SMU Celebrates Heritage Day in song, dance, clothing and food

by Lorato | Sep 26, 2022 | All News, SMU Media, Student Media

A society’s heritage, amongst others, provides clues to the past and how our society has evolved. It helps us to examine our history and traditions and enables us develop an awareness about ourselves and to understand and explain who we are.

It is critical to note that heritage should be the subject of active public reflection, debate, and discussion. What is worth saving? What can we, or should we, forget? What memories can we learn from? Indeed, active public discussion about our heritage is a valuable facet of public life in a multicultural and multiracial country such as ours.

It is against this background that on the 23 September 2022, SMU joined the rest of South Africa Heritage Day celebrations. This was indeed a colorful day characterized by the sharing of food from different cultures, songs, dance and an array of colorful clothing from across the African continent and beyond. The SMU students, representing the different residences were in their element, showing off their skills on the dance floor.

The celebrations were underscored by the speech presented by the guest speaker, Dr Lwazi Lushaba; an academic from the University of Cape Town, who spoke on the topic, Heritage, culture and health.

Amongst other things, he indicated that “we might be physically healthy and culturally sick” because cultural health is as important as bodily health. Lushaba further specified that “culture is the be all of heritage because heritage expresses itself in culture”. He concluded by saying that “A living culture, to be able to reproduce itself, it needs a language”.

This was indeed a speech relevant to what SMU is all about!

Newsflash – SMU welcomes new members of management in critical portfolios

by Lorato | Sep 8, 2022 | All News, SMU Media, Student Media

SMU Vice-Chancellor Prof Peter Mbati together with his Executive and Senior Management Team welcomed on board new members o morning 08 September 2022. The new team members are Professor Tandi Matsha-Erasmus (Deputy Vice-Chancellor Academic and Research), Ms Noxolo Tshutsha (Director Supply Chain Management) and Mr Tulani Nkuntse (Director Student Affairs).

Speaking during the occasion, Prof Mbati congratulated the new team members on the appointment to critical management positions and wished them well in their tenure. The Vice-Chancellor thanked all colleagues who acted in the three portfolios before they could be filled. He pointed out that Professor Patrick Demana held the fort of DVC with dedication and efficiency. The VC further thanked Mr. Themba Khumalo who acted as Director Student Affairs for ensuring stability in this portfolio. Ms Tshutsha had previously acted as Director SCM and was applauded for having stabilized the directorate. The VC further emphasized that the Academic and Research portfolio is critical for the University and that everyone at SMU is here to support the academic project and the academics should be made to feel appreciated and supported.

Prof Matsha-Erasmus expressed her appreciation for the warm welcome she received upon arrival at SMU. She described herself as a nice and orderly person who is straightforward, honest and tells the truth as she sees it. She also thanked Prof Demana for his assurance that he will support her until she gets on her feet.

Mr Tulani Nkuntse also mentioned that the SMU family was welcoming when he commenced with his duties and echoed the VC’s sentiments that SMU is a supportive environment. He was excited to be part of the team and optimistic that together will achieve great things for the university.

Ms Tshutsha expressed her gratitude for the opportunity the University gave her to serve in the senior management team.

SRC donates R250 000 to SMU Explosive Talent Project

by Lorato | Jun 9, 2022 | All News, SMU Media, Student Media

A significant part of being a student is the need for a balance between academics and social life. This balance was, evidently, disrupted at the height of covid-19, particularly, during the hard lockdown period. A need, therefore, arises for students to be more creative in how they express themselves in response to the changes necessitated by covid-19.

What better way to cater for them than the provision of a platform through which they can showcase their talents?

It is in this context that, support for the SMU Explosive Talent Project is the SRCs way of showing students that the SMU SRC 2021/22 is “a listening and caring SRC”. This is a project that seeks to improve and better the lives of the students. Against this background, the SRC donated an amount of R250 000 to support the project; thus, ensuring that it is managed without facing financial constraints. This was done under the SRC theme: 2022 the year of revitalizing student life.

It is important to note that SMU Explosive Talent is one of the biggest student events which contributes to students’ life at the university. This is a demonstration that whilst academics are important, there is a need to strike a balance with some fun activities. This, also, remains the biggest contribution that the SRC has ever made towards this event.

“It remains a commitment of the SRC to revive student activities on campus in post-covid 19 hard lockdown period. SMU Explosive Talent is, similar to the Hands of Compassion, a project that the SRC has identified as a contribution towards improving the students’ social and academic wellbeing. We donated this money in order to ensure that the SMU Explosive Talent manages its activities without facing financial constraints. As the SRC, we lead students at a time that requires us to be more creative and innovative to combat all forms of depression experienced by the students during the hard lockdown period,” explains SRC Secretary-General, Daniel Masekwameng.

The SRC opted to support this project given that it presents a perfect alignment with the theme adopted at the beginning of the year. In this regard, the SRC President Philani Mdakane, further indicated that: “We would like to encourage all students, especially, first-year students to participate in this project. This is only the beginning of many initiatives that the SRC is going to initiate to revitalise student life,”

In response, Project Manager of SMU Explosive Talent, Sipho Mapfumari, said that “SMU’s Explosive Talent project is back to show you the greatest talent at SMU. We would like to thank the 2021/2022 SMU SRC for this generous donation to help us bring back this student event. This is the biggest contribution that we have ever received from an SRC. It is encouraging to see an SRC that is invested in servicing students. Words cannot begin to express how appreciative we are of this contribution. We are back and we will give the SMU community the best show we possibly can. We promise to give a full account of every cent that we have received. Thank you once again to the SRC”, he concluded.