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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

UFS academic discusses Dutch, Afrikaans and African languages
2006-05-22

During the colloquium presented in Belgium by the Province Antwerp were from the left Prof Pol Cuvelier (University of Antwerp), Prof Theo du Plessis (Director: Unit for Language Management at the UFS), Mr Ludo Helsen (Permanent Deputy: Province of Antwerp) and Mr Jean-Pierre Rondas (Flemish radio journalist).

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UFS academic discusses Dutch, Afrikaans and African languages at international conference

Prof Theo du Plessis, Director of the Unit for Language Management at the University of the Free State (UFS), was the main speaker at a colloquium titled “Routes:  Where to now? - Een traject van het Nederlands naar het Afrikaans en de Afrikatalen”, which was recently presented by the Province Antwerp in Belgium.

 The aim of the colloquium was to discuss the future cooperation in the field of language between the Province Antwerp and South Africa. 

 The Province Antwerp is already involved with projects in South Africa.  One of these projects is the Multilingual Information Development Programme (MIDP), a partnership project between the UFS and the Free State Province that is mainly funded by the Province Antwerp. 

 The project has been running since 1999 and was recently in the news with the presentation of a symposium on multilingualism and exclusion on the Main Campus of the UFS.  It is hoped that the Routes colloquium will indicate new stages on which can be added to the already successful cooperation in the area of language.

 Prof Du Plessis’s presentation titled “Nederlands, Afrikaans en die Afrikatale – kan samewerking slaag? Die geval MIDP in die Vrystaat”, investigated the successes that have been made with the MIDP.  He discussed two possible approaches to cooperation in the areas of language, that of a sentimentalistic  approach against an instrumentalistic approach. 

Cooperation in the first approach makes language the aim.  In the second approach language is used as a means to a greater aim.  According to Prof du Plessis the first approach is driven by a romantisised idea about the relation between the Flemish and Afrikaans speaking people, which may unfortunately polarise the position of Afrikaans in South Africa even further.

 He argues that, given the time that we are in, the second approach will deliver more constructive results as language can among others be used for to further  democracy in South Africa.   This can happen by cooperation in the institutionalising of multilingualism in our society.  The more languages are used in education, law and government administration, the more we can be assured a successful democracy.

 The Routes colloquium was facilitated by the well-known Flemish radio journalist, Jean-Pierre Rondas. About twenty South African and Flemish language specialists took part in the colloquium.  Dr Fritz Kok, outgoing chief executive officer of the ATKV took part in the opening ceremony and Dr Neville Alexander from the University of Cape Town and well-known activist for multilingualism in South Africa was also one of the main speakers.

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