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23 May 2018 Photo Thabo Kessah
Choose excellence and moral uprightness graduates told
Dr Mantwa Lephoto graduated with a PhD in Physics. With her is Dr Kamohelo Tshabalala, her supervisor

It was joy all over at the Qwaqwa Campus of the University of the Free State (UFS) on Thursday 10 May 2018 when over 650 degrees, diplomas, and certificates were conferred on deserving academic achievers. Among the degrees conferred were seven PhDs and seven master’s degrees in the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, and one doctorate in English in the Faculty of the Humanities.

Speaking to the proud graduates was the Honourable Acting Judge of the Supreme Court of Appeal, Mr Justice Tati Makgoka, and the Chancellor of the UFS, Dr Khotso Mokhele, who both congratulated the graduates on their success.

Immeasurable joy and pride
“In African culture, a child is a vessel of the community. And today you have not only brought immeasurable joy to your families, but also pride to your communities. You have also opened a window of opportunities and inspiration to the school learners in attendance here today,” said Justice Makgoka, referring to hundreds of invited school learners from as far as Rekgotsofetse Secondary School in Paul Roux.

“You have now assumed the roles of pathfinders among your people. You should therefore continue to share your talents, as well as moral and spiritual gifts, with your communities. Your qualifications today set you on a journey of lifelong learning and scholarship. It is so because your chosen fields of study are dynamic terrains constantly evolving and demanding a lifelong scholarship. We must also pay special tribute to those who contributed towards your success,” he said.

Support system is important

Dr Mokhele also encouraged graduates to thank their support systems that kept them going through the hard times of studying.

 “There are many other people who deserve to be thanked for your success and you must thank them accordingly,” he said, and asked graduates to stand up as a gesture of appreciation for their families and friends who filled up the Rolihlahla Mandela Hall.
He further edged all graduates to ‘choose excellence and moral uprightness’.

“Honest and excellent hard workers in our government are more likely to be constructively dismissed, as they prevent the stealing of state resources. It’s your responsibility to choose the kind of South Africa you want to live in and make it happen,” he said.
 
This year’s graduations also saw the first cohort of Bachelor of Administration students from the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences graduating.

UFS Qwaqwa Campus May Graduation highlights from University of the Free State on Vimeo.

News Archive

Prof Combrink gives 32nd DF Malherbe Memorial Lecture
2014-06-04

Since 2006, Prof HJB Combrink is the project leader of ‘Die Bybel: ’n Direkte Vertaling’. Prof Combrink addressed an audience on the subject of the project at the 32nd DF Malherbe memorial lecture. During the memorial lecture, he quoted DF Malherbe in order to create the context between the recent Direct Translation and the 1933/53 translation which involved Malherbe.

“Some of the younger generation forget that they are standing on the shoulders of workers who served in the muddy ditches of vilification to procure the foundations of a cultural language, and speak belittling and with shrugged shoulders about the first attempts, or show a lack of good comprehension, while judging the verses and tales from the Patriotic period according to aesthetic norms.”

Prof Combrink said that the Direct Translation transpired in a different context than the 1933/53 and the 1983 translations. The direct translation was approached differently and is therefore more inclusive concerning the relevant processes and phases.

“The making of a direct translation was and undoubtedly remains a great challenge,” Prof Combrink said. “It is not always easy to find the correct Afrikaans expression for a Greek or Hebrew idiom or loaded term.”

“It is an ongoing exercise trying to sit in two chairs at the same time. (However), the Bible Society could frankly say that this direct translation is an honest and well-informed attempt to portray all of the communication clues from the Greek and Hebrew source texts in good Afrikaans.”

Prof Combrink was a minister of the Dutch Reformed Church in Wonderboom, Pretoria (1968–1970), lecturer at RAU, UP and SU (New Testament, 1970–2001), and Dean of the Faculty of Theology at the Stellenbosch University for two terms (1992-1994 and 1998–2000). 
 

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