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Dougie Heymans left huge boots to fill at KovsieSport

15 June 2021 | Story Ruan Bruwer | Photo Supplied

A Shimla great, a passionate rugby and family man, and a dream colleague are just some of the descriptions of how Dougie Heymans will be remembered.

Heymans, Assistant Director: KovsieSport and Head of Rugby, passed away on Monday due to the COVID-19 disease. He was 58.

He will leave a massive legacy in his capacity as rugby administrator, said DB Prinsloo, Director of KovsieSport. “Dougie was so precise in his work. He had a huge work ethic. Everything he did was textbook stuff. He is going to be missed immensely.”

According to Prinsloo, messages of condolence have been pouring in from far and wide. One of many was from former Protea cricket great, Allan Donald, nowadays the head coach of the Knights cricket team.
“It is indeed a shock to the entire sporting world. I knew Dougie very well, his involvement with varsity rugby, but also rugby in the Free State, made a huge impact on sports. This is a huge loss not only for the Cheetahs, but also Bloemfontein and the entire region. We sadly lost a legend,” he said.

Heymans played for the Shimlas between 1989 and 1994 and went on to represent the Free State in 154 matches until 2001.In 2009, he started working for the University of the Free State. He was the man in charge of Varsity Cup matches at Shimla Park.
“They say no one is irreplaceable, but it is going to be tough to follow in his massive footsteps. It is very hard not having him around anymore. He was a fantastic colleague,” Prinsloo said.

Former Shimla and Springbok, Toks van der Linde, who played with and against Heymans, said he had lost a great friend. “He was more than a friend, like a brother to us younger guys. RIP big brother, we are going to miss you.”

News Archive

Prof Hussein Solomon, an expert voice on Islam in Africa

2013-02-25

Prof Hussein Solomon
Photo: Supplied
25 February 2013

Prof Hussein Solomon, Senior Professor in the Department Political Studies and Governance, has been appointed Senior Research Associate of the Israeli think tank Research on Islam and Muslims in Africa (RIMA).

Prof Solomon will give an expert voice on the topic of Islam in Africa, participating with other researchers in the network on political Islam and terrorism on the African continent. The centre is the only one in the world which solely deals with Islam and Muslims in Africa.

An expert on the topic of Islam on the continent, Prof Solomon says it’s an important focus area given the rise of Al Shabab in Somalia and its terrorist attacks across the world. He further mentions the rise of Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb and other such groups operating in Northern Mali, prompting the recent French intervention, as well as the increasing incidence of terrorism in Nigeria perpetrated by the Islamist Boko Haram. "If you want to save lives, then you need to understand how such movements originated and how they operate."

The academic says through RIMA and its global network, he will work with other researchers and engage in collaborative research projects on the same issue, allowing for the rapid cross-pollination of ideas. "For the University of the Free State, it once more underscores the fact that, with the information age, you do not have to be in the capital of the country to be globally relevant. Indeed, in recent years the University of the Free State has increasingly been seen as a global actor in the academic arena."

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