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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

UFS student shows what a business plan should look like
2012-04-25

 

Zandile Mabizela and Dr Johan Coetzee
Photo: Leatitia Pienaar
24 April 2012

A business plan presented by Zandile Mabizela, a B.Com. Honours student in Financial Economics and Investment Management at the University of the Free State (UFS), was placed second in a competition of the Junior Chamber International (JCI).

The JCI is a worldwide non-political and non-sectarian youth service organisation with the aim and purpose of creating positive changes in the world.

In the JCI SA Best Business Plan Competition ten finalists gave presentations at the Anglo American Head Offices and the Mag+ Business Plan that Zandile presented was placed second overall at an awards ceremony in Sandton.

Her lecturer, Dr Johan Coetzee, says the remarkable feature of this achievement is that the proposal made by Zandile was the only business concept by a student among the top five. The remaining finalists are all operational businesses that are managed by entrepreneurs in the field.

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