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11 September 2024
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Story Anthony Mthembu
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Photo Anthony Mthembu and Chelsea Carolus
From the left: Geraldine Lengau, Senior Officer in the Unit for Institutional Change at the UFS; and Oratile Reina, West College Prime.
As part of the initiatives lined up for College Week, the student leaders of West College at the University of the Free State (UFS) hosted a dialogue that primarily focused on discussing social justice as a value of Vision 130. The dialogue was held at Outeniqua Residence on 3 September 2024 and was well attended by students within West College.
According to Oratile Reina, West College Prime, “the motivation for the dialogue was to prepare newly elected leaders and our college community to align their efforts with Vision 130 – a vision that aims to create a more inclusive, equitable, and socially just environment on campus”. As such, she highlights that the dialogue was an opportunity for leaders to discuss practical strategies for implementing these values in their respective spaces, and to encourage those in West College to become better citizens inside and outside the university.
A conversation on social justice
The dialogue was facilitated by Geraldine Lengau, Senior Officer in the Unit for Institutional Change and Social Justice at the UFS. Lengau touched on several aspects pertaining to the topic of discussion. Firstly, she allowed the audience to give their definition of social justice, especially as students within the institution. In addition, she went on to talk to the audience about sexual assault in the context of social justice. In this instance, Lengau gauged whether the students knew which processes to follow in the event of a sexual assault incident, and whether they were acquainted with the UFS Sexual Harassment, Sexual Misconduct, and Sexual Violence Policy. Furthermore, the audience was given the opportunity to outline what social justice looks like to them in the spaces they occupy, including in their respective faculties, the sports they play, and the leadership structures they form part of. “I was encouraged to see that students take their right to a socially just university in very high regard, and that they were willing to break it down from what Vision 130 proposes, in order to align it with their common understanding,” said Lengau.
As the dialogue concluded, the audience signed a pledge committing to uphold the values of Vision 130. According to Reina, “The pledge represents a promise to take concrete steps towards fostering an inclusive and equitable campus culture. By signing the pledge, the leaders are not only agreeing to embody these principles in their leadership roles but are also holding themselves accountable to their peers and the broader university community.”
Politicians must push economic integration within SADC, Mboweni
2009-08-31
The outgoing Governor of the Reserve Bank, Mr Tito Mboweni (pictured), believes that for economic regional integration to be realized among the Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries, the political leadership of the region should play a pivotal role.
Mr Mboweni delivered the CR Swart Memorial Lecture, the oldest lecture at the University of the Free State, on the topic: “Seeking greater political and economic integration in Southern Africa in challenging and turbulent financial times”.
He said the necessary macro-economic convergence accords must be put in place for regional integration to take place.
These accords, he said, should be supported by prudent fiscal policies, financial balances among SADC countries, and the implementation of policies which will minimize market distortions.
“In the crafting of the macro-economic policies of the region we have to ensure that market certainty is maintained,” he said.
He said as governors of central banks in the region they have agreed that to achieve these objectives they first have to attain a free trade area.
“When the proposals were drafted the idea was that in 2008 we should have achieved a free trade area,” he explained. “Now we are behind in that regard, meaning that a free trade area has been formally and officially declared but the implementation thereof is behind schedule.”
Mr Mboweni said they were supposed to have a SADC-wide customs union in 2010, a SADC common market in 2015 and a monetary union in 2016.
“In order for us to move towards the regional integration agenda it is clear that there has to be a far greater intra-African trade than is the case now,” he said.
“In Southern Africa most of the trade is with South Africa and the other countries do not trade much with or amongst each other.”
He also said because the South African currency is legal tender in countries like Lesotho, Namibia and Swaziland, they have developed a comprehensive set of proposals with these countries to deal with this matter.
“Our proposals basically center on the creation of a common central bank for South Africa, Lesotho, Namibia and Swaziland which, if created, would form a good basis for the establishment of a SADC-wide central bank.”
He said the macro-economic convergence criteria will not help achieve regional integration without the region’s political will.
“There has to be a commitment by the political leadership in Southern Africa to do the basic things that need to be done for the development of the region,” he said.
“That is where the notion of a developmental state must come in in support of these regional integration initiatives. There is no gain in just shouting developmental state if the basic issues supportive of development are not done.”
Mr Mboweni will leave the Reserve Bank in November this year.
Media Release
Issued by: Mangaliso Radebe
Assistant Director: Media Liaison
Tel: 051 401 2828
Cell: 078 460 3320
E-mail: radebemt.stg@ufs.ac.za
31 August 2009