FSCHR AND ENVIRONMENTAL LAW ASSOCIATION HOST STUDENT RESEARCH WORKSHOP ON ENVIRONMENTAL LAW

On Monday, 21 July 2025, the Student Research Workshop on Environmental Law was hosted at the University of the Free State (UFS) under the theme “Just Transitions – Weighing Development Against Social Cost.” The Free State Centre for Human Rights convened the event in partnership with the Environmental Law Association. It marked a significant step in restoring environmental law to the centre of scholarly and student life at UFS.

The morning opened with welcoming remarks from Prof Danie Brand, Director of the Free State Centre for Human Rights. Prof Brand highlighted the urgency of building environmental literacy in legal education and commended the organisers for anchoring student research in the real and pressing questions of our time. 

The keynote address was delivered by Prof Melanie Murcott, Chairperson of the Environmental Law Association and a senior academic at the University of the Cape Town. In her presentation, “Mapping Just Transitions in South Africa”, she challenged attendees to think critically about local and international structural dimensions of a just transition in South Africa, urging scholars and students alike to see the law not only as a regulatory tool but as a contested site for transformation.

A stimulating roundtable discussion followed, bringing together Dr Nico Buitendag (Faculty of Law, UFS), Prof Olusola Ololade (Head of the Centre for Environmental Management, UFS), and Qondile Khedama (Mangaung Municipality representative). The discussion explored what a just transition might look like in local contexts and emphasised the need for governance models that are inclusive, participatory, and environmentally accountable.

Dr Tamanda Kamwendo (Teaching and Learning Manager, Faculty of Law, UFS) delivered a thoughtful reflection titled “Co-Creating Environmental Law with Student Voices.” She discussed ongoing efforts to revitalise environmental law in the UFS curriculum and the critical role of student-centred approaches in reimagining teaching and learning in this field.

The heart of the workshop was the student research presentation session, where four student researchers shared their work-in-progress on pressing issues at the intersection of environment, justice, and development. Their presentations sparked lively discussion and critical engagement from fellow students and attending academics, who provided constructive feedback aimed at strengthening the students’ arguments, methods, and broader research framing. The session embodied the workshop’s central goal: to create a supportive, intellectually rigorous space where emerging scholars are mentored to refine their ideas and contribute meaningfully to the evolving field of environmental law and justice. Special thanks to the student presenters — Mohau Rapholo, Itumeleng Molelengoane, Tebogo Lebeko, and Moleboheng Pherane.

The event concluded with closing remarks from Bella Phore (Faculty of Law, UFS), who expressed sincere appreciation to the Environmental Law Association and reaffirmed the Faculty’s commitment to building on the momentum generated by the workshop. She announced that the Faculty plans to make the workshop a permanent feature on its academic calendar, with concrete steps already underway to establish a dedicated vehicle for environmental law scholarship and engagement within the Faculty. 

UFS ACADEMIC STRENGTHENS UN PRESENCE AS KEY VOICE ON DEVELOPMENT JUSTICE

24 June 2025 | Story Tshepo Tsotetsi

The University of the Free State (UFS) continues to cement its global footprint in the space of human rights and development policy. Prof Gerard Kamga, Associate Professor in the UFS’s Free State Centre for Human Rights and Programme Director for Research and Postgraduate Studies in the Faculty of Law, recently returned to Geneva to contribute to the 26th session of the United Nations Intergovernmental Working Group on the Right to Development, held from 12 to 15 May 2025.

This high-level session brought together diplomats, legal experts, and civil society leaders from across the globe to engage in structured dialogue around operationalising the right to development. Prof Kamga was among a select group of international experts invited to lead the conversation – this time delivering a focused intervention on the global challenge of illicit financial flows and their impact on the Global South.

Prof Kamga delivered a presentation titled ‘Draining Prosperity: How Illicit Financial Flows Undermine the Right to Development’, highlighting how the illegal movement of money out of Africa continues to weaken public services, entrench inequality, and cripple sustainable development efforts on the continent.

Citing that Africa loses an estimated $88.6 billion annually to illicit financial flows – about 3.7% of its GDP – Prof Kamga emphasised the direct link between financial injustice and underdevelopment. He also pointed out that commercial activities are the biggest drivers of these losses, accounting for 65%, followed by criminal activity and corruption. He stressed that these illicit outflows not only deprive countries of vital resources but also fuel poverty and political instability, referencing examples from Mali, Burkina Faso, and Guinea.

He also called for urgent global cooperation to repatriate stolen assets and enforce international agreements aimed at tackling corruption and tax avoidance. He encouraged the adoption of the draft international covenant on the right to development, stating that true progress requires systems that prioritise transparency, accountability, and social justice.

“Africa remains the continent that is more impacted by illicit financial flows, as the right to development remains unrealised for billions. My contribution as a staff member of the UFS to this global event was not only a potent reminder of academia’s role in global justice but, more importantly, it was a profound reminder of the complexities inherent in making the right to development tangible.”

PROF DANIE BRAND RETURNS TO BENCH AS ACTING JUDGE IN PRETORIA HIGH COURT 

Prof Danie Brand, Director of the Free State Centre for Human Rights (FSCHR) in the Faculty of Law at the University of the Free State (UFS), has once again been appointed as an Acting Judge, this time to serve at the Pretoria High Court from 12 to 23 May 2025. Read article here.

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WINNERS OF 2025 HUMAN RIGHTS DAY QUIZ

The Free State Centre for Human Rights once again hosted the Human Rights Day Quiz, an initiative aimed at increasing awareness and promoting knowledge of human rights in a fun and engaging manner. The quiz serves as a platform for students to reflect on the importance of human dignity, equality, and justice in our society.

For 2025, the winners of the Human Rights Day Quiz were Esethu Astra Gumede, a 1st-year Bachelor of Science in Information Technology student specialising in Data Science, Itumeleng Molelengoane, a final year Law student, and Bonolo Cristerbella Munyai, a 4th year Law student.

We congratulate Esethu, Itumeleng and Bonolo on this achievement and look forward to seeing more students engage meaningfully with human rights in years to come.