USSA News Vol 3 USSA President Voice March 2018 We start this new quarter on a sad note on the passing of our Mother of the Nation, Mama Winnie Nomzamo Madikizela- Mandela, our thoughts, prayers and grieve is with the entire nation as we mourn this great heroin in our lifetime. Her role in the liberation movement as whole and the struggle for a better South Africa is well recorded, post the democratic dispensation in 1994 she continued to be a pillar in the community of Orlando in Soweto and the country as whole until her untimely death. We will greatly miss this icon, her teachings, braveness and her committed to the cause is something that we shall take with and continue to cherish as we move along. We take note of the recent appointment of Professor Mamokgethi Phakeng as the new Vice Chancellor of the University of Cape Town. It might be on a slow phase but the transformation of senior leadership in our institutions is something that is clearly happening. We wish her well and looking forward to future deliberations as we are on a drive to reposition the organisation. We equally bid farewell to Dr Max Price and wish him well in his future endeavours. The USSA National Executive Committee held its first meeting for the year in the City of Tshwane on the 17th March 2018. The meeting received reports from various sub-committees, reflected on the proposals made by MANCO and revisited some outstanding items that needed further attention. One of other key items that needs further monitoring or change in approach is the role and operations of our Sports associations. We will again at the upcoming workshops emphasise their role, meetings with various National Federations are also scheduled, starting with Athletics South Africa this coming weekend.We have communicated our NEC mentorship roles and responsibilities with all NUSAs and the NEC is geared towards ensuring an improved system of communication and governance regulation. There are also structural changes that will be made at the office in the coming weeks after the NEC approved that the appointment of the Communications Coordinator is something that no longer be delayed anymore. The USSA AGM was confirmed for the 21st April 2018, preceded by NUSA’s Workshop, Heads of Sport Forum and the Student Forum on the 20th April 2018 and all the Agenda items for this meetings were confirmed. The next meeting is due to be held on the evening of the 20th April 2018 to finalise the annual report that is to be tabled at the AGM the following day. We are still working towards strengthening our International Relations, including considering a different approach, led by the USSA President aiming at confirming a delegation of not more than five representatives from our member Institutions together with the secretariat to visit China,hopefully transpiring during 2018. This is part of revisiting our previous discussions with the leadership of the China University Sports Associations when they visited USSA late last year. We have tasked the office to offer greater support in the smaller codes which are mostly led by students. As part of the FISU International Day of University Sport, as USSA we shall launch the first major E-Sport Competition to take place over a period of 2 days (15 & 16 September 2018) down in the Western Cape. We encourage members to affiliate for E-Sport as one of the codes for USSA tournaments. Congratulations to all our student athletes who have recently graduated and we call upon all South Africans to rally behind our Team that is currently out in the Gold Coast for the Commonwealth Games. Our Cross Country Team in currently in Switzerland and for the very first time in the history of FISU, we shall have a blind runner competing in main stream athletics. This is good for our country as we lead the process of inclusion. I hope and trust that you had a rested period over the Easter Holidays and I look forward seeing you all at the USSA Annual General Meeting. Posted by USSA President on 04 Apr, 2018. Source: