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26 April 2023 | Story Valentino Ndaba | Photo Charl Devenish
Faculty of Law doctoral recipients produce impactful research and increase the number of UFS academic staff with PhDs. From the left; Dr Martie Bloem; Dr Kudzai Mpofu, and Dr Anthea-Lee September-Van Huffel.

Our vision is that by 2034, the proportion of academic staff with PhDs will increase to 75%. With each graduation ceremony, the University of the Free State (UFS) is moving closer to making this a reality. Our aspirations of becoming a research-led institution that prides itself on academic excellence, quality, and impact, are outlined in Vision 130, which is the strategic intent to reposition the UFS for its 130th anniversary.

This year’s April graduation saw a general total of 94 PhDs being conferred, which is a significant growth compared to the 84 conferred during last year’s April graduation ceremonies. 

On 20 April 2023, three of the ten candidates conferred the new title of ‘Dr’ by the Faculty of Law, were UFS academic staff. Dr Kudzai Mpofu (Research Assistant in the Department of Mercantile Law), Dr Anthea-Lee September-Van Huffel (Private Law lecturer), and Dr Martie Bloem (Private Law lecturer) were just a few of many UFS academics to receive their doctoral degrees this autumn.

Saving small businesses through quality research 

Dr Mpofu's study contributes to the development of business rescue legislation aimed at restructuring small businesses in financial distress. He used a comparative research methodology to evaluate the business rescue models of small enterprises in Kenya, the United Kingdom, the United States, and South Africa. 

In his thesis, titled: A business rescue model for unincorporated business entities in South Africa, he proposed a business rescue model that provides eligibility criteria, a procedural framework consisting of a step-by-step rescue process, and an institutional framework addressing the roles/duties of the debtor, business rescue practitioner, and the judiciary in ensuring that unincorporated business entities are rehabilitated.

Part of the Vision 130 plan is to enhance research capacity and capabilities by placing a greater emphasis on the balance between research, teaching, and learning for impact. Dr Mpofu is driven by the desire to make an impact.
“I am motivated to use my expertise and research to make a positive impact on society. I look forward to applying my research findings to real-world problems, engaging with policy makers, industry professionals, and community organisations, and making meaningful contributions to society through my academic work,” he said.

Interrogating government’s regulation of South Africa’s natural resources 

Dr September-Van Huffel’s research study, titled: A critical investigation of state custodianship and its implications for the South African property regime, evaluates the potential for change in the interaction between the government as public trustee or custodian and private property holders as far as land reform is concerned.

Her thesis investigates a state custodianship approach to rural agricultural land, particularly within the context of land reform initiatives and increased regulatory control over natural resources such as water, minerals, and land for public interest; and the efficacy of the construct of state custodianship should it be applied to land as a natural resource. Her research considers the socio-political basis for the legal construct of state custodianship, and whether this novel construct has proven capable of delivering transformative outcomes such as equitable redistribution.

Advocating for diversity to transform the legal system

With her thesis, titled: The requirement of ‘fit and proper’ for the legal profession: a South African perspective, Dr Bloem challenges the entry criteria for practising law.

“With this thesis, I challenge the current understanding and application of the ‘fit and proper’ requirement for admission to legal practice, finding that it is superficial and one-dimensional. I argue for the re-imagining of the requirement to allow for diversity and for the critical thinking needed to enable transformation of the legal profession.”

Dr Bloem adds, “The study draws a direct link between objectives such as public interest, access to justice, and social justice. I also propose that being ‘fit and proper’ should be a continuous responsibility of all legal professionals and informed by constitutional values, not mere compliance with fixed rules of conduct. With this thesis, I intend to contribute to the transformation of the legal profession as well as legal education.”

News Archive

UFS honours its top sport achievers
2010-10-21

KovsieSport at the University of the Free State (UFS) will honour its top sport achievers at a glamorous ceremony at the Centenary Complex on the UFS campus on Thursday, 21 October 2010.

The Kovsie Sport Stars 2010 awards are divided into two categories, one for the top men’s sportsman at the university and one for the top women’s counterpart.

The nominees for this year are:

Women’s category:

  • Lesley-Ann George – Vice-Captain of the South African Hockey team that took part in the recent Commonwealth Games in India.
  • Tanya Basson – The current African Judo champion in the under 52 kg division and Member of the South African Judo teams that took part in the Kata and Kurash World Championships as well as the Commonwealth Games.
  • Nelmaré Loubser – Represented South Africa at the Triathlon and Duathlon World Championships and a member of the South African Prestige Biathle team.

Male category:

  • Thuso Mpuang – Represented South Africa at the Africa Athletics Championship and the World Continental Games as part of the SA relay team.
  • Boy Soke – Represented South Africa at the Southern African Half-marathon Championships and a member of the South African Half-marathon team competing at the World Championships.
  • Bruno Schwalbach – Gold-medal winner for South Africa at the Southern African Karate Championships in the senior Kata division.
  • Windy Jonas – Represented South Africa at the Africa Athletics Championships.
  • Wiaan Viljoen – Represented South Africa in Badminton at the Thomas and Uber Cup, the All African Championships where he won a silver and a bronze medal, as well as the World Badminton Championships, reaching the 32nd round.
  • Boom Prinsloo – A member of the South African Sevens rugby team that competed in the Commonwealth Games.
  • Johan Cronjé – Currently ranked 38th in the world 1500 m rankings and represented South Africa at the Africa Athletics Championships.
  • Philip van der Walt – Member of the Vodacom Cheetahs rugby team as well as of the South African Sevens team that competed at the Commonwealth Games.

 
Media Release
Issued by:  Lacea Loader
Director: Strategic Communication (acting)
Tel: 051 401 2584
Cell: 083 645 2454
E-mail: loaderl@ufs.ac.za
21 October 2010

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