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05 September 2019 | Story Rulanzen Martin | Photo Early B Music and Simple Stories


 

 

“I have a voice.” | “Ke na le lentsoe.” | “Ek het ‘n stem.” | “Nginezwi."


See programme for more detail

Join in the festivities by listening to the live broadcast of the Mokete on KovsieFM and catching it live on http://livestream.ufs.ac.za




 


In support of its commitment to promoting a multilingual, multicultural environment for staff, students, and other stakeholders, the University of the Free State hosted the first Kovsies Multilingual Mokete on the Bloemfontein Campus today.

“The Mokete served as an institutional initiative aimed at promoting a coordinated and inclusive celebration of the regional languages and cultures included in the UFS Language Policy. The university wants everybody to feel that they belong, and that they can be proud of their culture and language. We also want them to know that every person counts; that everyone has a voice and that they can contribute to building a culture which inspires excellence,” says Dr Engela van Staden, Vice-Rector: Academic and Chairperson of the UFS Language Committee.

#IHaveAVoice #KeNaLeLenstoe #EkHetnStem #Nginezwi Early B


During the festival, staff and students from all three UFS campuses participating expressed this celebration in the form of visual arts, poetry, storytelling, drama, music, and song in the dominant languages spoken at the UFS, which is English, Afrikaans, Sesotho, isiZulu, and South African Sign Language.

For the duration of the Mokete, the Red Square in front of the Main Building, was renamed  the ‘Mokete Square’. The Scaena Theatre will play host to a visual-arts exhibition, a drama production called Dogg's Hamlet, as well as a screening of The Visitor.

 Well-known performers Early B (pictured) and Simple Stories,(pictured at below) entertained the crowd as the closing acts on the Mokete Main Stage. The student choirs from our South and Qwaqwa Campuses also performed.

There was multicultural food stalls which sold typical cultural cuisine, from sheep’s head and bunny chow to koeksisters.

The KovsieGear stall, sold Multilingual Mokete-branded merchandise, inlcuding a special ‘doek’ to commemorate the Mokete.

According to Dr Van Staden, the UFS is committed to creating a multilingual environment and hopes to make the Kovsies Multilingual Mokete an annual event which will rotate between the three campuses. “We are proud to host an event of this nature and believe that it will be one of the flagship events on the university’s calendar. The Mokete will furthermore present and strengthen the university’s positioning in relation to multilingualism,” says Dr Van Staden.

The Mokete is furthermore presented in support of the ITP’s work streams on Teaching and Learning, Student and Staff Experience, and the Multi-Campus Model.

Simple Stories

  

 

Sheba lenaneo bakeng sa dintlha tse batsi 

Kopana le rona meketeng ka ho kena ho live broadcast ya Mokete ho KovsieFM le ho le utlwa le phela http://livestream.ufs.ac.za

Ho bontsha tshehetso ya yona boitlamong le boitlhapanyong ba ho kgothaletsa tikoloho e nang le dipuo tse ngata tse fapaneng, le ditso tse ngaka tse fapaneng bakeng sa moifo, baithuti le batho ba bang ba nang le seabo, Yunivesithi ya Freistata e tla baamohedi ba mokete wa pele wa Kovsies Multilingual Mokete mona Khemphaseng ya Bloemfontein mohla la 18 Lwetse 2019. 

“Mokete o sebebetsa jwalo ka boikitlaetso ba setheo sa thuto ka sepheo sa ho kgothaletsa mokete o hokahanyang le o kenyeletsang dipuo tsa sebaka sena le ditso tse kenyeletswang Molaong wa Tsamaiso kapa yona Pholisi ya Dipuo ya UFS (UFS Language Policy). Yunivesithi e lakatsa hore motho e mong le e mong a be le boikutlo ba hore o lapeng, le hore ba ka ba motlotlo ka setso le puo ya bona. Re boela re lakatsa hore ba tsebe hore motho e mong le e mong o bohlokwa; hore motho e mong le e mong o na le lentswe le hore e mong le e mong a ka ba le tlatsetso ho hahuweng ha setso se kgothaletsang boipabolo le mesebetsi e tswileng matsoho,” ho bolela jwalo Ngaka Engela van Staden, Motlatsi wa Morektoro: Akhademiki le Modulasetulo wa Komiti ya Dipuo ya UFS. 

#IHaveAVoice #KeNaLeLenstoe #EkHetnStem #Nginezwi

Nakong ya mokete ona, moifo le baithuti ho tswa dikhamphaseng kaofela tse tharo tsa UFS ba tla kgona ho hlahisa powaneng mokete ona ka sebopeho sa mesebetsi ya bonono ba dintho tse bonahalang, mesebetsi e bopilweng ka letsopa, ho pheta dipale, diterama, le ka mmino - ka dipuo tse ka sehloohong tsa UFS e leng Senyesemane, SeAfrikaanse, Sesotho, SeZulu le ka Puo ya Matsoho ya Afrika Borwa (South African Sign Language).

Bakeng sa nako yohle ya Mokete, “Red Square” e kapele ho mohaho o Moholo, e tla rehwa lebitso jwalo ka “Mokete Square.” Scaena Theatre e tla ba moamohedi wa dipontsho tsa mesebetsi ya bonono, tlhahiso ya terama e bitswang Dogg’s Hamlet hammoho le pontsho ya filimi ya The Visitor. 

Kopana le rona le #FillUptheMoketeSquare le motshwantshisi ya tsejwang haholo wa Early B le Simple Stories jwalo ka ha ba tle be ba thabisa matshwele a tshwantshisa jwalo ka diketsahalo tse dihelang dikgala tsa Mokete Main Stage ka 19:00.  Dihlopha tsa dibini (choirs) tsa baithuti ho tswa Dikhamphaseng tsa rona tsa South le QwaQwa Campuses le tsona tse tla bina
 
Ho tla boetse ho be le mabenkele a manyenyane a dijo tsa ditso tse fapaneng tse rekisang dijo tse rothisang mathe tsa setso tse jwalo ka hlooho ya Nku, di-Bunny chow and di-Koeksisters mme ha ho potang hore sena se tla thabisa batho ba habo rona ba ratang dijo. 

Lebenkeleng la KovsieGear ho tla ba le dintho tsa meetso yohle tse ka rekwang tsa Multilingual Mokete hammoho le tuku e kgethehileng bakeng sa ho keteka Mokete, kahoo o ka sebedisa mokotlwane wa difoto o tla fumaneha lebenkleng bakeng sa ho nka difoto ka diaparo tse ntlehadi tsa setso.  Kamora moo, o ka uplouda difoto tsa hao o sebedisa #KovsiesMultilingualMokete le ho tag ho UFS at @UFSWeb ho Twitter, @ufs/uv ho Instagram. Difoto tse hlano tse nang le ditjhebahalo tse ipabolang di tla fumana meputso e itseng e hlollang. 

Ho ya ka Ngaka van Staden, UFS e itlamme hore e tla bopa tikoloho e amohelang dipuo tse ngata tse fapaneng mme e tshepa ho etsa hore Kovsies Multilingual Mokete e tla ba ketsahalo ya selemo le selemo mme e tla potolohiswa dikhamphaseng tse tharo. “Re motlotlo haholo ho ba baamohedi ba ketsahalo ya sebopeho sena mme re dumela hore e tla ba e nnete ya diketsahalo tseo re tla di thoholetsa le ho di rolela kgaebana diketsahalong tsa alamanaka ya yunivesithi. Mokete o tla boela o hlahise le ho matlafatsa boemo ba yunivesithi mabapi le dipuo tse ngata le tse fapaneng,” ho boletse jwalo Ngaka van Staden. 

Kovsies Multilingual Mokete ya pele ho ya dipakane tse fuperweng hara ITP Teaching and Learning, Student and Staff Experience, le di-Multi-Campus Model work streams. 


Dintlha mabapi le Multilingual Mokete ke tse latelang: 

Letsatsi: La 18 Lwetse 2019 
Nako: 11:00-21:00
Sebaka: Mokete Square (Red Square), UFS Bloemfontein Campus
Moaparo: Diaparo tsa setso 

Dipotso:

Ikopanye le ufsmokete@ufs.ac.za bakeng sa tlhahisoleseding e eketsehileng. 

 

Sien hier program vir meer besonderhede

Neem aan die feestelikhede deel deur by die regstreekse uitsending van die Mokete op KovsieFM in te skakel en regstreeks daarna te luister by http://livestream.ufs.ac.za

Ter ondersteuning van sy verbintenis tot die bevordering van ’n veeltalige, multikulturele omgewing vir personeel, studente en ander belanghebbendes, gaan die Universiteit van die Vrystaat die eerste Kovsie Veeltalige Mokete op18 September 2019 op die Bloemfontein-kampus aanbied. 

“Die mokete dien as ’n institusionele inisiatief wat daarop gemik is om ’n gekoördineerde en inklusiewe viering van die streekstale en -kulture wat by die UV-taalbeleid ingesluit is, te bevorder. Die universiteit wil hê almal moet voel dat hulle behoort en dat hulle trots kan wees op hulle kultuur en taal. Ons wil ook hê hulle moet weet dat elke persoon tel; dat almal ’n stem het en dat hulle kan bydra om ’n kultuur te bou wat uitnemendheid inspireer,” sê dr Engela van Staden, Viserektor: Akademies en Voorsitter van die UV se Taalkomitee. 

#IHaveAVoice #KeNaLeLenstoe #EkHetnStem #Nginezwi

Tydens die fees sal personeel en studente van al drie UV-kampusse wat aan die fees deelneem, uiting aan hierdie viering kan gee in die vorm van visuele kuns, poësie, storievertelling, drama, musiek en sang in die dominante tale wat by die UV gepraat word, naamlik Engels, Afrikaans, Suid-Sotho, Zoeloe en Suid-Afrikaanse Gebaretaal. 

Die Rooiplein voor die Hoofgebou sal vir die duur van die mokete herdoop word na die ‘Moketeplein’. Die Scaena-teater sal gasheer wees vir ’n visuele kunsuitstalling, ’n dramaproduksie genaamd Dogg’s Hamlet, asook ’n vertoning van The Visitor. 

Sluit by ons aan en #VuldieMoketePlein saam met die bekende kunstenaars Early B en Simple Stories; hulle sal die skare vermaak as die afsluitingsvertonings op die Mokete-hoofverhoog om 19:00.  Die studentekore van ons Suid- en Qwaqwa-kampus sal ook optree.
 
Daar sal ook multikulturele kosstalletjies wees wat tipiese kulturele disse verkoop – van skaapkop en kerriebrood (bunny chow) tot koeksisters; dit sal kosliefhebbers beslis beïndruk. 

By die KovsieGear-stalletjie sal daar Veeltalige Mokete-handelsmerkartikels beskikbaar wees, asook ’n spesiale doek ter herdenking van die mokete. Maak dus gebruik van die fotokiosk wat by die stalletjie beskikbaar sal wees om jouself in jou beste kulturele drag op film vas te lê.  Daarna kan jy jou foto deur middel van #KovsiesVeeltaligeMokete oplaai en die UV by @UFSWeb op Twitter en @ufs/uv op Instagram merk. Die vyf foto’s met die meeste ‘hou van’ sal ongelooflike pryse ontvang. 

Volgens dr Van Staden is die UV daartoe verbind om ’n veeltalige omgewing te skep en hoop om van die Kovsie Veeltalige Mokete ’n jaarlikse geleentheid te maak wat afwisselend op die drie UV-kampusse gehou sal word. “Ons is trots om ’n geleentheid van hierdie aard aan te bied en glo dat dit een van die vlagskip-geleenthede op die Universiteit se kalender sal wees. Die mokete sal verder ook die universiteit se posisie in verhouding tot veeltaligheid stel en dit versterk,” sê dr Van Staden. 

Die Mokete is ooreenkomstig aan die doelwitte soos vervat in die ITP se werkstrome vir Onderrig en Leer, Studente- en Personeelervaring en Multikampusmodel. 

Die besonderhede van die Veeltalige Mokete is as volg:
 

Datum: 18 September 2019 
Tyd: 11:00-21:00
Plek: Moketeplein (Rooiplein), UV Bloemfontein-kampus
Drag: Tradisionele drag 

Navrae:

Kontak ufsmokete@ufs.ac.za vir meer inligting. 

 

Ngeminye imininingwane bheka uhlelo 

Yiba yingxenye yemigubho ngokuthi ubambe iqhaza uma sekusakazwa bukhoma iMokete kwiKovsieFM noma uyibuke bukhoma kwi-http://livestream.ufs.ac.za

Ukweseka isibophezelo sethu sokukhuthaza izilimi namasiko ehlukahlukene, kubasebenzi, abafundi nabo bonke ababambe iqhaza, iNyuvesi yaseFree State izosingatha ifestivali ye-Kovsies Multilingual Mokete ezokuba kwikhampasi yaseBloemfontein mhla ka 18 kuMandulo 2019. 

“IMokete wuhlelo oludidiyelwe ngesineke lwenyuvesi oluhlose ukukhuthaza ukugujwa kwezilimi namasiko ehlukahlukene abalulwe kwiNqubomgomo Yezilimi ye-UFS. Inyuvesi ifuna ukuba wonke umuntu ezizwe esekhaya, nokuthi abantu bangaziqhenya ngamasiko nezilimi zabo. Siyafuna futhi bazi ukuthi wonke umuntu unezwi nokuthi bangabamba iqhaza ekwakheni isiko elikhuthaza ukuphumelela,” kusho uDkt Engela van Staden, oyiPhini lika-Rector kwa-Academic aphinde abe nguSihlalo weKomidi Lezilimi e-UFS. 

#IHaveAVoice #KeNaLeLenstoe #EkHetnStem #Nginezwi

Ngesikhathi sefestivali, abasebenzi nabafundi kuwona womathathu amakhampasi ase-UFS abazobamba iqhaza, bazokwazi ukuba yingxenye yemigubho ngokukhangisa ngezithombe nemidwebo, izinkondlo, ukuxoxa izindaba, imidlalo yeshashalazi, umculo, namahubo ngezilimi ezidumile ezikhulunywa e-UFS, okuyisiNgisi, isiBhunu, IsiSuthu, IsiZulu, noLimi Lwezandla LwaseNingizimu Afrika.

Ngesikhathi kuqhubeka iMokete, iRed Square engaphambi kweMain Building izobizwa nge “Mokete Square”. I-Scaena Theatre izosingatha imibukiso yobuciko, umdlalo weshashalazi obizwa nge-Dog’s Hamlet, kanjalo nokukhonjiswa kwe-The Visitor. 

Hlanganyela kanye nathi kwi #FillUptheMoketeSquare okuzobe kukhona amaciko adumile i-Early B neSimple Stories, njengoba bezobe bejabulisa izihlwele uma sebevala umcimbi esiteji esikhulu seMokete ngo-19h00. Amakwaya abafundi ase-South Campus naseQwaqwa Campus nawo azobe eqhulula amanoni.
 
Kuzophinde kube namatafula okudla kwesintu okwehlukene azobe edayisa izibiliboco zesintu, kusukela kwinhloko yegusha, ibhanatshawe kuya kwi-koeksisters, lokhu kuzobajabulisa kakhulu abathandi bezibiliboco. 

Etafuleni leKovsieGear, kuzobe kunezimpahla ezibhalwe ngezilimi ezahlukene ezizobe zidayiswa, okubalwa kuzo amaduku akhethekile okubungaza iMokete. Ngakho-ke thatha ithuba lokuthatha isithombe endaweni yokuthatha izithombe lapho etafuleni ukhombise ngemvunulo yakho enhle. Ngemuva kwalokho, ungafaka izithombe zakho usebenzisa   i-#KovsiesMultilingualMokete, bese uxhuma i-UFS kwi@UFSWeb kwi-Twitter, ne-@ufs/uv kwi- Instagram. Izithombe eziyisihlanu ezithandwe kakhulu zizothola imiklomelo. 

Ngokusho kukaDkt Van Staden, i-UFS izibophezele ukwakha umphakathi lapho izilimi ezahlukene zemukelekile kanti wethemba ukuthi iKovsies Multilingual Mokete izokuba ngumcimbi waminyaka yonke ozobanjelwa kuwona womathathu amakhampasi ngokushintshana. “Siyaziqhenya ngokusingatha umcimbi walolu hlobo futhi sikholwa wukuthi uzokuba ngomunye wemicimbi esizigqajayo ngayo ekhalendeni lemicimbi yenyuvesi. IMokete izophinde iveze futhi iqinise umbono wenyuvesi uma kukhulunywa ngobuliminingi,” kusho uDkt Van Staden. 

Imininingwane yeMultilingual Mokete imi kanje: 

Usuku: 18 kuMandulo 2019 
Isikhathi: 11:00-21:00
Indawo: Mokete Square (Red Square), UFS Bloemfontein Campus
Ukugqoka: Imvunulo yesintu 

Imibuzo:
Ngolunye ulwazi xhumana ne: ufsmokete@ufs.ac.za

 


News Archive

Moshoeshoe - lessons from an African icon - by Prof Frederick Fourie
2004-11-03

(The full text of the article that appeared in City Press and Sunday Independent)

Our understanding of history informs our understanding of the present. No wonder the contestation over historical figures in South Africa’s past is so fierce and so divisive.
The question is: could it be any other way? I would like to think that it could; that black and white South Africans, across linguistic, cultural, religious and other divides, can develop a shared appreciation of our history – at least with certain periods and personalities as a starting point.

One such personality whose legacy I believe offers a possible platform for unifying our still divided country is King Moshoeshoe, who lived from 1786 to 1870, and is acknowledged as the founder of the Basotho.

King Moshoeshoe is the topic of a documentary that has been commissioned by the University of the Free State as part of its Centenary celebrations this year. It is part of a larger project to honour and research the legacy of Moshoeshoe. The documentary will be screened on SABC 2 at 21:00 on November 4th.

Moshoeshoe rose to prominence at a time of great upheaval and conflict in South Africa – the 19th century, a time when British colonialism was entrenching itself, when the Boer trekkers were migrating from the Cape and when numerous indigenous chiefdoms and groupings were engaged in territorial conquests. It was the time of the Difaqane, a period when society in the central parts of the later South Africa and Lesotho was fractured, destabilised and caught in a cycle of violence and aggression.

In this period Moshoeshoe displayed a unique and innovative model of leadership that resulted in reconciliation, peace and stability in the area that later became Lesotho and Free State. It made him stand out from many of his contemporaries and also caught the attention of his colonial adversaries.

Such an evaluation is not a judgment about which model of leadership is right and which is wrong, or which leader was better than another; but merely an attempt to explore what we can learn from a particular exemplar.
|
Historians point to the many progressive leadership qualities displayed by Moshoeshoe which he used effectively in establishing the Basotho nation and in defending it.
First, there is his humanism and sense of justice worthy of any great statesman. Confronted by a situation in which cannibals murdered and devoured his grandfather, Moshoeshoe chose not to take revenge. Instead he opted to rehabilitate them and feed them as he believed hunger drove them to cannibalism.

Secondly, there is his skilful alliance-building with his contemporaries such as Shaka in an attempt to neutralize those rivals who were intent on attacking his followers. This is also displayed in the way he sought the protection of the British to keep the Boer forces at bay.
Thirdly, his emphasis on peaceful options is also seen in his defensive military strategy which saw him retreat to a mountain fortress to be able to protect and build a burgeoning nation in the face of the many forces threatening its survival.

Fourthly, there is his remarkable inclusivity and tolerance for diversity which saw him unite disparate groups of refugees from the violence and hunger that displaced them and then weld them into the Basotho nation. He also engaged with French missionaries, inviting them to stay with him and advise him on Western thought, technology and religion.
These are but some of the qualities which belie the notion that all 19th century African leaders were merely marauders and conquerors that gained their ascendancy through violence. Instead Moshoeshoe is a prime example of the human-centred, democratic and pluralist roots of South African, indeed African society.

The Moshoeshoe project that we have initiated (of which the documentary, called “The Renaissance King”, forms but one part) derives from our location as a university in the Free State, a province with a particular history and a particular political culture that developed as a result of this very model of leadership. This province has benefited tremendously from leaders such as Moshoeshoe and president MT Steyn, both of whom many observers credit with establishing a climate of tolerance, respect for diversity of opinion, political accommodation and peaceful methods of pursuing political objectives in the province. Their legacy is real – and Moshoeshoe’s role can not be overstated.
In addition the project derives from the University of the Free State being a site of higher learning in a broader geo-political sense. As a university in Africa we are called upon to understand and critically engage with this history, this context and this legacy.
Besides the documentary, the UFS is also planning to establish an annual Moshoeshoe memorial lecture which will focus on and interrogate models of African leadership, nation-building, reconciliation, diversity management and political tolerance.

In tackling such projects, there may be a temptation to engage in myth-making. It is a trap we must be wary of, especially as an institution of higher learning. We need to ask critical questions about some aspects of Moshoeshoe’s leadership but of current political leadership as well. Thus there is a need for rigorous academic research into aspects of the Moshoeshoe legacy in particular but also into these above-mentioned issues.
While the documentary was commissioned to coincide with the University of the Free State’s centenary and our country’s ten years of democracy, it is a project that has a much wider significance. It is an attempt to get people talking about our past and about our future, as a campus, as a province and as a country – even as a continent, given the NEPAD initiatives to promote democracy and good governance.

The project therefore has particular relevance for the continued transformation of institutions such as universities and the transformation of our society. Hopefully it will assist those who are confronted by the question how to bring about new institutional cultures or even a national political culture that is truly inclusive, tolerant, democratic, non-sexist, non-racial, multilingual and multicultural.

I believe that the Moshoeshoe model of leadership can be emulated and provide some point of convergence. A fractured society such as ours needs points of convergence, icons and heroes which we can share. Moshoeshoe is one such an African icon – in a world with too few of them.

Prof Frederick Fourie is the Rector and Vice-Chancellor of the University of the Free State

* The documentary on “Moshoeshoe: The Renaissance King” will be screened on SABC2 on 4 November 2004 at 21:00.

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