Latest News Archive

Please select Category, Year, and then Month to display items
Categories
UFS News Media Release Research
Years
2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
Months
January February March April May June July August September October November December
Previous Archive
14 December 2021 | Story Lunga Luthuli | Photo Supplied
Maureen Khati, Deputy Director: Facilities Planning in University Estates, is getting her MSc in Construction Management at the UFS December graduation ceremonies.
Among the hundreds of graduands receiving qualifications during the December 2021 graduation ceremonies is University of the Free State (UFS) staff member Maureen Khati. Khati, who oversees numerous infrastructural projects at the institution, has been instrumental in the changing landscape of UFS campuses.   

Khati, Deputy Director: Facilities Planning in University Estates, will graduate with an MSc in Construction Management with her thesis, titled An Assessment of Occupational Health and Safety compliance challenges in the Southern African construction building industry.

Describing her academic journey, where she studied but not completed an LLB degree at the former University of Durban-Westville, completed a Journalism degree at the Tshwane University of Technology, and a Project Management course at the Central University of Technology (CUT), Khati says: “It has been difficult, and in construction I now find myself exposed to high-pressure, time-bound type of work. As a single parent, I have been juggling research and the time required for more and more reading.”

About pursuing her master’s degree, Khati says: “The desire has always been there, I just did not have time. Life experiences also caught up with me, but I never stopped studying. If not studying for a degree in my free time, I would be doing short courses.”

Khati says her career has taken a turn and she ‘accidentally’ found herself in construction.

This happened after she found herself being drafted into CUT’s planning committee tasked with ensuring that the institution’s soccer fields met FIFA’s required standard and could be used for training during the prestigious 2010 FIFA World Cup. 

Following the World Cup and the success of the committee, Khati was given more construction responsibilities, as the Department of Higher Education and Training was still working on projects on the CUT campus. 

 “Construction became my life, and as they say – the rest is history.”

In 2012, Khati joined the University of the Free State as Project Manager in University Estates. She believes her journey with the institution has been “interesting and exposed to opportunities”.

Recently, Khati was appointed as President Elect 2021 of the Higher Education Facilities Management Association. HEFMA is a non-profit association representing the interests of the facilities management departments of 27 universities in and outside South Africa.  

Where did it all start?

Born in Windhoek, Namibia, Khati attended high school at Mariasdal Secondary School, a Catholic boarding school just over 100 km from Bloemfontein.

About high school life, she says: “I have always been a reserved person. I spent most of my time playing sports and attending social events. This is because the environment at school was strict, but also fun. The school has always strived for a 100% pass rate.”

After matric, Khati completed a Journalism degree at Tshwane University of Technology. 

What kept Khati going was her daughter Bokamoso, because all she does is “for her well-being and to challenge myself to grow”.

For the completion of  her master’s degree, Khati thanks her supervisor, Prof Kahilu Kajimo-Shakantu, Head of the Department of Quantity Surveying and Construction Management, for the “patience and support she gave me throughout my studies, as well as for sharing her expertise during my studies”.

News Archive

Getting out of the dark
2015-04-28

Photo: Leonie Bolleurs

Since 2008, the University of the Free State has been busy with the planning and implementation of projects to reduce the impact of load shedding. To date,  the cost of these projects has run to R6 million. They have been done primarily to ensure that the academic programme does not suffer damage as a result of the increasing interruptions in the power supply that are continuing this year.

The university’s greatest concern has been the provision of emergency power to the lecture halls and laboratories.

Thus far, 35 generators are servicing 55 buildings on the three campuses of the UFS. This includes 26 generators on the Bloemfontein Campus, eight on the Qwaqwa Campus in the Eastern Free State, and one generator on the South Campus in Bloemfontein. The generators are already in service, and are maintained in working order.

Since 2010, the university has also ensured that all newly-built academic buildings are equipped with emergency power supplies.

On the South Campus in Bloemfontein, the new lecture-hall building and the computer laboratory are equipped with emergency power, while the installation of emergency generators in other buildings is under way. The majority of the buildings on the Qwaqwa Campus in the Eastern Free State are equipped with emergency power supplies.

In the meantime, the UFS management has approved a further R11 million for the installation of additional generators on the three campuses. A further R1.5 million has also been approved for the purchase of two mobile generators.

To extend the work already done, the main task will be the installation of more generators on the Bloemfontein Campus to ensure that lecture halls with emergency power will be available for the centrally-arranged timetables, and to ensure that more of the critical laboratories will be provided with emergency power.

There are still  some important buildings and halls on the Bloemfontein Campus that must be supplied with emergency power. However, it is a costly process and must be brought into operation gradually. The further implementation of emergency power depends on the delivery of equipment. The university is also investigating alternative solutions for power provisioning, including solar power.

Generators with spare capacity are optimally deployed to satisfy the lower needs of the campus, including the Odeion, the ANNEX at Microbiology, the Stabilis ANNEX, the Agriculture Building, the UV-Sasol library, and the Francois Retief Building.

In addition, the UFS  is busy on all campuses, coupling area lighting, including

street lights and pedestrian walkways, to existing generators. Procedures for the operation of mechanical equipment, such as entrance gates, lifts, and so on, are currently being dealt with on all campuses. Continuous power sources for certain ICT equipment will be installed on all campuses to protect it against power surges.

Staff and students can also equip themselves with the necessary knowledge to manage load shedding in their specific areas of work and study. It is always helpful to know who to contact. The following list with guidelines and contact numbers has been compiled to assist you:

1. In an emergency, call Protection Services. This line will continue to operate, regardless of whether the power is on or off.
2. Avoid using lifts just before planned load shedding. Some lifts have emergency power packs which will bring the lift to the nearest floor and open the doors. If you still get stuck in a lift during a power outage, use your cellphone to call Protection Services. While you're waiting, stay calm and be patient.
3. If the access control systems in your building stop working after load shedding, contact Protection Services.
4. The students and staff members who are most at risk during load shedding are those in wheelchairs or with other mobility limitations. As far as possible, plan ahead to avoid being stuck on a floor or in a room that is difficult to access when load shedding is imminent. Please contact Protection Services if you need assistance.
5. During a fire, alarms WILL go off. Alarms are not power driven, but battery driven. For assistance, contact Protection Services.
6. The main UFS Switchboard (Bloemfontein Campus +27(0)51 401 9111 and Qwaqwa Campus +27(0)58 718 5000) will continue to operate during load shedding.

Contact details of Protection Services:

  • Bloemfontein Campus: +27(0)51 401 2634/2911
  • Qwaqwa Campus: +27(0)58 508 5460/5175
  • South Campus: +27(0)51 5051217

Communication and Brand Management will make information available on the UFS web, Facebook page, Twitter, Blackboard and the intranet. Get the load shedding schedule from Eskom’s webpage (http://loadshedding.eskom.co.za/). The Bloemfontein Campus falls in group 4 and the South Campus falls in group 2 in Centlec’s load shedding schedule.

We use cookies to make interactions with our websites and services easy and meaningful. To better understand how they are used, read more about the UFS cookie policy. By continuing to use this site you are giving us your consent to do this.

Accept