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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.

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A platform for students by students: Nkanyezi talk @ ufs to be launched on Monday 13 May 2013
2013-05-07

07 May 2013

A group of students from the university took the initiative to create a platform dealing with issues that affect them.

Mr Tate Makgoe, Free State MEC for Education, and Prof Jonathan Jansen, Vice-Chancellor and Rector, will meet with students at the launch of this initiative on Monday 13 May 2013. The topic of the discussion will be: “The importance of an educated nation.” Prof Dennis Francis, Dean of the Faculty of Education, will be joining the conversation as well.

Bongani Zwane, coordinator of the initiative, said Nkanyezi talk @ ufs will give students a platform to voice their thoughts and ideas about issues affecting them during and after their university life. “We want to equip students on how to think, argue and reason like 21st century graduates. We hope to achieve this by having a regular panel discussion with experts as guests to help us understand and tackle local and global issues that affect us as students.”

Join the Nkanyezi talk @ ufs launch in the CR Swart Auditorium

Date: Monday 13 May 2013

Time: 17:30–18:30

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