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26 April 2018

 Description: 2018 Macah new Tags: Paediatrics, mother and child, healthcare, community, research, academic hospital, Free State.   

Rolene Strauss Patron of the MACAH Foundation, Oupa Mohoje,
Cheetahs rugby union player, and Kesa Molotsane
who are both champions of the MACAH Foundation.
Photo: Johan Roux

Description: 2018 new new MACAH Tags: Paediatrics, mother and child, healthcare, community, research, academic hospital, Free State.

From left is: Prof Gert van Zyl, MACAH Foundation’s founding
Director and Chairman; Khumo Selebano,
newly appointed Director; Dr Riana van Zyl founding director,
and Prof Andre Venter, Founding director and Project Leader.
Photo: Johan Roux



The Mother and Child Academic Hospital (Macah) Foundation was launched at the University of the Free State (UFS) on 24 April 2018. The foundation is instrumental in the building of a state-of-the-art academic hospital that will provide antenatal care and comprehensive health services for mothers, infants and children in Central South Africa. The hospital will be developed under a project in a partnership between UFS, Afrisky Holdings, and the Free State Department of Health, and will be located on the university’s Bloemfontein Campus but will be privately owned and operated.  

Prof Francis Petersen, UFS Rector and Vice-Chancellor, said in his opening remarks this high-level partnership was a demonstration of the power of working together to implement innovation and development, promoting research and academic excellence, while serving communities that are most in need. “This project is possibly the first of its kind in South Africa. I am really proud that the UFS can be a part of it,” he said. 

Officials from the Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality;  Deputy Director General of the Free State Department of Health, Mr Sekgothe Polelo; members of the UFS rectorate; senior academics in the Faculty of Health Sciences; Dr Rolene Strauss, former Miss World and patron of the Macah Foundation; as well Kesa Molotsane, athlete and UFS student, who is the new face of the Macah Foundation, as well as Oupa Mohoje, Springbok rugby player and captain of the Toyota Free State Cheetahs, who is also the face Macah Foundation among others, were present at the event. Prof Gert van Zyl, Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences, said the university had a pivotal role to play in shaping the future of children who are the future generation. “If we fail our children, we fail our future, our culture and our being,” he said.

The Macah Foundation’s “Make the first 1000 Days Count” programme emphasises the importance of childcare in the first 1000 days. By the age of five, almost 90% of a child’s brain will be developed. Therefore, it is vital that this period is well monitored to ensure the child grows to be a vigorous and happy individual. As nurturer, a mother’s health is just as significant from conception to birth and beyond. The R20-million programme is still in its early stages, but has already received great support.

Prof André Venter, one of the founding directors of Macah, and Head of Paediatrics and Child Health at the UFS Faculty of Health Sciences, said the success of the mother and child hospital was like a dream come true. 

“We have been working on this concept for seven years. It is a privilege for me to work with children, but more so when we can combine so many skills and expertise in developing a world-class facility that will help members of our communities to thrive.”

The foundation is growing steadily and its founding directors are calling on corporates, businesses, and individuals to support it through their influence, loyalty and financial means.

To find out more about the foundation and pledge your support, visit www.macahfoundation.org.za or send an email to Tertia de Bruin on debruintr@ufs.ac.za or  foundation@macahfoundation.org.za

News Archive

Student leaders 2012/13 announced
2012-08-30

Ready for the task - Sabelo Khumalo, SRC President of the Qwaqwa Campus and William Clayton, SRC President of the Bloemfontein Campus.
Photo: Johan Roux
31 August 2012

The 2012/13 elections for the Student Representative Councils (SRC) of the University of the Free State were completed successfully and show meaningful support for the changes in student governance adopted by students across campuses over the past two years.

The SRC elections at the Qwaqwa Campus were completed on 23 August 2012, while the elections at our Bloemfontein Campus took place on 27 and 28 August 2012.

The SRC Elections at our Bloemfontein Campus showed a voter turnout of 4516 votes (30.8%), with the elections at the Qwaqwa Campuses showing 1753 votes (46%) – both campuses reached the required quorums and the IEA (Bloemfontein Campus) and IEC (Qwaqwa Campus) declared the elections free and fair and announced the results as a true reflection of the will of the student bodies at the campuses.

The full SRC at Bloemfontein Campus now consists of 62% black and 38% white, and 53% female and 47% male members.

In the Qwaqwa elections, SADESMO achieved 46, 38% of the vote, with SASCO, PASMA and NASMO each achieving 30,23% and 8,39% and 14,26%, respectively.

The successful elections at Bloemfontein Campus show that the detailed transformation of student governance introduced by students at the Campus in 2010 and adopted by the university in 2011, succeeded in mobilizing greater participation of students in governance and representation. These changes in the main included a shift to independent candidacy for elective portfolios (12 seats) and organizational candidacy in nine sub-councils that holds ex officio seats on the SRC. Changes also included the establishment of student representative seats in faculty governance and management forums and the adoption of a reviewed Central SRC Constitution. Ex officio seats hold full and equal constitutional authority in the SRC.

Students at Qwaqwa Campus introduced additional portfolios to its SRC, including ex-officio seats for academic affairs, arts and culture, commuter students, Rag Community Service, religious affairs, residences and sports.

A joint sitting of the Campus SRCs will establish the Central SRC 2012/13 on 9 September 2012.

As a further opportunity for participation in and the development of student governance and representation, the current Central SRC herewith also announces its recent adoption of a student governance advisory programme, namely the UFS Student Elders Council (SEC).

The SEC is established as a combined programme between the Central SRC and the Dean of Student Affairs and will consist of selected senior student leaders from all campuses who completed their terms of office, apply and are appointed to the Elders Council by the Central SRC.

The Council will serve as an advisory structure to the Central SRC and other student structures in support of the continuous development of student governance and representation of the student body at the university.

The SEC will advise the Central SRC to be constituted following the constitution of the respective Campus SRCs.

The SRC members at the Bloemfontein Campus are:

President: Mr William Clayton

Vice-President: Mr Bonolo Thebe

Secretary: Ms Karis-Robin Topkin

Treasurer: Mr Pieter Coetzee

Arts & Culture: Ms Chanmari Erasmus

Accessibility & Student Support: Ms Gene McCaskill

First-generation Students: Ms Tanya Calitz

Legal and Constitutional Affairs: Ms Nokuthula Sithole

Media, Marketing & Liaison: Ms Neo Chere

Sport: Mr Tshepo Moloi

Student Development & Environmental Affairs: Ms Thabisile Mgadi

Transformation: Ms Koketso Mofokeng

Dialogue & Ex officio: Associations Council: Mr Anesu Ruswa

Academic Affairs & Ex officio: Academic Affairs Council: Ms Nombuso Ndlovu

Residence Affairs & Ex officio: Residences Council: Mr Johann Steyn

City Residence Affairs & Ex officio: Commuter Council: Mr Michael van Niekerk

Postgraduate Affairs & Ex officio: Postgraduate Council: Mr Fadeyi Akinsuyi

International Affairs & Ex officio: International Council: Ms Tumelo Moreri

Student Media Affairs & Ex officio: Media Council: Mr Jamal-Dean Grootboom

RAG Community Service & Ex officio: RAG Fundraising Council: Mr Jaco Faul

RAG Community Service & Ex officio: RAG Community Service Council: Ms Keneue Mahloana

The SRC members at the Qwaqwa Campus are:

President General: Mr S Khumalo

Deputy President: Mr P T Lenka

Secretary General: Mr D Khethang

Treasurer General: Mr S I Sithole

Media & Publicity: Mr S N Ntombela

Politics & Transformation: Tbc

Student Development & Evironmental Affairs: Tbc Academic Affairs: Mr T Molawude

Arts & Cultural Affairs: Mr T Nkohli

Off-Campus Students: Mr B Mtshali

RAG, Community Service & Dialogue: Ms S F Mlotya

Religious Affairs: Ms D C Khau

Residence & Catering Affairs: Ms Z Mzolo

Sports Council: Mr S Mngomezulu

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