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13 November 2018
Photo Moeketsi Mogotsi
Kovsies took an active stance against sexual and gender-based violence through various campaigns in October.
President Cyril Ramaphosa recently announced that South Africa will launch a national strategic plan to tackle gender-based violence (GBV) after years of lobbying by activists. Speaking at the Presidential GBV Summit, the head of state commended activists who called for a nationwide shut down in August in response to high levels of GBV and femicide in the country. He says the government is now reviewing national GBV plans and will develop a national action plan.
Activism at the UFS
One of the efforts launched by the University of the Free State’s (UFS) Gender and Sexual Equity (GSE) Office in the fight against this plague is the # RESPECTME campaign. From 11 to 26 October 2018, the university held its own 16 Days of Activism.
Geraldine Lengau of the GSE Office believes that minority groups deserve the same amount of respect as all other citizens of this country, which is the core concept of the campaign. “The Campaign is a loudhailer to say, ‘just because I am different from you’, be it gender or sexuality, it doesn’t mean that I deserve any less respect,” she highlighted.
Lengau added: “Activism will forever remain important on our campuses as it creates an environment where the community is made aware of matters that would otherwise not have mattered had they not been publicised. Also activism becomes all the more important in advancing the university’s strategic plan.”
Policies advocating against GBV
As stipulated in the UFS Sexual Harassment, Misconduct and Sexual Violence Policy the university strongly believes in the principle of human dignity that is entrenched in the Constitution of South Africa (1996) which resolves to ensure a safe working and study environment for students.
Student Affairs also led a campaign which aimed to highlight the ongoing scourge of sexual and gender-based violence, in line with the policy. “The university is working relentlessly at endorsing the aspects and characteristic traits of respect amongst all of its stakeholders in an effort to reduce the notion of gender-based violence,” said the Dean of Student Affairs, Pura Mgolombane.
Minquiz competition presented at the UFS
2009-05-20
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The Minquiz Regional Competition, sponsored by Mintek and the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences at the University of the Free State (UFS), was presented for the fifteenth time on the Main Campus last week. The aim of the competition is to stimulate Grade 12 learners’ interest in science, technology, engineering and specifically the disciplines Chemistry, Physics, Geology and Mineral technology. The competition comprises a written and oral examination, which is divided into categories, namely gold and platinum. Historically previously disadvantaged schools participated in the gold category, whilst schools that were previously categorised as Model C and private schools, as well as previous gold-category winners participated in the platinum category. The winning school in the oral quiz of the gold category was Le Reng Secondary School at Ladybrand and in the platinum category the Secondary School Sentraal came up trumps. The individual winner in the gold category of the written test was Madimatle Molatseli from Re Reng Secondary School and the platinum category was won by Oscar Nouwens from Harriston Secondary School in Bethlehem. The Free State team for the national quiz also includes Lindiwe Sondach (Commtech Comprehensive, Kagisanong), Nkobo Thabang (Lephola Secondary School, Welkom), Moorosi Motake (Leseding Technical High, Welkom) and Dawie Lotz (Sand du Plessis Secondary School, Bloemfontein). These winners will participate in the national competition presented by Mintek in Johannesburg from 23-24 July 2009. At one of the demonstrations presented by the Department of Chemistry were, from the left: Blener Buitendach, Ph.D. student in Chemistry at the UFS, Tshepo Khomoatsana from HTS Louis Botha in Bloemfontein and Goodwill Nogwanya, also from HTS Louis Botha.
Photo: Leonie Bolleurs |