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16 January 2025 | Story Lacea Loader | Photo Supplied
Jurie Blignaut
Jurie Blignaut, top achiever in the 2024 matric exams for quintile four schools in SA and finalist of the UFS 2024 Matriculant of the Year competition.

The University of the Free State (UFS) is proud to announce that the top achiever in the 2024 matric exams for quintile four schools in the country, Jurie Blignaut, will be studying towards an MBChB at the UFS from 2025.

Blignaut, a pupil of the Rustenburg High School, was one of the 14 finalists in the 2024 UFS Matriculant of the Year competition.

“Congratulations to Jurie on this wonderful achievement. We look forward to welcoming him and our cohort of 2025 first-year students to our campuses,” says Prof Anthea Rhoda, acting Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the UFS. 

Boasting 11 distinctions and an average of 96,5%, Blignaut is not only an exceptional academic achiever but also participates in several cultural activities. He was the winner of the Kovsie Alumni Trust’s special award for personal cultural achievement in the final round of the competition. This head boy of his school is an excellent public speaker and musician. 

Blignaut’s highest achievement in public speaking was his national second place in last year’s ATKV public speaking competition in the section for Afrikaans home language. He plays the cello and has performed solo with the Pretoria Symphony Orchestra, was part of the school choir and band, and participated in the Stellenbosch International Chamber Music Festival. 

“On behalf of the university management, I would also like to congratulate Dr Mantlhake Maboya, MEC for Education in the Free State, and her executive team on the Free State being the top-achieving province in South Africa,” says Prof Rhoda. 

Other finalists in the 2024 UFS Matriculant of the Year competition who excelled during the matric exams include Susan Bender from Voortrekker High School – top achiever in the Free State province – and Chris Goosen from Grey College Secondary School, who is also one of the top achievers in the Free State. 

News Archive

Kovsies bring home four medals
2011-08-22

 

Bruno Schwalbach and Balungile Ngofe

As part of the Protea Karate Team, two Kovsies represented South Africa at the Senior Commonwealth Karate Championships that took place in Sydney, Australia in July 2011.

Bruno Schwalbach achieved a three-medal haul, winning a silver medal in the Senior Kata, a bronze in die Senior o.67 kg Kumite and a bronze in the Senior Team Kumite. Balungile Ngofe achieved a prestigious fifth place in the Senior u.60 kg Kumite and a bronze medal in the Team Kumite.

Both Kovsies earned a place in the prestigious five-man Team Event, where the top-five fighters from each country competed head to head against other countries in what comprises the tournament's main event. South Africa narrowly lost the semifinal to Australia (the gold medallists), but still received a bronze medal.

These are excellent results at such prestigious karate championships, where most top achievers are world-cup medallists. Bruno Schwalbach was also selected to be part of the karateka South African Protea Karate Team that will represent South Africa at the All Africa Games in Maputo from 30 August 2011 to 23 September 2011. In October this year, Bruno will also represent South Africa as part of the National u.21 Protea Team, which will compete in the WKF World Karate Championships in Melaka, Malaysia.

 

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