Latest News Archive

Please select Category, Year, and then Month to display items

UFS athletes unite against GBV

07 August 2020 | Story Jóhann Thormählen | Photo Varsity Sports

Shindre Lee_read more — Shindré-Lee Simmons, Kovsies’ women’s hockey captain, has represented South Africa at U21 level and has been playing for the UFS for five years.

It is time to unite and stand up against gender-based violence (GBV) to address and eradicate this scourge in society. This is the strong message from female athletes of the University of the Free State (UFS) in a month where the focus will be on women. As South Africa commemorates Women’s Day on 9 August 2020, the UFS shines a spotlight on women, calling on all South Africans to challenge, fight, and eradicate all forms of gender-based violence.

Speaking out against GBV, UFS sport stars Sne Mdletshe, Lynique Beneke, Shindré-Lee Simmons, Kesa Molotsane, Casey-Jean Botha, Lefébre Rademan, and Noxolo Magudu have partnered with KovsieSport in condemning any form of violence against women. They added their voices to a video campaign aimed at raising awareness of violence against women. The campaign involves athletes, coaches, administrators, and alumni, and consists of a series of videos that will be featured on UFS platforms.

Increasing impact

Mdletshe, Kovsies’ netball captain, is one of the sports stars featured in the first video of the series. She says it is crucial to address GBV. “We need to tackle it head on, because we cannot carry on like this.”

UFS Olympic long jumper, Lynique Beneke, says GBV needs attention, as it will only get worse if not addressed seriously. “This has been breeding for decades, where it’s acceptable or often justified.

_{Kovsie long jumper, Lynique Beneke, is in the South African}_{Olympic squad and
will be in contention to take part in her}_{second Olympic Games in Tokyo in 2021.}
_Photo:_{Hannes Naude}

Shindré-Lee Simmons, Kovsies’ women’s hockey captain, says it is important to be frank about GBV in South Africa, “as its prevalence has had an increasing impact on families and the country”

Influence of sport

Godfrey Tenoff, Head of the KovsieSport GBV campaign, says the video campaign will be a continuous project for Kovsiesport, as GBV is a threat to everyone, including UFS sportsmen and sportswomen. “This is specifically crucial during the COVID-19 pandemic. Sport will be an integral part of our strategy to highlight and eventually eradicate gender-based violence."

Unique platform

Simmons says it is crucial for sports stars to use the platform they have to address the issue and educate others.

“We as athletes have the platform to speak up and people will listen,” says Mdletshe.

_{Sne Mdletshe, KovsieSport Junior Sportswoman of 2019, was}_{appointed captain of the
Kovsies netball team in 2020. S}_{he is also the captain of the Baby Proteas.}
_{Photo: Varsity Sports}

According to Beneke, sport can promote change. “We are uniquely positioned to support and model healthy relationships, values, and norms that can reduce and end gender-based violence.

Watch the first video, called ‘Enough’, as part of the KovsieSport campaign against GBV.

News Archive

Monkey research attracts international attention

2016-07-11

Prof Trudy Turner from the University of
Wisconsin-Milwaukee and Prof Paul Grobler
from the Department of Genetics at the
University of the Free State, together with one
of the students researching monkey genes.
Photo: Siobhan Canavan

For this year’s Summer School programme, Prof Paul Grobler, from the University of the Free State Department of Genetics focuses on research about the conflict between monkeys and humans in areas where monkeys are regarded as problem animals.

Global expert part of research

This year, Prof Grobler is hosting a group of students and lecturers from the United States of America (USA). The group includes Prof Trudy Turner from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM), a global expert on vervet monkeys. She has been working with the Department of Genetics at the UFS for the past fifteen years, and has also been appointed as an Affiliated Professor in the department.

“The Summer School programme is an opportunity for the American Primatology students to gain practical experience in Africa,” says Prof Grobler.

International interest in Summer School

This year’s Summer School programme involves four lecturers and nine students. The lecturers are from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM), the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Boston University, and Central Washington University.

“We use the genetic information to determine
how monkeys historically infiltrated the
different areas in South Africa.”

This year’s focus is on the genetic structure of the monkeys in South Africa, and research that is being done on the differences and similarities in monkeys from different areas. “We use the genetic information to determine how monkeys historically infiltrated the different areas in South Africa,” says Prof Grobler.

Local nature reserve acting as host

The group will perform field work, including observing monkeys in the Soetdoring Nature Reserve, as well as laboratory work in the department, where they will be assisted by two laboratory technicians.

Two years ago, Prof Grobler and his department tested this idea on a smaller scale, and now they hope to make this a regular event.

Back

Economic and Management Sciences

Education

Health Sciences

The Humanities

Law

Natural and Agricultural Sciences

Theology and Religion

Open Distance Learning

Business School

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