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26 September 2023 | Story Lacea Loader
The management of the University of the Free State (UFS) is aware of an online call for signatories in support of a letter dated 25 September 2023 to Prof Francis Petersen, UFS Vice-Chancellor and Principal, in which the university allegedly did not act to defend the academic freedom of Dr Pedro Mzileni, Lecturer in the Department of Sociology.
 
In its response to the guest lecture given by Dr Mzileni to second-year LLB students on 25 July 2023, the UFS stated that it supports academic freedom and freedom of speech, but that it will act if any action by our staff or students speak against the values of the university.

The online call for signatories of the above-mentioned letter has, however, now created the misconception that the UFS did not act swiftly to defend Dr Mzileni’s academic freedom. It should be noted that, when the university receives a formal complaint from whichever entity, it is obliged to investigate such a complaint. Not doing so would be irresponsible. By investigating the alleged incident, the university is in no way impeding Dr Mzileni’s academic freedom.
 
As an academic institution, the UFS unequivocally supports academic freedom, as it protects the ability of academics to pursue their research and teaching without interference. The university recognises that academic freedom is essential in the pursuit of knowledge, as it allows scholars to search for and discuss diverse and often contentious ideas or solutions, pushing the boundaries of existing knowledge. Similarly, the university supports freedom of speech, as it is a fundamental human right.
 
However, the matter under investigation is not related to the issue of academic freedom. This is a formal complaint related to allegations of offensive and demeaning references to the dignity of people.

The matter is being dealt with as a Human Resources matter.

It must be noted that Dr Mzileni is continuing with his work as lecturer and has not in any way been prevented from doing so. Dr Mzileni continues to be part of the university’s Emerging Scholar Accelerator Programme – a programme for young academics that provides peer mentoring and support.
 
The university has further taken note that the investigation into the alleged remarks made by Dr Mzileni on 25 July 2023 is being treated differently than an incident on 14 September 2023 when a student allegedly levelled a racial slur at another student. The university wants to make it clear that there is no inconsistency in the way in which this matter is handled. 

In both instances, the university instituted urgent and formal investigations into the allegations that were made. 

In both instances, there is the presumption of innocence while the investigations are in process.

The university therefore calls for the integrity of these processes to be respected and for investigations of this nature to be afforded the necessary space to be concluded.

Issued  by:
UFS Department of Communication and Marketing

News Archive

UFS in forefront with ASGI-SA initiative
2006-05-10

At the conceptualisation colloquium and stakeholder dialogue were from the left Dr Aldo Stroebel (senior researcher at the UFS Research Development Directorate), Dr Edith Vries (acting Chief Executive Officer of the Independent Development Trust) and Prof Frans Swanepoel (Director: UFS Research Development Directorate).

UFS in forefront with ASGI-SA initiative

Two staff members of the University of the Free State (UFS) have been appointed as members of the advisory board of the national programme for the creation of small enterprises and jobs in the second economy.  This programme forms part of government’s Accelerated and Shared Growth Initiative of South Africa (ASGI-SA).

Prof Frans Swanepoel, Director of the UFS Research Development Directorate and Dr Aldo Stroebel, senior researcher at the UFS Research Development Directorate, are working with a team of experts from the UFS on a draft implementation strategy for the national programme.  Both Prof Swanepoel and Dr Stroebel are also associated to the UFS Centre for Sustainable Agriculture.
 
“The strategy is being developed in collaboration with institutions like the Independent Development Trust, the Department of Agriculture, the National Development Agency and the Department of Trade and Industry,” says Prof  Swanepoel.  

The other team members of the UFS are Prof Basie Wessels, Director of the  Mangaung-University Community Partnership Programme (MUCPP) and Mr  Benedict Mokoena, project manager at the MUCPP.

Dr Stroebel was also member of the organising committee of a conceptualisation colloquium and stakeholder dialogue that was recently presented in Johannesburg.  The conference was attended by more than 400 delegates from government departments, higher-education institutions and civil society, including Dr Kobus Laubscher, member of the UFS Council.

The conference was facilitated by Ms Vuyo Mahlati, previously from the WK Kellogg Foundation’s Africa programme and opened by Ms Thoko Didiza, Minister of Agriculture and Land Affairs.   

“The colloquium formed the basis of an induction workshop during which a group of 150 individuals (50 teams of three) from all nine provinces, identified to initiate the implementation of the national programme, was trained and orientated towards an induction manual in collaboration with Hand-in-Hand, an Indian counterpart,” says Prof Swanepoel.

Dr Stroebel and Mr Benedict Mokoena formed part of the team to conceptualise and finalise this training manual.  The induction training includes a case study of a successful community self-help partnership model, namely the MUCPP at the UFS. Prof Wessels and Mr Mokoena are both playing a leading role in the further development of subsequent training initiatives throughout South Africa, in partnership with the relevant provincial departments.

“The involvement of the UFS in the programme is a compliment to us.  It reflects the value government sees in the use of academics and experts in the management of the ASGI-SA initiative.  It is also an indication of one of the aims of the UFS to play a role in South Africa and Africa and in the transformation and change that is taking place in our country,” says Prof Swanepoel.  

Media release
Issued by: Lacea Loader
Media Representative
Tel:   (051) 401-2584
Cell:  083 645 2454
E-mail:  loaderl.stg@mail.uovs.ac.za
10 May 2006

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