Latest News Archive

Please select Category, Year, and then Month to display items
Previous Archive
08 August 2023 | Story EDZANI NEPHALELA | Photo EDZANI NEPHALELA
Mbulelo Aven Jafta and Dr Engela van Staden
Mbulelo Aven Jafta, Xhariep Municipality Corporate Services Director, and Dr Engela van Staden, Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Academic at the UFS, sign a memorandum of understanding to enrich various communities in the Xhariep Municipality areas through leadership training.

The University of the Free State (UFS) has signed a memorandum of understanding with the South African Local Government Association (SALGA) and the Xhariep Municipality that is aimed at positively impacting communities through strategic partnerships. The organisations plan for their collaboration to make a significant difference by training 35 of their employees via the UFS Business School – 15 will undertake the Foundation Skills Short Learning Programme, and 20 the Bachelor’s degree in Management Leadership.

This joint effort will equip these employees with essential skills and knowledge and empower them to carry out their responsibilities efficiently and effectively. Rooted in the UFS’s Vision 130, this initiative fosters positive change within the community by enhancing social justice and innovation.

Dr Engela van Staden, Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Academic at the UFS, emphasised the university's dedication to human resource development and empowering individuals. “We were very excited when we got this engagement with you, and I hope it will be fruitful for you, because that’s the intention. We are also reaching out to other municipalities because we are doing it for our country, and the sooner we do it, the better the services you will deliver to people.” 

Xhariep Municipality expressed gratitude for the collaboration, recognising its significance in empowering its employees. Mbulelo Aven Jafta, Corporate Services Director at the municipality, thanked the university for accepting the partnership. “As a municipality, we are interested in capacitating our employees to perform their duties optimally. It is through these partnerships that we reach our intended targets. This is the first two projects, and many more will be coming as our partnership progresses, and we intend to use this opportunity to the best of our abilities.”

Jafta said that such partnerships encourage a more interconnected and interdependent world. “As organisations work towards common goals, they create a ripple effect that can lead to a brighter and more promising future and play a vital role in shaping a positive and sustainable future.”

News Archive

FASSET students on South Campus urged to ‘position themselves for success’
2016-08-31

Description: FASSET prize-giving Tags: FASSET prize-giving

Boniswa Segoe with Tshegofatso Setilo at the FASSET
prize-giving. Boniswa received two separate accolades
on the day for her academic achievements.
Photo: Charl Devenish

On 12 August 2016, 125 FASSET-funded students on South Campus were rewarded for their first-semester efforts during a ceremony “to celebrate hard work, dedication, and excellence”, according to Lerato Sekonyela, who chaired the event. FASSET is the Finance and Accounting Services Sector Education and Training Authority. This sector is the largest employer of people with financial skills. “One of FASSET’s many objectives is to develop the competence of employees, resulting not only in an incredible level of training , but also in an improvement in the quality of life for many,” according to Tshegofatso Setilo, Manager: University Preparation Programme at the South Campus.

Jean Grundling,
Academic Head at South Campus, welcomed students, as well as the guests, tutors, and facilitators present, saying, “This is a milestone in your learning journey.” Quoting the words of Nelson Mandela, “A good head and good heart are always a formidable combination”, Grundling added, “Never stop learning, but also look at the compassion in your hearts.”

Tania Lee, projects director at FASSET, explained how funding is obtained from the financial sector. Ms Lee also expanded on the various projects FASSET is undertaking; from the lowest level, where schoolchildren are provided adequate career guidance, through TVET support by means of learnerships, to a full bursary scheme planned for next year.

Ms Lee advised: “Position yourself for success.” Using an analogy from an athletics event at the recent Rio Olympic Games, she exhorted students to take up a position like a runner in a relay race, poised and ready to sprint off after receiving the baton. She urged: “Aspire to become the heroes for our country.”

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