Professor Mayekiso said women must deepen reflections as they learn from each other. “Our theme for this year, Dare to Inspire, directs our minds to realize that as women, nothing results from not trying. Our theme last year was Engender Resilience, and the women of UMP have been amazing in showing their resilience during the most trying of times.”

She further urged the continued celebration of the women who marched to Pretoria in 1956, that we let their courage and resilience inspire us to inspire others.  

“They did not fold their hands and watch it happen. We need to reflect and ask ourselves: Who are we inspiring? At UMP we place a very high value on inspiration because it encourages those around us to do more and be more. It allows us to excel and distinguish ourselves from the rest. When we expand ourselves and go the extra mile, we inspire others to do the same. 

“We need to break the chains or we will never be free. We need to reclaim our space and reimagine our future,” she said. 

In her keynote address Prof Mzikazi Nduna said small gatherings and meetings provide women with an opportunity to learn from each other and to share their hopes and desires. 

“It was on this day all that time ago that women affirmed to each other that they - as women - were capable of changing the world. They came together and sang joyously, they shared their strengths and took up their collective struggle.  

Despite our troubled race and gender relations and the many other layers of power that we confront in our societies, we are here today because working-class women played a major role in changing the conditions of the time. I would like us not to forget that it is not easy sometimes when we have to celebrated what happened in the past and not remember the gist of the day. 

“The gist of the day is so that you and I don't have to play a part today and not walk around like the past because we were deemed not fit to exist. Today you can walk around town and you don't need to prove why you are here and we must celebrate that achievement. 

Vice-Chancellor, Professor Thoko Mayekiso.

Courageous to lead 
Here today the vice-chancellor mentioned that for about five years, she was the only female. And the only woman in the MANCO.  

“Imagine what that means, if you are the only female body, and the body itself in a space of men says a lot. It is up to you, the person wearing the cap, when you walk into this space daily, always being confronted by people who are different from you.  

There is such comfort in seeing a body in a meeting, a body that looks like yours. There are certain things as a female-bodied person you will understand, not only because we are females but because we are defined by society as women. And there are certain things about being a woman that men do not understand and will never understand. I don't want to waste your time expecting that men will understand what it means to be a woman in this society.”

Prof Nduna further mentions that the there are many things that we can fight. "That's the last thing that I believe we need to fight so men understand what it means to be a woman in our society."

Prof Nduna adds: “Today I am inspired by Professor Thoko Mayekiso who for five years had the courage to sit in meetings with men. Even those women of 1956 had the courage to organise,  the courage to face injustice and the courage to confront the pillars of gender and racial injustice. I would like us to continue that fight today, tomorrow and until gender justice has been served in this country.”

 Speakers Professor Mayekiso and  Professor Nduna joined by Professor Lukhele-Olorunju.

The balancing act
She continues: “We know that women today are free to work outside their homes yet they are still largely employed in private homes. I read about labour patterns and when you read you will see something quite disturbing. So many women start school and finish their achievements, and more women go to university and graduate than men.” 

But when you look in the labour sector you will see that there are more men than women. Where did all the women go, they are educated? What we see in the labour sector is that for women you have to be over-educated to get an entry level job, and you have to be over-educated to maintain yourself in the world of labour. What we see is that lesser qualified men enjoyed much better paid positions than highly educated women. 

We are an institution of higher learning and it is an insult to us to keep on graduating women who are not going to be able to compete in higher levels with men. If we are graduating them with the hopes that they will get an equal opportunity with men we have another thing coming because that is not the case. 

There are women who have the privilege of getting a job in South Africa today. And some women are not so privileged. And yet those who do get the jobs are constituted to low-paying positions, being exploited even by other women, and those women look up to us. 

I need you to remember that you who work at the University of Mpumalanga were able to break the chains that women, particularly black women, were only good at being domestic workers. 

The fact that you are here today means that you are very daring, you are a risk-takers, you are a trailblazers, you are courageous and many women look up to you. 

Do not underestimate your CV. Do not hold yourself back - push yourself up for that promotion. You must get promoted. You need the money, you need the status and before you become nice to other people you should work on yourself. When we dare to inspire we know that we have the support of other women.”

@ Story by Cleopatra Makhaga. Pictures @ChrisplPhoto.

Though gender transformation is not occurring at the pace it should be, UMP is making great strides towards ensuring equality and equal representation in its ranks. By looking at how these formidable women rose to the top, it is clear to see that they have each earned every step on the steep ladders they have had to climb.

UMP is one of the few South African universities that has a female Vice-Chancellor, Professor Thoko Mayekiso, and only last month the honourable Justice Mandisa Maya succeeded His Excellency President Cyril Ramaphosa as the Chancellor. 

 Justice Maya who is also the President of the Supreme Court of Appeal of South Africa (SCA) and the first woman in South Africa to hold the positions of Deputy President and President of the SCA. She is a member of the South African Judicial Service Commission, and a member and adjudicator of the National Bar Examination Board and as well as the chairperson of its Appeal Tribunal.

Justice Maya is the current President of South African Chapter of the International Association of Women Judges (SAC-IAWJ) and has been awarded three Doctor of Laws (Honoris Causa) degrees by Nelson Mandela University, Walter Sisulu University and University of Fort Hare for her contribution to the development of South Africa’s jurisprudence as well as the empowerment of women in the legal profession and in the judiciary.

In addition, the university recently appointed Professor Shirley Mthethwa Sommers as Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Teaching and Learning, Dr Loshni Govender as Executive Director Human Resources and Professor Hilda Israel as the Dean for the Faculty of Education. While Professor Phindile Lukhele-Olorunju is heading research and ensuring that the university meets its research mandate and goals. 

Vice-Chancellor Professor Thoko Mayekiso

As a Founding Vice-Chancellor, Professor Mayekiso had the privilege of pioneering the trajectory the University would follow. A qualified clinical psychologist, Professor Mayekiso is also the Chairperson of the Research and Innovation Strategy Group (RISG) from 2019 to 2022. Her role as chair of RISG is to seek funding for research and innovation, research infrastructure, internationalization, capacity development for the purposes of transformation and inter-institutional collaborations.

Professor Mayekiso is passionate about youth development and education. She has a track record both as a researcher and a mentor especially in the areas of HIV and AIDS, poverty, adolescent adjustment problems and child abuse and neglect. 

Furthermore, she has written a number of articles in accredited journals nationally and internationally, presented papers at national and international conferences, and contributed to the writing of book chapters. She is a C3 rated scientist by the National Research Foundation

Throughout her sterling career, she has held positions in high esteem institutions: Senior Lecturer, Associate Professor, Professor, Head of Department, Vice Dean and more.  

Professor Mayekiso obtained a BA, BA Honours, and MA in Psychology, from the University of Fort Hare. She furthered her studies at the Free University Berlin, in Germany, where she obtained her D Phil (cum laude) in Psychology. She also holds a Higher Education Diploma (post-graduate) from the University of South Africa. She is a registered Clinical Psychologist with the Health Professions Council of South Africa.

Professor Shirley Sommers is the Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Teaching and Learning, University of Mpumalanga.

Recently appointed Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Teaching and Learning, Professor Shirley Sommers, is passionate about social justice education, particularly the issues of access and success of students from economically marginalised backgrounds. She has more than 20 years in academia, rising through the ranks from Assistant Professor to a tenured full Professor in Education.

She has held several leadership and pioneering positions such as being the founding director of the Centre for Urban Education in upstate New York, USA, where she built capacity for preservice and in-service teachers to educate students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds using culturally responsive and social justice education methodologies.

Professor Sommers was also the founding Director of the Institute for Pluralism at the same institution. The institute attended to the development of an equitable and inclusive campus in terms of race, gender, gender identity, social class and sexuality. Her other academic experiences include leadership positions, academic staff development and service-learning. She is a long-term editorial board member of Agenda: Feminist Media, and the Program Chair of the American Educational Research Association’s Service Learning and Experiential Education SIG.

Driving Employee Engagement and Innovation is Dr Loshni Govender: Executive Director of Human Resources at UMP.

Enhancing developmental opportunities and driving employee innovation is the responsibility of Dr Loshni Govender, the Executive Director of the Human Resource at UMP. She has extensive senior management experience in the higher education sector and has turned around  institutions such as Rhodes University.

Her portfolios have covered various human resources functions, including overall leadership of the human resources function, organisational development, talent management, organisational wellness, training and development, remuneration and benefits as well as training and development. 

She holds a BA, BA (Hons) in Industrial Psychology, Postgraduate Certificate in Education, Postgraduate Certificate in Management, Postgraduate Certificate in Labour Law, Masters in Education from the University of Western Cape and a PhD from Stellenbosch University. Her PhD led to the development of a human resources model for South Africa.

Dr Govender has contributed to the development of HR practitioners in higher education through curriculum design and facilitation of the capacity development programmes for HR professionals in the sectors. 

 Professor Phindile Lukhele-Olorunju is the Director: Research Management at the University of Mpumalanga.

The University of Mpumalanga has a Strategic Plan for 2015-2022 to create and support an environment that fosters research quality and productivity; to develop and sustain the research capacity of staff and students and; to conduct research that contributes to local, regional, national and global sustainability. 

As Director: Research Management at the University of Mpumalanga, Professor Phindile Lukhele-Olorunju, has the big task of ensuring that the university meets its strategic goals, which among others includes increasing the number of National Research Foundation (NRF) rated researchers at the institution. 

Professor Lukhele-Olorunju’s career has seen her in many executive roles, including being a Plant breeder at the Institute for Agricultural Research (IAR) at Ahmadu Bello University, Nigeria; Group Executive at the Agricultural Research Council (ARC) of South Africa; Director: Research and Innovation and Interim Chief Executive Officer at the Africa Institute of South Africa (AISA).  As an educator, she has graduated a number of international students at BSc, MSc and PhD levels.

In her managerial capacity, she has managed three Research Institutes as Group Executive in the ARC; headed up research development as Director Research and Innovation in the University of Venda. In 2011, she was a finalist in the Shoprite Checkers Women of the Year Awards for her role in mentoring and educating women farmers. Her other experiences include international consulting, management of international agricultural projects, collaborative research projects, and the World Bank.

Professor Lukhele-Olorunju is known among her peers as a God-fearing woman, a mentor, straight-talker and focused on the growth of those around her and the organisations she’s been involved in. Her career speaks for itself, and is an example that women can and should thrive regardless of their environment.

Professor Hilda Israel is the Dean of Faculty of Education in Siyabuswa Campus.

Professor Hilda Israel is the Dean of the Faculty of Education in Siyabuswa campus. She completed her BA, BA (Hon) and UHDE at UKZN, followed by the B Ed at Unisa. As a Fulbright Scholar at Baylor University, Texas, she completed the Master of Science in Education and Doctor of Education. Prof Israel has since added many professional development qualifications to her profile, including Management Skills for 21st Century Leaders, International Developments in Doctoral Education & Training (Scotland) and Supervision of the Post-Graduate Student. She was one of six South African women chosen to complete the Higher Education Research Support (HERS) Programme for Women Managers in Higher Education (Philadelphia, USA).

Professor Israel has delivered research papers at national and international conferences on Teaching Methodologies, Multilingualism, Africanisation of the Curriculum, Sociolinguistics, Educational Assessment, Translation & Interpreting as Educational Tools, and Cross-Disciplinary Studies. She has successfully managed international projects on Applied Language Studies, including the training of translators in African Languages.

Most recently, she has researched and compiled manuals on Educational Leadership and Management for South African educators enrolling for Post-Graduate Programmes. Prof Israel tries to ensure that her teaching content is relevant for society today, addressing topics such as social justice, inequality, HIV-Aids, unemployment, global warming, ethics, gender studies and the impact of technology on the community.

UMP is incredibly proud and honoured to have these formidable women leading the way and directing the university towards a future where females are allowed to climb the corporate ladder with more ease and understanding and less obstacles. Though there is still much to be done in terms of gender transformation not only in the workplace but in society as a whole, we are certainly moving in the right direction.

@ Story by the University of Mpumalanga Communications Division Pictures Supplied.

Speakers included female leaders: UMP Vice-Chancellor Professor Thoko Mayekiso, SRC President Carol Magagula and MEC for Public Works in Mpumalanga Mohita Latchminarain.  

Magagula praised the 1956 group of over 20 000 women for being a beacon of hope and paving the way for generations to come. Speaking of Charlotte Maxeke in particular, she said: “It had not been expected that a young girl from a modest background could conquer the world in the way that this heroine did. If we are to seriously safeguard her legacy, it should be that of someone who valued education, not only for herself but for her people, as well as the people of the world.”

Vice-Chancellor Professor Mayekiso added that women of 1956 were fearless, determined and brave enough to take a stand.

“Their resilience, tenacity and courage show us how to move forward in these challenging times. As we draw inspiration from them, we need to do introspection and ask ourselves the following questions. Who are we continuing to inspire in our spheres of influence, and beyond, are we, ourselves, inspired?

“At UMP we value the type of inspiration that allows and encourages others to be more and do more. We value the importance of positive behaviour, providing psychological nurturance, building self-esteem, and encouraging the development of what Angela Duckworth calls mental toughness. All these qualities should inform our strive towards excellence, to provide an optimal environment for our female students to self-actualize and become the best they can be.”

Latchminarain added that women today have all the necessary resources to improve their wellbeing and socio-economic conditions while building a country that is sustainable. She encouraged women to make it their mission to prioritize the rights of others, children and people with disabilities.

"We must work tirelessly to reduce discrimination and end violence against women and children – not forgetting the previously disadvantaged.,” she said.

MEC for Public Works in Mpumalanga Mohita Latchminarain.  

Never stop to help each other rise

The Vice-Chancellor continued that women cannot inspire others when they are not inspired. “We still need to ensure that women and children have freedom and feel amazing about themselves. We need to break the chains, otherwise girls and women will not be free. Equality, justice and fairness should continue to guide our efforts. As women, we can always be stronger and more inspirational. We need to claim our space and reimagine our future,” she said. “Maya Angelou reminds us that each time a woman stands up for herself, she stands up for all women!”

Magagula added that too many women bask in the glory of being “the first” and “the only black”, as though if they were to take others with them, there would be a resultant material loss or reduced personal status.

“Such was never the case with uMama Charlotte Maxeke who once chided her audience in one of her many public addresses: This work is not for yourselves. Kill that spirit of self and do not live above your people but live with them, and if you rise, bring someone with you.”

In helping more women rise, Latchminarain added that the government has set up a special initiative to protect and promote women's leadership and representation across society. "We are mobilizing local support for projects that promote increased opportunities for women and girls in decision making across political and economic spheres," she said. 

SRC President Carol Magagula.

Keep dreaming, keep fighting!

In closing Professor Mayekiso reminded attendees of the importance of cheering for fellow females and allowing them to realise their dreams, and to dream along with them. She added how important it was for women to stand together to ensure an equal future for all.

“We have to encourage our female students to follow their dreams. Dreams are important because they allow us to embark on a serious journey. We may struggle to see potential in ourselves because we don't look beyond our current circumstances, but with a dream, we begin to see ourselves in a new light, and as having far greater potential than we could ever imagine," she continued.

"Humans draw inspiration from other humans, especially those who accept and distinguish themselves from others. Those of us who are privileged to lead should realize that when we excel at what we do and go the extra mile, will inspire others. The element of extraordinary should never elude us as we mentor and coach others."

Magagula added: Just as the women of 1956 fought against the injustices of their time, the women of today are engaged in a new frontier of struggle. “It is a struggle for equal rights, dignity, economic liberation and freedom from violence. Women have always been instrumental in the advancement of the human cause. They have played a crucial role in the struggle for freedom, justice and equality. And yet it is women who always bear the brunt of inequality, discrimination, marginalisation, poverty and violence. By working together, by refusing to submit, we will achieve true gender equality in our lifetime.”

In closing Latchminarain said that positions of power should be used to empower others so that they too can get into the space. "We should not see a woman succeeding as a threat but rather as a sister who can support you along the way."

@ Story by Cleopatra Makhaga. Pictures ChrisplPhoto.

Gender inequality remains persistent in all aspects of the education systems, workplace policies, processes and practices. Although women are gradually breaking out of their traditional to non-traditional and previously male-oriented careers, the absence of women in high and strategic positions in HEIs is a major concern.  

Much research show that the majority of female academics are concentrated in lower levels of employment and in traditionally female fields such as education, social sciences and health. There are multi-dimensional barriers experienced by female academics as they negotiate upward mobility within the academic fraternity. Some of the challenges faced by female academics in HEIs include: 

1. Gender stereotypes and glass ceilings 
Cultural values, gender stereotypes and bias continue have a huge bearing on women’s challenges at the workplace. The most commonly cited is the association of leadership and management with maleness. Empirical studies, especially in South Africa, note the widely held perception of ‘think leadership think male’ which continues to disadvantage women at the workplace, including HEIs.

These have created bias against women selection or promotion to senior executive positions and the professoriate. Moreover, such a view appears to be stronger among black than white male South Africans.  In the same vein, the initial appointment of women to lower classification levels puts them at a structural disadvantage by increasing the time needed to ascend academic ladders and by reducing their access to influential committees and senior researchers with whom they might network and collaborate. 

2. Masculine organisational culture and women’s lack of self-confidence
One of the greatest obstacles to women advancement in Higher Education Institutions is lack of self-esteem and confidence. Some women seem to have less self-belief in their own capabilities than men do. The lack of self-esteem and confidence may be attributed to a patriarchal nature of the society and institutions that promotes male dominance and authority.

HEIs as institutions that are embedded in the larger societies reflect such bias. Women find it difficult to function optimally in an environment that alienates them. To this effect women are faced with the challenge of lack of leadership confidence. Women experience lower leadership confidence or leadership self-efficacy than men, despite having similar education and work experience with their male colleagues. This seems to pose an obstacle to their career advancement.  Women who tend to make it in higher leadership positions are disliked as well as being labelled unfeminine by both men and women.

3. The promotion criteria 
Research demonstrated that women are located in lower positions due to the fact that they lack institutional support, their gender needs and interests are disregarded when it comes to decisions made on promotion. For this reason most women find it difficult to meet the criteria for promotion in order to propel their career mobility. This has been attributed to the patriarchal organisational culture embedded in institutional policies. The situation is also reflected in the promotion criteria.  

Most institutions have promotional policies that spell out the criteria for promotion staff members, however, these appear to be gender-neutral and offer equal opportunities despite the disadvantages women are faced with regards to their career mobility.  Equity measures such as Affirmative Action, which have been developed to level the playing field, are not necessarily considered.

Women are entering the academia in greater numbers, however, their promotion occurs at a much slower in comparison to men. To this effect women are clustered at the lower ranks of the academic positions. The gender gap widen from the senior lecturer to the full professoriate levels. Research and publication are considered to be key criterion to the promotion to those levels.

Promotion decisions are based mainly on research productivity and publications to which men are often the ‘gate-keepers’. In addition, men usually have more access to research and publishing networks and also receive spousal support which assists them to focus on their research and subsequently to get better promotional prospects than women.  In addition, the long-standing gendered division of academic labour that sees women more concentrated in teaching activities while men are focussing on doing research.

Research shows that most of those women who happen to succeed to higher positions, experience more constraints and less support than when they held lower-level positions resulting in both exhaustion and still feeling stuck. 

4. Masculine oriented organisational culture and work-family conflict
The research reveals that universities continue to be rigidly masculine oriented spaces. Women struggle to thrive within such environment.  Women are overburdened with roles that are mainly pertaining to family and childcare which seem to hold them back realising the potential at work especially in HEIs.  

Literature shows that to be competent one has to be able to focus and meet all demands of being an ‘ideal academic’, the ability to do research and writing for publications, teach and supervise research students, and be involved in community outreach. This way femininity is undesired on the basis that women have other responsibilities outside the workplace which compete with their paid work, therefore making it difficult for them to immerse themselves in their work. Against this backdrop women are said to lack competency. This is said to be the attributing factor that binds women to lower positions.  

FINDING VIABLE SOLUTIONS 
Universities as advocates of social justice are expected to lead gender transformation. However, universities reflect the larger societal culture within which they are embedded. The patriarchal and masculine culture within these institutions, consciously or unconsciously, shapes the challenges women experience in higher education institutions. The following solutions are recommended to correct gender imbalances and unequal gender relations.

Development of a Gender Policy: The University needs to develop a gender policy that would provide a framework to institutionalize or mainstream gender in all areas of the functioning and systems of the University. This includes the overhaul and reorientation of all policies, programmes, projects, processes, procedures and practices, to incorporate gender starting from the planning stage of these. Among others, policies such as staff development, mentoring, research and publication and HR policies such as recruitment and selection policies should be among those within which gender should be incorporated.

Family-friendly Environment: The responsibility lies on the institution to create environment and policies that are supportive of women’s attempts to combine career and family. Institutions should address the needs of those with childcare and other family responsibilities, especially female staff members who are mothers.

To this effect, adequate family-friendly policies should be adopted and those which are already in place such as the Employment Equity Act and Basic Conditions of Employment Act would need to be strengthened to respond to the real needs of women. HEIs and the workplace in general should introduce child-care facilities such as, a nursery, a crèche and breastfeeding rooms (or enhance where there are already such facilities). 

Easing of the Promotion Criteria for female academics: The institution should consider differentiating the promotion criteria between men and women, women should be given special treatment considering the fact that they have other responsibilities which most men do not necessarily have. The University should be able to offer extra support female academics to attain PhDs as this will assist increase their chances of being promoted.

Relief from excessive teaching Load: Female lecturers should be relieved from excessive teaching loads to give them room for research and publications as a way to assist them to realise career mobility.

Extra support in Research: There should be extra support when it comes to women, capacity building and role models should be made available to support women to be involved more in research and encourage or motivate them in doing PhDs. Scholarships should be available and also take into consideration that women have needs. 

Women in Leadership: Women in leadership should be seen to be doing things differently:  promoting the culture of inclusion, represent the needs of other women; mentor those in lower position, mobilize collective action toward a common good, challenge established patriarchal and hierarchal styles of leadership, redefine power relations and take risks of advancing the transformation and reconstruction agendas. 

@ Picture Supplied.

The book, The Transformation of the Dead Girl, outlines the importance of raising children in a healthy home environment. It looks into the life of Sophie, a young girl growing up in a broken family with an abusive father and how this affects her emotionally.

“When I wrote about gender-based violence, I wanted to show readers that they need not feel alone, and that keeping quiet hardly ever solves anything. My aim was to break the tradition of remaining silent, and address the stigma attached to gender-based violence,” she says.

“I also wanted to highlight the devastating ripple effect caused by GBV. When children see violence in their home environment, it is normalised to an extent, and then often passed down to the next generation. This causes great mental and physical damage. The cycle often gets repeated, and we ultimately create a very ill society." 

Dlamini says through the book she wanted her readers to understand how teenagers deal with the situations that emanate from GBV, which more often than not, lead to depression, anxiety and feelings of hopelessness that may cause suicidal thoughts,” she continues.

“Sadly, we’re not taught how to deal with such matters as we grow up, not being able to tell the difference between love, manipulation, and infatuation. Which is why, most of the time, we find ourselves in loveless and toxic relationships, not being able to trust people, living in a world full of fear, and raising kids in a very unhealthy environment," she says.

Inspired by positive change

Dlamini, an only child, says her community and especially the youth inspired her to pursue the book. “They gave me the drive and will to be brave and not allow fear to stand in my way because this novel might save someone’s life. I would like us to come together to fight the societal ills we are facing every day. I hope one day this book will be made into a movie so that it can reach thousands of people,” she continues.

“It is important to surround yourself with positive people and to be able to learn from your mistakes – which is one of the core messages in my book. You will meet various characters to whom you can relate; you can join them on their journey through my story and in the end their teachings will remain with you forever.”

Besides writing a book Dlamini also has a podcast channel: Hidden Desires, where she discusses untold stories of life. 

“In addition to that, I run a small organization called 21 Smiles, which donates 21 school uniforms to those in need. I’ve also just joined Book Hive, an organisation through which I tell young learners about the importance of reading books and having libraries in schools and communities. It is still my dream and goal to see people changing for the better, to see people who have gone through hardships get back up and be the best version of themselves.”

The book is available on Amazon, Google Play Books and Wattpad, or can be ordered directly at: lungelhledlamn@gmail.com

@ Story by Cleopatra Makhaga. Pictures Supplied.

The UMP lecturer found that the colourful Ndebele art made famous by women such as Esther Mahlangu uses symmetrical geometry in their artefacts. They are responsible for cultural expression and construct artefacts using ethno mathematics, which is a relationship between culture and mathematics.

“In African societies there are mathematical ideas and concepts that have cultural purposes. Within the Ndebele society, beadwork and mural art reflect symmetrical geometry,” she says.

Bhuda’s study counters the belief that Africa was in the Stone Age before colonization and that in our early civilization mathematics and science were alive and well. She feels it is time for African people to document their own knowledge and correct the misinterpretation of African history.

To conduct the study, Bhuda used African indigenous philosophies to underpin and enable her to use an indigenous lens and understand the indigenous knowledge of the Ndebele people. Different methods were used to collect data to capture the knowledge of Ndebele people, depending on the research interest.

“Currently, my study focuses on Ndebele mathematics and its origin. As a Southern Ndebele born woman, researching about people gives me hope for the future. I understand that it is my duty to document this knowledge and share it with the younger generation,” she says.

Bhuda says her research acknowledges the contribution of African women in culture expression, preservation, promotion and dissemination. The research acknowledges that women are gatekeepers of most culture expressions and they are responsible to share knowledge from one generation to the next.

Women leading the way

Ndebele beadwork and mural art are constructed using symmetrical geometry and Ndebele women understand mathematics. Bhuda found that this knowledge has a historic and cosmic origin, which are things that have been ignored or misinterpreted in the past. 

“The mathematical knowledge existed before even the 16th century but was not formally documented, according to oral information. After these discoveries, I was interested to know more about the role of women in other African nations and why such tasks are given to them as the main gatekeepers.”

African people have contributed to modern science and technology known today. For instance, the Ifa divination from Nigeria uses the Binary System, which is found in modern computers.

“This shows that African people have early history of civilization, which was not recorded by them. This knowledge needs to be implemented in schools and children need to have a curriculum that integrates their indigenous knowledge so that they can relate it to their cultural background.”

In addition to her research, the Culture and Heritage lecturer recently published her first children’s book earlier this year. With a very keen interest in the Ndebele, the book: Kwekwezi’s Cultural Mural Art (English) and Umgwalo Wobukghwari baka Kwekwezi (IsiNdebele) came about when she was doing her PhD research on Ndebele mathematics.

@ Story by Lisa Thabethe. Pictures Supplied.

In an effort to nurture this value, the UMP Gender Forum has initiated ongoing Gender and LGBTQIA+ awareness campaigns, debates, discussions, and dialogues. In doing so, the Forum strives to create safer spaces for the diverse student and staff population, in light of the ongoing scourge of gender-based violence in our country, including universities.

The Gender Forum embodies all ideals and aspirations for an all-inclusive, non-racial, non-sexist, transformed and democratic society. Through these strides, the university provides an opportunity for self-actualisation and fosters the holistic development of students.

This month the university and the Gender Forum hosted the 4th annual creating safe space symposium with the purpose to educate and raise awareness around gender and mostly the stigma and other issues around LGBTQIA+.

Speakers included Abi Muleya, a PhD candidate from the University of Venda, who pointed to the persistence of sticky floors and invisible glass ceilings experienced by women in higher education institutions (HEIs).

"Indeed there is serious under-representation of especially black female academics in HEIs. This indicates that there is currently an overwhelming body of evidence that shows and suggests that women are still struggling to climb the academic ladder, particularly when it comes to meeting the criteria for promotion. Younger black academics lack role models to look up to and motivate them," she said.

Muleya also mentioned that female lecturers are faced with heavy teaching loads and have other demands, such as family that compete with work demands, which hold them back from achieving their potential.

"The main consideration for promotion in academia is research and publication and that women seem to struggle to engage in these based on lack of networks and mentorship, over and above child and family responsibilities and heavy teaching loads. There is thus a great need for institutional support, mentoring and academic networks to assist black female academics to achieve their potential."

Another speaker, Smakaleng Mothapo, a transgender woman, entrepreneur, sociopreneur and LGBTQIA+ activist highlighted her experience as a transgendered woman, alluding to the multiple/multifaceted challenges faced by gender non-conforming persons in communities as well as in HEIs, based on their sexuality and/or sexual orientation. She related her experience of being forced by her family and community to conform to the heteronormative and heterosexual ideals, which led to her two attempted suicides.

She thereafter related her challenges pertaining to her transitioning from male to a female. Sma’s presentation was a very important and courageous one, especially during a time when communities all over are experiencing horrendous homophobic attacks and even murders.

Prof Mzikazi Nduna, an esteemed South African academic with extensive experience as an educator, trainer and advocate of sexual and reproductive health and rights echoed both Muleya’s and Mothapo’s messages. She suggested that issues of transformation, particularly gender and transgender, tend to be taken as ‘soft issues’ and shows lack of commitment in the way they are handled. 

Prof Nduna specified that women are not asking for special treatment but for their needs to be considered in HEIs. She pointed out that HEIs were developed to meet the needs of men, therefore, there is a need to re-orient them to consider women’s needs as well. She emphasized that women have reproductive roles to fulfil within the realm of the family and these need to be taken into consideration by the workplace and HEIs.

She also mentioned the stereotype that LGBTQIA+ is unAfrican as violent and homophobic. She recommended the need for HEIs to challenge heteropatriarchy and heteropatriarchal structures.

"We can, however, be proud to say that UMP does not fit the stereotypical mould. We are fortunate in that women enjoy top levels of employment and that we have a Gender Forum expressly committed to advancing the needs and interests of the under-represented and marginalised. We do have black females who have managed to successfully navigate the sticky floors to smash through the glass ceilings." 

"UMP is one of the very few universities that has challenged patriarchal and masculine oriented work culture. It has managed to defy the prevailing ‘think leadership think male’ belief and, as such, employs formidable women in top positions. From a black female Vice-Chancellor, to the first black female Deputy Vice-Chancellor, a female dean, the first female director in HR, a female HOS, a black female library director, a female housing director and of course now also a female chancellor. There is certainly no shortage of black female leaders to whom we can look up to, learn and draw inspiration from."

@ Coordinated by UMP Gender Forum Chairperson, Dr Nonzwakazi Maqubela. Picture Supplied.

Dr Shabalala's research interests include mine water treatment, water quality monitoring and wastewater treatment. She has worked on various research projects including surface and groundwater sampling and monitoring, acid mine drainage treatment; socio-economic impacts of mine closure; heavy metal contamination, and health risks of soils and vegetables grown near mining areas.

The thesis for her PhD produced four published research articles and three conference presentations. Dr Shabalala tells us more about how her study will contribute to the reduction of environmental problems related to mine effluent discharge. 

What prompted your thesis?

The production of Acid Mine Drainage (AMD) usually contains high concentrations of metals, sulphates, salts, and radioactive materials which, if left untreated, can contaminate ground and surface watercourses, damaging the health of plants, humans, wildlife, and aquatic species.

Traditionally, the treatment of AMD consists of its neutralization with limestone or similar materials. However, the high cost of AMD remediation has resulted in the search for alternative liming substitutes which are low cost, readily available, and easily regenerated. My thesis seeks to provide a solution to these challenges through the investigation of a pervious concrete permeable reactive barrier (PRB) as an alternative treatment method for acidic mine water.

The research was aimed at showing that pervious concrete can be effective in treating acidic mine water by efficiently removing undesirable contaminants in the polluted water. Upon treatment, the mine water would meet the water quality standards for discharge of effluents to the environment and can be re-used without causing adverse impacts on the environment.

The applicability of pervious concrete reactive barrier treatment technology in South Africa has not been developed and is not well understood, therefore the findings of this study contribute to significant advances in understanding of the methods and potential application of concrete PRBs. The knowledge gained could be used to inform policy and decision making in responding to the AMD threat and to influence legislations affecting waste management.

What do your research findings mean?

My findings demonstrate that the use of pervious concrete offers a promising alternative method for the treatment of polluted or acidic mine water. The versatility of pervious concrete is anticipated to generate potential remedial measures that not only clean-up contaminated water and soils but also provide the technology for reclamation of disused land due to mining.

The study provides the scientific basis for innovative use of pervious concrete technology, towards reducing water stress and supporting irrigated agriculture. Mine water reuse can be a viable source of agricultural water supply that could contribute to the conservation of water resources and to reduction of environmental problems related to effluent discharge into water bodies.

Pervious concrete permeable reactive barrier system is a potentially novel and effective AMD treatment system. Concrete is a predominant construction material. Its cost-effectiveness may be exploited to provide economic treatment of AMD.

How will your research help to combat water scarcity in South Africa?

Mine water treated with pervious concrete can be a viable source of agricultural water supply that could contribute to the conservation of water resources and to reduction of environmental problems related to effluent discharge into water bodies. The pervious concrete technology could be used towards reducing water stress and supporting irrigated agriculture.

Furthermore, my research shows that pervious concrete can be effective in treating polluted mine water to meet the national limits applicable to the discharge of wastewater into a water resource without causing adverse impacts. Thus, the pervious concrete-treated mine water could also be used to replenish water systems.

Water pollution is a major global concern, will your research findings play a role in addressing this issue?

The scale of the AMD problem in South Africa and worldwide is enormous. AMD is associated with deterioration of soils, surface, and groundwater quality. Current technologies for the active treatment of AMD have the disadvantages of high capital cost, high operation and maintenance costs, making their implementation unsustainable.

The use of pervious concrete- reactive barriers offers a sustainable alternative treatment solution with cost-benefit advantages and the potential to remove heavy metals present in polluted mine water.

@ Story by Cleopatra Makhaga. Picture Supplied.