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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.
UFS community makes difference through Big Give Project
2016-06-10
Food for the needy. From left is Annelize Visagie, Health and Wellness;
Vicky Simpson, No Student Hungry Food Bursary Programme;
Elizabeth Msadu, Health and Wellness; and Lorinda Slippers, Student
Representative Council Rag Community Service, at the handover of
the food and cash collected by the RAG Big Give Project. Photo: Jóhann Thormählen
Thanks to the caring community of the University of the Free State (UFS), students in need were provided for during exams, and will receive more food in the cold winter months.
Once again, staff and students made valuable contributions at the successful RAG Big Give Project, where food contributions of R 38 176.20 and cash donations of R25 000 were received. Staff, residences, and the RAG Committee made these donations as part of the project on 5 May 2016, when contributions were made at the Bloemfontein Campus gates of the UFS. An extra donation by Imperium, a residence on the Bloemfontein Campus, of R20 000 for FutureLife helped to achieve the grand total of food contributions.
According to Vicky Simpson, Assistant Officer at the No Student Hungry Food Bursary Programme (NSH), the food donation is for a designated group of students who have already been identified as food insecure by the social work office. “It will be distributed to them on a monthly basis,” she said.
The handover of food collected was done on 25 May 2016 at the RAG Food store by the RAG Office to Health and Wellness and the NSH. The RAG Office thanked the UFS community for its contributions to the project. Parexel, who made cash and food donations, received special mention. Simpson said “the food will make a huge difference in the lives of students who do not know where their next meal will come from”.
According to Jaco Faul, Senior Assistant Officer Rag CS, his office is already looking forward to the next instalment of the Big Give Project. “We challenge faculties and staff members for the forthcoming Rag Big Give project in October to see if we can beat the amount collected this time.”