DONOVAN MARSH • DAVID JAMMY • ATANDWA KANI • JANINE ESER The magaine for ALUMNI and friends of the University of the Witwatersrand April 2020, Volume 43 CO-STARRING: NICK BORAINE (ACTOR) • GARY BARBER (FORMER CHAIR & CEO MGM, CURRENT CEO OF SPYGLASS MEDIA GROUP) • JOHNATHAN DORFMAN (PRODUCER, FOUNDER, ATO PICTURES) • GAVIN HOOD (DIRECTOR, PRODUCER, ACTOR, SCREENWRITER) • LOUISE BARNES-BORAINE (ACTOR) • PB APRIL 2020 / NADINE ZYLSTRA (DIRECTOR) • GIDEON EMERY (ACTOR) • JASON KENNETT (ACTOR) • ALAN LAZAR (COMPOSER,Wits Review, DIRECTOR) 1 Vice-Chancellor's Note Tumultuous times if we act decisively, we will overcome it.” As Wits, we are doing just that and ensuring the safety of our students and staff during this critical time. Orde Eliason I also need to announce with great sadness that I Image: will be leaving Wits at the end of 2020. By the end of the year, I will have served most of my second, and final, term of office as Vice-Chancellor at Wits. I have decided to take up the position as Director of Build lives. the School of Oriental and African Studies in London with effect from January 2021. Change futures It has been an honour and privilege to serve as Vice-Chancellor of Wits University for eight years. We have lived through some tumultuous times during my term of office and we would not have survived these times without the collective voice of all constituencies – including that of our alumni WITS – being heard at crucial moments. Throughout my tenure, various Wits constituencies have provided wise counsel and support without which we would ANNUAL FUND not have been able to survive institutionally and I thank you for that. We take great pride in the Our achievements have been significant in the achievements of Wits Professor past seven years. In 2013, we graduated 7 000 graduates in all fields of Adam Habib students; by 2019, this had jumped to over 9 500. endeavour. This is a legacy of In 2013, we enrolled 9 800 postgraduate students. Give the gift By 2019, we enrolled 15 000 students. Our research success we want to bequeath s I write, our world is changing at a rapid pace in response to the COVID-19 has increased from 1 200 units in 2013 to just under 2 000 in 2020. Almost 50% of our students to future students. of education pandemic. Wits University, its experts are first in their families to go to university. We have Donations to the Wits Annual and scientists are working directly with established a student community that is both diverse Fund are used to ensure to future the South African government to understand, predict, and cosmopolitan, and an academy in which black greater access to a world-class and contain COVID-19, manage the public health academics now constitute a small majority. We have andA socio-economic impact, and develop treatment proven that you can transform higher education and education. Every donation, no generations and care regimens. maintain the quality of our academic offering. matter how small, makes a Internationally, many Wits-trained scientists There is no better group of individuals to lead difference. of Witsies! and doctors are at the coalface of the pandemic our institutional agenda into the future than the and Witsies everywhere are impacted in one way current executive management team at Wits. I can or another. Our thoughts are with everyone who say without doubt that this is the strongest and most Give to Wits today. has suffered infection or has lost a loved one to resilient executive team in the country. It has been the infection. Our gratitude goes to the millions of an honour to serve with them and I look forward to The Wits Annual Fund is a discretionary healthcare workers at the frontline of this public doing so for the remainder of this year. I also know www.wits.ac.za/ endowment fund to support teaching and research excellence, campus improvements health war. that I will leave this University in the best hands. annualfund and bursaries and scholarships In the words of President Cyril Ramaphosa: “This Thank you again for the collective support that epidemic will pass. But it is up to us to determine you have provided throughout my tenure. Like you, I how long it will last, how damaging it will be, and remain a #Witsie4Life. how long it will take for our economy and our country Enquiries: Peter Maher, Director - Alumni Relations to recover…But if we act together, if we act now, and Adam [email protected] or [email protected] Tel: +27(11) 717 1092 2 Wits Review, APRIL 2020 / 1 IN THIS ISSUE M A G A Z I N E APRIL 2020 VOLUME 43 EDITOR 49 Peter Maher ([email protected]) 72 CONTRIBUTORS Heather Dugmore ([email protected]) 86 80 52 Jacqueline Steeneveldt ([email protected]) Ufrieda Ho ([email protected]) GRAPHIC DESIGN Jignasa Diar ([email protected]) PRINTING Remata Published by the Office of Alumni Relations, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg. Address: Private Bag 3, Wits, 2050, South Africa, T +27 (0)11 717 1090 E [email protected], www.wits.ac.za/alumni UPDATE CONTACT DETAILS: www.wits.ac.za/alumni/updateyourdetails SUBSCRIPTIONS per copy: South Africa R25 (incl. VAT & postage) International R50 (incl. postage) REGULARS FEATURES 56 01 Vice-Chancellor's Note 28 Hollywood Witsies PAYMENT OPTIONS: An actor, screenwriter, director Online payment using a Visa, Mastercard, American 06 Socials and producer share why they Express or Diners Club credit card at: www.wits. gravitated to the United States ac.za/alumni/payment or by electronic transfer 16 Honorary Doctorates or bank deposit to: First National Bank, Account 42 #Witsies4Life 18 Witsies With The Edge No. 62077141580, Branch Code 255-005, Ref. Stories from alumni who No. 29613 (+ your name) or by cash or credit card 24 Research embody Wits’ ethos payment at the Alumni Office. 52 Rock Art – Origins Centre 62 Witsies Around The World WITSReview is published twice a year. The views Alumni share diverse career Rocks that have been in storage for years see the light again expressed in this publication are not necessarily journeys that span three those of the editor, the Office of Alumni Relations or continents 56 Climate Change of the University of the Witwatersrand. ©Copyright 76 Books We’re not moving fast enough of all material in this publication is vested in the to outpace impact of global authors thereof. Requests to reproduce any of the 84 In Memoriam warming material should be directed to the editor. ON THE COVER Cover: Jignasa Diar (Movie Poster of Hollywood Witsies) See feature on, pages 28-41. 46 Resources: Unsplash, Freepik, Shutterstock 2 Wits Review, APRIL 2020 / 3 News: COVID-19 Pandemic Witsies give expert guidance Professor Cheryl Cohen (MBBCh 1997), Renowned ON THE FRONT LINE is Associate Professor in epidemiology at he Times Higher Education HIV expert, Wits and head of the Centre for Respiratory reports that one ray of light It has been speculated that one way in which the pandemic may Professor Disease and Meningitis at the NICD. Her to the COVID-19 crisis is change the world is greater recognition of the crucial role played Gallo/Getty Images Francois Venter work generates evidence to guide policy the extraordinary and unprecedented by universities, experts and healthcare professionals in society. is Director of for the control of respiratory diseases. In responseT by the global scientific A large number of Wits alumni and academics are playing a lead Ezintsha and 2009, she led the establishment of a national surveillance community and its rapid shift to role to tackle the pandemic. Just a few are mentioned below. Deputy Director of Wits RHI. programme in South Africa for severe acute respiratory tackling the pandemic. With an active interest in public infections. She is at the forefront of COVID-19 case-finding, This includes many Wits alumni Shabir Madhi advising government on best sector access to HIV services, diagnosis, management and public health response. and researchers from an array of (MBBCh 1990, practice. He has received grants medical ethics and human disciplines including epidemiology, MSc 1999, as the Principal Investigator rights, Venter is attuned to the On the treatment front, Professor Helen medicine, public health, biomedical PhD 2003) is from the Bill and Melinda Gates impact of COVID-19 on those Rees is Executive Director of the Wits engineering, governance, and professor of Foundation and from the MRC SAHPRA with comorbidities such as HIV Reproductive Health and HIV Institute others, who are at the forefront of vaccinology to expand the surveillance and TB. He is an advisor to the (Wits RHI). She chairs the World Health responding to the pandemic. In and Director of the Medical of COVID-19. This includes South African government, to the Organization’s (WHO) African Regional concert with the National Institute Research Council’s (MRC’s) sentinel surveillance for severe Southern African HIV Clinicians Immunization Technical Advisory Group of Communicable Diseases (NICD), Respiratory and Meningeal acute respiratory illness in at Society and the World Health and she is Co-Chair of WHO’s Ebola the Department of Health, and Pathogens Research Unit at least four provinces in South Organization. Vaccine Working Group. South Africa is one of 10 countries the South African government, Wits. He says his unit has Africa. A sentinel surveillance involved in an urgent global trial announced by the WHO scientists at Wits are helping to been at the forefront and is system is used when high- to identify the most effective treatment for coronavirus and understand, predict, and contain internationally recognised quality data about a particular Rees is involved in this effort.