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UFS Critical Dialogue Series sparks conversation on ethical leadership

06 May 2025 | Story Tshepo Tsotetsi | Photo Supplied

The Office of the Executive Director: Student Affairs at the University of the Free State (UFS) hosted its annual Critical Dialogue Series on 29 April 2025 at the Centenary Complex on the Bloemfontein Campus. The dialogue brought together students, staff, and university leadership for an engaging conversation around ethical and servant leadership in higher education.

A conversation rooted in purpose

In his opening address, Temba Hlasho, Executive Director for Student Affairs said the dialogue was designed to provoke honest reflection and engagement on issues that affect student experience and institutional culture.

“We believe that there has to be some sort of transparency in terms of having to talk about topical issues that are very critical, that also touch on the very nerve of student experience,” Hlasho said.

He encouraged student leaders to see the platform not as ceremonial, but as a call to action. “You are in a country today where ethics have almost decayed. You, as the future of this country, will rely solely on the young people to change the narrative.”

Leadership anchored in service

UFS Vice-Chancellor and Principal Prof Hester C. Klopper delivered a powerful message on the importance of ethical and servant leadership in guiding the university’s direction. “Leadership – and specifically ethical and servant leadership – forms the cornerstone of what we stand for at the University of the Free State.”

She spoke about accountability, fairness, and leading with integrity. “It means treating every student fairly regardless of background or belief, and holding yourself accountable for your actions and decisions.”

Prof Klopper also highlighted the vital role student leaders play in shaping a culture of trust and excellence. “Leadership is not a title or a position, but a daily choice to serve with integrity, empathy, and purpose.”

Ubuntu, transformation, and power dynamics

The event’s keynote speaker was Prof Gordon Zide, an accomplished scholar, academic, intellectual, Africanist, author, transformation specialist, motivational speaker, and a former Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the Vaal University of Technology. Prof Zide is also a former Registrar at the University of South Africa. Drawing from a lifetime of experience in the sector, he interrogated the moral responsibilities of leadership within the South African higher education landscape.

“Leadership is a function of being a servant and being in charge of others,” he said. “It also requires the capacity to give strategic direction for the effective, efficient, and valued functioning of organisations.”

He emphasised that ethical leadership should be grounded in values such as vision, passion, patience, integrity, honesty, decisiveness, character, and charisma. Reflecting on the African philosophy of ubuntu, Prof Zide remarked: “When talking about servant leadership, it’s important to recognise other people and say to yourself: ‘I am what I am because of other people.’”

He encouraged students, particularly the current generation, to take charge and assume ethical leadership roles in their spaces. Referencing prominent anti-apartheid figure Robert Sobukwe, he urged, “Even when we are no longer here, they will always remember that we were there.”

Prof Zide also noted the practical benefits of ethical leadership in institutions, saying that it improves brand image, boosts morale among staff and students, and strengthens the recruitment process. He concluded by challenging the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET), saying its tendency to micromanage universities undermines the autonomy and leadership authority of institutional management.

A call to lead with intention

Reflecting on the impact of the event, Acting President of the Institutional Student Representative Council (ISRC) Mpho Maloka said, “These kinds of conversations are needed because they help us go back to the ‘why’ – why we became student leaders in the first place, and how we can serve students in ways that actually make a difference.”

She added, “People have turned student leadership into something so political that others don’t even want to get involved. Dialogues like this bring it back to what really matters – serving students and growing as ethical leaders.”

As Prof Klopper concluded: “The lessons in ethical and servant leadership that you learn and practise here prepare you not just for impactful careers, but for responsible citizenship in a world desperately in need of ethical leadership.”

News Archive

New challenges for animal science discussed

2006-04-04

Some of the guests attending the congress were from the left Dr Heinz Meissner (honorary president of the South African Society for Animal Science (SASAS) and senior manager at the Animal Production Institute of the Agricultural Research Council), Mr Paul Bevan (President of SASAS) and Prof Magda Fourie (Vice-Rector: Academic Planning at the UFS).
Photo: Lacea Loader

New challenges for animal science discussed

The South African Society for Animal Science (SASAS) is presenting its 41st Congress at the University of the Free State’s (UFS) Main Campus in Bloemfontein.

The congress started yesterday and will run until Thursday 6 April 2006. The theme is New challenges for the animal science industries.

It is one of the largest congresses in the 45 years since SASAS was founded in 1961. Among the delegates 12 African countries are represented, with the biggest delegation from Kenya. Delegates are also from the United States of America, Iran, Turkey, Germany, the Netherlands and Portugal and African countries like Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Botswana.

“Many of our members play an important role in the training of animal scientists at universities. The congress is specifically industry orientated so that scientists can interact with farmers through the respective producer organisations,” said Prof HO de Waal, Chairperson of the organising committee and lecturer at the UFS Department of Animal, Wildlife and Grassland Sciences.

According to Dr Heinz Meissner, honorary president of SASAS and a senior manager at the Animal Production Institute of the Agricultural Research Council, the National Livestock Strategy (NLS) Plan clarifies the role and responsibility of the livestock sector.

“Through this strategy we need to focus on enhancing equitable access and participation in livestock agriculture, improve global competitiveness and profitability of the livestock sector and ensure that the ventures implemented do not over utilise our resources,” said Dr Meissner.

In her welcoming address, Prof Magda Fourie, Vice-Rector: Academic Planning at the UFS highlighted the related challenges that the UFS will be focusing on specifically over the next five years. “We have identified five strategic clusters that represent broad areas of excellence in research and post-graduate education. Two of these are food production, quality and safety for Africa and sustainable development,” she said.

“The food safety and security cluster will focus on the production of food in all its varieties within the African context, encompassing the entire value chain – from production to consumption and nutrition related issues. This would include a strong emphasis on sustainable production systems,” she said.

According to Prof Fourie the rural development cluster will engage in questions around the role of higher education in sustainable development. “One of the focus areas in this strategic cluster pertains to sustainable livelihoods. It refers to a way of approaching development that incorporates all aspects of human livelihoods and means by which people obtain them,” she said.

Prof Fourie said that the challenges we are facing such as food production can only be effectively addressed through collaborative efforts. “That is why it is important that collaboration takes place between different scientific disciplines, researchers, institutions and countries who are confronted with similar difficulties,” she said.

According to Prof de Waal the congress will give key role players a unique opportunity to present a profile of what they perceive an animal scientist should be and state their specific requirement regarding the animal sciences and its applications.

“In this way we can determine what the industry’s needs are and we can re-align our curriculum to suit these needs,” said Prof de Waal.

During the next two days, various areas of interest will be discussed. This includes ruminant and monogastric nutrition, animal physiology, beef, dairy, sheep and ostrich breeding and sustainable farming covering the range from commercial to the small-scale farming level.

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

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