Latest News Archive

Please select Category, Year, and then Month to display items
Previous Archive
07 May 2024 | Story Valentino Ndaba | Photo Supplied
South African Democracy
Back (from left) Dr Brand Claassen (Head of the Department of Private Law), Dr Jacques Matthee (Vice-dean Faculty of Law), Dr Marianne Sèverin (Institute for African Studies at Bordeaux University, France), Dr Marda Horn, Dr James Faber, Dr Lerato Ngwenyama. Front (from left) Dr Caroline Müller-Van der Westhuizen, Dr Anthea-lee September-Van Huffel and Portia Senokoane.

The University of the Free State’s Department of Private Law in the Faculty of Law recently hosted an enlightening seminar titled 30 years of democracy in South Africa on 26 April 2024. Dr Marianne Sèverin, from the Institute for African Studies at Bordeaux University in France, graced the event with her expertise. Her doctoral research delved into the Political Networking of the African National Congress (ANC), providing a rich backdrop for her discussion on South African democracy with the faculty’s esteemed staff and eager students.

Navigating the adolescent years

In her engaging discourse, Dr Sèverin likened South African democracy to that of “a teenager”, acknowledging the strides made since the advent of democracy in 1994. However, she astutely pointed out that despite the country boasting a robust Constitution, the pervasive issues of corruption and poverty remain significant hurdles. Drawing from her deep knowledge of the ANC, she shed light on the party’s overwhelming dominance in politics, which, unfortunately, provides fertile ground for corrupt practices to flourish unchecked.

The perspective of the ‘born free’ generation

Of particular interest to Dr Sèverin were the perspectives of the young attendees, affectionately known as the ‘Born Free’ generation, who never experienced the apartheid era firsthand. Their casual acceptance of democracy struck a chord with her. Dr Marda Horn, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Private Law noted, “She found through her discussions that they seemed to take democracy for granted and did not appreciate how lucky they were to live in a democracy.”

Lessons from across the continent

Throughout her presentation, Dr Sèverin artfully weaved in anecdotes from other African nations, such as Zimbabwe, Congo-Brazzaville, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where democracy has faltered. Her passion for South Africa was palpable as she recounted the emotional moment she experienced during the Rugby World Cup in France in 2023 when the national anthem resonated. Expressing her admiration for the ethos of “ubuntu” demonstrated by the Springboks, she confessed that this philosophy has become her guiding principle in life, a testament to the profound impact of South African culture on her.

A call to cherish and safeguard

The seminar provided a platform for deep reflection on the progress and challenges of democracy in South Africa, urging participants to cherish and safeguard the hard-won freedoms of the nation. As South Africa approaches the elections scheduled for 29 May 2024, the seminar serves as a timely reminder of the importance of youth engagement in shaping the country’s democratic future.

News Archive

A new faculty for the UFS
2008-11-28

During its last meeting of the year, the Council of the University of the Free State (UFS) approved the establishment of a Faculty of Education as from 1 January 2009. This means that the School of Education, which presently falls under the Faculty of the Humanities, will become a fully fledged faculty.

“It has long been imperative that the School of Education should stand on its own, given the fact that it offers professional training and has an approach and specific challenges that differ from those of the Faculty of the Humanities. The faculty is also too large and diverse to manage effectively,” said Prof. Gerhardt de Klerk, Dean of the Faculty of the Humanities at the UFS.

“It was felt that the image of Education offerings at the UFS will be strengthened by it becoming an independent faculty because it will compare favourably with other universities and stronger emphasis will be placed on its uniqueness,” he said.

“The positioning of Education as a unit in a university structure is one of the ways in which the university reflects its regard for the profession,” he said.

According to Prof. De Klerk, staff and student numbers also justify the existence of the School of Education as an independent faculty. There are currently 63 academic staff and 39 support staff members as well as 5 746 undergraduate and 1 579 postgraduate students in the School of Education. Given the student numbers alone, the Faculty of Education will be the university’s second largest faculty after the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences.

Media Release
Issued by: Lacea Loader
Assistant Director: Media Liaison
Tel: 051 401 2584
Cell: 083 645 2454
E-mail: loaderl.stg@ufs.ac.za  
28 November 2008
 

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