The University of the Free State (UFS), through its Faculty of Law, has secured urgent High Court relief to protect vulnerable communities in the Free State. The UFS Law Clinic and the Free State Centre for Human Rights (FSCHR) successfully intervened in two separate matters involving eviction and access to water, reinforcing the university’s commitment to social justice and responsible societal futures.

In rulings by the Free State Division of the High Court, an eviction order affecting an unrepresented community in Dealesville, 67 km north-west of Bloemfontein, was halted, while water services to residents of the Brandwag Flats social housing complex in Bloemfontein were ordered to be restored following unlawful disconnections by the Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality.

Advancing justice through legal intervention

In the first matter, the Law Clinic approached the High Court to stay the execution of an eviction order affecting an indigent and unrepresented community in Dealesville. The court granted an order halting the eviction pending an application to rescind the original order, ensuring that affected residents are afforded the opportunity to participate in proceedings that directly impact their lives.

In a separate urgent application, the FSCHR acted against the Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality after water services to residents of Brandwag Flats were unilaterally disconnected. The court ordered the immediate restoration of water, accompanied by a punitive cost order.

“These cases highlight the importance of ensuring that vulnerable communities are not excluded from legal processes that affect their lives. Access to justice must be practical and inclusive,” said Christopher Rawson, Director of the UFS Law Clinic. “Our work is about translating legal expertise into real impact within communities. It is through interventions like these that we begin to address inequality at a local level.” 

The interventions reflect the UFS’ broader mission to contribute meaningfully to responsible societal futures. Through strategic legal action, the Faculty of Law continues to translate expertise into tangible impact across the province.

“Access to basic services and protection against eviction are central to human dignity. These interventions show how the law can be used to uphold those rights,” said Dr Martie Bloem, Legal Coordinator at the FSCHR. “This work reflects our broader commitment to advancing human rights within the Free State. It also strengthens the role of the university in driving meaningful societal change.”

At the UFS, this work forms part of a wider approach to engaged scholarship and clinical legal education, which sees students gaining practical experience while contributing to real-world solutions. By intervening in urgent matters involving eviction and access to basic services, the university ensures that vulnerable communities can exercise their constitutional rights and access justice.

This approach echoes Vice-Chancellor and Principal Prof Hester C. Klopper’s call for the university community to “walk with purpose” – advancing human dignity, reducing inequality, and shaping responsible societal futures through meaningful action.