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20 September 2019 | Story Rulanzen Martin | Photo Charl Devenish
Kovsies Multilingual Mokete
The Multilingual Mokete embodies the ideals of the university to become inclusive, while promoting a multicultural environment.

The first Kovsies Multilingual Mokete was a celebration of language and culture; it is a commitment by the University of the Free State (UFS) to nurture an attitude of inclusiveness and acceptance on all three of its campuses. Hosted on the Bloemfontein Campus on Wednesday 18 September 2019, the mokete was a hype of activity with drama, poetry, music, dance, and scrumptious cultural cuisine.

“This initiative was coordinated to promote and celebrate all our regional languages, but also important – our regional cultures.” This was the words of Prof Francis Petersen, Rector and Vice-Chancellor of the UFS, on opening the first Kovsies Multilingual Mokete.

The Mokete stage came alive with the impeccable voices of our students and staff as they personified multilingualism through the spoken word in the form of poems, the drama production, Dogg’s Hamlet in the Scaena, praise songs, and dance. A mural featuring individual artworks was also on display during the mokete, as well as a screening of the movie, The Visitor.

The Mokete was concluded by Simple Stories, a band of former Kovsie students, with Early B as the main act.  The People’s Choice Award winner of the day was Soetbravado, winners of the UFS SingOff competition.

“I think the inaugural Multilanguage festival is full of potential. Tolerance and understanding of different cultures are what I see here. I think it’s amazing and I would recommend the UFS to continue with it,” says Jon-Dylon Petersen, former SRC member and final-year Quantity Surveying and Construction Management student. 

Kovsies First Multilingual Mokete
The traditional outfits made for a colourful Mokete. Photo:Charl Devenish

Mokete part of UFS project to foster sense of belonging


The mokete is furthermore presented in support of the Integrated Transformation Plan (ITP) work streams on Teaching and Learning, Student and Staff Experience, and the Multi-Campus Model. “As a university, we are proud of the many languages and cultures which form part of this university. It creates a level of diversity and it is through diversity that we can build strength within the university,” says Prof Petersen. 

This initiative of multilingualism is part of the university’s language policy, which promotes a sense of belonging and acceptance among people. “We want to create opportunities and platforms and campuses where everyone should feel welcome, and to create the ability for each culture and language group to also learn from one another.”

The ultimate goal is to use the multilingual initiatives to prepare our students for the multilingual and multicultural world, but also to stay connected to our own heritage and background. 

Dogg's Hamlet
The play Dogg's Hamlet was showcased in the Scaena Theatre during the Mokete. Photo: Charl Devenish

Mokete should become an annual event 


The reaction to the mokete was overwhelmingly positive and it was well received in the Kovsie community. “It’s a beautiful experience to see how academics can come to a university and showcase not only different languages, but different cultures; it’s something which should continue in the spirit of ubuntu and diversity, and can maybe become a national festival,” says Almondreaux Williams, third-year LLB student.

Not only was the mokete a celebration of multilingualism at the UFS; it was also a platform to express different cultures in the form of traditional attire.

''It’s getting people together. All of us, all the cultural groups are here together. The performances were awesome,” says Sibongile Witbooi, a third-year Geology student and Residence Committee member for Culture at Akasia residence. 

Multilingual Mokete
Authentic South African cuisine was on the menu for the day. Moketers could enjoy array of flavours from bobotie and rice to
chesanyama and pap. Photo: Charl Devenish


News Archive

UFS Library book launch programme fosters dialogue between students and authors
2017-03-30

Description: Library book launch 2017 Tags: Library book launch 2017

The University of the Free State (UFS) Sasol Library has hosted a series of book launches since 2016, bringing to the Bloemfontein Campus various new and seasoned authors who share their stories with the campus audiences. The Launch Your Book at the Library Programme hosted two authors on 23 March 2017, Itumeleng Sekhu and Marcia Ramodike. Both authors spoke about their life-changing experiences and shared their heart-wrenching stories, filled with courage and hope. 

“Libraries must take the lead in creating dialogue, expression of ideas and inculcating a culture of reading and writing. This programme was also established to bridge the gap and find ways to encourage students to read and write, by creating a platform where they can interact with authors and see that people who write books are ordinary people with real stories to tell,” said Marcus Maphile, Assistant Director: Library Marketing and Community Engagement.

Speaking about her book, Itumeleng Sekhu described her experiences from childhood and her life as a disabled person after being severely burnt in a fire accident in her home as a baby.  She said: “I tried to commit suicide several times because I had lost hope. Eventually after failing to do so, I realised at some point that it was time for me to let my light shine through.” She wrote her book, titled What Do You See?, which has received substantial media coverage, to encourage others who live with painful experiences, disabilities and what she terms “internal wounds”, hoping that her experiences could help to heal them.

Marcia Ramodike’s book, An Empty Pride to a Full Price, paints a picture of her life as a youth grappling with adult issues. She describes her pain after her mother’s death, and her constant battle with the legacy of the difficult socio-economic conditions she grew up in. When students asked Ramodike what she thought the right time was to write a book, she responded, “today is the right time to write your story”.

The UFS Library has hosted 16 book launches since 2016, with the biggest being the launch of Zubeida Jaffer’s book Beauty of the Heart. The programme aims to provide access to information and to share and debate ideas in support of democracy and freedom of speech.

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