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UFS to establish South Africa’s second veterinary training facility

16 June 2025 | Story Martinette Brits | Photo Supplied

The University of the Free State (UFS) is advancing plans to establish a new veterinary science programme – set to become only the second of its kind in South Africa. This initiative includes the development of a professionally accredited Bachelor of Veterinary Science (BVSc) degree and a state-of-the-art veterinary teaching hospital on the South Campus in Bloemfontein. It will also leverage the university’s Paradys Experimental Farm, home to advanced agricultural infrastructure and established production animal herds.

“The UFS is planning a new veterinary programme, strategically supported by the unique infrastructure and resources of its South Campus,” says Prof Johan van Niekerk, Vice-Dean of Agriculture in the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences. “Located in close proximity to the Paradys Experimental Farm, the campus provides an ideal environment for practical veterinary training. The farm’s real-world livestock systems will offer students invaluable experiential learning opportunities in animal care, disease management, and sustainable agriculture.”

In her installation address delivered on Monday 9 June 2025, Prof Hester C. Klopper, Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the UFS, highlighted the importance of this development, noting that it will position the university as a key contributor to veterinary science education in South Africa. "The establishment of a veterinary science programme at the UFS reflects our commitment to transdisciplinary research and addressing national priorities through innovation in higher education. This initiative not only strengthens our role in advancing food security, animal health, and sustainable agriculture, but also positions the UFS as a pivotal contributor to the continent’s development goals in these critical sectors."

This move comes in direct response to the country’s pressing need for more veterinary professionals, a shortage that poses risks to food security, animal welfare, public health, and agricultural productivity.

According to a report by the Western Cape Government (South Africa is Bleeding Veterinarians, February 2023), South Africa has only 60 to 70 veterinarians per million people – far below the international norm of 200 to 400 per million. This critical gap underscores the urgency of expanding veterinary education and training opportunities.

“This initiative directly addresses a national priority while aligning with continental and global aspirations towards sustainable development – especially in the areas of modern agriculture, food security, and environmental sustainability,” says Dr Nalize Scheepers from the Department of Sustainable Food Systems and Development.

Building a foundation for veterinary excellence

Although still in the early stages, the project has received in-principle approval from the Minister of Higher Education and Training, the Department of Agriculture (DoA), the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET), and the South African Veterinary Council (SAVC).

The university has been exploring the feasibility of this programme for the past five years, involving consultations with various stakeholders in the higher education and veterinary sectors. "As a public higher education institution, we are subject to national regulation and will confirm commencement dates once final approval and accreditation of the qualification are secured," says Dr Scheepers.

As part of this initiative, a veterinary academic hospital is planned on the South Campus. “The facility will feature clinical training facilities – providing students with supervised, hands-on experience in animal diagnosis, surgery, and treatment; public veterinary services – offering essential care to local farmers, livestock owners, and pet owners in the surrounding communities; and research support – enabling applied research in critical areas such as animal health, epidemiology, and public health,” says Prof van Niekerk.

Beyond supporting academic excellence, the planned hospital will play a vital role in serving the wider agricultural community. “The hospital will address the urgent shortage of veterinary services in the region and contribute to the province’s animal health and food security goals,” he adds.

Initially, the BVSc degree will be offered within the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, with plans to establish a dedicated School of Veterinary Science as the programme develops. The initiative also supports the UFS One Health Initiative, creating broad opportunities for research and development.

News Archive

Address by the first Inaugural President of the Central SRC

2005-08-03

The UFS Central SRC

Address by the first Inaugural President of the Central SRC of the University of the Free State, Mr Tello Motloung on Wednesday 3 August 2003

The Chairperson of the UFS Council, Judge Faan Hancke,
The Vice-chancellor and Rector of the UFS, Prof Frederick Fourie
The Vice-Rector Student Affairs of the UFS, Dr Ezekiel Moraka
The Presidents of the main campus SRC and the Vista campus SRC
Colleagues in the Central SRC, campus SRCs, students and fellow South Africans

Please receive my heartfelt revolutionary greetings

Vice-chancellor and rector what I bring here with me assisted by facts, is just the work of my imagination. Like a love letter addressed to a sweetheart miles away, even though you do not know how she feels, what she wants to hear, and do not even know what she looks like.

I value speech as just an honest intimation, that’s why I got into a habit of establishing a dialogue with people, looking at each other’s face, and persuading one another of what we are saying.

Vice-chancellor, today marks an important milestone in the history of the existence of the UFS. Today reflects the confidence and trust that students of the UFS have placed in us. They are confident that the Central SRC has both the will and the capacity to take our university forward as we confront the challenge of transformation.

Students are confident that they are correct to trust the Central SRC as the principal agent of change in our university that is genuinely committed to the objective of building a non-racial, non-sexist and democratic university. We need to frankly ask ourselves, as CSRC members, whether are we up to all these challenges?

All Central SRC members have to understand this fully, internalize it, and ensure that everything we do, does not betray the confidence and trust of students, or disappoint their expectations. I say this knowing that all Central SRC members have committed themselves to serve the students of the UFS, black and white, and no one among us (CSRC) needs any special lectures about this central commitment.

The UFS should be an omnibus, welcoming everybody on board. But we should be a bus with a clear direction. We will certainly lose our way if we, as an institution, don’t have a clear road map spelling out where we are heading to.

There should be clear guidelines on the role of students in the transformation process. Students should also be viewed as role players in transformation along with the University management, and not just opposing forces. There is no right time, other than this one, to move away from the politics of opposition to politics of transformation.

However, we need the support of management to do so. The University should value the role and contribution of student leaders, hear our legitimate claims and consider them as part of political and policy decision making.

Vice-chancellor and Rector, it remains our task to ensure that the UFS is transformed into an institution that is seen to be playing a vigilant role in developing students academically, intellectually, socially, culturally, politically and otherwise. The process of transformation is not ending tonight, it is just beginning tonight.

Judge Hancke, Prof Fourie, Dr Moraka, fellow students and fellow South Africans, I lead students at this university with a sense of pride and duty, and I know very well that I lead men and women, students who are all determined that we reach our destination safely and on time.

A navy divided within its ranks will be destroyed and vanquished by the enemy, but the navy united in purpose and action, loyalty and commitment will not sink but sail on to victory.

It is befitting to mention that every drop of my blood is telling me that the UFS is my home. I firstly became a student here, I became the SRC treasurer in my first year here, I became the deputy president here, and I became the first president of the Central SRC of the UFS.

Therefore you should never doubt my commitment towards the transformation of this university. To paraphrase what was said by students at another institution, “If there is no UFS in heaven, then I am not going.”

Let me conclude by thanking my ancestors for teaching me that even if I wined and dined with kings and queens, I am not a king myself, so I should not turn my back on people who made me what I am today.

Most importantly, I would like to thank the Almighty God and the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ for giving me time and power to lead this university.

It will be theoretically irresponsible if I ended my speech without indicating that “Only a Kovsie knows the feeling”.

I thank you.

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