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UFS brings hope and learning to Heidedal on Mandela Day

24 July 2025 | Story Lunga Luthuli | Photo Supplied

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

UFS honours many during Autumn Diploma and Graduation Ceremony

2006-04-06

The University of the Free State (UFS) will award 857 diplomas and 2 579 degrees on 21 April 2006 and from 24-26 April 2006 during this year’s autumn diploma and graduation ceremony. Students from the Main Campus and Vista Campus will take part in the ceremony.

Altogether 35 doctorates and two honorary doctorates will be awarded. The honorary doctorandi are Mr Pieter Cox (Ph D (hc)) and Mr Terry Moss (Ph D (hc)). Mr Cox is the non-executive chairperson of Sasol Limited and Mr Moss is General Manager: Generation Business Enhancement at Eskom.

On 21 April 2006 at 08:30 altogether 347 diplomas in all the faculties (except the upgrading programmes in the School of Education) will be awarded. On the same day at 14:30 altogether 361 degrees in the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences (excluding B Acc, B Admin, B Pub and related honours, master’s and doctor’s degrees) will be awarded.

On 24 April 2006 at 08:30 altogether 510 diplomas will be awarded in the School of Education (ACE, NPDE and CE). That same day at 14:30 altogether 314 degrees, one doctorate and one honorary doctorate will be awarded in the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences (i.e. B Acc, B Admin, B Pub and related honours, master’s and doctor’s degrees). The honorary doctorate will be awarded to Mr Pieter Cox during this ceremony.

Mr Cox will be honoured for being the driving force behind Sasol’s global expansion and the subsequent listing of Sasol on the New York Stock Exchange. His passion and focus ensure that Sasol as a national asset is constantly making history, despite the sometimes hostile economic and environmental influences.

On 25 April at 08:30 altogether 325 degrees and 9 doctorates will be awarded in the faculties of Health Sciences, Law and Theology. That same day at 14:30 altogether 554 degrees, 13 doctorates and one honorary doctorate will be awarded in the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences. The honorary doctorate will be awarded to Mr Terry Moss during this ceremony.

Mr Moss is regarded as a modern-day South African industrialist. He will be honoured for his dedication to the provision of sustainable renewable energy to the citizens of South Africa and Southern Africa through the development and promotion of the hydroelectric power industry and other sources of renewable electrical energy.

On 26 April at 08:30 altogether 427 degrees and 5 doctorates will be awarded in the Faculty of the Humanities and that same afternoon at 14:30 altogether 598 degrees and 7 doctorates will be awarded in the School of Education.

Both the diploma and degree ceremonies will be held in the Callie Human Centre on the Main Campus in Bloemfontein.

Media release
Issued by: Lacea Loader
Media Representative
Tel: (051) 401-2584
Cell: 083 645 2454
E-mail: loaderl.stg@mail.uovs.ac.za
5 April 2006

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