Language traverses borders. It connects us, inspires us, educates us and enriches us. It is the fundamental tool that allows us to connect with each other. And, in a diverse, multilingual society, the more we appreciate each other’s native language, the fewer boundaries there will be between us.

It is very encouraging that the latest much-better-than-expected gross domestic product (GDP) figures for the first quarter of 2022 show a further strong recovery in the economy following the economic setbacks of the Covid-19 lockdowns and the widespread civil unrest of July 2021.

Prof Raymond Parsons, economist from the Business School of the North-West University (NWU), says the figures that were announced on 7 June 2022 reinforce the 4,9% GDP growth recorded for 2021 as a whole, after the negative -6,4% growth experienced in the previous year.

 Ontiretse Motingwa

The North-West University (NWU) celebrated Africa Day across all three its campuses on 26 and 27 May 2022.

This year the Africa Day theme was “The Year of Nutrition - Strengthening resilience in nutrition and food security on the African continent”.

 “Master”. That is a title few can lay claim to. Best of the best. That is when a profession becomes a calling and is then developed into an art. Terseus Liebenberg definitely falls into this category.

Over more than three decades his knowledge and skill have taken athletes with talent and transformed them into global stars.  

In the recent 2021–2022 SA Athletics Annual, a publication of the SA Athletics Statisticians (SAAS), Liebenberg was named the top coach of the readmission era by the executive committee of the sports body.

Three years and 21 games. That is how long the senior team of the North-West University (NWU) (this is now not the Varsity Cup team) has been undefeated.

On Saturday afternoon in Potchefstroom the NWU beat a star-studded Wits by 37–19 to remain undefeated in this, their eighth victory of 2022 in this year’s Predator Competition.

The second team won by 21–7, the third team by 64–12, the under 21s by 45–35 and the under 19s by 43–0.

It is clear that the NWU’s senior team has found a dream partnership in coaches Burger van der Westhuizen and Leon Boshoff.

During the month of May, then acting vice-chancellor Prof Linda du Plessis hosted multi-campus events to thank the frontline staff members for working hard during the registration period amidst Covid-19 challenges.

The numbers speak for themselves: a vast number of women in South Africa are living in danger. According to a study by Statistics South Africa, one in five (21%) women with partners has experienced physical violence by a partner in their lifetime, and 6% have experienced sexual violence. The prevalence of physical violence is the highest among women in the Eastern Cape, while the North West province has the highest rate of women who have experienced sexual violence (11,8%).

The battle against the scourge of fraud and corruption plaguing South Africa is raging and the country needs a brave new generation of forensic accountants ― of whom there is currently a dire shortage ― if it wants to win the fight.

Disadvantaged youth are at the forefront of the push against corruption through a new partnership that will address the shortage of forensic accountants. The partners are the NWU, the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) and the Thuthuka Education Upliftment Fund (TEUF) of the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA).

 “Cleaning house!” laughs Cornelle Leach with a sigh. Her tongue is firmly in her cheek and barely a word she utters is true. Because that is definitely not all the 23-year-old has kept herself busy with since she received her honours degree in Tourism Management at the North-West University (NWU) on 1 April. On the contrary, she was BUSY.

You will need both hands for this. Ten – count them – ten North-West University (NWU) Eagles from the NWU’s athletics club have been included in the South African team that will compete in the CAA Africa Championships that will be held in Mauritius from 8 to 12 June.

 That is excluding long-distance runner Elroy Gelant, who is a staff member of the NWU, but not a member of the athletics club.

In all, 89 South African athletes will compete on the island in the Indian Ocean, the largest contingent from the Republic yet.