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18 April 2019 | Story Leonie Bolleurs | Photo Sonia Small
First Lady Visit
At a gathering with the First Lady and UFS management were, from the left: Prof Prakash Naidoo, Vice-Rector: Operations; Prof Maléne Campbell; Chacha; Dr Tshepo Motsepe, First Lady of South Africa; Prof Petersen; Prof Puleng Lenka-Bula; Vice-Rector: Institutional Change, Student Affairs, and Community Engagement; and Prof Danie Vermeulen, Dean of the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences.
“I am from a very small town called Marquard. I am a granny’s boy – who was a domestic worker – and can speak fluent Afrikaans. I am fearless and I understand my calling for greatness. I stand and advocate for social justice and I am not scared to challenge any form of injustice. I hate people who abuse power and I am no friend of mediocrity. I speak my mind.”

This and much more describes Thapelo Chacha, a graduate in the Department of Urban and Regional Planning, who received his Honours degree in Spatial Planning at the recent April graduation ceremonies of the University of the Free State (UFS). 

The First Lady

He is also the student who brought Dr Tshepo Motsepe, the First Lady of South Africa to Kovsies. 

Chacha tells his story: “I met the First Lady some years back through Dr Vuyelwa Manzana, who was my mother’s doctor at the time – after dropping out of university due to a financial crisis. I was handed over to the lawyers, with a debt that accrued over three years. I knocked at every door you can think of – with no luck. One day I got a call from a lady who introduced herself as Mme Tshepo, asking me to go to university. I laughed, because I knew my debt was too big to allow me to study again. She insisted, and when I arrived at the UFS, my outstanding debt had been paid and I was able to register. The same Mme Tshepo called to assure me that she will pay for my tuition, meals, books, and accommodation. I did not even know that she was the wife of Mr Cyril Ramaphosa, who would later become the Deputy President and now the President of the country.”

“Mme Tshepo sponsored me from her own pocket until I became part of the Cyril Ramaphosa Education Trust (CRET).”

“She personally texted and called me about my graduation information so she could attend. You can imagine the excitement and the shock. Although I have met the First Lady many times, it will be the first time that I will introduce her to my family. She is taking me and my family – my mother and my grandmother – to lunch after the ceremony. I see that as a favour of God upon my life.”

Prof Francis Petersen, UFS Rector and Vice-Chancellor at a meeting with Dr Motsepe and Chacha said: “Access to university is crucial. However, we would also like our students to exit with a qualification. This is how a bursary like this one from CRET helps. We would like to exit students that contribute to the economy.”

Making a difference

Chacha is now doing his master’s in Urban and Regional Planning. “I am so looking forward to registering with the South African Council for Planners (SACPLAN) as a professional town planner at the end of my master’s degree within a few months. 

“I see myself joining a town planning division anywhere in South Africa, dedicated to changing the living conditions of ordinary citizens. Spatial planning speaks to the heart of land use and ensures that the land is used and occupied in a manner that is beneficial to everyone who needs it,” Chacha said. 

He believes town planning has been largely influenced by politics, thus forcing town planners to move away from serving the needs of the ordinary citizen. Chacha would like to see the injustices of the past, especially with regard to townships, being addressed. “This is why my dissertation is about township infrastructure and the contribution it makes towards township economy.”

“I would like to see a South Africa that is centred on the well-being of its citizens. The older generation has fought the brutality of apartheid; our battle as the youth is to be academically equipped to fight and win the land battle,” he said.

Kovsie encounters

For Chacha, his studies in Urban and Regional Planning was very tough. But the support he received from his lecturers was immeasurable. “Prof Maléne Campbell, Head of the UFS Department of Urban and Regional Planning has the most competent team. This is the best department on campus, with no racial issues or unpleasant vibes. I just love the space.”

“The UFS has taught me resilience, hard work, the importance of networking, and the knowledge that you need to be radical when it comes to your future,” Chacha concluded.

Dr Tshepo Motsepe
Dr Tshepo Motsepe
Prof Francis Petersen and Dr Tshepo Motsepe
Prof Francis Petersen and Dr Tshepo Motsepe
Prof Prakash Naidoo, Dr Tshepo Motsepe, Prof Francis Peteresen, and Prof Puleng LenkaBula
Prof Prakash Naidoo, Dr Tshepo Motsepe, Prof Francis Peteresen, and Prof Puleng LenkaBula
Zita Strydom, Dr Tsepho Motespe and Lacea Loader
Zita Strydom, Dr Tsepho Motespe and Lacea Loader
Thapelo Chacha, Dr Tshepo Motsepe and Prof Francis Petersen
Thapelo Chacha, Dr Tshepo Motsepe and Prof Francis Petersen
Prof Prakash Naidoo and Dr Tshepo Motsepe
Prof Prakash Naidoo and Dr Tshepo Motsepe
Dr Tshepo Motsepe introduced to UFS staff members
Dr Tshepo Motsepe introduced to UFS staff members
Prof Francis Petersen with Dr Tshepo Motsepe and Thapelo Chacha
Prof Francis Petersen with Dr Tshepo Motsepe and Thapelo Chacha

News Archive

UFS breakthrough on SRC
2005-06-10

The Council of the University of the Free State (UFS) today unanimously approved the establishment of a Central Student Representative Council (CSRC)  to ensure the democratic participation of students at its three campuses in the governance of the university.

In a major breakthrough and transformation step for student governance, the Central SRC will include representatives of the main campus in Bloemfontein, the Vista campus and the Qwaqwa campus of the UFS.

The establishment of the Central SRC follows the incorporation of the Qwaqwa campus into the UFS in January 2003 and the incorporation of the Vista campus in Bloemfontein into the UFS in January 2004.

According to Dr Ezekiel Moraka, Vice-Rector: Student Affairs, today’s decision of Council is the result of a lengthy, negotiated agreement between the three campuses. Independent experts facilitated part of the process.

With the establishment of a Central SRC, the UFS has adopted a federal student governance model whereby the CSRC is the highest representative student body on matters of common concern for all students.

However, the three campuses of the UFS will retain autonomous SRC structures for each campus with powers and responsibilities for matters affecting the particular campus.

This arrangement will be reviewed after a year to make allowance for the phasing out of students at the Vista campus, as was agreed in the negotiations preceding the incorporation of that campus into the UFS.

The central SRC will have a maximum of 12 members made up of members of the campus SRCs, including the presidents of these three SRCs. In total, the main campus will have 5 representatives, the Qwaqwa campus will have 4 representatives and the Vista campus will have 3 representatives.

From these 12 members a central SRC president will be chosen on a quarterly basis to represent the general student body at Executive Management, Senate and Council.

In another key decision and significant step forward affecting student governance, the Council also approved amendments the constitution of the Student Representative Council (SRC) of the main campus.  These amendments were the results of deliberations of student organizations, the SRC and the Student Parliament of the UFS main campus.

The amendments to the constitution of the main campus SRC determines that nine of the 18 SRC members must be elected by means of proportional representation and nine on the basis of an individual, first-past-the-post election.

This decision comes in the wake of calls by certain student organizations on main campus for proportional representation to be included as a means of electing student representatives.

The following portfolios of the main campus SRC will be contested by individual candidates on the basis of first past the post:

  • president
  • secretary
  • academic affairs
  • legal and constitutional affairs
  • student development
  • arts and culture
  • men’s internal liaison
  • ladies internal liaison
  • media, marketing and liaison

The following nine portfolios will be contested by affiliated organizations on a proportional representation basis.

  • two vice-presidents
  • treasurerdialogue and associations
  • transformation
  • campus affairs and recreation
  • sport
  • international affairs
  • community service

It also is a breakthrough to have all constitutional changes processed and approved at the June meeting of the Council, with all relevant student organizations having been part of the process and accepting the outcome of the process.

According to the chairperson of the UFS Council, Judge Faan Hancke, today’s unanimous decisions on student governance are an indication of how all UFS stakeholders represented in Council are committed to finding win-win solutions in the interest of the university.

“Once again the UFS has reached another milestone in its transformation and has shown the rest of the country that we are pioneers in the field of reaching intelligent solutions to complex situations,” Judge Hancke said.

According to Dr Moraka, the central SRC constitution will come into effect from the start of the second semester this year.

 MEDIA RELEASE

Issued by: Lacea Loader
    Media Representative
    Tel:  (051) 401-2584
    Cell:  083 645 2454
     E-mail:  loaderl.stg@mail.uovs.ac.za

10 June 2005
 

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