scholarly journals Veterinary education in South Africa : the Classes of 1930 and 1931 : short historical communication

Author(s):  
R.D. Bigalke

With only two students in the final year, the class of 1930 was the 2nd smallest in the history of the Onderstepoort Faculty. Noteworthy is that the class photograph is composed of individual shots of the graduates and that 1 photograph was taken several years after qualification. The photograph of the Class of 1931 is the more customary composite one. The Dean, Prof. P J du Toit, does not feature in either. Concise descriptions are given of the life histories of the 8 graduates. Again their careers show considerable variation. Two devoted their entire pre-retirement careers to South Africa's Division of Veterinary Services as state veterinarians, both reaching very senior positions. A third died shortly after leaving government service for private practice. None made a career out of research at Onderstepoort, although 2 had short stints at the Institute. One, said to have been the youngest veterinarian in the British Empire, spent the latter part of his relatively short life in a large Johannesburg practice as a specialist surgeon. Another was in military service for virtually his entire career. One had a very varied career, which included government service, private practice, research, public health and the pharmaceutical industry. One spent most of his impressive career in the Colonial Service in Swaziland and Tanganyika (now Tanzania) but eventually returned to private practice in South Africa, whereas another was similarly, but less conscientiously, involved in Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia) and Swaziland. Two saw military service during World War II, one as Commanding Officer of a Regiment in the South African Artillery and the other in the South African Veterinary Corps.

Author(s):  
R.D. Bigalke

The Class of 1934 included 2 graduates who created milestones for the veterinary profession in South Africa. Jack Boswell was the first Onderstepoort graduate to start his own private practice without ever joining the government service. George van der Wath has the distinction of being the only South African veterinarian to become Chairman of the prestigious South African Wool Board. Ashton Tarr was President of the South African Veterinary Medical Association from 1966-1969. Concise descriptions are given of the varied life histories of the 14 members of the Classes of 1934 and 1935. All except Boswell initially joined government service, one serving mainly in the Colonial Service before eventually returning to South Africa. Three spent their entire careers in the South African Veterinary (Field) Services, finally occupying very senior positions in that division. One ended his career lecturing at a university. Lambrechts was the first veterinarian to occupy the 'resurrected' post of Director of Veterinary Services reserved for field veterinarians. Only one of the graduates opted for research, but went farming after obtaining a DVSc degree. Three spent the greater part of their careers in private practice, Thiel from as early as 1937. Two went into municipal (public health) service, one becoming director of an abattoir. Only one saw military service in World War II. Two died before they were 50 years old. Unfortunately, virtually nothing is known about Erasmus' career. At 97 Thiel holds the distinction of being the oldest Onderstepoort graduate.


Author(s):  
R. D. Bigalke

Concise descriptions are given of the life histories of the 10 members of the classes of 1938 and 1939. All of them initially joined the government service, Hugo, Steenekamp and Schatz spending their entire careers in the South African Veterinary (Field) Services. Mansvelt, the first recipient of the much-coveted Theiler medal, was the 2nd veterinarian to be appointed Director of Veterinary Services, a position specially created for the 'Field' in 1962. Having first established a successful private practice, Hofmeyr was appointed as the 1st full-time Professor of Surgery of the Onderstepoort Faculty in 1958 and its 1st full-time Dean in 1976. Albertyn opted for a career in public health, becoming director of 1 of the largest local municipal abattoirs. Turner spent virtually his entire career in private practice and was eventually joined by Brown who had served in the British Colonial Veterinary Service for many years. Fick was a government veterinarian for his entire career, first in South Africa, then in the British Colonial Service (for 13 years) and finally returning to South Africa. Like Hugo, Muller filled a senior position in Veterinary (Field) Services before he opted for a farming career.


Polar Record ◽  
1950 ◽  
Vol 5 (40) ◽  
pp. 576-579 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. B. Crawford

Between 1939 and 1945, plans were afoot in the Union of South Africa for the establishment of meteorological stations on Gough Island in the South Atlantic, and on one of the Prince Edward Islands in the southern Indian Ocean. Shortage of shipping and staff caused these plans to be shelved in 1945. In 1947, Field-Marshal Smuts, who was then Prime Minister of the Union, decided to annex the Prince Edward Islands without delay. These islands, which consist of Marion Island and the smaller Prince Edward Island, are situated in approximately lat. 47° S., long. 38° E., half-way between South Africa and Antarctica, and have always been regarded as British, although no records of any sort of annexation ceremony can be traced.In December 1947, therefore, the frigate H.M.S.A.S. Transvaal recalled her crew from Christmas leave and sailed south. Bad weather delayed a landing for several days, but eventually, on 29 December 1947, the commanding officer of the Transvaal landed on a rocky beach on the eastern side of Marion Island and hoisted the South African flag.


1959 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 635-639

The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development announced on June 10, 1959, a loan equivalent to $11.6 million to the Union of South Africa. The funds were to help carry out a railway expansion program, executed by the South African Railways and Harbors Administration, that had been one of the chief objects of public investment in the Union since the end of World War II. Twelve banks participated in the loan for a total amount of $2,484,000, representing the first three maturities and parts of the fourth and fifth maturities which were to fall due between December 1961 and December 1963. Among the participating banks were: the Bank of America, Continental Illinois National Bank and Trust Company, The Philadelphia National Bank, The New York Trust Company, Morgan Guaranty Trust Company of New York, National Shawmut Bank of Boston, The First National Bank of Chicago, The Chase Manhattan Bank, First National City Bank of New York, The Northern Trust Company, and the Swiss Bank Corporation (Basle). Amortization of the loan, which was for a term of ten years and bore interest of 6 percent, was to begin in December 1961.


Author(s):  
R. D. Bigalke

Concise descriptions are given of the varied life histories of the students of the classes of 1936 and 1937. Consisting of 14 students, the class of 1936 was the largest of the pre-war classes of the Onderstepoort Faculty. Three of the 6 students in the 1937 class were actually repeating their final year, therefore the total number described below is 17 rather than 20. The detailed analysis of their careers reveals the presence of a remarkable degree of variation. Although all except Brookes, who apparently went directly into the newly established practice of Jack Boswell, initially joined the local government service, most of them became specialists in their disciplines. Four soon established very successful private practices. Five of the 6 who spent their entire careers in the South African Veterinary (Field) Services, finally occupied very senior positions in that division. One of them (Kluge) made a major contribution to the control of tsetse flies in this country and another (Belonje) became a specialist in equine infertility. Four of the graduates opted for a research career, 3 of them also teaching at the Faculty. Of all of these, only De Boom (Anatomy & Embryology), who was a consummate teacher, took on a fulltime position as Professor and Head of the Department when the Faculty became independent from the Onderstepoort Research Institute in 1973. De Lange (Surgery & Gynaecology), however, relinquished his professorship to become a deputy director of the Institute. Sutton became a household name to the many students who passed through his hands in Animal Management. Haig (Virology) became one of the most famous of the many researchers produced by Onderstepoort. Van der Walt showed much promise as a researcher but died at the age of only 45. Two more died before they were 35 years old. Two had sons who also became veterinarians while one's grandson followed in his grandfather's and father's footsteps.


Author(s):  
R.D. Bigalke

The available photographs of the Classes of 1928 and 1929 are confusing because they not only bear the same date (1929) but are also composed of individual shots of the graduates rather than the customary group photograph. An answer to the riddle was provided by the presence of J A Thorburn (a member of the Class of 1927) who was a 'super' and qualified in 1928, in the one photograph, together with MC Robinson who also graduated in 1928. The photograph dated 1929 on which 4 graduates and the Dean, Prof. Dr P J du Toit, appear is that of the Class of 1928.The other photograph dated 1929 in which the Dean is absent is therefore dated correctly. Concise descriptions are given of the life histories of the nine graduates. Their careers show considerable variation. Only one of them spent his entire career at the Onderstepoort Research Institute as a very eminent research scientist and professor, and two became well-known professors at the Onderstepoort Faculty. Two were in municipal service for most of their careers and a third ended up working for a municipal authority after spending some time in England and at the Onderstepoort Research Institute. Two spent virtually their entire careers in the field as state veterinarians and a third farmed for most of his career, although he also dabbled in private practice and managed one of the provincial game parks in Natal (now KwaZulu-Natal) for some time. Four served in the South African Veterinary Corps during World War II.


1979 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 649-672 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jerzy Zubrzycki

This article presents an examination of the pattern of emigration from Poland to the countries of the “old” British Commonwealth. 1 Following a general survey of Polish emigration up to World War II, this article examines the situation of Polish migrants in each of the Commonwealth countries. 1 No mention will be made here of South Africa, a member country of the “old” Commonwealth until 1961. Intensive search for information relating to Polish settlers in South Africa revealed only two published items of little value (Jaworski, J. 1968; Krolikowski, 1969). The South African census of 1960 listed 4,421 persons born in Poland who constituted 1.41% of the country's foreign born population. Apart from the survivors of a large group of Polish Jews who arrived in South Africa in the first decade of this century, followed by another group in the late 1920s and early 1930s, the Polish born population was recruited mainly from World War II refugees and evacuees followed by a contingent of former Polish soldiers who fought in Western Europe under British command. Among the former were 500 Polish children (299 boys, 201 girls) who had lost their families during their exile in the Soviet Union and who were offered hospitality by the South African government. They were brought in 1944 from Persia to Outsdoorn, where a Polish school was organized for them (J. Jaworski: 8; Krolikowski: 83). There was, therefore, a close parallel between this event and the story of 733 Polish children who arrived in New Zealand also in 1944(Skwarko 1972 and 1974). The majority of Polish settlers live in Johannesburg and other places in the Transvaal.


2020 ◽  
Vol 35 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Andre Mangu

After several decades of apartheid rule, which denied human rights to the majority of the population on the ground of race and came to be regarded as a crime against humanity, South Africa adopted its first democratic Constitution in the early 1990s. The 1996 Constitution, which succeeded the 1993 interim Constitution, is considered one of the most progressive in the world. In its founding provisions, it states that South Africa is a democratic state founded on human dignity, the achievement of equality, the advancement of human rights and freedoms. The Constitution enshrines fundamental human rights in a justiciable Bill of Rights as a cornerstone of democracy. Unfortunately, in the eyes of a number of politicians, officials and lay-persons, the rights in the Bill of Rights accrue to South African citizens only. Xenophobia, which has been rampant since the end of apartheid, seems to support the idea that foreigners should not enjoy these rights. Foreign nationals have often been accused of posing a threat to South African citizens with regard to employment opportunities. In light of the South African legislation and jurisprudence, this article affirms the position of the South African labour law that foreign nationals are indeed protected by the Constitution and entitled to rights in the Bill of Rights, including the rights to work and fair labour practices.


2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mokoko Piet Sebola ◽  
Malemela Angelinah Mamabolo

The purpose of this article is to evaluate the engagement of farm beneficiaries in South Africa in the governance of restituted farms through communal property associations. The South African government has already spent millions of rands on land restitution to correct the imbalance of the past with regard to farm ownership by the African communities. Various methods of farm management to benefit the African society have been proposed, however, with little recorded success. This article argues that the South African post-apartheid government was so overwhelmed by political victory in 1994 that they introduced ambitious land reform policies that were based on ideal thinking rather than on a pragmatic approach to the South African situation. We used qualitative research methods to argue that the engagement of farm beneficiaries in farm management and governance through communal property associations is failing dismally. We conclude that a revisit of the communal property associations model is required in order to strengthen the position of beneficiaries and promote access to land by African communities for future benefit.


2020 ◽  
Vol 72 (1-3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lungisani Moyo

ABSTRACT This paper used qualitative methodology to explore the South African government communication and land expropriation without compensation and its effects on food security using Alice town located in the Eastern Cape Province South Africa as its case study. This was done to allow the participants to give their perceptions on the role of government communication on land expropriation without compensation and its effects on South African food security. In this paper, a total population of 30 comprising of 26 small scale farmers in rural Alice and 4 employees from the Department of Agriculture (Alice), Eastern Cape, South Africa were interviewed to get their perception and views on government communications and land expropriation without compensation and its effects on South African food security. The findings of this paper revealed that the agricultural sector plays a vital role in the South African economy hence there is a great need to speed up transformation in the sector.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document