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14 March 2022 | Story Lacea Loader
Qwaqwa Campus

The entrance gate to the Qwaqwa Campus of the University of the Free State (UFS) was blocked by a group of students this morning. The group stoned private security guards, entered the campus, vandalised and looted property, and assaulted staff and students on campus.

Two students were arrested by the South African Police Service (SAPS) and more have been identified; the necessary disciplinary action will be taken, and immediate suspensions will be instituted. Similarly, the SAPS will institute criminal charges against those who have been identified.

The university management has ordered an urgent investigation into today's incident and condemns the destructive behaviour of the group. This behaviour is not viewed as protest action, but as criminal acts.

Any violence and criminal acts against staff and students and the disruption of academic activities are condemned in the strongest terms.

The academic programme on the Qwaqwa Campus continues, mostly online for this week, and students will be informed by their faculties about the revised schedule, as well as arrangements regarding tests and assessments scheduled on the campus for this week.

The campus remains open; the university's Protection Services is on high alert and is monitoring the situation on campus closely.


Issued by:
Lacea Loader
Director: Communication and Marketing
University of the Free State
23 February 2022

News Archive

Short course in population, environment and development draws participants from across the world
2013-09-04

Participants at this year’s short course in the Population, Environment and Development (PED) nexus.
4 September 2013

In 2006 the university, in collaboration with several national and international partners, such as the Department of Social Development (DSD), Leadership for Environment and Development (LEAD): Southern and Eastern Africa, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), and South African National Parks (SANParks, particularly Golden Gate Highlands National Park), launched a short course in the Population, Environment and Development (PED) nexus. Since 2006 a total of ten courses were presented and more than 300 mid-career managers, senior officials and NGO volunteers from across the world received training. The most recent course included participants from Vietnam, China, Tunisia, Gambia, Zimbabwe, Mexico and Uganda.

Colleagues from several academic departments and centres at the UFS – Sociology, Environmental Management, Development Studies and Disaster Management, in collaboration with the DSD and LEAD – gave theoretical inputs during the course, while colleagues from SANParks were primarily responsible for the facilitation of the practical visit on site. The PED nexus training programme has received international recognition as a best practice example of successful initiatives of this kind.

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