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22 February 2018
Photo Thabo Kessah
Pakiso Mthembu will be representing South Africa in Mauritius and Algeria.
This year, the University of the Free State’s Qwaqwa Campus will unleash a running sensation that is equally comfortable on track, cross-country, and road running and is on a mission to conquer the world. His name is Pakiso Mthembu from Tweeling in the Eastern Free State. Pakiso has recently qualified for the Junior Men’s Southern Region cross-country championships that will be held in Mauritius on 24 February and in Algeria on 17 March 2018.
“I am glad that I managed to run my personal best time of 24:02 during the qualification trials held in Bloemfontein in January, which set me on the road to Mauritius and Algeria,” said Pakiso, a BEd FET first-year student.
His personal best in the 10 km road-running category and in the 5 000 m track are 30:55 and 14:29, respectively.
Praise for Soke
“It is only through dedication, hard work, and listening to my coach that I can achieve my dreams of representing South Africa at the International Association of Athletics Federations World Junior Championships (IAAF) to be held in Finland in July, and at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. I have one of the best coaches in this part of the world and it gives me great pleasure to work with him, having grown up admiring him during his days,” he says in reference to Boy Soke, who identified his talent and recruited him to the Qwaqwa Campus.
Pakiso has already represented South Africa in Uganda.
UFS partners with the Steve Biko Foundation
2010-09-14
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The Steve Biko Foundation, with the support of the University of the Free State (UFS) and other stakeholders, recently presented the Annual Steve Biko Memorial Lecture as part of the 33rd Anniversary Commemoration of Steve Biko at the University of Cape Town. The lecture, Coming to See You Since I was Five Years Old: An American poet's connection to the South African soul, was delivered by Pulitzer Prize winner Prof. Alice Walker. She drew on her poetry, personal history and the inspirational role of the South African liberation struggle to disenfranchised people around the world.
This prestigious lecture has to date been delivered by, amongst others, such luminaries as former presidents Nelson Mandela and Thabo Mbeki, Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Prof. Chinua Achebe. The lecture was preceded by an evening of poetry and prose, An evening with Alice Walker, at the State Theatre in Pretoria where the UFS was also represented. Pictured at the lecture are the UFS representatives, from the left: Mr Teboho Manchu (Director: Student Affairs, Qwaqwa Campus), Mr Willem Ellis (Centre for Development Support), Ms Lihlomelo Toyana (student), Mr JC van der Merwe (Department of Philosophy) and Mr Billyboy Ramahlele (Director: Community Engagement).
Photo: Mangaliso Radebe
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