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Excellence celebrated as student achievements shine at EDSA Prestige Awards

29 October 2025 | Story Tshepo Tsotetsi | Photo Kaleidoscope Studios

The Division of Student Affairs at the University of the Free State (UFS) brought together students, staff, and senior management on Friday 24 October 2025 for the fourth edition of the Executive Director: Student Affairs (EDSA) Prestige Awards – an evening dedicated to recognising students whose leadership, creativity, and commitment are shaping a more inclusive university.

Held at the Bloemfontein Campus, the ceremony honoured outstanding students across all three campuses who have excelled through academic performance, community engagement, and innovation. From sport and residence life to student governance, counselling, health and wellness, social support, and the Centre for Universal Access and Disability Support, each award reflected the depth of student impact within the university community.

A night that belonged to students

Dr Temba Hlasho, Executive Director of Student Affairs, said the awards serve as a reminder of the values that underpin the UFS journey toward Vision 130. “By recognising and rewarding excellence,” he said, “we reinforce the culture of achievement and innovation that drives our students.”

He congratulated the winners for their perseverance, describing them as “dreamers who never give up” – borrowing the words of Nelson Mandela – and encouraged them to remain ambassadors of the university’s spirit of excellence.

Guest speaker Prof Noluxolo Gcaza, Associate Professor from Nelson Mandela University, reflected on the meaning of excellence in her keynote address. “Excellence is a way of being,” she said. “It’s not about recognition at the end – it’s the fruit of your quiet perseverance. Whether your name is called or not, your contribution adds to the living story of this university.”

The highlight of the evening was the announcement of the EDSA Student of the Year, celebrating students who embody global citizenship, academic distinction, leadership, and community engagement.

Jane Mpholo-Mehlape, an Honours in Drama and Theatre Arts student specialising in Theatre for Young Audiences and Directing, earned the top honour. A multi-award-winning theatre-maker, filmmaker, and social entrepreneur, she uses the performing arts to confront social issues, create employment, and mentor young people.

“It feels surreal,” she said after receiving her award. “For years I’ve poured everything into my work, so this recognition affirms that what I’m doing matters… that we are seen.”

Coming from the performing arts, she added, the recognition carries special weight. “People often see performance as just entertainment,” she said. “But art can give people voices and opportunities. This award recognises leadership, transformation, and community – and those are everything that I am.”

Joining her were Thabang Mahlangu, a Human Resource Management student and member of the Shimlas rugby team, who received the first runner-up honours for his contributions to sport, leadership, and community engagement, and Mbalenhle Thungo, a Bachelor of Administration student from the Qwaqwa Campus, who was named second runner-up. Thungo is an entrepreneurial student leader serving as the Deputy Chairperson of the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences Student Council.

Together, the winners represent the diverse ways in which UFS students continue to demonstrate excellence: not as a goal, but as a way of being that reflects the heart of the institution.

News Archive

JN Boshoff Memorial Lecture: Dr Charles Nwaila

2005-09-13

Dr Charles Nwaila, Director-General of the Free State Provincial Government and Vice-Chairperson of the University of the Free State's (UFS) Council, recently discussed the repositioning of the Free State Provincial Government to respond to the 21st century demands during the JN Boshoff Memorial Lecture at the UFS.

From left: Dr Nwaila; Prof Tienie Crous, Dean: Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences; Prof Frederick Fourie, Rector and Vice-Chancellor and Dr Moses Sindane, Departmental Chairperson: Department of Public Management at the UFS.

A summary of the lecture.

Free State government to focus on training of public servants

The Free State provincial government in collaboration with higher education institutions in the province is to establish the Free State Association of Public Administration to get public servants to work effectively towards the growth and development of the province.
This was announced by the Director-General of the Free State provincial government, Dr Charles Nwaila, during a lecture he delivered at the University of the Free State (UFS) in Bloemfontein this evening (Thursday 8 September 2005).

Delivering the annual JN Boshoff Memorial Lecture at the UFS, Dr Nwaila called on higher education institutions to play a critical and leading role in the re-engineering of the existing Provincial Training and Development Institute housed at the Vista campus of the University of the Free State in Bloemfontein.

Dr Nwaila was formerly the Superintendent-General (head) of the Free State Department of Education and currently serves as the Deputy Chairperson of the Council of the University of the Free State.
He said the proposed Free State Association of Public Administration is a joint initiative with the National Academy of Public Administration based in Washington DC.

“We take this opportunity to invite the University of the Free State and other knowledge based institutions to join the Provincial Government in fostering a collaborative network to help us develop our public servants,” Dr Nwaila said.
He said there were accelerating demands and a lot of pressure on limited resources, with Free Staters expecting more from their government than ever before.

“Civil servants in a developmental state are servants of the people, champions of the poor and the downtrodden and not self-serving individuals that seek only advancement on the career ladder,” Dr Nwaila said.
According to Dr Nwaila, the Free State Growth and Development Strategy has identified 11 areas that need to be addressed by the year 2014, including:

• To reduce unemployment from 38% to 20%
• To improve the functional literacy rate from 69,2% to 85%
• To stabilize the prevalence rate of HIV and AIDS and reverse the spread of the disease
• To provide a free basic service to all households
• To provide adequate infrastructure for economic growth and development

Dr Nwaila said that the Free State government will continue to follow a people-centred approach towards these development objectives with a keen sense of unity and unwavering determination to create the best of times for the Free State and all its people.

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