In 1966 she joined Unisa as a Senior Lecturer of Didactics and Comparative Education. At the time, South African libraries had little or no information on educational development in Southern African countries. Dr Ruperti took it upon herself to visit these countries personally, which she did during her holidays, and collect all available information.

Thanks to Dr Ruperti, by 1970, Unisa’s library had one of the best selections of official publications on education in South Africa.

And while the unique design and character of these buildings are a concrete reflection of the university’s growth, development and vision, it is the naming of these buildings that have also ensured Unisa continues in its vision to become the African university in the service of humanity.

Kgorong Building

Theo Van Wijk Building

The new addition to Unisa, Kgorong, was officially named in September 2010. Situated at the foot of the hill of Muckleneuk campus, the building expresses Unisa’s vision of africanising the institution and reorienting it towards its people. The name Kgorong means entrance or gateway and it also refers to a meeting place for the community to discuss important matters. As the gateway to the university the building serves as a hub where everyone from staff, students and visitors are met and welcomed.

The Theo van Wijk Building is named after Prof Theo van Wijk, who served as a Unisa Vice-Chancellor and Principal from 1972 until 1988. Located in this building, amongst others, are Unisa’s prominent conference and concert venues, Senate hall, ZK Matthews hall and the Miriam Makeba concert hall.

Unisa’s administration building bears the name of OR Tambo, after OR (Oliver Reginald) Tambo, South African anti-apartheid politician, struggle hero, teacher and a central figure in the African National Congress (ANC). Tambo, alongside Nelson Mandela and Walter Sisulu, founded the ANC Youth League in 1943. He died at age 75 on 24 April 1993. Administrative related functions such as Finance, Human Resources and Legal Services are housed at the OR Tambo Building.

The AJH van der Walt building, which is home to amongst others, Adult Basic Education and Training (ABET) Institute and the College of Economic and Management Sciences (CEMS) is named after Prof AJH van der Walt, Dean of the then Faculty of Arts and Philosophy at Unisa and later Vice-Chancellor and Principal from 1953 to 1956. Prof van der Walt was asked to investigate the possibility of postal or correspondence tuition for non-residential students in 1946. On 15 February 1946, the Division of External Studies was established and Unisa gave its first steps as a pioneer of tertiary distance education.

Cas Van Vuuren Building

Prof Cas van Vuuren served as Unisa’s Vice-Chancellor and Principal from 1989 to 1993. One of the most memorable moments during his term was the purchasing of a Rieger Concert Organ for what is today known as the ZK Matthews Hall. Every Rieger organ is designed, built and voiced specifically for the room it occupies.

The Samuel Pauw Building is home to the Unisa Library, one of the largest academic libraries in Africa and one of the best-endowed, with information resources, information technology and expert staff. The building is named after Prof Samuel Pauw, who served as Unisa’s Vice-Chancellor and Principal from 1956 until 1972.

RR Maluleka Technical Building is the old Technical Services Building which was named after a man who is relatively unknown beyond the boundaries of the Muckleneuk Campus, Resenate Ralph (RR) Maluleka. He worked for 11 years as an employee of Unisa and died at age 31 when he was tragically killed during an incident at Unisa that aroused strong feelings on both sides of the racial divide. For many people, the RR Maluleka Building serves as a reminder of what so many of South Africa’s leaders have urged, that the greatest transformation of all is the transformation that leads to peace. Rather than referring only to oppression and anger, this building stands for peace and regeneration.

The Sunnyside Campus in Pretoria is the main area of student activity at Unisa. Two buildings on this campus pay tribute to great sons of the African soil.

Es’kia Mphahlele Registration Hall

The Es’kia Mphahlele Registration Hall was officially opened on 22 September 2009 and was custom-designed to improve the university’s registration process. It is named after Prof Es’kia Mphahlele, one of the most prolific authors on themes of education, literature, culture and social commentary in South Africa and African continent. Even after his death on 27 October 2008, tribute was paid to his efforts by way of numerous national and international awards.

Unisa made another significant contribution in honouring South African heroes when it officially opened the Enoch Sontonga Conference Complex on 26 October 2009. Sontonga, who died at the age of 32 in 1905, will forever be cherished as composer of South Africa’s national anthem, Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika. The building, which dates back to the turn of the century, was refurbished and is used for music concerts and similar events.

By choosing to name buildings with its history and future in mind, Unisa aims to reflect the rich and sophisticated character of Africa as we know it today, thus creating a university that is truly African in all its aspects. Over the years these buildings with their transformative names and dominant horizontal lines have become synonymous with Unisa and its identity as South Africa’s biggest university offering open distance education.

Lucy Catherine Lloyd (1834 – 1914)

Lucy Catherine Lloyd was the first woman to be awarded with an honorary doctorate from the then, University of the Cape of Good Hope.

Lucy Lloyd (1834 – 1914)
Born in England in 1834, Lucy Catherine Lloyd moved to South Africa with her family in 1849, when her father, a clergyman, was appointed colonial chaplain for Natal.

Records indicate that Lucy was privately educated, both in England and South Africa, and initially became a school teacher before having to leave the profession due to chronic ill health. In 1862, Lucy joined her sister and brother-in-law Wilhelm Bleek at their house in Cape Town and spent 13 years assisting Wilhelm with his research into Bushman folklore and language.

When Wilhelm passed away, Lucy continued his work, leading to the publication and editing of various manuscripts, including Specimens of Bushman Folklore and the Folklore Journal. In 1884, Lucy returned to England due to ill health and spent her remaining years moving between England and Germany. She died in 1914.

Honorary doctorate
Specimens of Bushman Folklore, together with Lucy’s immense contribution to research and knowledge on Bushman culture and traditions, resulted in her receiving the honorary doctorate of literature from the University of the Cape of Good Hope in 1913. At the time of the conferring of her doctorate, the citation read “an original production worthy of the highest praise. It is not only a masterly exposition of the folklore of a vanishing race that has remained primitive, but the philological value of the work, greater still, and the work will remain an authority on the language of the “Bushman and kindred races”.

Interesting facts:

• Lucy’s first voyage to South Africa in 1849 lasted 80 days by voyage under sail.
• In their initial research, Wilhelm and Lucy obtained permission from the government to allow four Bushmen prisoners, together with their families, to live in the gardens of their estate. In this way, the pair were able to study the Bushmen language more intensely.
• When Wilhelm died, Lucy took over his job as custodian of the Grey Collection at the South African Public Library for a salary of £125 per year.
• Lucy and Wilhelm were among the first to provide accounts of the Bushmen dialect and helped lay the foundation for the study of Bushmen culture.

Sources:
C.J. Beyers. Dictionary of South African Biography Vol. IV, Melville: Chris Van Rensburg Publications.
Pippa Skotnes. Claim to the Country: The Archive of Wilhelm Bleek and Lucy Lloyd.

Dancers from the Youth Dance Company Tshwane (YDCT) act out a scene from Giselle. Pictured are Leila Wagener and Kevin Hurter as Giselle and Albrecht respectively during a beautifully lit scene

To dance with your feet is one thing, but to dance with your heart is an overwhelming experience and how artists who take to the stage at Unisa’s Little Theatre feel.

This was shared by some members of the Pretoria community who frequently use the Little Theatre to stage their productions.

Growing from strength to strength every year, with more and more established dancers, production houses, schools and organisations making use of the Little Theatre, it appears that the theatre is becoming a valuable and crucial component in the theatre industry in Pretoria.

The Little Theatre was designed in 1943 by Norman Eaton, an architect from Pretoria. He was well known for his contribution to architectural modernism with a very prominent African feel. Some of his well-known buildings in Pretoria are the Netherlands Bank, Polley’s Arcade and Wachthuis.

Little Theatre Manager, Jan Steyn, said during the last five years, the theatre had established itself mainly as a dance theatre. “Due to the fact that the theatre has a spring wooden floor, the size of the stage lends itself to bigger productions and the computerised intelligent lights create movement with the lights, which turn any dance show into a professional extravaganza.”

He said Unisa took over the running of the Little Theatre in 1995 and since then the theatre has had equipment upgrades to compete with any other professional theatre in South Africa.

Head of Culture at Hoerskool Eldoraigne, Sanet Bulwan, said everyone simply loved going to the Little Theatre because of the professional, competent and accommodating staff. “We really love them and are always satisfied with everything they do for us…They treat our children so well.”

She described the atmosphere at the theatre as beautiful and said they “loved going big” with their school plays, and therefore the facilities offered at the Little Theatre were perfect. “Staging productions at the Little Theater allows us to give our children a real theatre experience.”

She said Hoerskool Eldoraigne have used the theatre since 1982.

Sue Kirkland, Director of the Youth Dance Company Tshwane (YDCT), said she enjoyed using the Little Theatre for various reasons, with the biggest draw card being the great vibe.

Nigel Hannah and Karen Pieterse from the Youth Dance Company Tshwane (YDCT) portray beautifully two characters from La Boutique Fantasque, a spell binding ballet on the love story between two can-can dancer dolls in a toy shop

“Using the Little Theatre is just a great experience and we always have sold out performances. There is also generally a nice vibe, and when we go there, staff are always so nice. They make every effort to make things easy for us.”

She also praised the lighting designer Leon Rossouw and stage manager Jan Steyn for their excellent work.

She also said that the theatre has been financially viable and everyone is extremely helpful. “The facilities available are also impeccable. There are a lot of dressing rooms, there is ample space for the dancers and everything is clean, which is very important.”

Nigel Hannah, HOD of the Dance Department at Pro Arte Alphen Park said he has had many years of experience with the Little Theatre, with many different productions, both as a teacher and an artist. “It’s always a pleasure to go to the theatre and be amongst friends.”

He said pupils from the school are always elated after their productions. “We enjoy using this theatre because of its close proximity to the school and it has the facilities we need. With the new lighting board now in, the facilities are really up to scratch and meet my requirements.”

He too commended staff for being professional, pleasant and fully competent and always willing to go the extra mile.

Other clients of the theatre include Josè Montoya of the Spanish Dance Company and dancers from the Carol de Wet Dance Studio.

Steyn said there was a shortage of well maintained and equipped theatres in Pretoria; but the main reason for the Little Theatre’s popularity is because of the auditorium. “The steep angle at which the auditorium is built lends itself to a very intimate feel. And although the theatre seats about 290 people, it feels small and cosy with amazing acoustics.”

He added: “Although it is one of the busiest, most popular theatres in Pretoria, the Little Theatre also has a place under its spotlights for cash-strapped community-based organisations. We deliberately keep the hiring fees low to assist community-type groups and fund-raising organisations.”

Fast facts about the Unisa Little Theatre

• The Little Theatre is open for performances every Monday to Saturday night, all year round except from 15 December to 15 January when it closes for maintenance.
• The Little Theatre has affordable rates. These are a fraction of the fees charged by other popular venues.
• The Little Theatre is fully equipped with state-of-the-art lighting, sound equipment and facilities.
• The Little Theatre has a formal auditorium that accommodates 292 people in modern, movie theatre-style seats.
• There are 78 parking bays on the theatre’s premises and more parking at the Unisa building across the road.
• As the Little Theatre is an extremely popular venue, bookings have to be made well in advance. For example, bookings for 2011 will open as early as in July 2010.

The Works of Horace printed in 1482

While browsing through the colourful rows of books in the Unisa Library at the Muckleneuk Campus, staff and students may have wondered at some point what the oldest book in the Unisa Library is; who is the author and what language it was written in.

With over two million books available from the library, the history on books bought for Unisa is a rich one. Apart from boasting a variety of books on different subjects, the Unisa Library is also the first library in South Africa to have had one million books available to users.

Records at Unisa’s Library Archives indicate that the oldest book in the Unisa Library is titled The Works of Horace, printed in 1482 by Miscomini of Florence. The book was purchased by Unisa on 20 June 1976. The complete title of the book, which is written in Latin, is Christopher Landini Florentini in Q. Horatii Flacci libros omnes ad illustrissimum Guidonem Fletrium magni federici ducis filium interpretationes incipient feliciter.

Quintus Horatius Flaccus, who was born in Venusia on 8 December 865 BC, and who died in Rome on 27 November 278 BC, is known in the English-speaking world as Horace. He was the leading Roman lyric poet during the time of Augustus.

Horace is considered as one of the greatest Latin poets of all time, and has greatly influenced the literature of the Western world. Horace is popularly known for having invented many Latin phrases that are still used today. One of the most famous phrases is ‘carpe diem’ – which loosely translated means ‘seize the day’, ‘make the most of today’, or ‘enjoy the present’. Horace’s works were often autobiographical and dealt with moral and political issues. Other frequent themes that influenced Horace’s writing were love; pleasures of friendship and simple life; and the art of poetry. The Works of Horace edition in the Unisa Library is printed in Latin and includes many of the odes and epistles written by Horace.

The book is also an example of texts produced in the ‘incunabula’ period, from 1456 to 1500. The term ‘incunabula’ is derived from the Latin meaning ‘cradles’ and refers to the books printed during the infancy of typography. Printers at the time aimed to produce printed texts that could not be distinguished from the handwritten manuscripts.

Like most early books, this book had no title page or page numbers and bold initial letters were still illuminated by hand. Because typography had just begun and readers were accustomed to handwritten books with attractive and striking artwork, certain pages in the newly printed books were personalised by some form of artwork.

The Works of Horace may be a book that many Unisa Library users might never be able to understand; however, it is a book worth looking at in order to learn more about the production of books in the infancy stages.

This system of written examinations originated in Great Britain during the Industrial Revolution of the mid-1800s.  Before this time men, and indeed no women, who wished to work in the British civil service relied not on being suitably qualified to do the job, but on patronage and knowing influential people to gain entry into government service.  By the 1850s a new body, the University of London, was formed to introduce and administer written examinations to future civil servants.  Written examinations rather than ‘oral disputations’ as students at universities such as Oxford and Cambridge were subjected to, was deemed to be a more objective and equitable way in which to measure the knowledge of prospective government employees.

The Cape Colony, then an integral part of the British Empire, soon followed suit with the formation of a Board of Examiners of Candidates for Government Services to examine all civil service applicants. This Board of Examiners had thoroughly modern concerns, as they required candidates to have a sound knowledge not only of the Classics but also of Mathematics and Elements of Physical Science to be able to sit for the local public service examinations. The renamed Board of Public Examiners in Literature and Science also offered a first class and second class certificate and later a third class certificate, not unlike the former matriculation certificate. For the majority of students this third class certificate was the pinnacle of their academic achievement.  Although The Board also ambitiously incorporated law, civil engineering, land surveying and navigation into its programme, only two candidates in South Africa ever sat for the civil engineering and none for the navigation examinations.

Until 1900, in South Africa, as was the case in Great Britain, end of year examinations were held in June of each year. However, with the outbreak of the Anglo Boer South African War (1899-1902), the university decided to postpone examinations until the end of that year to enable students to make up for lost study time.  In time the dates of these second series of examinations became the accepted norm and November became synonymous with examinations at Unisa and elsewhere in South Africa.

Recent developments are based on the international standards for distance education libraries and focus on ensuring equal access to library resources and services to all clients regardless of their location.

Of special importance to researchers is the recent expansion of the Unisa Institutional Repository (UnisaIR), which now totals  442 items. UnisaIR is a digital repository of the research and intellectual output of the Unisa community, and includes articles, working papers, speeches, conference papers, books, newspaper articles and even video files. As the central archive of all Unisa’s research, UnisaIR increases the visibility, usage and impact of Unisa’s research, facilitates sharing of new knowledge and contributes to the visibility of African scholarship.

New collections have been added, among others for open distance learning (ODL) and the Unisa inaugural lectures. The items are now also searchable using various major search engines such as Google and harvested by large international databases such as OCLC. The use of and access to the repository has also increased to an average of more than 50 000 item views per month. The repository supports Unisa’s research strategy and contributed to the implementation of the Unisa 2015 agenda for transformation by disseminating Unisa’s published research outputs in full text. The repository preserves, manages and disseminates locally produced intellectual output and research in electronic format and provides a coherent view of Unisa research outputs. The views and searches registered on the repository reflect the exposure for researchers.

To enhance access to the valuable archival collections of Unisa online, the SPCC has approved the motivation for funding to digitise these. Following a comprehensive tender process, SABINET has been elected and appointed and a comprehensive digitisation project has commenced in 2011. The value of the digitised archive will be the improved access to archive collections.  When the exercise is complete, researchers will no longer need to make the trip to the archives but will be able to access the archive collections online.

The extension of opening hours has increased access to the library for many researchers who can only use the library after hours. The library service, including the dedicated research space, is available to users till 8 pm.

For more information on the Unisa Library, visit the Library website.

Revamped and relit by University Estates, Idomeneo once again draws all eyes as visitors drive up the hill towards the Theo van Wijk Building

For the first time in a quarter of a century, the rainbow lights of Idomeneo coruscated over the Muckleneuk Campus as dusk fell on 15 October 2012.

Created by the English artist Keith Grant, and situated on the southern side of the Theo van Wijk Building, the sculpture was presented to Unisa on permanent loan at a ceremony in April 1974 by Dr Anton Rupert, chairperson of the then Rembrandt Tobacco Corporation. It was named after the mythical Cretan king and the overture to Mozart’s opera by the same name was played after the presentation.

At first a feature of the campus at night, Idomeneo gradually fell into disrepair until very few people remembered its full brilliance. A chance remark, however, by Archive Services Manager Marié Coetzee to Gardens and Grounds Manager Christine Hartdegen on the significance of this beautiful piece of Unisa heritage led to an extensive renovation project under the auspices of University Estates that saw Idomeneo restored to its former lustre.

The kinetic abstract sculpture consists of a pedestal on which a hydraulically activated hemisphere of coloured perspex panels both rotates horizontally and tilts vertically. Two revolving discs throw out coloured light as the bowl moves.

Hartdegen says that she hopes that Idomeneo will be celebrated and preserved as a valuable Unisa heritage asset for generations to come. “Heritage resources, such as Idomeneo, are precious, non-renewable, finite, and irreplaceable, and must therefore be protected.”

Hartdegen went on to say that exceptional universities are those that provide high quality and desirable environments that are locally distinct, yet globally acceptable. “In other words, a sense of place becomes distinguishing for a world-class status. Unisa’s cultural heritage and physical heritage create such a sense of place. Key assets from the university’s past provide the makings, in cultural terms, of a world-class African university of excellence.”

Israel Mogomotsi, Acting Executive Director of University Estates, is confident that the challenge and reward of renovating this kinetic sculpture is of immense value. “Since the inception of the project, University Estates has acknowledged that Idomeneo is part of our institutional history and fundamental to our institutional identity, as it speaks to our firm belief in the power that is embedded in education. It is my hope that the whole Unisa community will take pride in the light of knowledge that we shine into the African sky, giving expression to our vision to serve humanity through education.”

Unisa heritage asset, institutional artefact, and campus feature, but is it art? Curator of the Unisa Art Gallery, Bongani Mkhonza, explains why Idomeneo could take its place in Unisa’s art collection. “For an artist like Keith Grant to create an artwork that depends on movement for its effects and to produce light back in 1974 was cutting edge and innovative. But for an institution like Unisa to install such an unconventional work of art was visionary.

The original installation of Idomeneo in 1974

The original installation of Idomeneo in 1974

“Although we acknowledge that so-called kinetic art started with art movements like the Dadaist and Constructivist around the 1910s and took its centre stage in Paris in 1955 with the Le Mouvement art exhibition at Galerie Denise René, in 1974 it was not a tradition in South Africa to acquire such a work of art. Public sculptures were normally made of rigid bronze as statues. In my opinion, this vision is the same vision that leads the Unisa Art Collection to continue amassing contemporary cutting-edge artworks. Although Keith Grant’s Idomeneo is not yet itemised under the Unisa Art Collection register, researching the possibility of including it in the collection will be a good academic exercise.”

Speaking at its original installation, then Principal and Vice-Chancellor Theo van Wijk described Idomeneo as a symbol of the institution, a radiance that was at once both spotlight and beacon, searching for and enticing all those who would gain by studying through distance education at the university. Nearly forty years later, Idomeneo again shines with the same glittering promise, inviting students across the country and the continent to experience the people’s university that is Unisa.

The crest is composed of nine graphic elements, all carefully researched, selected and crafted to express the core values of Unisa. Distinctly African, each element is rich in meaning.

The flames are Unisa’s unique differentiation as a flexible and accessible environment affording learners the freedom to purse their dreams.

The sparks present Unisa as an environment of creation and enlightenment.

The calabash, an African symbol of generosity, hospitality and sharing, represents Unisa’s awareness of its social responsibility to service humanity.

The arch symbolises the  brain as the core of learning

The sun represents the university’s ongoing search for excellence and leading role in shaping the future of Africans though learning.

The open book – reminiscent of waves – represents the university’s role as an institution of learning and continuous development.

An African symbol of unity and humanity signifies the university’s central role in providing service to humanity, as well as the interdependence of the African community and various university stakeholders.

The tusks represent Unisa’s strength, heritage and stature as a national institution, anchor of learning and the mother of many of South Africa’s leading institutions of higher learning.

The motto, Pro Gentibus Sapientia, is the Latin for ‘learning in the service of humanity’ and derived from the vision.

In his research, Prof Van Staden discovered that during the 70s and 80s Unisa commissioned a veritable treasure trove of unique and captivating pieces in precious metals to commemorate special landmark moments. Two of South Africa’s foremost creative goldsmiths, Erich Frey and Stephen Colegate, were responsible for these exceptional presentation objects.

The Unisa Durban Regional Office inauguration key, consisting of a lapis lazuli stone set in sterling silver and 18 carat gold-fused plate. Made by Stephen Colegate and presented in 1989	The Unisa Durban Regional Office inauguration key, consisting of a lapis lazuli stone set in sterling silver and 18 carat gold-fused plate. Made by Stephen Colegate and presented in 1989.
The pendant is shaped in a three-dimensional impression of the Theo van Wijk building and parking area.	Pendant of 18 carat gold and ivory encrusted with Transvaal jade and an emerald-cut diamond pendant made by Erich Frey and Stephen Colegate.

Where did the tradition begin?
When the Theo van Wijk Building was opened in 1972, the first on the new Muckleneuk Campus, architect Brian Sandrock commissioned Frey to manufacture the symbolic inauguration key in sterling silver along with a commemorative pendant in gold and gemstones. The key was designed in the form of the architect’s line drawing of the building, with a modernised crest of the university mounted on the left-hand side and the letters UNISA attached to the lower right-hand side.

A three-dimensional 18 carat gold and ivory pendant in the form of a stylistic architect’s model of the first phase of the new Muckleneuk Campus development was presented to Eunice Pauw, wife of the retiring Principal and Vice-Chancellor at the time, Prof Samuel Pauw. Four rectangular-cut Transvaal jades and an emerald-cut diamond were used to complete the design of the pendant.

The opening of the new administration building, now the Oliver Tambo Building, in 1980 on the Muckleneuk Campus was also celebrated with an inaugural key, manufactured by Stephen Colegate. It was done in the form of a horizontal impression of the building, with a round moonlike disk mounted behind the shortened crossbars representing the top floors of the building, giving the impression of a moving ship in front of an ascending moon. It was manufactured in sterling silver.

Colegate was again requested by the architects to manufacture the symbolic keys for the inauguration of the main Unisa Library in March 1988, as well as for the opening of the Unisa Regional Office in Durban in 1989. The octagonal finial of the symbolic key for the library consists of ivory surrounding a granulated 18ct gold square and is set in sterling silver. The gold square is repeated on the front part of the key.

This abstraction was taken even further with Colegate’s design of the inaugural key for the Unisa regional offices in Durban. It consists of a brushed and smooth sterling silver basis, with the finial set in a skewed four-sided ivory base and punctuated with an 18ct gold fused plate centre. The bittings or teeth of the key consist of uneven silver bars attached to a rectangular-shaped lapis lazuli gemstone. The ultramarine blue colour of the stone is fitting in symbolising the Unisa offices on the KwaZulu-Natal seacoast.

Across the centuries attractive artefacts from gold and silver have been created in various imaginative and beautiful designs to honour people and events. The purpose of such commemorative pieces is to trigger a memory through a tangible and durable form of recognition. These symbolic keys to Unisa unlock the remembrance of the creation of one of the ten mega universities in the world and give expression to that status and prestige.