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UFS Council appoints Prof Anthea Rhoda as acting Vice-Chancellor and Principal as from 1 October 2024

20 August 2024 | Story Lacea Loader | Photo Kaleidoscope studios

The Council of the University of the Free State (UFS) has appointed Prof Anthea Rhoda, Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Academic, as acting Vice-Chancellor and Principal as from 1 October 2024 until the position has been filled.

Prof Rhoda’s acting appointment comes after the resignation of Prof Francis Petersen as Vice-Chancellor and Principal, which will come into effect on 30 September 2024. He will assume the position of Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the University of Pretoria on 1 October 2024.

The decision to appoint Prof Rhoda as acting Vice-Chancellor and Principal was made at the special Council meeting on 19 August 2024, following consultation with the Senate and the Institutional Forum on 15 August 2024.

“On behalf of the UFS Council, I would like to thank Prof Rhoda for availing herself for this role. She has extensive experience in the higher education sector and will be able to lead the university during this interim time. The Council looks forward to working with her and the university’s executive management,” says Mr David Noko, Chairperson of the UFS Council.

Before her appointment at the UFS, Prof Rhoda was Dean of the Faculty of Community and Health Sciences (CHS) at the University of the Western Cape (UWC). She holds a professorship in the Department of Physiotherapy at UWC and has completed a BSc and a PhD in Physiotherapy at UWC. She also completed a BSc Honours in Physiotherapy (Neurology) and an MSc in Medical Sciences (Rehabilitation) at Stellenbosch University.

As an NRF C1-rated researcher, Prof Rhoda is an established leader and scholar. Her research activities have been supported by grants awarded by both the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) and the National Research Foundation (NRF). She conducts research in faculty development and interprofessional education. Her research output includes publications in international and local journals and books, as well as presentations and conferences both locally and abroad.

Prof Rhoda’s interest in building capacity in African scholars has seen her supervise a number of PhD and master’s students from across the African continent. She is an associate editor for the African Journal of Health Professions Education and completed her term as Chair of the South African Committee of Health Sciences Deans. Prof Rhoda completed a number of fellowships, including the Sub-Saharan Africa-FAIMER Regional Institute (SAFRI) fellowship programme for health professionals, as well as a Strategic Management Programme at the Saïd Business School of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom.

Click to view document Click here for the schedule for the appointment of the UFS Vice-Chancellor and Principal.

News Archive

Successful conviction on edible oil adulteration

2009-03-28

A successful conviction in the South African food industry for selling diluted olive oil under the guise of virgin olive oil was handed down in the Special Commercial Crimes Court in Durban this week.

Salvatore Pollizi, owner of the company Ital Distributors, pleaded guilty in terms of Section 105A of the Crime Prosecuting Act to selling fake virgin olive oil under the names of Antico Frantoio and Ulivo.

He was sentenced to a fine of R250 000 or three years’ imprisonment, of which R130 000 or 18 months imprisonment is suspended for five years, on condition that he is not found guilty of fraud or theft or an attempt to commit such crimes during the period of suspension.

The offence was committed in 2001 when the scandal involving olive oil being mixed with a cheaper edible oil and being sold as the more expensive virgin olive oil was uncovered by scientists from the University of the Free State (UFS) in Bloemfontein, in collaboration with Mr Guido Costas, The Olive Growers’ Association, AgriInspec and the South African Police Services.

According to Prof. Lodewyk Kock, Head of the South African Fryer Oil Initiative (SAFOI) that is based at the UFS, the conviction is to his knowledge the first successful conviction of this kind in the South African food industry.

Prof. Kock said, “The court’s decision on Monday, 23 March 2009 is good news to our country and sends out a dire warning to all fraudsters in the food industry.”

He attributed the successful conviction to the active and enthusiastic participation by Advocate Joanna Bromley-Gans from the Special Commercial Crime Unit (SCCU) in Durban, Captain Pragasen Govender from the Serious Economic Offences Unit (SEOU) in Pretoria and the team from SAFOI.

Prof. Kock said that in 2003 some of the prominent members of the edible oil industry took responsibility for the authenticity of their own oils by appointing outside laboratories for routine monitoring.

In some cases a seal of approval from such laboratories is displayed on the monitored oil containers. This is an attempt to inform oil distributors, shop buyers and consumers that these oils have been monitored by an outside laboratory for authenticity.

This “policing” has been supported by major role players in the fast-food sector like Nando’s, Spur, Captain Dorego’s, King Pie Holdings, etc. and various oil distributors like Felda Bridge Africa, Willowton Oil & Cake Mills, Refill Oils, etc.

Media Release
Issued by: Lacea Loader
Assistant Director: Media Liaison
Tel: 051 401 2584
Cell: 083 645 2454
E-mail: loaderl.stg@ufs.ac.za
27 March 2009

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