Latest News Archive

Please select Category, Year, and then Month to display items

Ruth First’s legacy lives on: UFS launches powerful collection on activist research

21 July 2025 | Story Dr Nitha Ramnath | Photo Supplied

Vasu Reddy Saleem Badat News — Prof Vasu Reddy, Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research and Internationalisation, and Prof Saleem Badat, Research Professor in the UFS Department of History, launch a new book honouring Ruth First’s activist legacy and scholarly impact.

On 16 July, during the Free State Arts Festival, the University of the Free State (UFS) launched Research and Activism: Ruth First & Activist Research, an incisive edited volume by Professors Vasu Reddy, Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Research and Internationalisation at the UFS, and Saleem Badat, Research Professor in the UFS Department of History.

The event was facilitated by Prof Christian Williams, Associate Professor of Anthropology, with Prof Reddy delivering the keynote address and Dr Lazlo Passemiers, Senior Lecturer in History, serving as respondent.

The important new work pays tribute to Ruth First - South African freedom fighter, journalist, intellectual, and scholar-activist, who’s unflinching pursuit of justice continues to resonate. Far from a closed chapter in South Africa’s struggle history, First’s legacy remains a compelling call to action for contemporary scholars, activists, and institutions: to confront injustice, speak with conviction, and pursue research rooted in ethical action.

A legacy of fearless scholarship

Ruth First’s activism was grounded in refusal to remain silent in the face of injustice. As a tenacious investigative journalist and public intellectual, she exposed the systemic violence of apartheid and challenged power through sharp incisive analysis and courageous advocacy. Her life, and her assassination by apartheid operatives in 1982, exemplify the personal and political costs of speaking truth to power.

Prof Vasu Reddy reflected that First “theorised, analysed, and connected the dots between racism, capitalism, and oppression, and refused to dilute her message for mass appeal.” Her words”, he said, “unsettled because they were true. Her activism “compels us to speak courageously, think critically, and act ethically. She turned ideas into instruments of liberation.”

Beyond the ivory tower

With contributions from 17 scholars, the volume examines themes ranging from climate justice and activism in Marikana to the ethics of legal practice, community engagement, and the role of the university in social transformation.

Prof Reddy emphasised that Ruth First’s example disrupts the traditional notions of academia. “Universities must be engines of social change, not ivory towers,” he argued. “Her legacy reminds us that activist research is about standing with the marginalised, and not merely studying them.”

Dr Passemiers echoed this view, describing First as one of South Africa’s foremost examples of blending impactful activism with rigorous scholarship. “Her activism was often transnational, connecting South Africa’s liberation struggle with broader regional movements. This perspective is especially relevant today, as many of our challenges transcend national borders.”

He added that the book should be required reading for students in the social sciences and humanities, as it “challenges misconceptions about activist research and shows how scholarship can contribute meaningfully to public life, beyond academic debate.”

Redefining academic activism

Prof Christian Williams underscored one of the book’s central provocations: to set a litmus test for genuine activist research. He argued that activism and scholarship can compete with one another, but should, following First’s example, be intersecting commitments. “There is no true academic neutrality,” he noted.

Members of the audience also touched on related themes pertaining to the role of universities in society, responding to the book’s content as narrated at the launch. For example, the collection interrogates how universities often claim to be ‘engaged’ while aligning primarily with business, the state, and elite interests. True activist research, the contributors argue, must connect with social movements and confront power, not shy away from it. Members of the audience reflected on this point, considering what it means for researchers to do activist research amidst attacks on social justice-oriented programmes in higher education globally.

In Prof Reddy’s final comments, he returned to the importance of First for debates about the university’s role. “This is unfinished business. The story of Ruth First, and of activist scholarship, is not fully told”, says Prof Reddy. As he noted, Research and Activism offers both a tribute to Ruth First and a powerful reminder of the work still to be done. “Her life triggers us to think deeply about real-world issues, not as abstract concepts but as urgent matters of justice and humanity.”

Research and Activism: Ruth First & Activist Research is available for free download via the ESI Press website.

News Archive

UFS responds on the outcome of the court case in the alleged attack by Cobus Muller and Charl Blom on Gwebu

2014-09-09

The management of the University of the Free State (UFS) acknowledges the finding issued on 4 September 2014 by the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) that it was “unable to find any corroborating evidence to make a conclusive finding of racism and violation of human rights” in the Muzi Gwebu case.

The university management also takes cognisance of the ruling in the Bloemfontein Regional Court by Regional Magistrate Rasheed Matthews today (9 September 2014) that both Cobus Muller and Charl Blom are found not guilty on all the charges which included reckless driving, crimen injuria, attempted murder and assault (Muller), and a charge of assault (Blom). We note the Magistrate’s concerns about “inconsistencies in the evidence and exaggerations”, that the complainant “displayed hostility throughout the trial” and that he was “not a reliable witness and is prejudiced.” And therefore, in the words of the Magistrate to the defendants, “I’ve decided to give you the benefit of the doubt.”

Both Muller and Blom were suspended from all campuses of the UFS on 19 February 2014 based on the evidence available at the time of reckless driving, assault and other charges. This evidence was further borne out by an internal investigation into the incident of 17 February 2014 on the Bloemfontein Campus. In the light of the evidence available to us at the time, and the volatile situation on campus in the days following the attack, the UFS management believes that it was the correct decision to suspend the students, given the serious nature of the charges, and pending a decision of the courts.

In the light of both the SAHRC ruling as the Regional Court ruling, the university management has decided to take the following steps:

1.   The suspensions of both Muller and Blom from all campuses of the university are lifted with immediate effect.

2.   Muller may attend a forthcoming graduation ceremony during which the degree BSc Construction Management will be officially conferred upon him. He completed all the requirements for the degree in 2013, but was not allowed to attend the graduation ceremony of 11 April 2014 due to his suspension and the fact that the criminal charges were still pending.

3.   Blom may return to the university to complete his studies.

4.   The UFS is in discussion with the parents of one of the students and, if required, would also meet with legal counsel of the university, as well as those of students Muller and Blom to discuss any further steps given the outcome of the court case.

5.   In short, on grounds of the ruling by die SAHRC, as well as the Bloemfontein Regional Court, the university will not continue with its disciplinary action against Muller and Blom.

Prof Jonathan Jansen, Vice-Chancellor and Rector of the UFS said: “This has been a very difficult time for the university and I am pleased to record that throughout the crisis, the student body on the Bloemfontein Campus showed remarkable restraint and discipline, confirming also the broad, non-racial character of the peaceful protests that followed. Our student body has matured and our campus cultures are much more inclusive and transformed as a result of the quality and depth of student leadership over the past few years. The new Student Representative Council (SRC) is a splendid example of this – with the first black woman President (Mosa Leteane) and the first blind woman SRC student leader (Louzanne Coetzee).”

“I am pleased that the matter is now behind us and, again, we rest with the decisions of the Commission and the Courts as final,” he said.

Prof Jansen also apologised on behalf of the UFS to Cobus Muller and Charl Blom, their parents, and their families, for the disruption that the suspension brought in their lives and for the stress they had to bear during this difficult period. “For that, I am truly sorry,” he said.

Issued by: Lacea Loader (Director: Communication and Brand Management)
Tel: +27 (0) 51 401 2584 | +27 (0) 83 645 2454
E-mail: news@ufs.ac.za

Back

Economic and Management Sciences

Education

Health Sciences

The Humanities

Law

Natural and Agricultural Sciences

Theology and Religion

Open Distance Learning

Business School

We use cookies to make interactions with our websites and services easy and meaningful. To better understand how they are used, read more about the UFS cookie policy. By continuing to use this site you are giving us your consent to do this.

Accept