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31 May 2018 Photo Stephen Collett
Well-known activist delivers 34th DF Malherbe Memorial Lecture
From the left are: Prof Hendri Kroukamp, Acting Vice-Rector; Academics; Prof Aneglique van Niekerk, Head of the Department Afrikaans and Dutch, German and French; Dr Bettina Wyngaard, and Prof Heidi Hudson, Dean of the Faculty of the Humanities.
Read full speech here

The author and lawyer, Bettina Wyngaard, delivered the 34th DF Malherbe memorial lecture with the theme The politics of the mundane. Among others, she spoke about everyday issues such as language, land, and racism. This year’s guest lecture was held on the Bloemfontein Campus of the University of the Free State (UFS) on 17 May. Since 2011, the memorial lecture has been presented every second year.

Wyngaard is also an activist who strives for the rights of women, with a special interest in gender-based violence. Both her BA and LLB degrees were obtained at Stellenbosch University. She now joins a prestigious group of academics who have previously delivered this lecture. Some of the previous guest lecturers include Coenie de Villiers, Prof Jonathan Jansen, former Rector and Vice-Chancellor of the UFS, and Prof Leopoldt Scholtz.

Racism, Language, Land, and many other topics under discussion 
With the fierce debate around language, especially in higher education, Wyngaard requested the guests to afford her the opportunity to speak in “the language of her heart”, Afrikaans. 

“What I want to do tonight is to share my thoughts on the story of South Africa. In this story, there are certain words that occur regularly, and I want to pause at some of those words,” she said. Regarding racism, she said that every South African had somehow gained a black belt in racial politics. 

“I wish and hope the day will come when we will be able to look beyond skin colour and only see a person with a unique personality.” Another wish is that people will learn each other’s cultures and languages. 

“Language is one of the things we use most to express our uniqueness. Unfortunately, it is becoming more of a battlefield where we are wounding and trying to kill each other,” she said. 

For Afrikaans-speaking people, the assault on Afrikaans is inconceivably difficult to accept, but Wyngaard poses the question, “How many of us are attempting to acquire language skills in a third or fourth vernacular?” Wyngaard’s statement could be interpreted as a way in which to achieve the ideals of the rainbow nation.

Regarding land and land expropriation, she said farmers and farm workers in her hometown of Grabouw were working hand in hand. “In some cases, they have made the workers shareholders and co-decision-makers in the businesses.”

She concluded by saying: “Archbishop Tutu’s rainbow nation do exist. It is within each of us. It is in each mundane interaction we have with each other every day.” 
She again emphasised that it was time for all South Africans to roll up their sleeves and get to work to do what needs to be done.

News Archive

Expansion to Physics building officially opened on Bloemfontein Campus
2016-05-06

Description: New Physics building Tags: New Physics building

The newly-opened addition to the Physics Building on the Bloemfontein Campus.
Photo: Charl Devenish

An extension to the Department of Physics at the University of the Free State (UFS) was officially opened on the Bloemfontein Campus on 20 April 2016.

“This started off about five years ago when we were talking about not having enough room for large classes. Prof Matie Hoffman suggested that we build a large lecture room on our parking space,” said Prof Hendrik Swart, Professor in the Department of Physics as he addressed guests at the official opening ceremony.

“A year later, we received a Sarchi Research Chair [South African Research Chairs Initiative] on Advanced and Luminescent Materials. We needed more office and laboratory space. The two ideas were combined and presented to the university’s senior management,” he added.

When the university was founded in 1904, Prof James Lyle was appointed to head up the Physics and Chemistry departments. Five years later, a single room was allocated for the Physics laboratory in the main building upon its completion. In 1947, the old Physics building was designed and constructed. Fast forward 69 years, the department has reached another milestone. Facilities accommodated by the expansion include a new telescope for astrophysics experiments, a basement for storing old equipment, as well as a sliding trap door which allows heavy goods to be elevated into the building from the ground floor. The telescope is one of the many unique features of the building given its capacity to expose graduate students to the basic techniques of radio astronomy, especially in light of the fact that the SKA (Square Kilometre Array) project which is in progress.

“Our department is extremely strong at this stage, and a bright future lies ahead,” said Prof Koos Terblans, the Head of Department. The opening also served to celebrate the 103 publications achieved by the department last year.

Dr Lis Lange, Vice-Rector: Academic is proud of the heights reached by the department to date. “The Department of Physics is undoubtedly one of the jewels in the crown of our university, and we are very proud of its developments. Universities are built on legacies, and they are also about change, which is what this department has been demonstrating.”

The expansions to the building with its top-class facilities, was constructed at a cost of R25 million – an infrastructure grant courtesy of the Department of Higher Education and Training.

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