media releases - Honorary doctorate to first African General Secretary of the LWF

On Tuesday 2 June the University of South Africa will bestow and honorary doctorate on Ishmael Noko, the first African General Secretary of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF), a position he has held since 1994. The ceremony will take place at 18:00 in the ZK Matthews Great Hall, 2nd level, Theo van Wijk Building, main campus, Preller Street, Muckleneuk, Pretoria.

On Wednesday 3 June, Dr Noko will deliver a lecture at Unisa. It will take place from 10.00 to noon in the Samuel Pauw Building, Room 6-22 on the main campus. The topic of his lecture will be THE ROLE OF THE AFRICAN UNIVERSITY IN THE SEARCH OF A GOOD SOCIETY.

Dr Noko is the founder and president of the Inter-Faith Action for Peace in Africa (IFAPA), a conflict resolution and peace-building initiative incorporating the continent’s seven faith traditions: African traditional religion, the Baha’i faith, Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam and Judaism.

Born in Zimbabwe, he has studied and worked overseas before returning to Africa and lecturing at the University of Botswana where he was eventually appointed as Dean of the Faculty of Humanities. He then joined the LWF’s Department of World Services where he provided refugee services to churches, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees and the now African Union as well as other organizations.

During the ceremony on Tuesday evening, six doctorates will be awarded, included two to American students. Clint Charles Roberts, an instructor at Oklahoma City Community College and Mary Elizabeth Snodderly an assistant professor of Biblical Studies and Vice-President for Academic Affairs at William Carey International University in Pasadena, USA will both receive the degrees Degree of Doctor of Literature and Philosophy (DLitt et Phil) in absentia. Other doctoral candidates include Archford Musodza, (DTh) Rector of the Anglican Parish of Francistown, Botswana; Elimon Rubaba, (DEd) who, until his recent passing, was Deputy Head at Murabwi Primary School in Musivingo, Zimbabwe; Samson Pharaoh Phiri, (DLitt et Phil), media programme manager for the Open Society Initiative for Southern Africa in Johannesburg; and Ntshengedzeni Collins Rananga, (DLitt et Phil) school manager at Dzivhani Primary School.

Unisa office bearers will include Prof Barney Pityana, the Principal and Vice-Chancellor, Prof Mandla Makhanya, Pro Vice-Chancellor and Vice-Principal (Learner Support and Student Affairs), and Prof Louis Molamu, Registrar.

This year 14 172 students will graduate at 39 ceremonies held from 20 April to 24 June. Graduations will take place in Pretoria, Polokwane, Nelspruit, Durban, East London and Cape Town.

Among the degrees conferred will be 40 doctorates, 395 master’s degrees, 2 494 honours, 2 370 four-year bachelor’s, and 2 286 three-year bachelor degrees. A further 947 postgraduate diplomas/certificates will be awarded, and 5 640 undergraduate diplomas/certificates.