Latest News Archive

Please select Category, Year, and then Month to display items

Prof Rodwell Makombe on Qwaqwa migrants and their connection to home

22 February 2021 | Story Thabo Kessah | Photo Thabo Kessah

Prof Rodwell Makombe_web read more — Prof Rodwell Makombe’s literary research focuses on a Facebook page that ‘reconstructs home away from home’.

Home is a complex concept, as it is not a physical place. This is according to Prof Rodwell Makombe’s recently published research article titled, Online images and imaginings of home: The case of Qwaqwa Thaba Di Mahlwa Facebook page.

“The article looks at how migrants from Qwaqwa, now living in Johannesburg, Durban, Cape Town and elsewhere, imagine Qwaqwa as home. Because they spend a lot of time away from home, they always have a longing and a sense of loneliness, as they live in places that are not home. They also have to find ways of reminiscing about their homeland. This study is about how they reconstruct home away from home. There are two approaches towards the idea of home. Firstly, home can be conceptualised as a familiar place and a place of origin that offers stability. Secondly, home is within them and they carry it with them wherever they go,” said Prof Makombe.

‘Qwaqwa Thaba Di Mahlwa’

The study focused on a Facebook page created by Qwaqwa migrants, called ‘Qwaqwa thaba Di Mahlwa’. “We looked at the images that were posted on this page and how they seek to construct Qwaqwa as a home. When a person posts a picture from Qwaqwa, everyone from Qwaqwa associates with the picture and are reminded of certain things from home. Migrants make homes out of this Facebook page and the page becomes a place where all can rally together and construct their home,” he added.

The study is part of a broader book project titled Visual Cultures of the Afromontane, funded by the Afromontane Research Unit.

Prof Makombe is an Associate Professor in the Department of English on the Qwaqwa Campus. His areas of research include cultural studies, postcolonial literatures, and cultures of resistance. The article was co-written with Dr Oliver Nyambi.

LISTEN: Prof Rodwell Makombe on Qwaqwa migrants and their connection to home

University of the Free State · Prof Rodwell Makombe on Qwaqwa migrants and their connection to home

News Archive

It’s time for Stagedoor again!

2013-03-12

12 March 2013

It’s time for Stagedoor again! Mounting excitement is spreading across the Bloemfontein Campus in anticipation for this annual art and culture event.

Stagedoor is a fun-filled musical theatre competition between campus and city residences. This year's theme is ‘LIKE A BOSS’ and residences will battling it out in the rotations on 12 and 13 March 2013. Finals will take place on Saturday 16 March.

“This year we're excited to welcome two new residences, Outeniqua and ConLaurês, to the competition,” says Tonderai Chiyindiko, Senior Officer: Arts and Culture: Student Life and Leadership.

“We've also aligned the rotations in line with our Colleges format system. So what that means is in each college three residences were randomly chosen by all the Residence Committee members for Arts and Culture to be the main host venues for each particular college.”

The number of finalists has also been increased to seven female and six male residences.

Rotations Venues

West College: Conlaures, Outeniqua, Vishuis
South College: Emily Hobhouse, Armentum
North College: Vergeet-My-Nie, Madelief, Tswelopele
East College: Khayalami, Roosmaryn
Central College: Soetdoring, Karee

Tickets for the final on 16 March: R30 Students; R50 Non-students.
Venue: Kovsie Church
Tickets are available in office 46 in the SRC Building.

Back

Economic and Management Sciences

Education

Health Sciences

The Humanities

Law

Natural and Agricultural Sciences

Theology and Religion

Open Distance Learning

Business School

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