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23 September 2019 | Story Xolisa Mnukwa | Photo Charl Devenish
Best dressed winner
The winners of the best dressed social media competition with Earl B (third from the left).

On 18 September 2019, the University of the Free State (UFS) hosted its first ever Multilingual Festival in an effort to promote a multilingual and multicultural environment for staff, students, and all stakeholders of the university. 

Staff, students, and other stakeholders of the university dressed in imibaco (traditional Xhosa apparel) ranging from white, yellow, red, and green, Diaparo tsa setso sa Sesotho, and traditional attire from other cultural tribes including Zulu, Swati, Ndebele, and Tswana, to name a few, were treated to various forms of celebration. The festival entailed visual-art displays, poetry, storytelling, drama, music, and song in the dominant languages spoken at the UFS, which are English, Afrikaans, Sesotho, isiZulu, and South African Sign Language, and food stalls selling dishes ranging from pap and braaivleis to koeksisters and milk tart. 

The audience were treated to short stories, including Magic on campus, written by Siphilangenkosi Dlamini and performed by Oliver Bongo; Xola Nhliziyo, written by Noluthando Portia Khumalo and performed by Ayanda Khanyile; and Grense, written by Joane Jansen van Rensburg. Nina and Palesa compiled a drama piece titled WTF is a relationship, poems included Mohlomong, written by Thabiso Lesaba and Lucky Mokeona, and Mosadi, written by Relumetse Makhatsane, N’kone Mametja, Abby Gabarone-Phate and Ayanda Khanyile.

Attendants had the opportunity to participate and win cash prizes ranging from R500 to R1 000 in various competitions and performances that took place during celebrations at the multilingual festival.

The winners for the mokete festivities are as follows:
Best artwork – Elaine Mahlalela and Kamogelo Mankuroane
Best short story – Siphilangenkosi Dlamini: Magic on Campus
Best poem – Thabiso Leshaba: Mohlomong
Best drama piece – Nina and Palesa

The best-dressed moketers for the 2019 #KovsiesMultilingualMokete were Joseph Sako, Evodia Mohoanyane, Karabo Lekomanyane, Tshepo Ramokoatsi, and Lungelo Mthimkhulu, who each walked away with R500 for their efforts to dress up and stick to the multicultural theme. Soet-Bravado (House Soetdoring and House Villa Bravado) won the most votes for their performance in the People’s Choice category, claiming R1 000 each. 

News Archive

School of Open Learning opens at our South Campus
2011-08-23

 

Prof Daniella Coetzee, Dean of the School of Open Learning at our South Campus

The University of the Free State (UFS) established a School of Open Learning at the South Campus in Bloemfontein. The activities of the new school are driven by a central principle: opening up access to those who have not had the opportunity to study at a higher-education institution because of geographical location, socio-economic circumstances or other factors. Programmes are delivered through a blended-learning model, which blends contact teaching with distance education. A new dean, Prof. Daniella Coetzee, was appointed to guide the establishment of the school.

The school will collaborate with the different faculties, and is currently managing the continuing education-sponsored endeavours of the Faculty of Education. These include projects for in-service training of teachers in Mathematics, Natural and Physical Sciences, Languages, Literacy, Economic and Management Sciences, Technology and various areas of Management and Leadership.

Apart from the training of currently serving teachers, the school and the Faculty of Education are also involved in the professional training of FET-college lecturers, and have recently been awarded an R17m injection by the Flemish Government to develop programmes and to further deliver in this area.

Collaboration with the Faculty of Law has also led to the prospect of managing a B.Iuris. programme aimed at the police force, commencing in 2012.

The University Preparation Programme (UPP), offering particular generic and optional subjects for students to enter into the formal university programmes, will also form part of the School of Open Learning.

 

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