Digital shadows, deadly realities: Technology-facilitated femicide in South Africa

South Africa’s femicide rate is five times higher than the global average, and one in three women has experienced gender-based violence (GBV) in her lifetime. Increasingly, this violence is no longer confined to physical spaces. It has migrated to digital platforms such as social media, messaging apps and online forums, where abuse is amplified…

New book shines light on commercial law and contemporary issues

A timely new academic publication has joined South Africa’s shelves of legal scholarship. Commercial Law and Related Issues: A Review of Contemporary Legal Issues and Regulatory Development in South Africa and Selected Jurisdictions, published by Juta, was officially launched during a recent legal research conference at the Potchefstroom Campus…

NWU webinar explores social policy as a tool for African nation building

From Ghana to South Africa, similarities in health, education and social policy programmes have raised questions about how public concerns over foreign nationals shape solidarity across the continent.

This was the focus of a webinar hosted by the School of Government Studies, Political Studies and International Relations at the North-…

Postgraduate student takes up leadership role at Gaetsho Secondary School

The North-West University (NWU) continues to shape leaders who make an impact in education. Bongani Steven Dhlamini, an NWU postgraduate student, has been appointed as the new departmental head for Setswana and Creative Arts at the Gaetsho Secondary School in the Boikhutso Township in Lichtenburg.

Reflecting on the promotion, Bongani…

Goalkeeper coach instils mentality of success

Consistency, hard work, teamwork and mental strength are the qualities that make a football team stand out, says Ludwe Mpakumpaku, goalkeeper coach of the North-West University’s (NWU’s) Varsity Football team.

Ludwe knows what it means to achieve the extraordinary. As former captain of TS Galaxy, he led his side to the historic 2019…

‘Where dignity lives’: The story of Mama Vida and her fight for disability rights at NWU

On a quiet morning at the Mahikeng Campus of North-West University (NWU), the halls of the Disability Rights Unit hum with purpose. At the heart of it all is Vida Mutlaneng, a disability coordinator whose presence radiates warmth, compassion and an unwavering commitment to justice.

Affectionately known as Mama Vida or Mother Theresa by…

Eagles soar past Maties in Varsity Netball thriller

By Phenyo Mokgothu and Ntokozo Maseko

The North-West University (NWU) Eagles battled hard to secure a 55-41 victory over Maties in a tightly contested Varsity Netball clash.

The first quarter of the match set the tone for a physical encounter as both sides pushed to establish dominance. The NWU showed…

Professor to address UN panel on education rights

The United Nations Human Rights Council will hear next week from international legal experts, including the North-West University’s (NWU’s) Prof Klaus D Beiter, on whether a new protocol should guarantee children free early childhood care and secondary education.

“This process is about identifying whether existing international law…

Guest lecture unpacks the causes of municipal infrastructure decay

Is the decay of municipal infrastructure in South Africa the result of poor monitoring and evaluation, poor planning, or deeper systemic issues? This was the central question posed by Dr Robert Nkuna during his guest lecture on Friday, 15 August 2025, at the School of Government Studies at the North-West University (NWU).

Dr Nkuna, who…

South Africa’s great municipal experiment

South Africa is preparing the most sweeping reconfiguration of local government since 1996. Velenkosini Hlabisa, the minister of co-operative governance and traditional affairs (CoGTA), has unveiled a plan to reduce dysfunction, shore up finances and restore public trust in the country’s 257 municipalities. At least 35 of these are now deemed…