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Celebrating excellence on the UFS Qwaqwa Campus

15 September 2025 | Story Precious Shamase | Photo Supplied

Qwaqwa Dux — Prof Prince Ngubeni, Campus Principal; Dux Award winner, Tshepiso Mabitsela; and Prof Cias Tsotetsi, Vice-Principal: Academic and Research

The University of the Free State (UFS) Qwaqwa Campus recently hosted its annual Student Excellence Awards, a prestigious event dedicated to honouring the remarkable accomplishments of its students. The ceremony, held in the Mandela Hall, brought together students, academic staff, and university leadership to celebrate the collective strength and individual achievements of Qwaqwa Campus students.

The 2025 Student Excellence Awards showcased the dedication, talent, and resilience of the UFS student body. As the university continues to provide a nurturing environment for academic and personal growth, these students stand as a testament to the power of perseverance and the promise of a brighter future.

A celebration of perseverance

Prof Prince Ngobeni, Campus Principal, warmly welcomed guests and praised the students for their hard work and dedication. In his address, he highlighted the students’ outstanding achievements.

“This ceremony is not just about handing out awards; it is a celebration of hard work, dedication, and resilience,” Prof Ngobeni said. “It is a recognition of the countless hours spent in libraries, the late nights fuelled by coffee, and the moments of doubt that you overcame with sheer determination. Today, we celebrate not just the achievements of a select few, but the collective spirit of excellence that defines our campus.”

Insights from a valued alumnus

Dr Peter Moopi, a distinguished UFS alumnus, served as guest speaker. Dr Moopi’s journey with the university began in 2016 when he enrolled for a Bachelor of Arts degree. He went on to complete his Master of Arts in 2021 and his Doctor of Philosophy in English in 2025.

In his speech, Dr Moopi spoke about the concepts of ‘improvise, adapt, and overcome’, which he described as central to his experience at the UFS. “As we know that many of us come from difficult backgrounds, we always wish that there was more,” he said, inspiring students to find strength and resilience in their personal stories.

Twin triumphs and a Dux winner’s story

Among the celebrated students were identical twins Nthabeleng and Nthabiseng Mofokeng, both pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Geography. The twins, who received awards for achieving the same aggregate score, credited their success to teamwork, discipline, and a shared faith.

When asked about their unique academic journey, they explained, “We believe our secret is teamwork, discipline, and God’s grace. As twins, we know each other’s strengths and weaknesses, so we complement one another perfectly.” They described their study sessions as collaborative and engaging, often turning learning into games and quizzes to make it more enjoyable.

The Dux Award winner, Tshepiso Mabitsela – a student in the Faculty of Education – shared a deeply personal and emotional reflection on her achievement. She described the moment her name was announced as a dream she never thought possible.

“I could not believe what was happening at that moment, and tears of joy welled up in my eyes,” she said. Tshepiso spoke movingly about her family, particularly her mother – a domestic worker – and her physically unwell grandmother. “This award is not just a recognition of my work but also goes to them as a way of showing that their sacrifices and support were a driving factor behind my studies,” she stated.

Mabitsela said she is the only hope and the first child to go to university in the family, so she had to make it for them. She is truly humbled to have received this award – her mother was also emotional when she called to tell them the good news. Therefore, this award is not just hers, but it is also theirs.” The fact that I am my family's last hope kept me going, hence I did not give up during my challenging journey. Therefore, when I received my results, it was a culmination of my expectations. I just could not believe that I could be the top learner on the whole campus and not just in my class. I am still in shock and tears roll out of my eyes every time I think about it.”

Words of wisdom from a social progress pioneer

The event also featured a poignant address by Nobomi Duma, a dedicated social progress pioneer and UFS alumna. Living with dystonic cerebral palsy and polymyoclonus, Duma's journey is a testament to resilience. She holds a Bachelor of Social Sciences degree and serves as an assistant community development practitioner.

In her powerful message, Duma urged students to find peace and closure for themselves, even in the absence of an apology. “As people living with disabilities, we go through so many challenges ... accept the apology you never got.”

News Archive

Letter to students from Prof Jonathan Jansen about student protest action at the UFS

2015-10-21

Dear Students

Student protest action at the University of the Free State

I wish to make clear that the senior leadership of the University of the Free State understands and supports the demands from students and their leaders that higher education be accessible to all students, especially the poor. For the past six years we have done everything in our power to meet that commitment to students who are academically talented, but simply cannot afford to pay; that is why our tuition fees remain among the lowest in the country. Our efforts to raise private funding have enabled thousands more students to study at the UFS than would have been possible on the government subsidy only. Whether it is the Staff Fund contributions (yes, our staff empty their pockets to support student fees) or the No Student Hungry (NSH) bursary programme (yes, we raise funds for food bursaries), we will continue our drive to fund students who cannot afford higher education. Let me repeat, no student with a solid academic record will be denied access to studies simply because they cannot pay.

Now, to the matter at hand. There is a national demand from students for a 0% fee increment for 2016. The Minister’s response, after consultation with stakeholders, was that universities should cap their 2016 fee increases at 6%. Despite this initiative from government, the protests continue on virtually all campuses across South Africa for the ‘no fee’ increase.

Our response, as the UFS leadership, is to continue engaging the SRC as the chosen leadership of our students in trying to negotiate a settlement on the matter. We have worked around the clock to be available to student leaders to find some resolution on 2016 fees. While we understand the demands of students, as university leaders, we can only work with the government subsidy we receive. Any agreement reached, cannot and must not place the university at academic and financial risk in its ability to deliver public higher education to the country - if that happens, everybody loses. Still, no matter what happens in terms of the response from government, the leadership door at the UFS remains open to finding a mutually acceptable solution to all parties in these deliberations.

Students, we are deeply concerned by the violence, intimidation and threats from the small group of protesting students. These dangerous and demeaning behaviours, like disrupting classes and verbally abusing students and staff, undermine the legitimate quest of students for relief concerning tuition fees. Such behaviour is completely unacceptable and the university will take action where required. We must also remember that we have an obligation to all 30 000 students whose right to learn without fear of violence and intimidation must be respected.

In conclusion, over the past few years we have worked hard to build a culture of mutual respect and embrace as we worked through some very difficult challenges on campus. You would have noticed that the university leadership responded quickly and sympathetically to reason and respect in difficult situations of rage and demonstration. A minority of students, with some outsiders, have come onto the campus to break down that culture in which, while we might disagree, we continue to work on the basis of mutual respect. I urge all students that, as we engage of this important problem of enabling greater access to higher education, we continue to remain true to the core values of our Human Project.

Best Regards

Prof Jonathan Jansen
Vice-Chancellor and Rector
University of the Free State

Letter to students from Prof Jonathan Jansen about student protest actions at the UFS (Pdf format)

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