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UFS commemorates Africa Day with powerful dialogue on higher education and Africa’s global future

27 May 2025 | Story Tshepo Tsotetsi and Onthatile Tikoe | Photo Kaleidoscope Studios

Africa Day Podcast — Media personality David Mashabela moderated a dynamic Africa Day dialogue with Dr Naledi Pandor and UFS Chancellor Prof Bonang Mohale at the UFS’s Albert Wessels Auditorium.

The University of the Free State (UFS) marked Africa Day (commemorated annually on 25 May) with a bold and thought-provoking podcast-style discussion hosted by the Office for International Affairs on 22 May 2025 at the Bloemfontein Campus. Now in its eighth year, the annual Africa Day commemoration was reimagined with a conversational format that blended intellectual insight with the energy of live engagement.

Centred around the theme ‘Africa’s Future: Higher Education and Global Impact’, the panel featured some of the most respected voices in leadership and academia. Media personality David Mashabela, known for his King David Studio podcast and presence on Radio 2000, moderated a rich conversation between UFS Chancellor Prof Bonang Mohale and Dr Naledi Pandor, former Minister of International Relations and Cooperation.

Anchored in the broader context of Africa Month, the dialogue highlighted the critical role of African universities in shaping knowledge systems, advancing innovation, and strengthening the continent’s global positioning. It also underscored how youth, as drivers of change, are central to building a future where Africa leads through education, collaboration, and homegrown solutions.

Reimagining the role of higher education in Africa’s future

At the heart of the discussion was a shared belief that higher education is not just a site of learning, but a strategic force for shaping Africa’s future.

Dr Pandor underlined the conditions necessary for universities to truly contribute to development. “Universities play their best role in the context in which there’s freedom of expression, democracy and free academic activity,” she said. “Without these, it’s impossible for higher education to make a contribution to development.”

She also emphasised that research and innovation must be treated as central to a university’s mission. “You can, through university work, make a contribution to development,” she noted, “but it has to be integral … and must enjoy the characteristics of freedom to pursue knowledge and support for innovation.”

But contribution, she argued, can’t happen in a vacuum: While government efforts in supporting higher education are commendable, Dr Pandor called out the private sector’s absence in funding and partnerships. “We’ve got to address the inadequacies that there are in establishing this link,” she said, referring to the disconnect between industry and academia.

Prof Mohale, drawing from his experience in the business world, expanded on this disconnect. “Unfortunately, businesses succumbed to measuring itself in quarterly cycles, where nations are created in centuries,” he remarked. In his view, businesses often fail to recognise their stake in broader societal development. “If they [government] don’t create a conducive environment where businesses can thrive,” he warned, “then people become opportunistic, self-centred and egocentric.”

Still, both speakers remained hopeful, particularly about the power of the continent’s youth. Dr Pandor argued that universities must do more than teach; they must equip. “Part of the role of universities is to train us in economics, investment, business formation, and really ensuring that we create powerful youth that can effectively manage our economy and ensure that we succeed.”

Prof Mohale echoed that sentiment, adding that universities also need to lead by example. He called for institutions of higher learning to embrace not only academic excellence, but also social justice and strong ethical frameworks. “We need to bring a social justice approach to these higher learning institutions because of the disparity that is very grotesque,” he said.

Context, collaboration and the power of dialogue

Prof Anthea Rhoda, Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Academic at UFS, reflected on Africa Day as not only a commemoration but also a call to both honour and reimagine.

“Africa Day offers a valuable opportunity to reflect on our continent’s progress, challenges, and future potential,” she said. “It reminds us that universities are an integral part of the African narrative, both as custodians of our knowledge systems and as catalysts for transformation.”

Prof Lynette Jacobs, Director of the Office for International Affairs, highlighted how the event’s theme resonates with today’s world. “If we look globally, there’s a move to nationalism, closing borders, looking out for ourselves,” she noted. “And that’s where higher education makes a difference, because we bring sanity and intellect to the thinking.”

She explained that the decision to use a podcast-style format was a deliberate shift towards deeper engagement. “We didn’t want to repeat what we’ve always done. We needed a new approach, and we were pleased by the turnout and how students were fully engaged.”

The event reinforced the university’s commitment to fostering meaningful dialogue during Africa Month and beyond.

Watch the discussion here:

News Archive

UFS to investigate implementation of quality-monitoring system for SA food industry

2006-02-07

Some of the guests who attended the workshop were from the left Prof James du Preez (Chairperson: Department of Biotechnology at the UFS); Prof Lodewyk Kock (Head: South African Fryer Oil Initiative (SAFOI) at the UFS)); Mrs Ina Wilken (Chairperson: South African National Consumer Union (SANCU)); Prof Herman van Schalkwyk (Dean: Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences at the UFS) and Mr Joe Hanekom (Managing Director of Agri Inspec).
Photo: Stephen Collet

UFS to investigate implementation of quality-monitoring system for SA food industry

The University of the Free State (UFS) will be investigating the implementation of a quality-monitoring service for the South African food industry.

This was decided during a workshop to discuss the external quality monitoring in the edible oil industry of South Africa, which was recently held at the UFS.

Major role players in the fast-food sector like Nando's, Spur, Captain
Dorego's, King Pie Holdings, Black Steer Holdings, etc and various oil
distributors like Felda Bridge Africa, Refill Oils, PSS Oils and Ilanga Oils attended
the workshop. Also present was Mrs Ina Wilken, Chairperson of the South African National Consumer Union (SANCU) and key-note speaker of this workshop. She represented the consumer.

These role players all pledged their support to the implementation of this quality- monitoring system for the whole food industry.

The decision to implement this system follows the various malpractices reported in the press and on TV concerning food adulteration (eg the recent Sudan Red Scare), misrepresentation (eg olive oil scandal exposed in 2001) and the misuse of edible frying oils by the fast-food sector.

“One of the basic rights of consumers is the right to safe food. Consumers must be protected against foods and food production processes which are hazardous to their health. Sufficient guarantee of the safety of all food products and food production processes should be implemented. It does not help to have adequate food standards and legislation and there is no manpower to do the necessary investigation or monitoring,” said Mrs Wilken.

The South African Fryer Oil Initiative (SAFOI), under the auspices of the UFS Department of Microbial, Biochemical and Food Biotechnology, currently monitors edible oils in the food industry and makes a seal of quality available to food distributors.

“Last week’s decision to implement the quality-monitoring system implies that we will now be involving also other departments in the UFS Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences who are involved in various aspects of the food chain in an endeavor to implement this quality monitoring system,” said Prof Herman van Schalkwyk, Dean: Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences at the UFS and one of the main speakers at the workshop.

Prof van Schalkwyk said that the main aim of such a system will be to improve the competitiveness of the South African food industry. “It is clear that the role players attending the workshop are serious about consumer service and that they agree that fraudulent practice should be monitored and corrected as far as possible. Although some of the food outlets have the capacity to monitor the quality of their food, it may not seem to the consumer that this is an objective process. The proposed external monitoring system would counteract this perception amongst consumers,” said Prof van Schalkwyk.

The workshop was also attended by representatives from SAFOI and Agri Inspec, a forensic investigation company collaborating with inter-state and government structures to combat fraud and international trade irregularities.

Agri Inspec has been working closely with SAFOI for a number of years to test the content of edible oils and fats. “Extensive monitoring and control actions have been executed in the edible oil industry during the past four years to ensure that the content and labeling of oil products are correct. Four years ago almost 90% of the samples taken indicated that the content differed from what is indicated on the label. This has changed and the test results currently show that 90% of the products tested are in order. However, to maintain this quality standard, it is necessary that quality monitoring and educational campaigns are continuously performed,” said Mr Joe Hanekom, Managing Director of Agri Inspec.

“The seal of quality presented by SAFOI should also be extended to include all the smaller oil containers used by households,” Mrs Wilken said.

The SAFOI seal of quality is currently displayed mainly on some oil brands packed in bigger 20 liter containers, which include sunflower oil, cottonseed oil, palm oil etc which are used by restaurants and fast food outlets. “Any oil type is eligible to display the seal when meeting certain standards of authenticity. In order to display the seal, the distributor must send a sample of each oil batch they receive from the manufacturer to SAFOI for testing for authenticity, ie that the container’s content matches the oil type described on the label. This is again double checked by Agri Inspec, which also draws samples countrywide from these certified brands from the end-user (restaurant or fast food outlets). If in breach, the seal must be removed from the faulty containers,” said Prof Lodewyk Kock, Head of SAFOI.

“It should however be taken into account that oils without a seal of quality from the UFS can still be of high quality and authentic. Other external laboratories equipped to perform effective authenticity tests may also be used in this respect,” said Prof Kock.

“It is also important to realise that any oil type of quality such as sunflower oil, cottonseed oil, palm oil etc can be used with great success in well controlled frying processes,” he said.

Further discussions will also be held with the Department of Health, the SA National Consumer Union and Agri Inspec to determine priority areas and to develop the most effective low-cost monitoring system.

More information on the UFS oil seal of quality and oil use can be obtained at www.uovs.ac.za/myoilguide

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

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