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19 October 2022 | Story Jóhann Thormählen | Photo iFlair Photography
Kovsie Sport stars
The Kovsie Khanyisa Chawane was one of the big winners at the Free State Sport Stars. The Protea netball player was named Sportswoman of the Year and the Springbok rugby player Frans Steyn was the Sportsman and Sport Star of the Year. Here from left are Steyn and Chawane.

A big honour and motivation to work even harder. This is how Robert Summers summed up his emotions after being crowned University of the Free State (UFS) Sportsman of the Year.

The young South African badminton player walked away with the title – the first winner in three years, since KovsieSport did not name top achievers in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Protea hockey player Shindré-Lee Simmons was the KovsieSport Sportswoman of the Year, and the long jumper Joané Gerber the Junior Sport Star of the Year.

They were crowned at the Free State Sport Stars dinner, presented by Central24 and the UFS on 13 October 2022 in Bloemfontein.

Fellow UFS sport star, Khanyisa Chawane, also won a big award. The Protea netball star was the province’s Sportswoman of the Year, while the Springbok Frans Steyn was the Sportsman and Sport Star of the Year.

University appreciation

Summers, who reached the round of 16 (mixed doubles) and round of 32 (men’s singles and doubles) at the Commonwealth Games and won two bronze (men’s doubles and team) medals at the All Africa Championships, is grateful.

“It is a big honour to be part of an elite group – like Wayde van Niekerk, Heinrich Brüssow, Johan Cronjé and others – who have won it before me,” he says.

“I am really thankful to the university, as you are rewarded for you hard work. It is a good thing because it motivates an athlete to work even harder.”

Simmons won the Africa Cup of Nations as part of the South African team, and also played in the FIH Hockey World Cup and Commonwealth Games.

“It is overwhelming and super exciting. To walk away with such a prestige award is amazing. I am honoured and proud to be a Kovsie hockey player and to carry on the brand.”

Grateful and excited

Gerber took part in the World Athletics U20 Championships and achieved a personal best (6,42 m) at the Confederation of University and Colleges Sports Associations (CUCSA) Games.

The UFS first-year student loves life at the KovsieSport Jumping Academy.

“My season started great but then took a dip and I didn’t think it would work out this way.

“It is amazing to think what I could achieve with a new coach, new environment, and new people I train with. Here I am and I won Junior Sport Star of the Year.”

Chawane represented the Proteas at the Commonwealth Games, won the Africa Cup with the side, and played in the Netball Quad Series.

“I didn’t expect the award. There are lots of great athletes in the Free State.

“I feel really honoured and grateful.”

News Archive

Workplace bullying can cause a toxic teaching environment
2014-04-15

A study done by the University of the Free State’s Faculty of Education exposed how teachers in South Africa fall victim to bullying in the workplace on a daily basis.

This study by Prof Corene de Wet from our School of Open Learning and Dr Lynette Jacobs from our School of Education Studies, exposed the commonness of workplace bullying (WPB) among teachers.

More than 2 700 teachers, from all school levels in urban, township, informal settlements, rural and farm schools, took part in a 43-question survey. Teachers from eight provinces were included in the study.

About 90% of the respondents were victims of WPB by school colleagues and/or management during the 12 months that preceded the study.

These acts included direct shunning, having untrue things said about them, verbal abuse, threats and ridicule, insults and teasing, damaging of possessions as well as physical violence.

Dr Jacobs says WPB is an extremely serious problem in some South African schools, compared to the occurrence in other countries.

“South African teachers are working in ‘toxic’ environments characterised by disgruntled, overworked and stressed teachers. There often are high levels of learner-on-learner and learner-on-educator violence and bullying, communities fraught with moral degradation, racial conflict, violence, lawlessness and economic despair. In schools where despair and disrespect prevail, teachers often turn on one another,” she says.

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