These first-year medical students said that the purpose of RAG is charity – giving back to the community and the needy. It is an effort to raise money, clothes and food.

The floats that they spend so much time working on create a spectacle and help to draw people’s attention, which give them the opportunity to then ask for money. The floats also encourage fun and get people excited about giving.

They contributed the reason why students where overalls during RAG to tradition and said that there is nothing better to wear when working hard – and they are not allowed to wash those – EVER!

Sheila Mokoka, Nombulelo Nompumza, Thembani Mentor, Matokelo Nphahlele, first-year medical students from Curlitzia.

First-years Armann Reynecke (Mopanie), Claude Strach (Voortrekker), Stefan Viljoen (Mopanie), Jaco Potgieter (Mopanie), Wian van der Walt (Mopanie) and Jozelle de Wet (Katjiepiering).

This group of friends said that they didn’t know much about the RAG activities, except for the instructions they received from their seniors along the way, but what they did know was that the purpose of RAG was to collect money for charity causes.

In between classes they go and help to build the floats, which ultimately help to attract people from the community to get involved and give donations.

Instead of wearing overalls – a privilege reserved only for seniors in their residences, the first-years wore RAG T-shirts on the day. 

Ilanie Swanepoel, a first-year from Magrietjie explained that they made small boxes and collected clothes for charity and Nonna van der Merwe from Asterhof added that they are also selling cards and diaries to raise funds.

They weren’t sure why they were building the floats, except for being a tradition, but said that it was fun although they worked hard! It is also a good way to meet people and good competition.

They had the choice to order overalls and said that it was good for team building and the first-years who didn’t order overalls regretted it. 

First-years Ilanie Swanepoel (Magrietjie) and Nonna van der Merwe (Asterhof).

Third and fourth year Mechanical Engineering students Pooven Pillay (day student), Cheex Sekhukhune (Kollege), Bradley Kisten (day student), Brandon Moodley (Olienhout) and Dominic Truter (Mopani).

“Engineers take pride in RAG”, is what this group of third and fourth year Mechanical Engineering students said. For them RAG is a time of fun and an opportunity to help the poor and to create good publicity for the University.

Even though they are seniors, they were still very much involved in RAG and played a big role in building the floats. And of course they don’t miss the RAG after party for anything.

According to them, wearing overalls is a practical arrangement because they are working, but it also shows where you belong and some residences gets creative with theirs, such as the Kollege guys, who paint black stripes on their white overalls.

Werner Potgieter, second-year student from Vividus and Annelize Terblanche, a first-year day student, said that they have no idea where the tradition of wearing overalls during RAG started, but said that it creates good spirit and shows to which residence or day house a student belongs.

They also described RAG as a good opportunity to build a good spirit as a residence or day house as well as to make new friends in other residences and to socialise.

Right: Werner Potgieter (Vividus) and Annelize Terblanche (day student).