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07 February 2018 Photo Facebook
Louzanne and Marné included in national student cross country teams
Athlete Louzanne Coetzee, and her guide, Xavier Adams
Two Kovsie athletes, including the blind athlete and world record holder, Louzanne Coetzee, have been included in the national student cross country team.

Coetzee and Marné Mentz will compete at the World Student Cross Country championship on 7 April in St Gallen in Switzerland.

They qualified for the team after good performances at the Athletics South Africa’s cross country trials held at the University of the Free State (UFS) on 20 January. The distance was over 10km.

What makes Coetzee’s inclusion even more remarkable is the fact that she will be competing against able-bodied runners. The world record holder in the 5 000m in her disability category (T-11) and her new guide, Xavier Adams, finished first among the female students in a time of 39:32, which is her personal best. Mentz ended in second place for students in 39:44. They will make up two of the six spots in the women’s team in Switzerland.

First for Coetzee

 It is the first time that Coetzee was chosen for an able-bodied national team. She is doing a master’s degree in Reconciliation and Social Cohesion this year and Mentz is in her final year of a BEd Intermediate Phase.

Tshepang Sello, another Kovsie and an Olympic athlete from Lesotho, took first position for students in 38:04 but did not qualify for the South African team because of her Lesotho citizenship.

Kesa Molotsane (35:29) was the overall winner. Although Molotsane is still doing her honours this year, she ran in the open division as she no longer qualifies as a student because she is over the age of 25, according to University Sport South Africa regulations.

Molotsane ,26, is the national cross country champion of 2016 and obtained second spot last year.

News Archive

First Black Rag Queen wants to give voice to voiceless
2017-02-22

Description: Coronation ball 2017 Tags: Coronation ball 2017

The winners of the 2017 Amanzi Coronation
ball are, from the left: Devina Harry,
Second Princess; Kgomotso Sebusi,
First Princess; Prudence Mahlaba, Rag Queen;
Suhail Peerbhai, Mr Rag; Jordan Nadasen,
First Runner-up; and Mohlale Matlala,
Second Runner-up.
Photo: Gerhardus Bosch


“It is true what they say about your purpose driving you towards your goal. The ride to eventually becoming the first black RAG Queen was motivated by a pure desire in my heart to help other people.”

This is the moving words of Prudence Mahlaba, who was crowned Rag Queen at the Amanzi Coronation Ball on Friday 17 February 2017. Suhail Peerbhai, a second-year BCom Economics student, was crowned Mr Rag 2017.

Giving a voice to the voiceless
Mahlaba says she wants to make a positive impact, “not only on the less fortunate, but also on the voiceless.” The fourth-year LLB student strives to adhere to the vision of the acronym RAG (Receive and Give). RAG is mainly about a good cause in order to make a difference.
“It is beauty with a purpose, practising what you preach, and doing unto others what you want them to do unto you,” Mahlaba said.

It was a night of glitz and glamour as the finalists made a last bid for the sought-after titles at the prestigious event held at the Student Church on the Bloemfontein Campus of the University of the Free State.

Role provide foundation for change
“Becoming Mr Rag is an exceptional feeling; however, this role entails much more responsibility,” Peerbhai said. “At a time like this, it has given me a solid foundation to make a difference in communities that are less fortunate.”

His advice to future participants in the contest is, “to go for it, since it entails the most life-changing challenges students in our era can face. No classroom teachings can provide you with the same values and experiences.”

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