LATEST TRENDS

THAT’S SO HOT RIGHT NOW, LET’S GET TRENDING!!

Walking around the Bloemfontein campus, one witnesses a lot of different fashion statements, from different genders, clothes, jewelry, shoes and hair styles. And the one that caught is the variety of different hairstyles from different kinds of girls; and the nice thing about girls is that they can wear their hair long, short, with color and without and they still look good, just as long as they are comfortable. But I must say the hairstyle that I saw a few times, caught my eye and that I think is absolutely stunning is Bob Braids. I saw from jaw line to ear length Bob braids and different colors too!

Bob braids are braids that cut according to a person’s preference, they can be at an ear or jawline length and they are the hottest trend right now, hairstyles come and go but braids have been in trend since like forever; they have different patterns, materials and cultures. The origins of African hair braiding art can be traced back to Egypt as far as 3500 BC, “throughout the history braiding patterns often indicated person’s social status, glamour and religious affiliation back then” (Queen, A. 2017).

Braiding is traditionally a social art, not just a form of hairstyle. It offers women a platform and freedom to socialize, because of the time it required to braid it and this allowed bonding between different generations. Braiding also signifies the friendship and goodwill a person shares with someone who braids their hair. It has been a fashion statement for years, there are different hairstyles like Cornrows, kink twist hair braids and bob braids; each has its own styling and time required to braid.

There are quite a few adverts of braids on the notice boards around campus, looks like the hair dressers are aware that the braids; specifically, Bob braids are in trending and in demand.  They are great because the range are R250 TO 450 and can be on for a month and half when taken good care of and I must confess I also want them and plan on getting them these coming long weekend and I CAN'T WAIT!!!.

Queen, A. 2017.  History of African Braiding and its Cultural Significance. [Online] Available from http://www.marcyafricanbraids.com/blog/history-on-african-braids-and-its-cultural-significance/ [Accessed on 25 April 2017]

Mr Robert Sobukwe

Mr Robert Sobukwe

During the #FeesMustFall protest in 2016, the protesters spray painted some of the struggle icons on the trees on the Bloemfontein campus and the one that I was interested in learning more about and thought people should learn more about is Mr Sobukwe.

Robert “Mangaliso” Sobukwe was born on the 5^th of December 1924 in Graaff- Reinet in the Eastern Cape.  He is the youngest of 5 boys and 1 girl; his parents are Hubert and Angelina Sobukwe.  Robert enrolled for a Primary Teacher’s Training Course for two years just after completing Standard 6 at a mission school in Graaff- Reinet, he later went back to high school at Healdtown Institute after not being given the teaching post. He studied financial assistance for 6 years; sadly his schooling was interrupted when he went to hospital suffering from TB in 1943.

Sobukwe received a bursary from the Department of Education, which enrolled him for tertiary education at Fort Hare in 1947. His interest for Politics was sparked at Fort Hare and he became more politically active, in 1948 Robert joined the ANCYL, which was established in the university campus by a lecturer in the Department of African studies; Godfrey Pitie. Being politically active proved to be effective because a year later he was elected as president Students’ Representative Council (SRC) of Fort Hare, which also landed him the position of being the National Secretary of the ANCYL. During that same year he met Veronica Mathe, who was a nurse in training in Alice Hospital; the couple got married in 1950. Sobukwe moved to Johannesburg and became a lecturer in African Studies at Wits University, where he earned “the Prof” as a nickname.

“Politically Sobukwe was strongly Africanist, believing that the future of South Africa should be in the hands of Black South Africans”(). 1958 was the birth of Pan African congress, which he started and was its President because of his feelings towards the multiracial path, the ANC was taking. The  PAC held a peaceful an anti-pass march campaign on the 21^st of March 1960 but most of the marchers were arrested , including “the Prof” and 69 people were killed & 180 others got injured resulting in what we call today as the Sharpeville Massacre. On the 4^th of May 1960 Sobukwe was sentenced to 3 years in Prison and was later moved Robin Island, he spent most of his time studying while being kept isolated from other prisoners. His studying paid off as he got Economic degree from the University of London. 1969 he got released from prison but was under house arrest and prohibited from any political activity and leaving the country. He was also supposed ask for permission to attending any family gatherings, even his mothers’ funeral in 1975. This made it difficult for get treatment when he fell ill and diagnosed with lung cancer in 1977 and sadly he died on 27^th of February 1978 from lung complication at Kimberly General Hospital. Today he is a celebrated Political icon in the struggle for a democratic South Africa .

 I think today’s generation can learn a lot from the late Robert Sobukwe, the first thing they can learn is that he loved education, judging from the qualifications he had. He is someone who believed that education does not have an age, race and gender limit; that education is something that you can acquire and no one will take it away from you. Robert is someone who proved the phrase that “you can achieve anything you set your mind to”, by not letting the apartheid regime system limit him and take away his voice and hunger for freedom. The second thing the new generation can learn from him is his love for politics, because when you are politically involved you get updated about what is happening in the country and know your purpose and how you can help change things in the country little by little. The third thing they can learn from him is that he fought for what is right and what he believed in, even if leaving something and starting your own all alone.

RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES

RIGHTS GO HAND IN HAND WITH RESPONSIBILITIES

Our country has been through a very difficult time during the apartheid; black people were segregated and treated unfairly. South Africa became a Democratic country and black &white people had the same and equal rights, however each and every right has a set of responsibilities. Each and every person has to know that they have rights and have to act responsibly. Being responsible with rights is knowing and respecting your and the rights of other people; one must not at any point violate another person’s rights.  Each rights comes with a lot of responsibilities.

Section 9 of Chapter 2 of The Bill Of Rights – EQUALITY

1. Everyone is equal before the law and has the right to equal protection and benefit of the law.
2. Equality includes the full and equal enjoyment of all rights and freedoms. To promote the achievement of equality, legislative and other measures designed to promote or advance persons or categories of persons, disadvantaged by unfair discrimination may be taken.
3. The state may not unfairly discriminate directly or indirectly against anyone on one or more grounds, including race, gender, sex, pregnancy, marital status, ethnic or social origin, colour, sexual orientation, age, disability, religion, conscience, belief, culture, language and birth.
4. No person may unfairly discriminate directly or indirectly against anyone on one or more grounds in terms of subsection (3). National legislation must be enacted to prevent or prohibit unfair discrimination.
5. Discrimination on one or more of the grounds listed in subsection (3) is unfair unless it is established that the discrimination is fair.
   Section 29 of Chapter 2 of The Bill Of Rights – EDUCATION

1. Everyone has right-

1. To a basic education, including adult basic education; and
2. To further education, which the state, through reasonable measures, must make progressively available accessible.

1. Everyone has the right to receive education in the official language or languages of their choice in public educational institutions where that education is reasonably practicable. In order to ensure the effective access to, and implementation of, this right, the state must consider all reasonable educational alternatives, including single medium institutions, taking into account-

1. Equity;
2. Practicability; and
3. The need to redress the results of past racially discriminatory laws and practices.

1. Everyone has the right to establish and maintain, at their own expense, independent educational institutions that –

1. Do not discriminate on the basis of race;
2. Are registered with the state; and
3. Maintain standards that are inferior to standards at comparable public educational institutions.

    4.Subsection (3) does not preclude state subsidies for independent educational institutions.

• EQUALITY – Having the right to equality places me on the responsibility to:

1. Treat every person equally and fairly.
2. Do not discriminate unfairly, against anyone on the basis of race, gender, religion, national, ethnic or social origin, disability, culture, language, status or appearance.

•  I have the right to be treated equally but I also have the right to treat the next person equally, I am not superior to anyone no matter my race, social status, gender and etc. our country’s motto is !KEE:/XARRA//KE, which means “Diverse people Unite”, that simply means that we have to celebrate our diversity and it is our diversity that makes us who we are and helps us build a common sense of belonging and national pride.

• EDUCATION – My responsibility is to 1. attend school regularly, to learn and work hard. 2. Cooperate respectfully with teachers and fellow learners and adhere to the rules and the code of conduct of the school. Parents also have responsibilities and that is to ensure that their child attends school and receives support and teachers responsibilities are to promote and reflect the culture of learning and teaching in giving effect to this right.

South African Government. 2017. Bill of Responsibilities.  [Online] gov.za/about-government-programmes/bill-responsibilities.

The South African education system is under considerable pressure to provide access and quality education to its people and altogether this can be achieved through drastic transformation in our education system. Starting from secondary education carried onto tertiary.  The prolific challenge faced today our secondary education overflows to tertiary levels and to the cooperate market primarily because of a few pointers contributing to this dilemma faced by South Africa, namely:

·         The role of universities in providing quality education

·         The low and middle class not having the financial muscle further studies

·         A dire need for further development of this education sector

·         Establishing more universities with facilities that can accommodate enormous quantities of pupils.

The problem that I see is faced by many universities is the second bullet point, students from poor families not being able to further or complete their degrees because of finances. Especially in the university of the Free State, I say this because it is where I am registered so I know what my fellow students are facing. Solutions can be that first The university can have 0% increment in their fees because the increase of fees is main factor of the protests of the #FeesMustFall, where students were protesting violently so that the university and the government can hear and help with their concerns. The 0% increment will allow students to complete their degrees and be able to afford the fees and not forgetting the university will still make money and not lose in the process.

The second solution can be that government to increase funding in terms of NSFAS and bursaries, it can do this by stopping wasteful spending and relocate that money to tertiary education. Universities can look for opportunities in cutting costs and increasing efficiencies, by looking at how the system can be changed while maintaining high quality of education.

The third solution is the university can compile a list of students who are really struggling financially and let them pay half of the fees but that is not ideal because it will not be fair on the other students who are doing the same courses and the school will not be making enough money like it is used to and will not have enough to pay for enough lectures.

My name is Makopano Caroline Sefume, I am 24 years old and am a student at the University of the Free state, studying Media Studies and Journalism, currently doing my last year. I am the last born of 7 children, I have 1 brother and 1 sister from my Father’s side and I have 1 sister and 3 brothers from my Mother’s side, I bring my mom’s kids and dad’s kids and their families together that is why my name is Makopano meaning Unite. I lost my Dad in 2009 when I was just 16 years old and I am only left with my mother, I am originally from Klerksdorp I the North West and I did History, Geography, Mathematical literacy and Afrikaans in Are-Fadimeheng high school.

I have always loved the Media, from magazine, newspapers, radio and television…especially television. I wanted to do Drama and theatre arts when I came to the university because I love acting and movies then I changed to media studies because I felt it is broad enough and has sufficient career choices, still in the same line of career I wanted. My favourite T.V right now is Trending SA because it tackles everything trending in South Africa which is something useful for a journalist, that way a me as a potential journalist I will know what people are interested in and where to get my target audience. I would like to work as a director, because I believe that directing is an important factor in movies because it makes the audience believe in what the script writer wanted to convey in their script; or I would like to become a radio DJ and have my own show, where I will talk about topics that people believe are taboo because I believe some topics should be discussed; things like Racism, sex and corruption.

What I fear most is losing my mother because I am only felt with her and my other fear is that I will not reach my dreams and full potential. My favourite animals are Dolphins and snakes, I hate animals with fur because it makes me feel uncomfortable when touching their fur. I am shy and sometimes cannot make friends but once I am free and close to people ,I become the most loud and friendly person I know. I have a belly ring piercing and an infinity sign tattoo on my back an I planning another  one soon, my family considers me as the rebel of the family and free spirited and let me just say I wear that with pride. To me FAITH, LOVE, FAMILY AND FREEDOM are the most important things to me.