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22 May 2018 Photo Supplied
Gosego Moroka recipient of the 2017 Abe Bailey Travel Bursary
Gosego Moroka, recipient of the 2017 Abe Bailey Travel Bursary.
Gosego Moroka, who employs an epitome of un-conventionalism towards his preferred tastes in life, represented the University of the Free State (UFS) on the Abe Bailey Travel Bursary tour in the UK in December 2017. He, alongside 16 other candidates from various tertiary institutions in South Africa, took heed of this opportunity of a lifetime.

The Abe Bailey Trust is a prestigious bursary awarded to young South Africans that focuses on leadership development. Trustees award bursaries to persons with a strong academic record who have shown exceptional qualities of leadership and service to their designated tertiary institutions. “I am someone who is ultracompetitive, and I always look to improve and challenge myself,” said final-year LLB Law student and 2017 UFS-Abe Bailey candidate, Gosego.

Gosego has represented the UFS in Amsterdam, in collaboration with the F1 Leadership for Change programme. He also formed part of the Global Leadership Summit, the University Scholars Leadership Symposium at the United Nations in Bangkok, Thailand, and served as the Community Service Director for the Golden Key – UFS Chapter, and developed and led the Mandela Day Community Service Project. 

Gosego’s tour with fellow bursary holders kicked off in Cape Town, where they visited Robben Island. They then travelled to Ethiopia, and visited the African Union, which he described as “state of the art.” Their next destination saw them in London where he visited the Houses of Parliament, as well as Westminster Abbey. Gosego attended plays including Matilda, and The Lion King, which he deemed culturally significant. The city of Bath, however, stood out as the highlight of his trip. He described it as the most exquisite place on earth. Stratford-upon-Avon, Shakespeare’s birthplace was also on their list of adventures. The group then travelled to Scotland where they toured Edinburgh, which Gosego described as one of the coldest places he had ever visited.

Gosego encourages students to be as genuine as possible when applying for the award. He also added that a big part of success as an individual results from who you surround yourself with. He further urges aspiring ‘Abes’ to mix with people who affirm their dreams.

News Archive

UFS responds to revocation of the accreditation of the SA Doping Control Laboratory by WADA
2017-07-01

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) yesterday informed the South African Doping Control Laboratory (SADoCoL) at the University of the Free State (UFS) that the WADA accreditation status of the laboratory has been revoked.

This revocation does, however, not include the analysis of blood samples for the Athlete Biological Passport for which SADoCoL has been re-accredited in August 2016 and which the laboratory will continue to perform. It also does not impact at all on the testing of urine sport samples by the South African Institute of Drug-free Sport (SAIDS), who will continue to send such samples for testing to other WADA accredited laboratories, while blood samples will be tested at SADoCoL as before.

The revocation follows a year long period of suspension in which the laboratory had to develop its analytical capabilities and instate new systems and methodologies.  “In this period the laboratory worked diligently to realize all of these requirements and according to an inspection team from the WADA Laboratory Expert Group who visited the laboratory in February 2017, much has been done and the Laboratory is in a much better state than it was before the suspension in May 2016,” says prof Marthinus van der Merwe, Director of SADoCoL.

“However, there were certain aspects of these requirements that the laboratory could not achieve within the time-frame stipulated by WADA and therefore the organisation is bound by its rules and regulations to now revoke the accreditation status of the laboratory. Since much effort and resources have been invested in the laboratory in the last two years, the management of SADoCoL together with senior leadership of the UFS decided to go ahead and finalise all development in order to re-apply for WADA accreditation,” says prof van der Merwe. 

“The UFS fully acknowledges the hard work of SADoCoL during the period of development and is committed to support the laboratory in its endeavors to re-attain its status within the very specialised and highly regulated community of world-wide doping control laboratories.  The premium goal of the laboratory is still to fully serve the sporting community of South Africa and Africa according to the WADA guidelines for anti-doping control in Sport and it is confident to attain that with the support of all role players in this field,” says Prof Witthuhn, Vice-Rector: Research at the UFS.

Released by:
Lacea Loader (Director: Communication and Brand Management)
Telephone: +27 51 401 2584 | +27 83 645 2454
Email: news@ufs.ac.za | loaderl@ufs.ac.za
Fax: +27 51 444 6393

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