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08 December 2021 | Story Leonie Bolleurs | Photo Sonia Small
Namibia university
The Office for International Affairs at the UFS recently hosted a delegation from the Namibia University of Science and Technology. Pictured here are, from the left, front: Seithati Ramonaheng, UFS International Scholarships in the Office for International Affairs (OIA); Dr Erling Kavita; Dr Erold Naomab; Prof Yonas Bahta; back: Kagiso Ngake, UFS Partnerships in the OIA; Cornelius Hagenmeier; Zenzele Mdletshe, UFS Partnerships in the OIA; and Dr Falko Buschke, Centre for Environmental Management.

The Office for International Affairs (OIA) at the University of the Free State (UFS) recently (25 November 2021) hosted a delegation from the Namibia University of Science and Technology (NUST).

During deliberations, the two institutions discussed the possibility of formalising a partnership and it was agreed that the OIA would lead this process through its Partnership portfolio. The UFS and NUST are looking to work together and share information on the development of a COVID-19 vaccination policy, leveraging on the Germany/Namibia green hydrogen partnership, joining forces on the application for centres of excellence administered by the African Union, establishing staff and student exchange programmes, and intensifying their research collaborations.

Cornelius Hagenmeier, the Director of the Office for International Affairs (OIA) at the UFS, chaired the meeting with Dr Erold Naomab, the Vice-Chancellor of NUST, and his adviser, Dr Erling Kavita. Prof Yonas Bahta, Associate Professor in the UFS Department of Agricultural Economics, and Dr Falko Buschke, Senior Lecturer in the UFS Centre for Environmental Management, also attended the meeting and reported on their existing academic collaborations with NUST.

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Meet our Council: MEC Tate Makgoe – A proud vision for all
2016-06-07

Description: Tate Makgoe  Tags: Tate Makgoe

MEC Tate Makgoe
Photo: Stephen Collett

The MEC of Education in the Free State, Mr Pule Herbert Isak Makgoe, is serving his third term on the UFS Council.

MEC Tate Makgoe, as he is known, holds a Chemical Engineering degree from the Technikon Vaal Triangle, a Bachelor of Commerce degree from Unisa, an Honours in Commerce degree from the UFS, and a Master’s degree in Business Leadership from Unisa.

Early years
From an early age, he was acutely aware of the delicate and volatile political landscape in the country caused by draconian apartheid policies. He has been active in the political realm since 1984, when he left the country to join the ANC’s military wing, Umkhonto we Sizwe, in exile.

“I have devoted my life to the disadvantaged and marginalised in order to realise fully the objectives of true political transformation, and the total eradication of grinding poverty,” he says. His political activism landed him in Sun City prison from 1986 to 1991.

After the unbanning of the ANC, MEC Makgoe became a Northern Free State regional executive member and, in 1994, he was appointed as the ANC’s election campaign manager in the Free State. He has also served as provincial treasurer, and as a member of the executive committee of the ANC in the province.

MEC Makgoe’s current position

After serving as MEC in five portfolios in the Free State Province at different times - Finance, Tourism and Environmental Affairs, Agriculture, Public Safety and Security, and Finance – MEC Makgoe was appointed as MEC for Education in 2009, a position he has held ever since.

In 2014, he received the prestigious Ubuntu Award for Education by the Turquoise Harmony Institute for his outstanding leadership role in steering the department to produce the highest matric pass rate in the country of 87,4%. Previous recipients of the Ubuntu Award include late former president, Nelson Mandela, and anti-apartheid struggle icon, Ahmed Kathrada.

Recipient of Kovsie Alumni Cum Laude Award

MEC Makgoe is also a former recipient of the Kovsie Alumni Cum Laude Award. The Cum Laude Award is bestowed occasionally on an alumnus for outstanding service or achievement on regional, national, or international level in his/her field of work. He is married to Ivy, and the couple have three children: Palesa, Maki, and Junior.

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