The seminar series, hosted by the School of Journalism & Media Studies, ‘Southern Epistemologies Thinking Beyond the Abyss for a Transformative Curriculum’, took place at the Makhanda-based Pan-Africanist oriented school, Isikolo sama-Afrika (African School of Thought). The seminar created a space to touch the intangible: African histories and untold identities.

Once, my grandmother sent me to “landa leyompahla”, being fed up with asking for impahla that I never get, I got to the person’s house and said “ugogo ubethe ngizocela imali yakhe” without even blinking as the poor woman sat, watching TV with her family.

iwa l ewa is a Yoruba philosophical word that reflects on the inherent qualities that determine good or bad characters in historical Yoruba society. I believe that iwa l ewa and ubuntu are traditional knowledge systems that buttress the objectives of African humanist philosophy.

The teaching medium is officially English and the default language is unofficially Afrikaans. Almost all the teachers are of an Afrikkkaner background. The more things change in this country the more they stay the same. So much for the much talked about 1976 Soweto uprisings.

Generations of African history is undocumented or destroyed, the preservation of our culture and beliefs is an important asset, as we define and redefine our own identity. Through the technology of music and art, we find ways to capture what is left of our folklore and re-imagine the Africa we want to be.

The exhibition’s title, Bôna, is a Sesotho word with a double meaning. As a verb, Bôna means to “see”. When used as a pronoun, the word translates to “them”. Sekgala’s photographs evoke this title through the responses they elicit from the subjects in the work and in turn us, the viewers.

As creatives driven by the spiritual essence of art, driven by an intangible pursuit, the call was probed by the cosmic mind and reminded us to rely less on our precision mind. The former, according to Prof. Kunene “synthesizes fragments of information to create a universally significant body of knowledge”.

With timeless soulful ballads including End of the Road, I’ll Make Love to You and Motownphilly, the trio hold the distinction of being the best-selling R&B group of all time, with an astounding 64 million albums sold worldwide. Their list of accolades includes 4 Grammy Awards, 9 American Music Awards, 9 Soul Train Awards, 3 Billboard Awards and a MOBO Award for Outstanding Contribution to Music.