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16 February 2022 | Story Leonie Bolleurs | Photo Supplied
Unique PhD Journeys
Prof Liezel Lues and her two doctoral students on graduation day. On the left is Dr Modeni Sibande, who is looking forward to ensuring that Public Administration and Management remains relevant to contemporary evolving issues in society. On the right is Dr Maréve Biljohn, who as a student has always shown commitment to do her best in every aspect of her PhD journey.

In nature, one often comes across cool and surreal phenomena. Experiencing rare happenings in the academia is an altogether different encounter. One that Prof Liezel Lues, Professor in the Department of Public Administration and Management at the University of the Free State (UFS), explains as winning the lottery.

Two of Prof Lues’ doctoral students – representing two different institutions – graduated in 2018. Four years later, on the exact same date, 1 March 2022, Drs Maréve Biljohn and Modeni Sibanda will take up their new positions, respectively as Head of the Department of Public Administration and Management at the UFS and Head of the Department of Public Administration at the University of Fort Hare.

 

Social innovation and service delivery

Dr Biljohn, currently Senior Lecturer in the department, did her thesis on the topic: Social innovation and service delivery by local government: a comparative perspective. With work experience in local government, Dr Biljohn had a good idea of the problems that underpin poor service delivery in this sphere of government.

Public participation in integrated development planning: a case study of Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality, was the title of Dr Sibanda’s thesis. The study revealed how individuals and communities navigate forms of power and raise the critical consciousness of municipal residents, communities, and public officials.

According to Dr Sibanda, his study was motivated by the need to explore how public participation power dynamics influence Integrated Development Planning outcomes.

He believes by doing so, the complexity of how individuals and communities navigate forms of power in public participation platforms and spaces would be unravelled. Unravelling such public participation power dynamics, he says, would raise critical consciousness and address and challenge visible, hidden, and invisible forms of power on these public platforms and spaces. “Often public participation platforms and spaces neglect and ignore the capacity of such spaces to manage the pervasive, complex power dynamics among stakeholders in municipal strategic development planning processes. This focus to my PhD therefore sought to fill that knowledge gap,” adds Dr Sibanda.

Prof Lues says the value link to their research is buoyed in the South African Local Government. “They have both established a niche area that addresses the challenges South African municipalities face,” she adds.


“There is no doubt that they are suitable for the position of head of department at this point.”


Achieving a coveted status in their careers

On experiencing this unique journey, Prof Lues says: “Of all the relations, a relation between a promoter and a student is the most inspiring and admirable one. Any promoter takes the utmost pride when his/her taught students achieve coveted status in their respective careers. To me, it feels like winning the lottery – twice.”

News Archive

Kovsie TV Launched
2015-05-06

Victor Ngubeni, Grace Thoabala, Nangamso Dlatu, Aisha Poswa, Lesego Maakamedi, Nothando Hlope, Aldene vd Merwe and Lawrence Siyoko

“We have to change our university before we can change our country.”

 

There is a revolution at hand, and students are requesting new and exciting platforms on which they can voice themselves. Kovsie TV aims to do just that for Kovsie students. 

 

As a student initiative, the steam behind it is SRC Student Development and Environmental Affairs, Victor Ngubeni. He says that it is only right that it be by the students themselves. The launch saw many from the campus community gathered out of curiosity and excitement for the new venture. The evening started out as quite a classy frenzy, which had attendees clearly prepared for the level of broadcasting that the launch would showcase.

 

The initial idea is to increase the number of platforms where students can receive information. The Student Media portfolio, which oversees the functioning of student media platforms, aims to make Kovsie TV as autonomous as possible. As an introductory initiative, it will aid in the sharing and telling of students’ stories.

 

It is important to mention the preparation process that was endured by the many hopefuls who auditioned, hoping to make it as one of the Kovsie TV presenters. For more than three weeks, the panel of judges sieved through the contestants until they had just six rough diamonds. Then, for the first time, the audience met the faces that they would become familiar with from this point.

 

As Ngubeni stressed during his speech, Kovsie TV would not serve as propaganda machine for the SRC, as many might have asked about the relationship that could be expected between the two. The architects of Kovsie TV hope that, as a student initiative, it will inspire a new era in student activism.

 

When asked about the concept behind this new platform, Ngubeni informed us that, “the concept is to have a twenty-minute campus TV show highlighting what goes on around campus so that students know, and so that we can get them participating in campus life activities.”

 

This is a student initiative whose future will depend solely on the students themselves.

 

Presenters:

Nangamso Dlathu – Studio presenter

Grace Thoabala – Studio presenter

Lesego Maakamedi – Social events

Nothando Hlophe – Current affairs

Aldine van der Merwe – Culture events and Vox-Pop

Mbulelo Siyoko – Culture and Vox-Pop

Aisha Phoswa ? Sports

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