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NJ van der Merwe residence renamed Lehakwe House

03 March 2021 | Story Giselle Baillie | Photo Supplied

NJ van Merwe Read More (1)_web — Residence members who led the project, included: Bohlokwa Rantja, the Residence Prime, and Transformation Committee members Nsuku Mutemela, Ofentse Motlakeng, Phindile Tjale, Madinku Mabala, Mmapopi Motshoso, Karabo Shuping, and Tagane Sekete.

The University of the Free State (UFS) Council approved and adopted Lehakwe House as the new name for the NJ van der Merwe residence on the Bloemfontein Campus. The approval on 26 November 2020 followed a lengthy process of deliberation, consultation, and public engagement that has taken place since November 2019 and is aligned with the UFS Policy on Naming and Renaming. The name-change process was initiated by the Prime and Transformation Committee of the residence, guided by the Unit for Institutional Change and Social Justice and supported by a multi-stakeholder committee representative of the residence, the Housing and Residence Affairs Office, the Department of Student Affairs, the Student Representative Council, and alumni.

Lehakwe – a precious gem

Following a lengthy evaluation process of the names submitted through a public voting and recommendation platform in July 2020, ‘Lehakwe’ – a Sesotho word referring to a ‘precious gem’ – emerged as the front runner. As many current and past members of the residence attest, this womxn’s residence has come to occupy a significant space within the hearts and minds of UFS students and the UFS community, given that its spirit has always been closely aligned with the constitutional values of dignity, equality, and freedom and with the human values of ubuntu. In this vein, the new name of ‘Lehakwe’ presents a consolidation of constitutional and university values into the day-to-day thinking, learning, living, and legacy spaces of students, as well as everyone who interacts and engages with the UFS.

News Archive

UFS student wins National SAICA Competition

2009-08-03

Photo: Lacea Loader

“Rapid urbanisation, HIV/Aids, climate change risks, and a lack of environmental awareness; are we anywhere near a sustainable development? The answer is no, but this doesn’t mean that we are far from it. All that it will take to get us on the right track is individuals and organisations asking themselves, ‘What am I responsible for?’ and taking the appropriate action, or else we won’t be able to answer to our children and their children.”

This is an excerpt from an essay written by Likeleli Mphutlane, a third-year student in B. Accounting at the University of the Free State (UFS). The essay won her the first place in an essay competition on sustainability. She was one of 137 students across the country that submitted an essay as part of the South African Institute of Chartered Accounting’s (SAICA) National Student Leadership Summit. The essay secured her a place as one of 24 students to attend the summit in Johannesburg on 25 July 2009 where she was named the winner of the competition.

The prize was a brand-new Dell laptop, which will assist her with her studies. The 20-year-old Likeleli, a student from Welwitchia Residence, who was also amongst the top 14 students in the university’s Matriculant of the Year Competition in 2006, lives in Lesotho.

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