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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

Meet our Council: A teacher with a passion for changing lives

2016-12-19

Henry Dumisani Madlala

William Arthur Ward once said: “The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires.”

However, a teacher can only be great and inspire when teaching is a passion and a calling.

This is exactly the case with Henry Dumisani Madlala, Councillor of the University of the Free State. Mr Madlala is the principal of New Horizon College, a private school in Harrismith.

High educational standards and quality teaching
“New Horizon College is an independent, non-racial educational institution striving to maintain high educational standards and making quality education accessible to all. We have attained a 100% matric pass rate each year in the past six years since I became headmaster."

"My recipe is simple: teachers must teach and learners must learn.”

Mr Madlala was born and bred in KwaZulu-Natal and matriculated from Amazulu High School. Afterwards, he completed a BSc degree in Mathematics and Physics at the University of the North’s Qwaqwa Campus.

Delegate, govern, and trust
He says: “There are three key management principles which I follow as principal: delegate, govern, and trust. I give responsibilities to people, I make sure that they know what is expected of them, and in the end I trust them to carry out their responsibilities.”

His career as teacher and principal has been full of highlights on which he looks back with satisfaction.

Proud to plough back into the university
Madlala has been serving on the UFS Council since 2010 and has been part of Kovsie Alumni’s executive management since 2011. He is proud to plough back into the university in this manner.

“To me, being a Kovsie alumnus means pride, respect, discipline, and loyalty. Once a Kovsie, always a Kovsie!”

For this reason, Madlala believes that the UFS will play a major role in the country and in higher education for a long time to come.

“The UFS has been in existence for more than a hundred years and will no doubt survive for another hundred years or longer. We are indeed one of the leading universities in the country when it comes to transformation and academic excellence. The survival of the UFS is not a dream, but a reality.”

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