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Kovsie athletes elected to prominent administrative roles

09 July 2021 | Story Ruan Bruwer | Photo UFS Photo Archive

Two athletes, both employees of the University of the Free State (UFS), are now giving back to the sport in administrative roles.

Kesa Molotsane and Louzanne Coetzee are making time in their work and training schedules to serve the sports in which they have represented their country – Molotsane in cross-country and Coetzee in the 1 500 m and 800 m T11 category for athletes with a disability.

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Louzanne Coetzee Photo: UFS Photo Archive

Coetzee is again heading for the Paralympic Games in Tokyo. She is a nominee for the International Paralympic Committee Athletes’ Council. Six representatives will be chosen at the Paralympics.

Coetzee was recently elected to the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee Athletes’ Commission. She is also an athlete representative of the South African Sports Association for Physically Disabled.

Molotsane was co-opted into the National Executive Committee of University Sport South Africa as an assessor. She is also the new vice-chairperson of the Athletics South Africa Athletes Commission.

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Kesa Molotsane. Photo: Supplied

“My biggest dream is to enable athletes to dream big, and for their dreams to be recognised. I would like to see them enjoy their sport,” said Molotsane.

“I think I probably missed a lot of opportunities in my career due to a lack of funding, so I don’t want to see anyone face the same situation.”

Molotsane was also recently named as one of two ambassadors for the SPAR Grand Prix Series.

According to Coetzee, a former member of the Student Representative Council at the UFS, she believes that it is important for a current sportsperson to contribute and give input in their sport.

“I enjoy leadership, it is perhaps a gift of mine. Serving the sport in that capacity is not something that is too much of an effort or takes too much of my time. I enjoy contributing and to see something move in a direction.”

News Archive

HEDSA discusses better services for students with disabilities

2010-09-30

At the gala dinner were, from the left: Anlia Pretorius, Chairperson of HEDSA and Head of the Disability Unit at the University of the Witwatersrand; Dr Blade Nzimande, Minister of Higher Education and Training; Ms Hetsie Veitch, Head of the Unit for Students with Disabilities at the UFS; and Prof. Niel Viljoen, Vice-Rector: Operations at the UFS.
Photo: Leonie Bolleurs

The first ever General Meeting of the Higher Education Disability Services Association (HEDSA) was held on the Main Campus of the University of the Free State (UFS) in Bloemfontein this week. HEDSA is a newly constituted body that represents the Disability Units from the various universities across the country.

The UFS is a member of HEDSA, which aims to work together to promote equal opportunities for students with disabilities in terms of access, participation and success in Higher Education.

The General Meeting forms part of the launching symposium with the theme: New Beginnings and New Directions. The symposium, attended by 15 higher education institutions in South Africa, served as a platform to explore innovative approaches to assist in improving services for students with disabilities.

Dr Blade Nzimande, Minister of Higher Education and Training, was one of the speakers at the gala dinner of this prestigious event. He said that there is still a lot of work to do to overcome discrimination against students as well as staff members with disabilities at higher education institutions. Minister Nzimande quoted from the Soudien report, a government-commissioned report that brought to light discrimination – especially racism and sexism – still endemic at South African universities. “Victims, in this instance referring to students and staff with disabilities, are denied the opportunity – either through a lack of access to opportunities or due to outright discrimination – to realise their full potential. In the process, the country is robbed of valuable but untapped human resources. Higher education institutions cause incalculable damage to South African society by failing to deal boldly with these issues. Where institutions have indeed taken action, the benefits to individuals, to the different social groups in the country, as well as to the institutions themselves, have been major.”

He stated that he believed that HEDSA as well as the symposium could play a vital role that would assist in this process.

Ms Hetsie Veitch, Head of the Unit for Students with Disabilities at the UFS, was elected as treasurer of this body for the following two years. Johnny Mokoka will represent the UFS in HEDSA’s National Student Organisation for Students with Disabilities that was established during the symposium this week.

Media Release
Issued by: Leonie Bolleurs
Strategic Communication
Tel: 051 401 2707
Sel: 0836455853
Email: bolleursl@ufs.ac.za
30 September 2010

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