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31 January 2018
Photo FNB Varsity Cup
Lubabalo Dobela, Shimlas flyhalf (with the ball), played a key role in the Shimlas’ win over Tuks in the first round of the 2018 Varsity Cup.
The Shimlas made a huge statement in their opening match of the 2018 Varsity Cup when they defeated last year’s champions at the Tuks Rugby Stadium in Pretoria.
The Free State students won the encounter against Tuks by 19-17 on Monday.
Tuks, who beat Shimlas twice last year, first in the group stage by 65-19, and then by 28-21 in the semifinals, were regarded as the hot favourites. The match was played in wet conditions which many thought would suit the home team better.
Determination carries team to win
But a young and inexperienced Shimlas team with 11 players making their debut in the competition proved that big hearts and guts count for just as much. It was only their third win in Pretoria in the 11th year of the competition and their second victory over Tuks since 2012.
As expected, both teams tightened up their approach. Shimlas struck back from a 0-5 deficit soon after the first strategy break as big and speedy wing Francois Agenbag stormed down the touchline to score a seven-point try. Flyhalf Lubabalo Dobela was on hand to convert and hand his team a 9-5 lead at the break.
Flyhalf stars in debut
The Shimlas extended their lead within five minutes of the restart as flank Benji Janse van Vuuren crashed over in the corner for a converted try. Dobela, one of the debutants who was named Player that Rocks (Player of the Match), controlled the match like a seasoned veteran. Apart from two difficult conversions from the touchline, he also slotted a penalty goal.
Trauma, Forgiveness, and Reconciliation Studies attracts global attention
2016-06-27
Lerato Machetela is on her way to
Ghent University in Belgium where
she will spend 10 months working
alongside experts in the field of
historical trauma.
Photo: Eugene Seegers
Research excellence is one of the major driving forces at the core of the University of the Free State (UFS). This striving for academic distinction has found embodiment within Trauma, Forgiveness, and Reconciliation (TFR) Studies. Headed by Research Fellow and Senior Research Professor Pumla Gobodo-Madikizela, the research unit is raking in achievements consistently.
Cornell University Distinguished African Scholar Award
Leading by example, Prof Gobodo-Madikizela received the prestigious 2016 Distinguished African Scholar Award from Cornell University recently. Being honoured with this award affirms an unusual depth of knowledge and experience in a field related to the recipient’s own work. Through this award, Prof Gobodo-Madikizela is now also affiliated with the Institute for African Development and the Psychology Department at Cornell University.
Ghent University fellowship in historical trauma
Another member of TFR has caught international attention. Lerato Machetela – a PhD student at the research unit – received an invitation from scholars at Ghent University in Belgium. Machetela will leave in September, where she will spend ten months in Ghent with experts in the field of historical trauma. She will be affiliated to their university’s Cultural Memory Studies Initiative and the Psychology Department. When Machetela submitted her PhD proposal on transgenerational transmisison of trauma among the youth in Jagersfontein to the UFS Psychology Department panel, “it was hailed as a unique project, and a first for the department,” Prof Gobodo-Madikizela says.
Naleli Morojele conducting the research
in Rwanda that has formed the basis of
her new book, Women Political Leaders
in Rwanda and South Africa: Narratives
of Triumph and Loss.
Book explores triumph and loss of female political leaders
TFR cultivates thriving authors actively, the latest being Naleli Morojele, who is pursuing a PhD in the field of Political Studies. Soon, Morojele will be launching her book, Women Political Leaders in Rwanda and South Africa: Narratives of Triumph and Loss. Through the stories of significant female Rwandan and South African leaders, the reader gains insight into these women’s early-life experiences, struggles, and successes. Perhaps even more pertinently, Morojele’s book also exposes the ways in which gender inequality still works to smother their roles as citizens and politicians.