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06 May 2019 | Story Valentino Ndaba | Photo Barend Nagel
Africa Month
Africa Month; a time to celebrate and reflect on African unity in diversity.
Africa Day marks the commemoration of the establishment of the Organisation of Africa Unity (OAU), now called the African Union (AU). Every year on 25 May the continent celebrates its diverse peoples and cultures. At the University of the Free State (UFS), Africa Month is pinned on the calendar as a time for critical conversation. This year, it coincides with the general elections on 8 May 2019, when South Africans will exercise their democratic right to vote.
  
Opportunity versus opportunism

A series of events such as the Annual Africa Day Memorial Lecture, hosted by the Centre for Gender and Africa Studies will mark the memorable month. Prof Francis Nyamnjoh is expected delve deeper into the topic of Ubuntu-ism and Africa: Reconciling opportunity and opportunism.  

Giving back to locals

The Student Representative Council is to champion a community outreach programme known as Meal In A Jar. This initiative will see learners at Joe Solomon Primary School in Heidedal receiving a hearty meal and stationery as a gesture of ubuntu and engaged scholarship. 

Dialogue beyond borders

The Office for International Affairs is to host the second Annual Africa Day Reflection and Celebration event at which topical issues of continental importance will be dealt with.

Migration, segregation, and liberation

The Debate Society together with the History Student Society will unpack Africa’s role in South Africa’s liberation, the formation of Southern Africa’s borders, and free internal migration policy. 

Debate on African Boarders
Tuesday 21 May 2019
15:00-17:30
Albert Wessels Auditorium, Bloemfontein Campus

Annual Africa Day Memorial Lecture
Wednesday 22 May 2019
17:30
Equitas Auditorium, Bloemfontein Campus

Meal In A Jar
Thursday 23 May 2019
14:00
Joe Solomon Primary School, Heidedal

2019 Africa Day Reflection and Celebration (Livestream)
Friday 24 May 2019
11:00-14:00
Reitz Hall, Centenary Complex, Bloemfontein Campus

News Archive

JN Boshoff Memorial Lecture: Dr Charles Nwaila
2005-09-13

Dr Charles Nwaila, Director-General of the Free State Provincial Government and Vice-Chairperson of the University of the Free State's (UFS) Council, recently discussed the repositioning of the Free State Provincial  Government to respond to the 21st century demands during the JN Boshoff Memorial Lecture at the UFS. 

 

 

From left:  Dr Nwaila; Prof Tienie Crous, Dean:  Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences; Prof Frederick Fourie, Rector and Vice-Chancellor and Dr Moses Sindane, Departmental Chairperson:  Department of Public Management at the UFS.
 

A summary of the lecture.

Free State government to focus on training of public servants

The Free State provincial government in collaboration with higher education institutions in the province is to establish the Free State Association of Public Administration to get public servants to work effectively towards the growth and development of the province.
This was announced by the Director-General of the Free State provincial government, Dr Charles Nwaila, during a lecture he delivered at the University of the Free State (UFS) in Bloemfontein this evening (Thursday 8 September 2005).

Delivering the annual JN Boshoff Memorial Lecture at the UFS, Dr Nwaila called on higher education institutions to play a critical and leading role in the re-engineering of the existing Provincial Training and Development Institute housed at the Vista campus of the University of the Free State in Bloemfontein.

Dr Nwaila was formerly the Superintendent-General (head) of the Free State Department of Education and currently serves as the Deputy Chairperson of the Council of the University of the Free State.
He said the proposed Free State Association of Public Administration is a joint initiative with the National Academy of Public Administration based in Washington DC.

“We take this opportunity to invite the University of the Free State and other knowledge based institutions to join the Provincial Government in fostering a collaborative network to help us develop our public servants,” Dr Nwaila said.
He said there were accelerating demands and a lot of pressure on limited resources, with Free Staters expecting more from their government than ever before.

“Civil servants in a developmental state are servants of the people, champions of the poor and the downtrodden and not self-serving individuals that seek only advancement on the career ladder,” Dr Nwaila said.
According to Dr Nwaila, the Free State Growth and Development Strategy has identified 11 areas that need to be addressed by the year 2014, including:

• To reduce unemployment from 38% to 20%
• To improve the functional literacy rate from 69,2% to 85%
• To stabilize the prevalence rate of HIV and AIDS  and reverse the spread of the disease
• To provide a free basic service to all households
• To provide adequate infrastructure for economic growth and development


Dr Nwaila said that the Free State government will continue to follow a people-centred approach towards these development objectives with a keen sense of unity and unwavering determination to create the best of times for the Free State and all its people.


 

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