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Dr William Mhundwa first UFS graduate to receive prestigious Suzman Medal

07 March 2023 | Story André Damons | Photo Reuben Maeko

Dr William Mhundwa, Senior Registrar in the Department of Internal Medicine at the University of the Free State (UFS), has become the first candidate from the institution to be awarded the prestigious Suzman Medal as the top student in the 2022 examinations of the Fellowship of the College of Physicians (FCP).

Candidates from all medical schools in the country as well as other African countries wrote this examination in January and July 2022. Dr Mhundwa came out on top and was awarded the medal by the Senate of the Colleges of Medicine of South Africa (CMSA), which oversees the examinations.

“I congratulate Dr Mhundwa on his outstanding performance,” commented Prof Nicholas Pearce, Head of the School: Clinical Medicine at the UFS. According to him, this is a prestigious award, and given that it is the first time that a candidate from this university has been awarded this medal, it is extra special for us as a department, faculty, and institution.

Dr Mhundwa was born in Harare, Zimbabwe, to subsistence farmers and is the eldest of four boys. He immigrated to South Africa nearly ten years ago and started studying medicine as a way to fulfil his parents’ dreams. He eventually found his calling in internal medicine, specifically nephrology (kidney disease), and would like to obtain further qualifications in this field at the university.

“My achievements are the result of dedication to teaching internal medicine consultants. I am indebted to the Free State Department of Health for the opportunity to train and work under them. I hope to see great academic achievements within this province,” says Dr Mhundwa.

He will graduate in April 2023 with a Master of Medicine, cum laude. His thesis was about The Prevalence of Chronic Kidney Disease Among Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Patients in Central South Africa.

Dr Mhundwa believes “that kidney disease is a scourge in modern society. Early diagnosis is necessary to prevent patients from requiring kidney transplants and dialysis and to improve the quality of life of my patients”.

Prof Thabiso Mofokeng, Head of Department: Internal Medicine, said, “This achievement represents the UFS’ high academic standards on national front. We hope this is the first of many.”

News Archive

UFS presents first Beyers Naudé Memorial lecture

2010-09-16

At the Beyers Naudé Memorial lecture were, from the left: Prof. Jonathan Jansen, Rector and Vice-Chancellor of the UFS; Rev. Cedric Mayson; and Mr Kgotso Schoeman, Chief Executive Officer of Kagiso Trust.
Photo: Dries Myburg

The seventh Beyers Naudé Memorial lecture was presented for the first time at the University of the Free State (UFS) this week. This lecture that is presented at a different university each year took place on the Main Campus of the UFS in Bloemfontein this year. Rev. Cedrick Mayson presented the lecture with under the theme: Crafting a legacy.

According to Rev. Mayson more deeply rooted forms of suppression came forward after the democratic elections in 1994. Liberation from apartheid was, according to Mason, very superficial. The poor were still severely suppressed at economic, political, cultural, religious and environmental level. “We have to apply Beyers Naudé’s legacy of liberation in these areas,” Rev. Mayson declared.

“The system according to which the rich become wealthier and the poor become poorer must be replaced by a system where everybody can have enough. This is only possible with the insight of the oppressed.

“The government and the opposition are dominated by people who seek advantage for their own gain. Regardless of democratic slogans and some enlightened individuals’ rules against corruption and violence, we lack the political will to engage in the transformation of the whole world for the good of all earthlings,” said Rev. Mayson.

According to him, consumer culture has become a fine-tuned instrument for keeping people incomplete, shallow and dehumanised.

“Religions are self-centred. Leaders from most of the religious groupings criticised apartheid but they never joined the struggle to assist in demolishing apartheid. It appears as if religious institutions are not able to address the causes of poverty because they themselves are too rich and too powerful,” said Rev. Mayson.

He ended with the following words: “What we need is a leap of faith. Beyers knew that. The world is waiting for people to claim their legacy and to accomplish a post-religious secular spirituality of ubuntu.”

Rev. Mayson is a former Head of Religious Affairs of the ANC. He had also been a former staff member of the Christian Institute before it was banned. Furthermore, he was the Editor of Pro Veritate. Before he retired, he had also been involved in the South African Council of Churches and the World Conference for Peace.

The memorial lecture, a collaborative effort of the UFS and Kagiso Trust, endeavours to involve South Africans in dialogue about issues that affect our nation. This year the lecture was presented at the UFS for the first time and it will take place on the Qwaqwa Campus of the UFS next year.

Media Release
Issued by: Mangaliso Radebe
Assistant Director: Media Liaison
Tel: 051 401 2828
Cell: 078 460 3320
E-mail: radebemt@ufs.ac.za
16 September 2010

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