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Urban and regional planner receives prestigious Stals prize

22 May 2020 | Story Leonie Bolleurs | Photo Supplied

Prof Das Steyn — Prof Das Steÿn was announced as the recipient of the prestigious Stals Prize this week (19 May 2020), awarded by the Suid-Afrikaanse Akademie vir Wetenskap en Kuns.

Prof Das Steÿn, former Head and currently a research fellow in the Department of Urban and Regional Planning at the University of the Free State (UFS), has been named the recipient of the prestigious Stals Prize this week (19 May 2020), awarded by the Suid-Afrikaanse Akademie vir Wetenskap en Kuns (South African Academy for Science and Arts).

The current Head of the Department, Prof Maléne Campbell, together with two academics from the North-West University, Profs Juanée Cilliers (Head of the Urban and Regional Planning group) and Ewert Kleynhans (School of Economic Sciences), nominated Prof Steyn for the award.

A lifetime’s work

The Stals Prize for Urban and Regional Planning was awarded to Prof Steÿn, based on his numerous publications in Afrikaans, the important role he played in the planning profession in South Africa, his major contribution to the planning of literature, as well as the academic development of urban and regional planning. The award recognises Prof Steÿn for a lifetime's work in the field of urban and regional planning – including his appointment as a lecturer (1980-2009) and also for his time as editor of the journal Stads-en Streekbeplanning / Town and Regional Planning / Meralo ya Ditoropo le Mabatowa (2000-2019).

“As editor of the journal for Urban and Regional Planning, Prof Steÿn set a very high standard. So much so that this UFS journal was listed earlier this year on the international SciELO (Scientific Electronic Library Online), a Norwegian database. As an academic, his research and theoretical knowledge of normative planning are also highly regarded,” says Prof Campbell.

Motivating Prof Steÿn’s nomination for the Stals Prize, Prof Campbell states that as editor, he has sought to highlight issues in the South African planning industry through well-founded headlines. “The journal also grew from a small local journal to a journal that is being read every month in more than 60 countries on the free access platform,” she adds.

In addition to this journal, Prof Steÿn has also published in other journals and written books that have appeared bilingually in South Africa. Then there is also a work that has appeared in Dutch in the Netherlands with his contribution in Afrikaans.

He applied a combination of the urbanistic concept with Christian philosophy in his work and published some articles on the topic.

Distinction between thought and action

Prof Steÿn says that in urbanistics, a distinction is made between the framework of thought and action. It is a matter of answering the ‘what?’, ‘how?’, and ‘why?’ questions.

He believes urbanistics is particularly useful in public participation to bring the various role players in planning together. It makes it possible to distinguish between the considerable number of factors that complicate matters. South Africa, with its unique situation regarding planning, may be able to make good use of this concept.

As example, he uses the matter of providing basic services such as electricity to a community. “At the first level of infrastructure, the problem of providing electricity is easy to solve: x people use y units, implying that z units must be provided. This solves the ‘what?’ part of the problem. The ‘how?’ question in the superstructure is also relatively easy to answer. Different engineers may have different solutions about the appropriate design of the distribution network and how it should link to the greater whole. Still, in the end, the most effective design will be sufficient.”

“The major crisis is in the ‘why?’ question. At the ideological level, basic services mean different things to different people. Basic services to the Marxist are a right that every person must receive free of charge, while the capitalist considers it a commodity that every human being should pay for to receive.”

“This simple example shows that there is a definite difference in viewpoints about the mere provision of electricity and that these attitudes of people will, as a matter of course, influence the planning process itself,” he explains.

Recognising outstanding work

The Suid-Afrikaanse Akademie vir Wetenskap en Kuns awards the Stals Prize for, among others, high-quality publications or a series of high-quality publications (preferably in Afrikaans) whereby extraordinary contributions are made to the practice of science.

News Archive

Help to rural women to become entrepreneurs

2006-10-24

Some of the guests who attended the ceremony were, from the left: Mr Donray Malabie (Head of the Alexander Forbes Community Trust), Ms Jemina Mokgosi (one of the ladies from Tabane Village who is participating in the Women in Agriculture project), Dr Limakatso Moorosi (Head: Veterinary Services, Free State Department of Agriculture), Prof Johan Greyling (Head: UFS Department of Animal and Wildlife and Grassland Sciences) and Ms Khoboso Lehloenya (coordinator of the project from UFS Department of Animal and Wildlife and Grassland Sciences). Photo: Leonie Bolleurs\

Alexander Forbes and UFS help rural women to become entrepreneurs

Today, the Alexander Forbes Community Trust and the University of the Free State (UFS) joined forces to create an enabling environment for rural women to become players in the private sector.

Three years ago the UFS set up a unique small-scale household egg production project called Women in Agriculture in Thaba ‘Nchu as a pilot project. The project was officially launched today by Mr Donray Malabie, Head of the Alexander Forbes Community Trust.

The aim of the Women in Agriculture Project is to create jobs, provide food security and to help develop rural women into entrepreneurs. A total of 25 women based in Tabane Village in Thaba ‘Nchu are the beneficiaries of the project.

“This is the first project in the Free State the Alexander Forbes Community Trust is involved with. The project would help rural women acquire the skills they need to run their own egg-production business from their homes,” said Mr Malabie.

“The ongoing debate on the shortage of skills ignores the fact that people with little or no education at all also need training. This project is special to the Trust as it provides for the creation of sustainable jobs, food security and the transfer of much needed skills all at once, particularly at this level,” he said.

Every woman in the group started with two small mobile cages that housed 12 hens each. The units are low in cost, and made of commercially available welded mesh and a metal frame. Now, each woman has four cages with 48 hens. The group manages to collectively produce 750 eggs daily.

The eggs are currently sold to local businesses, including spaza shops and the women are using the income generated to look after their families and to further develop their business.

The Department of Animal and Wildlife and Grassland Sciences at the UFS identified the project and did the initial research into the feasibility of setting up such a project.

“A demonstration and training unit has been established at the Lengau Agricultural Development Centre and the women attended a short practical training course. Subsidies are provided for feeding, together with all the material and the lay hens necessary for the start of the business,” said Ms Khoboso Lehloenya, coordinator of the project from the Department of Animal and Wildlife and Grassland Sciences at the UFS.

“The advantage in using lay hens is that they are resistant to diseases and the women will not need electric heating systems for the egg production,” said Ms Lehloenya.

According to Ms Lehloenya, the women are already benefiting from their egg production businesses. “Some of them have used the profit to buy school uniforms and tracksuits for their children and others are now able to make a monthly contribution to their household expenses,” said Ms Lehloenya.
“In South Africa, possibly due to cultural reasons and circumstances, most black people prefer to eat older and tougher chickens, compared to younger soft commercially available broiler chickens. This preference creates a further advantage for the women. At the end of their production cycle, old hens can be sold for a higher price than point-of-lay or young hens. This brings in further money to pay for more hens,” said Ms Lehloenya.

The Alexander Forbes Trust contributed R191 000 towards the project aimed at expanding it to benefit 15 more women.

“We are in the process of recruiting an additional 15 women in Thaba ‘Nchu who will be trained by the Lengau Agricultural Development Centre in order to replicate the model and extend its reach”, said Ms Lehloenya.

Media release
Issued by: Lacea Loader
Media Representative
Tel: (051) 401-2584
Cell: 083 645 2454
E-mail: loaderl@mail.uovs.ac.za
20 October 2006

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