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HUMAN RIGHTS MONTH: Safety is not a privilege, it’s a right

29 March 2023 | Story Valentino Ndaba | Photo Valentino Ndaba

Human Rights UFS news — On 22 March 2023 students gathered on the Bloemfontein Campus for a celebration honouring Human Rights Day.

“As people we have the right to feel safe within the environment in which we live, no matter the circumstances. We cannot walk on the streets being fearful of what might transpire. We have the SAPS which has the constitutional obligation to make sure we feel safe. On campus as students, we also have access to Protection Services, which is tasked with ensuring our safety. It is crucial to understand that we have this section 12 right to safety, because safety is not a privilege, it’s a right,” said Lutho Makhofola during a human rights celebration held on the University of the Free State’s Bloemfontein Campus on 22 March 2023.

Lutho, a fourth year LLB student, is one of many Human Rights ambassadors who are part of the Free State Centre for Human Rights (FSCHR) which hosted the Human Rights Day celebration. The ambassadors led a dialogue with other fellow students under the national theme: ‘Consolidating and Sustaining Human Rights Culture into the Future’. In addition to robust discussions, students also tested their knowledge of the with a quiz before signing a pledge committing themselves to becoming livelong advocates for human rights.

Remembering 1960

Dr Annelie De Man, Coordinator in the Advocacy Division of the FSCHR, said the event was about celebrating the present while reflecting on the past. “The aim is to raise awareness around matters of human rights in celebration of Human Rights Day observed on 21 March.”

Human Rights Day in South Africa commemorates the Sharpeville Massacre which took place on 21 March 1960 where 69 died and 180 were injured when police opened fire on a crowd that had gathered to peacefully protest the pass laws. We now have the opportunity to contemplate on South Africa’s road to democracy, the realisation of change, and the advancement of human rights awareness both in the academic setting and society at large since this significant day in our nation's history unfolded 63 years ago.

Significance for students

According to Limeque Redgard, Student Assistant at the FSCHR and a former Human Rights ambassador, the purpose of the FSCHR Human Rights Day commemorative event was to inform and educate students about their rights, particularly the rights that apply to the university setting, to encourage reflection on those rights and how to exercise them responsibly.

“I believe that such events are important for students because we are in such a diverse space within the university, therefore such events bring us together for a common purpose and allow us to celebrate each other's diversity. Furthermore, the goal is to equip students for the world.”

News Archive

Blood. Sweat. Tears. And six Kovsie artists at the cutting edge.

2014-04-02

Artwork: Hinder, Photograph by Chantal de Jager

Artwork: Immolations for our Carrion King by Antoinette Pretorius

Blood, sweat and tears – the theme of this year’s Absa L’Atelier Art Competition. Boldly taking up the challenge, six Kovsie artists gritted their way to a place in the national round.

Eight finalists were recently announced at the regional exhibition hosted by the Johannes Stegmann Art Gallery on the Bloemfontein Campus. These artists will now proceed to exhibit their cutting-edge work at the Absa Gallery in Johannesburg in July. There they will compete nationally for the most prestigious art award in South Africa.

Winners

The names of our Kovsie regional winners are:

Monet Bosma, fourth-year Fine Arts student;
Chantal de Jager, Kovsie alumnus, master’s degree in Architecture;
Johandi du Plessis, fourth-year Fine Arts student;
Louis Kruger, Kovsie alumnus, master’s degree in Fine Arts;
Adelheid von Maltitz, junior lecturer at UFS Department of Fine Arts and
Antoinette Pretorius, previous Kovsie student.

The two remaining spots were taken up by Helena de Waal (Underlying unity, Ceramics and mixed media) and Eljana van der Merwe (Diary of a white elephant, Oil on canvas).

Artwork: Sorting teas by Monet Bosma

Prizes

Artwork: Compulsive mourning by Adelheid von Maltitz

The highly-desired overall first prize comprises a six-months sabbatical at the Cité Internationale des Arts in Paris, France, including R150 000 during the stay.

The second prize is given to the most promising artist, which includes a three-month sabbatical at the Cité, French language classes and nationwide touring exhibitions.

Two additional merit prizes are awarded. The first carries a two-month residency on Sylt, the northernmost of Germany's islands, and the other a month-long Ampersand fellowship in New York.

The Absa L’Atelier Art Competition is presented annually by Absa in conjunction with South African National Association for the Visual Arts (SANAVA).

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