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24 August 2021 | Story Lunga Luthuli | Photo Supplied by the Faculty of Law
Christopher Rawson; Yola Makalima (attorneys of the UFS Law Clinic); Prof Danie Brand (Director: FS Centre for Human Rights); Thobeka Dube; Paul Antohnie (Director: UFS Law Clinic); and Lesenyego Makone.

Since January 2021, the University of the Free State Faculty of Law and the Law Clinic have appointed 13 black female candidate attorneys, which attests to the institution’s commitment to transformation and the development of women.

Paul Antohnie, Lecturer and Head of the Law Clinic at the University of the Free State, says with the candidate attorneys assuming duty on 1 August 2021 for their two-year contract, the Law Clinic aims to ensure that they are “trained to become exceptional legal professionals who will fight for justice without fear or favour, especially on behalf of the lower income groups in the Free State”.

The appointment of the 13 women coincided with the celebration of Women’s Month in August, which is commemorated every year by paying tribute to the more than 20 000 women who marched to the Union Buildings in 1956, calling on the then government to abolish the pass laws. 

Antohnie says: “Having all the women start on 1 August was not planned; however, it is apt, as it confirms the excellence of the candidates we have appointed. They were chosen from a group of more than 250 applicants, and the competition was tough and gruelling.” 

The candidate attorneys are a diverse group, with four from Kovsies, two from the University of Limpopo, two from North-West University, and the University of Venda, the University of South Africa, and the University of Fort Hare each represented by one individual.

With the group, Antohnie believes: “As an institution, our response is that the calibre of graduates is as good as those from other institutions, and without favouring anyone, we would state that where candidates are the best for the position, consider employing them.”

He says: “Several of the women are already busy with their postgraduate qualifications. Their interests include human rights and access to justice, labour law, family law, and criminal law.”

Anita Pangwa, one of the candidate attorneys, believes the appointment is an affirmation for her as a young professional who is black and female. She says, “It shows that the institution is quite progressive when it comes to empowering people like me.”

Anita says: “The Law Clinic is an example of a legal instrument for justice, which supports and defends democracy in South Africa and guarantees justice against improper prejudice to the public by being exposed to the different departments – Litigation, the Centre for Human Rights, Employee Relations, and the Law Clinic.”

Her goal for the next two years is to learn as much as she can. “The institution has provided us with an amazing opportunity by encouraging us to continue postgraduate studies – master’s degrees. I hope by the end of the two-year journey I will be an admitted attorney of the High Court, have obtained my master’s degree, and also published an article in a legal journal,” she says.

With the appointment, Antohnie pays tribute to the cooperation that the University of the Free State has with the Safety and Security Sector Education and Training Authority (SASSETA), which funds internships for candidate attorneys over two years.

News Archive

KovsieFit caters for all
2016-05-30


KovsieFit offers a new service to students and staff for keeping fit. Photo: Charl Devenish

Students on the Bloemfontein Campus of the University of the Free State (UFS) can now work in a gym session between classes, and staff can do the same before or after work.

This is due to KovsieFit, a commercial gymnasium, which will be taking in its first members on 30 May 2016. The gym is located in the Callie Human Centre and is a project which has been a long-time dream for the UFS.

UFS boasts three gymnasiums

For the last couple of months, a lot of hard work went on behind the scenes. Kobus Calldo, conditioning coach at KovsieSport, says everybody involved with the process is happy that KovsieFit is a reality. According to him KovsieFit “is looking good and everybody involved is very satisfied” with the final product.

KovsieFit will be open Mondays to Fridays from 05:30 to 19:30, and on Saturdays from 07:00 to 11:00. Prospective members will have to undergo health screenings before they may join. KovsieFit also has lockers available. The gym will be managed by a committee.

The High Performance Centre of the UFS, where athletes and sports teams are training, is located next to KovsieFit. At the beginning of the year, KovsieSport’s offices also moved to the Callie Human Centre. A third gymnasium, the Sports Science Centre – the former Biokinetics gymnasium – is located next to the Mabaleng Building. This will mainly be used as a rehabilitation centre.

Service to university community

According to Calldo KovsieFit caters for all and offers the same service to its members as any other commercial gymnasium. The target mark is primarily students and staff, and then the rest of the city.

“It is cheaper and conveniently close to the residences for students on campus. Staff members can have a gym session during lunch or before or after work.”

Wide variety of exercises

“We offer spinning, pilates, aerobic, zumba, and all those type of classes too. We will start with four classes a day until business picks up,” Calldo says.

KovsieFit also offers aerobic apparatus such as treadmills, rowers, and electric bicycles. A gymnasium circuit, two Olympic platforms, and different types of weights and machines are also available.

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