DO WOMEN AND CHILDREN COME LAST? DO WOMEN AND ...

12 downloads 5838 Views 2MB Size Report
THIS ISSUE OF LIMPOPO LEADER IS LARGELY ABOUT WOMEN. AND CHILDREN ...... In fact, one in six sub-Saharan children dies before the age of five.
LIMPOPO Ieader NUMBER 15 SPRING 2008

DISPATCHES FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF LIMPOPO

DO WOMEN AND CHILDREN COME LAST? Answers inside: from the Gender & Law Conference and an examination of South Africa’s child mortality

IOP update

ON TRACK, SO FAR IN L I M P O P O L E A D E R 1 4 , SEVEN PAGES WERE DEVOTED TO THE IOP (INSTITUTIONAL OPERATING PLAN) WHOSE PURPOSE WAS TO ESTABLISH AT THE UNIVERSITY OF LIMPOPO SUSTAINABLE SYSTEMIC AND FINANCIAL FOUNDATIONS FOR THE INSTITUTION AFTER THE TOPSY-TURVY YEARS OF ITS EXCEPTIONALLY COMPLICATED ‘MERGER’ PROCESS. Now, three months on, the obvious question is: how is the plan getting on? ‘I can report good progress,’ replied IOP project manager Craig Lyall-Watson. ‘There have been a few problem areas, but these have been resolved. And I hasten to add that university staff have not caused them. In fact, everyone on both campuses has really come to the party. Co-operation has been first class. I am very satisfied with the situation as it unfolds.’ Lyall-Watson said he was particularly pleased with the financial aspects of the plan. ‘As at the end of October, the costs incurred in running the university remain well within the budget approved by the national Department of Education. There won’t be an overspend this year.’ The IOP has concentrated on three main areas relating to the operation of the university. The first relates to the academic structure of the university that currently comprises four faculties, 15 schools and 97 departments. After exhaustive on-campus discussions and a comprehensive workshop held in August, the responsible external consultant has now completed his proposals, which were presented to academic staff in November. Only after agreement has been reached will the new configuration be made public. The second focus area concerned the generally unsatisfactory state of the management information systems available at the university. ‘A sub-contractor was brought in to redesign the whole system,’ LyallWatson explained. ‘But we have been obliged to terminate that particular sub-contract and bring the work in-house. We have also enlisted the help of the

i

University of Cape Town and Tswane University of Technology. After the initial hiccup, this important sub-contract is now going on as planned.’ The third area to be examined by consultants involved in the IOP is the all-important administrative staff review. The ratio between academic and administrative staff at the university is 1:2.5, considerably higher than the national average of 1:1.75. According to Lyall-Watson: ‘The final proposals, which will result in a realignment of non-academic services, were received in October. The procedure from this point on is that the university’s executive management must approve the proposals. The proposals will then be laid before the university council executive committee, and then will be discussed by the Joint Bargaining Forum for further consultation. Only then will the proposals be considered by the full university council.’ By May 2009, the restructuring of academic programmes, the upgrading of management information systems and the realignment of nonacademic services should be complete. At the same time senior managers will have undergone extensive change management and leadership training. The financial plan incorporated into the IOP is set to run until 2010. Lyall-Watson’s conclusion: ‘On the showing so far, I am convinced the university can look forward to a rosy future.’

PA G E

1

THIS ISSUE OF L I M P O P O L E A D E R IS LARGELY ABOUT WOMEN AND CHILDREN WHOSE POSITIONS IN OUR DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY LEAVES A HUGE AMOUNT TO BE DESIRED. The de facto position of women in relation to the theoretic equality afforded them by the Constitution became a focus of serious attention at the Law Week held on the Turfloop campus of the University of Limpopo in September. L a w , G e n d e r a n d S o c i a l T r a n s f o r m a t i o n was a timely theme. One of the most serious contributors to this debate was a legal academic from America, a woman who was born in South Africa and spent a part of her childhood on the Cape Flats. We echo Advocate Reuben Letseku, director of the Turfloop Law School which organised the event. He said he hoped that this Law Week would ‘herald the dawn of a new way of thinking and contribute to our quest for a just society’. The plight of an unacceptably high percentage of South Africa’s young children is clearly demonstrated by the examination of under-five mortality rates that begins on page 17. ‘Our nation’s children are neglected and their fundamental right to life ignored,’ says one forthright medical expert who is interviewed. There were pockets of terrible neglect under apartheid: nevertheless the trend across the last 35 years of that pernicious system was downwards. The national average figures for under-five mortality were 126 per 1 000 in 1960 and 67 in 1995 (at the end of apartheid).* These days, as our coverage attests, it’s around 69 per 1 000. The problem is the yawning gulf between good policies and inadequate implementation. But there’s some good news as well: most notably in the attitudes of concern and determination in the medical professionals at the Medical School on the Ga-Rankuwa campus and at the adjacent Dr George Mukhari Hospital. Taken together, women and children constitute a major challenge for South African politicians and the population at large. There’s a huge amount to be done to level the playing fields for these two important segments of our citizenry. Perhaps only through persistent public outrage on both fronts will improvements be forced through. Then read about the latest developments regarding the university’s attempts to safeguard and strengthen the Nguni cattle breed. Some of us may ask: why bother? Consider this fact: if the productivity of Nguni cattle could be increased by just one percent, it would have a significant impact on meat production – and consequently on the economic strength of countless rural communities.

L i m p o p o L e a d e r is published by the Marketing and Communications Depar tment, University of Limpopo, PO Box X1106, Sovenga 0727, Limpopo, South Africa. HYPERLINK “http://www.ul.ac.za” www.ul.ac.za E D I T O R : David Robbins. Tel: 011-792-9951 or 082-787-8099 or dgr [email protected] ADVERTISING: Clare-Rose Julius Tel: 011-782-0333 or 072-545-2366 EDITORIAL COMMITTEE: DK Mohuba (chair man) Daphney Kgwebane Nor man Nyazema Elizabeth Lubinga David Robbins Gail Robbins A R T I C L E S written by Janice Hunt: Child Mor tality in South Africa: page 17; Building Livestock Breeds for Local Conditions, pages 25; Profile: Rathnum Naidoo, page 28 PHOTOGRAPHS: Liam Lynch: pages 3 second bottom, 21, 23, 24, 25, 31; The Bigger Picture/Panos: front cover, pages 4, 9, 16; The Bigger Picture/Alamy: pages 19, 20, 26; PictureNet: page 3 top, 4; Janice Hunt: page 18; Esther Alm: The Alm Foundation in Bulwer, back cover, pages 6, 20 top; University of Limpopo Marketing Depar tment: pages 15, 28 DESIGN AND LAYOUT: JAM STREET DESIGN (PRETORIA) P R I N T I N G : Colorpress (pty) Ltd P R O D U C T I O N M A N A G E M E N T: Gail Robbins DGR Writing & Research Tel: 011-782-0333 or 082-572-1682 or dgr [email protected] ARTICLES MAY BE REPRINTED WITH ACKNOWLEDGEMENT. ISSN: 1812-5468

PA G E

2

EDITORIAL

t

* These figures are taken from the Unicef 1997 publication T h e S t a t e o f t h e Wo r l d ’ s C h i l d r e n

NEXT ISSUE WE’LL BE LOOKING IN PARTICULAR AT AN ANECDOTAL HISTORY OF THE DR GEORGE MUKHARI HOSPTITAL AND ITS CLOSE RELATIONSHIP WITH THE MEDICAL SCHOOL ON THE GA-RANKUWA CAMPUS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF LIMPOPO. Were you involved either as a teacher or a student, and would you like to contribute an anecdote? If so, contact the Editor. Note: The promised coverage of mining in Limpopo has been deferred until 2009, as has the L i m p o p o L e a d e r reader survey.

IN THIS ISSUE cover picture: This searching portrait of a woman and her child in a church sums up the central question asked in this issue of Limpopo Leader . Do women and children come last? It is very obvious that both faces captured in the photograph are waiting expectantly for South Africa’s answer.

page 5: DO WOMEN AND CHILDREN COME LAST?

page 7: TURFLOOP LAW WEEK: Law, Gender and Social Transformation. Full coverage of this important event.

page 8: STRENGTHENING THE VOICES THAT SPEAK ON GENDER ISSUES

page 10: WHAT SHOULD WOMEN BE WRITING ABOUT?

page 12: OBSTACLES TO GENDER EQUALITY. A South African law professor, working in the US, identifies our ‘culture of masculinity’.

page 15: SUMMING UP THE GENDER CONFERENCE

page 17: CHILD MORTALITY IN SA. This special focus begins by noting that we’re ‘not even close to achieving Millennium Development Goal 4’.

page 18: SA’S SHAMEFUL CHILD DEATH RATES DEMAND ACTION

page 21: IN THE INTERESTS OF SAFER AND HEALTHIER CHILDBIRTH

page 23: NEW UNIT SEES INFANTS THRIVING WITH CLOSE CARE – lessons from kangaroos.

page 25: BUILDING LIVESTOCK BREEDS FOR LOCAL CONDITIONS – a look at the University of Limpopo’s Nguni project.

page 28: Profile: RATHNUM NAIDOO – a strong sense of service.

page 30: Profile: PROFESSOR HLENGANI SIWEYA – the needle and the cup.

page 32: Letters to the Editor.

The Bigger Picture/Panos

‘An etching of the sinking Birckenhead’ PictureNet

PA G E

4

DO WOMEN AND CHILDREN COME LAST? IN THE BAD OLD DAYS OF FREQUENT SHIPWRECKS, A CONVENTION REGARDING THE USE OF THE LIFEBOATS WAS STRICTLY ADHERED TO. Women and children first!* Behind the gallantry of that cry there lay a deeper truth. It addressed itself to the future, to the preservation of the generations, and even to the long-term perpetuation of the species. Perhaps unconsciously, the men on those sinking ships were acknowledging the fundamental importance of women and children. Have we in our brave new democratic South Africa forgotten this primary reality? Has the cry changed to ‘women and children last’? It certainly seems like it. And this edition of L i m p o p o L e a d e r is full of the evidence for such an assertion. South Africa is not alone, of course. Hardly a decade ago, Swedish anthropologist Karl Eric Knutsson wrote that: ‘We are now better equipped to understand the main reasons for the neglect of children and women and other marginalised groups in the Western perception of development. Taking their cue from classical physics, economists and development theorists ignored or excluded from their abstracted models whatever was ‘weak’ or ‘soft’ and therefore of little

i

consequence to their reasoning. Because developmentalism is essentially a political ideology, rather than the result of any theoretical project, there were further reasons to exclude groups which had no significance in terms of political and economic power. Indeed, the history of the idea of ‘development’ is the history not only of economic and political biases, but also of ethnocentric, male and age-related biases.’** For some time now, developmental theorists have realised the importance of women in the broader scheme of things in developing countries; and Professor Knutsson himself has argued powerfully for the reappraisal of perceptions that would allow for the emergence of ‘the citizen child’. Children and youth, after all, comprise 40 percent of our planet’s population. So much for the theory. In practice, matters take on a somewhat darker hue. South Africa has the most advanced constitution on earth. It is filled with bold considerations of gender equality and the high value of women. Now compare this with the country’s deplorable rape and abuse statistics. This theme – of the yawning gulf between the Constitution and practice – was of particular

concern to many delegates and speakers contributing to the Turfloop Law Week – this year dealing with Law, Gender and Social Transformation and held in September. Coverage of this significant event begins on page 7. The plight of millions of South African children is highlighted by an examination of our worsening infant and under-five mortality rates. It cannot fail to be deeply disturbing to learn that of the 190 countries to sign up to the End Poverty Millennium Development Goals in 2000 only 12 countries have shown an increase in underfive mortality rates since then. And South Africa is one of them. L i m p o p o L e a d e r begins its investigation into this deplorable state of affairs at the University of Limpopo’s Medical School on the Ga–Rankuwa campus. Coverage begins on page 17. Both these examinations (of the position of children and women in South African society) force a fundamental question. In a country that purports to expend huge energy and resources on ‘development’, have too many of us at the same time been tempted into those old-fashioned Western perceptions of development by uttering that most short-sighted of imperatives: WOMEN AND CHILDREN LAST!

* The tradition began with the British ship Birkenhead, which sank off South Africa’s southern coast in 1852. ** From Knutsson’s C h i l d r e n : N o b l e C a u s e s o r Wo r t h y C i t i z e n s . 1997

PA G E

5

PA G E

6

Turfloop Law Week

WOMEN SPEAK ON GENDER ISSUES

There can be no sustainable development when women, who constitute half the SADC population, have no opportunity to unload their potential; when development programmes are completely gender unfriendly; when decisions about changing the lives of people are taken without the participation of half of the very lives that have to be changed.

South Africa’s former Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development, Brigitte Mabandla, used this quote from Thenjiwe Mtintso, chairperson for the Commission on Gender Equality, when she addressed the Law Week conference at Turfloop in September.

TURFLOOP’S ANNUAL Law Week was this year taken over by women. The title of the event – Law, Gender and Social Transformation – explains why. Of the papers delivered, most were by women involved in the teaching or practice of law. Listen to some of the themes that were examined during the threeday event: • Law, Gender and Transformative Development • Gender and Human Rights in Contemporary South Africa • The Constitution and Gender Law Reform • Violence Against Women and Children • Equality and Parenting • Implications of Religious and Customary Marriages

t

Brigitte Mabandla, the then South African Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development, delivered the keynote address on the first morning of the event; and the guest speaker at the Law Week gala dinner was Sandra Oxner, a retired Canadian judge and current president of the Commonwealth Judicial Education Institute. The Law Week conference was followed by a two-day legal writing workshop for women lawyers and academics. The inspiration for these high-powered events must be

attributed to the erstwhile minister. ‘We need you to write,’ Mabandla told the hundreds of delegates and law students attending the conference. ‘We need more women writing and researching women’s legal issues. We need a gendered approach to social justice. The law by itself cannot bring about change, but it can be enabling. Neither can the Government be expected to carry all the responsibility for change; civil society carries an equal responsibility.’ Nevertheless, the Department of Justice has done a great deal. It has forged a partnership between the University of Cape Town, the Walter Sisulu University in Umtata, the South African Women Lawyers Association, and the University of Limpopo. The object of the partnership is to give voice to women legal professionals by providing forums like the Turfloop Law Week, by enhancing the legal writing abilities of women lawyers and academics, and by assisting in the establishment of a law and gender journal in association with a reputable South African publishing house. Now turn the page for more details on this important partnership, and on the Law Week itself ...

PA G E

7

Turfloop Law Week

STRENGTHENING THE VOICES THAT SPEAK ON GENDER ISSUES IT’S A BOLD IDEA: STRENGTHENING WOMEN’S ABILITY TO RESEARCH AND WRITE ON GENDERRELATED LEGAL MATTERS. And it’s an extraordinary partnership that has been established to make it happen. The three universities involved are UCT, Walter Sisulu and Limpopo. But before examining what each of these institutions will do, we need to examine the thinking behind the idea in the first place. Listen to ex-Minister of Justice Brigitte Mabandla: ‘The starting point, I suppose, is to acknowledge that our Constitution is alien to South African common law. What this disjuncture needs is people who can write about it. Since a lot of the disjuncture relates to gender issues – the Constitution is far in advance of the common law with regard to gender-related human rights – it is imperative that women legal professionals do a lot of the required writing. But women constitute a minority in the legal professions. And it’s only a small coterie of them who write. ‘My sense,’ Mabandla continued, ‘when I first began to think about this, was that the problem was essentially systemic. There are few women writing in the gender field, and even fewer black women. Yet their voices will be invaluable in our struggle to build a constitutional state. If we are to build such a state, the single most important imperative is that we take ownership of our Constitution. We will have to believe in its precepts. Relevant research and writing is crucially important for ownership and belief. The most relevant research and writing on gender issues will have to be done by women. This much is obvious – because they are closest to the anomalies between the high ideals of the Constitution and the realities on the ground. We need new and strong thinking on these issues. Women will provide it. But who will support the women with the potential to write?’ So the Department of Justice began to talk to South African women in the legal professions. Roughly coinciding with these developments was the formation in

i

PA G E

8

May 2006 of a new association for women legal professionals. The South African Women Lawyers Association (SAWLA) had drawn its founding membership from various existing legal groupings – for example, the National Association of Democratic Lawyers, the Black Lawyers Association, the Law Society and the various associations of advocates at the Bar. ‘Undergraduate and postgraduate law students were also encouraged to join,’ SAWLA’s Shereen Meersingh said, ‘as were all women involved in legal and paralegal work. We wanted to cast our net as wide as possible.’ The result was an initial membership of more than 500 for SAWLA. Meersingh, SAWLA’s vice-president in charge of communications, explained that the association’s objective was to provide a dialogue and professional networking forum for South African women in legal careers, as well as to seek to promote the empowerment of women in legal careers and women in general. ‘Our early partnership with the Department of Justice has been beneficial to both parties. We have become in effect a recruiting agent for the department’s writing and research enhancement plans because these plans fit perfectly into SAWLA’s overall vision. From our point of view, the department is a dynamic partner, and the partnership immediately enhances our standing and credibility with our members. They’ll have a lot to gain from the research and writing enhancement plan.’ As already mentioned, three universities are involved in the enhancement plan: the University of Cape Town, Walter Sisulu University, and the University of Limpopo. This is how this trio of institutions will interlock: • The University of Cape Town will have overarching responsibility for the programme. UCT will be designing the courses to be presented at the writing workshops, and they’ll be overseeing the quality of

The Bigger Picture/Panos

the research and writing skills that are attained. They’ll also evaluate the effectiveness of the programme as it progresses. • The University of Limpopo will be developed as the research centre of the programme; and no doubt there’ll be a continuing role as a conference venue where the work of gender-issue researchers can be made public. • Walter Sisulu University (WSU) will become the main venue for the training of the research and writing skills that the programme is committed to develop. As early as 2005, the head of the WSU Law School wrote a business plan for the establishment of a research and writing unit. This was forwarded to the Department of Justice. Delays followed. But now the business plan has been resuscitated and will form the basis of WSU’s involvement in the overall enhancement plan. Pumla Nakani, acting head of the criminal and procedural law department at WSU, explained that

her institution’s involvement would take the form of regular winter and summer schools, beginning in 2009, as well as special seminars when demand warranted them, and an annual conference. Nakani’s enthusiasm for this level of involvement is evident from the following comment: ‘During the apartheid times, we in Umtata were in the bush, both physically and intellectually. We hope that the physical bush lasts, but we want to be intellectually global. Our involvement in this legal writing programme will pull us in that direction, as it will a great many women in legal careers.’ And a final word from SAWLA. ‘We’re going to push our members to become involved,’ said Meersingh. ‘It is now crucially important, perhaps more so than ever before, that women become fully involved in national policy dialogues – and not only those that deal with gender issues.’ If you’re interested in finding out more about the legal writing programme try contacting SAWLA through their website at www.sawla.org.za

PA G E

9

Turfloop Law Week

WHAT SHOULD WOMEN BE WRITING ABOUT? IN HER KEYNOTE ADDRESS DELIVERED AT THE START OF THE LAW WEEK CONFERENCE, BRIGITTE MABANDLA (THE THEN MINISTER OF JUSTICE AND CONSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT) POINTED OUT THAT OVER THE PAST 14 YEARS A DEMOCRATIC SOUTH AFRICA HAD MANAGED TO ESTABLISH ADEQUATE ENABLING LEGISLATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF WOMEN’S EMANCIPATION. ‘The establishment of the Women’s Coalition in 1992 was a deliberate and strategic move to organise women from all walks of life in order to influence the (Codesa) negotiations process ... and I am convinced that this influenced the negotiations in the direction of gender sensitivity. Thus, at the time of constitutionmaking, women’s collective voice was strong. The result is that today we have a constitution that unequivocally entrenches the principle of gender equality.’ But Mabandla inferred that there was a visible divide between the theory of the Constitution and the practical reality on the ground. Less than two years previously, at the launch of SAWLA, she had referred to South Africa’s 2005 progress report to the United Nations showing the ‘notable progress with regard to women’s emancipation’ since the introduction of democracy. For example, women’s representation in the national legislature had risen to over 30 percent and in the Executive to above 40 percent. However, the country could not afford to rest on its laurels. ‘The decline of stereotypical attitudes towards women in many sectors, including the legal profession, has been slow,’ she had said. ‘We acknowledge that much still needs to be done if we are to achieve the true emancipation of women from the adversities they have endured, and many continue to face, because of their gender, race and social status in a patriarchal society. ‘Almost 84 years since women were first admitted as attorneys in South Africa, women are still massively under-represented in positions of influence in the legal

i

PA G E

1 0

sector. Women lawyers still find themselves hampered by ongoing perceptions about their ability, values and even their social and business astuteness. There is general consensus that, while the gender gap is narrowing, structural and systemic gender inequality persists.’ The biggest challenge, she said, was for SAWLA to make itself relevant to the South African realities experienced by women on a daily basis. One of the factors that would determine the relevance of the association would be its ability to make a difference in the lives of ordinary people, particularly women in the broader society. That was why, Mabandla told delegates at the Law Week conference on the Turfloop campus in September, the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development had supported the initiative to capacitate women to write critically about the law and how that law relates to society. ‘The critique of state policies and the review of laws that advance a developmental agenda are important to facilitate progress,’ she said. ‘And it is lawyers with writing skills, in particular progressive women lawyers, who will critique the judiciary in its interpretation of laws intended to advance social justice and gender equality. I am thinking in particular here about such laws as the Sexual Offences Act and the Domestic Violence Act.’ The state was currently reviewing the criminal justice system. This would entail in-depth studies relating to the way investigations are carried out, to court processes, and to penalties. All these areas were of critical concern to women. ‘Surely this is an opportunity for women lawyers to identify areas of research and take up the challenge on behalf of women everywhere. You will agree with me that subjecting a matter to critical analysis stimulates debate. Therefore, writing about important social justice issues can help to deepen our understanding,’ Mabandla said.

Brigitte Mabandla ‘The agenda for research can be extended to include work in the area of international law,’ she went on. ‘South Africa has acceded to numerous international treaties – for example, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD). At the moment, we do not have a gendered approach to the evaluation of our obligations to these and other treaties. This means there are considerable opportunities for research in these fields. Women lawyers can accordingly contribute significantly to our critical thinking about the inter-sectionality of race, class and gender in South Africa.’

Mabandla pointed out that the state had committed South Africa to the Millennium Development Goals, and she stressed that women lawyers had a crucial role to play by critically examining the country’s efforts to advance socio-economic rights, and the rights to food, clean water and a clean environment. Women and children were the main targets for deprivation when these rights were not maintained and the Millennium Development Goals not achieved.* Huge research and writing opportunities for women legal professionals existed in these fields. ‘Similar opportunities exist in the region,’ Mabandla pointed out. ‘The African Union is in the process of establishing the African Court of Human Rights, as well as the attendant commission. The women lawyers of our country have an important role, working in partnership with other women lawyers’ organisations in Africa, to participate in the conceptualisation of these important African institutions. There is also the possibility of women lawyers in Africa working together to define a gendered approach to social justice.’ Mabandla concluded her keynote address by saying she hoped the Law Week conferencve would afford an opportunity for the women of South Africa to work not only for women’s equality but for the advancement of South Africans as a whole. ‘In the years to come I look forward to reading and learning from women lawyers who have taken up the challenge of writing. I learn that there are law students participating in this conference, some of whom will be presenting papers. To you I say: the future is yours. Keep at it: never tire. We need an engine of ideas. We need new thinking. It is important for civil society to monitor and critique the state. Critical thinking leads to innovative ideas that are instructive and inspirational even to those in government. And women must take their rightful place in this process.’

* See page 17 for our article on child nutrition in relation to the Millennium Development Goals that have been set

PA G E

1 1

Turfloop Law Week

OBSTACLES TO GENDER EQUALITY

s

SOUTH AFRICA’S CONSTITUTION IS BUILT ON INDIVIDUAL HUMAN RIGHTS, SAYS PROFESSOR PENELOPE ANDREWS. It’s a document that is widely cited internationally, widely applauded and praised for its transformative qualities. Indeed, the Bill of Rights that the Constitution contains has been hailed as one of the 20th century’s most impressive documents. In short, the Constitution has the potential to transform the society that upholds it simply because it so comprehensively embraces human rights for all citizens. Not least for women. The South African Constitution provides protections on several grounds, including gender, sex, pregnancy and marital status. It goes further than that. It sets out not only what cannot be allowed by the government and private individuals, but also what government must do to improve the lives of people, particularly poor people. The way in which the Constitution lays out the groundwork for affirmative action is a case in point. The protection of individuals against discrimination and violence, even in the home, is another. But there are problems and obstacles at work in South African society that militate against the efficient operation of these elements of the Constitution. This was the

PA G E

1 2

opinion of Professor Andrews, born in Kensington and partly raised on South Africa’s Cape Flats and now a professor of law at Valparaiso University in the state of Indiana in the USA. She told a hushed auditorium at the Law Week conference held on the Turfloop campus in September: ‘Why is there so much gender-based hardship, so much rape and domestic violence? Why are the rights of everyone not more vigorously defended, particularly against assaults on the person? The Constitution exists to underwrite protections against these sex-based forms of violence, but there are other influences – cultural influence – that seem stronger. There is a considerable amount of gender inequality that exists in South African culture. There is definitely the ‘culture of masculinity’ to contend with, which refuses to accept gender equality. Men want to remain in charge. But the truth is that under the South African Constitution everyone should be equally in charge. ‘My belief,’ said Andrews, ‘is that despite the formal embrace of gender equality in the Constitution, the interlocking cultural underpinnings of sexism and patriarchy have never been dislodged. It is true that at the end of apartheid, a formal vision of equality was unequivocally endorsed across all

sectors of South African society with respect to the eradication of racism, but this universal endorsement was absent with respect to gender equality.’ When question time came around, several male contributors defended the culture of masculinity as part of traditional culture that recognised a gender-based division of labour. One man pointed out that the culture of masculinity had a definite religious basis. Another talked of the power of Contralesa (the Congress of Traditional Leaders of SA) in contemporary South Africa. ‘We should never forget,’ he said, ‘that it is the male seed that determines the heir to the throne.’ Professor Andrews answered calmly, but without compromise. It was a stance that could be expected from a top quality legal brain that had spent its formative years in the dust and tensions of the country’s ‘liberation struggle’. Her mother had died when Andrews was thirteen. By a stroke of good luck, she had been given a good education by Irish Catholic nuns working in Cape Town. After school she worked as a bookkeeper in a Cape Town factory. In September 1976, the factory workers staged a threeday stay-away. She joined the industrial action and was promptly fired. She had already become politically conscious a

ASSISTANCE FOR THE SCHOOL OF LAW PROFESSOR PENELOPE ANDREWS, WHO VISITED THE UNIVERSITY OF LIMPOPO’S TURFLOOP CAMPUS TO ATTEND THE LAW WEEK CONFERENCE IN SEPTEMBER, HAS PLEDGED SOME PRACTICAL HELP TO THE SCHOOL OF LAW. THIS WILL COME IN THE FOLLOWING FORMS: • Help to stock the Turfloop law library with up-to-date publications from US publishing houses and institutions • Arrange for law journals to be regularly sent to the law library • Assemble a group of American academics to provide an annual intensive legal writing course at Turfloop • Seek funding to allow a promising South African student to undertake postgraduate study in the United States. The Penelope E Andrews Human Rights Award has been established at the University of KwaZulu-Natal which annually allows a third-year law student from South Africa to specialise in the area of poverty law.

few years earlier after witnessing the police action against protesting students who had taken refuge in St George’s Cathedral in the centre of Cape Town – a protest led by the then student leader Geoff Budlender. These events shocked her and forced her attention to the injustices being perpetuated in the name of apartheid. She also saw the human waste and injustice in the system. Andrews was married early, to a man from Durban. She now travelled with him to his

Professor Penelope Andrews

hometown where she got a job at the University of Natal Legal Aid Clinic. Under the tutorship of Professor McQuoid Mason, she obtained a summer placement at the Legal Resources Centre. There she was introduced to some of the best lawyers in South Africa as they worked against the apartheid system and its manifold suppressions. These experiences pointed her in the direction of her ultimate career. She took her first law degree at the University of Natal. She then got a scholarship to do her

Masters at Columbia University in New York. She lived for three years in New York. After qualifying, she went to Australia to lecture law in Melbourne, but returned to America where she lectured at the City University of New York, and finally she moved to Valparaiso. ‘During all this time, I have frequently returned to South Africa,’ Andrews said, ‘and of course I have written extensively on South African legal issues. And two years ago (in 2006) I was short-listed for a position as judge of South Africa’s

PA G E

1 3

Turfloop Law Week

OBSTACLES TO GENDER EQUALITY Constitutional Court. I wasn’t appointed, but just being shortlisted was a real honour.’ We need to return our attention to the Law Week conference. How did this daughter of the Cape Flats, now a law professor, respond to the men seeking to inject legitimacy into the culture of masculinity? She said she talked about the three major components – both political and cultural – of masculinity in South Africa: ‘The three components I identify are: first, a masculinist culture emanating from an authoritarian and militaristic apartheid state; second, the masculinist cultural remnants of a violent antiapartheid struggle; and third, aspects of indigenous customary law that continue to subordinate women.’ • Regarding the first, the TRC report has delineated in graphic detail the depths to which the South African military and security establishment went to retain white supremacy. Such violence became an integral part of white South Africa’s maintenance of rigid racial hierarchies, and it also reinforced a militaristic masculinity predicated on the subordination of white women and the suppression of black women. • The liberation movements were scrutinised as well by the TRC, and their methods also raised questions about male violence and female subordination. Despite popular rhetoric, the

Professor Penelope Andrews very nature of this clandestine military struggle and the inevitable absence of transparency and accountability reinforce patterns of masculinity that disadvantaged women disproportionately. The lionised ‘comrade’ became the symbol of black political opposition, epitomising male strength and male defiance. • The third component of South Africa’s prevailing masculinist culture was a patriarchy rooted in some indigenous and religious institutions, and in indigenous and religious practices that subordinate and disadvantage women in a host of areas, including the custody of children, access to property, and rights to inheritance.* Andrews said that the task ahead, for all South Africans, was to change this prevailing culture of masculinity and patriarchy. The

country was admirably equipped to do this. The Constitution insists that gender equality is now a basic human right. Everyone, regardless of race or gender, had a right to liberty and happiness, secure in their persons and before the law. The question was how to accelerate the impact of the Constitution on the nation’s prevailing culture. ‘Think of it in this way,’ she concluded. ‘What will South African culture be like in fifty years’ time? What seems certain is that it will look very different from today. And the role of lawyers in cultural change is important. I believe that being a lawyer means being vitally concerned with social justice and equity. Looked at from this perspective, the Constitution becomes a vital tool for change. But such a legal infrastructure requires constant, vigilant and effective implementation and enforcement processes.’

* Andrews based her contribution to the Turfloop Law Week on a 2007 paper – ‘Democracy Stops at my Front Door’: obstacles to Gender Equality in South Africa – published in Loyola University Chicago International Law Review, vol 5, no 1.

PA G E

1 4

Turfloop Law Week

SUMMING UP THE GENDER CONFERENCE

By ADVOCATE REUBEN LETSEKU, director of the School of Law at Turfloop

w

WE ARE TODAY IN THE MIDST OF A GLOBAL CRISIS AS THE WORLD TRANSFORMS FROM ONE STAGE OF SOCIAL EVOLUTION TO THE NEXT. What is clear is that fundamental change is needed in all areas of society, and gender relations are no exception. Since the change that is needed is so profoundly fundamental, social change activities must go far beyond traditional political activism. A much broader spectrum is needed, including personal growth, public education, community organisation, the creation of alternative institutions and technologies, and the unpacking and confrontation of policies where this is needed. While it is valuable and important to fight against the worst abuses of our current society, we in the School of Law have resolved that social transformation requires that we be proactive in helping to transform society, especially in the ways in which we think about the legislative structures underpinning society. Hence the Law Week. The School has realised that co-operation, dialogue and the participation of all role players is the most effective means of achieving social transformation in today’s world. Having noted the necessity of these changes, and having examined the most pressing needs for transformation in South African society, the School came up with the theme ‘Law, Gender and Social Transformation’. One reason for choosing this theme was the need to create dialogue between and participation by women legal professionals in dealing with the problems of ordinary people – in this case ordinary women. The erstwhile Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development, Brigitte Mabandla, shared with Law Week delegates her vision relating to law and gender issues. Indeed she and her team, Joyce Maluleke and Thuli Madonsela, had long became activists on the difficulties faced by women in relation to the practice of the law.

Mabandla’s vision was straightforward: what was needed was more and more women professionals being equipped to research and write on women’s issues. To further this vision, a partnership was formed between the University of Limpopo, the University of Cape Town, Walter Sisulu University, City University of New York, Harvard University, and the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development. Together, these institutions would implement the need for research and writing skills that would enable women to write authoritatively on women’s issues and concerns. The Law Week conference was the event chosen to launch this bold new venture, as well as to provide a platform for the work already being done in relation to gender and the law. It is my hope that this Law Week, the second under the auspices of the Turfloop School of Law, will herald the beginning of a new culture that will extend far beyond the initial focus of law, gender and social transformation. This new culture should be based on a new way of looking at life and its challenges, the formation of a new and progressive intellectualism based on more co-operation among the universities, and more interaction among the different academic disciplines. Only if this new co-operative and interdisciplinary culture is allowed to take root will we be able convincingly to cope with the transformation demands of the times in which we live. A fundamental truth is that there is no single person, institution or any other social association or organisation that can claim to hold a monopoly on an understanding of the complexities of the changes facing the world at the present time. My belief is that the 2008 Law Week has made a valuable contribution in this regard. The papers were varied and inspiring; the conversations among the hundreds of delegates who attended were lively. My thanks go to the organising team.

PA G E

1 5

The Bigger Picture/Panos

PA G E

1 6

Child mortality in South Africa

NOT EVEN CLOSE TO ACHIEVING MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOAL 4 IN THE last issue of L i m p o p o L e a d e r , we looked at the overall progress that Dr George Mukhari Hospital has made over the past two years. One of the sectors identified by the then hospital CEO, Gale Ramafoko, as a centre of excellence was Obstetrics & Gynaecology, headed by Professor Sam Monokoane. But the information we gleaned from Professor Monokoane was bittersweet. While factors relating to infant and maternal deaths are given uncompromising focus within the department’s area of control; the bigger picture is not encouraging. There are too many gaps in the national healthcare system between policies and successful implementation – and too many mother and baby lives lost. This year saw the halfway mark in the 15-year global End Poverty Millennium Development Goals (MDG) programme, which was signed in 2000 by 190 countries – of which South Africa was one. MDG4 is the reduction of the under-five mortality rate (U5MR) by two-thirds between 1990 and 2015. In 1990 South Africa’s baseline U5MR was 60 deaths per 1 000 live births; which means that by 2015 we have committed to achieving a rate of 20/1 000. The current UN estimate of South Africa’s U5MR is 69 deaths per 1 000 live births. The Saving Children 2006 report compiled by Child PIP (Problem Identification Programme) users and the MRC Unit for Maternal and Infant Health Care Strategies sets the figure at 59/1 000 – but that refers only to deaths in hospitals. It’s believed that there are many more child deaths at home that are not registered. Of the deaths audited, the main causes include lower respiratory tract infection, diarrhoea, severe infections and meningitis. More than half the children who died had symptomatic HIV and two-thirds were malnourished. An article titled, ‘Can we achieve Millennium Development Goal 4?’ in T h e L a n c e t , September 2007, states that the global U5MR is expected to decline by 27 percent from 1990 to 2015, substantially less than the global MDG4’s target of 67 percent.

i

‘Several regions in Latin America, north Africa, the Middle East, Europe, and southeast Asia have had consistent annual rates of decline in excess of 4 percent over 35 years. Global progress on MDG4 is dominated by slow reductions in sub-Saharan Africa, which also has the slowest rates of decline in fertility.’ South Africa is one of 12 countries that has shown an increase in the U5MR since the signing of the MDGs. South Africa is the most economically powerful of the 12. Added to that is the fact that of the countries that have made progress, some of them do not have the resources and infrastructure that South Africa has – countries such as Malawi, Tanzania and Mozambique. Child mortality rates say more about the general ‘health’ of a country than practically any other statistic. And ours is shameful. We thus determined that the U5MR would be a highly relevant topic to cover in more detail – with input from the Dr George Mukhari Hospital on its efforts to reduce these often avoidable maternal and child deaths. Included in this section on child mortality are interviews with Specialist Paediatrician Dr Mphele Mulaudzi, based at Kalafong Hospital near Atteridgeville, for her in-depth knowledge and understanding of child mortality, and Professor Sam Monokoane for his perspective on maternal and neonate deaths, as well as a look at the Dr George Mukhari Hospital’s new Kangaroo Mother Care centre.

PA G E

1 7

Child mortality in South Africa

SHAMEFUL CHILD DEATH RATES DEMAND ACTION IT’S WITH POIGNANT SADNESS CO-MINGLED WITH A PRAGMATIC HOPE FOR THE FUTURE THAT DR MPHELE MULAUDZI, ONE OF THE LEADING LIGHTS IN SOUTH AFRICA ON THE SUBJECT OF CHILD DEATHS, TALKS ABOUT THE CHILD MORTALITY RATES IN THIS COUNTRY. Mulaudzi, Specialist Paediatrician at Kalafong Hospital and Lecturer for the University of Pretoria, has been involved in ongoing research into child deaths, and has contributed significantly to the Child PIP (Problem Identification Programme) ‘Saving Children’ surveys that have produced valuable research data from various hospitals in South Africa for three years since 2004. The Saving Children 2006 report sets the under-five mortality rate (U5MR) at 59 deaths per 1 000 live births. Those figures refer only to deaths in hospitals. Mulaudzi believes there may be as many as 30 percent more child deaths at home that are not registered. Estimates from various sources range from 59 to 99 per 1 000 – but whatever the exact figure, it’s way too high for a country that claims to be an economic powerhouse of the region and a ‘developing’ country. The puzzle for Mulaudzi, and for many like-minded people in South Africa, is how the survival of children can be so low on the country’s list of priorities. ‘We build great buildings, we even put policies in place – but there it seems to end. Our nation’s children are neglected and their fundamental right to life ignored,’ says Mulaudzi. That’s where the Child PIP report comes in. The information collected in Saving Children is designed to be used to improve healthcare services. ‘Our aim is not only to count the number of deaths or what caused them; it’s to improve the care of the children.’

i

GLOBAL CHILD DEATHS The global picture looks like this: The estimated U5MR has been decreasing over the past three decades, except for the southern African region that has shown an increase since the early 1990s. Worldwide in

PA G E

1 8

Dr Mphele Mulaudzi 2006, 9,7 million children died before their 5th birthday – with 60 percent before their first birthday. Sub-Saharan Africa is responsible for 49 percent of these deaths, but contributing 22 percent of the world’s births. In fact, one in six sub-Saharan children dies before the age of five. This is of course exacerbated by the fact that 90 percent of the world’s HIV-infected children live in this area and 46 percent of this region’s people live in extreme poverty. In South Africa, Child PIP data shows a horrifying picture of 65 percent of all children who die in hospital before their fifth birthday being malnourished. Even worse is that a third are severely malnourished. When this is our tragic reality, we can hardly start boasting about achievements in other sectors. This truth is not just the burden of our health and social welfare departments, but it should pierce the consciences of every well-fed South African, notes Mulaudzi.

The Bigger Picture/Alamy

The Bigger Picture/Alamy

SAVING CHILDREN The Saving Children 2006 survey concurs, ‘In the 12 years since democracy in South Africa, much progress has been made, but a key marker of a strong nation is the survival of children from the poorest families. Is progress enough when 73 000 children die each year and the burden is highest among the poorest?’ Based on 1998 data, the poorest families have a risk of child death of 87 per 1 000 births – four times higher than the wealthiest families. The setting for the Saving Children 2006 survey was 31 hospitals from nine provinces, representing different levels of paediatric healthcare across rural, peri-urban and urban populations. In all, 2 223 deaths were audited in detail. The main causes of death include lower respiratory tract infection, diarrhoea, severe infections and meningitis. There were 4 970 modifiable factors for the 2 223 deaths. Modifiable factors are instances of substandard care and missed opportunities for intervention during the process of caring according to a comprehensive list. This means that for each death, there were on average more than two occurrences of substandard care. In a presentation to the SA Human Rights Commission last year, Mulaudzi used entries from the hospital charts of babies who had died to emphasise the tragedy of lack of proper care: • ‘No notes in child’s folder for three days prior to death; last note: doing well.’ 6-week old Ayanda with unknown cause of death. • ‘Not seen on ward at all after admission; SATS recorded as 66 percent; no oxygen given; SATS

The Bigger Picture/Alamy

never rechecked.’ 13-month old Thando with Acute Respiratory Infection. (SATS – SA Triage Scale – is the process of sorting patients into different priorities based on their degree of illness or injury.) • ‘Lumbar puncture considered, but not done. Diagnosis of meningitis delayed by 15 hours; antibiotic never started.’ 16-month old Sanele with meningitis. Mulaudzi notes that ‘access’ in the health system is not simply about getting through a door. It’s also about what happens during each and every ‘caring process’ on either side of the door.

EVERY DEATH COUNTS The ‘Every Death Counts’ report released this year is a compilation of three South African mortality audit reports – S a v i n g M o t h e r s , S a v i n g B a b i e s and S a v i n g C h i l d r e n – that offers a review of the healthcare provided to mothers, babies and children and includes information on cause of death and avoidable factors. The report draws the following conclusions regarding modifiable factors in child deaths: • 25 percent related to family/ community action, such as caregiver not recognising severity of illness. • 22 percent related to policy maker or managerial action – lack of senior doctors and nurses and insufficient paediatric beds. • 53 percent related to healthcare provider action, such as Integrated Management of Childhood Illnesses (IMCI) system not used in clinics, and poor assessment and management in hospitals.

PA G E

1 9

Child mortality in South Africa

SHAMEFUL CHILD DEATH RATES DEMAND ACTION HIV AND CHILD DEATHS HIV – as has been noted – is a massive factor in child deaths. The Lancet (April 2008) states that ‘75 percent of the children dying who were severely malnourished had clinical criteria that were compatible with stage III or IV HIV/Aids. This means that for most of these severely malnourished children, HIV infection has resulted in a vicious cycle of infection and under nutrition. It also means that improved HIV prevention and management should reduce the prevalence of malnutrition and the risk of death.’ Mulaudzi elaborates: ‘We have the resources and the policies to reduce the effect of HIV on our child mortality rate, but we are still finding that interventions at our healthcare facilities are often inadequate. For instance, the percentage of children not tested for HIV in 2006 was 34 percent. Lack of testing is a major obstacle to accessing holistic HIV care. We’ve also seen ongoing serious shortcomings in the PMTCT (Prevention of Mother To Child Transmission) programme; only one in two mothers who were eligible for PMTCT prophylaxis – nevirapine – actually received it. And although 49 percent of the deaths in the Saving Children report were eligible for ART, they didn’t receive it.’ Had these policies and interventions been properly implemented, many children’s lives would no doubt have been saved.

GOING FORWARD But the situation cannot be seen as complete gloom and doom. There is hope. There is comprehensive information to indicate where the gaps are in knowledge on the part of mothers and caregivers and pointing to implementation of interventions that are available in this country. ‘The death of children due to HIV can be significantly reduced through proper implementation of measures and policies that are currently available. These include preventing HIV infection of babies through the prevention of infection of young and pregnant women and through PMTCT medication during pregnancy and breastfeeding. It’s also vital to identify infected children as early as possible, and to treat with ART.’ It’s significant too that a malnourished child has an approximate five times greater risk of dying than a wel-nourished child. Our social welfare policies need

PA G E

2 0

The Bigger Picture/Alamy

upgrading; providing childcare grants alone in households with no other income is not enough. Job creation should also be a priority. We’re now half way through our allocated 15 years for reaching the MDGs. The document we signed stated that we would ‘spare no effort to free our fellow men, women and children from the abject and dehumanising conditions of extreme poverty.’ It’s time we did just that.

Child mortality in South Africa

IN THE INTERESTS OF SAFER AND HEALTHIER CHILDBIRTH ‘I WAS TAUGHT HOW TO DO A CAESAREAN SECTION BY A MIDWIFE NUN IN A MISSION HOSPITAL WHEN I WAS A FIFTH-YEAR MEDICAL STUDENT. I love what the missionary hospitals taught us in quality patient care and absolute commitment.’ Professor Sam Monokoane, head of Obstetrics and Gynaecology in the Medical School and DGMH, is renowned among staff and students alike for being ultra strict. He maintains that his obsession with exceptionally high standards throughout his department started with the standards that were drummed into him every holiday as a medical student when he spent time at one or other missionary hospital. ‘But it’s really simple,’ he barks. ‘All I want from junior doctors is for them to understand this truth. God created pregnancy to be nine months – nothing more. At the end of nine months we must reward the mother with a live healthy baby. And we must ensure that the baby has a healthy mother.’ That he runs a tight ship is not disputed from one end of the hospital to the furthest end of the university campus, nor is the fact that it is a centre of excellence. Past CEO of DGMH, Gale Ramafoko, commended Monokoane as one of a handful of top achievers in his estimation. In patient audits too, this department has done well and achieved acceptable levels of patient satisfaction. Monokoane himself commends the dedicated staff within the department. Monokoane has been at DGMH and the Medical School since 2001 in his present capacity. Before that he was head of department and principle specialist in obstetrics and gynaecology (O&G) at Edendale Hospital near Pietermaritzburg. His responsibilities with DGMH include providing a comprehensive O&G service, which includes attending to highly specialised and high-risk cases in a large catchment area that stretches from as far north as Musina near the South African border and includes a number of hospitals throughout North West province.

i

Professor Sam Monokoane High-risk pregnancies include women with hypertension, which affects about 10% of women. His unit also sees a large number of cardio patients – most of whom have had valve replacement. Patients with bad pregnancy histories are also sent to DGMH, as are patients with severe infections of the womb post delivery, labour-related problems such as ruptured uteruses and big babies. Monokoane, who has served on the national Maternal Deaths Committee for 10 years, lists the most common causes of maternal death: • Eclampsia, which generally results from healthcare workers’ slow response to the warning signs. Eclampsia follows pre-eclampsia, which manifests with dangerously high blood pressure, swelling, protein in the urine, and sometimes convulsions. If allowed to progress, this syndrome leads to eclampsia and if not managed in time, it leads to death. • Post partum haemorrhaging, which Monokoane

PA G E

2 1

Child mortality in South Africa

IN THE INTERESTS OF SAFER AND HEALTHIER CHILDBIRTH says he can’t believe is still so prevalent today – ‘women should not be dying from bleeding in this day and age’. He says patients are dying from bleeding during or after caesarean sections ‘even with experienced people in attendance’. • Pregnancy related sepsis is also a primary cause of death. Most commonly, the final cause of death is septic shock or multi-organ failure. Contributory causes of death include respiratory failure, immune system failure, and cardiac failure. It’s probable that patients would have had more than one final or contributory cause of death. Monokoane adds that HIV is often prevalent among women who die from pregnancy-related sepsis. He says that a significant percentage of women who contract pregnancy-related sepsis have had ‘backstreet’ or unsafe abortions, presumably because of the long waiting periods at the legal abortion clinics. • Anaesthetic deaths occur unexpectedly during or shortly following anaesthesia and can generally be directly attributed to anaesthesia. Monokoane says that a troubling fact is that lack of management of the complications of anaesthesia results in too many deaths. • Ectopic pregnancies are causing a surprising number of deaths, he says. A worrying trend is that delays in operating are occurring too often. An ectopic pregnancy is one in which the fertilised egg is implanted outside the womb – generally in the fallopian tubes – and left untreated, it can be fatal due to intra-abdominal haemorrhaging. These deaths are invariably avoidable, he states. Too often the healthcare is not adequate; there is poor or no response to developing conditions that need urgent treatment, or the response is inappropriate. An enormous challenge too, for not only Monokoane’s unit but for O&G departments throughout South Africa is PMTCT of HIV/Aids. DGMH has a 30 percent rate of HIV-positive mothers giving birth, which is in keeping with Gauteng’s rate. According to the S A M e d i c a l J o u r n a l , March 2007, an estimated 144 000 new HIV infections occurred in Gauteng in 2005, which translates to about 400 new infections every day. And PMTCT is being complicated

PA G E

2 2

even further by related diseases such as TB and meningitis. He also wants to see a lot more research and attention given to the unacceptably high prevalence of death during delivery. The most common cause is unexplained. The second most common cause is preterm deliveries, with babies weighing less than 1 000g. But most alarming is the third most common cause, which is interpartum asphyxia – suffocation during delivery. ‘Care during this stage is crucial and too often we find that foetal stress has not been detected, the foetus has not been monitored, or the foetus is monitored but the medical person delays in rescuing the baby.’ Modifiable factors in stillbirths and neonatal deaths identified in the ‘Every Death Counts’ report show that: • 38 percent relate to family/community action, such as delay in seeking care during labour. • 19 percent relate to policy maker or managerial action, such as personnel not available or not sufficiently trained. • 35 percent relate to healthcare provider action, such as poor response to maternal hypertension. This brings Monokoane to his passion for effective teaching. His involvement in the university’s teaching and training programme includes MBChB degree undergraduates and postgraduates as well as midwives and advanced midwifery courses. He maintains that his teaching is centred on three main factors. ‘1. Be disciplined – know how to respond and know your limits. 2. Have a positive attitude to a good work ethic – stay on duty and don’t disappear! 3. Make sure that the patients always come first. If students get those right they’re well on their way to being responsible, accountable and competent professionals – and to achieving our ultimate aim of reducing tragedies in pregnancy and childbirth.’ Every Monday, morbidity and mortality meetings are held where the previous week’s tragedies are comprehensively analysed and assessed. Monokoane says, ‘We ask where we went wrong, what lessons were learned, and what can we do to improve the situation so it doesn’t happen again.’ Ever.

Child mortality in South Africa

NEW UNIT SEES INFANTS THRIVING WITH CLOSE CARE KANGAROOS KNOW WHAT THEY’RE DOING WHEN THEIR ‘BABIES’ ARE NEWLY BORN. They keep them in their pouches close to their bodies day and night. That’s the wonderfully simple idea behind the growing phenomenon in premature baby care in Gauteng hospitals – called Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC). This concept adds a spark of hope and encouragement to the tragic topic of child and maternal deaths that we’ve been reviewing. The KMC is the latest unit to open in DGMH, and the results are ‘hugely encouraging’, according to Sister Lilly Masote, who is in charge of the unit. Over 20 percent of babies born in Gauteng are premature – and the death rate among these infants has always been higher than in full-term babies. The KMC ward has 25 beds for mothers and their preterm babies – usually between 900g and 1.8kg. The mothers must come in as well, as their care of their babies is vitally important to the level of progress these babies experience. Babies born with severe complications such as respiratory diseases are still sent to neonatal ICU. KMC started in Colombia in the 70s when overcrowded hospitals and limited funds meant that healthcare workers had to find an alternative to incubators. The concept consists of a cotton sling called a kangaroo tie that creates a ‘pouch’ for a newborn baby wearing only a nappy to be held skinto-skin between the mother’s breasts. While she didn’t have exact figures, Masote is confident that babies in KMC gain weight more rapidly than those kept in incubators, which means they are discharged quicker. The babies are taken out only for feeding, weighing, nappy-changing or when the mother needs to bath. She adds that the temperature between a woman’s breasts is always just right – breasts are thermoneutral. Incubators, on the other hand, have to be constantly adjusted to the right temperature. KMC unit babies are also largely protected against infections

k Sister Lilly Masote

PA G E

2 3

Child mortality in South Africa

NEW UNIT SEES INFANTS THRIVING WITH CLOSE CARE

because they have contact with immunity-building bacteria on their mothers’ skin. Another reason that Masote is delighted with the KMC unit is the way the mothers bond with their babies. Many – possibly up to 75 percent – of the mothers are teenagers, and many are terrified of hurting their tiny babies. The kangaroo tie and the constant physical contact with their babies give them a greater degree of confidence in their ability to look after their babies. Masote’s empathy for the young mothers is palpable as she explains how the ward staff members make the most of the opportunity to educate the young

PA G E

2 4

mothers on health issues such as good nutrition and personal hygiene while they’re in the unit. The unit is a ‘dream come true’ for Florah Kuypers, Deputy Director of Nursing at DGMH. ‘This initiative is saving babies’ lives and is making a real difference to the teenage mums who come to the hospital. The time that the young mothers spend in skin-on-skin proximity to their babies, along with ongoing education and encouragement from the nursing staff in the KMC unit is giving these girls a real opportunity to see themselves as – and to practice being – responsible mothers.’

BUILDING LIVESTOCK BREEDS FOR LOCAL CONDITIONS

w

‘WHEN YOUR INNER BULL CALLS. LISTEN.’ That’s the payoff line for a Seat Ibiza advertisement currently flighting on television where the charging bull – a Nguni of course – metaphorically catapults the metrosexual man out of his sushi and yoga lifestyle and into the driver’s seat of the Seat Ibiza. Such is the growing reputation of the noble and tough Nguni breed in South Africa. In fact, it has been said that when looking for a good quality Nguni bull, it must show attitude that is reflected in the way the head is held, in its wide forehead, alert ears, and a classic ‘you owe me money’ look! Nguni cattle have been an integral and rich part of southern African history for hundreds of years – and references to them abound in local oral history and poetry. In her book, T h e A b u n d a n t H e r d s : A Celebration of the Nguni Cattle of the Z u l u P e o p l e , author Marguerite Poland refers to a poetic and complex naming practice that associates the distinctive colours and patterns of a hide with natural phenomena such as birds, animals and plants. But such poetic naming practices are possibly not often on the mind of Professor Jones Ng’ambi, head of the Animal Production Department in the School of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences at the University of Limpopo – even though Nguni cattle dominate much of his working day. In L i m p o p o L e a d e r 9 , S p r i n g 2 0 0 6 , we introduced his department’s work in trying to maximise the assets of the Nguni breed, and optimise the productivity of the cattle, as well as indigenous goats and chickens. Here we look at the progress made in this department, as well as the financial support it has been granted by the Directorate of the ‘Vlaamse Interuniversitaire Raad’ (VLIR) through the University of Antwerp in Belgium. The Nguni project at the university to improve the bloodline and productivity of the breed, funded by the Industrial Development Corporation, is growing

Professor Jones Ng’ambi successfully. Ng’ambi says it entails purchasing livestock from auctions; assessing them at the university farm for about a month; and then distributing them to villages throughout the Limpopo Province. At this stage a total of about 250 cattle have been placed in about 20 communities throughout the Limpopo Province. ‘The Nguni Cattle Breeders Society of South Africa helps us with the selection of animals, which means we have managed to maintain a high standard among the stock purchased. When the cattle are placed in villages, we have changed the system from collective ownership to individual to encourage greater buy-in

PA G E

2 5

The Bigger Picture/Alamy

The Bigger Picture/Alamy

BUILDING LIVESTOCK BREEDS FOR LOCAL CONDITIONS to the project. For instance, if we identify a person to be the recipient of the next calf born in the village herd, he or she will be more likely to get involved in ensuring that the animals get the best possible feeding and management.’ The Limpopo IDC Nguni Cattle Development Trust has also recently employed a livestock manager to monitor the cattle in the villages and keep all the records. By the end of next year the department will be in a position to appoint a student to look at the records and thoroughly evaluate the project. Furthermore, Ng’ambi says his department is also in discussion with the National Research Foundation (NRF) to launch a project to gene map the Nguni, which would add tremendous value to the ongoing development of the breed. Ng’ambi believes that if the productivity of Nguni cattle could be increased by just one percent, it would have a significant impact on meat production – and consequently on the economic strength of the rural communities. To boost this idea a joint project is under way with the University of Pretoria, the Agricultural Research Council and an Australian company to look into the quality and taste of Nguni meat. Ng’ambi’s personal belief is that Nguni meat ‘tastes better’ than other cattle breed meat and that it has the potential to be a big branded seller during the 2010 soccer season – and beyond. A portion of the grant from the Flemish university has been allocated to the School of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences specifically to look at the effects of climate change in relation to factors relevant to livestock production. This project will involve livestock and plant production, water management, as well as student development. It’s scheduled to start in 2009 and run for five years, after which the results will be reviewed. He elaborates, ‘Essentially, what we are planning in the livestock department is to determine what we expect to happen and what we can do to slow down the effects of climate change. We need to make sure that the effects are not devastating to our livestock production and hence to our communities. Droughts will diminish available food for the livestock and increase the likelihood of diseases. With these possible outcomes, what can we do to make sure that

the communities survive? For instance, is there a drought-tolerant crop that can feed the animals?’ The department will be striving to find the answers to these and many other questions over the course of the next five years. Other work in the animal department also focuses on two primary goals – to build economic viability within rural communities, totally in keeping with the university’s motto of ‘finding solutions for Africa’, and training students. ‘We’ve been training many students at Masters level and the many projects we are involved with – involving cattle, goats and chickens – have been very helpful at that level. In fact, many of our students are being offered good jobs even before they finish their degrees.’ Another validation of the department’s overall success in achieving its goals is the fact that two of the professors from the Animal Production Department – Ng’ambi and Professor David Norris (an animal breeder) – have been rated by the NRF and are each being allocated R40 000 to use on projects of their own choice. Ng’ambi’s passion and interest in cattle – and especially indigenous cattle – was instilled in him at a very early age, on his family’s cattle farm in the north-eastern region of Chipata in Zambia. His father became a cattle farmer after working for some years on a farm in Zimbabwe. By the time Ng’ambi finished secondary school, the farm was a successful venture and was able to support the family. Though his father died at that stage, Ng’ambi’s mother and his youngest brother took over the farm and still run it today. The cattle are used for milk, meat, and for sale as lobola cattle. Ng’ambi visits his family and the farm every two or three months, and he and his brother exchange ideas and knowledge on improving the health and productivity of cattle.

PA G E

2 7

Profile: RATHNUM NAIDOO

STUDENTS – THE NEW REGISTRAR’S THE STUDENTS ARE OUR CLIENTS AND IT’S OUR MANDATE AS ADMINISTRATORS TO DELIVER THE SAME QUALITY CUSTOMER SERVICE TO THEM ACROSS BOTH CAMPUSES. That’s the type of bold and clear-thinking statement that the new UL Registrar, Rathnum (better known as Dickie) Naidoo is making after 100 days in office. Naidoo started at UL on 1 August 2008 and he hit the ground running. In just three months he has settled in and is well into the process of developing and implementing new systems. ‘I’ve had extensive experience in administration and teaching in higher education institutions. I didn’t need a long period to acquaint myself with the systems; I just needed to thoroughly understand the culture of this institution and fit into it.’ Naidoo’s qualifications include a Diploma in Education from the University of Durban Westville in 1975; a Diploma in Specialised Education – Library Science – from Unisa in 1977; a BA with majors in Economics and History in 1981, also from Unisa; and a B.Ed. from Rhodes University in 1991. He also studied private law at the University of Fort Hare, and is currently working towards his MBA. His work experience has taken him from one end of South Africa

t

PA G E

2 8

Rathnum Naidoo to the other. Born in Durban, Naidoo started teaching at Tongaat Secondary School in 1976 – which he describes as ‘baptism by fire’ because of the student unrest that year, the difficult subject he was teaching – economics, and the fact that he was all of 21 years old. But the experience no doubt added more steel to his spine. He then lectured at the Springfield College of Education in Durban, before moving to East London Secondary School, where he made history by being the youngest head of department the

school had ever had. He managed the Department of Humanities and was given a merit award for outstanding teaching ability and organisational skills. He then spent eight months as a candidate attorney with JA Yazbek & Co in East London, before the lure of education called him back to the fold. He lectured at the College of Education in Mdantsane for three years when he was appointed Registrar (Administration and Finance) of the college. This was followed by a twoyear stint as Faculty Manager:

NUMBER ONE CLIENTS Commerce, at the University of Cape Town, responsible for the management of academic and administrative matters within the faculty and the Graduate Business School. He moved to Gauteng in 2003 to take up a post as the Senior Deputy Registrar (Academic) at Tshwane University of Technology for five years where he was responsible for merging two departments under one headship. It was time to move again – this time to UL. Naidoo’s extensive experience has more than prepared him for the varying tasks he is tackling at the UL campuses. He’s quick to commend the stalwart efforts that have been made at the university, despite not having had a fullyfledged registrar for many years. He also points out that his job has been made easier by the enabling environment provided by the ViceChancellor. Naidoo’s approach to all his tasks is fundamentally positive. ‘No matter what the situation, there is always something positive we can find and work with. This is more likely to result in a positive outcome than focusing on the negative would.’ With this attitude – and his ability to work well with people – Naidoo is tackling a myriad of responsibilities with the dynamic energy and enthusiasm that he is

known for. But he will not, he cautions, be making changes for the sake of it. Only systems and processes that can become more efficient and effective through change will be targeted. His first task, says Naidoo, is to develop a new structure for the university that will be appropriate for the IOP that is being implemented across the university campuses. He describes his proposed structure: ‘It’s flat. It’s lean and it’s designed to be efficient and add value. It takes financial constraints into account, while not forgetting its purpose, which is to address needs – the first of which is to provide good customer service to our students.’ The new structure advocates the appointment of a deputy registrar on each campus to ensure that the service provided by the university is optimal. Naidoo says he’s had broad acceptance of the structure at this stage. ‘As administrators, we will be judged on what we leave behind. We must leave a strong structure that will serve the needs of this university equitably across both campuses for many years to come.’ Naidoo has also looked at the systems of admissions and graduation, and is putting policies in place that will ensure that the absolute integrity of the university is not compromised in any way.

‘Every student admission must comply with minimum requirements – and we must have the mechanisms to ensure that this takes place. Likewise, procedures must be in place to guarantee that every graduate has achieved the minimum standards prescribed by the university. We must ensure that none slip through cracks in administrative procedures. This would compromise our integrity most severely.’ Naidoo is also fine-tuning the graduation ceremony, which he believes can be made even more professional and reflective of the nobility and status of the university. Another important area that he has focused on is staff training. ‘Our institution is undergoing transformation. People need to understand what the changes are, why they are necessary, and how to cope with them. Otherwise the process is just painful for them – and they won’t be in a position to provide the great service to our clients that is so vital to our success.’ Looking to the not too distant future, Naidoo says he believes that UL should be the university of choice for youngsters considering higher education. ‘We must be making offers to the brightest students in the schools of Limpopo and beyond, and our reputation must be such that they are honoured to accept our offer.’

PA G E

2 9

Profile: PROFESSOR HLENGANI SIWEYA

THE NEEDLE AND THE CUP HE’S DIRECTOR OF THE SCHOOL OF COMPUTATIONAL AND MATHEMATICAL SCIENCES AT THE UNIVERSITY OF LIMPOPO. He’s committed to adding serious value to the University of Limpopo’s quest to become a centre of excellence. It was fitting, therefore, that in November 2007, on the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the South African Mathematics Society (SAMS), Professor Hlengani Siweya was elected its president for a two-year term. ‘I view this as a very high honour,’ he says. It’s interesting to learn that this talented mathematician – he has specialised in Topology – is a member of the royal family in the Ndengeza clan in the former ‘homeland’ of Gazankulu. Indeed, that’s where he was born and went to school, emerging from the Giyani High School with distinctions in Mathematics and Geography in 1977. By making use of an Anglo American Chairman’s Fund scholarship, he was able to enrol at the then University of the North to study for a BSc (Paed) teaching degree. Those years following the Soweto uprising were turbulent ones on most university campuses, not least on Turfloop; nevertheless Siweya managed to maintain his academic promise, graduating with distinctions in Mathematics

h

and a subject called ‘Method of Mathematics’. After two months of highschool teaching, he went back to do his BSc Honours, thanks to a bursary from BP South Africa. He completed this in ‘just’ one year with a distinction in Dynamical Systems. He continued to teach until 1985, when he joined the staff in the Mathematics Department at Turfloop. His academic career forged rapidly ahead. In the early 1990s, he spent a year at the University of Sussex in Brighton (England), doing a Masters degree in ‘Point-free Topology’. By 1993 he had a second Masters from Unisa, this time in ‘Categorical Topology’. His Doctoral degree followed in 1999 through the University of Durban-Westville. His thesis dealt with ‘Spreads in locales and uniform locales in Point-free Topology’. Asked what had attracted him to numbers, he replied. ‘It wasn’t the numbers so much as the reasoning that went into the solving of the problems that the numbers posed. You know the sort of thing that one begins with. If one child gets a certain percentage of a sum of money, and another child a certain percentage of the balance, what is left of the original amount? I found I could

*

explain the reasoning... sometimes better than the teachers. I was given the responsibility of explaining the problem to the other pupils. I loved that role. ‘My childhood ambition,’ he recalls, ‘had been to become a Health Inspector. But very soon, because of my aptitude, I changed to mathematics teaching. Teaching is a passion for me. I still teach at first-year level. I also supervise Masters and Doctoral students. I always say there are two reasons for studying maths. The first is for the power of its applications. But the second goes much deeper: it’s for its beauty.’ As well as being the president of SAMS, Siweya serves on a number of other important bodies. He’s the Vice-President (representing the southern African region) of the African Mathematical Union. He serves on the Advisory Board of the African Institute of Mathematical Sciences. He’s a member, appointed by the South African Minister of Science and Technology, of the Council for Natural Scientific Professions, as well as the chairperson of this Council’s Professional Advisory Committee on Mathematical Science. And earlier this year he was asked to serve in the Deputy Minister of Education’s Ministerial Reference Team for Mathematics, Science and Technology.

* These objects have distinct similarities for topologists like Professor Siweya. If you’re not certain what topology is, read on.

PA G E

3 0

What of the future? Siweya is forthright. ‘There are serious challenges for South Africa,’ he asserts. ‘The shortage of qualified personnel, from mathematics and science teachers right through to researchers and practitioners, will need seriously to be addressed. I have already embarked on a programme of staff development here at the School. Of our over forty lecturers, only two now have qualifications of less than Masters level. I definitely see my job here as creating the space and opportunities for others to excel.’ There have been two results emanating from this new focus on staff enrichment and excellence. The first has been an increasing respect for Turfloop staff and students. The second has been an increased flow of funding from outside the university. ‘For myself,’ he says, ‘I still find time to do my own research – in the field of spreads and Pointfree Topology.’ Siweya smiles slightly at the next question. ‘Let me try to explain. Topology is the study of geometrical shapes and their similarities. Think of a needle and a cup. There are similarities: they both have one hole. But the one is circular and the other linear. So you can see, Topology is the study of geometrical properties...’

Professor Hlengani Siweya

PA G E

3 1

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

p

PREFERENCE WILL BE GIVEN TO SHORT LETTERS. Aim for a maximum of 100 to 150 words or expect your epistle to be edited. Please give contact details when writing to us. No pseudonyms or anonymous letters will be published. ADDRESS YOUR LETTERS TO: The Editor

LOST IN RURAL KWAZULU-NATAL

Limpopo Leader

I HAVE FOUND THE COPIES OF L I M P O P O L E A D E R VERY EXCITING. I am lost here in KwaZulu-Natal, Port Shepstone area, as an occupational therapist. But when I see the magazine it revitalises me to reconnect with the people I used to know from my varsity days. I am trying my level best to promote the occupational therapy profession in rural areas without any resources and infrastructure. I hope I won’t miss a single magazine. I need the contact details of my friend Happy Motlatle. Please contact me on 082-495-9230 or [email protected]

PO Box 2756

Celeste Ngcobo

Pinegowrie 2123 South Africa Fax: (011) 782-0335 E-mail: [email protected]

Port Shepstone area

THE ORDER OF MAPUNGUBWE THE UNIVERSITY OF LIMPOPO IS HONOURED TO HAVE IN ITS MIDST A SCIENTIST, A RESEARCHER, A PERSON OF IMPECCABLE CREDENTIALS, AN OUTSTANDING CITIZEN OF OUR REPUBLIC. That person is Professor Phuti Ngoepe, head of the Materials Modelling Centre. 28 October 2008 was a day of celebration. It was the day on which the Order of Mapungubwe (silver), the highest State order that a citizen of this or a foreign country may receive, was bestowed on Professor Ngoepe. The symbolism that resides in the Order is pertinent to Professor Ngoepe. The famous golden rhinoceros symbolises resourcefulness, which should be considered together with the Mapungubwe Hill in the background that is an acknowledgement of the difficult natural environment from which the excellence of Mapungubwe emanated. The four corners of the globe found in the Order symbolise the outstanding accomplishments of our people. Other symbols such as the furnace, the gold melting pot and the sceptre all suggest excellence, creativity and advancement. It is thus no ordinary achievement to be nominated for and then to be awarded this singularly magnificent recognition of extraordinary ability and dedication. Professor Ngoepe, our colleague, our comrade, we salute you! Professor N M Mokgalong

Vice-Chancellor and Principal

L i m p o p o L e a d e r has twice written about Professor Ngoepe. The first was a profile entitled ‘Combining High Science with Social Commitment’ in issue number 2 in the summer of 2004. The second was in the autumn of 2007, when Professor Ngoepe was awarded a research chair by the National Research Foundation. The article in issue number 11 was headed ‘World-Class Materials Modelling for Africa’ – Editor.

PA G E

3 2

Professor Phuti Ngoepe

SUBSCRIPTION

SUBSCRIBE TO L i m p o p o

L e a d e r NOW!

PAY YOUR R100 DIRECTLY INTO DGR’S BANK ACCOUNT OR PAY BY CHEQUE. Either way, we’ll need your particulars: your name and postal address and occupation (so we can see who is reading the magazine); and proof of deposit if you’re paying directly into our account, the details of which are given here.

Bank: Standard Bank Branch: Melville Branch code: 006105 A c c o u n t n a m e : D G R Wr i t i n g & R e s e a r c h Account number: 002879336 Reference: LLsubs(+ your name) Our contact details are: Tel: (011) 782-0333

Fax: (011) 782-0335

E-mail: [email protected] PO Box 2756 Pinegowrie 2123

Secure your future

Tsireledzani vhumatshelo hanu Tihlayiseleni vumundzuku bya n’wina Sireletsa bokamoso bja gago Verseker jou toekoms Vikela ikusasa lakho v

v

v

UNIVERSITY OF LIMPOPO Telephone: (015) 268 9111