Pretoria - Excitement is building in Bloemfontein ahead of the graduation ceremony of US talk show host Oprah Winfrey at the University of Free State (UFS) later today.
Preparations for the event, at which Oprah will be conferred with an Honorary Doctorate in Education, were running smoothly, UFS said in a statement.
"Measured against the smooth course of the preparations, the speed at which the tickets were obtained and the continuous interest amongst UFS staff and students, as well as members of the public, this promises to be a real 2011 highlight for all who are going to attend the event," it added.
The university warned that strict security measures would be in place and urged those who had tickets for the event to arrive at the Bloemfontein Campus well in advance.
Among the 4 500 expected to attend the graduation ceremony there will be well-known personalities and dignitaries, alumni, learners and other stakeholders of the university. Local and international media are also expected to cover the event.
Meanwhile, UFS said it was aware that tickets for the graduation ceremony were being sold illegally at shopping centres in Bloemfontein.
"Computicket equipment shall be used on the premises ...to ensure that only persons who have original tickets in their possession are admitted. People found to be in possession of forged tickets...shall be prosecuted," it added.
The graduation ceremony is expected to get underway at 3.30pm, with Oprah delivering a speech and participating in a question and answer session with students at 4pm.
