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23 October 2024 | Story Lunga Luthuli | Photo Kaleidoscope
EDSA Awards - 2024
At the 2024 EDSA Prestige Awards (from left): Temba Hlasho, Executive Director of Student Affairs; Siphilangenkosi Dlamini, Student of the Year; and Prof Anthea Rhoda, acting Vice-Chancellor and Principal.

The 2024 Executive Director of Student Affairs (EDSA) Prestige Awards, hosted by the University of the Free State (UFS) on 12 October on South Campus, was a celebration of student excellence, leadership and holistic development. The third annual event recognised exceptional achievements across academia, sport, community engagement and innovative activities, aligning with the university’s broader Vision 130 strategy, which emphasises excellence, innovation and social impact.

Prof Anthea Rhoda, Acting Vice-Chancellor and Principal of UFS, highlighted how the awards reflect the university’s commitment to nurturing well-rounded students who are capable of excelling on the global stage. She emphasised that categories like ‘Most Innovative Fundraising Activity,’ ‘Best Undergraduate’ and ‘Best Sportsman’ embody the values of Vision 130.

“The awards encourage students to strive for excellence in several areas of their student experience, similarly to how UFS aspires to achieve excellence in various spheres where it is a role player,” she said.

The decision to host the ceremony on South Campus marked a significant step towards inclusivity across all UFS campuses. Prof Rhoda noted that this choice reiterated UFS’s identity as “one university with three campuses”. She expressed optimism for the future of South Campus, calling it a hub for academic and student activities, and signalling its potential to host even larger events in the future.

Through its Division of Student Affairs, UFS plays a pivotal role in supporting students in both academic and extracurricular pursuits. According to Prof Rhoda, the university has formulated a strategic framework that emphasises student success, well-being and development. She highlighted that students are given ample opportunities to excel, whether through academic support systems or through initiatives like entrepreneurial programmes and sports infrastructure. This well-rounded support system equips UFS students with the tools to compete globally, both academically and in extracurricular endeavours.

Among the many students honoured was Mthi Mthimkhulu, a first-year who is studying towards a Bachelor of Arts degree specialising in Language Practice. The rising 400-metre sprint star participated at the South African Under-23 Championships in Pretoria earlier this year, finishing with a time of 46 seconds, as well as in the African Athletics Championships in Douala, Cameroon, logging a time of 46.50.

On the night of the EDSA Prestige Awards, Mthimkhulu walked away with three gongs: the Club Sports Star of the Year, Kovsie National Sports Representative of the Year, and Sportsman of the Year.

The big winner on the night was Siphilangenkosi Dlamini, who took home the Student of the Year award. Dlamini, a student and research assistant at the Centre for Teaching and Learning, is also the Provincial Chairperson of the BRICS Student Commission in the Free State. Along with being named Student of the Year, he also took home a cash prize of R1 500.

“Winning the Student of the Year award is an incredible honour, both personally and professionally,” Dlamini said. “It represents the culmination of years of dedication to leadership, academic excellence and social impact.”

His leadership extends beyond UFS, with initiatives focused on decolonising education and youth entrepreneurship. Dlamini also leads the Initiative for Creative African Narratives (iCAN) project, which empowers African youth to reclaim their narratives by writing in their own languages. This initiative, which now includes 10 South African languages, exemplifies his dedication to fostering innovation and cultural pride among African youth.

The 2024 EDSA Prestige Awards not only celebrated excellence but also reinforced UFS's dedication to creating a vibrant student life that enhances leadership, personal growth and community engagement, in line with Vision 130.

Click to view documentClick here for the list of all the categories and the winners.

News Archive

Kovsie TV Launched
2015-05-06

Victor Ngubeni, Grace Thoabala, Nangamso Dlatu, Aisha Poswa, Lesego Maakamedi, Nothando Hlope, Aldene vd Merwe and Lawrence Siyoko

“We have to change our university before we can change our country.”

 

There is a revolution at hand, and students are requesting new and exciting platforms on which they can voice themselves. Kovsie TV aims to do just that for Kovsie students. 

 

As a student initiative, the steam behind it is SRC Student Development and Environmental Affairs, Victor Ngubeni. He says that it is only right that it be by the students themselves. The launch saw many from the campus community gathered out of curiosity and excitement for the new venture. The evening started out as quite a classy frenzy, which had attendees clearly prepared for the level of broadcasting that the launch would showcase.

 

The initial idea is to increase the number of platforms where students can receive information. The Student Media portfolio, which oversees the functioning of student media platforms, aims to make Kovsie TV as autonomous as possible. As an introductory initiative, it will aid in the sharing and telling of students’ stories.

 

It is important to mention the preparation process that was endured by the many hopefuls who auditioned, hoping to make it as one of the Kovsie TV presenters. For more than three weeks, the panel of judges sieved through the contestants until they had just six rough diamonds. Then, for the first time, the audience met the faces that they would become familiar with from this point.

 

As Ngubeni stressed during his speech, Kovsie TV would not serve as propaganda machine for the SRC, as many might have asked about the relationship that could be expected between the two. The architects of Kovsie TV hope that, as a student initiative, it will inspire a new era in student activism.

 

When asked about the concept behind this new platform, Ngubeni informed us that, “the concept is to have a twenty-minute campus TV show highlighting what goes on around campus so that students know, and so that we can get them participating in campus life activities.”

 

This is a student initiative whose future will depend solely on the students themselves.

 

Presenters:

Nangamso Dlathu – Studio presenter

Grace Thoabala – Studio presenter

Lesego Maakamedi – Social events

Nothando Hlophe – Current affairs

Aldine van der Merwe – Culture events and Vox-Pop

Mbulelo Siyoko – Culture and Vox-Pop

Aisha Phoswa ? Sports

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