Latest News Archive

Please select Category, Year, and then Month to display items
Categories
UFS News Media Release Research
Years
2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
Months
January February March April May June July August September October November December
Previous Archive
05 February 2018 Photo Johan Roux
Prof John Mubangizi appointed as UFS Dean of the Faculty of Law
Prof John Mubangizi.
The Council of the University of the Free State (UFS) approved the appointment of Prof John Mubangizi as Dean of the Faculty of Law during a meeting held on the Bloemfontein Campus on 22 January 2018. He assumed office on 1 February 2018.

“Prof Mubangizi’s extensive experience and scholarly contributions are most valuable to the university and the faculty, and I look forward to working with him,” says Prof Francis Petersen, Rector and Vice-Chancellor of the UFS.

Prof Mubangizi's academic qualifications include a Bachelor of Laws (LLB, Makerere University, Uganda), a Master’s in Public Law (LLM, University of Cape Town), and a Doctor of Laws (LLD, University of Durban-Westville). Prof Mubangizi also has several professional qualifications, including a Diploma in Education from Makerere University, and a Postgraduate Diploma in Legal Practice (Law Development Centre). He has been awarded several certificates in his area of academic specialisation, including a Certificate in Human Rights from the Institute of Human Rights (Strasbourg, France), and a Certificate in International Humanitarian Law from the Centre for Human Rights at the University of Pretoria.

He has been a full professor for more than twelve years. From January 2005 to April 2007, he served as Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Law at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN). From May 2007, he was Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Head of the College of Law and Management Studies at UKZN, with the responsibility of leading the academic and research strategy and realising the mandate of the college and the university.

One of the highlights of Prof Mubangizi’s research profile is the authorship of a book entitled The Protection of Human Rights in South Africa: A Legal and Practical Guide (2004 and 2013), which is widely used by scholars, practitioners, and students of human rights law in South Africa. He has published more than 60 publications, most of which are in SAPSE-accredited peer-reviewed journals. Furthermore, he has presented more than 40 academic papers at international conferences across the globe. He is rated by the National Research Foundation (NRF) as an established researcher.

Prof Mubangizi is a member of the Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf), and has served as member and advisor to the Council of ASSAf. He is currently the Chairperson of the Higher Education Quality Committee (HEQC) of South Africa, and a member of the Council on Higher Education (CHE). In addition, he serves on various committees and in different ad hoc positions at institutional, national, and international level.

News Archive

Clarification of charges against the Reitz students
2009-10-24

Statement by Prof. Jonathan Jansen, Rector and Vice-Chancellor of the University of the Free State (UFS)

The University of the Free State (UFS) has not “withdrawn charges” against the four Reitz students. This needs to be clarified.

There are three processes underway, and they must not be confused:

  1. 1. The criminal charges against the students were laid by the Directorate of Special Prosecutions in the province, and the university has no say over those processes in the criminal courts. That process remains in place.

  2. The human rights charges are led by the Human Rights Commission, in the province, and the university has no say over those processes in the equality court. That process remains in place.

  3. The university simply withdrew its own complaint against the students, insofar as university processes are concerned, and on that basis decided to invite the students back to continue their studies and to re-open Reitz as a model of social justice and racial reconciliation as an exemplary university residence. These decisions alone fall within the realm of the university’s authority.

The decision with respect to the withdrawal of the university’s complaint against the students was based on two considerations:

a. the institution’s own accountability for what happened, and creating (or not interrupting) the conditions under which racism and racist attacks were even possible on the campus of an institution of higher learning. It is in this context that the institution has decided to offer reparations for harm to the dignity and esteem of the five workers.

b. the institution’s desire to create the conditions for racial reconciliation on a deeply divided campus, and in doing so to accelerate the chances of transformation at the UFS.

There were broad consultations with the Human Rights Commission, Cosatu provincial, Sasco, Nehawu as representatives of the workers; there were also discussions with the leadership of the Student Representative Council (SRC) about the need to resolve the Reitz issue outside of the courts; and the matter of Reitz and its resolution through negotiation was also raised with the Minister of Higher Education and Training. There were also meetings with the legal representatives of both the students and the provincial prosecuting authority.

There was a meeting with the workers to ensure them of the university’s full support for them as workers, but the case itself was only discussed with their representatives, Nehawu.

Sasco National has communicated a message of support to the university to return the two students and to re-open the Reitz residence.

 

Issued by: Lacea Loader
Deputy Director: Media Liaison
Tel: 051 401 2584
Cell: 083 645 2454
E-mail: loaderl.stg@ufs.ac.za  
19 October 2009

We use cookies to make interactions with our websites and services easy and meaningful. To better understand how they are used, read more about the UFS cookie policy. By continuing to use this site you are giving us your consent to do this.

Accept