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20 February 2023 | Story Gerda-Marié van Rooyen | Photo Supplied
Nthabiseng (JahRose) Jafta, a Publishing Coordinator at the University of the Free State (UFS), recently received the Silver Medal Award and other accolades at the Eurasian Literary Festival held in Egypt. She says writing is a way of life for her and she writes anywhere and anytime.

Nthabiseng (JahRose) Jafta, a Publishing Coordinator at African Languages Press in the Library and Information Services at the University of the Free State (UFS), recently received the Silver Medal Award and other accolades at the Eurasian Literary Festival held in Egypt. Jafta, an MA scholar (Creative Writing) at Rhodes University, describes herself as an international performing poet, artpreneur, teacher, festival curator, content developer, and creative strategist born in the Free State.

Being an introvert, she says her love for writing gives her a voice. “I can echo my thoughts and colour my grey sky,” she explains poetically. She feels writing is as natural to her as breathing. She is comfortable writing anywhere and anytime. “There’s no physical area needed. We type on WhatsApp in the taxi. We catch brainwaves whenever they appear.” Jafta's creative juices seem to be overflowing, as she confessed to even getting an idea while contemplating her love for writing. “Life throws you prompts from all spheres, but you have to be present to recognise its call. And sometimes the piece decides if it wants to be happy, erotic, or sad.”
 
Her literacy cap serves Jafta's career as a publisher and her creative writing when time allows. “I read and write. Publish what I read or write. I also happen to recite, read, and sing what I write. It’s all in alignment.” This Deputy President of the National Writers Association of South Africa and founder of the Poetic Blues Virtual Festival writes in her mother tongue, Sesotho, and English. She also has additional experience in the poetry industry, as she was previously the Curator of the Macufe Poetry Festival. She also attended the International Writing Centre at Beijing Normal University part time. Her poems have also been translated into Mandarin and published in Chinese literary magazines.

Jafta says besides the growing catalogue of more than 40 publications, she also has an upcoming multilingual poetry compilation featuring Spanish, Danish, Mandarin, Arabic, KiSwahili, IsiZulu, and Sesotho translations from English. This poet believes poetry is a gift that feeds lyrics to melodies. “And that song carries us to humanity's highs and lows. Prose is how we navigate that gift daily. They are rainbows on melting clouds, events plants rejoice on their rhythmic drops.”

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UFS tennis player off to World Games in Turkey
2005-04-06

Kovsie se nommer 1 gekeurde tennisspeler Michelle van Staden is na afloop van die SASSU Oefenkamp van 28 Maart - 2 April 2005 te Pretoria in die SA Studente span verkies om aan die 23ste Studente Wêreldspele in Turkye, Izmar vanaf 10 - 21 Augustus 2005 deel te neem.

Van Staden het te same met 3 ander Kovsie wat in die SA Studente oefengroep opgeneem is, nl. Dillon van der Haer  (Kovsie se nr. 1 mansspeler), Elliott Hogan  (2de agtereen volgende jaar tot oefengroep verkies)  en Lizelle Smith  (Kovsies se nr. 2 gekeurde damesspeler)  aan die oefenkamp in Pretoria deelgeneem.  Die week het bestaan uit fiksheidstoetse en rondomtalie wedstryde.  Uit die 8 mans- en 8 damesspelers van verskeie Tersiêre Instellings in SA is slegs 3 mans en 3 dames verkies tot die span wat na Turkye sal reis.

Die span is:  Mans:  Heinrich Heyl  (Tuks), Warwic Spence  (UJHB), Joshua Nkachela  (Tuks).  Reserwe: Mark Prior  (UJHB).

Dames:  Michelle van Staden  (Kovsies), Catherine Perkins  (UKZN), Zanele Tshabalala  (TUT).  Reserwe:  Leentjie Oosthuizen  (Maties).

Michelle het gedurende verlede jaar se SASSU toernooi nie een wedstryde afgestaan en is nie-amptelik as die nr. 1 damesspeler in SA studente tennis aangewys.  Smith was ook deel van die Kovsie vrouespan wat die goue medalje verower het tydens die toernooi.

Die UV se afrigter, mnr. Marnus Kleinhans sal die SA Studente span as spanbestuurder na Turkye vergesel.  Die afrigter is mnr. Gerrie Dippenaar van die UJHB.

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