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17 September 2018 Photo Lerato Moloi
New Principal for Qwaqwa Campus-Dr Matin Mandew
Dr Martin Mandew believes that the biggest challenge currently facing the higher-education sector is the lack of adequate and appropriate student housing

The University of the Free State (UFS) Qwaqwa Campus has a new Principal. He is Dr Martin Mandew, former Campus Director of the Durban University of Technology’s Midlands Campus in Pietermaritzburg. He has extensive experience in higher education, having cut his teeth in the academia as an Academic Development Tutor with the then University of Natal (now University of Kwazulu-Natal). He then went on to complete both his Master of Theology (cum laude) and Doctor of Philosophy at the same institution in 1993 and 1997, respectively.

“During my early days in the academia, we did some interesting educational experiments and pioneered exciting foundation programmes. I also taught Systematic Theology in the mainstream programme,” said Dr Mandew, a trained Catholic theologian holding a Bachelor of Sacred Theology (magna cum laude) from the Urbaniana Pontifical University in Rome, Italy.

His academic interest shifted after he was appointed as Assistant Vice-Chancellor: Student Services at the ML Sultan Technikon in 1998. “My time at ML Sultan helped me develop a keen interest in the theoretical foundations and practice in the field of student services and affairs. This interest abides to this day,” he said.

Coming from a multi-campus background, what challenges does he think the UFS would be better placed to avoid?

“Multi-campus universities have their own unique challenges. However, what often seems to be a frequently recurring issue, is the sense of disconnectedness often felt by the far-flung smaller campuses. This can be overcome through regular contact – real and virtual – between the campuses through senior leaders and managers, and through a structured exchange of academics and lecturers between the campuses,” said Dr Mandew, who was born and brought up in the multilingual and multicultural neighbourhood of Aliwal North in the Eastern Cape.

He believes the biggest challenge currently facing the higher-education sector, is the lack of adequate and appropriate student housing.

“This problem is worse at rural campuses such as Qwaqwa where there is a scarcity of private accommodation that meets the norms and standards as prescribed by the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET). We have to find ways of persuading private student-accommodation providers to invest in the provision of accommodation that meets the prescribed norms. This is not only their civic duty, as there is a return to be had on the investment.”

“A related challenge,” he added, “is how to better integrate commuting or day students, who constitute the majority of our students, in university life. We have to design co-curricular programmes that reach the wider student body and invest in the establishment of day houses to better respond to the needs of commuting students.”

What is his vision for the campus and what are his first impressions of the broader UFS?

“I have been very impressed by some of the important, though very difficult conversations currently taking place at the UFS. Like other universities, the UFS has to find effective ways to contend with the scourge of gender-based violence. I hope we can succeed in finding practical ways to put the Integrated Transformation Plan (ITP) at the centre of our endeavours in Qwaqwa, in order to realise this rather exciting and challenging vision. Needless to say, students have to be at the centre of these endeavours,” he emphasised.

News Archive

New South African literature festival offers something for everyone
2016-03-23

The University of the Free State (UFS) in partnership with the Vrystaat Arts Festival is proud to present the first literature festival in central South Africa from 11-16 July in Bloemfontein. Afrikaans books and writers will feature prominently, in addition to other indigenous languages such as Sotho and Zulu. Several authors will be celebrating literature in English.

Vice-Chancellor and Rector of the University of the Free State Professor Jonathan Jansen says:  ‘The aim of the festival, part of the bigger Vrystaat Arts Festival, is to strengthen a culture of reading, not just in the Free State but nationally. The festival will market books as well as embrace new developments in the field of writing. I am incredibly excited about this inaugural event, which the university will support in the long-term.’

The theme of this year’s literature festival is ‘Our Africa’ and promises to provide all booklovers and readers tantalizing food for thought. Some of the authors attending the festival include, amongst others, the Hertzog-prize winner Adam Small, celebrating his 80th birthday as well as the release of his latest drama. Another legendary writer, dramaturge and actor, John Kani, will be speaking at the festival about his most recent theatre productions. The ever popular Marita van der Vyver will be visiting the festival from France, and the highly acclaimed writer Zakes Mda, will be flying in from the United States to deliver the inaugural Sol Plaatje Lecture. Mda, also a visual artist, will have some of his works on display.

Other international guests include Chika Unigwe, originally from Nigeria, who rose to fame in Belgium, and was described by South African writer Zukiswa Wanner as one of the five most renowned writers from Africa. Also attending will be Iranian writer Kader Abdolah, whose novels have been translated into more than 21 languages. Abdolah, a political refugee who escaped from Iran to the Netherlands in the 1980s, went on to establish himself as one of the most prominent Dutch novelists. Wilfried N’Sondé, originally from the Congo, who now lives in France, will also be a festival guest.
 
Theo Kemp, Coordinator of the Literature Festival says: ‘It is critical for us that robust debates on current affairs takes place as part of the festival. Festival participants will be able to engage with a range of authors on topical and sometimes sensitive issues. We welcome this debate – it is rare to have a platform where we can argue passionately yet respectfully about the future of our country in an international context.’

Critical topics covered include themes such as the state of Africa’s economies (with analyst and writer Victor Kgomoeswana); the relevance of the Anglo-Boer War in contemporary society (with Albert Blake and Johan Kruger); philosopher Achille Mbembe talking with Kevin Bloom and Richard Poplak about the changing face of Africa; and the political analysts Susan Booysen and John Matisonn examining the South African landscape in a post-municipal election environment.

Theuns Eloff, previous Rector of the University of Potchefstroom, whose new book What now, South Africa is launched this year, will partake in discussions around current affairs. So to Melanie Verwoerd and Sonwabiso Ngcowa aim to explore the phenomenon of the so-called ‘born frees’ in their book 21 at 21: The Coming of Age of A Nation.

Climate change and its impact on the Free State’s environment is another critical topic covered by Bob and Mary Schole with their book launch of Climate Change: Briefings from Southern Africa.

Festival goers can also look forward to a poetry café, where music and poetry will be mixed; informal visits with writers around food and story telling; as well as word and music productions where popular travel writers such as Johan Bakkes, Dana Snyman, Erns Grundling and Pienkes du Plessis will be present.

Writers will also be involved in a range of panel discussions – including on the ethics of writing biographies (Lindie Koorts and Mark Gevisser); alternative narratives of South Africa in the eighties (Ivan Vladislavic and Johann Roussouw); and discussions with writers such as Hans du Plessis, Bernard Odendaal, Hanlie Retief, Rudie van Rensburg and Irma Joubert.

Workshops will also feature in the programme with writers such as Francois Smith and Henning Pieterse, associated with the Department of Afrikaans and Dutch at the UFS, offering short courses on creative writing; while Johann Roussouw from the Department of Philosophy at the UFS will present a series of talks on the books of Karel Schoeman.

The final festival programme will be launched on 28 April 2016.

The Vrystaat Literature Festival was initiated by the University of the Free State in partnership with the Vrystaat Arts Festival. Project sponsors include Media24, ATKV, Vlaamse Letterenfonds, Institut Francais, Nederlandse Letterfonds, Van Rensburg Pataloe and the Flemish Embassy.
 

For further enquiries contact:
Theo Kemp
theo.kemp@volksblad.com
+27(0)83 462 9613
www.vrystaatartsfestival.co.za

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