Latest News Archive

Please select Category, Year, and then Month to display items

UFS staff member Nambitha Manqola scoops national Librarian award

18 October 2022 | Story Tsholo Maleho

UFS librarian Nambitha Manqola received top honours at the 2022 Library and Information Association of South Africa conference, scooping the association’s Emerging Librarian Award.

The University of the Free State Library and Information Services (UFS LIS) continues to deliver world-class services, with its staff members receiving national accolades.

Highlighting the library’s positive contributions, Nambitha Manqola, Chief Officer in the UFS LIS on the Bloemfontein Campus, recently scooped the Library and Information Association of South Africa (LIASA) - Nevada LMS Emerging Librarian Award at the association’s national conference hosted in Gauteng from 4 to 7 October 2022.

A role model for the Library and Information Services community

This award is given to someone who demonstrates characteristics indicating that they are a role model for the library and information services community, someone whose contributions could have a long-term impact on the sector, and someone who will be an ambassador for LIASA, Nevada LMS, and librarianship in the coming years, including embracing the post-modern digital landscape.

This accolade recognises the achievements and accomplishments of emerging, inspiring, and exceptional public, academic, school, and special librarians who have earned their LIS qualification within the past five years.

Manqola is known throughout the UFS LIS and Free State library community as a well-rounded individual who is gifted and skilled in a variety of areas, particularly technology. She is based in the UFS LIS Digital Scholarship Centre and is responsible for research data management, and library systems.

Her contribution to the UFS library's growth and marketing, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, has left a lasting impression, making her an ambassador for how library professionals should embrace change and technology.

News Archive

Head of SA Witness Protection Programme pays UFS a visit

2010-05-04

Receiving the Head of the South African Witness Protection Programme are, in front: Prof. Hennie Oosthuizen, Head of the Department of Criminal and Medical Law at the UFS; back: Adv. Beatri Kruger from the UFS Unit for Children’s Rights, Ms Lani Opperman, Member of the Free State Human Trafficking Forum (FHF), Adv. John Welch, Head of the Witness Protection Programme in South Africa; and Lene van Zyl, a LLM student at the UFS who is doing her thesis on human trafficking in body parts.
Photo: Leonie Bolleurs

Recently Adv. Beatri Kruger from the Unit for Children’s Rights in the Faculty of Law at the University of the Free State (UFS) invited Adv. John Welch, Head of the Witness Protection Programme in South Africa, to address the Free State Human Trafficking Forum (FHF) on the safe-keeping of victims who are witnesses against human traffickers.

Human trafficking is prevalent in the Free State, especially in Bloemfontein. The Unit for Children’s Rights is one of the founding members of the FHF that was established to take action against and fight the disturbing reality of human trafficking more efficiently.

According to Adv. Kruger the FHF identified the problem of trafficked witnesses being threatened by human trafficker syndicates.

Adv. Welch made some suggestions with regard to the safe-keeping of trafficked victims. He also, with some of the forum members, paid a visit to the areas in Bloemfontein where human trafficking is prevalent as well as to the local shelter for trafficked victims.

Adv. Welch undertook to join forces with the FHF in assisting trafficked victims and the local Witness Protection Programme Office is now a member of the forum.

Since December 2009 members of the FHF managed to disrupt the work of the human trafficking syndicates. “The traffickers have not stopped this inhumane practice but there are indications that they have moved to other buildings in the inner city and even to houses in the suburbs. It was reported to the forum that approximately 27 males suspected of being involved in human trafficking had been arrested, and since they are illegal in the country, they were deported to their countries of origin,” said Adv. Kruger.

Back

Economic and Management Sciences

Education

Health Sciences

The Humanities

Law

Natural and Agricultural Sciences

Theology and Religion

Open Distance Learning

Business School

We use cookies to make interactions with our websites and services easy and meaningful. To better understand how they are used, read more about the UFS cookie policy. By continuing to use this site you are giving us your consent to do this.

Accept