By Gofaone Motsamai and Phenyo Mokgothu
Cannabis is much more than a plant for South Africa’s traditional healers; it is part of a spiritual practice and a tool for healing in our communities, according to five postgraduate students from the North-West University’s (NWU) Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences.
If Khumo Feni, an Indigenous knowledge systems (IKS) PhD candidate and IKS coordinator at the North-West University’s (NWU’s) Mahikeng Campus, has her way, each of the three campuses at the NWU will soon have an Indigenous Games office.
Aimed at promoting indigenous languages, cohesive social structures, and engagement among members of campus communities, the beauty of indigenous games is that they have wide appeal among people of all ages and from all walks of life.
Working and playing together
Dr Mathew Moyo, chief director for Library and Information Services at the North-West University (NWU), has been reappointed as a board member of the National Council for Library and Information Services (NCLIS).
“I am very honoured and grateful for this opportunity,” says Dr Moyo. “It is encouraging to see that one’s contribution to the sector is acknowledged at this level.”
The appointment, which runs for three years until May 2028, was made by the Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture, Gayton McKenzie.
Enigmatic and erratic, bold and belligerent. Floyd Shivambu walks the line between chaos and command like few other South African politicians do, with both his detractors and supporters asking: What is next for Floyd?
As has become the norm, Shivambu has recently evoked the ire of yet another of his political homes – the MK Party (MKP) – when he publicly stated his intentions to investigate the possibility of establishing a new political party.
He is known for setting the highest standards for himself, and now Prof Bismark Tyobeka, principal and vice-chancellor of the North-West University (NWU), has been entrusted with doing the same for the country. As the newly appointed member and chairperson of the South African Bureau of Standards (SABS), he will steer an institution that plays a critical role in setting and upholding South Africa’s national standards.
In a classroom where calculators are shared and pencils run short, a delivery of 70 branded pencil cases from the North-West University (NWU) Botswana Alumni Chapter landed with purpose. These cases containing pens, maths sets and scientific calculators represent the means to bridge more than just academic gaps.
The Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences at the North-West University (NWU) and the Nicolaus Copernicus University (NCU) recently hosted a successful inaugural NWU-NCU Joint Research Seminar. This milestone event represented a significant advancement in the ongoing commitment of the NWU to fostering international research partnerships and promoting its strategic goal of internationalisation.
North-West University (NWU) alumnus Tsholofelo Lejaka has entered the ring as Boxing South Africa’s (BSA’s) new chief executive officer.
Tsholofelo previously served as BSA CEO from 2016 to 2020, and he returned to the organisation in September 2024 as acting accounting officer. His appointment, effective 17 June 2025, follows a comprehensive recruitment process initiated in January 2025 to restore stability within the organisation.
Never underestimate the value of actively participating in student activities while studying. Ntlantla Lucky Kgatlhane, now a senior political reporter at the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC), is testament to that. He started out at the North-West University’s (NWU’s) Mahikeng Campus radio station, writing for the campus newspaper and generating content for the university’s website.
“I would never choose any other university because for me, the NWU is where it all started, where I built the foundation of my career,” he says.
What happens when students begin to wonder if universities are still necessary? This was one of the questions posed by the North-West University’s (NWU’s) Prof Anné Verhoef during a talk for postgraduate students on artificial intelligence (AI).
“AI is changing everything,” said Prof Verhoef, director of the NWU AI Hub and a professor of philosophy. “It is not just about technology. It forces us to ask what makes us human and what skills will matter in the future.”