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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

Architecture students take part in competition
2006-06-01

Three groups of third-year architecture students from the University of the Free State (UFS) were amongst the 21 groups from all over the country who participated in the national Des Baker Competition.  The competition was held at the Tshwane University of Technology.  The students had to look at specific needs of buildings in rural communities and the project also had to be a catalyst for community development. 

Here is one of the groups with a scale model of projects suggested for the UFS Paradys Experimental Farm outside Bloemfontein.  The projects comprise of the building of ablution blocks for the existing houses to new single quarters and a small community centre.  In front from the left are Jonathan Marais and Charles de Jager.  At the back from the left are Ms Petria Jooste-Smit (lecturer at the UFS Department of Architecture), Prof Herman van Schalkwyk (Dean:  Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences at the UFS) and Ms  Amanda Smith (from the UFS Paradys Experimental Farm). Photo: Lacea Loader

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