com-
learners, educators and communities at
munication. The learners and students at
large. Between 17 February and 13 March
exhibitions in rural and urban areas of
2009, the Unisa representatives from
South Africa and neighbouring countries
Durban and Pretoria attended eleven ca-
are guided towards making informed
reer exhibitions and evening meetings for
career choices.
parents in the areas covering Newcastle,
Mr Alex Motseoakgosi, the Midlands Ladysmith, Dundee, Nqotho, Pomeroy
Communication Manager, recently par- (Msinga) Greytown, Ulundi, Nongoma,
ticipated in a Career Exhibition organised Pongola, Paulpietersburg and Vryheid.
by the Department of Education in the
The directorate, in collaboration with
Fezile Dabi Municipality. The exhibition
the Colleges of Agriculture and Environ-
attracted about 1 500 learners from these
mental Sciences, Human Sciences and
areas.
Science, Engineering and Technology, is
planning to make follow-up workshops
involving life orientation educators later
in the year. This effort is important since
if the educators are better informed they
can pass the message to their learners
with confidence and authority. Most of
these exhibitions cover the rural areas
where the information is vital, as these
areas are far from all Unisa hubs and
Regional Offices.
To page 19

From page 18
Mr Madumo Rampedi discusses Unisa with learners in Rustenburg
Buy the Brand
The Unisa Shop is an outlet established specifically to sell University memorabilia, corporate gifts and
Unisa-branded clothing with a view to promoting the image and identity of the institution, both locally
and internationally. The Shop is currently selling its products to students, staff, alumni and the general public at
graduation ceremonies, registration halls and alumni meetings. It is also located at the Theo van Wijk Building,
B359, on the Muckleneuk Campus.
Ties
Elegance golfer’s shirts
Signature golfer’s shirts
To place your order: Telephone: 012 429 2737 or email Ms Maria Rachekhu on rachesm@unisa.ac.za.
Mistakes happen
In Meeting the challenges of distance teaching (p.4) in the March issue of Focus, we incorrectly reported that the
winner of the myUnisa Excellence Award was Ms Annemarie Davis from the Department of Business Management.
The winner, in fact, was Ms Ronell van der Merwe from the School of Computing, and the final paragraph of the
article should have read as follows:
Ms Van der Merwe, who was the worthy
recipient of the trip to the 10th Sakai
conference in Boston, USA, in July 2009,
said that it would be impossible for her,
as a lecturer, to continue offering any of
`
her courses without the tools available
on myUnisa. “These are the direct
link between me, the student and the
University in an ODL environment,” she
enthused. myUnisa allows me to embrace
Taking student marketing to
Rustenburg
Mr Madumo Rampedi from the Marketing
Directorate attended the Rustenburg Career
Exhibition from 24 to 26 February 2009.
The exhibition was organised by the Department
of Education at the Bojanala district
in partnership with Careers, Exhibition and
Information Association (CEIA).
Grade twelve learners from 26 high
schools around Rustenburg came in
numbers to seek advice about different
careers. Career exhibitions give learners a
platform to search information about different
qualifications, financial support and
registration procedures at different institutions
for following academic year.
technology to reach for the Unisa vision:
Towards the African University in the
service of humanity.”
PAGE 19

From the Vice-Chancellor’s desk
There are moments when one
becomes truly proud of Unisa. Such
was the feeling of pride when I
attended the inaugural dinner of
the Illinois Holocaust Museum and
Education Centre in Chicago, Illinois,
on 2 April this year. Some 2 600
paid guests attended the gala dinner
as a sign of their dedication to the
cause of invoking the memory of the
holocaust, honouring the survivors,
and to learn the lessons for today
and “teach current generations
to fight hatred, indifference and
genocide in today’s world”. Unisa
was specifically mentioned in the
address by the Chief Executive of the
Centre to indicate that the struggle
against racism is a perversion that
the civilised world must confront
daily and everywhere. The Primedia
Chair in Holocaust and Genocide
Studies in Africa and the proposed
Unisa memorial park and museum
were seen as valued partners in
the cause of constructing a better
future for our world. General Colin
Powell was the guest speaker and
he delivered a most memorable
and inspiring address on the
responsibility we all have to learn
from our experiences and build a
more sustainable human future.
Editor: Sharon Farrell
Design and Layout: LKDA Strategic Creative Adveritising
what transformation this will all bring to
our common lives at Unisa.
More recently I was deeply touched to
see the work being undertaken by Prof.
George Subotsky, Executive Director:
Information and Strategy Analysis, and
the Throughput Modelling Task Team,
who presented to me a throughput
model for Unisa. I was impressed by
the depth of research conducted by Dr
Paul Prinsloo and the analysis arising
from that research by Prof. Subotsky
himself, as well as by the dedication of
the Task Team, which also includes Prof.
Chris Swanepoel of Decision Sciences,
Dr At van Schoor of BCCAD and Ms
Hanneri Botha of ICT. I understand that
at the stakeholders’ forum they held
recently, their work and modelling were
considered eye-openers for colleagues
at Unisa. The purpose is well put: to
provide a systematic, evidence-based,
contextually-relevant foundation to
inform and guide initiatives to improve
success and throughput at Unisa.
At a briefing I attended recently I
indicated that I saw the initiative as
another effort at transformation. What it
does is to place the moral obligation to
provide our students with a better than
even chance of success and qualification
in their studies right at the centre of our
transformation strategy. During the Staff
Assembly held at the ZK Matthews Hall
on 30 March, I set out what I considered
to be risks in the sustainability of Unisa
I have often thought that too many of post 2010. Continual drop-out and
us at Unisa do not value sufficiently high failure rates at Unisa constitute
the wonderful things happening at our the greatest risk to this University’s
doorstep. Recently, one of our colleagues, sustainability. Key to understanding
who is a leading trade union activist, the complex models being developed
expressed surprise at the beauty of the has been the inter-relationship between
new Dr Miriam Makeba Concert Hall. He the student, the institution and the
thought that it was still the grubby Film community that shape the conditions
Auditorium that it had been for years. necessary for student success. Success,
Others seem to fail to appreciate the dare I suggest, is not merely a “pass one;
enormous investment that has gone into pass all” syndrome but the quality of the
the new Esk’ia Mphahlele Registration student, the cognitive development of
Halls, nor do they appreciate the foresight the student, the developing of a critical
that has gone into constructing a facility and independent thinker, a skilled
that is bound to improve the lives of our professional and an intellectual and a
students and staff. Daily I watch the new contributor to national well-being.
student Please hub coming send up your at the contributions corner of to the editor
This is vital to understand. The student
Mears at and farres@unisa.ac.za Walker Street, as well as or the call 012 becomes 352 a critical 4159 factor if because the
new you entrance have building, any queries and I marvel or at comments. student is not just a submissive agent
Prof. Barney Pityana with HE Nomvume Magaqa, Consul
General of South Africa in Chicago
but an active participant in the learning
process. Therefore the total environment
of the student must be taken into
account and factored into the success
conditions. The institution, in return,
must be responsive and contribute
to that development. The “student
walk” is a concept that has come to be
associated with our developing ODL
vocabulary: the institutional context, the
learning environment, the quality of the
learning materials, the administrative
and management facilities as well as
the assessment methods all go towards
creating that success environment we all
aspire to.
I have become convinced that the more
Unisa staff internalise the imperatives
of success, the more it would provide
inspiration to the students and to staff
to work together to actually achieve the
success envisaged.
The Throughput Model being developed
will obviously become part and parcel
of the institutional architecture so as to
ensure better coordination and a better
fit between all processes, systems,
factors and resources. I hope that we
shall manage to ensure that these various
initiatives must ultimately be towards the
same end, not in competition with one
another but reinforcing the operational
transformation we all desire.
That is the Unisa we all want.
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