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18 July 2018

The University of the Free State (UFS) will be presenting the fourth panel discussion in the inaugural Thought-Leader Series on the Bloemfontein Campus on 26 July 2018, focusing on the politics of land reform.  

Land reform is a subject of national importance, hence the UFS, as a public higher-education institution in South Africa with a responsibility to contribute to public discourse, seeks to present debates which hold the potential to influence the trajectory of the subject.

The panel discussion on 26 July 2018 follows the launch of the UFS Thought-Leader Series on 12 July 2018, when land reform and human rights, organised agriculture, and food security were discussed by various industry role players, as well as scholars from the UFS.

The programme on 26 July 2018 consists of a welcoming by Prof Francis Petersen, UFS Rector and Vice-Chancellor, after which representatives of the African National Congress (ANC), Democratic Alliance (DA), Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), Congress of the People (COPE), and the Freedom Front Plus (FF+) will give their views on land reform and expropriation without compensation and whether or not expropriation without compensation is possible without endangering food security and economic growth.

The discussion will be facilitated by Lynette Francis, presenter and producer of the daily news and actuality talk show Praat Saam on RSG and anchor of Fokus on SABC 2.

The programme will start at 09:30 and will take place in the Equitas Auditorium, Bloemfontein Campus. 

News Archive

UFS architects receive SAIA award
2003-11-07

Two staff members of the University of the Free State’s Department of Architecture received a merit award from the South African Institute for Architects (SAIA) for the unique way in which they designed their home.

Prof Jan and Mrs Petria Smit’s home in Waverley, Bloemfontein is built against a hill and designed in such a way that the natural surroundings are retained. The house is built on various levels and open spaces and a lot of light is used. The children’s rooms are for example not built up to the ceiling in order to break walls out if more space is needed.

For the two architects the natural surroundings in the cityscape depict an African mask because the strong face-like public image is sheltering the inhabitants behind it.

A total of 12 architectural projects country wide received merit awards from the SAIA. Some of the projects include the South African Apartheids Museum, Unilever’s Head Office in Durban, the Mpumalanga Provincial Legislature in Nelspruit and the Westcliff Estate in Johannesburg. The Smit residence is one of only two residences that received merit awards.

From these projects the PG Group SAIA Award for Excellence will be awarded in August 2004. This is the highest accolade that the SAIA and the architectural profession can accord to a building.

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