Appointed the new Public Service Commissioner for the North West Province, North-West University (NWU) alumnus Advocate Neo Sephhoti is determined to strengthen accountability in the province.

Her appointment was confirmed during a sitting of the North West Provincial Legislature in March where the Speaker, Dr Desbo Mohono, introduced her following a recruitment process conducted by an ad-hoc committee to fill the position that had been vacant for several years.

Governments across the world are turning to digital policing systems to improve crime detection, manage information and respond faster to security threats, but North-West University (NWU) legal expert Advocate Justice Khoza say the expansion of these technologies is raising new questions about privacy, accountability and constitutional rights.

The growing influence of the North-West University (NWU) Soccer Institute in national university sport was underscored this week when institute manager Dr Vuyolwethu Sambo was elected secretary general of University Sport South Africa (USSA) Football, a body responsible for coordinating football competitions across higher-education institutions in the country.

A local government law workshop hosted by the Faculty of Law at the North-West University (NWU) brought together municipal councillors and officials from across the country to strengthen the legal knowledge required for effective service delivery.

The training workshop was organised by the South African Research Chair in Cities, Law and Environmental Sustainability (CLES) in partnership with UN-HABITAT and with support from the National Research Foundation.

With South Africa preparing for the 2026 local government elections, the role of the media in strengthening democracy and drawing in younger voters is under focus as analysts warn that low youth turnout remains a concern for the credibility of the electoral process.

After nearly 16 years in senior leadership at the North-West University (NWU), Prof. Sonia Swanepoel says the growth of the Mahikeng Campus, the development of staff and the relationships built with students, colleagues and the community stand out as defining parts of her time at the institution.

Prof. Swanepoel is preparing for retirement after a period that saw academic expansion, infrastructure development and changes in student life on the campus.

The North-West University (NWU) continues to advance community-engaged scholarship through a compelling historical documentation project led by Dr Mojuta Motlhamme, a History Education lecturer in the Faculty of Education at the Mahikeng Campus.

His work focuses on preserving and sharing the rich heritage of the Barolong boo Ratshidi, a prominent Setswana-speaking community rooted in the Mahikeng region.

Youth entrepreneurship took a significant step forward when the North-West University (NWU) hosting a session aimed at guiding students toward business development resources and funding opportunities.

Organised by the university’s Career Services on 27 February 2026, the event brought together key stakeholders such as the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) and the Small Enterprise Finance Development Agency (SEFDA).

Sport, money, careers and technology were the focus of the “4-in-1” event held at Khayalethu Residence on the North-West University’s (NWU’s) Mahikeng Campus to prepare students for life in and outside the lecture room.

The programme, held on 7 March, started with an aerobics marathon and a five-a-side inter-block soccer tournament.

The formal programme followed, with a financial literacy session and an academic symposium on the NWU’s artificial intelligence (AI) policy.

The Nano Environment Incubation Programme (NanoEnv) team from the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences (FNAS) at the North-West University’s (NWU’s) Mahikeng Campus engaged with the management of the Groot Marico Biosphere Reserve and local stakeholders on 20 February 2026.

The purpose of the engagement was to present scientific findings from integrated water and sediment analyses conducted at previously sampled sites within the Biosphere, and to discuss key physicochemical parameters influencing water quality in the region.