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11 September 2018 Photo Stephen Collett
Outstanding Alumni awarded
Attending the awards evening were from the left: Dr Mafu Rakometsi; Gustav Wilson; Dr Pieter du Toit, National Executive Alumni Chairperson; Ace Moloi; Dr Khotso Mokhele; Prof Dave Lubbe; Dr Suzanne Staples; Prof Francis Petersen; Bertus Jacobs, and Tshepo Moloi.
A medical doctor, an economist, an author, and experts in the fields of Information Technology, Education, Management and Sociology are the winners of this year’s Chancellor’s Distinguished Alumni Awards. 

This is the 36th year that the UFS honours those alumni who are not only flying the Kovsie flag high, but are inspiring excellence and transforming lives.

Chancellor’s Challenge

UFS Chancellor Dr Khotso Mokhele had a sobering message for those who attended the awards ceremony on 8 September. He shared how, on a recent visit to the US, he had a chance to visit the campus of Facebook in Seattle, and heard how every year Facebook received more than two million CVs from prospective employees – 98% of whom sported A-average grades. Management then confided in him that they never hired a CV, but rather a mindset.

“They sift through all those applications, looking for someone with a vision to disrupt the status quo,” Mokhele said. “This continent will be left behind if we don’t adopt that mindset – that confidence that borders on arrogance – that we can change the world. Are we ready for that challenge?” 

The recipients in the various categories are:

Chancellor's Distinguished Alumnus of the Year:       
Danie Meintjes – Former Group Chief Executive Officer of Mediclinic

Cum Laude Awards
Dr Mafu Rakometsi ¬ Chief Executive Officer of the Council for Quality Assurance in General and Further Education and Training (Umalusi)
Dr Suzanne Staples, Principal Investigator at the Tuberculosis & HIV Investigative Network (THINK)

Kovsie Ambassador Awards
Tshepo Moloi – Economist at the South African Reserve Bank
Bertus Jacobs – Chief Technology Officer at IoT.nxt
Gustav Wilson, Regional Head (Development and Care) Department of Correctional Services 

Executive Management Award
Prof Dave Lubbe – Research Fellow and Professor at UFS School of Accountancy.

Young Alumnus of the Year
Ace Moloi – Author and literary consultant

News Archive

Study on school violence shows the secondary school environment compels learners to be armed
2015-01-26

The secondary school environment apparently compels learners to come to school armed. This is according to a study done by Dr Lynette Jacobs, a lecturer at the School of Education Studies at the University of the Free State.

In her study, Dr Jacobs found that learners from more affluent schools carry noticeably more weapons than learners in less affluent schools. Learners in the lower grades of secondary schools also use and carry more weapons than learners in the higher grades.

Dr Jacobs says while many reasons for school violence can be noted, such as to forcibly take the victims money and food, racial differences, religious differences, as well as the immigrant status of one of the parties involved, these were reasons indicated by less than 10% of the participants in the study.

“There is no single explanation for the threat of violence at schools and most acts of school violence appear to happen randomly, often out of instant retaliation.”

For the study, Dr Jacobs did surveys at schools across three provinces in South Africa.

“Although it varies in levels of seriousness, incidences of physical violence and verbal cruelty consistently occur at South Africans schools. I found that learners are furthermore regularly mocked, insulted, cursed and humiliated by peers.”

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