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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

Three of UFS Unit for Language Management to international congress

2006-06-12

Three members of the University of the Free State's (UFS) Unit for Language Management (ULM), namely Prof Theo du Plessis (Director of the ULM), Prof Johan Lubbe (Research Associate of the ULM) and Dr Elbie Truter (Research Associate of the ULM), will be attending the Tenth International Congress of the International Academy of Linguistic Law at the University of Galway, Ireland, from 14-17 June 2006.

This year, the theme of the congress will be “Language Law and Language Rights: The Challenges of Enactment and Implementation”. More than 100 persons will deliver papers at this congress, which enjoys prominent status world-wide. The UFS colleagues are all members of the International Academy of Linguistic Law, and will deliver papers offering perspectives on language regulation within the South African context.

Other South Africans who will also be participating, and with whom the ULM has close professional relationships, are Dr Karel Prinsloo (editor of the well-known journal 50 Plus) and Mr Edward Sambo of the Pan South African Language Board (Pansalb). The ULM’s participation in the congress is the result of a long-term research project, namely, the South African Language Rights Monitor, which was launched three years ago in partnership with Pansalb, and which is also financed by that organisation.

Prof Theo du Plessis
(Director of the UFS Unit for Language Management)

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