by Ria Olivier | Apr 2, 2020 | Important Dates, Marion Island, News, Overwintering Team, sub-Antarctic, Take-Over Operations
UPDATE ON WAY FORWARD FOR MARION 2020 RELIEF VOYAGE – 2 April 2020.
The Department of Environment Forestry and Fisheries (DEFF) hereby wishes to inform all participants, principle investigators and support teams of the arrangements pertaining to the forthcoming Marion Island 2020 relief voyage, which was scheduled to depart on 9 April 2020. As a result of the lockdown from 26 March 2020, as per announcement of the President, the voyage planning and arrangements had to be reconfigured to minimise any risk.
The DEFF as a custodian and key Department of the SANAP program needs to mitigate risks and
ensure that decisions are made in the best interest and well-being of all participants, as well as that of the overwintering teams. To this end, the DEFF together with key partners and specialist advisors has
decided that the voyage will proceed but with a significantly reduced vessel crew and passenger complement. The voyage configuration was premised on the guiding principle of having the minimum
number of essential voyage participants during the relief as well as to overwinter.
The format of the voyage will include an essential support team for logistics, maintenance and overwintering. There will be no field science activities during the relief and overwintering periods. The Department is facilitating quarantine and testing of all voyage participants.
This decision was not taken lightly and should not be construed as a lack of priority assigned to the science activities. This is certainly a tremendous set back for all of us, however we need to do the best that we can under the circumstances, and strive towards positive future outcomes. The parties that will be participating in the voyage will be contacted either directly or through their respective focal points. These would include personnel from Department of Public Works and Infrastructure, SA Weather Service, SA National Space Agency and Ultimate Heli.
The Department would like wish you and your families well.
Stay safe and healthy.
Ms Judy Beaumont
Deputy Director General: Oceans and Coasts
Date: 2 April 2020
by Ria Olivier | Mar 20, 2020 | Announcement, Marion Island, News, Overwintering Team
The Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries (DEFF) clarifies the recent evacuation of the Marion Island 76 over-wintering members
Media Release 13 March 2020: During the recent return leg of the SANAE 58 voyage, South Africa’s polar research vessel, the SA Agulhas II had to be rerouted to Marion Island for the urgent medical evacuation of a member of the Marion 76 over-wintering team.
The decision to evacuate the team member resulted from an independent medical report compiled by a medical specialist from the South African National Defence Force. Following long distance consultations with the team member concerned, and the team leader, the specialist recommended urgent evacuation of the team member, in the interest of the particular member and the team as a whole. His conclusions were that the existing first aid services on the island could not diagnose and appropriately treat the member, who required urgent professional assistance.
The member’s partner was also evacuated on compassionate grounds. We request the media and members of the public to respect these members’ rights to medical confidentiality.
Two other members were included in the repatriation. Their cases are not linked to the one above. The decision to include a third person followed the failure of remote disciplinary action to correct ongoing misconduct. His employer had requested that if an opportunity presented itself, they would want the individual to be repatriated.
A fourth person requested to leave the island to attend to a family emergency.
In looking for a suitable way to comply with the need for urgent medical evacuation, the department considered a range of options. The most cost effective option was to divert the SA Agulhas II, which was returning from a voyage to Antarctica, via Marion Island.
The Department initially paid the full cost of the evacuation which amounted to R2, 8m. There was a clear notification to all institutions responsible for the team members being evacuated, that the Department will require costs to be shared amongst the parties, either through the institutions’ own budgets or through insurance claims. The Department has to date partially recouped costs incurred from one of the institutions and is currently in discussions with others to recover the rest.
Expeditions to SANAP comprises of a range of members from the following organisations: Department of Environment Forestry and Fisheries, SA Weather Service, SA National Space Agency, University of Pretoria, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, University of Fort Hare, University of Stellenbosch, University of Cape Town and University of KwaZulu Natal.
It is common knowledge that South Africa’s Antarctica and Islands research bases are isolated and climatically harsh environments and all expedition members suffer hardship. Accordingly, every effort is made to screen candidates and prepare them for the hardships they will encounter. Recommendations to improve the screening process for future candidates will be included in the new contracts with our sister organisations once the current three-year contracts expire in June 2020.
Also read article: SAMHS specialist integral to Marion island evacuation
by Ria Olivier | Mar 18, 2020 | Discover, Jobs, Legacy, Marion Island, Research, SANAP, SCAR, Science
I completed all my science degrees at the University of Pretoria after some time at Wits studying law. I was fortunate to be appointed at Stellenbosch University in 2000, spent 2001 in France, and returned to Stellenbosch University in 2002 where I worked first as a Senior Technical Officer, then as a Researcher and finally an Associate Professor before relocating to the University of Johannesburg in 2011, and became a Full Professor in 2012. Our research group at UJ transitioned into a Research Centre, and we currently house a number of postdoctoral fellows and postgraduate students. We have collaborations with a number of groups both within South Africa, and internationally.
I have been involved in research on the Prince Edward Islands since 2004 and have been fortunate to work with some of the legends as well as bright upcoming researchers (then students, now fully established and leading their own research groups). For my sins, I was appointed as Chief shore-based Scientist in 2006 (the first time that a woman held this position), and managed to get all people to relevant huts on time, even though we almost had to put together a rescue party to retrieve Valdon Smith and Sarette Slabber from Mixed Pickle (typical Marion Island bad weather meant that they could not walk over Azorella Kop). Thankfully the weather cleared, and all shore-based people made it back to the SA Agulhas I.
Bettine van Vuuren is currently the Chair of the South African National Committee for SCAR, and a Principal Investigator in the South African National Antarctic Programme (SANAP) – see Biocomplexity: Understanding biological patterns in space and time.
Why you love your career in science?
I have always thought that animals are interesting and wondered why they act in certain ways. Why do some dogs get on well, while others fight? How do bees know where to find flowers and pollen, and how do they get back to their hives? Are they really all female? Why are some species so successful while others are continuously threatened and faced with extinction; especially considering that our world is changing much faster than ever before?
Once I understood that the answers to most of these questions have a strong genetic basis, I was hooked. My work allows me to search for the answers to many of these questions, and I work in some of the most extraordinary and beautiful places on earth (from our hot and dry desert and semi-desert regions to extremely wet and cold sub-Antarctic islands). I am privileged to work and interact with extremely talented people (both within and outside South Africa; old and young); there is not a day that I am not thankful for the way my life turned out. What is perhaps the strongest motivating factor is that I can make a difference in the lives of younger people (through education, working at the University of Johannesburg), and this is priceless.
Why you believe more women should pursue a career in science?
The first thing to say is that I believe there is nothing that any person can’t do if they apply their mind (and time) to it. We often set our own ceilings based on the general beliefs that society or others impose on us; and it is crucial that we break through these (non-real) boundaries. STEM fields are a case in hand. This is especially true for woman, who traditionally were considered homemakers or child-carers. In STEM specifically, fields such as mathematics, physics and engineering, and traditionally more field-based disciplines such as zoology, botany, or oceanography, are seen as more suited to men (either because women were not traditionally considered as analytically strong, capable to work in the field, or for that matter, be away from home for any period of time). It is critical that any person (both men and women) should carefully consider what they enjoy, what their specific strengths are (be that a STEM career for a woman, or as a child carer / homemaker for a man), and then pursue that with all their strength and passion. Personally, I was initially directed into a field that I had no interest in (because I could not answer questions asked regarding where I would work if my husband lived in a small town), and from a personal perspective I strongly urge and support woman that want to step out of the “beaten track”, i.e., what is typically expected from you by society, and follow what they are passionate about.
Latest research or study you’re working on?
I am currently involved in a number of larger projects which aim to understand how species (individuals / populations) respond to change. One such project is on sub-Antarctic Marion Island (funded through the South African National Antarctic Programme), where we are assembling the full genomes of a number of macroinvertebrate species, with the ultimate aim to understand genes under selection, and how biotic and abiotic factors shape the genetic diversity on oceanic islands. In South Africa, and in collaboration with national (SANBI) and international partners (an NSF/NRF funded project), we are investigating how reptile species adapt to changing and transformed landscapes, and what the downstream impacts are on their genes, morphology and behaviour. Across the African continent, and in collaboration with the Research Centre in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources (Portugal), we are documenting the spatial genetic patterns in a number of economically important larger antelope species (such as roan- and sable antelope); our work here directly informs South African policies on translocations.
Student: Daniela Monsanto
Colleagues & Students at a conference
Students often ask me about their future careers, what they can do with a BSc degree (or broader, a Science degree), or where they will find employment. And my answer is always the same: You can be whatever you want to be. The ultimate aim of science education should be to train students to critically assess situations, to learn how to solve complex problems, and to find solutions to questions. If you have mastered this skill, you can become the President of South Africa, an artisan, an entrepreneur, or a brilliant scientist.
Presentation on Youtube: UJ zoologist on the management and eradication of invasive species
Profile on Wikipedia and on Researchgate
Follow Bettine on Twitter @bettinevv
Visit website www.molzoolab.co.za
by Ria Olivier | Mar 3, 2020 | Antarctica, Environment, Gough Island, Marion Island, Research, SANAE, SANAE Gallery, Science, Southern Ocean
On World Wildlife Day 2020, we will celebrate the special place of wild plants and animals in their many varied and beautiful forms as a component of the world’s biological diversity. World Wildlife Day in 2020 is celebrated under the theme “Sustaining all life on Earth”, encompassing all wild animal and plant species as key components of the world’s biodiversity. This aligns with UN Sustainable Development Goals 1, 12, 14 and 15, and their wide-ranging commitments on alleviating poverty, ensuring sustainable use of resources, and on conserving life both on land and below water to halt biodiversity loss. On 20 December 2013, at its 68th session, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) proclaimed 3 March – the day of signature of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) in 1973 – as UN World Wildlife Day to celebrate and raise awareness of the world’s wild animals and plants.
Azorella selago (Photo Credit: Niek Gremmen)
Antarctic Tern (Photo Credit: Tom McSherry)
The South African National Antarctic Programme (SANAP) plays a crucial role in conserving this living laboratory – – the coldest, windiest and driest place on Earth. Studies done in the Antarctic, sub-Antarctic and Southern Ocean are inextricably linked to our understanding of the entire Earth system and signals in Antarctica indicate past and future global changes. SANAP recognises the global and national importance of safeguarding the environment of the Antarctic and Southern Ocean and protecting the integrity of ecosystems, both marine and terrestrial, in the region.
Weddell Seal – Photo Credit: Chris Oosthuizen
Photo Credit: Ben van der Walt
SANAP slogan “Understands, Develop and Conserve is celebrating World Wildlife Day 2020. See amazing images on the SANAP website under galleries of the different stations of South Africa. Go to the ALSA archive and look for the interaction images of man and the environment
by Ria Olivier | Mar 1, 2020 | Antarctica, Fellowship, Marion Island, Research, SANAP, Science, Southern Ocean, Uncategorised, Women in Science
11 February 2020 was the International Day of Women and Girls in Science and 8 March 2020 is International Womens day. Within the SANAP environment there are many women, this article highlight four early women career scientists.
Liezel Rudolph is chair of the Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS) of South Africa. She is a PhD student, working on cosmogenic nuclide surface exposure dating of Marion Island in the sub-Antarctic. Her research is on the impact of various physical factors on landscape change, for example: animals (seals in particular) on soil properties and vegetation community composition; ice, above or below the ground surface. Geomorphology or better known as Physical Geography is her area(s) of Interest and more specifically, the processes behind Periglacial Landforms and to a lesser extent Biogeomorphology. She is fascinated by cold and mountainous places, and thus prefer to work in environments like the High Drakensberg, Subantarctic Marion Island or Antarctica. Liezel is a lecturer at the University of the Free State, Bloemfontein and one of the founding members of APECSSA. Since June 2019 she is the APECSSA Chair. Her Master’s work on rock glaciers took her to Antarctica twice (2013/14 & 2014/15), while her Honors studies led to a visit to Marion Island (2011). Her PhD studies have since taken her to Marion Island again (in 2017), most recently in 2019.
Kolisa Yola Sinyanya is a PhD. candidate in Oceanography at the University of Cape Town (UCT). Her Ph.D. research is part of a growing body of work that critically examines biogeochemical cycling in the ocean, particularly regions that are currently under-sampled. The research aims involve exploring phytoplankton community dynamics and microbe-nutrient interactions in the Indian Ocean, including subtropical and Southern Ocean waters. To-date, Kolisa has been awarded the Advancing Womxn Fellowship in the Department of Oceanography. She is a Black Women in South Africa Fellows of 2019. In 2019 she was nominated as one of the Inspiring Fifty Women in STEM South Africa. Kolisa has a passion for learning science and for sharing her science and this PhD programme has allowed her to engage in effective science communication through both public speaking and scientific writing. Kolisa’s work has also been documented in the academic communication magazine, The Conversation Africa. Earlier this year she was invited to be on the “New Voices” panel at the annual Nature, Environment and Wildlife Filmmakers Congress. Sinyanya is committed to increasing the visibility of women in STEM and to that end, she runs a blog called Women In Science Hub.
Daniela Monsanto is a PhD Candidate at University of Johannesburg. She has just been awarded the HJ Scoonbee medal for the best MSc Dissertation in Zoology(UJ) Her work documented the fine scale genetic patterns in a springtail species on Marion Island. Daniela is using next-generation sequencing technologies to develop a suite of informative markers (including whole gnome assembly) to address ecological and evolutionary questions of the springtail species, Cryptopygus antarcticus travei, on Marion Island. Her work will allow us to identify the forces that impose strong selection pressures on the organism and the genes that experience selection in response to environmental change. Her results highlighted complex spatial genetic patterns that could be driven by micro-habitat preferences and/or a fitness funnel driven by local adaptations. This complexity illustrates that individuals respond to environmental changes. Her results may bring about far-reaching implications for conservation management on Marion Island, highlighting the importance of considering fine-scale evolutionary processes in management plans. In essence, her results emphasize that conservation efforts are best addressed in a ‘bottom-up’ approach as opposed to a ‘top-down’ approach, which is the case for (Southern Ocean) biodiversity. She is passionate about her work and is extremely fond of the world down south. Daniela loves everything about nature, the outdoors, and sports, particularly soccer, of which she is part of a ladies team in a provincial league. She enjoys spending time with her friends and family, and in her free time, she enjoys the hobby of fishkeeping.
Rudzani Silima is the first Champion for the Antarctic Cities Youth Expedition(ACYE). She is currently a Capetonian and studies towards a Masters in Physical/Chemical Oceanography, through the Nelson Mandela University. She was one of 41 students that qualified for this year’s SEAmester cruise and won the prize for best student on-board. During the SEAmester cruise, Rudzani showed her passion for science, nature and especially the Southern Ocean. She has ambition that will not be held back and we are convinced that she will become an Antarctic ambassador at heart and further the connection between Cape Town and the Antarctic, as part of the network of gateway cities toward the Antarctic. Her expectation for the expedition before she left : “I look forward especially to interacting with the other young leaders and researchers chosen for this expedition to possibly establish connections. As an aspiring Oceanographer, Antarctica is an important milestone in my career, it represents the pinnacle of science, cooperation and diplomacy. To be the South African ambassador for this project is a privilege and is extremely humbling.” Rudzi arrived back in Cape Town on 28 February 2020 from the first ACYE
These early career women scientists have done presentations all over the world at international and national events where they represented South Africa and their institutions and have been authors and co-authors of articles in scientific magazines They are an inspiration to the girls of South Africa in Science.
by Ria Olivier | Feb 24, 2020 | Announcement, Antarctica, Gough Island, Marion Island, Research, SA Agulhas II, SANAP, Southern Ocean, sub-Antarctic
South African National Programme (SANAP)
CALL
Deadline 30 April 2020
(NRF General Application Guide 2021; Grants Management and Systems Administration (GMSA)
SANAP is a region-specific, theme-driven funding instrument which supports research in the Southern Ocean, including the Prince Edward Islands, and in Antarctica. As a competitive funding instrument, the chief eligibility criteria are:
- Research in the geographic region of the Southern Ocean, including the Prince Edward Islands, and / or in Antarctica
- Alignment with the research themes as detailed in the South African Antarctic and Southern Ocean Research Plan (2014-2024)
- Scientific merit and quality of the research proposal
- Evidence of associated human capacity development
SANAP research addresses the research themes detailed in the South African Antarctic and Southern Ocean Research Plan (2014-2024), and is underpinned by the overarching South African Marine and Antarctic Research Strategy (MARS) of 2015. The Antarctic and Southern Ocean Research Plan (hereafter “the Research Plan”) is focused on an integrative systems approach to understanding the evolution of the earth systems and ecosystems in the 21st Century. The Research Plan provides the overarching framework of operations for SANAP research activities, and follows the integrated progression from Earth Systems to Ecosystems to Human Systems in the research themes. Human activities and socio-political complexities in this international arena are of equal importance.(1).
Specific research themes detailed in the Research Plan are: Earth Systems, Living Systems, Human Enterprise and Innovation: Southern Ocean and Antarctic technology and engineering
Social Sciences, Law and Humanities applications are especially encouraged, as are applications addressing innovation. Each research theme has a number of sub- themes, and applicants are strongly encouraged to familiarise themselves with the thematic focus of the Research Plan, as well as with the overall strategic context provided in the MARS (both attached hereto) so as to ensure that their applications meet the very specific scientific and strategic objectives of this funding instrument.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The National Research Foundation (NRF) recognises that in order for South Africa to be internationally competitive and to meaningfully contribute to the global economy, the country must have the capability to understand the knowledge produced by others. This understanding can best be developed through performing research. Publicly funded basic and applied research is viewed as a source of new ideas, opportunities, methods, and most importantly, the means through which problem solvers can be trained.
The South African Antarctic and Southern Ocean Research Plan (2014-2024) serves to link South Africa’s comparative geographic and research advantage, regional stewardship and national interest considerations to research themes so as to stimulate systems scale integration of knowledge and understanding. This will not only strengthen South Africa’s profile and develop advanced skills, but in so doing will also support the Country’s geo-political and citizenship goals in both regional and global dialogues. The importance of South Africa’s geographical proximity to Antarctica and its position as a Southern Ocean2 littoral State cannot be overstressed.
South Africa also maintains bases at Marion and Gough Islands, administered by the Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries (DEFF). Marion Island and Prince Edward Island together form the Prince Edward Islands Group, annexed by South Africa in 1947. Gough Island is a British protectorate which hosts the South African meteorological station, which operates as part of an agreement between South Africa and the United Kingdom.
The country runs the risk of not fully utilizing or maximizing the benefits from this geographic advantage, owing to a lack of adequate human capital. This includes the risk that the country may own research platforms and facilities, but could be subject to a form of “knowledge colonization” from international quarters, many of whom already possess a critical mass of requisite skills. The SANAP is a long-term funding instrument designed to ensure the creation of a demographically balanced Antarctic research programme that strives for internationally competitive research, promotes inter-disciplinarity and creates links with other African countries.
(1)The South African Antarctic and Southern Ocean Research Plan (2014-2024)
(2).This area includes the Prince Edward Islands over which South Africa exercises undisputed sovereignty. The Southern Ocean is defined as the region south of Africa comprising the ocean and the sub-Antarctic Islands up to, and including, the Antarctic Continental Shelf Zone.
clarifies the recent evacuation of the Marion Island 76 over-wintering members
and became a 
Islands since 2004 and have been fortunate to work with some of the legends as well as bright upcoming researchers (then students, now fully established and leading their own research groups). For my sins, I was appointed as Chief shore-based Scientist in 2006 (the first time that a woman held this position), and managed to get all people to relevant huts on time, even though we almost had to put together a rescue party to retrieve Valdon Smith and Sarette Slabber from Mixed Pickle (typical Marion Island bad weather meant that they could not walk over Azorella Kop). Thankfully the weather cleared, and all shore-based people made it back to the SA Agulhas I.
flowers and pollen, and how do they get back to their hives? Are they really all female? Why are some species so successful while others are continuously threatened and faced with extinction; especially considering that our world is changing much faster than ever before? 
or others impose on us; and it is crucial that we break through these (non-real) boundaries. STEM fields are a case in hand. This is especially true for woman, who traditionally were considered homemakers or child-carers. In STEM specifically, fields such as mathematics, physics and engineering, and traditionally more field-based disciplines such as zoology, botany, or oceanography, are seen as more suited to men (either because women were not traditionally considered as analytically strong, capable to work in the field, or for that matter, be away from home for any period of time). It is critical that any person (both men and women) should carefully consider what they enjoy, what their specific strengths are (be that a STEM career for a woman, or as a child carer / homemaker for a man), and then pursue that with all their strength and passion. Personally, I was initially directed into a field that I had no interest in (because I could not answer questions asked regarding where I would work if my husband lived in a small town), and from a personal perspective I strongly urge and support woman that want to step out of the “beaten track”, i.e., what is typically expected from you by society, and follow what they are passionate about.
I am currently involved in a number of larger projects which aim to understand how species (individuals / populations) respond to change. One such project is on sub-Antarctic Marion Island (funded through the South African National Antarctic Programme), where we are assembling the full genomes of a number of macroinvertebrate species, with the ultimate aim to understand genes under selection, and how biotic and abiotic factors shape the genetic diversity on oceanic islands. In South Africa, and in collaboration with national (SANBI) and international partners (an NSF/NRF funded project), we are investigating how reptile species adapt to changing and transformed landscapes, and what the downstream impacts are on their genes, morphology and behaviour. Across the African continent, and in collaboration with the Research Centre in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources (Portugal), we are documenting the spatial genetic patterns in a number of economically important larger antelope species (such as roan- and sable antelope); our work here directly informs South African policies on translocations.
website 
On 
See amazing images on the SANAP website 
of Marion Island in the sub-Antarctic. Her research is on the impact of various physical factors on landscape change, for example: animals (seals in particular) on soil properties and vegetation community composition; ice, above or below the ground surface. Geomorphology or better known as Physical Geography is her area(s) of Interest and more specifically, the processes behind 
Periglacial Landforms and to a lesser extent Biogeomorphology. She is fascinated by cold and mountainous places, and thus prefer to work in environments like the High Drakensberg, Subantarctic Marion Island or Antarctica. Liezel is a 
research is part of a growing body of work that critically examines biogeochemical cycling in the ocean, particularly regions that are currently under-sampled. The research aims involve exploring phytoplankton community dynamics and microbe-nutrient interactions in the Indian Ocean, including subtropical and Southern 
Ocean waters. To-date, Kolisa has been awarded the Advancing Womxn Fellowship in the Department of Oceanography. She is a Black Women in South Africa Fellows of 2019. In 2019 she was nominated as one of the Inspiring Fifty Women in STEM South Africa. Kolisa has a passion for learning science and for sharing her science and this PhD programme has allowed her to engage in effective science communication through both public speaking and scientific writing. Kolisa’s work has also been documented in the academic communication magazine, The Conversation Africa. Earlier this year she was invited to be on the “New Voices” panel at the annual Nature, Environment and Wildlife Filmmakers Congress. Sinyanya is committed to increasing the visibility of women in STEM and to that end, she runs a blog called 
She has just been awarded the HJ Scoonbee medal for the best MSc Dissertation 
pressures on the organism and the genes that experience selection in response to environmental change. Her results highlighted complex spatial genetic patterns that could be driven by micro-habitat preferences and/or a fitness funnel driven by local adaptations. This complexity illustrates that individuals respond to environmental changes. Her results may bring about far-reaching implications for conservation management on Marion Island, highlighting the importance of considering fine-scale evolutionary processes in management plans. In essence, her results emphasize that conservation efforts are best addressed in a ‘bottom-up’ approach as opposed to a ‘top-down’ approach, which is the case for (Southern Ocean) biodiversity. She is passionate about her work and is extremely fond of the world down south. Daniela loves everything about nature, the outdoors, and sports, particularly soccer, of which she is part of a ladies team in a provincial league. She enjoys spending time with her friends and family, and in her free time, she enjoys the hobby of fishkeeping.
She is currently a Capetonian and studies towards a Masters in Physical/Chemical Oceanography, through the Nelson Mandela University. She was one of 41 students that qualified for this year’s SEAmester cruise and won the prize for best student on-board. During the 
ambition that will not be held back and we are convinced that she will become an Antarctic ambassador at heart and further the connection between Cape Town and the Antarctic, as part of the network of gateway cities toward the Antarctic. Her expectation for the expedition before she left : “I look forward especially to interacting with the other young leaders and researchers chosen for this expedition to possibly establish connections. As an aspiring Oceanographer, Antarctica is an important milestone in my career, it represents the pinnacle of science, cooperation and diplomacy. To be the South African ambassador for this project is a privilege and is extremely humbling.” Rudzi arrived back in Cape Town on 28 February 2020 from the first ACYE
