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17 February 2022 | Story NONSINDISO QWABE | Photo Thabiso Mdakana
Qwaqwa Campus vaccination drive
Andile Tshabalala and Theodore Hlalele, CSRC Qwaqwa Campus.

As the University of the Free State is encouraging staff and students to be vaccinated in order for all of us to return to campus life as we know it, the Qwaqwa Campus held its first in-person vaccination activation drive for its first and returning students. The drive was to further encourage students to vaccinate, and to keep themselves and others safe by educating themselves.

The cheerful and excited crowd of more than 100 students were gathered at the Amphitheatre on campus, where they got to know more about the COVID-19 Regulations and Required Vaccination Policy and interacted with Department of Health officials to understand more about the jabs and booster shots.

No one is forced, but everyone is encouraged

The university’s approved policy came into effect on 14 February, requiring staff and students to be vaccinated as a measure towards ensuring everyone’s smooth return to its three campuses. However, as Qwaqwa Campus Principal Dr Martin Mandew highlighted, “no one is being forced to vaccinate, but we are all strongly encouraged to do so”.

Dr Mandew said the student experience is too rich and vibrant to be confined to virtual learning. He showed students his own vaccination certificate, quoting a Zulu proverb, ‘indlela ibuzwa kwabaphambili’, which loosely translated means ‘those who have gone before you can show the way’.

“If you are not vaccinated, it will be impossible for us to enjoy face-to-face interaction again. Ask yourself: ‘If the principal is vaccinated, who am I not to be?” he said.

The lively drive also kept students entertained through live performances by local artists. 

Students could also raise pressing issues and questions with Department of Health officials – including common side effects, apathy against vaccination due to religious beliefs, the efficacy of the vaccine to protect against COVID-19, and the implementation of the UFS Vaccination Policy. 

The programme line-up also included messages of support from the Director: Student Affairs, Zoleka Dotwana, the Deputy Director of Housing and Residences, Zakhele Mdluli, and UVPERSU Vice-Chairperson, Dr Grey Magaiza.

The operating days of the on-campus vaccination site have been extended to accommodate streams of incoming students who still want to be vaccinated. 

News Archive

Community engagement must be a core function of universities
2009-05-21

 
 Members of the NatCEMF Steering Committee are, from the left: Mr Jerome Slamat, Senior Director: Community Interaction, Stellenbosch University, Ms Beatrix Bouwman, Manager: Community Engagement, North-West University, Rev Kiepie Jaftha, Chief Director: Community Service, UFS and chairperson of the committee, Prof. Allan Femi Lana, Director: Institute for Rural Development and Community Engagement, Mangosuthu University of Technology, Prof. Seth Pollack, Fulbright Scholar, University of Western Cape (guest speaker at the meeting), Prof. Denver Hendricks, Director: Community Engagement, University of Pretoria, and Prof. Priscilla Daniels, Chairperson: Human Ecology and Research and CHESP Research Coordinator, University of the Western Cape.
Photo: Lacea Loader
 It is important that all tertiary institutions in South Africa should work together and commit themselves to advance the cause of community engagement in the country.

This was one of the main outcomes of the second meeting held by the National Community Engagement Manager’s Forum (NatCEMF) at the South Campus of the University of the Free State (UFS) in Bloemfontein recently. The meeting was attended by 34 representatives of 16 higher education institutions in the country.

“I am astounded at the interest in this matter. The representatives are committed to make community engagement a core function of their institutions and we all agreed that we should get more involved in expanding this across all institutions. A need for a formal structure for us all to work together and have a more collective voice was also identified,” said Rev Kiepie Jaftha, Chief Director: Community Service at the UFS and Chairperson of the NatCEMF Steering Committee.

“There is a growing need to expand and develop our engagement with communities – to share our experiences and best practices and to learn from each other. There are universities that are doing excellent work in this field and, by having a formal structure, we can do a lot more towards advancing community engagement,” said Rev Jaftha.

The meeting identified matters such as the coordination of higher education institutions’ involvement in community engagement, the facilitation of research about community engagement, promoting service learning as transformation, the establishment of a community engagement resource centre and the organisation of a national community engagement conference as some of its aims. A national steering committee was also elected.

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