Latest News Archive

Please select Category, Year, and then Month to display items
Previous Archive
19 October 2023 | Story Samkelo Fetile | Photo Stephen Collett
Public Management Memorial Lecture
From left; Prof Philippe Burger, Prof Francis Petersen, Premier Mxolisi Dukwana, and Dr Mareve Biljohn.

The University of the Free State (UFS), Department of Public Administration and Management recently hosted its Public Management Memorial Lecture, which was delivered by the Honourable Mxolisi Dukwana, the Premier of the Free State. This year's Public Management Memorial Lecture, titled 'Public Administration and Management as a Method and Tool of Delivering an Ethical, Capable, and Developmental State,' delved into crucial aspects of governance.

In his welcoming address, Prof Francis Petersen, Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the UFS, provided insight into the university's Vision 130 and the university’s strategy, emphasising values such as accountability, social justice, and care. The university’s commitment to engaging on matters of public significance was also highlighted.

Fostering collaboration

Prof Petersen emphasised the importance of collaboration and co-creation – particularly in the post-COVID-19 era – to achieve optimal outputs and outcomes. “The Public Management Memorial Lecture aims to foster collaboration between academia, students, and practitioners in the field of public administration and management.”

In his introduction of Premier Dukwana, Prof Philippe Burger, Dean of the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences, highlighted Dukwana's role in various government positions, including as the ANC provincial treasurer and, more recently, as the Premier of the Free State.

Addressing challenges and opportunities

In his address, Premier Dukwana acknowledged the need for a collective effort to ensure an ethical, capable, and developmental state, emphasising the challenges faced in the current socio-political landscape. Premier Dukwana acknowledged the need for introspection regarding the state's foundations, values, and mechanisms of service delivery. “Understandably, this is quite an involved and extensive subject that interrogates not only the ethical and capable attributes of the democratic state, but also whether the democratic state is itself developing and evolving towards a horizon that is developmental in outlook.” He stressed the importance of upholding constitutional values and principles, accentuating the need for accountability, transparency, and adherence to the Batho Pele principles.

Premier Dukwana outlined key interventions in the Medium-Term Strategic Framework (MTSF), emphasising the need for a capable and honest government, improved leadership, good governance, and accountability. He called for modernised business processes, improved financial management capability, and participatory local governance mechanisms.

The importance of a social compact was also highlighted, as well as the need to set aside narrow interests for the common goal of long-term growth and development. He stressed the need for a vibrant civil society and underscored the role of public servants in effecting positive change in service delivery.

Reducing bureaucratic red tape

The Premier concluded his address by emphasising the importance of reducing bureaucratic red tape and initiating programmes to streamline service delivery. He expressed optimism for further collaboration with the UFS in strengthening governance and public administration practices. “I am looking forward to having further discussions with the UFS as it relates to the MOU between the UFS and the Free State Provincial Government. The UFS can play a crucial role in helping us to strengthen governance, and specifically improve on public administration and management approaches and practices with the aim of accelerated and improved service delivery.”

The Public Management Memorial Lecture served as a platform for robust discussions on the challenges and opportunities in public administration and management. Premier Dukwana's insights underscored the imperative for ethical, capable, and developmental governance, setting the stage for continued collaboration and engagement on these critical issues.

News Archive

UFS mourns the death of a great academic
2007-02-27

 

It is with great sadness that the management of the University of the Free State (UFS) heard of the death of Prof. Dawfré Roode.

Prof. Roode (70) was the first Registrar: Academics at the UFS. He retired in July 1997 and was living in Jeffrey’s Bay with his second wife, Daphne, for the past three years.

Prof Roode’s ties with the UFS stretch over more than fifty years. He registered at the UOFS in 1955 as first-year student and was elected as chairperson of the student representative council in 1958. He also represented the university on the cricket field and as Free State nineteen-year old in the Currie Cup. His academic career at the UOFS started in 1963 when he was appointed as lecturer in Sociology and Social Work. After completing his D Phil in 1964, he was promoted to senior lecturer in 1966. He became the first head of the Department of Sociology in 1972 and in 1989 he was appointed as Registrar: Academics and in 1989 Vice-Rector: Staff and Administration.

“Prof Roode brought professionalism to the administration that did not exist. He not only served the academe as registrar, but also established it as an important function within the UOFS. His ‘institutional memory’ about earlier decisions and events at the UOFS is also legendary,” said Prof Frederick Fourie, Rector and Vice-Chancellor at the UFS.

Prof Roode’s father, the late Prof Dawie Roode, was the first head of the Department of Music at the UFS. Prof Dawfré Roode had a love for music and was closely involved with the establishment of the Odeion String Quartet.

In October 2004 the university honoured him with a Centenary Medal for his outstanding leadership and contribution, as Registrar and Vice-Rector, to the development of the UFS by establishing and developing a strong and professional administrative structure at the UFS.

“Prof Roode left deep footprints at the UFS. I am glad that we could honour him for this in 2004 with a Centenary Medal before he passed away. He also attended the launch of the university’s history book earlier in February,” said Prof Fourie.

“Our sympathies go to Ms Trudie Roode (his first wife) and their three children Ms Frelet Roux and Gerda Daffue, and their son, Mr Dawie Roode. Prof Roode has left a gap in the hearts of the people who knew and worked with him at the UFS,” said Prof Fourie.

A memorial service will be held in Jeffrey’s Bay on Wednesday 28 February 2007 at 10:30. A memorial service will also be held in Bloemfontein on Wednesday 7 March 2007. More details will be made available at a later stage.
 

Media release
Issued by: Lacea Loader
Media Representative
Tel: 051 401 2584
Cell: 083 645 2454
E-mail: loaderl.stg@mail.uovs.ac.za
27 February 2007

We use cookies to make interactions with our websites and services easy and meaningful. To better understand how they are used, read more about the UFS cookie policy. By continuing to use this site you are giving us your consent to do this.

Accept