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

Kovsies well represented in Cheetah rugby team

2006-10-10

Champions support champions. Sport stars from the University of the Free State (UFS) today pledged their support to the Cheetah team with their participation this weekend in the Currie Cup final. From the left are: Boy Soke (SA Cross Country Champion), Nicolaas le Roux (captain of the Shimla rugby team), prof Frederick Fourie (Rector and Vice-Chancellor), Ben Rheeder (Shimla hooker) and Charlene Hertzog (Captain of the Protea team and the UFS first netball team).

Kovsies well represented in Cheetah rugby team

Altogether 10 current and former Kovsies will most likely be included in the Cheetah team of 22 players that will compete for a place in the team that will play against the Blue Bulls on Vodacom Park in Bloemfontein in the final game of the Currie Cup.

“The University of the Free State (UFS) is proud of its rugby players and sees this milestone as another example of our commitment to maintaining quality sports performances,” said Prof Frederick Fourie, Rector and Vice-Chancellor of the UFS.

Prof Fourie said the UFS will stand solidly behind the Cheetahs this weekend so that the Currie Cup can stay in the Free State.

“It is not every day that we can boast with such a high representation in a provincial team. Each of these players has proven himself to be a true sportsman and some of them are also Springbok rugby players. This makes the honour even greater for the UFS,” said Prof Fourie.

The current and former Kovsies are Ollie le Roux (captain and loose head prop), Wian du Preez (loose head prop), Richardt Strauss (hooker), Jannie du Plessis (tight head prop), Noël Oelschig (scrumhalf), Michael Claassens (scrumhalf), Meyer Bosman (flyhalf), JW Jonker (center, back line), Philip Burger (flyhalf/back) and Jaco du Toit (hooker).
“Last year we honored two former Kovsies for their contribution to the success of the Cheetah team. Mr Naka Drotské, team manager of the Cheetahs, was appointed as Kovsie of the Year and Mr Harold Verster, President of the Free State Rugby Union, received the Cum Laude Award,” said Prof Fourie.

Media release
Issued by: Lacea Loader
Media Representative
Tel: (051) 401-2584
Cell: 083 645 2454
E-mail: loaderl.stg@mail.uovs.ac.za
12 October 2006

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