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09 May 2019 | Story Ruan Bruwer | Photo Varsity Sports
Lefébre Rademan
Lefébre Rademan, new captain of the Free State Crinums netball team, could be one of the star players in the Premier League. She is a fifth-year Education student.

The Free State Crinums netball team, a de facto Kovsie team with all 15 squad members enrolled for courses at the University of the Free State (UFS), will draw inspiration from their success in last year’s Varsity netball tournament. The Kovsies won the student competition for a record third time. 

During the weekend of 10 May 2019, the Crinums will play their first match in the 2019 Premier League. They lost a couple of key players in captain Alicia Puren, Protea Khanyisa Chawane, (both playing for the national invitational team in the league), Khomotso Mamburu (moved to Cape Town), and Meagan Roux (injured). They do, however, still have the services of players such as Tanya von Berg (playing in her sixth Premier League, one of only a handful of players to do so), Lefébre Rademan, Sikholiwe Mdletshe, Ané Retief, Gertriana Retief, and Rieze Straeuli. Rademan is the new captain and was one of the standout players in last year’s Varsity netball, earning three Player of the Match awards, including the Player of the Final. 

The team will again be coached by Burta de Kock, who is also the head coach of the Kovsies. Under her leadership, the Crinums won the Premier League for the first three years (2014 to 2016). Last year, the Crinums ended fourth. De Kock will be assisted by Martha Mosoahle-Samm. She is a former Protea assistant coach who also captained South Africa and played for the UFS between 1997 and 1999.

There are four first-year students in the squad of 15 players: Oageng Khasake (wing attack), Ancia Pienaar (goalkeeper), Rolene Streutker (goal shooter), Boitumelo Mahloko (goal defence). Pienaar and Mahloko both represented South Africa at junior level in 2018.

■ Crinums squad: Ané Retief, Gertriana Retief, Jana Scholtz, Lefébre Rademan, Sikholiwe Mdletshe, Tanya von Berg, Rieze Straeuli, Claudia van den Berg, Zandré Smit, Oageng Khasake, Bianca de Wee, Ancia Pienaar, Rolene Streutker, Chanel Vrey, Boitumelo Mahloko.


News Archive

The impact of personal care products on water resources in the Free State
2015-12-14

Jou-an Chen
Photo: Charl Devenish

Water is of the utmost importance in personal hygiene. Most people can hardly have a day go by without taking a shower in the morning and at night. However, it is this very habit that is increasingly polluting the water resources in South Africa.

Contaminants found in pharmaceutical and personal care products have been accumulating in water masses in recent years. These contaminants especially refer to hormones in medication, as well as colouring agents and fragrances used in soap, shampoo and body lotions.

“Little information and data are available on the prevalence of these contaminants, and on how high the level of pollution really is,” says Jou-an Chen, researcher in the Department of Microbial, Biochemical and Food Biotechnology at the UFS.

Her research particularly focuses on the prevalence and impact of those contaminants.

“Because these substances have not been properly investigated, we are not sure how widely it occurs and whether it is harmful to the environment. It was precisely the lack of information that has inspired me to investigate further.”

“If we could identify the contaminants and what it is doing to the environment, it could make a valuable contribution to directives on water quality standards.”


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