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06 February 2018 Photo Rhona Klopper
First-years embrace UFS welcoming celebrations
Students assemble for the first-years’ welcoming ceremony.
The first-years’ welcoming ceremony at the Bloemfontein Campus of the University of the Free State (UFS) inspired hope among the crowd of students and parents that gathered in front of the Main Building for the evening.


The ceremony, which took place on Saturday 3 February 2018, began with a thrilling dance performance that enlivened the audience immediately. It was followed by eager cheers and chants by the various residences that attended the event in numbers. First-years enjoyed themselves as they got the chance to meet and engage with their peers as each residence had a stall setup in front of the main building.

“It is here where you will learn not just about your degree, but also about society,” were the words of Bloemfontein Campus SRC President, Asive Dlanjwa. Dlanjwa as the first official speaker for the night, did what he is well known for, which is to assemble, unite, and instil confidence among the students.

“Your degree is only as effective as the lives it changes,” Dlanjwa said.

The Dean of Student Affairs, Pura Mgolombane, said: “The university’s main objective is creating and humanising students.” He urged them to look around and see the beauty and diversity of Kovsies, and learn from it.

“To know the University of the Free State
is to understand the heart of its core,
and particular set of values,
where those values
inform our decisions
and govern our behaviour.”
—Prof Francis Petersen

The Rector and Vice-Chancellor, Prof Francis Petersen, concluded by urging first-year students to always ask questions, challenge themselves, argue their points of view, and wrestle with the complex issues of the day in order for them to reach new frontiers in both their academic and personal lives.

“You have the freedom to decide who exactly you want to be. Don’t lose yourself while you’re here,” Prof Petersen said, closing affirmations before the Gateway concert got under way.

News Archive

Afrikaans Language Day invites greater university community to celebrate the language
2015-08-26

On 14 August 2015, the Vuur en Vlam Committee hosted an event which provided the university community the opportunity to celebrate Afrikaans Language Day. The occasion celebrated the establishment of the language in South Africa. With the unexpected arrival of the Dutch in 1652, the language transition proved a struggle for the indigenous peoples domiciled on African soil.

The committee’s primary objective was to change existing cultural connotations associated with the Afrikaans language.  The use of diversity can help undermine the African stereotype held about the Afrikaans language, and thus bring about a mindset shift. It is important to remember that not all Afrikaans speakers are white, and emphasis is rarely directed to the diversity of Afrikaans speakers.

Approaching the celebration, a sensitive discussion around the Afrikaans language was hosted, in which various panel members discussed the state and current outlook of the language. Prof André Keet, Director of the Institute for Reconciliation and Social Justice, who was part of the panel said, “No language gets to be misused to maintain the privilege of the past.” Director of the Free State Arts Festival, Ricardo Peach, shared the notion that “We must build on what we have, and not break it down,” while he describes himself as a “polluted language boer”. While there is a strongly-expressed hatred for the Afrikaans language, Peach maintained further that there is much work to be done in order to “Break down the link between the language and the Holocaust which took place in the homes of Afrikaans people.”

Lindiwe Kumalo, chairperson of the Vuur en Vlam Committee, said: “We are creating an awareness around campus that Afrikaans is not dead. Once you know the language, you can interact with other people, and there is no longer that language barrier.” Amongst other things, the event encouraged dialogue by creating fun and interactive activities which exposed visitors to the language.

The Vuur en Vlam Committee is committed to creating an awareness of, and vibrancy around, the Afrikaans language, and to engaging the broader university community.

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