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When a dream comes true

15 September 2022 | Story Gerda-Marié van Rooyen | Photo Supplied

Lisa Msiza — Lisa Nondumiso Msiza is the first Deaf person from the UFS to receive the prestigious Abe Bailey travel bursary.

Lisa Nondumiso Msiza is the first Deaf person from the UFS to receive the prestigious Abe Bailey Travel Bursary. This second-year student in Linguistics and Sign Language will visit the UK for three weeks, starting late November. Charity Morrison of the Centre for Universal Access and Disability Support (CUADS) will accompany her to interpret for her.

“I want to show through action that Deaf people can do anything. We have the required skills; we can read and write too – just like hearing people can. I would also like to make people aware that the UFS has the facilities to accommodate Deaf people,” says Lisa. Currently, 12 Deaf students are enrolled at this tertiary institution.

This born Johannesburger’s passion for teaching and facilitating Sign Language is contagious. “I want to observe different businesses and programmes in the UK in order to learn how to start projects and develop myself and my community as Deaf people get limited opportunities. I want to teach people on the use, culture and history of Sign Language.”

Lisa describes herself as a kind, understanding, and loving person. As she was born deaf, Sign Language is her home language. Her parents, however, are Zulu and Ndebele speaking. She says that, although Sign Language is different in every language, she quickly adapts and communicates in it as soon as she grasps the structure of the new language.

Being named top achiever (learner) for the 2020 matric class and being crowned in fifth position at the World Deaf Model 2021, Lisa is proof that beauty and brains can co-exist.

“I am passionate about being a teacher, facilitator, or lecturer. I enjoy teaching others sign language so we can communicate more effectively. I love Sign Language and I am always trying to inform people on the importance of learning about Deaf people and to help others understand the nature of language and communication.”

Her future dreams include becoming a lecturer at the UFS or to continue her studies abroad, but only to gain insight and benefit her community. “I want our country to prosper and would like to have every news bulletin interpreted for the Deaf.”

News Archive

New SRC constitution for UFS main campus agreed upon by all organisations

2005-07-20

University of the Free State Fact Sheet

1. The Council of the University of the Free State (UFS) unanimously approved an amendment to the SRC constitution for the main campus to allow for the introduction of proportional representation (PR) alongside a first-past-the-post electoral system.

2. This decision was taken by the UFS Council on 10 June 2005 at the same meeting where it also approved the establishment of a Central SRC for the three campuses of the UFS.

3. The new main campus SRC constitution is the result of consensus reached during a lengthy negotiation process involving diverse student formations such as Sasco, the ANC Youth League, the Young Communist League, the ACDP, HEREXVII, KovsieAlliance, as well as the democratically elected SRC members of the main campus. Independent persons such as Mr Jack Klaas and Mr Kobus van Loggerenberg facilitated the negotiation process.

4. The consensus reached during this process, and the subsequent decision by Council, represent a major breakthrough for student governance and transformation of the UFS main campus and constitutes a legitimate basis for the democratic participation of all students at the UFS main campus in the governance of the university.

5. The introduction of the proportional representation system follows earlier calls by some student formations, notably Sasco and the ANC Youth League, for such a system to be introduced at the UFS main campus in Bloemfontein.

6. In terms of the amendments to the main campus SRC constitution, nine of the 18 SRC members are to elected by means of proportional representation and nine on the basis of an direct, first-past-the-post election.

7. The following portfolios of the main campus SRC will be contested by individual candidates on the basis of “first past the post”:
• president
• secretary
• academic affairs
• legal and constitutional affairs
• student development
• arts and culture
• men’s internal liaison
• ladies internal liaison
• media, marketing and liaison

8. The following nine portfolios will be contested by affiliated organizations on a proportional representation basis.
• two vice-presidents
• treasurer
• dialogue and associations
• transformation
• campus affairs and recreation
• sport
• international affairs
• community service

9. These two decisions regarding student governance represent a breakthrough in that, for the first time in many years, all SRC constitutional changes were processed and approved by the June meeting of the Council, well in time for the scheduled August SRC election; in addition, all relevant student organizations have been part of the process and all have accepted the outcome of the process.

20 July 2005

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