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With the University of the Free State (UFS) academic programme suspended and following guidelines by the UFS Coronavirus (COVID-19/SARS-CoV-2) Task Team to minimise the gathering of people in one place, all UFS libraries will be closed from Friday 20 March to Monday 13 April 2020.
During this time, staff and students will not have any access to the following campus and branch libraries of the UFS Library and Information Services:
• Sasol Library (Bloemfontein Campus)
• Neville Alexander Library (South Campus)
• TK Mopeli Library (Qwaqwa Campus)
• Frik Scott Medical Library (Bloemfontein Campus)
• Music Library (Bloemfontein Campus)
The university community is advised as follows:
• Use Wednesday (18 March) and Thursday (19 March) to borrow books you might need during the long recess. During these two days, students are advised to take precautionary measures and avoid sitting in groups that might compromise their health.
• During this time, all due dates for borrowed material will be automatically extended, no late fines will be charged, and patrons can return material when libraries reopen.
• Please make use of the ‘Ask-a-Librarian’ service for any assistance you might require (go to the UFS Library and Information Services website – click Library Services – click Ask-a-Librarian); OR use the UFS Library social media.
• The UFS Library and Information Services will also be available on a new ‘LiveChat’ service accessible here (listed under Resources – LibGuides). With this service, you can connect ‘live’ with your information librarian.
• All planned activities for the South African Library Week are postponed until further notice.
Head of SA Witness Protection Programme pays UFS a visit
2010-05-04
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Receiving the Head of the South African Witness Protection Programme are, in front: Prof. Hennie Oosthuizen, Head of the Department of Criminal and Medical Law at the UFS; back: Adv. Beatri Kruger from the UFS Unit for Children’s Rights, Ms Lani Opperman, Member of the Free State Human Trafficking Forum (FHF), Adv. John Welch, Head of the Witness Protection Programme in South Africa; and Lene van Zyl, a LLM student at the UFS who is doing her thesis on human trafficking in body parts.
Photo: Leonie Bolleurs |
Recently Adv. Beatri Kruger from the Unit for Children’s Rights in the Faculty of Law at the University of the Free State (UFS) invited Adv. John Welch, Head of the Witness Protection Programme in South Africa, to address the Free State Human Trafficking Forum (FHF) on the safe-keeping of victims who are witnesses against human traffickers.
Human trafficking is prevalent in the Free State, especially in Bloemfontein. The Unit for Children’s Rights is one of the founding members of the FHF that was established to take action against and fight the disturbing reality of human trafficking more efficiently.
According to Adv. Kruger the FHF identified the problem of trafficked witnesses being threatened by human trafficker syndicates.
Adv. Welch made some suggestions with regard to the safe-keeping of trafficked victims. He also, with some of the forum members, paid a visit to the areas in Bloemfontein where human trafficking is prevalent as well as to the local shelter for trafficked victims.
Adv. Welch undertook to join forces with the FHF in assisting trafficked victims and the local Witness Protection Programme Office is now a member of the forum.
Since December 2009 members of the FHF managed to disrupt the work of the human trafficking syndicates. “The traffickers have not stopped this inhumane practice but there are indications that they have moved to other buildings in the inner city and even to houses in the suburbs. It was reported to the forum that approximately 27 males suspected of being involved in human trafficking had been arrested, and since they are illegal in the country, they were deported to their countries of origin,” said Adv. Kruger.