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“Great to come back home to my UFS family”

15 September 2021 | Story Jóhann Thormählen | Photo Charl Devenish

Louzanne read more — The University of the Free State celebrated the achievements of the Paralympic athlete, Louzanne Coetzee. She won silver and bronze medals at the Paralympic Games in Tokyo.

It is great to be back with her University of the Free State (UFS) family, and Louzanne Coetzee would not have been able to reach her dreams without her Kovsie support.

The Paralympic star thanked the UFS for the role it played in her career and said it was a privilege to represent the UFS and South Africa.

She returned from the Paralympic Games in Tokyo with silver (1 500 m; T11) and bronze (marathon; T12) medals and was welcomed back at a special UFS celebration on 13 September 2021.

The 28-year-old, her guides – Estean Badenhorst and Claus Kempen – and a small group of UFS dignitaries celebrated her achievements.

The Residence Head of Akasia Residence at the UFS not only brought home two medals, but also set a new 1 500 m African record (T11; 4:40.96) and a new world marathon record (T11; 3:11:13) in her class.

Support from home

Coetzee is a UFS alumna who started running while being a Kovsie student.

“Thank you so much for the welcome back,” she said.

“It is great to come back home to my UFS family. Especially after three weeks in another country.”

She said the support messages from the likes of Prof Francis Petersen, Rector and Vice-Chancellor of the UFS, meant a lot while she was in Tokyo.

“I, Claus, and Estean would not have been able to do this without the support of the UFS and Oom DB (Prinsloo; Director of KovsieSport).”

Representing the UFS and the continent

She made special mention of Badenhorst and Kempen, who also run for the Kovsie Athletics Club. “I really feel we function well as a team, and I think the results have been fruitful.”

Prof Petersen praised and thanked them, also for representing the UFS, South Africa, and the continent in such a superb manner.

It is great to come back home to my UFS family. Especially after three weeks in another country. – Louzanne Coetzee

“You really made us proud as the University of the Free State family, and I know that you will continue with great performances in the future,” he said.

Prinsloo said KovsieSport is immensely proud of the trio and for being UFS ambassadors.

“Thank you very much. We are looking forward to the next couple of years.”

News Archive

R12-million to train black chartered accountants

2008-10-09

The Centre for Accounting at the University of the Free State (UFS) will receive about R12-million over the next four years from the Thuthuka Bursary Fund to train black learners as chartered accountants.

The bursary fund is managed by the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA) and is aimed at increasing the number of black students who obtain the Bachelor degree in Accounting.

Prof. Hentie van Wyk, Programme Director of the Centre for Accounting at the UFS, says that the membership of the chartered accounting profession (SAICA) does not currently reflect the demographics of the country. The aim of the bursary fund is to straighten this imbalance.

“The first intake of 50 first-year students is in 2009. The bursary fund makes provision for about R60 000 per student. This amount covers the student’s class fees, residence fees, meals and the financing of tutors. We will also make use of tutors and guest lecturers who will teach the students life skills, among others. The centre will appoint a co-ordinator to assist students with this,” says Prof. Van Wyk.

The UFS is accredited by SAICA to handle the Thuthuka training. During a monitoring visit from SAICA in 2007 the centre was the first in South Africa to obtain a 1-grading. The centre also obtained an outstanding pass rate of 94% during the recent national qualifying exam.

“We especially want to focus on the training of students from the central region. This means that the UFS will become a feeder institution of black chartered accountants for the business community in the central region of the country,” says Prof. Van Wyk.

According to Prof. Van Wyk, SAICA will do the recruitment of the students and they will be subject to a selection test. A list of possible students will be submitted to the centre, of which 50 will be chosen. One of the prerequisites is that learners must have a good mark in Mathematics. During their four years of studying students must have an average pass mark of 70%.

Media Release
Issued by: Lacea Loader
Assistant Director: Media Liaison
Tel: 051 401 2584
Cell: 083 645 2454
E-mail: loaderl.stg@ufs.ac.za
9 October 2008

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