Trevor Manuel: Bloemfontein a very special place

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Trevor Manuel: Bloemfontein a very special place
Former Minister of Finance, Trevor Manuel. Photo: Mark Steenbok

The former Minister of Finance, Trevor Manuel, says he is humbled and deeply honoured to have received an honorary doctorate at the University of the Free State today.

Manuel, along with three others, including the veteran journalist, Max du Preez,  Reuel Jethro Khoza, and Joel Samoff, received honorary doctorate degrees in the Callie Human Centre. He says coming back to Bloemfontein is truly special for him.

“It has been very cold, but now it is nice. You know it is a great place and a great institution. This university and campus have very important memories for me politically as well, coming back to this academic space is truly wonderful and humbling, especially the way the honorary doctorate was awarded today,” says Manuel.

Veteran journalist Max du Preez. Photo: Mark Steenbok
Veteran journalist Max du Preez. Photo: Mark Steenbok

Meanwhile, veteran journalist, author and columnist, Max du Preez, says he is more hopeful after today’s proceedings.

“You know it is the university of my home province. You can take a man out of Kroonstad but you can never take Kroonstad out of a man.”

“This is very special and the spirit here is special. The sense of transformation and spirit of optimism that I experienced today makes me believe in our country again. I am a hundred times more hopeful than I was last night,” says Du Preez.

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A total of 53 doctorates and 429 master’s degrees were awarded in the seven faculties today.

Most of the doctorates (16) were awarded in the Faculty of the Humanities, while most of the master’s degrees were awarded in the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences.

Antony Osler and Marguerite van der Merwe received Chancellor’s medals at the same ceremony.

Prof. Samoff, from Stanford University in the US, was the guest speaker during the afternoon ceremony on 29 June 2016.

-Mark Steenbok

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