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03 January 2023 | Story Charlene Stanley | Photo Supplied
Vuyelwa Vumendlini
Vuyelwa Vumendlini, Alternate Executive Director at the International Monetary Fund in Washington DC.

High-profile positions at National Treasury, the World Bank and now also the International Monetary Fund in Washington, mark an illustrious career for UFS Economics alumna, Vuyelwa Vumendlini.

“Go in full force, hands and feet, and accept this opportunity of a lifetime. You won’t regret it.” These words of Dr Minette Smit, her thesis supervisor, proved to be pivotal advice to a young Vuyelwa Vumendlini. At the time, she was doing her BCom Honours in Economics (1996-1999) and was presented with a scholarship opportunity to complete her master’s degree in the USA.

“I was afraid to leave my home and my comfort zone,” she explains. “But looking back, I’m extremely grateful to have taken that step.”

Her studies culminated in an appointment as Senior Adviser to the Executive Director at the World Bank, then Deputy Director-General: International and Regional Economic Policy at the National Treasury, and now as Alternate Executive Director at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in Washington DC. As an IMF executive board member, Vumendlini represents 23 English-speaking African countries that are members of a constituency. The Executive Board of the IMF has 24 chairs, representing 24 constituencies from its 189 countries’ membership. Among her duties are considering policy issues and surveillance reports, as well as approving and monitoring IMF programmes involving lending and/or technical assistance.

Since this is the second stint in Washington for her and her children, Simphiwe, Enhle, and Anele, settling down was much easier. “Because of the COVID-19 isolation, we were kind of used to being alone at home, so we didn’t find the solitude that bad while we were still making new friends.”

She misses South African food the most – things like biltong and boerewors – and the proximity of favourite restaurants like Ocean Basket and Mugg & Bean. She has fond memories of her study years, working as an assistant in the Department of Economics, hanging out at Mooimeisiesfontein on Saturdays, and building rag floats for Vergeet-My-Nie and Kestell residences. Plans for the future include tackling her PhD in Economics.

Her advice to UFS students: “Be up to date with what is happening around you. Do not be afraid to do things differently. Be agile in your approach to achieving your career aspirations and be ready to take on those opportunities when they present themselves.”

News Archive

CHE lifts notice of withdrawal of UFS LLB degree’s accreditation status
2017-11-16


The Council on Higher Education (CHE) has lifted the notice of withdrawal of the accreditation status of the University of the Free State’s (UFS) LLB degree. The degree is conditionally accredited with a progress report required in October 2018.

The Faculty of Law received this response to its Improvement Plan for the LLB degree from the CHE on 14 November 2017.

During 2016, a national review was conducted on all LLB programmes in order to strengthen the quality of legal education provision at all South African universities. On 30 March 2017, the Higher Education Quality Committee (HEQC) approved the findings of the National Reviews Committee (NRC) with regard to the LLB programme at the UFS, and placed the qualification on a notice of withdrawal of accreditation.

The decision of the CHE this week comes after the faculty submitted the Improvement Plan during early October 2017. This plan sets out for the CHE the changes that will be effected in the LLB programme for 2018 and 2019 and provides an outline of the new LLB curriculum it intends to introduce in 2020.

“The university’s executive management is extremely pleased about the outcome and welcomes the lifting of the notice of withdrawal of accreditation status, as it comes during a critical time of the year when the new cohort of Law students is completing their Grade 12 exams. Prof Caroline Nicholson, Dean of the Faculty of Law, and her team are commended for the considerable effort put into the submission and the extensive attention that was specifically given to concerns raised by the CHE in terms of the number of credits in the degree,” says Prof Francis Petersen, Rector and Vice-Chancellor of the UFS. 

“There is hard work to be done going forward in ensuring that the UFS LLB degree is the very best on offer in South Africa, but with the continued support and commitment of the staff and students in the Faculty of Law, this vision is achievable,” says Prof Nicholson.

 

Released by:
Lacea Loader (Director: Communication and Brand Management)
Telephone: +27 51 401 2584 | +27 83 645 2454
Email: news@ufs.ac.za | loaderl@ufs.ac.za
Fax: +27 51 444 6393

 

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