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03 January 2023
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Story Lacea Loader
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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.
2014 Intravarsity – with a twist
2014-08-12
The battle of the campuses took place over the weekend of 8–10 August 2014 as our Bloemfontein Campus hosted our Qwaqwa counterparts for the 2014 Intravarsity.
This year the event provided some exhilarating twists to the usual competition. With the theme, ‘Made at Kovsies’, the programme made room for some new and innovative activities. The new setup may even become the format for future intra- and intervarsity events at Kovsies.
For those courageous of heart and daring of body, Vishuis offered the Gladiator games. This resulted in loads of competitive fun and entertainment. On a less physical level, this year also introduced the Kovsie Gaming League. The event presented an electronic sports tournament in which students could battle it out in a digital gaming environment.
The Ultimate Frisbee tournament guaranteed a host of awkward jumps, long stretches and hearts pumping furiously. In celebration of Women’s month, a Women’s Day Fun Run was also incorporated into the weekend.
It was not a case of out with the old, in with the new, though. The usual codes like soccer, volleyball, basketball, chess and table tennis still occupied their rightful places on the programme. But this time round, cultural activities also received a place in the limelight.
A Kovsie United Music Festival provided a safe social environment for students to enjoy themselves in – and scores of feet trampled into the Rag Farm . The two campuses also engaged in a healthy clash of words during the debating event.
Most will agree, though, that the best was kept for last. The Kovsie Sêr finals on Saturday night swept each and every one up in a wave of music and cheer. The Qwaqwa sêr group, Unspoken, made their mark during the evening as they delivered an inspired guest performance.
The winners of the various events at the 2014 Intravarsity were:
- Basketball – East College
- Ultimate Frisbee – East College
- Table Tennis – North College
- Gladiators – South College (Ladies) and West College (Men)
- Winners of Song – Central College
- Winners of War Cry – Central College
- Volleyball – South College (Men) and East College (Ladies)
- Chess – West College and Qwaqwa
- Soccer – South College (Men) and North College (Ladies)
- Sêr – Veritas (Men) and Soetdoring (Ladies)