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A Stand Against Injustices towards Transgender and Gender-diverse Persons

16 May 2022 | Story Anthony Mthembu

According to the Gender Equality and Anti-Discrimination Office (GEADO) at the University of the Free State (UFS), an alarming number of transgender and gender-diverse persons at South African institutions of higher learning are consistently met with a great deal of neglect and exclusion. Therefore, it is imperative to constantly shine light on the injustice and violation of their human rights in order to enable spaces that acknowledge their lived realities and uphold their human dignity.

The importance of the march

As such, the Gender Equality and Anti-Discrimination Office will be hosting a transgender march on the Bloemfontein Campus on 17 May 2022.

“The aim of this march is to raise awareness about issues of transsexuality and gender-diverse individuals. We hope to accentuate the voices of transgender individuals and gender-diverse persons on our campuses,” expressed Delisile Mngadi, Assistant Officer in the Gender Equality and Anti-Discrimination Office. The march will commence at 09:30 from the Main Gate and will end at the Centenary Complex. In addition, members of the Gender Equality and Anti-Discrimination Office argue that the purpose of the march is to remind members of the UFS community and the society at large that the stories, the voices, and experiences of transgender and gender-diverse individuals do matter.

An invitation to staff and students

Members of the UFS community, regardless of how they identify, are invited to take part in the march. “It is also important that cishetero persons attend the march; this shows that they stand in support of all gender-diverse persons, and it is also a great opportunity to learn. Another reason why it is important for cisgender persons to attend the march is because violence and discrimination targeted at transgender persons remain a daily reality on our campuses, which inadvertently maintains heteronormative notions and patriarchal power that validates transphobia and homophobia,” Mngadi indicated.

UFS staff and students who will be in attendance can expect to hear speeches from a few invited dignitaries. In addition, Mngadi, along with other members of the office, maintains that this is an opportunity for staff and students to engage with one another. The march is particularly important because it will teach staff and students “to be aware of the diversity that exists within our institution, a diversity that transcends language, religion, and ethnicity – to name just a few. People will also learn to respect this diversity, and most importantly, to understand that all lives matter”, said Mngadi.

News Archive

Badminton: Kovsies rule the national students championships

2006-04-11

Kovsies' badminton players again, as in the past few years, rule the national students championships currently being presented in Pretoria by TUT and UP.

The men, Chris Dednam, Roelof Dednam, Wiaan Viljoen and Raymond Ronne, had no other serious competition and were left to each other's rivalry. Especially Roelof Dednam performed excellent by surprisingly going through to the finals in beating Viljoen in the singles, and with Elaine Lues also Chris Dednam and Liansa Coetzee in the mixed doubles.

In the absence of Annari Viljoen (injured) and Sone Strauss (retired), the less experienced girls, Liansa Coetzee and Lizl Janse van Rensburg, had to uphold the Kovsie name. They performed excellent by taking third and fourth positions.

In the team competition which now takes place, Kovsies should make a clean sweep.

It is a pity that, through financial restraints, Kovsies players will not in October strengthen the SASSU team to the world student championships in China.

Results of the individual championships:

Men's singles: winner - Chris Dednam (UFS), runner-up - Roelof Dednam (UFS), third - Wiaan Viljoen (UFS), fourth - Raymond Ronne (UFS);

Men's doubles: winners - Chris Dednam / Roelof Dednam (UFS), runners-up- Wiaan Viljoen / Raymond Ronne (UFS);

Women's singles: winner - Kerry-Lee Harrington (KZN), runner-up - Christina English (TUT), third - Liansa Coetzee (UFS), fourth - Liezl Janse van Rensburg (UFS);

Women's doubles: winners - Kerry-Lee Harrington (KZN) / Christina English (TUT), runners-up - Liansa Coetzee (UFS) / Maret Visser (NW), quarter-finals - Elaine Lues / Anel Vorster (UFS), Liezl Janse van Rensburg (UFS) / Sarah Rice (Wits);

Mixed doubles: winners - Andre van Schalkwyk / Christina English (TUT), runners-up - Roelof Dednam / Elaine Lues (UFS), third - Chris Dednam / Liansa Coetzee (UFS), fourth - Wiaan Viljoen / Liezl Janse van Rensburg (UFS).

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