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19 February 2018 Photo Archive
Prof Sampie Terreblanche inspired many undergraduate students to become economists
Prof Sampie Terblanche, Prof Philippe Burger, and Prof Tienie Crous
It is with sadness that the executive management of the University of the Free State (UFS) received the news of the recent passing of Prof Sampie Terreblanche of Stellenbosch University.
 
Prof Terreblanche has been advocating social and economic justice for decades. During the 1980s and 1990s, he played an important role in keeping the debate about the need for socio-economic and -political reform in South Africa going. His position was not always popular, particularly among those who had a vested interest in the apartheid regime. After the dawn of democracy, he continued to argue for socio-economic and -political reform, and especially reform that would address the very high levels of inequality in South Africa.
 
Through his testimony before the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, as well as his seminal book entitled A history of inequality in South Africa: 1652 to 2002, Prof Terreblanche demonstrated that even though South Africa experienced a political transition towards democracy, it still needed to undergo an economic transition. Once again, he found that his position was not always popular, particularly among those with a stake in the old, but still existing economic order. Admirably, he nevertheless persisted to argue for socio-economic change, even in the last months of his life when he was already very ill.
 
Prof Terreblanche’s career started in 1957 as lecturer at the then University of the Orange Free State, later becoming senior lecturer. In 1965, Prof Terreblanche moved to the University of Stellenbosch as senior lecturer, becoming professor in 1968. He retired as Professor Emeritus in 1995.
 
As an academic who taught generations of undergraduate students, he inspired many of them to become economists. In 2005, the UFS conferred an honorary doctorate in Economics on Prof Terreblanche in recognition of his work in Economics and his relentless advocacy for social and economic equality.  

News Archive

UFS hosts a successful New Music Indaba
2015-08-18

  

Held at the University of the Free State’s Odeion School of Music (OSM), the NewMusicSA’s New Music Indaba 2015 featured works which Clare Loveday described as “breathtaking, discreet, and perfectly balanced.”

Loveday, one of South Africa’s acclaimed music critics and was Composer-in-Residence for the annual Johannesburg International Mozart Festival, attended the Indaba from 21-26 July 2015. In a review of Saturday’s gala concert, she referred to recitals of this nature as an “essential part of the South African musical landscape, providing musicians and composers a space in which to express their world.”

Staff and students of the OSM were extensively involved in facilitating the festivities as a symbol of commitment to South Africa and international contemporary art music. The OSM Camerata under the baton of Xavier Cloete performed two works by South African composer Hendrik Hofmeyr well as a work by young Argentinian composer Diego Soifer entitled Mille Regretz .The festival featured music theory lectures, a variety of workshops, roundtable discussions ,concerts as well as an outreach programme.

Loveday described the highlight of her Indaba experience as “A delicate construction of sounds and silences that drew the listener into a focused and intense sound world,” a highlight created by the visiting German composer, Charlotte Seither’s “Far From Distance” for piano, clarinet, and cello. The concert evening culminated with Diale Mabitsela's "Friday Nights at Six," adding to the spectacular nature of the festival.

Throughout the week, classical chamber works featuring South African New Music Ensemble (SANME), the Choir of Christ Church Arcadia, and the Odeion Vocal Consort were performed and well-received. Bringing the five-day event to a conclusion was a choral mass at the Bloemfontein Anglican Cathedral, featuring an “Agnus Dei” written by George T. King.
 
Douglas Scott, Curator of the 2015 Indaba, reflected on it as a great success, saying that, “most of the participants agreed the event was a wonderful opportunity simply to hear different voices from the composition community juxtaposed with one another.”

From Scott’s perspective, the principal goal was to foster communication between artists with different visions, and to reach out to the local community.

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