Dear Majuba Alumnus,
Over the last two years I have served as Majuba’s House Committee member in charge of alumni relations. The experience and friendships I have gained from our Grysduiwe and organising alumni events have been invaluable. I now have the honour of providing an update on Majuba and its residents for the rollercoaster of a year that was 2020.
The COVID-19 pandemic has created a void of a year without most of the staples that make up a great Majuba year such as House Dance, Sauer Rugby and Hemel & Hel. On Monday morning, the 16th of March, I walked out of my first test of what would have been a five-test engineering spell that week, to find the university was shutting down and test week cancelled. I am sure most of you who have experienced a test week have shared my wish for a meteorite to hit your test venue the day before you are due to write … as if this wish was made with the Monkey’s Paw it came true, but in the form of a global pandemic!
Nine residents stayed in Majuba during the tough lockdown period. Once the national levels started reducing, more Majubane could return to campus. Currently, more than 50 Majubane are back. We had our first positive case at the start of October, but the resident has made a speedy recovery. We acted quickly and locked down the entirety of Communique, using the empty beds as barriers between us and Kerkstraat. This update was written during the 10-day isolation period that my section and I underwent.
The return to campus has been eventful, given the circumstances. The men of Beaujolais and Naples have taken up the sport of Quiz Nights at Aandklas. This is mostly due to there being no sport and Aandklas being the only bar that was open in Stellenbosch. After a bet (and some bribes) with the manager, the men won the quiz that night and returned to Majuba with a 2m-tall statue of Captain Morgan. Kaptein is now in the Felix Visagie so be sure to greet him at the next Grysduif evening.
Heritage Day has been our only ‘in person’ event for this semester. Everyone enjoyed a braai in the quad on what was a beautiful sunny day. The festivities eventually led to the men attempting the Jerusalema dance. Be sure to visit our Instagram page @witduifmajuba for the video.
The university is due to start classes for next year on the 15th of March. If South Africa does not record a big spike in COVID-19 cases, we’ll be able to have a full welcoming programme with the first years of 2021. I am thankful for the strong and experienced House Committee for this coming year. With five previous House Committee members and seven combined years of experience, we can sail this ship through the stormy year to come.
While the future is uncertain, I can assure you that the men of Majuba will not let a bug get them down. I wish you all good health and prosperity for 2021.
Sincere Witduif greetings,
Werner van der Merwe – Majuba Primarius 2020/2021