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11 November 2022 | Story Edzani Nephalela and Dr Nomalungelo Ngubane | Photo iStock
Language
The UFS and UKZN have formalised an agreement on a Language Collaboration Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to advance the development of the Sesotho and IsiZulu as academic languages.

The University of the Free State (UFS) has forged an exciting new partnership with the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) to promote the two provinces’ most widely spoken languages, Sesotho and IsiZulu.  

This historic collaboration will see these institutions employing their skills, expertise, and resources to advance the development of the Sesotho and IsiZulu as academic languages through the development of terminology for various disciplines and research collaborations among other activities. 

The UFS formalised the agreement by signing a Language Collaboration Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with UKZN. The MOU process, facilitated by Dr Nomalungelo Ngubane, Director of the UFS Academy for Multilingualism, and Nikile Ntsababa, UFS Registrar, was sealed by Dr Engela Van Staden, UFS Vice-Rector: Academic. 

The objectives of the collaboration are to: 

• allow the UFS open access to all the UKZN isiZulu materials and UKZN open access to all UFS Sesotho language terminology, corpus materials, terminology banks, and applications for various disciplines; 
• develop the Sesotho terminology for various disciplines;
• assist in identifying and closing any gaps in the UFS’s development of isiZulu terminology and in the UKZN’s development of isiZulu, and further develop the relevant language terminology of various disciplines in order to fill any existing gaps;
• share expertise through hosting webinars, seminars, colloquia, and workshops on Sesotho and isiZulu terminology development;
• explore research opportunities regarding the development of Sesotho and isiZulu terminology for various disciplines; and 
• share expertise and resources in all human language technology development initiatives.

“The UKZN has championed the intellectualisation of IsiZulu over the years. We do not want to reinvent the wheel,” Dr Ngubane said. “Our focus now is on the acceleration of the development of Sesotho. Our vision and mission is to be the hub for the advancement of Sesotho at regional, national, and international levels. Collaboration with UKZN is instrumental in achieving this mandate.”

The Academy for Multilingualism said it considers this collaboration historic and groundbreaking because resources will now be invested in the development of Sesotho.

News Archive

Kesa and Wayde biggest stars at KovsieSport Awards
2017-10-03

Description: 'Awards KovsieSport 2017 Tags: Awards KovsieSport 2017

Wayde van Niekerk was unable to attend the KovsieSport Awards.
Steven Swarts, his stepfather, received the award for KovsieSport
Senior Sportsman of the Year from Prof Francis Petersen (left),
Rector and Vice-Chancellor of the University of the Free State,
on his behalf.
Photo: Mlungisi Louw/Volksblad


It took Kesa Molotsane seven years of hard work and patience to excel, and all this time she has been a Kovsie. Unlike some other sporting greats, success didn’t come overnight for her. 

The star athlete had an amazing year and was crowned KovsieSport Senior Sportswoman of the Year, while Wayde van Niekerk is the KovsieSport Senior Sportsman of the Year for a fifth consecutive time. The 400 m Olympic Champion surpassed the record held by himself and Franz Kruger for most successive sports awards for men (four), and equalled Kruger’s record (five) for the most men’s titles overall.

Blose and Chawane top juniors

The cream of the crop was honoured at the KovsieSport Awards, held in collaboration with the Volksblad Free State Sport Stars Awards, at Monte Bello in Bloemfontein on 27 September 2017.

Kwenzo Blose, who represented the South African U20 rugby team at the Junior World Cup, was named Junior Sportsman for a second consecutive year. The netball player Khanyisa Chawane is the KovsieSport Junior Sportswoman of the Year. She captained the South African U21 netball team at the World Youth Netball Champs.

The blind athlete Louzanne Coetzee and her guide Khothatso Mokone received a Special Award for Disabled Sport. Coetzee took part in the Paralympic Games and has set many records, such as in the 5 000 m (T11).

Hard work over many years

Molotsane competed at the World Cross-country Championships in Kampala, is the leader of the Spar Women’s Grand Prix 10 km series, and represented South Africa at the World Student Games. The Assistant Officer at KovsieSport says being the best female athlete is humbling. 

“It took me long enough to get here and it needed a lot of work from my side over many years. I have been with Kovsies for, like, seven years and I am only getting this after so long.”
She also commended Karla and Tanya Mostert who was nominated with her. “Karla has been a motivation for little kids from primary school up until high school learners. She has always been there and knows what it means to really be a sport star. 

“And her younger sister Tanya is the upcoming one. It is amazing to be on stage with both of them.”

KovsieSport Awards:
Participants in World Student Games in Tapei: Arné Nel (tennis), Hendrik Maartens (athletics), Janke van der Vyver (badminton), Kesa Molotsane (athletics), Lienke de Kock (tennis), Maryke Brits (athletics), Rynardt van Rensburg (athletics), Tsepang Sello (athletics).
Special Award for Disabled Sport: Louzanne Coetzee and Khothatso Mokone
Special Awards: Maryka Holtzhausen (netball), Janine de Kock, Marnus Kleinhans (tennis), Ans Botha, Rufus Botha (both athletics), Nicole Walraven (hockey) and Godfrey Tenoff (soccer)
Junior Sportswoman of the Year: Khanyisa Chawane (netball)
Junior Sportsman of the Year: Kwenzo Blose (rugby)
Senior Sportswoman of the Year: Kesa Molotsane (athletics)
Senior Sportsman of the Year: Wayde van Niekerk (athletics)

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