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29 May 2018 | Story Rulanzen Martin | Photo Charl Devenish
Africa Day Memorial Lecture explores future of statues
From the left are: Dr Stephanie Cawood, Acting Director of the CGAS; Prof Heidi Hudson, Dean of the Faculty of the Humanities; Prof Prakash Naidoo, Vice-Rector: Operations; and Dr Rahul Rao.
Read Lectures here

Drawing from different international perspectives on the topic of historical statues, the importance of debate surrounding the future of these symbols resounded at the 10th Annual Africa Day Memorial Lecture. 

The lecture was hosted on 23 May 2018 by the newly renamed Centre for Gender and Africa Studies and was presented by Dr Rahul Rao from the SOAS University of London, where he is a senior lecturer in Politics. 

“I am very excited about my trip to South Africa and to be here among you. This is my first trip to South Africa, and it is very exciting and also a little bit emotional for me, particularly because I got my first passport in 1984 when I was six years old, and it said – valid for travel to all countries except the Republic of South Africa. You know why that was the case.”

“I salute all of you for the transformation that has been affected in this country, and I think Africa Day is the perfect occasion to celebrate the transformation.”  

Student activism through #MustFall movements
“I first heard in March 2015 that students from the University of Cape Town have begun demonstrating to take down the statue of Cecil John Rhodes and have it removed from their campus, and a bit later, students from the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom followed suit. At first, I felt some guilt having been a Rhodes Scholar from 2001 to 2004, because you must embody the values of Cecil John Rhodes,” Dr Rao said.

“I have watched from afar the events that have taken place here, for example, the #RhodesMustFall Movement, and the reverberation of these events in other places; I mean, the way these events travel,” he said.

Students in Cape Town, Oxford, and Bloemfontein are doing something concrete and collective to dismantle the legacy of colonialism and Apartheid. “I feel connected to these events, even if I am far away.”

International perspective on historical statues
In both SA and the UK, the call for iconography decolonisation was accompanied and soon overtaken by different accounts. It also gives a broader and different perspective on how statues can be used to achieve racial or social dominance. 

One of the many examples he used, was the ambush against Confederate Statues in the American South. These statues are symbols of upholding a white supremacist ideology in the South. The Confederate States of America was the predecessor to the current United States of America.

He also spoke about the temporalities of statues, the decolonisation and recolonisation, as well as the aesthetics of statues, among other things. “Statues don't need permission to thrust itself upon us. They demand attention,” Dr Rao said. This is because statues are placed in the centre of public spaces but are also vulnerable and exposed. 

He left the audience with some questions on what to do with statues that are taken down, and who to erect new statues for.

News Archive

The state of HIV/AIDS at the UFS
2010-05-11

“The University of the Free State (UFS) remains concerned about the threat of HIV/AIDS and will not become complacent in its efforts to combat HIV/AIDS by preventing new infections”, states Ms Estelle Heideman, Manager of the Kovsies HIV/AIDS Centre at the UFS.

She was responding to the results of a study that was done at Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in 2008. The survey was initiated by Higher Education AIDS (HEAIDS) to establish the knowledge, attitudes, behaviours and practices (KABP) related to HIV and AIDS and to measure the HIV prevalence levels among staff and students. The primary aim of this research was to develop estimates for the sector.

The study populations consisted of students and employees from 21 HEIs in South Africa where contact teaching occurs. For the purpose of the cross-sectional study an ‘anonymous HIV survey with informed consent’ was used. The study comprised an HIV prevalence study, KABP survey, a qualitative study, and a risk assessment.

Each HEI was stratified by campus and faculty, whereupon clusters of students and staff were randomly selected. Self-administered questionnaires were used to obtain demographic, socio-economic and behavioural data. The HIV status of participants was determined by laboratory testing of dry blood spots obtained by finger pricks. The qualitative study consisted of focus group discussions and key informant interviews at each HEI.

Ethical approval was provided by the UFS Ethics Committee. Participation in all research was voluntary and written informed consent was obtained from all participants. Fieldwork for the study was conducted between September 2008 and February 2009.

A total of 1 004 people participated at the UFS, including the Main and the Qwaqwa campuses, comprising 659 students, 85 academic staff and 256 administration/service staff. The overall response rate was 75,6%.

The main findings of the study were:

HIV prevalence among students was 3,5%, 0% among academics, 1,3% among administrative staff, and 12,4% among service staff. “This might not be a true reflection of the actual prevalence of HIV at the UFS, as the sample was relatively small,” said Heideman. However, she went on to say that if we really want to show our commitment towards fighting this disease at our institution a number of problem areas should be addressed:

  • Around half of all students under the age of 20 have had sex before and this increased to almost three-quarters of students older than 20.

     
  • The majority of staff and a third of students had ever been tested for HIV.

     
  • More than 50% of students drink more than once per week and 44% of students reported being drunk in the past month. Qualitative data suggests that binge drinking over weekends and at campus ‘bashes’ is an area of concern.

Recommendations of the study:

  • Emphasis should be on increased knowledge of sexual risk behaviours, in particular those involving a high turnover of sexual partners and multiple sexual partnerships. Among students, emphasis should further be placed on staying HIV negative throughout university study.

     
  • The distribution of condoms on all campuses should be expanded, systematised and monitored. If resistance is encountered, attempts should be made to engage and educate dissenting institutional members about the importance of condom use in HIV prevention.

     
  • The relationship between alcohol misuse and pregnancy, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), HIV and AIDS needs to be made known, and there should be a drive to curb high levels of student drinking, promote non-alcohol oriented forms of recreation, and improve regulation of alcohol consumption at university-sponsored “bashes”.

     
  • There is need to reach out to students and staff who have undergone HIV testing and who know their HIV status, but do not access or benefit from support services. Because many HIV-positive students and staff are not receiving any kind of support, resources should be directed towards the development of HIV care services, including support groups.

Says Heideman, “If we really want to prove that we are serious about an HIV/AIDS-free campus, these results are a good starting point. It definitely provides us with a strong basis from which to work.” Since the study was done in 2008 the UFS has committed itself to a more comprehensive response to HIV/AIDS. The current proposed ‘HIV/AIDS Institutional response and strategic plan’, builds and expands on work that has been done before, the lessons learned from previous interventions, and a thorough study of good practices at other universities.

Media Release
Issued by: Mangaliso Radebe
Assistant Director: Media Liaison
Tel: 051 401 2828
Cell: 078 460 3320
E-mail: radebemt@ufs.ac.za  
10 May 2010

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