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02 May 2024 | Story Dr Nitha Ramnath | Photo right
UFS - Thought-Leader Webinar

2024 UFS Thought-Leader Webinar Series

PRESENTS

a webinar titled

2024 Elections: Promises, Perils, and Delivery: What the Future Holds After 29 May 2024?

The University of the Free State (UFS) is pleased to present its first webinar for the year, titled 2024 Elections: Promises, Perils, and Delivery: What the Future Holds After 29 May 2024? – which is part of the 2024 Thought-Leader Webinar Series. As a public higher-education institution in South Africa with a responsibility to contribute to public discourse, the university will be presenting the webinar as part of the UFS Thought-Leader Series, which is in its sixth consecutive year.  The aim of the webinar series is to discuss issues facing South Africa by engaging experts at the university and in South Africa.

 

Webinar presented on 23 May 2024

On 29 May 2024, South Africans will go to the polls. This election is considered by South Africans as significant and much needed since the end of apartheid in 1994. South Africa is plagued by record power cuts, poor service delivery, and high levels of unemployment, with drastic effects on businesses and the local economy. Coinciding with the celebration of 30 years of freedom and democracy, this seventh democratic election is a turning point for South Africa to determine the desired future for all South Africans.

Date:   Thursday 23 May 2024

Time: 12:30-14:00

RSVP:  Click to view document HERE no later than 22 May 2024.

Some of the topics discussed by leading experts in 2023 included, among others, Threats to South Africa’s stability and security challenges; The need for a global and regional plan / approach to respond to the consequences of the Russia-Ukraine war; and Student protest action, politics, and higher education.

Facilitator:

 

Prof Francis Petersen

Vice-Chancellor and Principal, UFS

 

Panellists:

Prof Bonang Mohale

Chancellor, UFS

 

Dr Ebrahim Harvey

Political writer and commentator

 

Bios of speakers:

Prof Bonang Mohale

Prof Bonang Mohale is the Chancellor of the University of the Free State, former President of Business Unity South Africa (BUSA), Professor of Practice in the Johannesburg Business School (JBS) College of Business and Economics, and Chairman of two listed entities – the Bidvest Group Limited and ArcelorMittal, as well as SBV Services and Swiss Re Corporate Solutions! He is a member of the Community of Chairpersons (CoC) of the World Economic Forum and author of two best-selling books, Lift As You Rise and Behold The Turtle! He has been included in the Reputation Poll International’s (RPI) 2023 list of the ‘100 Most Reputable Africans’. The selection criteria are integrity, reputation, transparency, visibility, and impact. He is the recipient of the 2023 ME-Vision Academy’s ‘Exclusive Recognition in Successful Leadership’ Award for consistently leading self successfully, consistently leading people successfully, successfully leading as a senior executive and CEO, successfully leading society in various impactful roles, and his contribution to mentoring and inspiring future successful leaders.

 

Dr Ebrahim Harvey

Dr Ebrahim Harvey is a political writer, analyst, commentator, former Cosatu trade unionist, and Mail & Guardian columnist. He is currently a News24 columnist. He also wrote the authorised biography of former president, Kgalema Motlanthe (2012), and The Great Pretenders: Race and Class under ANC Rule (2021), which won the 2022 SA Literary Award for Non-Fiction. He holds a master’s degree in Public and Development Management and a PhD degree in Sociology, both from the University of the Witwatersrand.

News Archive

Thinking stone artist on his way to Italy
2015-04-29

Willem Boshoff

Professor extraordinary at the UFS Department of Fine Art, Willem Boshoff, together with other South African artists, will represent the country next month at the Venice Biennale.

The 56th Biennale takes place between 9 May and 22 November 2015. It is regarded as the world’s most important art event, with 53 countries taking part. This year the artists will take part in the exhibition entitled What remains is Tomorrow, which will take place in the Arsenal complex in the Italian city of Venice, where it will be on view.

Boshoff was responsible for one of the sculptures known as the Thinking Stone, that may be seen in the middle of the Bloemfontein Campus, in front of the Main Building and next to Red Square.

This work consists of a 32-ton black granite block excavated from the Boschpoort stone quarry in Belfast, Mpumalanga. The block has engravings that are copies of the prehistoric rock paintings (also known as petroglyphs) from Driekopseiland (a prehistoric rock art area near Kimberley). Together with the engravings, on the front of the block, there are sand-blasted inscriptions in six languages of verses and well-known quotations that refer to the word “rock”. These inspire further thought and contemplation. Boshoff has created similar works, including Children of the stars, situated at the Cradle of Mankind.

Boshoff is also known for very innovative and conceptual works, and has created various public artworks, both nationally and internationally. His work includes commissions from the University of Johannesburg, The Constitutional Court, the Mpumalanga Legislature in Nelspruit, and South Africa House in London’s Trafalgar Square.

His work focuses regularly on relationships and social interaction. Generally, they are also the subject of subsequent discussions.       

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