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Bittersweet graduation: UFS awards posthumous degree to Mervin Hershel van Wyk

21 April 2023 | Story EDZANI NEPHALELA | Photo CHARL DEVENISH

Magdalena de Koker accepts a posthumous degree on behalf of her late son, Mervin Hershel van Wyk.

A grieving mother brought tears to the eyes of almost everyone present during a graduation ceremony at the University of the Free State (UFS) on Thursday 20 April, when she took to the stage to accept her late son’s posthumously awarded master’s degree.

The usually festive and jovial graduation spirit inside the Callie Human Centre at the University of the Free State’s Bloemfontein Campus turned sombre in a matter of seconds as Magdalena de Koker ascended the stage to receive her son Mervin Hershel van Wyk’s degree. The Faculty of Theology and Religion student had been on track to receive a Master of Theology degree with a specialisation in Church History and Polity, but passed away before his graduation ceremony. The posthumous degree awarding honoured Van Wyk’s memory and acknowledged his family’s support throughout his academic journey.

“My emotions are conflicted,” De Koker said. “I feel a sense of pride for my son’s accomplishments, and eagerly anticipated celebrating his graduation. However, the profound loss of my son has left me devastated. Instead of being a spectator, cheering him on from the audience, I now find myself standing in his place on stage, wearing unfamiliar shoes, unsure where the toe or heel lies.”

His legacy lives on

Before closing the ceremony Professor Bonang Mohale, Chancellor of the UFS, said he cried because this degree had to be conferred posthumously.

“This is sad, tragic, and regrettable,” Prof Mohale said. “We all pray and hope that our children will bury us. Mama, we pray that you get peace by acknowledging the current trauma and pain, so that there can be some acceptance in order to start the process of healing. And with that process of healing comes forgiveness. The wonderful thing about forgiveness is that it allows more healing. May the good Jehovah be with the family and the whole clan. When we pray, we say ‘Thy will be done’. Thank you, in the wake of your pain, for making the time to be with this greater family of Kovsies.”

Dr Eugene Fortein, Senior Lecturer in Church History and Polity, said his late student was an inspiration to many. “He firmly believed that God cared about the suffering of the impoverished and oppressed, and that justice would be served to those often overlooked. These convictions fuelled his involvement in politics, unafraid to use his Christian beliefs to advocate for change through protests. His trial sermon last year from Amos 5 – ‘But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream’ – embodied his unwavering conviction that justice and righteousness were integral to his faith.”

Van Wyk’s passing is huge a loss for his family, friends, and the UFS and South African academic communities. His dedication and commitment to his studies serve as an inspiration to all those who knew him. The UFS community mourns the loss of a talented student and scholar, but his legacy will continue to live on through his contributions to the field of theology.

News Archive

UFS boasts with most advanced chemical research apparatus in Africa

2005-11-23

Celebrating the inauguration of the NMR were from the left Prof Frederick Fourie (Rector and Vice-Chancellor of the UFS), Dr Detlef Müller (Development Scientist and Manager: Africa and Asia of Bruker in Germany, the supplier of the NMR), Prof Jannie Swarts (head of the head of the Division Physical Chemistry at the UFS) and Prof Herman van Schalkwyk (Dean: Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences at the UFS). Photo: Lacea Loader

UFS boasts with most advanced chemical research apparatus in Africa

The University of the Free State’s (UFS) Department of Chemistry now boasts with some of the most advanced chemical research apparatus in Africa after the latest addition, a nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectrometer, was inaugurated today by the Rector and Vice-Chancellor, Prof Frederick Fourie. The NMR is used to analyse molecular structures.

Last month the Department of Chemistry celebrated the installation of the most advanced single crystal X-ray diffractometer in Africa. The diffractometer provides an indispensable technique to investigate among others the solid state of compounds for medicinal application.

“Three years ago the UFS executive management realised that, if we want to build a university of excellence, we should invest in research. We started to think strategically about chemistry and decided to bring the apparatus at the Department of Chemistry on a more competitive standard. Strategic partnerships were therefore secured with companies like Sasol,” said Prof Fourie during the inauguration ceremony.

“The installation of the NMR symbolises the ability of the UFS to turn academic areas around. I hope that this is the beginning of a decade of excellence for chemistry at the UFS,” said Prof Fourie.

”The catalogue value of the Bruker 600 MHz NMR is approximately R11 million. With such an advanced apparatus we are now able to train much more post-graduate students,“ said Prof Jannie Swarts, head of the Division Physical Chemistry at the UFS.

”The NMR is the flagship apparatus of the UFS Department of Chemistry that enables chemists to look at compounds more easily at a molecular level. Research in chemistry is critically dependent on NMR, which is a technique that can determine the composition of reactants and products in complicated chemical reactions, with direct application is most focus areas in chemistry,“ said Prof Swarts.

”Parts of the spectrometer consists of non-commercial items that were specifically designed for the UFS Department of Chemistry to allow the study of unique interactions in e.g. rhodium and platinum compounds,” said Prof Swarts.

According to Prof Swarts the NMR enables chemists to conduct investigations on the following:

To evaluate for example the complex behaviour of DNA in proteins as well as the analysis of illegal drugs sometimes used by athletes.
It provides an indispensable technique to investigate compounds for medicinal application for example in breast, prostate and related bone cancer identification and therapy, which are currently synthesised in the Department of Chemistry.
It can also be applied to the area of homogeneous catalysis where new and improved compounds for industrial application are synthesized and characterised, whereby Sasol and even the international petrochemical industry could benefit. This analytical capacity is highly rated, especially in the current climate of increased oil prices.
The NMR can detect and identify small concentrations of impurities in feed streams in the petrochemical industry, e.g. at Sasol and also the international petrochemical industry. These minute amounts of impurities can result in metal catalyst deactivation or decomposition and can cause million of rands worth in product losses.
It is indispensable for studying the complexity of samples that is non-crystalline. These materials represent the vast majority of chemical compounds such as solvents, gasoline, cooking oil, cleaning agents and colorants as examples.

According to Prof Swarts the general medical technique of MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) in use at larger hospitals, is based on NMR technology.

”The NMR apparatus enabled the Department of Chemistry to characterise complex molecules that were synthesised for the multi-national company, FARMOFS-PAREXEL, and to negotiate research agreements with overseas universities,” said Prof Swarts.

Media release
Issued by: Lacea Loader
Media Representative
Tel: (051) 401-2584
Cell: 083 645 2454
E-mail: loaderl.stg@mail.uovs.ac.za
22 November 2005

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