Cecil John Rhodes: British Empire Hitman

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.

It is with deep felt sorrow and bereavement that the family shares the news that Santu Mofokeng, passed away peacefully on Sunday 26 January 2020 in the presence of his loving family. He is at rest now. His last days were filled with love and support from his family, including loving messages from friends and practitioners from all over the world.

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.