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27 August 2020 | Story Eugene Seegers | Photo Jolandi Griesel
Siphokazi Dlwati - Faculty of Theology and Religion
Sipho Dlwati lives to help others.
Siphokazi Dlwati believes in mentoring. Not only in being mentored, but in mentoring others as well. In fact, this is her life’s philosophy. As she puts it: “I am convinced that each one of us has the potential to be absolutely great at everything we do; but I also believe that we need assistance from those who have gone before us, people who have acquired the necessary skills and knowledge to guide and caution us.”

Sipho strives to be such a model and mentor: “I believe that everything I learn is not just for my benefit, but it is for the benefit of those who are looking up to me, those who are interested in my journey and how I have managed to make it a level or a step further than where they are.” 

“Good relationships are the
real measure of true success.”
—Siphokazi Dlwati,
Faculty of Theology and Religion

Please tell us about yourself

“I am the Teaching and Learning Manager in the Faculty of Theology and Religion. I see my role at the institution as that of a middleman between faculty staff, students, and the institution. Mine is to ensure that all three entities hear and understand each other’s needs. On one hand, institutional teaching and learning strategies and policies need to be disseminated at faculty level for input and later implementation to the betterment of the teaching and learning experience for both staff and students. On the other hand, the institutional culture needs to evolve and be more sensitive to the needs of its students and staff, inevitably adjusting its policies and strategies to better accommodate all Kovsies!”

What do you do at the university?

“I am inspired by all the women I am surrounded by, be it at home, work or even in social spaces. There is a common thread among all of them. Their strength, resilience, and courage to always try, even when it seems futile, is not only encouraging but also enabling, as it says, ‘I can also achieve much in my life’.”

What advice would you give to a 15-year-old you?
“Loss has helped me to channel my energies constructively. Realising that nothing lasts forever has motivated me to never take anyone or anything for granted.

Against all your pursuits, never compromise the value of relationships for commodities. Good relationships are the real measure of true success. Umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu. Let that pace you!”

Is there a woman who inspires you and who you would like to celebrate this Women’s Month, and why?

“I think my desire and commitment to see our staff and students grow from one level of success to the next is what makes me a champion woman. We all have the potential to be great at whatever we put our minds to, but we do need assistance from others. We need guidance from those who have gone before us and acquired the necessary information and skills to guide us as people journeying behind them. I believe that everything I learn and acquire should not solely benefit me, but others as well.”

News Archive

Another boost for sport at the UFS
2005-10-13

A contract formalizing the appointment of Sports Plan (Pty) Ltd was signed by Prof Verschoor and Mr Morne du Plessis in the historic Main Building of the UFS Bloemfontein campus.

 

The University of the Free State (UFS) has officially appointed Sports Plan (Pty) Ltd, which has former Springbok rugby captain Morné du Plessis as managing director, to manage its Centre for Exercise and Sport Science Services (CESSS) on the Bloemfontein campus.

According to Prof Teuns Verschoor, Vice-Rector: Academic Operations, the appointment of Sports Plan (Pty) Ltd is another step in the implementation of the UFS’s wide-ranging sport strategy to improve sport facilities and elevate formerly marginalized sports such as soccer, hockey, netball, tennis etc.

Sports Plan (Pty) Ltd is the manager of the Sports Science Institute of South Africa and coordinates and manages the national basketball high-performance programme of SA Basketball, as well as the Boxing Academy on behalf of Boxing South Africa. 

“It is also actively involved with the sports plans of several tertiary institutions like that of the University of Johannesburg and the University of Stellenbosch,” said Prof Verschoor.

“Sports Plan (Pty) Ltd was also appointed by the Ministry of Sport and Recreation to manage the allocation of sports codes to high-performance centres and to oversee the allocation of monies received from the National Lottery to these centres – this includes the CESSS at the UFS,” Prof Verschoor added.

In unfolding its national sports plan, the Ministry of Sport and Recreation has already identified the UFS-based CESSS as the high-performance testing centre for the national basketball teams whilst the national boxing teams are also earmarked to be trained at the UFS.

“We are glad to be associated with a company of this stature and look forward to work with them in the further development of sports at the UFS,” said Prof Verschoor.

According to Prof Verschoor, the CESSS will act as a centralised body that is responsible for the coordination and management of joint initiatives between professional service providers, research projects and KovsieSport.

“The centre will also coordinate and manage joint initiatives between various academic programmes in different academic subject fields such as sports medicine, bio kinetics, physiotherapy, dietetics, etc. ,” said Prof Verschoor.

These initiatives will help the UFS to become a centre and catalyst of sports development, to become internationally recognised in the field of exercise and sports science research and to become a centre for high quality sports performance enhancement.

Some of the objectives of the CESSS are:

  •  

  • To provide sports science services like to athletes, students, the general public and other stakeholders including certain national sport teams.
  • To provide the necessary teaching and training facilities and internship opportunities for UFS students in sports related fields of study will also be provided by the centre like human movement science.
  • To present skills-transfer programmes directed at the broader community like development of skills in various sporting codes.
  • To continue and extend the current chronic risk reversal programmes presented by the Department of Human Movement Science such as obesity management, cardiac rehabilitation and other lifestyle related conditions.

The centre was founded in 2003 and was until now managed by Dr Louis Holtzhausen, from Kovsie Health and a consultant, Dr Gary Vorster. 

A contract formalizing the appointment of Sports Plan (Pty) Ltd was signed today by Prof Verschoor and Mr Morne du Plessis in the historic Main Building of the UFS Bloemfontein campus.

 

 

 

 

The manager of the centre appointed by Sports Plan (Pty) Ltd is Mr Charles Store, an alumnus of the UFS, previously employed at the Sports Science Institute in Cape Town and by the SANDF at 3 Military Hospital, Bloemfontein.

 

Media release
Issued by: Anton Fisher
Director: Strategic Communication
072-207-8334
12 October 2005
 

 

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