In a heartfelt tribute to their late colleague and friend, Lizette Kotze, three lecturers from the Department of Accounting at UP embarked on a journey that turned into a heartfelt celebration of life, friendship and the power of community.  

 

Denice Pretorius, Tania Tomes and Rieka von Well – Kotze’s long-time colleagues who worked with her for almost 15 years – along with their husbands and six of Kotze’s family members, including her husband Werner and son Liam, walked together with a shared purpose.

 

Inspired by Kotze’s desire to complete the Tankwa Camino when she finished her PhD, the group of 12 opted for the slightly less gruelling Wille Willemien Camino in the Eastern Free State, which they walked from 28 August to 2 September 2024 to raise funds for the Lizette Kotze Student Support Fund (LKSSF). This Camino is said to celebrate a pilgrim known for humour and quick walking, the perfect ode to Lizette’s vibrant personality. “Considering Lizette’s unique sense of humour, this felt like the correct choice,” says Tomes.

The group had initially set a fundraising goal of R100 000, but when this was surpassed before the Camino began, the goal was ramped up to R150 000. The trio reports: “After the Camino had been completed, many sponsors contributed more than they pledged. There was also a generous contribution from Liam’s employer.” Ultimately, the wide network of family, friends, colleagues, ex-colleagues, alumni and current students who contributed raised approximately R175 000 toward the LKSSF.

 

“The money raised from the Camino will be combined with the other funds in the LKSSF to support students in the Department of Accounting who need funding. The aim is to assist several students with smaller amounts, rather than to use all the funds to assist one student,” says Von Well.

 

Some of the needs that will be considered for funding are stationery, textbooks, calculators, tuition fees, travel expenses to and from UP, accommodation and meals. The LKSSF is already making a difference in the lives of UP students following a generous R35 000 donation to the UP Student Nutrition and Progress Programme (SNAPP), which assists in eradicating hunger on campus by providing meals to needy students.

 

Kotze is lovingly remembered for her dedication to her students and her unconventional teaching style that included lecturing barefoot, spontaneously dancing or starting a Monday lecture with music. Pretorius says her fondest memory of her late colleague is how proud she was when a video of her dancing in class made rounds on social media and her students eagerly proclaimed that she was their lecturer. She adds: “Whenever Lizette did something – whether it was playing “The final countdown” from the lecture hall next to my postgraduate students or proudly showing off a new dress she made – joy and her ever-present humour followed.”

 

The impact that Kotze had on those who knew her is evident in the community that rallied to raise funds for the LKSSF. A WhatsApp group was created to keep the walkers in touch with sponsors during the Camino and provide them with daily progress updates, along with summaries of lessons learned on the day.

This special celebration of Kotze’s life was physically challenging, but brought loved ones together in her memory. In a humorous ending, the original 86 km long route was shortened by the organisers on the last day, but the walkers refused to finish early. True to their auditing backgrounds, the group made up the outstanding 4 km distance on a farm road after reaching the overnight stop before checking in at the farmhouse.

 

Pretorius, Tomes and Von Well are already planning their next adventure: tackling the Amphitheatre Heritage Hike in 2025. “We will attempt to reach the top of the Amphitheatre in the Drakensberg. The last part of the hike consists of a 35-metre ascent using chain ladders,” they say. They plan to confront their collective fear of heights and make this another fundraising adventure to preserve Kotze’s legacy of supporting students in need.

 

 

The Lizette Kotze Student Support Fund (LKSSF) honours Kotze’s unwavering support of her students and donations to the LKSSF can be made by depositing into UP’s account:

Account name: University of Pretoria

Bank: ABSA bank

Account number: 214 000 0038

Branch code: 632005

Swift code: ABSAZAJJ

Reference: A1G551