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05 March 2024 | Story Valentino Ndaba | Photo SUPPLIED
RIGHT TO VOTE 2024
Empowering University of the Free State faculty and students to exercise their voting rights this Human Rights Month.

In South Africa, the month of March holds special significance as it is celebrated nationwide as Human Rights Month, commemorating the hard-fought battles for individual freedoms and democratic principles. Central to this celebration is the right to vote, a cornerstone of democracy that aligns seamlessly with the principles upheld during this month.

As we mark Human Rights Month, the University of the Free State (UFS) reaffirms its commitment to promoting democratic participation among its staff and students. Aligned with the university's Vision 130 strategy, which emphasises the impact on societal development, the UFS seeks to educate and engage its community members on the importance of voting as a catalyst for positive change.

Promoting democratic participation

Axola Toto, the Bloemfontein Campus SRC President, shares the sentiment that voting is crucial in addressing pressing issues faced by the student populace, such as access to higher education and student welfare. “It is very important to vote. If you look at our history – for us to be here, we had to use our right to vote in 1994. And I'm a firm believer of the slogan that 2024 is our 1994. Voting is very much important, particularly for the student populace, because the issues that we are faced with now – the lack of access to higher education, student death and everything – can only be won if we manage to go vote and put the government we need in the right position.”

Institutional and Qwaqwa Campus SRC President, Sifundo Masuku, highlights the intergenerational responsibility to uphold the freedoms won by past generations by encouraging young people to exercise their right to vote. “As young persons, we are now in a way lucky to have this freedom that our forefathers fought for. So, it doesn't end there – for us to continue to be free, it must start with us encouraging the young ones, especially the ones who are at the universities. As the SRC, we are encouraging all students at the University of the Free State to go and vote, and they must vote for the right organisation.”

In the words of Delroy Swartz, a Council member at the UFS East College, the motivation to participate in elections stems from personal experiences of socioeconomic challenges, exacerbated by political factors. Similarly, Natalia de Abreu, an Assistant Researcher in Kovsie Support Services, highlights the influence of voting on shaping the future of the country and individual lives.

Encouraging informed decision-making 

Gerben van Niekerk, a Senior Officer in Kovsie Support Services, underscores the importance of informed voting, urging individuals to carefully consider the manifestos of all parties to make meaningful choices. “Take the time, take the effort, go through all of the manifestos – even of the smaller parties – you might find something that will really resonate with you. And when you read these manifestos, really think about what these manifestos are saying. So, if higher education is important to you, then look at what they are saying and you might find that there's a small party that really resonates with you, then vote. But it is very important that you do vote, because to come back to my first point, if you don't vote, you're not allowed to moan about anything in South Africa.”

Tebogo Malatjie, Chief Officer in Student Counselling and Development, emphasises the responsibility of each voter to contribute to building a better South Africa through responsible and informed decision-making. 

The right to vote

Successfully navigating the complexities of a democratic society involves recognising the sacrifices made to safeguard rights and understanding the influence citizens wield in shaping the future. During this Human Rights Month, the UFS reaffirms that dedication to democracy and progress can be achieved by exercising the right to vote.

Watch the video below:

News Archive

MBA Programme - Question And Answer Sheet - 27 May 2004
2004-05-27

1. WHAT MUST THE UNIVERSITY OF THE FREE STATE (UFS) DO TO GET FULL ACCREDITATION FOR THE MBA PROGRAMMES?

According to the Council on Higher Education’s (CHE) evaluation, the three MBA programmes of the UFS clearly and significantly contribute to students’ knowledge and skills, are relevant for the workplace, are appropriately resourced and have an appropriate internal and external programme environment. These programmes are the MBA General, the MBA in Health Care Management and the MBA in Entrepreneurship.

What the Council on Higher Education did find, was a few technical and administrative issues that need to be addressed.

This is why the three MBA programmes of the UFS received conditional accreditation – which in itself is a major achievement for the UFS’s School of Management, which was only four years old at the time of the evaluation.

The following breakdown gives one a sense of the mostly administrative nature of the conditions that have to be met before full accreditation is granted by the CHE:

a. A formal forum of stakeholders: The UFS is required to establish a more structured, inclusive process of review of its MBA programmes. This is an administrative formality already in process.

b. A work allocation model: According to the CHE this is required to regulate the workload of the teaching staff, particularly as student numbers grow, rather than via standard management processes as currently done.

c. Contractual agreements with part-time staff: The UFS is required to enter into formal agreements with part-time and contractual staff as all agreements are currently done on an informal and claim-basis. This is an administrative formality already in process.

d. A formal curriculum committee: According to the CHE, the School of Management had realised the need for a structure – other than the current Faculty Board - where all MBA lecturers can deliberate on the MBA programmes, and serve as a channel for faculty input, consultation and decision-making.

e. A system of external moderators: This need was already identified by the UFS and the system is to be implemented as early as July 2004.

f. A compulsory research component: The UFS is required to introduce a research component which will include the development of research skills for the business environment. The UFS management identified this need and has approved such a component - it is to take effect from January 2005. This is an insufficient element lacking in virtually all MBA programmes in South Africa.

g. Support programmes for learners having problems with numeracy: The UFS identified this as a need for academic support among some learners and has already developed such a programme which will be implemented from January 2005.

The majority of these conditions have been satisfied already and few remaining steps will take effect soon. It is for this reason that the UFS is confident that its three MBA programmes will soon receive full accreditation.

2. WHAT ACCREDITATION DOES THE UFS HAVE FOR ITS MBA PROGRAMME?

The UFS’s School of Management received conditional accreditation for its three MBA programmes.

Two levels of accreditation are awarded to tertiary institutions for their MBA programmes, namely full accreditation and conditional accreditation. When a programme does not comply with the minimum requirements regarding a small number of criteria, conditional accreditation is given. This can be rectified during the short or medium term.

3. IS THERE ANYTHING WRONG WITH THE ACADEMIC CORE OF THE UFS’s MBA PROGRAMMES?

No. The UFS is proud of its three MBA programmes’ reputation in the market and the positive feedback it receives from graduandi and their employers.

The MBA programmes of the UFS meet most of the minimum requirements of the evaluation process.

In particular, the key element of ‘teaching and learning’, which relates to the curriculum and content of the MBA programmes, is beyond question. In other words, the core of what is being taught in our MBA programmes is sound.

4. IS THE UFS’s MBA A WORTHWHILE QUALIFICATION?

Yes. Earlier this year, the School of Management – young as it is - was rated by employers as the best smaller business school in South Africa. This was based on a survey conducted by the Professional Management Review and reported in the Sunday Times Business Times, of 25 January 2004.

The UFS is committed to maintaining these high standards of quality, not only through compliance with the requirements of the CHE, but also through implementing its own quality assurance measures.

Another way in which we benchmark the quality of our MBA programmes is through the partnerships we have formed with institutions such as the DePaul University in Chicago and Kansas State University, both in the US, as well as the Robert Schuman University in France.

For this reason the UFS appreciates and supports the work of the CHE and welcomes its specific findings regarding the three MBA programmes.

It is understandable that the MBA review has caused some nervousness – not least among current MBA students throughout the country.

However, one principle that the UFS management is committed to is this: preparing all our students for a world of challenge and change. Without any doubt the MBA programme of the UFS is a solid preparation.

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