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20 August 2018
WomenofKovsies Kesa praises the most important woman in her life
Kesa Molotsane, top Kovsies athlete says much of her success is thanks to the amazing backing of her mother Shani.

Most of Kesa Molotsane’s achievements on the athletic track and road can be attributed to the tireless support of her mother, Kesa says.  

“It might sound like a cliché, but my mother has taught me so much and I have learnt enough from her to survive anything. She has played the biggest role in my career and made it a priority in her life even before it (her athletics career) blossomed. 

‘My mother invested in me’

“My mother Shani has invested so much. She was present at the start and to this day she is still there for me,” Kesa says about the most important woman in her life.

Molotsane, who is doing her BA honours at the University of the Free State, has had a good 12 months behind her. She is the Spar Grand Prix 10km champion from last year, is the national student champion in the 5 000m and 10 000m and was the best South African performer at the Confederation of African Athletics African Cross Country Championships.

‘Improvement and growth motivates me’

She says improvement and growth motivates her big time. “It’s a way of weighing my efforts and hard work. I am inspired by a lot of things, depending on what situation I am in and the inspiration I’m looking for. I believe in and value inspiration in abundance.”

According to her, representing her country at the World Cross Country Championships in Uganda in March 2017 was the biggest accomplishment of her career. “It was my first time at world championships and I was the first South African to cross the finish line. I want to leave my legacy for years to come and want to touch lives using my God-given talent and gift.”

News Archive

National Department of Health invests R53.5 million in UFS laboratory
2016-02-04

Description: Dr Derek Litthauer Tags: Dr Derek Litthauer

Dr Derek Litthauer
Photo: Supplied

This year has started off on a high note for Dr Derek Litthauer and his team at the South African National Control Laboratory (NCL) for Biological Products. The National Department of Health has awarded the NCL a contract to the value of R53.5 million to continue testing vaccines for the next three years.

Vaccines are biological medicines used to ensure healthy populations by preventing many diseases. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that, worldwide, about 5.2 million children under six years old die annually. Of these deaths, 29% are vaccine preventable. Research has revealed that vaccines prevent about 6 million deaths each year globally. Safe and effective vaccines are essential public health tools, which are strictly regulated internationally. It is the NCL’s responsibility to perform quality control testing on all vaccines to be used on humans in South Africa.

This laboratory, the only one of its kind in Africa, receives samples of vaccines from manufacturers and importers for rigorous evaluation and testing. No vaccine may be used in South Africa without a release certificate issued by the Control Lab, certifying that the vaccine is suitable for human use.

The contract is a commitment to ensuring that only vaccines of the highest quality are used in South Africa.

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