KovsieLEAD: Student Governance Training
Training of elected student governance structures and committees.
Format: Workshops across campuses, including:
- institutional/induction training
- structure-specific training:
- governance and policies
- portfolio-specific roles and responsibilities
- operational procedure
- leadership skills development
- inspirational/refresher sessions
Goal: To have fully equipped and functional student governance structures
Comprehensive Student Governance Training Schedule:
TRAINING | PRESENTED BY | FORMAT | TIME FRAME |
Student Governance Induction training of newly elected CSRCs, Residence Assistants (RAs), and Residence Committees (RCs), and Faculty Student Councils (FSCs) | SLD | Face-to-face Bloemfontein / South Campus structures in Bloemfontein | 12 September 2026
|
Qwaqwa Campus Structures in Qwaqwa
| 16-17 September 2026 |
UFS Induction Training Speakers
Dr Temba Hlasho, Executive Director: DSA-SAC
An experienced Executive Director and Sport Scientist with more than 30 years of leadership in higher education and international sport administration. He currently serve as the Executive Director of Student Affairs, Sport, Arts and Culture at the University of the Free State, where his work focuses on student well-being, strategic leadership, and the development of inclusive sport policies. he holds a PhD in Sport Science and serve as President of Judo South Africa. His professional work is centered on high-performance sport and social transformation
Mr Pholla Mbalane, Deputy Director: Institutional Student Governance
He engages across complex institutional environments, working with executive management, senior leaders, governance structures, student representative bodies and diverse stakeholders on matters that require careful consideration of policy, strategy, finance, student success, institutional priorities and stakeholder interests. He particularly enjoys navigating complex problems, challenging conventional thinking and translating ideas into practical, sustainable solutions.
Dr Taabo Mugume, Director: Directorate of institutional Research and Academic Planning
Manages the Monitoring and Institutional Research (MIR) team. This includes overseeing institutional planning; strategy development, implementation, progress monitoring, evaluation, and reporting; and research across the institution to promote efficiency and effectiveness, as well as managing people and processes and providing strategic leadership
Dr Nitha Rammath, Acting Senior Director: Department of Communication and Marketing
She am a senior strategic communication, stakeholder engagement, and reputation management professional with over 20 years of experience across the public, development, diplomatic, and higher education sectors. Her expertise spans strategic communication, media relations, brand and reputation management, crisis communication, and high-level stakeholder engagement, anchored in strong academic credentials, including a PhD in Communication Management.
She has led diverse communication portfolios, from enhancing institutional reputation at the University of the Free State to advancing financial inclusion across SADC with FinMark Trust, and supporting diplomatic cooperation with the Embassy of Indonesia.
Mr Jerry Thoka, UFS Convocation to Council
Jerry Swanti Thoka is an Actuarial Analyst, executive leadership and personal life coach, and public speaker. He holds a BSc in Actuarial Science (UFS) and a BSc in Applied Mathematics and Computer Science (SMU). He is a former President General of the UFS ISRC and serves on the UFS Council as a Convocation representative. Professionally, he works as a Valuations Actuarial Analyst at a multinational Reinsurance company. He is the Founder and Director of the Chamber of Executive Youth, focused on developing future leaders and preparing young professionals for executive leadership and strategic roles. He also serves as a Manager at SOMELPSA, an educational academy in Sandton