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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

UFS council awards honorary doctorates
2007-03-22

The Council of the University of the Free State (UFS) has decided to confer honorary doctorates on architect Prof. Barend Johannes Britz and author Mr Khotso Pieter David Maphalla.

Prof. Bannie Britz is being honoured for his contribution to architecture and Mr Maphalla for his contribution to the development of the Sesotho language and culture.
Prof. Britz worked as an architectural assistant abroad as well as in South Africa between 1961 and 1964, before establishing his own practice in 1968. He obtained a master’s degree in Urban Design in 1991 and was awarded the Prize of the City of Johannesburg for the best urban design dissertation.

He was appointed as Professor and Head of the Department of Architecture at the UFS in 1992. Prof. Britz is a member of several professional associations and has received 17 merit awards as well as a gold medal of excellence from the Institute of SA Architects.

Mr Maphalla is a prolific Sesotho author and has contributed significantly to the development of the Sesotho language and culture through his poetry, novels, dramas and short stories.

Most of his books have been prescribed for secondary schools throughout the country. His collected works are still used as reference works for literary studies by African Languages Departments at most South African universities.

Mr Maphalla played a significant role in the establishment of the South African National Sesotho Authors’ Association and has been the recipient of numerous awards for his sterling work. These include the M-net Book Prize in 1996 and a Lifetime Achiever Award in 2005 from the National Department of Arts and Culture, the first and only Sesotho author to have received this award thus far.

Media release
Issued by: Mangaliso Radebe
Assistant Director: Media Liaison
Tel: 051 401 2828
Cell: 078 460 3320
E-mail: radebemt.stg@mail.ufs.ac.za
19 March 2007
 

 
Prof. Bannie Britz

 
Mr. Khotso Pieter David Maphalla

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