From the newsroom to a PhD in law

The story of Dr Elfas Torerai is a classic case of focus, determination, persistence and success personified. He started off as a rookie journalist, plying his trade in community newspapers. Before long, he joined the mainstream media where he rose to become the provincial correspondent of the now defunct The New Age/AfroVoice.

In…

NWU researcher triumphant against all odds

Ontiretse Motingwa

North-West University (NWU) Prof Ferdinand Potgieter, a professor and sub-area leader for discipline in the research unit Education and Human Rights in Diversity (Edu-HRight), recently received notice of his C2-rating as an established researcher from the National Research Foundation (NRF).…

Drive to end child labour: South African curriculum should respond to this human rights violation

Alarming atrocities are perpetrated against our most vulnerable and innocent citizens, our children. We hear of these every day, but how often do we reflect on the scourge of child labour? There will be no child labour when laws that govern access to basic education are strengthened.

This was the statement made by Department…

It is time for Eskom to switch on private sector initiatives

It is time to buck the dusky trend. The national energy provider, Eskom, is haemorrhaging money at an unsustainable rate and is nearly R400 billion in debt. Equipment is failing, power outages have become the norm, while its energy availability factor (EAF) has fallen by almost 30% in just over a decade.

Up to 13 July, South Africa had…

Wide-ranging plan could be tipping point for energy challenges

President Cyril Ramaphosa’s plan to resolve the long-standing electricity crisis in South Africa could be the tipping point in turning around the country’s ability to more successfully meet its energy challenges.

Prof Raymond Parsons, economist from the Business School of the North-West University (NWU), says the president’s important…

Young NWU entrepreneur invited to attend Africa Young CEOs Summit in Ghana

By Oldrin Masowa

A great leader’s courage comes from passion. This is evident for North-West University (NWU) student, Kgothatso Kgogome, who is the founder and owner of Faith-Bakes. Having been raised by entrepreneurs, this Soweto-born young entrepreneur fell in love with entrepreneurship at the age of four.…

Fulbright scholar joins NWU to investigate secrets of serpentine ecology

A Fulbright scholar from the United States is joining the North-West University’s (NWU’s) Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management for 10 months to do research in a field where many stones are still unturned.

There are gaps in knowledge that scientists have about plant and insect species living on serpentinite rocks and filling in…

Microscopic wonder on yellow-bellied sea snake is a scientific breakthrough

Just as vastness induces awe, so there is wonder to be found in the miniscule. For Dr Roksana Majewska from the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences at the North-West University (NWU), this is an absolute truth. Before we zoom in, we need to talk about Hydrophis platurus – or the more friendly sounding yellow-bellied sea snake. This…

NWU cross country runner has his sights set on the stars

By Oldrin Masowa

North-West University (NWU) student Itumeleng Sesiko is an upcoming athletic star. He won his first national medal at the age of 10 from Athletics South Africa (ASA) and is now on his way to becoming a professional cross country athlete.

Itumeleng is set to represent the NWU athletics…

It’s all about the vintage – of wine as well as people

The older the wine lovers, the drier the wine they prefer, and the longer it takes to consume what they bought.

These are two of the findings of a recent study on the wine preferences of different age groups that the research unit TREES (Tourism Research in Economics, Environs and Society) undertook.

In the study, “That old…