Latest News Archive

Please select Category, Year, and then Month to display items
Previous Archive
01 August 2022 | Story Leonie Bolleurs | Photo Maryke Venter
UFS No student Hungry concert
Attending the first Winter Warmer Indoor Concert, hosted by the Faculty of Health Sciences, were, from the left: Prof Hanneke Brits, Dorah Klaas from UFS Institutional Advancement, Dr Nicholas Pearce, and Mantwa Makhakhe, Senior Financial Planner and Director at Sanlam.

“Don’t worry about a thing,
‘Cause every little thing gonna be all right
Singin’: “Don’t worry about a thing
‘Cause every little thing gonna be all right!”

An extract from the lyrics of Bob Marley’s Three Little Birds, performed by Dr Nicholas Pearce, Head of the Department of Surgery at the University of the Free State (UFS), and Prof Hanneke Brits, Associate Professor in the UFS Department of Family Medicine, singing along with the staff and students from the UFS Faculty of Health Sciences and the audience. This performance was one of the highlights during the first Winter Warmer Picnic Concert presented by the Faculty of Health Sciences. 

The faculty, besides displaying the talent of its medical students, the Free State Youth Wind Ensemble, the UFS Choir, and nationally renowned Lucy Sehloho, aimed to create a fun evening for staff, students, and the Bloemfontein community in order to raise awareness for hungry students. 

About students for students

It is a function about students for students, remarked Prof Prakash Naidoo, Vice-Rector: Operations, who opened the event. According to him, millions of people worldwide go hungry every day. “At the UFS, there are also many students who are not able to afford basic food stuffs. Often, essentials are not covered by student bursaries, leaving students hungry and struggling to perform at the academic level expected,” he said. 

To enter the Callie Human Centre on the Bloemfontein Campus where the concert was hosted, members of the audience could donate non-perishable food, sanitary items, or blankets. The 800 food parcels collected at the event will be distributed by the No Student Hungry programme

Besides students, staff members and their families who attended the concert and donated towards the NSH, the Life Rosepark Hospital and Sanlam also made financial contributions towards the programme. 

Community coming together for a good cause

The idea to host the concert and to see lecturers in the faculty perform, stemmed from the CANSA shavathon held earlier this year when more than R10 000 was raised for people suffering from cancer and other related illnesses. Dr Pearce indicated that, should students reach the R10 000 mark, he and Prof Brits would perform Bob Marley’s Three Little Birds. The original idea of one performance evolved into a two-hour concert, seeing members of the Bloemfontein community coming together for a good cause. 

“Due to your contribution, many students will not go hungry,” said Dr Pearce, thanking everyone who attended the concert and donated to the NSH programme.

• Should you also like to make a difference in someone’s life and make a cash donation to the No Student Hungry programme, please scan the QR code and follow the instructions. Your contribution can go a long way in making a difference in someone’s life. 

News Archive

Greyhound racing: Public input needed
2009-02-03

Members of the public have a second opportunity to make submissions regarding the possible legalisation of greyhound racing in South Africa.

A research team from the Faculty of Law at the University of the Free State (UFS), in conjunction with the Department of Trade and Industry (dti), will hold a second round of public consultations in Gauteng, the Free State, North West, the Eastern Cape, the Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal in February and March this year.

During the first round of consultations last year the research team, under the supervision of Prof. Elizabeth Snyman-Van Deventer of the UFS, received written submissions from interested members of the public and various associations.

The purpose of this research project is to give an objective overview of the greyhound racing industry nationally as well as internationally. This includes aspects such as animal welfare, social, economical and political issues and the legal framework pertaining to greyhound racing.

The study focuses on the current situation in South Africa and internationally regarding the jurisdictions where the sport is currently active and the current legal framework.

It will also include a comparative study of the situation in countries such as the United States of America, Ireland, England, Belgium, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and Vietnam.

Greyhound racing was banned in South Africa years ago because gambling was regarded as immoral at that time. Now that gambling has been legalised and is regulated there are debates on the legislation of greyhound racing.

The animal welfare and protection groups are against the legalisation of greyhound racing, while other role players have been calling for the racing to be legalised and regulated.

The public consultations will take place as follows:

• 6 February 2009, 09:00-12:30, Protea Edward Hotel, Durban
• 13 February 2009, 09:00-12:30, Protea Sea Point Hotel, Cape Town
• 20 February 2009, 09:00-12:30, Protea Marine Hotel, Port Elizabeth
26 February 2009, 09:00-12:30, Garden Court Hotel, Bloemfontein
• 27 February 2009, 09:00-12:30, Protea Manor Hotel, Hatfield, Pretoria
• 6 March 2009, 09:00-12:30, Garden Court East London, Esplanade, East London
• 13 March 2009, 09:00-12:30, Willows Garden Hotel, Potchefstroom

For further information, members of the public who are interested in attending these consultations should contact Mpho Mosing of the dti at 012 394 1504/083 436 5534 or Prof. Snyman-Van Deventer at 051 401 2698 or e-mail it to snymane.rd@ufs.ac.za  
 

We use cookies to make interactions with our websites and services easy and meaningful. To better understand how they are used, read more about the UFS cookie policy. By continuing to use this site you are giving us your consent to do this.

Accept