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03 January 2023
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Photo Evert Kleynhans
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.
Kovsies show Madiba their love
2013-07-15
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Showing love to Madiba: Our Kovsie delegation outside the Medi-Clinic Heart Hospital in Pretoria
Photo: Jerry Mokoroane |
Staff and students from our Bloemfontein and Qwaqwa Campuses travelled to the Medi-Clinic Heart Hospital in Pretoria to wish former president Nelson Mandela well and to show their support to his family. Paying their respects to Madiba, who has been in hospital for over a month, the Kovsies held a prayer service outside the hospital and shared stories of the impact the icon had on their lives. The delegation was led by Mr Rudi Buys, Dean of Student Affairs, who told visitors and media at the hospital that the Kovsies travelled to the hospital to thank Madiba and to show that the university is committed to reconciliation after the Reitz incident. "We are here to show our respect and to honour him for what he has given to this country. We are also here to show that we are committed to reconciliation and that we remain committed to change," said Buys.
The delegation also visited Madiba’s old house in Vilakazi Street in Soweto.