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UFS to present DF Malherbe Memorial Lecture in celebration of 100 years of Afrikaans

24 April 2025 | Story Lunga Luthuli and Lacea Loader

The University of the Free State (UFS) will present the DF Malherbe Memorial Lecture on Thursday 15 May 2025 in celebration of 100 years of Afrikaans as an official language in South Africa. The lecture forms part of the national dialogue on Afrikaans as an official language – the celebration of which will be held on 8 May 2025.

The lecture will be a showcase of Afrikaans in its rich diversity and will provide an opportunity for a sincere dialectical reflection on the history of the language and its achievements.

The keynote speaker is Prof Joan Hambidge, the rejoinder is delivered by Prof Hein Willemse, and entertainment is provided by musician Frazer Barry, the UFS Department of Drama and Theatre Arts, and the Odeion String Quartet.

Prof Joan Hambidge is a well-known literary scholar, award-winning and prolific poet, distinguished academic and critic, and controversial public figure – known for her iconoclastic approach to Afrikaans literary traditions.

Prof Hein Willemse is an academic, literary critic, activist, and author, former head of the Department of Afrikaans at the University of Pretoria who has, among many achievements, co-authored the publication The Arabic Afrikaans Writing Tradition.

Frazer Barry is the front man of the klipkoprock band Tribal Echo, who plays several traditional instruments such as the blikkitaar, teaspoons or seebamboes, and whose highly acclaimed music is informed by his extensive research into the language and culture of his Khoi ancestry.

The DF Malherbe Memorial Lecture originated at the UFS as a way of expediently supporting the arts, as well as the academe. DF Malherbe was the first professor of Afrikaans in South Africa; beyond his literary career, he was also Rector of the UFS from 1929 to 1934 (and again in 1941).

The memorial lecture will be presented on 15 May 2025 at 17:30 in the Economic and Management Sciences Auditorium on the Bloemfontein Campus.

The presentation of the memorial lecture is coordinated by the UFS Department of Afrikaans and Dutch, German and French.

For more information: https://ufsweb.co/dfmml25

News Archive

Qwaqwa campus upgrade begins

2005-06-23

Academic facilities, including lecture halls and the library, on the Qwaqwa campus of the University of the Free State (UFS) will be upgraded to the tune of R1,4-million.

An extra R100 000,00 has also been made available for the upgrading of four staff houses on campus.

The tender for this project was awarded to a local business in the Qwaqwa region, Mguni Enterprises. This phase is expected to be completed next month - July 2005.

This is the second phase of upgrading of the Qwaqwa campus, following the earlier upgrading of student residences to the tune of R6,2-million.

“The total capital injection to improve the infrastructure on the campus is R7,7 -million. The aim of the upgrading is to improve the infrastructure of the campus in order to provide an atmosphere conducive to learning, “said Prof Peter Mbati, Qwaqawa Campus Head.

The first phase of the upgrading - amounting to R6,2 million - comprised of the upgrading of the five student residences and mainly dealt with the maintenance backlog. Residences were painted, old furniture replaced, electricity rewired and the necessary alterations made to ensure sufficient hot water supply as well as a new look to the face of the residences.

According to Prof Mbati the student visiting areas, reception areas and rooms were also improved by the changes in the first phase. The renovated residences now also boast facilities such as kitchenettes, washing machines and tumble driers and computers rooms.

There are currently 754 students staying in the residences. Three residences accommodate female students and the other two are for male students. Students who are not accommodated on campus stay at the former Tshiya College of Education, approximately 5 kilometers from the campus. These students are bussed in to the campus on a daily basis.

“All these developments are a major step forward for the Qwaqwa campus as it once again shows our commitment to the campus to make it an attractive site of higher education in the Eastern Free State,” said Prof Frederick Fourie, Rector and Vice-Chancellor of the UFS.

Media release

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

23 June 2005

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