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2019 Matriculant of the Year hails from Polokwane

03 October 2019 | Story Eugene Seegers | Photo Charl Devenish

Pieter Hoogenboezem with his proud parents, dad Hans and mom Eldi, and Prof Francis Petersen, Rector and Vice-Chancellor of the UFS.

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At a gala event held on the University of the Free State (UFS) Bloemfontein Campus, on 28 September 2019, the top 14 entrants in the 39th UFS-Volksblad Matriculant of the Year competition were given an opportunity to share their vision with invited guests.

In his introductory speech, Pieter Hoogenboezem, deputy head boy of Pietersburg High School in Polokwane, Limpopo, said: “I think the Matriculant of the Year should strive to do their best in everything they attempt, and they should be good at communicating with others.” Pieter will be studying medicine at the UFS next year. He was crowned the winner of the 2019 Matriculant of the Year competition and also received the Sparkling Personality award, as decided by his fellow finalists.

Pieter says of this achievement: “I am humbled and so blessed with the talents my heavenly Father has given me. I believe that the training and knowledge that I will receive at the UFS will empower me to make a worthwhile contribution to the medical field and society at large. It is going to be a great privilege for me to make Kovsies proud and to move others to become part of this university that promotes transformation, diversity, and inclusivity!”

Several other prizes were also awarded during the evening. Mandie de Wet from the Hoër Meisieskool Oranje in Bloemfontein walked away with the prize for best achievement in sport for her prowess on the hockey field, and Runé Edeling (Eunice High School) was rewarded for her accomplishments in dressage on a national level, as well as her extensive scientific knowledge and ability shown at the Eskom Expo, the Eskom Science Fair, and an international science expo in Arizona, USA. Each of these winners received R5 000 from the Kovsie Alumni Trust.

Dr Pieter Rademan, Matriculant of the Year 2009, had this to say to the finalists — many of whom will start studying next year to become doctors: “I’m delighted to see that so many here are interested in medicine; there is a desperate need for more doctors and good doctors in the country.” Using an example from the Norsemen, he told the matriculants: “Despite being shipbuilders and seafarers, the Vikings would set fire to their ships when they reached their destination.” He said this ensured that they would be motivated to overcome difficulties before rebuilding their vessels to continue the voyage. He exhorted: “Burn your ships! Calm seas do not make for good sailors. Get out of your comfort zone and get comfortable with being uncomfortable.”

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Q and A with Prof Hussein Solomon on ‘Terrorism and Counter-Terrorism in Africa’

2015-05-29

Political Science lecturer, Prof Hussein Solomon, has launched his latest book, Terrorism and Counter-Terrorism in Africa: fighting insurgency from Al Shabaab, Ansar Dine and Boko Haram, on Wednesday 26 May 2015 at the UFS.

In his book, Solomon talks about the growing terrorist threat in Africa, with the likes of Al Shabaab, Ansar Dine, and Boko Haram exploiting Africa's vulnerabilities to expand their operations. Explaining both the limitations of current counter-terrorist strategies and possible future improvements, this timely study can be appreciated by scholars and practitioners alike.

Q: If you speak of Al Shabaab, Ansar Dine, and Boko Haram expanding operations, do you see possibilities for their expansion even into South Africa, or is expansion mainly focused on northern African countries?

A: All three movements are operating out of their respective countries. Al Shabaab has attacked Kenya and Uganda and tried to attack the 2010 Soccer World Cup in South Africa. So yes, there is a danger that they are here and, more importantly, newer groups like ISIS are recruiting in SA already.

Q: If the traditional military response is ineffective, what would be a better approach then?

A: What is important is that the force of arms needs to complement the force of ideas. What is being waged is an ideological battle, and, just as the West defeated Communism ideologically in the Cold War, we need to defeat radical Islamism ideologically. In addition, the military response needs to complement the governance and development responses.

Q: External players like the US have insufficient knowledge of the context, what would be the knowledge about context necessary for anyone concerned about the terror problem in Africa?

A: Allow me to give you some examples. The US trains African militaries to fight terrorist groups, but, when they return to their countries, they stage a coup and topple the civilian government. The US does not seem to understand that arming a predatory military and training them makes them more predatory and brutal, which results in civilians being recruited by terrorists, as happened in Mali. Similarly, the US sent arms to the Somali government, and members of that government sold those arms to Al Shabaab terrorists, the very people they were supposed to fight. So the Americans do not understand the criminalisation of the African state, which undermines good governance and promotes terrorism.

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