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20 October 2025 | Story Tshepo Tsotetsi | Photo Supplied
John Bridger Prof Johan Coetzee Roland Rudd Fiat Lux
From left: John Bridger, Old Boys Association Central Committee Board member; Prof Johan Coetzee; and Roland Rudd, Headmaster of Saint Andrews School; at the St Andrews Speech Day awards ceremony on 16 October.

Prof Johan Coetzee, Head of the Department of Economics and Finance at the University of the Free State (UFS), has been named the recipient of the Fiat Lux Award – the highest honour bestowed by St Andrew’s School in Bloemfontein. 

The award, presented at the annual St Andrews Speech Day awards ceremony on Thursday 16 October, recognises Old Andreans (alumni of the school) who have made exceptional contributions to society through professional excellence and personal integrity.

 

A journey of values, excellence, and lifelong connection

Previous recipients of the Fiat Lux Award include notable figures such as former Nedcor CEO Richard Laubscher, palaeoanthropologist, Apartheid activist, and three-time Nobel Prize nominee Prof Phillip Tobias, former President of the American Chamber of Commerce in South Africa Roger Crawford, and Carte Blanche Executive Producer George Mazarakis.

Prof Coetzee, who matriculated from St Andrew’s in 1995, describes the recognition as deeply humbling. “It is difficult to put into words what this means to me. As an Old Boy of St Andrew’s, it puts the seal of approval on the career path I chose – one that started in the corridors of that school 38 years ago,” he says.

He recalls that his school years shaped both his outlook and his work ethic. “The school taught me the importance of teamwork and resilience. It made me realise early on that life is not all rosy, and that one must maintain a balanced perspective – that is what sets St Andrew’s apart.”

For Prof Coetzee, this honour is not only a personal milestone but also a reflection of the close ties between the UFS and local schools of excellence. “It is extremely important for the UFS to maintain strong links with schools like St Andrew’s, which acts as a feeder for future students and athletes. It’s a win-win situation for both institutions,” he says.

He hopes that his recognition will inspire current learners at St Andrew’s to pursue their goals with perseverance. “I hope that this award awakens the drive in the current crop of pupils at Saints to realise that anything is possible – that your background or the setbacks you face do not define you. Also, and perhaps more importantly, that hard work and persistence does pay off.”

Prof Coetzee’s achievement reflects the UFS’ value of Excellence, exemplifying the university’s commitment to nurturing leaders who embody integrity, dedication, and a lifelong pursuit of learning.

News Archive

Council votes on appointment of senior staff
2004-11-18

The Council of the University of the Free State (UFS) today voted on the filling of three senior vacancies, including one post at Dean level and two at the level of Vice-Dean.

The Council voted as follows:

Dr Natie Luyt will be offered the post of Dean: Student Affairs Prof Engela Pretorius will be offered the post of Vice-Dean: Faculty of Humanities Dr Choice Makhetha will be offered the post of Vice-Dean: Student Affairs

“There are special challenges for the UFS in the short and medium term regarding transformation of our residences, and a certain combination of management qualities and skills is desirable. As a result of the diversity of the UFS’s student community it is therefore important to us to follow a team approach to deal with the challenges. With the combination of Drs Luyt and Makhetha, I believe we will be able to manage student affairs effectively and skillfully,” says Prof Frederick Fourie, Rector and Vice-Chancellor of the UFS.

“It is wonderful that we are able to celebrate the outcome of this process that has brought forward such excellent candidates who reflect our country’s diversity. It shows that we can achieve the goals of quality and diversity at the same time,” says Prof Fourie.

Prof Pretorius obtained all her qualifications (BA, BA (Hons) (cum laude), MA (cum laude) and D Phil) from the UFS, except for the Certificate in Gender Policy Management (cum laude) which she obtained in 2000 from WITS. She joined the Department of Sociology at UFS in 1980 and has headed the Department since 2001. She acted as Vice-Dean: Faculty of Humanities since July 2004. She has some thirty publications to her credit, published both nationally and internationally and has delivered 20 national and international papers. She is a member of the South African Sociological Association and is a member of the Council of the association and of the Editorial Board of Society in Transition, the society’s journal. She is also a member of the South African Academy for Science and Art and the Federation of African Women Educationalists in South Africa (FAWESA). Project involvement includes the Australian Women’s Executive Development Programme and the project Executive Development of Senior Women in South African Higher Education Institutions. She is also an NRF panelist.

Dr Luyt obtained his qualifications (BA, BA (Hons) (cum laude), MA (cum laude) and D Phil) at the UFS and started his career at the same institution in 1980 as lecturer in Political Science. He was promoted to senior lecturer in 1983 and appointed as Director: Student Affairs in 1997. He has been acting as Dean: Student Affairs since 2003. Dr Luyt completed several work-related training courses, among others a course in ethnic and multiculturality at the Swiss Institute for Federalism and a course in conflict management at the South Tyrolean Economic and Social Institute.

Dr Makheta also obtained all her qualifications (BA, BA (Hons), MA in Political Science and Ph D in Political Science) at the UFS and started working as a student assistant in Political Science at the same institution in 1999. She was promoted to junior assistant in 2000, coordinator and facilitator of Political Science in 2001, assistant/acting Director: Student Affairs in 2001 and acting Director: Student Affairs in 2003. Dr Makhetha is currently a Senior Political Analyst at the Department of Foreign Affairs.

The UFS Council also approved the promotion of nine professors to the rank of senior professor. They are Proff Louise Cilliers (Department English and Classical Languages), Dap Louw (Department of Psychology), Philip Nel (Department Afro-Asiatic Studies, Sign Language and Language Practice), Dirk van den Berg (Department of History of Art and Visual Culture Studies) Dingie van Rensburg (Director: Centre for Health Systems Research and Develoment), Andries Raath (Department of Constitutional Law and Philosophy of Law), James du Preez (Department of Microbial, Biochemical and Food Biotechnology), Johan Grobbelaar (Department of Plant Sciences) and Louis Scott (Department of Plant Sciences).

This is the first group ever of senior professors at the UFS. The post level was created to provide better career and earnings opportunities for high quality academics and to increase the attractiveness of an academic career to young people.

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

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