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02 August 2021
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Story Dr Nitha Ramnath
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Photo Supplied
In this special Women’s Month edition of the Voices from the Free State podcast series, we elevate and celebrate our female voices.
Likeleli Monyamane takes us through her journey as a student at the UFS. Founder of Inspire Innovation Business Consultants, Likeleli is a chartered accountant
based in Lesotho, with a deep passion for skills development and mentorship.
A passion for evidence-based medicine and the notion of value in healthcare is what drives
Dr Anchen Laubscher. Anchen is driven to ensure that healthcare is scientifically
proven, of high quality, cost-effective, and tailored to a patient’s needs.
Karla’s story is one of determination, and her success is the result of two decades of hard work. Although netball is not a professional sport in South Africa and athletes don’t get paid for it – quitting was never an option for
Karla Pretorius.
Enjoy these inspiring stories
here as we celebrate our female voices from the Voices from the Free State podcast series.
For further information regarding the podcast series, or to propose other alumni guests, please email us at
alumnipodcast@ufs.ac.za
For all Voices from the Free State podcasts,
click here.
Inaugural lecture challenges leaders in higher education
2012-10-30
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Dr Mamphela Ramphele
Photo: Stephen Collett
29 October 2012 |
Lecture (Pdf format)
According to international statistics, South Africa’s school performance is rated 140th out of 144 countries. South Africa is also ranked 143rd out of 144 countries when it comes to the quality of mathematics and science. About 600 000 South African graduates are unemployed and about 500 000 learners are failed by our current education system.
Dr Mamphela Ramphele brought these shocking statistics to the light at the inaugural lecture of the Annual Prestige Lecture at the Faculty of Education on Thursday 25 October 2012 at the University of the Free State (UFS).
This lecture will henceforth be known as the Mamphela Ramphele Prestige Lecture.
Dr Ramphelefocused her lecture on ‘Educating the 21st century citizen’.
“One of the defining characteristics of the 21st century is the vast number of choices that confront us every day at a personal, professional and political level.”
She asked if 21st century South Africans are equipped with the skills to make the choices that confront them daily.
“The failure to transform our apartheid education into one characterized by equity and excellence, is producing graduates who lack self-confidence.”
Dr Ramphele said that in South Africa about 1/6th of government expenditure goes to education, but the outcomes remain shocking.
For Dr Ramphele the answer lies in creating platforms for open conversation about South Africa’s painful past and the agenda for radical socio-economic restructuring should include the fundamental transformation of education.
She praised the UFS, under its current inspirational leadership, for its role as change agents through the education.
Prof. Rita Niemann, senior professor at the Faculty said the Annual Mamphela Ramphele lecture is to further expand and celebrate education in South Africa.
“Dr Ramphela has given us so much food for thought by challenging leaders in higher education to speak out about the questionable state of education in South Africa and to become engaged in the ‘revolution of the spirit’ in order to deliver citizens who own and shape the country.”