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03 January 2023 | Story Lacea Loader | Photo Evert Kleynhans
Dr Dolf van Niekerk
Dr Dolf van Niekerk.

The University of the Free State (UFS) would like to express its condolences to the family and friends of South African author, Dr Dolf van Niekerk, on his passing.

Dr Van Niekerk, the recipient of an honorary doctorate from the UFS, passed away on 31 December 2022. The UFS awarded a Doctor of Letters to Dr Dolf van Niekerk during its April 2021 graduation ceremony. 
 
Dr Van Niekerk was a celebrated author who also achieved fame as a dramatist and radio presenter. An alumnus of the UFS, he received a BA degree from the university cum laude in 1949. He also played a role in academia and was an emeritus professor at the University of Pretoria until his retirement in 1994. His work includes 27 books in philosophy, poetry, fiction, drama, and memoirs, for which he has received numerous awards. These include the Eugene Marais Prize, the MER Prize, and the Scheepers Award for Youth Literature.
 
“Dr van Niekerk is a Kovsie alumnus with a deep connection to the Free State. He played a significant role in the country’s literary history, and it was an honour for the university to award him with an honorary degree. A wordsmith of note, Dr van Niekerk’s contributions to South African literature, radio, and stage will live on," says Prof Francis Petersen, Rector and Vice-Chancellor.

News Archive

News: Hockey and tennis
2009-05-19

Kovsie counts under SA’s top 25 hockey players
Cherie Smith, a second-year Quantity Surveying student at the University of the Free State (UFS), was appointed as a non-travelling reserve for the SA O/21 women’s hockey team that will participate in the Junior World Cup in the USA. Cherie counts under the top 25 junior hockey players in South Africa. 


Two UFS tennis teams compete nationally
The Kovsie men’s and women’s tennis teams were elected to represent the Free State at the National Club Championships in Durban from 21-26 July 2009. Elrien de Villiers, Rensia Henning and Jeanne du Plessis were included in the women’s team and Reon Henning, Willem Steenkamp and P.W. Holtzhausen will represent the men. The women are the defending champions and last year the men ended in fifth place.

Karin Coetzee is also included in the South African Student Tennis Team that will participate from 1-12 June 2009 in the World Student Games in Belgrade, Serbia. The Kovsie coach, Marnus Kleinhans, was also elected as the team’s coach.

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