Latest News Archive

Please select Category, Year, and then Month to display items
Previous Archive
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 School Student Council reaches out to child-headed households
2012-12-03

Members of the Postgraduate School Student Council and some of the children who benefited from their outreach programme
3 December 2012


Our Postgraduate School Student Council, in collaboration with the Postgraduate School Directorate, undertook a community project in 2012, focused on making a difference in the lives of children burdened with supporting themselves without proper parental guidance. The council worked with Child Welfare Bloemfontein and five child-headed households were identified in the greater Mangaung area.

To ensure the success of the project, the council helped to get sponsorships to assist with raising funds and the reception of donations. The council, with the broader postgraduate community, also sought donations from the university community and the public at large. The result was astounding and 12 children were presented with food items, toiletries as well as school uniforms and stationery to the value of R14 500.

An additional R2 000 was donated to Child Welfare for related projects that will benefit other households. This initiative was made possible by the generous support of the UFS-RAG office and the Thakaneng Bridge branches of Friendly Supermarket and Van Schaik Bookstore, Lesedi FM and Kovsie FM, as well as some private donors.

We use cookies to make interactions with our websites and services easy and meaningful. To better understand how they are used, read more about the UFS cookie policy. By continuing to use this site you are giving us your consent to do this.

Accept