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17 August 2021 | Story Lunga Luthuli | Photo Supplied
Christina Mack – believes in praying for communities.

Leaving Rustenburg in the North-West for the Free State, Christina Mack’s life has changed for the better. Mack, a Housekeeping Manager on the University of the Free State (UFS) Bloemfontein Campus, believes in hard work and honesty – these are the principles she has lived by for many years. 

“I was fortunate to get a job as a cleaner at the university in 2006, a position I held until I was promoted to Housekeeping Manager in 2016.

“I believe in myself; I am a hard worker and because I am a manager, I always strive for honesty. When I have a challenging day – especially at work, I engage with colleagues with honesty.”

One of the many UFS women of quality, impact, and care, Mack says she is living the life she imagined through some powerful life lessons.  

“I have learnt that in life, you must appreciate everything that is good, have a vision, focus on education, and know your position. You must not only pray for yourself, but also for your community.”

Women who inspire her include her Line Manager, Ronell Kruger. “She encourages and supports me, and she is a hardworking woman. Ronell motivates her staff. In the team, she is a mentor and supports all of us.”

What worries her is the continued and high number of gender-based violence cases across the country. “Government should create platforms for men to be taught about taking care of women. Women deserve equal rights to their male counterparts.”

News Archive

New building on UFS Qwaqwa Campus makes provision for research on environmental problems
2015-12-11

The new Geography and Physics Building on the Qwaqwa Campus

Student numbers in Geography and Physics on the Qwaqwa Campus of the University of the Free State have escalated over the past five years. This has resulted in a need for more space for these two departments.

The acute and persistent shortage of lecturing space has been a major stumbling block on the campus, with only four of the Natural Sciences departments - Chemistry, Physics, Plant Sciences, and Zoology and Entomology – able to fit into the Natural Sciences building. To solve the problem, a separate facility for both the Geography and the Physics departments was built.

The new complex, which includes lecture rooms, laboratories, and offices, places the Department of Physics on the ground floor because the weight of some of the laboratory equipment. The Department of Geography is on the first floor.

The Department of Geography places strong emphasis on montane research. Research is being conducted on environmental problems in the Maluti-a-Phofung area. This research encompass in situ and ex situ conservation of paleontological resources, with the aim of setting up a GIS-based environmental management system, as well as the role of local cultures in promoting regional tourism.

The Department of Physics places emphasis on changing and improving community perceptions of electricity and electronics. The major part of the research has been in the field of solid-state physics, and, more specifically, on nanophosphors and other luminescent nanoparticles.

The building is in the north-eastern corner of the campus, opposite the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences.

The project was completed in 2015.

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