Held at the Ocean Sciences Campus under the theme “Justice for Africans and People of African Descent through Reparations,” the week-long programme served as a platform for dialogue, reflection, and scholarly engagement.
Addressing the virtual and in-person attendees at the opening of the week-long programme, Vice-Chancellor Professor Sibongile Muthwa (right) set a resolute tone, urging Africans to reclaim their history and reshape their future.
“We are of Africa, in Africa, and for Africa,” she said. “At Mandela University, we celebrate Africa every day, but Africa Month gives us the space to pause, reflect and chart a collective way forward.”
Welcoming guests from across the continent and abroad, including delegates from Florida State College at Jacksonville, Prof Muthwa acknowledged the University’s leadership, student representatives and scholars present. She stressed that the celebration of Africa must go beyond symbolism and must be embedded in institutional values and everyday practice.
She urged young people to travel the continent and connect with its history and spirit, sharing her own transformative visits to historical sites such as Ghana’s Cape Coast Castle and Zanzibar’s slave markets.
Reflecting on her own travels to these sites, she highlighted the emotional and intellectual impact of standing at the crossroads of African memory and resilience.
“Once you stand before the Gate of No Return, you’re never the same again,” an emotional Prof Muthwa shared.
In confronting present-day challenges, she condemned rising xenophobic sentiments towards African scholars within South Africa, calling for renewed continental solidarity.
“South Africa is Africa,” she said firmly. “We must resist divisive narratives and reaffirm our shared identity.”
The VC’s remarks expanded the concept of reparations beyond economics, to include the restoration of cultural heritage and knowledge systems eroded by colonialism.
“This is resistance scholarship,” she said. “It demands rigour, time and deep commitment – but it is essential for long-term justice.”
She also acknowledged the role of African scientists in the global COVID-19 response, highlighting their contributions as evidence of the continent’s enduring value and capability.
“Africa Month is not just an event,” she said, as she concluded. “It is a continued assertion of our rightful place in the world.”
Through her stirring message, Prof Muthwa set the tone for a week of dialogue, reflection and shared purpose rooted firmly in Africa and its future.
The programme featured thought-provoking contributions from local and international speakers.
Commissioner at the South African Human Rights Commission, Professor Tshepo Madlingozi (right), delivered a compelling message on the unfinished business of justice.
“Before we can demand reparations from others, we must ask: have we done right by our own people?” he asked. “Have we truly repaired the harm caused by apartheid within our own borders?”
He said South Africa has only achieved a small part of that.
“We have some monuments and some recognition of the past but no real social healing, no economic justice, and no lasting change.”
Challenging the audience to resist complacency, Prof Madlingozi cautioned against the taming of historical memory.
“We must not be satisfied with symbols when our people are still hurting. If we don’t repair what’s broken, the past will keep repeating itself in the present.”
Respondent Professor Ntsikelelo Breakfast (left), the Acting Director of the University’s Centre for Security, Peace and Conflict Resolution, spoke candidly about the continent’s internal challenges.
Citing Pan-African pioneers like Henry Sylvester Williams and Kwame Nkrumah – who declared Ghana would never be free until all of Africa was – he reminded the audience of the continent’s long-standing commitment to unity and liberation.
He warned, however, that Africa’s current obstacles are not only a legacy of colonialism but also the result of internal failings, also criticising neopatrimonial leadership and the culture of political patronage.
“We like positions,” he said. “And when we fail, we blame colonialism. But sometimes, it is not colonialism. It’s us.”
Prof Breakfast called for a new generation of leaders who embrace integrity, resist modern forms of imperialism, and commit to building a stronger, more united continent.