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18 July 2020 | Story Amanda Thongha

Staff, students and other stakeholders of the University of the Free State (UFS) can look forward to a virtual music show honouring the values and beliefs of former President Nelson Mandela. Musicians such as Simple Stories, Sibongile Mngoma, Boitumelo Mohutsioa, and Lucy Sehloho have prepared performances that will be showcased on UFS communication platforms on 31 July. Concluding Mandela Month celebrations, the pre-recorded show will also feature performances by poets Braithan Moratwa and Zilungile Muqayi. The show is coordinated by the Division of Student Affairs at the UFS.  

Angelo Mockie, Senior Officer: Arts, Culture and Dialogue at Student Affairs, says the show was primarily produced to convey a message of hope, solidarity, and support to the UFS community. “We chose Mandela Month to publish it, because those are the values that he believed in. Now more than ever, we need to stand together as a community to find ways of adapting to the new normal.”

In a message to UFS staff acknowledging the life and legacy of Nelson Mandela, Prof Francis Petersen, Rector and Vice-Chancellor, said Madiba’s example of compassion and courage made him one of the best-known leaders in the world.
“His life was a true inspiration and his devotion to democracy, equality, learning, and caring for others have earned him the respect of communities around the world.

This year, the significance of Mandela Day will be even more important than ever before, as we demonstrate caring by looking after ourselves, our families, and those around us, while we navigate through the pandemic. Caring provides purpose, but also the motivation to fulfil that purpose. The COVID-19 pandemic should enable us to imagine a world that is fairer, safer, more stable, secure, and one that can prosper.”

Taking Action

Heeding the call to take action and inspire change on Nelson Mandela’s birthday, you can read the following articles about the UFS making every day a Mandela Day:

The shelter and the students – a triumph of social impact

South Campus delivers much-needed educational support during pandemic

News Archive

Postgraduate studies can open doors to a successful career – Top 50 Economics students advised
2016-10-18

Description: Top 50 Economics students  Tags: Top 50 Economics students

Economics 4: Students Veda Hendrikse and Merrylyn Shumba, Chris Scheepers (Sanlam), Dr Johan Coetzee and Johannes de Klerk (Sanlam).
Photo: Leatitia Pienaar

The Department of Economics in the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences held a reception for its top 50 students on 10 October 2016 on the Bloemfontein Campus.

Speaking at the event, Mr Rocco Carr, business development manager at Glacier Investments by Sanlam, encouraged students to enrol for postgraduate studies in Economics and Financial Economics. He said the South African economy was not stable at the moment due to various factors such as politics. However, it was interwoven with the global economy and circumstances might change to make the country prosperous again in the future. ”The interest rates, the upcoming presidential election in the US, the economic changes in China, Brexit, and the economic changes in the European Union are some of the factors that are at play in the South African economy,” he said.

He further encouraged students to be prepared for the workplace by developing their work ethic and learning to take responsibility as this would help them grow a successful career despite economic volatility.

Dr Johan Coetzee, acting head of the Department of Economics, said the three honours programmes – Economics, Financial Economics and Investment Management, and Applied Econometrics – were internationally accredited and could open many doors to students. “Training is not only about what you can do, also how you think and how you manage people. Managing people has become more important than ever before,” Coetzee said.

The department hosts its top 50 students each year to expose them to courses they can take at postgraduate level and the career opportunities that lie ahead.


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