MALUNGA BLOG

By Simphiwe Malunga Email address: mandlamalunga1@gmail.com Twitter handle: @MalungaSM Tags: #Albinos, Stigmas, Isishawa, IOL They are our fellow students, our neighbours, children, parents and yet are treated like rhinoceros that are hunted down for ‘their precious rhino horns’.   In the month of human rights one should embrace the existence of Albinos, keeping in mind the stigmas and hatred towards them. Let me highlight just a few dangerous beliefs towards albinos which have led to a rise in their fatality; it’s believed that bones and body parts of albinos hold magic powers, a superstition stating that having sex with a woman with albinism will cure a man of HIV and that pregnant women should not look directly at any albino or else they’ll give birth to one and the ridiculous list goes on. Just imagine! Albinism isn’t contagious.   Albinism is simply a condition inherited through genes, where a shortage of melanin pigment affects the eyes, hair ...

By Simphiwe Malunga Email address: mandlamalunga1@gmail.com Twitter handle: @MalungaSM Tags: VBF, TUT, Baloyi, #Radio Lecturer Despite the love he had for soccer, the passion for journalism took over leading him to countless achievements.   He has proven that anything is possible as long as you put your mind at it. Back in primary school, one would find Vukosi Baloyi mostly in sport activities particularly soccer. He made a name for himself at Mheho Primary School which is located in Mphambo , a small village in Limpopo.   He later discovered that the love for soccer grew even more. Apart from him being a Tshwane University of Technology Radio lecturer, he also runs his own project called Vukosi Baloyi Foundation (VBF). The project is aimed at addressing the needs of young people through workshops, mentorship and sporting programmes in urban townships and rural areas. Dedicated and multi-talented as he is, he is best described as hard working and a ...

By Simphiwe Malunga Email address: mandlamalunga1@gmail.com Twitter handle: @MalungaSM Tags: TUT, Soccer grounds, AmaBen 10 Have you ever wondered where students at the Tshwane University of Technology disappear to on weekends? Well, you will find them at the North campus football ground glued to their sits while spectating the moment. Soccer players from numerous teams namely Ezimnandi FC, Madrid, AmaBen 10 and the list goes on together with coaches have come up with an initiative aimed to bring unity and get the youth off the streets. They host soccer tournaments which last up to two to three weeks depending on the number of teams playing at the time and what is on the stake. These soccer players [students] from different faculties saw a need to bring about unity amongst students of TUT in North Campus. According to Sam Mdletshe, a language practise master’s student (26), who coaches AmaBen 10, the significance that these tournaments have is great and...

Simphiwe Malunga Email address: mandlamalunga1@gmail.com Twitter handle: @MalungaSM Tags: #Political, youth The 2019 national elections are around the corner, a great concern yet arises whether will the youth take part in these elections? Well, lately it seems as if politics is for the elderly while we as the youth turn a blind eye. It should not be ignored that the youth dominates SA’s population, which is why it is advisable that we participate in politics. Imagine if only the same dedication and passion that the youth has about entertainment and sports also existed in politics, would we as the youth still be regarded as the ‘‘lost generation’’? Participating in politics starts at school, with you being an RCL or a class representative and likewise in tertiary by joining student politics although it is time consuming. Why should the youth be active political participants? Well, from a point of departure political activities can occur in many different ways namely ...

A student’s budget By Simphiwe Malunga Email address: mandlamalunga1@gmail.com Twitter handle: @MalungaSm Tags: TUT, student budget, #levyndou ‘‘It only took me two weeks to realise that all that remained in my cardboard was bread and a pile of sauces, and I immediately knew that my savings were not ideal’’. As a student, managing your finances is probably the hardest thing to do. The three top things that black students spend their money on are alcohol, petrol and bling while coloured students splurge on clothing, computer software and takeaways. White students spend their money on contraceptives, music and toiletries. This is according to research conducted by Student Village. As a tertiary student knowing how to budget is one of the most significant things there is to know. You come across challenges such as not having a refrigerator, more especially if you reside within school residences which tend to strain your budget as you are then supposed to go shoppin...

GENERAL PHOTOGRAPHS Amangoma celebrate their existence. Leader of the Izangoma Zion Church Johan Shongwe.

‘‘You need rejection as a wakeup call’’ - Michael Oupana   Diago:     He bought his first house at age 27 from the money he received from an apprenticeship. Despite the love he had for engineering, the passion for business took over as he is now one of the successful guest house owners to live.   Michael Diago married to Matee Diago, a father-of-two, has accomplished it all through hard work and dedication.  Diago who describes his teenage life as experiential and exciting, completed his matric in 1999 where he was entrusted with leadership.   The 39-year-old, originally from a small village of Limpopo in Jane Furse achieved academically. This brought an opportunity for him to encounter tertiary education. He gained fame as he was counted among the least that went to University. In the year 2000, Diago with his best results became a student of the Witwatersrand University and studied towards a diploma in Biotechnology.   In the same ye...