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30 April 2021 | Story Dr Cindé Greyling | Photo Supplied
René and Richann as Reën.

In the same week, a lecturer at the University of the Free State graduated with a master’s degree in Political Science and topped the charts with her first single as part of the duo, Reën. Within the first week of its release, Vrystaat Vlaktes was the number one hit on iTunes, got more than 300 000 views, and the duo’s Instagram boasts more than 10 000 followers. Not bad for the shy – as she describes herself – René de Klerk. 

An interesting start 

After living in Canada for about four years, René’s family moved back to Bloemfontein where she completed the last three years of high school. She decided to return to Canada after matric for a gap year, which “turned out to be nothing like that at all!” she says. Life was much harder on her own without the protection and support of her family. “Eventually I got a job, and part of my duties were to clean the restrooms – seriously. That is where I started.” 

After applying for dozens of scholarships, René eventually got a bursary to study abroad. “I’ve always wanted to help people in some way – I really want everyone to be OK, to at least have their basic needs met.” She enrolled for a degree in International Studies, which she later completed at the UFS as a BA majoring in Political Science and Communication. Her academic potential did not go unnoticed, and she pursued further studies in Political Sciences while working and lecturing in the department.

A twist in the tale 

René met her partner, Richann Brüssow, during the reality show, Boer Soek ‘n Vrou. “Since I am shy by nature, being so exposed was unnerving, but then again, I got so much out of it.” The two hit it off as a couple, and their shared love for music soon turned into much more than either of them foresaw. “We were honestly just having fun,” René recalls, “and then a production company contacted us!” 

Initially, they thought of becoming wedding singers as a hobby, but Select Music found out about their endeavour and offered them an artist development deal. “I’m astonished,” René says, “my music background included school and university choirs. I never even considered becoming a performing artist. But then I met Richann …”

More to come

This is just the beginning of the road for René and for Reën. René will continue to leave a positive footprint wherever she goes, and Reën is soon to release their second single. “I will always be working in the field of Political Sciences and spend time in the music scene as a bonus,” she concludes. 


News Archive

New Albert Wessels Auditorium officially unveiled
2013-05-19

 

Dr Johan van Zyl (President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Toyota South Africa and CEO for Toyota Africa) and Judge Ian van der Merwe (Chairperson of the UFS Council) unveil the redesigned Albert Wessels Auditorium.
Photo: Johan Roux
20 May 2013

The swanky new interior and entrance of the Albert Wessels Auditorium WA) were officially unveiled on Bloemfontein Campus of the University of the Free State (UFS) on Friday 10 May 2013.

Prof Jonathan Jansen, UFS Vice-Chancellor and Rector, and Judge Ian van der Merwe, Chairperson of the UFS Council, presided over the AWA unveiling ceremony. They were joined by a special guest, whose company has a long affiliation with the UFS and the AWA in particular.

Dr Johan van Zyl, the current President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Toyota South Africa and CEO for Toyota Africa, unveiled the commemorative plaque at the new entrance. Dr Van Zyl reaffirmed the relationship between Toyota South Africa and the UFS, which can be traced back to the founder of his company.

The namesake of the AWO was the founder of Toyota South Africa. Dr Wessels was at one time married to Elizabeth Eybers, the acclaimed poet who won the Hertzog Prize in 1934 and 1971. Could she have inspired Wessels’ love of the arts? Regardless, the AWA will serve as a world-class facility for the arts, corporate meetings and seminars, from now on. The AWA can now seat 196 people on its luxurious red leather seats.

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