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24 July 2025 | Story Lunga Luthuli | Photo Supplied
Mandela Day event at Heidedal Child and Youth Centre
Attending the Mandela Day event at Heidedal Child and Youth Centre, from left to right: Prof Joseph Pali, Associate Professor in the Department of Practical and Missional Theology; Bishop Billyboy Ramahlele, Director of Community Engagement; Jeannet Molopyane, Director of UFS Library and Information Services; Prof John Klaasen, Dean of the Faculty of Theology and Religion; Caroline Nombula, Heidedal Child and Youth Care Centre; and Kegomodicwe Phuthi, Assistant Director for Marketing and Community Engagement at UFS Library and Information Services.

In a powerful display of its commitment to societal transformation, the University of the Free State (UFS) marked Nelson Mandela International Day on 18 July with a collaborative outreach initiative at the Heidedal Child and Youth Care Centre (CYCC). 

Driven by the theme of empowerment through education and creativity, the Faculty of Theology and Religion, Library and Information Services (LIS), Community Engagement Office, School of Financial Planning Law, and UFS Makerspace partnered to officially launch a library at the centre – a milestone aimed at fostering a love of reading and academic development among the youth.

Jeanette Molopyane, Director of LIS, emphasised the lasting impact of the project. “The establishment of this library is about making a meaningful and enduring difference in the lives of these children. Through regular interaction with books and the reading club, we aim to inspire a love for reading that will enhance intellectual growth, build confidence, and open doors to a brighter future,” she said. 

Molopyane added that the initiative reflects UFS’s broader mission to empower communities and support the development of future leaders beyond the borders of its campuses. 

Prof John Klaasen, Dean of the Faculty of Theology and Religion, underscored the importance of engaged scholarship in meaningful research. “This was not just a day of service but a demonstration of what is possible through collaboration. It reflects a theology and religion that serves beyond the classroom and affirms our collective role in shaping a better future for all,” he noted. “Mandela Day reminds us of our calling to reconciliation, compassion, and shared responsibility – values that must anchor our teaching, research, and outreach.”

The initiative left a profound impression on the Heidedal CYCC. Carolina Nombula, representing the Centre, shared the gratitude of the staff and children: “Mandela Day brought a deep sense of joy, belonging, and dignity. The library, especially, is life-changing – it provides a safe, inspiring space for learning, imagination, and personal growth. It reminds our children that they matter, their dreams are valid, and they are not forgotten.”

Through collaborative efforts such as this, the UFS continues to give tangible expression to its mandate as a caring institution – one that champions opportunity, nurtures potential, and works towards a more equitable and inclusive society. 

News Archive

Kovsies do well in SAICA QE1 exam
2010-06-10

Students from the University of the Free State (UFS) performed well in Part I of the Qualifying Examination (QE I) of the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA).

Of the 43 Kovsie students who wrote this examination for the first time, 34 (79%) passed. The average passing rate for residential universities is 73%.
 
This exam sets the standard for Chartered Accountants (CA) and is written after the completion of the B Acc (Hons). The QE1 aims to assess the core technical competencies of prospective CAs.
  
The examination consisted of four sections, namely Auditing, Financial Accounting, Management Accounting and Taxation. The Kovsie students had the best results in the country in the Taxation section. This is an enormous accomplishment, as the average percentage of the 14 accredited universities writing the examinations for Taxation was 51.6%. The Kovsie students passed with an average of 65.38%.
  
Prof. Hentie van Wyk, Programme Director at the Centre for Accounting at the UFS, says he is satisfied with the results and the standard of the Kovsie students who wrote the exam. Five students who passed the QE1 exam are currently academic clerks at the Centre for Accounting. The five clerks will start their second year of practical traineeship at different companies/firms in 2011.
 
In order to qualify as a CA and become a full member of SAICA, the students will also have to complete a specialist diploma, pass the final examination and complete the remaining period of their practical training. Once all three these requirements have been completed, the students will qualify as CAs in South Africa.

Media release
Issued by: Lacea Loader
Director: Strategic Communication (acting)
Tel: 051 401 2584
Cell: 083 645 2454
E-mail: loaderl@ufs.ac.za  
9 June 2010

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