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2019 Kovsies Multilingual Mokete Competition winners

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

Postgraduate success rewarded during winter graduation ceremony

2012-06-06

The university is celebrating an increase in postgraduate success with a record number of master’s degrees and doctorates to be awarded during the winter graduation ceremony on 14 June 2012.

A total of 481 master’s degrees and 82 doctorates will be awarded in two ceremonies in the Callie Human Centre on the Bloemfontein Campus. This is the most postgraduate qualifications to be awarded at a single graduation ceremony.

The university will also award an honorary doctorate in Literature to the author, Etienne van Heerden. Van Heerden, the author of Dertig Nagte in Amsterdam and Toorberg, among others, will be honoured with a D. Litt degree. Van Heerden, currently Hofmeyr professor and Head of the Department of Afrikaans and Dutch studies at the University of Cape Town, is one of the most acclaimed Afrikaans writers. His novels have been translated into eleven languages and his contributions are included in anthologies worldwide. One of his most important contributions to South African society is his creation of LitNet and the development of this powerful digital website that now also includes two accredited journals.

Ms Nicky Abdinor, a clinical psychologist of Cape Town, who was born without arms and with shortened legs, will be the guest speaker at the graduation ceremony.

The programme for the two ceremonies is:

At 10:15, the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences will award 231 master’s degrees and confer 43 doctorates. The Faculty of Health Sciences will award 52 master’s degrees and confer seven doctorates.
At 14:15, the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences will award 62 master’s degrees and confer seven doctorates. The Faculty of the Humanities will confer one honorary doctorate, award 47 master’s degrees and confer 13 doctorates. In the Faculty of Education, 22 master’s degrees will be awarded and nine doctorates conferred. In the Faculty of Law, 34 master’s degrees will be awarded and one doctorate conferred. The Faculty of Theology will award 33 master’s degrees, and confer two doctorates.

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