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21 October 2024 | Story Litha Banjatwa | Photo Supplied
Matriculant of the year 2024
This year’s winner, Jayden Leech (centre), deputy head boy and hockey captain at Grey College.

For more than four decades, the University of the Free State (UFS) has used its annual Matriculant of the Year competition to attract the country’s top matriculants. This prestigious award recognises and celebrates the exceptional achievements of South African high school students who excel in academics, sports, culture, and leadership.

This year’s winner, Jayden Leech, deputy head boy and hockey captain at Grey College, stands out not only for his academic average of 90% but also for his sporting achievements. He has represented South Africa in karate and has been a member of the Free State Hockey and Waterpolo teams for the past three years. Jayden has been selected to pursue a medical degree.

The competition is closely aligned with the UFS’s Vision 130, which envisions a future where academic excellence, innovation, and societal impact are prioritised. “By recognising academic success, creativity, resilience, and leadership potential, the university aims to attract the brightest minds to join its community. This competition serves as a platform to identify and nurture future leaders who will help address South Africa's pressing challenges,” says Nomonde Mbadi, Director of Student Recruitment Services.

This year, the competition attracted 60 applicants, with a strong representation of women - 43 women and 17 men. The Free State province led with 28 entries, followed by North West, KwaZulu-Natal, and Gauteng. Popular fields of study among applicants included Medicine (MBChB), Accounting, Engineering, and Law. While the overall academic average of all entries was an impressive 81%, the top 14 finalists achieved an outstanding average of 85%.

Through a series of interviews and group activities, candidates were assessed on their critical thinking, communication skills, and ability to collaborate effectively. The Matriculant of the Year is ultimately selected for their overall balance, leadership potential, and capacity to serve as an ambassador for the UFS.

The Matriculant of the Year competition reflects the UFS’s commitment to fostering a diverse, inclusive, and equitable learning environment, aligned with the university’s values of social justice and sustainability. “By aligning this competition with Vision 130, we reaffirm the UFS’s dedication to transforming lives, creating opportunities, and shaping the next generation of leaders who will drive societal and economic progress,’’ adds Mbadi. 

News Archive

A struggle without documentation is no struggle – exhibition by internationally acclaimed Dr Peter Magubane
2014-08-06

 
The latest exhibition of one of South Africa’s most internationally acclaimed photographers, Dr Peter Magubane, has arrived on our Bloemfontein Campus. The exhibition features photographs taken by Dr Peter Magubane from 1954 – 1994. From the township streets to the hallways of power, Dr Magubane has spent more than half a century photographing the struggle against apartheid and significant social issues.

The Johannes Stegmann Art Gallery, in association with Absa, are hosting the exhibition called ‘A struggle without documentation is no struggle’ from 13 August to 12 September 2014. The photographs are displayed in the Centenary as well as the Johannes Stegmann Galleries on the Bloemfontein Campus.

Dr Magubane has received numerous accolades for his dedication and outstanding contribution to the world of photography. These include:
• the Mother Jones-Leica Lifetime Achievement Award,
• the Martin Luther King Luthuli Award,
• a Fellowship from the Tom Hopkinson School of Journalism; and
• four Honorary Doctorates from various South African universities.

In the period from June 1969 to 1971, Dr Magubane spent a total of 586 days in solitary confinement and was later banned as a photographer in South Africa for five years. From the 1980s, he worked for Time magazine. In 1990 he was selected as Nelson Mandela’s official photographer to chronicle South Africa’s transition to a new political dispensation.

Today, Dr Magubane mainly focuses his lens on the diverse traditions and cultural practices of South Africans. 

Dr Magubane gave a presentation on 14 August 2014 in the Johannes Stegmann Art Gallery.

For more information, please contact Angela de Jesus at dejesusav@ufs.ac.za  or +27(0)51 401 2706.

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