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Friends beat the odds by achieving second degrees together

21 April 2022 | Story NONSINDISO QWABE | Photo Supplied

Their friendship began in high school, where they were constantly told by teachers that they would not make it to university, but these best friends never gave up. On Thursday 21 April 2022, they received their honours degrees in the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences together during the afternoon ceremony of the University of the Free State’s April Graduations.

Lerato Mbongo and Opheleleyo Qwabe, who have been friends since Grade 9, said being picked on in class for not being the brightest learners brought them together and motivated them to work harder.Mbongo obtained a Bachelor of Agriculture Honours majoring in Wildlife Management, and Qwabe received a Bachelor of Agriculture Honours majoring in Agricultural Economics.

“We’ve always dreamed big, but if you had told us back then that we would one day be two-time graduates, we wouldn’t have believed it. During one of our Maths lessons back in Grade 9, our teacher went around asking the ‘smarter’ kids what they wanted to study after matric, but when he got to us, he said there was no point in asking because we wouldn’t make it that far anyway,” Qwabe said.

The friends, who both started at the university’s South Campus, said they were grateful for the UFS Preparation Programme, as it boosted both their marks and their confidence. “The programme helped us to believe in ourselves again, and also played a big role in helping us discover what we wanted to study. The courses we enrolled in really unlocked an unstoppable passion in us and helped us realise that nothing is impossible. Today, here we are celebrating 10 years of friendship, and our honours degrees. We’ve conquered once again, and we're sharing our victories together,” Mbongo said.

News Archive

Kesa, UFS cross-country teams shine at USSA

2016-10-24

Description: ’Manapo UFS cross-country Tags: UFS cross-country

The Kovsies 8 km women’s team
was crowned as champions at
the USSA cross-country meeting
in Richards Bay. From the left are
Marne Mentz, Lizandre Mulder,
and Kesa Molotsane.
Photo: Sarina Cronje

The University of the Free State (UFS) not only boasts a South African women’s cross-country champion, one of its women’s teams is also the best university team in the country.
The Kovsies 8 km women’s team was crowned the winners at the University Sports SA cross-country event in Richards Bay, while the 10 km men’s team finished second.

Kovsies men take second place

The women’s team consisted of Kesa Molotsane, Marne Mentz, and Lizandre Mulder. They respectively came in first, third and fifth at the USSA meeting held at the University of Zululand on 30 September and 1 October 2016. In the women’s competition, the times of the first three competitors are used to determine the team placements.

The UFS 4 km women’s team finished in 5th place.

The successful UFS 10 km men’s team consisted of four members from the Qwaqwa Campus – Lesedi Radebe (4th), Lebohang Miya (8th), Moorosi Semase (10th), and Lindobuhle Miya (11th). In the men’s competition, the times of the first four men in each team are taken into account.

The Kovsies 4 km men’s team finished sixth.

Molotsane’s dream year continues

Molotsane, assistant officer at KovsieSport, is experiencing a dream year. On 10 September 2016 she was crowned as national cross-country champion over 10 km when she represented the Free State in George. Mentz was third in George over 4 km.

Molotsane improved her own record in the 3 000 m at the Clover athletics meeting in Bloemfontein on 15 October 2016. Her time of 09:51.03 was much better than her previous record time of 10:03.97.

In the USSA road relay in Richards Bay on 1 October 2016, the Kovsies women’s team finished third in the 3 x 2 km relay. The men came fifth in the 4 x 4 km relay.

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