Willie du Plessis

Taken prisoner, isolated from loved ones and incarcerated with thousands of others in lice-infested camps.

This was the reality for many German men living in South Africa and South West Africa during the Second World War, when the government of former Prime Minister Jan Smuts held them in internment camps.

A new donation to the North-West University’s (NWU’s) Library Services focuses on what life was like for these men during their incarceration.

The North-West University (NWU) Council is proud to announce the appointment of alumnus Dr Bismark Tyobeka as its new principal and vice-chancellor.

Dr Tyobeka who is recognised as one of the leading nuclear power experts in the world, will steer the NWU for the next five years, commencing on 1 June 2022. He follows in the footsteps of Prof Dan Kgwadi who left the employment of the NWU at the end of January 2022.

Bertie Jacobs

It is no joke. From 1 April, the North-West University (NWU) will host the 2022 Women's FIH Hockey Junior World Cup at the Astroturf fields in Potchefstroom.

This is the ninth time the event has been presented, and it would have taken place in December, but the Omicron variant of the Covid-19 virus put paid to those plans.

Now, 16 teams comprising the best under-21 hockey players on the planet will come together next to the Mooi River from 1 to 12 April.

They were the twin murders that enraged a community and shocked a nation. On Saturday, 26 May 2018, 19-year-old Xander Bylsma murdered Sharnelle Hough (17) and Marna Engelbrecht (16) in their hostel in the small town of Stella.

The virtues of the style of rugby that the Shimlas have been playing has been extolled from all corners. Pundits praised their enterprising playing style and willingness to run with the ball. A loss against Wits exposed some cracks preventing an impressive win, and then, on Monday, 14 March in Bloemfontein, the NWU Eagles caused a quake with a 32–22 win against the men from the University of the Free State.

The Eagles got off to a rollicking start and led 20–0 after outside centre Tino Swanepoel had dotted down twice. Nivan Petersen slotted two penalties and two conversions.

The North-West University (NWU), in partnership with the Department of Science and Innovation (DSI) and the Technology Innovation Agency (TIA), recently launched the Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API) Plus laboratory.

The project, a joint initiative between government, academia and industry, aims to promote the manufacturing of APIs in South Africa and stimulate the growth of the country's bio-economy.

Researchers from North-West University (NWU) and Universität Duisburg-Essen in Germany have developed an early warning tool for metal pollution in freshwater systems worldwide.

This research achievement is a collaboration between the Water Research Group, the NWU led by Prof Nico Smit and Prof Victor Wepener and the Universität Duisburg-Essen’s Aquatische Ökologie (Aquatic Ecology) Group, led by Prof Bernd Sures and Dr Sonja Zimmerman.

The project is funded by the National Research Foundation and the Federal Ministry of Education and Research.

As part of their community outreach programme, the All Sports Chapter (ASC) and Sports department on the North-West University’s (NWU’s) Mahikeng Campus are reaching out to local schools lacking sports equipment.

The aim of this programme is to give back to the community and to add value to sports development in the Ngaka Modiri Molema region.

It was a Wednesday night and after the rain had yet again pelted down, the playing field at the North-West University’s campus in Vanderbijlpark was soaking wet. And draped in darkness. If it wasn’t bad enough that the elements conspired against the first rugby team of the campus training in acceptable conditions, Eskom had decided to throw its weight behind Mother Nature as well. Loadshedding is a friend of neither coach nor rugby player.

According to Statistics South Africa (Stats SA), approximate 70% of the South African population rely directly on agriculture as a means of living.