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UFS mourns alumnus and literary giant Dr KPD Maphalla

08 April 2021 | Story Thabo Kessah | Photo UFS Photo Archive

The late Dr Maphalla with former UFS Chancellor Dr Franklin Sonn — Dr KPD Maphalla with former UFS Chancellor, Dr Franklin Sonn, during the graduations in April 2007.

The University of the Free State is sad to learn of the passing of alumnus and award-winning Sesotho literary giant, Dr KPD Maphalla.

The literary works of Dr Khotso Pieter David Maphalla, like many other African writers and artists, were influenced and characterised by his own era of powerful forms of oppression and exclusion from dominant literary discourses. In his own right and through his writings of poetry, novels, short stories, and kodiamalla (dirge), he articulated a deliberate political and social protest and pushed for a place for African languages in literature at the height of apartheid.

Ground-breaking novel

“He entered the professional scene with his ground-breaking novel, Kabelwamanong, in 1982 at the age of 27. His career actually started in 1971 while he was still at school. Since his first novel, he has produced at least two books annually, covering the genres of poetry, novels, dramas, and short stories. As a dramatist, Dr Maphalla has written a number of excellent and educative radio dramas for the then Radio Sesotho (now Lesedi FM),” said his long-time friend and Head: African Languages at the University of the Free State, Dr Nyefolo Malete.

Honorary degree

“It was for this writing prowess that he received recognition from the UFS when he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Literature by the Department of African Languages during a momentous ceremony on the Qwaqwa Campus in 2007,” added Dr Malete.

Dr Malete also revealed that, despite losing the use of his right hand after suffering a stroke following a car accident in the late 1990s, Dr Maphalla continued writing using his left hand. “He was adamant that, what he referred to as his ‘supposed disability’, would not deter his passion for writing.”

Scholarly studies

Dr Maphalla’s work has also produced numerous scholarly studies by the likes of Profs Moleleki Moleleki (protest poetry), Thapelo Selepe (lament and protest poetry), and Dr Seema Seema (process of cross-cultural communication). He was a committed Qwaqwa community member, who was also instrumental in the founding of Qwaqwa Community Radio (2000) and Metjodi Writers (2006), among others. He has written more than 70 books, many of which have been prescribed texts in schools.

Some of the awards he has won include:

South African Centre for Digital Language Resource (SADiLar) Sesotho Lexicographic Unit (Sesiu sa Sesotho) Lifetime Award for outstanding literary works and for promoting Sesotho literature (2019).

The Literature Festival and the University of the Free State Award for enormous contribution to Sesotho literature by a South African writer (2019).

Lifetime Achiever Award in Literature awarded by the Department of Arts and Culture (2005).

M-Net Book Prize for Sesotho poetry (2005). The first and thus far the only Sesotho author to have received this honour.

M-Net Book Prize for best novel (1996).

De Jager-HAUM Literary Award for his volume of short stories, Mohlomong Hosane (1993).

Thomas Mofolo Trophy for Best Novel, Best Poetry, and the Overall Award (1992).

Thomas Mofolo Trophy for Best Poetry (1991).

Dr JJ Moiloa Floating Trophy for Best Sesotho Poetry Book of the Year, Kgapa tsa ka (1985).

News Archive

Medical students enrich lives through community service project

2016-03-18

Description: 2016 03 18 Outreach Tags: 2016 03 18 Outreach

A group of third-year medical students organised a fun day for Ons Kinderhuis as part of their community service project.

As part of their curriculum, third-year MBChB students are required to complete a community service project in collaboration with a specific NGO in Bloemfontein. Not only do these projects serve an academic requirement, but also echo the spirit of service and compassion emblematic of the Human Project of the University of the Free State (UFS).

One group of students chose to pour their time and care into Ons Kinderhuis–home to 100 children with special needs. Since their involvement, these medical students have helped improve the home’s facilities and also hosted various fun days for the staff and children.

The latest fun day was celebrated on Saturday 12 March 2016. The festivities were kicked off in the morning by a game of soccer using the brand-new goal posts recently built by the medical students. It was difficult to decide who were more excited – the children or the staff – when some of the Cheetah rugby players joined the event. A slippery slide came in handy to wash off sticky hands and mouths and for little bodies with lots of energy the jumping castle was a perfect answer. Faces were painted and a banner created while music and the smell of the braai floated into the autumn air.

“I couldn't help but be proud of my team and thankful for this opportunity,” said Willem Potgieter, one of the student volunteers. Seeing the smiles on the children’s faces made it all worthwhile. “It was truly a humbling and a great learning experience for each and every one of us,” Willem said.

This group of medical students consist of Burger Oosthuizen, Marié Engelbrecht, Lourens Badenhorst, Dirki Wessels, Roodt Ehlers, Shirley-Louise du Plessis, Mariet Geldenhuys, Louise-Mari Zietsman and Willem Potgieter.

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