A call has gone out to stakeholders in the North West Province to be part of the process of unlocking the economic potential of “matekwane” - the Setswana word for cannabis - for the benefit of rural communities.

By Gofaone Motsamai

When South Africa went into lockdown in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, the economic impact was immediate. Informal traders – those who operate without formal registration or protection – were among the most affected. With no income, no access to trading spaces and limited government support, many were pushed into a state of deep uncertainty.

Music’s power to heal, inspire and connect took centre stage during the inaugural lecture of Prof Conroy Cupido, director of the School of Music at the North-West University (NWU).

Hosted by the Faculty of Humanities at the Potchefstroom Campus on 12 June, the lecture explored the intersection of music, emotion and positive psychology.

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.

In commemoration of History Month, the School of Social Sciences at the Vanderbijlpark Campus of the North-West University (NWU), in collaboration with its community partner, Vaal HiRAI, hosted a poignant community engagement seminar under the theme “Remembering Sharpeville”. Attended by 36 participants, the seminar served as a powerful reflection on the importance of historical memory and the role of public history in community identity.

In the corridors of higher learning, indigenous knowledge systems (IKS) has emerged as a growing academic discipline. But in the job market, its graduates often meet closed doors and puzzled employers. A new study by a recent NWU PhD graduate, Dr Mamello Anna Hlabe uncovers the disconnect between the classroom and the labour market and the consequences for those holding IKS degrees.

“What I wanted to understand was whether the limited job prospects I experienced were unique to me,” says Dr Hlabe. “What I found is that it’s a wider, systemic issue.”

By Mokgothu Phenyo and Motsamai Gofaone

Indigenous knowledge systems (IKS) are receiving growing academic recognition as a valid and valuable body of knowledge. An important factor in this is the contribution of scholars such as Dr Monicca Thulisile Bhuda, an alumnus of the North-West University (NWU).

She has recently co-edited two academic books on IKS, both published by IGI Global, headquartered in the United States, and accredited by the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) in South Africa.

By Gofaone Motsamai

The road from Kagiso, where she sold second-hand clothing under the scorching Gauteng sun, to the lecture halls of North-West University (NWU) was long, bumpy and deeply personal for Dr Salphinah Vuloyimuni Ubisi.

Now a senior lecturer in the subject group Public Administration and Local Government at the NWU, Dr Ubisi’s story began in hardship and determination. “The money generated from selling old clothes became my main source of income and this provided the core finance for my studies.”.

As the African continent marks Africa Month Africa Day on 25 May, a remarkable story of cultural resilience and leadership is unfolding in the North West Province.

Khumo Feni, a graduate from the first cohort of the Bachelor of Indigenous Knowledge Systems (B.IKS) programme at the North-West University (NWU), is taking centre stage in the documentation and preservation of Batswana indigenous knowledge systems (IKS).

By Gofaone Motsamai

Years of study, fieldwork and reflection have culminated in a book that combines experience and policy on a touchy subject in South Africa, housing.

Dr Salphinah Vuloyimuni Ubisi, a lecturer in the subject group Public Administration and Local Government at the North-West University (NWU), described how her work had evolved into a project that reconnected her with her heritage during a seminar on 15 May.