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UPDATE: Situation on the Bloemfontein Campus, 23 February 2022

23 February 2022 | Story Lacea Loader

On the morning of 23 February 2022, some of the entrance gates to the Bloemfontein Campus were blocked by groups of protesting students. The gates were cleared by members of Protection Services and traffic could continue to enter and exit the campus.

Sporadic disruption of classes occurred during the course of the day, with several students being arrested by the South African Police Service (SAPS) for disruption of classes, which is contravention of the interdict.

The disruptive behaviour stems from students’ unhappiness with the response to the memorandum handed to the university management by the Bloemfontein Campus Central Student Representative Council (CSRC) on 21 February 2022. Also on 21 February, a memorandum was handed to the management of the Qwaqwa Campus by the campus’ CSRC. The Qwaqwa Campus was temporarily closed yesterday, following violent protest action this week; the date for the reopening of the campus will be communicated in due course.

Today’s disruptive behaviour demonstrated by the group of students on the Bloemfontein Campus is condemned and will not be tolerated.

During this week and on numerous occasions before that, the university management has been in extensive engagements with the CSRCs on both campuses; concessions were made where possible, as was demanded in the two memoranda. However, the responses given, and the concessions made by the university were not accepted by the student leadership of the Bloemfontein Campus CSCR in particular, with more demands being made.

READ: Response to the Bloemfontein Memorandum of Demands Dated 21 February 2022

Concessions from the beginning of 2022:

To ensure that students register successfully for the 2022 academic year, the UFS has granted a number of financial concessions to students since the beginning of the year. The financial support given was specifically intended to fast-track the registration process of students with outstanding debt, and those awaiting confirmation of funding from the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS).

These concessions included:

Allowing students who have previously registered for foundation programmes and those who have continued with mainstream programmes to register without the prerequisite of a first payment. The provision was granted to students who applied with the N+ rule and whose respective foundation programmes are included in the Department of Higher Education and Training-funded list.
Permitting students with outstanding debt of up to R25 000 and who await NSFAS funding to register provisionally.
The university also allowed conditional registration for first-time entering students, giving those who have applied for NSFAS funding until 28 February 2022 to finalise their registration. First-time entering students, both residential and non-residential, could register conditionally, provided that they pay an amount of R500.

Demands in the two memoranda received from the CSRCs on the Bloemfontein and Qwaqwa Campuses included matters such as private accommodation; emergency accommodation; catch-up plans for students who have not yet registered; a registration threshold increase to R30 000; NSFAS allowances; and the extension of registration for international students without study permits. The Bloemfontein Campus CSRC did not accept the university’s responses to the memorandum.

The university management will continue engaging with the SRC.

Safety measures in place:

The situation on the Bloemfontein Campus is closely monitored. Protection Services is on high alert and continues to work closely with the SAPS to ensure stability on the campus.

Issued by:
Lacea Loader
Director: Communication and Marketing
University of the Free State
loaderl@ufs.ac.za
23 February 2022

News Archive

Help to rural women to become entrepreneurs

2006-10-24

Some of the guests who attended the ceremony were, from the left: Mr Donray Malabie (Head of the Alexander Forbes Community Trust), Ms Jemina Mokgosi (one of the ladies from Tabane Village who is participating in the Women in Agriculture project), Dr Limakatso Moorosi (Head: Veterinary Services, Free State Department of Agriculture), Prof Johan Greyling (Head: UFS Department of Animal and Wildlife and Grassland Sciences) and Ms Khoboso Lehloenya (coordinator of the project from UFS Department of Animal and Wildlife and Grassland Sciences). Photo: Leonie Bolleurs\

Alexander Forbes and UFS help rural women to become entrepreneurs

Today, the Alexander Forbes Community Trust and the University of the Free State (UFS) joined forces to create an enabling environment for rural women to become players in the private sector.

Three years ago the UFS set up a unique small-scale household egg production project called Women in Agriculture in Thaba ‘Nchu as a pilot project. The project was officially launched today by Mr Donray Malabie, Head of the Alexander Forbes Community Trust.

The aim of the Women in Agriculture Project is to create jobs, provide food security and to help develop rural women into entrepreneurs. A total of 25 women based in Tabane Village in Thaba ‘Nchu are the beneficiaries of the project.

“This is the first project in the Free State the Alexander Forbes Community Trust is involved with. The project would help rural women acquire the skills they need to run their own egg-production business from their homes,” said Mr Malabie.

“The ongoing debate on the shortage of skills ignores the fact that people with little or no education at all also need training. This project is special to the Trust as it provides for the creation of sustainable jobs, food security and the transfer of much needed skills all at once, particularly at this level,” he said.

Every woman in the group started with two small mobile cages that housed 12 hens each. The units are low in cost, and made of commercially available welded mesh and a metal frame. Now, each woman has four cages with 48 hens. The group manages to collectively produce 750 eggs daily.

The eggs are currently sold to local businesses, including spaza shops and the women are using the income generated to look after their families and to further develop their business.

The Department of Animal and Wildlife and Grassland Sciences at the UFS identified the project and did the initial research into the feasibility of setting up such a project.

“A demonstration and training unit has been established at the Lengau Agricultural Development Centre and the women attended a short practical training course. Subsidies are provided for feeding, together with all the material and the lay hens necessary for the start of the business,” said Ms Khoboso Lehloenya, coordinator of the project from the Department of Animal and Wildlife and Grassland Sciences at the UFS.

“The advantage in using lay hens is that they are resistant to diseases and the women will not need electric heating systems for the egg production,” said Ms Lehloenya.

According to Ms Lehloenya, the women are already benefiting from their egg production businesses. “Some of them have used the profit to buy school uniforms and tracksuits for their children and others are now able to make a monthly contribution to their household expenses,” said Ms Lehloenya.
“In South Africa, possibly due to cultural reasons and circumstances, most black people prefer to eat older and tougher chickens, compared to younger soft commercially available broiler chickens. This preference creates a further advantage for the women. At the end of their production cycle, old hens can be sold for a higher price than point-of-lay or young hens. This brings in further money to pay for more hens,” said Ms Lehloenya.

The Alexander Forbes Trust contributed R191 000 towards the project aimed at expanding it to benefit 15 more women.

“We are in the process of recruiting an additional 15 women in Thaba ‘Nchu who will be trained by the Lengau Agricultural Development Centre in order to replicate the model and extend its reach”, said Ms Lehloenya.

Media release
Issued by: Lacea Loader
Media Representative
Tel: (051) 401-2584
Cell: 083 645 2454
E-mail: loaderl@mail.uovs.ac.za
20 October 2006

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