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16 March 2022 | Story Leonie Bolleurs | Photo Leonie Bolleurs
Drone training
Khanyisile Khanyi, trainer at Alpha One Aviation, and Alinah Nomthandazo Bokopt from Free State News, at the drone awareness training presented on the UFS South Campus.

A mixed group of 20 young people attended a Digital Television Broadcasting training session on the South Campus of the University of the Free State (UFS). The excited group of students received their first practical on drone awareness. 

The UFS South Campus was the venue for this session, which formed part of a pilot project for drone awareness training. If the training curriculum is approved by the aviation accrediting body, the UFS Division of Social Responsibility Projects will collaborate with Sollywood South Africa to present a six-month course consisting of theory and practical sessions, including a focus on heritage and culture, converting from analogue to digital format, drone conferencing, creative writing, safety management, entrepreneurship, event management, and drone manufacturing. 

Promoting self-employment

Campus Principal, Dr Marinkie Madiope, is thrilled about the possibilities of this pilot development opportunity. “Not many people in South Africa manufacture drones,” she says.

The university will ensure that the training is fit for purpose and that the qualification is recognised. “With its focus on impact and visibility in 2022, the UFS will impact disadvantaged communities by equipping the unemployed youth with the necessary skills to create their own employment.”

The service providers will source funding from the MICTSETA (Media, Information and Communication Technologies Sector Education and Training Authority) to formalise the course content. 

Investment in scarce skills

Thandeka Mosholi, Head: Social Responsibility, Enterprise, and Community Engagement on the UFS South Campus, says this project will not only contribute to job creation, but it will also bridge the gap in areas where there is a shortage of skills, such as drone manufacturing. “The skills obtained through this project also align with the Fourth Industrial Revolution,” Mosholi adds. 

Dr Zama Qampi, Executive Producer at Sollywood South Africa, says the company will erect a warehouse in the Free State later this year, specifically for the drone project.


News Archive

New violinist for Odeion String Quartet
2013-02-06

Samson Diamond
06 February 2013



The Odeion String Quartet has a new member, a young accomplished violinist with a string of awards to his name. Samson Diamond, who won the Standard Bank Young Artist Award for Music in 2010, has joined the quartet. He is the first male member the quartet has had for about five years. The Soweto-born violinist replaced Denise Sutton, former leader and first violinist. He will lead the quartet, a flagship of the university and the only resident string quartet at a South African university. The other three members are Sharon de Kock (violin), Jeanne-Louise Moolman (viola) and Anmari van der Westhuizen (cello).

Twenty-eight year old Diamond, a graduate of the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, UK, says he is looking forward to working with students from the Odeion School of Music. “I am sure there are many talented students here.”

The musician, who obtained both his Bachelor of Music Honours degree and his Masters of Music Performance degree with distinction, will be based in Bloemfontein on a full time basis. As a member of the quartet, he will be giving concerts, coaching chamber music for the various chamber ensembles and will also give individual lessons to some of the violin students at the School.

Diamond, who started playing the violin at age ten, boast a long list of achievements. At age 12, he was leader of the Buskaid Soweto String Ensemble, one of the country's prominent youth projects. He was a founding member of the jazz classical band Quattro Fusion and former leader of the Diamond quartet. He has performed before many distinguished guests, including Queen Elizabeth II, the Duke of Edinburgh and former presidents Nelson Mandela and Thabo Mbeki.

Diamond says being the first male member in years will not bring about a change in the quartet He says it is about the standard of playing and the calibre of music.

“Music is music whether you work with men or women.”

Diamond’s first performance as member of the quartet will be on 21 February 2013. Details about the performance will be communicated later.

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