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03 April 2019 | Story Xolisa Mnukwa | Photo Vhugala Nthakheni
Uhuru Qwaqwa Arrival
The #UFSWalkToUhuru team arrives at the UFS Qwaqwa Campus on Friday 22 March.

The University of the Free State (UFS) Division of Student Affairs, in collaboration with the UFS Office for International Affairs, have joined hands to drive a fundraising and student-accessibility initiative dubbed, ‘The Walk to Uhuru’ (#UFSWalktoUhuru), which is aimed at raising funds and advocating for the educational rights of the less privileged. 

The project aims to raise funds in excess of R2 million from the public and stakeholders affiliated with the UFS (Kovsie staff and students). The project derives from the 2018/2019 UFS Institutional Student Representative Council (ISRC) mandate ‘Students Must Graduate’. The ISRC mandate aims to source funding opportunities for UFS students to register, and to complete their studies across all three campuses in 2020 and beyond.

The first leg of the project, a 350 km walk from the Bloemfontein to the Qwaqwa Campus, has already taken place and concluded on Friday, 22 March 2019 as planned. The #UFSWalkToUhuru team successfully completed the first leg of their journey to academic freedom for financially disadvantaged students at the UFS. The Uhuru team is now focusing its attention on the second leg and is determined to take on Mount Kilimanjaro (Uhuru) from 20 June to 20 July 2019.

The team sat down for a debriefing session to unpack the overall experience and result of the first half of the initiative, and they all agreed that the walk to Qwaqwa was an enlightening experience. It was a walk that comprised learning opportunities, team building, and goal crushing.

According to Rethabile Motseki, member of the #UFSWalkToUhuru team, the walk to Qwaqwa made a significant impact on the project, as the university community is now aware of the significant goals that the team is trying to accomplish. The team has also resumed their fitness-training programme to ensure that they are ready to take on the Uhuru climb in June.

A media briefing will take place shortly (date to be confirmed) to detail the ongoing fundraising initiatives rolled out by the #UFSWalkToUhuru team.  We implore you, and the nation as a whole, to help establish a better future for disadvantaged UFS students by donating to the initiative.

Students, staff, and the public can support the cause and make contributions/donations to the initiative by visiting the UFS Walk to Uhuru #givengain account page.

For more information, contact UFS SRC President, Sonwabile Dwaba, on DwabaSJ@ufs.ac.za  or Rethabile Motseki on MotsekiR@ufs.ac.za  

News Archive

Process to appoint rector and vice-chancellor underway
2009-01-20

The process to appoint a rector and vice-chancellor for the University of the Free State (UFS) is underway and the selection committee has compiled a short list of five candidates to interview.

The committee, comprising of vice-rectors, deans and other members of senior management as well as representatives of the UFS Council, Senate, Institutional Forum, Student Representative Council and trade unions compiled the interview list out of the 26 candidates that applied.

“The applications, which closed on 2 December 2008, were received by an independent company specialising in the recruitment of executive and senior academic positions. The post was advertised locally as well as internationally,” says Prof. Teuns Verschoor, Acting Rector of the UFS.

According to Prof. Verschoor interviews will be conducted early February with the five candidates. These candidates are broadly representative in terms of race and gender. “If everything goes according to plan, three candidates will be invited after the interviews to introduce themselves to the university community at a public session to explain their vision and view of their role as rector and vice-chancellor of the UFS. These appearances should take place by the middle of February,” says Prof. Verschoor.

“We intend to submit the appointment of the successful candidate for approval at the meeting of the UFS Council in March,” says Prof. Verschoor.
Media Release:
Issued by:  Lacea Loader 
Assistant Director: Media Liaison 
Tel: 051 401 2584 
Cell: 083 645 2454 
E-mail: loaderl.stg@ufs.ac.za
20 January 2009

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