Report by Deneesha Pillay & Megan Flemmit
Students of Eastcape Midlands College in Grahamstown are evicted from their accommodation and and threatened with closure of the school. Because of funding problems in the institution, landlords evicted the students. The students then marched to the EMC premises to await the campus management response. Many of the students are from out of town and have no money to get back home.
Report by Deneesha Pillay & Megan Flemmit at SciFest Africa 2014.
One of the workshops that The South African Agency for Science and Technology Association held concerned the use of Biotechnology. High school students attended workshops that presented a technique to extract DNA from wheat using everyday household products to give them an understanding of the process and the science.
They also explored how biotechnology is used for genetic modification of organisms and the many controversies around this. The conflict between the humanitarian, corporate and science perspectives has led to great debate about the ethics of Genetic Modification (GM). This video proposes different ideas about the ethics involved and the concerns some environmentalists have with GM.
We also see how biotechnology is used in a sustainable way. The Institute for Environmental Biotechnology at Rhodes University works in parallel with the Belmont Valley Water Treatment Works to clean sewage water to produce water that is less harmful for the environment.
Report by Robyn Wertheim & Cindy Archillies
On 28 February students from Rhodes University in Grahamstown, came together to honour ex-President Nelson Mandela through song, music and dance at the Nelson Mandela Memorial Concert. The concert which was hosted at the Settlers Monument featured performances by Rhodes Acapella group Signature Sound, Tri Factor, E-Lastic Band, and Rhodes Dance Society amongst others.
Rhodes University SRC Media Councillor Brian Mabe, explains that the concert took place this late because students were on vacation at the time of ex-President Nelson Mandela’s passing. For performers, E-Lastic band this was a particularly special night because it allowed different people from Rhodes University to showcase their talent while at the same time honouring Nelson Mandela.
Report by Robyn Wertheim & Cindy Archillies
South Africa’s electricity crisis cannot be solely solved by reducing domestic consumption. Eskom’s accountability and their monopoly position are put under the lens by Economics Professor Gavin Keeton and The South African Civil Society Information Service (SACSIS) columnist Glenn Ashton.
Production by Cindy Achilles & Robyn Wertheim
Freedom is a house track produced by Grahamstown DJ VonDirty featuring Saya that tells the story of two unrequited lovers. The video tells the story of a woman who is getting ready for a night out. While she is getting ready we enter her fantasies where her lover is helping her to get dressed. Once she is finished getting ready she goes to a local nightclub where he is DJ-ing. There the two dance together. It is when she goes to the bathroom and we re-enter her fantasies that we see that their love story is not quite what it seems. Distraught by this realization, she returns home by herself. VonDirty is a well-known local performer who is the resident DJ at establishments in town. Saya is a Journalism Student who performs in her spare time.
Production by Lillian Magari & Noxolo Mafu
Music video from Afro-world Grahamstown band, WordsUntame