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06 August 2025 | Story Lilitha Dingwayo | Photo Supplied
Mobi Readathon
Attending the MobiReadathon (left to right): Rasesemola Elias, Principal Librarian, Fezile Dabi District; Mzwandile Radebe, Principal Librarian, Thabo Mofutsanyana District Municipality; Jeannet Molopyane, Director, UFS Library and Information Services; Nomabhaso Ramugondo, Director, Free State Provincial Library Services; Elmari Kruger, Deputy Director, Motheo District Municipality; Larshan Naicker, Deputy Director, UFS Library and Information Services; Adele Bezuidenhout, Deputy Director, Fezile Dabi District Municipality; Henna Adendorff, Assistant Manager, Free State Provincial Library Services; and Thandi Gxabu, Librarian, Free State Provincial Library Services.

The University of the Free State (UFS) Department of Library and Information Services recently hosted the 2025 MobiReadathon competition, a digital reading initiative established by the City of Johannesburg Library Services. Now a national programme involving all nine provinces, the competition was introduced to Grade 8 high school learners in the Free State for the first time, with UFS playing a central role in supporting digital literacy and community empowerment.

Held at the UFS Sasol Library on 25 July 2025, the Free State leg of the 2025 MobiReadathon brought together 50 Grade 8 learners from across the province. The room buzzed with excitement as the young readers engaged in digital reading tasks and trivia challenges via mobile devices.

“I never liked reading, and because I am not fluent in English I thought I should start reading, and this initiative has been helpful for me,” said Bohlokwa Dikoetsing, a learner at Bodibeng Secondary School.

Tshepo Kgaola, also a participant, said the most exciting part of the competition was when his team won a voucher for reading after they created a story using artificial intelligence (AI).

“This initiative is part of our digital transformation agenda for public libraries,” said Nomabhaso (Rasby) Ramugondo, Director of the Free State Provincial Library Services. Ramugondo emphasised the issue of reading with understanding in South Africa, a priority that she hopes to see eradicated through programmes like the MobiReadathon. “We had asked Jeff Nyoka from the City of Johannesburg Library Services to come and do a presentation about digital literacy,” she explained. “It was then that a team of digital transformers was established to come up with initiatives like the Reja Buka Reading Festival that will help learners – and that is how the collaboration on the MobiReadathon came about in Free State.” 

“The essence of this collaboration is to promote reading development,” said Tebogo Msimango, Senior Librarian for E-learning Programmes at the City of Johannesburg. Just like Ramugondo, Msimango explains the need to promote digital reading due to the issue of learners not being able to read for meaning.

“The outcome I would like for this initiative is for learners to discover themselves and come to an understanding that with reading, one could go far,” Msimango said. “These collaborations also help with making the learners realise that they could also come into the university space, and a good example is the tour that they were taken on around the library.”

UFS Library Services played a pivotal role in facilitating the event, offering logistical support. As part of its community engagement initiatives, the university continues to collaborate on programmes that uplift local youth and promote literacy through innovation.

News Archive

UFS unveils portrait of Ms Winkie Direko
2005-11-28

During the unveiling ceremony were from the left Prof Frederick Fourie (Rector and Vice-Chancellor of the UFS), Mrs Direko, Judge Faan Hancke (Chairperson of the UFS Council) and Dr Charles Nwaila (Director-General of the Free State Provincial Government and Vice-Chairperson of the UFS Council). The blue background of the portrait depicts Ms Direko's philosophy of "the sky is the limit".  She also wore the same outfit as what she has on in the portrait. Photo:  Stephen Collett

UFS unveils portrait of Ms Winkie Direko  
A portrait of Ms Winkie Direko, former Chancellor of the University of the Free State (UFS) and Premier of the Free State Province and currently a Member of Parliament, was unveiled today during the last session of the UFS Council for this year on the Main Campus in Bloemfontein.

The portrait, painted by the gifted artist Ms Reshada Crouse, now hangs in the Council Chambers of the UFS.

Ms Direko was sworn in as Chancellor of the UFS in August 1999.  She was the first black person and first woman in this position at the UFS. She was succeeded by Dr Franklin Sonn.

“Ms Direko had an exceptional legitimacy in the black community because of her role in black education in the Free State (as principal) and community leader in the difficult ‘struggle’ period.  This former principal’s simultaneous insistence on transformation as well as discipline and order at an educational institution was exactly what the UFS needed at that stage,” said Prof Frederick Fourie, Rector and Vice-Chancellor, during the unveiling ceremony.

“She also played a special role to bring the UFS and the Free State Provincial Government closer to each other.  Her comprehension for the own nature of a university helped in times when difficult decisions had to be made.  She also realised the value of the university’s expertise for her government.  The Premier’s Economic Advisory Council, with the UFS rector and academics like Lucius Botes and James Moses in leading roles, was formed to undertake important research on economic development strategies in the Free State,” said Prof Fourie.

In her speech Ms Direko said that it is an unique experience for her to be catalogued in the history of the UFS.  “I am humbled and proud to be associated with the UFS,” she said.

Ms Direko said that the UFS is on the right track with its transformation process.  “I will continue to convince people that the UFS is for everyone and will fight for that until the end.  But, it is important to see a visible change concerning transformation.  The UFS must bring its side and speed up the transformation process.  I know that it is a difficult road, but we cannot hide from the realities of our time,” she said.
 

Media release
Issued by: Lacea Loader
Media Representative
Tel:  (051) 401-2584
Cell:  083 645 2454
E-mail:  loaderl.stg@mail.uovs.ac.za
25 November 2005

 

 

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