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  UP vets save lives of two dogs using ground breaking technique   Mothusi Mokalane   Veterinary surgeons affiliated with UP performed heart surgery on two dogs using a ground breaking technique. This is a first in the 100 year history of the Faculty of Veterinary Science in Onderstepoort. Veterinary surgeons, Dr Adriaan Kitshoff and Dr Ross Elliot, who specialise in small animal surgery in the department of Companion Animal Clinical studies, operated on a 7-month-old French Bull dog named Daisy and a 6-month-old Cocker Spaniel, called Tallen. The approach used by the vets entails dilating the opening of a heart valve with a balloon.Read More →

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SUSANNA ANBU Lectures As per the academic calendar, lectures are scheduled to start on 15 March 2021. Rikus Delport, Director of Institutional Advancement at the University of Pretoria, confirmed to PDBY that, “If the current lockdown level 3 remains, classes will resume online, while we are also considering introducing small classes on a rotational basis in keeping with the necessary health precautions. We will adjust our plans on an ongoing basis according to the prevailing risk adjusted levels”. Updates will be shared as they are made.  Returning to campus As of date, under the level 3 regulations announced by the President on 28 December, onlyRead More →

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MARYKE STEYNVAART Cannabis is a plant that has only recently entered the process of decriminalisation through legalisation after decades of criminal prohibition. On 3 November 2020, a panel of experts participated in a webinar titled, “Legalising Cannabis in South Africa. Where are we at and where are we going?” which was hosted by UP’s Anthropology and Archaeology Department. This webinar highlighted several important issues surrounding the recent proposed Cannabis for Private Purposes Act of 2020. The current discussion and debate surrounding the legal position of cannabis is the culmination of a story that started centuries ago in colonial South Africa. Origins of Cannabis Prohibition DuringRead More →

Cannabis extraction at the University of Pretoria

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MARYKE STEYNVAART Cannabis has been used by humans for millennia for its medicinal and psychoactive properties. The cannabis plant also has various industrial uses, and is a more environmentally friendly substitute for various materials such as plastic. Recently, increased resistance against prohibitionist legislation has resulted in a slow movement towards legislative reform. As cannabis is becoming more legitimised, various types of research on cannabis have become essential in ensuring that cannabis’ potential can be maximised, and used to benefit the people of South Africa. The prohibition of cannabis is a relatively recent and short period in cannabis’ long history. And, in the past few years,Read More →

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KENDALL BEHR The UP Merensky Library is one of the centres of academic activity on Hatfield campus that provides students a space to study and concentrate. The UP library has been closed for the duration of the lockdown, but the library services have not stopped working to ensure that students can access the resources they need for assignments and other academic work. Lindiwe Soyizwapi,the Director of Library Services, said, “during this time uppermost in our mind as the Library was to align our support and programmes to the needs of our students and staff. We gave priority to enhancing access to academic texts and informationRead More →

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TSHEPANG MOJI October is recognized as Pride Month in South Africa, and the University of Pretoria’s queer society, Tuks UP&Out, is continuing the support. In addition to hosting their annual UP Pride this month, which has had to take place virtually, Tuks UP&Out received a nomination for the 2020 Feather Awards. Tuks UP&Out is a society that strives to create a safe and comfortable environment for queer bodies to exist across UP campuses, achieving this through creating events where queer people feel comfortable to safely express themselves, as well as lobbying for policy changes on campus that will help protect the rights of the queerRead More →

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 SUSANNA ANBU Dire Tladi appointed as the South African Research Chair Initiative (SARChl) Chair for International Constitutional Law Professor Dire Tladi of the University of Pretoria’s Department of Public Law has been appointed as the National Research Foundation’s (NRF) South African Research Chair Initiative (SARChI) Chair for International Constitutional Law. Prof. Tladi’s tenure is a five year term which begins in 2021. SARChI’s establishment was led by the Department of Higher Education, Science and Technology, and the NRF in 2006. This intervention was designed to coalesce the knowledge of academics to aid in the formulation of a concrete research base that would aid in contributingRead More →

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MANELISI MAGORO AND NOKWANDA KUBHEKA October commemorates National Marine Month, which aims to create awareness about the benefits that are brought by South Africa’s marine and coastal environments. According to the University of Pretoria’s website, the Mammal Research Institute (MRI) Whale Unit at UP is responsible for the advancement of knowledge and conservation of Southern Africa’s diverse whale and dolphin fauna, through innovative research themes, promoting the development of human capacity in the acquisition of marine mammal knowledge bases. Set up in 1985, the MRI Whale Unit is a worldwide, African research, conservation, and education facility that investigates the nature, populace elements, and conduct ofRead More →

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Pssst… has been busy. But Pssst… always has time to spill the tea for the week. Firstly, as Pssst… is sure you all know, or at least should know, it’s election season. Yay, Pssst… supposes? Pssst… must say though, it’s been nice to see all the various candidates appearing out of the depths on WhatsApp groups begging for votes. Pssst… is excited to see that it paid off, and can’t wait to see another year of empty promises in action. (Don’t worry SRC, Pssst… doesn’t think everyone else noticed, even PDBY was a bit soft on you. COVID’s been tough for everyone, right? Pssst… isn’tRead More →

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AMUKELANI MAKAMU Chairpersons for 2021: Law House – Gomolemo Sibeko House Education – Nokuthula Maholalela EBIT House – Uwaiza Abdool Sattar Health House – Mberipura Tjijorokisa Pulse  House Humanities – Liam Jacobs  House Theology – Lindokuhle Zikalala The elections of Faculty Houses took place from 14 to 16 October. On 19 October, the Executive Committee results and Chairpersons results were announced for the Faculty houses. PDBY interviewed some of the Chairpersons. PDBY asked each of the Chairpersons their motivation for running for Chairperson 2020/2021. Nokuthula Mahlalela, the House Education Chairperson, said “I was part of the Executive Committee last year, and saw myself having theRead More →