For almost 80 years the University of the Free State (UFS) has enjoyed the intervarsity games with the North West University Potchefstroom Campus (more commonly known as PUKKE), however there are some who believe that this ‘tradition’ is merely a cover for the stagnation occurring on campus. Mhlanganisi Madlongolwana, Student Council Representative (SRC) for Student Development, says that the university has been ”stuck in a rut for the past 80 years” and that it is time for the UFS to rethink the intervarsity’s constitution.
What SRC Sport Brandon Bosch wants to see is an “intervarsity (that) will be organised with a progressive, integrated and transformed university.” To realise this goal he, along with Madlongolwana, believe that they should interact with universities other than Pukke for a couple of years. Bosch feels that the UFS is “not learning from Potch” at the moment and wants to continue with them again only “when they have something to teach us.”
“What happened was Kovsies Sport had already signed and sealed an intervarsity before we got into office. What that then means is we are bound by their decision, but the thing is we’re not going to have that intervarsity,” says Madlogolwana. A plan to boycott the intervarsity games has been conjured. Madlongolwana states that “no students are going to play in intervarsity because no student had a say in intervarsity, in the choosing of the institution.”
However, not everyone in the SRC is happy with the idea of boycotting the intervarsity. Freda Lötter, SRC for Dialogue and Associations, feels that a boycott is inappropriate, and that they “can sort out problems in a different way.” She feels that the UFS “can’t just leave Potch” after 80 years of history with them. Arno Van Niekerk, Senior Officer of Kovsie Sports, is not pleased with the boycott either, not only for Kovsie Sports but also for the reputation of the UFS students. He believes that, as the hosts of this years intervarsity games, it is our duty to ensure that are plenty of UFS students at the games otherwise it would cast the UFS name in a “bad light.”
One of the other concerns is that Kovsies Sport made all the decisions for the intervarsity games without consulting the students or the SRCs. “Kovsies Sport has never accounted to anyone under student affairs” says Bosch, while Madlongolwana echoes this sentiment saying that “Kovsies Sports needs to be accountable to the students.” However, Lötter says that “we can’t give them instructions because they are not part of us.”
Tebello Ketlele, SRC International affairs echoes Madlongolwana’s statements by saying “We are not going to Pukke. Those who are for Pukke can turn pink or purple in the face but we are still not going.” She also indicated that should the intervarsity continue as planned, she would aid in mobilising students to disrupt the games. “We will not be associated with universities that still harbour rasist tendencies.” She added.
While the SRC claims that this issue has been raised for severall years now, kovsie sport appears oblivious to this fact. Van Niekerk says “I haven’t received anything in writing from the students or SRCs” and continues on to say that “if we don’t hear from the students we can’t do anything about it.”
Irawa Reporter |