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UFS lecturer earns PhD and contributes to Vision 130 through groundbreaking research

17 April 2025 | Story Onthatile Tikoe | Photo Kaleidoscope Studios

The University of the Free State (UFS) celebrated one of its own, Dr Thabiso Khoeli, a Historical and Constructive Theology Lecturer in its Faculty of Theology and Religion, when he received his PhD in Theology with specialisation in religion studies during the recently completed April graduation ceremonies.

Dr Khoeli’s achievement not only marks a personal milestone but also advances the university’s Vision 130, a strategic initiative to position UFS as a research-led institution by its 130th anniversary in 2034. Dr Khoeli’s academic journey is one of resilience, transformation, and a profound commitment to telling African stories from an African perspective.

From uncertainty to purpose

Dr Khoeli’s path into studying Theology was unplanned. As a former KovsieFootball player, his initial academic interest was in Sports Science. However, after some admission hurdles, he found himself directed towards Theology, a field that soon captured his full attention.

“Honestly, I did not choose Theology, instead it chose me,” he shares. “… Theology whispered to me and said, ‘Do not deviate, Brother. Your calling is here.” Despite initial scepticism, his first semester revealed the intellectual and spiritual depth of the discipline, compelling him to pursue it with passion.

A research focus on African voices

His doctoral research, titled ‘Exploring the Zion Christian Church’s Teachings and Qualities in Comparison with Zion Churches’, examines the theological, historical, and cultural distinctiveness of the Zion Christian Church (ZCC), one of the largest and most influential religious movements in Africa. Motivated by a desire to decolonise theology and challenge externally imposed narratives, Dr Khoeli engaged directly with primary sources, including archival materials and interviews with Church elders.

“Africans must now write their own stories and never rely on the findings presented by others,” he says. His work not only fills critical gaps in theological scholarship but also reflects the UFS’s vision of becoming a centre of thought leadership on the African continent.

Research shaping teaching

As a Lecturer in Historical and Constructive Theology, Dr Khoeli’s research directly informs his methods of teaching. He approaches the classroom with a decolonised, historically grounded perspective that helps his students engage with both their spiritual heritage and contemporary realities critically.

“My research enabled me to analyse documents and align them to my objective,” he explains. “That is the strategy I use to collect the relevant reading materials to prepare for the students.” His teaching method fosters independent thinking and encourages students to become scholars who are both academically rigorous and socially conscious.

Overcoming challenges through community and conviction

Gaining access to the ZCC’s historical documents was a major challenge. The Church’s deep-rooted secrecy required careful relationship-building and persistent effort. But Dr Khoeli remained undeterred. “I intended to leave no stone unturned,” he says. Through perseverance, mentorship, and faith, he accessed essential material for his literature-based study.

He also credits colleagues at the Faculty of Theology and Religion for their belief in his potential at a time when few others would give him a chance. “It feels great,” he reflects. “I don’t have enough words to explain how overwhelming it feels to prove to yourself that you are the greatest.”

A vision beyond the doctorate

With his PhD now complete, Dr Khoeli is setting his sights on further research projects that contribute to the reconstruction of African religious history and knowledge systems. He sees his work as part of a larger mission to revive indigenous spirituality and cultural identity in the face of modern erasure.

“Modernity is converting us to be a nation without roots,” he cautions. His aim is to produce scholarship that restores heritage while also responding to the physical and spiritual needs of African communities, one of the fundamental goals of the UFS’s Vision 130.

Inspiring the next generation

To current and future UFS students, especially those considering postgraduate study, Dr Khoeli offers this message, with his own story as proof: “Believe in your purpose, even when the path seems uncertain… There is greatness in you.”

Through his academic excellence, teaching innovation, and dedication to African-centred research, Dr Khoeli exemplifies the values of the UFS’s Vision 130. His journey reflects a university that is not only committed to high-impact research but also to empowering scholars who bring change, both in the academic world and beyond.

News Archive

Fight against Ebola virus requires more research

2014-10-22

Dr Abdon Atangana
Photo: Ifa Tshishonge

Dr Abdon Atangana, a postdoctoral researcher in the Institute for Groundwater Studies at the University of the Free State (UFS), wrote an article related to the Ebola virus: Modelling the Ebola haemorrhagic fever with the beta-derivative: Deathly infection disease in West African countries.

“The filoviruses belong to a virus family named filoviridae. This virus can cause unembellished haemorrhagic fever in humans and nonhuman monkeys. In literature, only two members of this virus family have been mentioned, namely the Marburg virus and the Ebola virus. However, so far only five species of the Ebola virus have been identified, including: Ivory Coast, Sudan, Zaire, Reston and Bundibugyo.

“Among these families, the Ebola virus is the only member of the Zaire Ebola virus species and also the most dangerous, being responsible for the largest number of outbreaks.

“Ebola is an unusual, but fatal virus that causes bleeding inside and outside the body. As the virus spreads through the body, it damages the immune system and organs. Ultimately, it causes the blood-clotting levels in cells to drop. This leads to severe, uncontrollable bleeding.

Since all physical problems can be modelled via mathematical equation, Dr Atangana aimed in his research (the paper was published in BioMed Research International with impact factor 2.701) to analyse the spread of this deadly disease using mathematical equations. We shall propose a model underpinning the spread of this disease in a given Sub-Saharan African country,” he said.

The mathematical equations are used to predict the future behaviour of the disease, especially the spread of the disease among the targeted population. These mathematical equations are called differential equation and are only using the concept of rate of change over time.

However, there is several definitions for derivative, and the choice of the derivative used for such a model is very important, because the more accurate the model, the better results will be obtained. The classical derivative describes the change of rate, but it is an approximation of the real velocity of the object under study. The beta derivative is the modification of the classical derivative that takes into account the time scale and also has a new parameter that can be considered as the fractional order.

“I have used the beta derivative to model the spread of the fatal disease called Ebola, which has killed many people in the West African countries, including Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia, since December 2013,” he said.

The constructed mathematical equations were called Atangana’s Beta Ebola System of Equations (ABESE). “We did the investigation of the stable endemic points and presented the Eigen-Values using the Jacobian method. The homotopy decomposition method was used to solve the resulted system of equations. The convergence of the method was presented and some numerical simulations were done for different values of beta.

“The simulations showed that our model is more realistic for all betas less than 0.5. The model revealed that, if there were no recovery precaution for a given population in a West African country, the entire population of that country would all die in a very short period of time, even if the total number of the infected population is very small. In simple terms, the prediction revealed a fast spread of the virus among the targeted population. These results can be used to educate and inform people about the rapid spread of the deadly disease,” he said.

The spread of Ebola among people only occurs through direct contact with the blood or body fluids of a person after symptoms have developed. Body fluid that may contain the Ebola virus includes saliva, mucus, vomit, faeces, sweat, tears, breast milk, urine and semen. Entry points include the nose, mouth, eyes, open wounds, cuts and abrasions. Note should be taken that contact with objects contaminated by the virus, particularly needles and syringes, may also transmit the infection.

“Based on the predictions in this paper, we are calling on more research regarding this disease; in particular, we are calling on researchers to pay attention to finding an efficient cure or more effective prevention, to reduce the risk of contamination,” Dr Atangana said.

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