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UFS hosts pioneering pre-election debate series

28 May 2024 | Story Lunga Luthuli and Precious Shamase | Photo Supplied

Student Elections Debates 2024 — Themba Hlasho, Executive Director: Student Affairs and Prof Prince Ngobeni, Qwaqwa Campus Principal were part of the debate series.

With South Africans going to the polls on 29 May 2024 for the seventh general elections since 1994, the University of the Free State (UFS) successfully hosted its first Institutional Elections Debate Series across its three campuses. The debates, organised by the Institutional Student Governance Office (ISGO), aimed to stimulate political engagement and intellectual discourse among students.

The debates took place on the three campuses and at different levels. The debates were very successful; students were enthusiastic and well prepared to field critical questions to panellists. The level of intellectual engagement was high and the facilitator, Ace Moloi – with his fine facilitation skills – helped to take the debates to higher levels.

Motlogelwa Moema, Head of the Student Governance Office, emphasised the alignment of the debates with the UFS’ commitment to societal progress and intellectual enquiry. "As an institution of higher learning, the UFS is committed to producing graduates who can function at various levels of society, contributing meaningfully to societal and intellectual enquiry. Platforms such as the debate series are important in stimulating political as well as electoral involvement while producing students who are leaders," Moema stated.

Student engagement in the electoral process was a key focus of the debates, with discussions highlighting the importance of translating campus political activity into national civic duty. Moema noted, "By bringing representatives from various political parties to all three campuses of the university, we ensured that students not only understood the importance of their votes, but also that they were able to align their values with those of the parties campaigning for their votes."

Informed voters: The debate allowed students to hear directly from the candidates about their platforms and stances on important issues. This can help students make informed decisions when they cast their votes.

Increased engagement: By hosting the debate, the Student Governance Office is encouraging student participation in the national elections. This led to a more vibrant and engaged student body.

Key themes of the debates included student funding, health care, governance, accountability, and economic policy. "The most topical theme across all three campuses was student funding. Additionally, students demonstrated great interest in the National Health Insurance, governance, and economic policies," Moema said, illustrating the depth and breadth of the discussions.

Reflecting on the role of universities in fostering political awareness, Moema acknowledged a generational disengagement from political activism. However, he stressed the importance of universities in cultivating a culture of debate and free thinking. "The recent debate series marked the beginning of the ISGO’s commitment to reviving dialogue across the university," he added.

Moema also highlighted the importance of universities in promoting critical enquiry and fact-checking, particularly during election periods. "Universities have a crucial role in creating platforms for fact-checking, critical enquiry, and clarification," he remarked.

Looking ahead, Moema hopes that the debate series will have a lasting impact on students’ democratic participation. "In the short term, the most ideal impact of the debate series should be a great turnout on election day. In the medium term, we hope to see the same energy during CSRC elections on all three campuses," he said.

The debate series was deemed a success, with significant improvements in turnout and the quality of engagement. "Our students showed a great level of tolerance for divergent views and respect for one another. The audience asked pertinent questions, showing remarkable understanding of societal dynamics, governance, social justice, and leadership values," Moema concluded.

The debates were moderated by Ace Moloi, a former student leader and award-winning journalist, whose experience and understanding of the university’s values greatly contributed to the event’s success.

The UFS is committed to developing well-rounded graduates who can think critically and contribute meaningfully to society. Looking ahead, the UFS hopes to see a high voter turnout on 29 May and continued student involvement in future elections. The debates' focus on critical thinking and informed participation aligns with Vision 130's objective of developing well-rounded graduates who can contribute meaningfully to society.

News Archive

Conference: Expanded ARV treatment

2005-03-02

VENUE: University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa
DATE: 30 March 2005 - 1 April 2005

ARV Programme as on 24Feb Download Word document
Programme Special events Download Word document

Official web site www.fshealth.gov.za/subsites/arvc

Rationale for the Conference
At the time of the planned Conference, much ground would have been covered, both in the Free State and in South Africa, in respect of the expanded public sector ARV treatment programme in respect of research, experiences in practice, training of staff, treatment of patients, lessons learned, successes and failures, etc. The time would then be quite opportune to share these in a systematic manner with other provinces and countries, as well as with the large variety of stakeholders and role players in the ARV and related domains, be they academics and researchers, policy makers and service/facility managers, the variety of caregivers, and the community organisations and affected patients.

The Conference and current research
The proposed Conference is, firstly, directly linked to the current research on the public sector roll-out of ARV treatment in the Free State conducted by several research institutions (e.g. CIET, CHSR&D, UCT Lung Institute). Secondly, the Conference could and would serve as a forum for other research groups in the country and further a field to report and share knowledge and experiences on ARV treatment and related initiatives. Lastly, the Conference will stage a golden opportunity for researchers and scientists, on the one hand, and policy makers, managers, and caregivers (as knowledge users), on the other hand, to engage in cross-disciplinary discourse on this mutual and topical theme.

Theme of Conference
Expanded ARV treatment in the Free State: sharing experiences

Focus
The focus is primarily on public sector ARV treatment in the Free State, but also initiatives/activities/perspectives of relevance to the Free State elsewhere in the country at large and further a field, as well as relevant ARV initiatives in the public, private, NGO and FBO sectors. Bear in mind, however, that ARV treatment is but part of a much more comprehensive approach to HIV and AIDS. The Conference will, therefore, not narrowly focus on the ARV treatment programme only. The broader context, other relevant dimensions, and a comprehensive approach to the challenges of HIV, AIDS and TB are of equal importance.

The purpose of the Conference
Enhance meaningful exchange, mutual understanding and collaboration among researchers, scientists, policy makers, managers and practitioners in the field of ARV treatment and related fields.

Share experiences in the various spheres of ARV treatment and related spheres (policy, management, practice, research, training, public-private-civil society sectors).

Record, reflect and report on the establishment of the ARV treatment programme in the Free State, and in within the context of the comprehensive HIV/AIDS programme.

Disseminate important research results on ARV treatment and related themes to health policy makers, managers, practitioners, communities and to the research community.

Stimulate discourse among various disciplines and various stakeholders/role players involved in ARV treatment and related programmes.

Sensitise and acquaint researchers to the requirements of policy makers, managers and practitioners in respect of ARV treatment and related fields.

Facilitate the implementation of research results in ARV treatment policy, programmes and practice.

Dissemination of Conference-related information
Information generated during the Conference could feed into policy, management and practice of ARV treatment, the training accompanying such programme, and the existing body of knowledge. After the Conference the information will be disseminated via the Internet and by scientific and popular publications.

Date and duration
Set for 30 & 31 March & 1 April 2005; to commence at 09:00 on the first day (30 March) and to end at 16:30 (1 April) the third day.

Format and scope of Conference
Alternating plenary, parallel sessions and debates focused on topical issues and interest groups. The Conference will strive to be maximally interactive and participative.

Themes and topics to cover:

Policy, management and health services/practice (various levels and contexts – clinical treatment, information, IT systems, pharmacy, laboratories, nutrition)
Research covering all relevant disciplines and diverse dimensions of ARV treatment and related themes
Training and evaluation of training
Patients, communities and civil society organisations
Public, private, NGO, FBO initiatives and partnerships

Emphasis will be on the Free State, however, with of significant involvement from other provinces, SADC countries, and countries further a field. The thrust will be to export lessons and experiences from the Free State, but also to import lessons and experiences from other provinces, countries and sectors.

Presenters
Key presenters from the Free State, other provinces, South Africa, from the private, FBO and NGO sectors, and from several other countries

Delegates
About half of the delegates will be Free State stakeholders and role players (all levels and all contexts). The other half will be role players and stakeholders in the ARV and related fields from other provinces, the national level, and other countries, as well as from the private, public and non-governmental sectors.

Focused workshops
Provision will be made for half-a-day or one-day workshop initiatives on the third day (1 April 2005).

Enquiries
For more information please contact:

Prof Dingie van Rensburg
Centre for Health Systems Research & Development
University of the Free State
PO Box 339
Bloenfontein
SOUTH AFRICA
9300

Contact:
Carin van Vuuren
Conference Organiser
Centre for Health Systems Research & Development
University of the Free State
P.O.Box 339
Bloemfontein
South Africa
9300
Tel +27 (0) 51 401 2181
Fax +27 (0) 51 4480370
Cell 0832932890
e-mail: arvconference.hum@mail.uovs.ac.za

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