Latest News Archive
Please select Category, Year, and then Month to display items
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.
In search of the new Kovsie CyberSta: The Top Five
2017-05-02
Reuben Davids, outgoing #FaceOfFacebook ambassador
for UFS digital channels
Photo: Rulanzen Martin
Do you want to have a say in who becomes the next #KovsieCyberSta? This newly facelifted competition provides the opportunity for not one, but two Kovsie students to live out their dreams in front of the camera. The two winning candidates, as voted by you, our discerning viewers, will be used on all UFS digital channels.
Our top five contestants have been selected, and you can now vote for them on Instagram. The two videos with the most likes on the UFS Instagram page will be declared the winners. Terms and conditions apply.
The top five are (in the order in which their videos were submitted):
- Tammy-Jane Fray: https://www.instagram.com/p/BTgh-A2hwrS
- Ay-muu Mathebula: https://www.instagram.com/p/BTgiV1KBKwJ
- Lindelani Jones Nomnganga: https://www.instagram.com/p/BTkzs51BfeA
- Thulaganyo (Thuli) Molebalwa: https://www.instagram.com/p/BTk0GaNhmJg
- Georgina Phumeza Mhlahlo: https://www.instagram.com/p/BTk0aQghiSe
The fine print
- The finalists’ videos have been reposted on the @ufsuv Instagram account
- Vote for your favourite candidate by liking their post on this account. Only likes on the @ufsuv Instagram timeline will be used to determine the winners
- Each like will count as a vote, and the person with the most votes at the closing time will be declared the winner
- You will need to be a registered Instagram user to vote
- We have a panel of four judges who will also select their favourite two entries. Their votes will be added to the total likes on the closing day
- The deadline for voting is 12 May 2017 at 12:00
- The two winners will be announced on the afternoon of 12 May 2017, and they will feature in their first video during the Bloemfontein Campus Open Day on 13 May 2017