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Equipped to make a difference

04 January 2021 | Story Leonie Bolleurs | Photo Supplied

Web read more — Hay’s family celebrated his graduation ceremony with him in 2013. Pictured here are Frank Hay (father), Hay, his brother, Shanley and his mother, Vasi Hay.

Diversity, inclusivity, and transformation are what sets the University of the Free State (UFS) apart from other institutions of tertiary education. It instils in graduates the values of attention to detail and precision, being meticulous, adherence to deadlines, being honest, ethical, and taking the ‘moral high ground’.

Graduates at the UFS are also introduced to high levels of dedication and commitment, irrespective of the task at hand; taking pride in producing work of high quality; having a non-discriminatory mindset; the ability to be team players or leaders (depending on what needs to be done); and demonstrating an understanding and consideration for society at large.

This is the view of Ashley Hay, a successful UFS alumnus who completed his honours (accepted through the Recognition of Prior Learning process) and master’s degrees (graduating cum laude) in the Department of Urban and Regional Planning. Throughout his academic career, Hay has achieved good results and accolades such as Best Master’s Student, Best Master’s Dissertation, Best Research in Advanced Planning Practice, and also receiving membership of the Golden Key International Honour Society.

Today, he is employed by the Gauteng Provincial Government as Director: Land Use Management and Statutory Boards in the Office of the Premier and is in transition to a new branch called ‘Urban Planning’ under the Minister for Cooperative Governance, Urban Planning and Human Settlements.

He leads a team of professionals on spatial planning and land use management aspects, and particularly to monitor and support three metropolitan municipalities, two district municipalities, and six local municipalities in Gauteng. His achievements include the development of a policy document titled, Gauteng City Region Implementation Plan for SPLUMA, which was approved by the Provincial Cabinet Executive Council and endorsed by the Premier’s Coordinating Forum. At a previous place of employment, the uMshwathi Local Municipality, he was the author of one of the best Integrated Development Plans (IDPs), which received an award in KwaZulu-Natal.

Proudly UFS

Hay believes he was equipped with a set of values and skills to deliver services and to make a difference wherever he is. Not only through the resources and means available to him, but also with a high level of dedication to the general good of others – whether it is ordinary citizens or people who just need the very basics to uplift their livelihoods. “These basics should be forthcoming from the people’s government, which in turn implicates me among many other government employees,” he believes.

Hay says in the UFS Department of Urban and Regional Planning – from the administration team through to the lecturers and senior academics – everyone plays a role to instil a wealth of knowledge and expertise in students to understand and resolve societal problems. “It is the manner in which the course is conducted, the administrative facilitation, the steadfast pace of learning, as well as the personal attention to students, that have equipped us to later formulate solutions for everyday life challenges.”

He is convinced that these are the fundamental principles that graduates need to achieve academic excellence and make themselves employable in a competitive world.

Words that stick with Hay from his master’s classes, are those of the former Head of the Department, Prof Das Steyn, “Gain experience, build your capacity, and do something positive with the education you receive. Education is not what we teach you, it is what you do with it. Everyone gets the same degree, but some will fail with it and some will do something positive with it and make a difference”.

Standing out

And UFS graduates distinguish themselves in the workplace.

“In my work environment, the UFS graduates I know and have worked with are dedicated, goal-orientated, and passionate about the discipline. We go the ‘extra mile’ irrespective and have been able to apply the knowledge we gained from university towards problem-solving and contributing to make society a better place for all,” says Hay.

He also believes that the university has strong leadership and dedicated staff who actively respects the country’s rich diversity, acknowledging that we are an all-inclusive society, and creating a learning atmosphere that is transformed towards democratic principles.

News Archive

UFS to investigate implementation of quality-monitoring system for SA food industry

2006-02-07

Some of the guests who attended the workshop were from the left Prof James du Preez (Chairperson: Department of Biotechnology at the UFS); Prof Lodewyk Kock (Head: South African Fryer Oil Initiative (SAFOI) at the UFS)); Mrs Ina Wilken (Chairperson: South African National Consumer Union (SANCU)); Prof Herman van Schalkwyk (Dean: Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences at the UFS) and Mr Joe Hanekom (Managing Director of Agri Inspec).
Photo: Stephen Collet

UFS to investigate implementation of quality-monitoring system for SA food industry

The University of the Free State (UFS) will be investigating the implementation of a quality-monitoring service for the South African food industry.

This was decided during a workshop to discuss the external quality monitoring in the edible oil industry of South Africa, which was recently held at the UFS.

Major role players in the fast-food sector like Nando's, Spur, Captain
Dorego's, King Pie Holdings, Black Steer Holdings, etc and various oil
distributors like Felda Bridge Africa, Refill Oils, PSS Oils and Ilanga Oils attended
the workshop. Also present was Mrs Ina Wilken, Chairperson of the South African National Consumer Union (SANCU) and key-note speaker of this workshop. She represented the consumer.

These role players all pledged their support to the implementation of this quality- monitoring system for the whole food industry.

The decision to implement this system follows the various malpractices reported in the press and on TV concerning food adulteration (eg the recent Sudan Red Scare), misrepresentation (eg olive oil scandal exposed in 2001) and the misuse of edible frying oils by the fast-food sector.

“One of the basic rights of consumers is the right to safe food. Consumers must be protected against foods and food production processes which are hazardous to their health. Sufficient guarantee of the safety of all food products and food production processes should be implemented. It does not help to have adequate food standards and legislation and there is no manpower to do the necessary investigation or monitoring,” said Mrs Wilken.

The South African Fryer Oil Initiative (SAFOI), under the auspices of the UFS Department of Microbial, Biochemical and Food Biotechnology, currently monitors edible oils in the food industry and makes a seal of quality available to food distributors.

“Last week’s decision to implement the quality-monitoring system implies that we will now be involving also other departments in the UFS Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences who are involved in various aspects of the food chain in an endeavor to implement this quality monitoring system,” said Prof Herman van Schalkwyk, Dean: Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences at the UFS and one of the main speakers at the workshop.

Prof van Schalkwyk said that the main aim of such a system will be to improve the competitiveness of the South African food industry. “It is clear that the role players attending the workshop are serious about consumer service and that they agree that fraudulent practice should be monitored and corrected as far as possible. Although some of the food outlets have the capacity to monitor the quality of their food, it may not seem to the consumer that this is an objective process. The proposed external monitoring system would counteract this perception amongst consumers,” said Prof van Schalkwyk.

The workshop was also attended by representatives from SAFOI and Agri Inspec, a forensic investigation company collaborating with inter-state and government structures to combat fraud and international trade irregularities.

Agri Inspec has been working closely with SAFOI for a number of years to test the content of edible oils and fats. “Extensive monitoring and control actions have been executed in the edible oil industry during the past four years to ensure that the content and labeling of oil products are correct. Four years ago almost 90% of the samples taken indicated that the content differed from what is indicated on the label. This has changed and the test results currently show that 90% of the products tested are in order. However, to maintain this quality standard, it is necessary that quality monitoring and educational campaigns are continuously performed,” said Mr Joe Hanekom, Managing Director of Agri Inspec.

“The seal of quality presented by SAFOI should also be extended to include all the smaller oil containers used by households,” Mrs Wilken said.

The SAFOI seal of quality is currently displayed mainly on some oil brands packed in bigger 20 liter containers, which include sunflower oil, cottonseed oil, palm oil etc which are used by restaurants and fast food outlets. “Any oil type is eligible to display the seal when meeting certain standards of authenticity. In order to display the seal, the distributor must send a sample of each oil batch they receive from the manufacturer to SAFOI for testing for authenticity, ie that the container’s content matches the oil type described on the label. This is again double checked by Agri Inspec, which also draws samples countrywide from these certified brands from the end-user (restaurant or fast food outlets). If in breach, the seal must be removed from the faulty containers,” said Prof Lodewyk Kock, Head of SAFOI.

“It should however be taken into account that oils without a seal of quality from the UFS can still be of high quality and authentic. Other external laboratories equipped to perform effective authenticity tests may also be used in this respect,” said Prof Kock.

“It is also important to realise that any oil type of quality such as sunflower oil, cottonseed oil, palm oil etc can be used with great success in well controlled frying processes,” he said.

Further discussions will also be held with the Department of Health, the SA National Consumer Union and Agri Inspec to determine priority areas and to develop the most effective low-cost monitoring system.

More information on the UFS oil seal of quality and oil use can be obtained at www.uovs.ac.za/myoilguide

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

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