Unisa online - Black Forum Africa Week Conference stimulates discussion

President Jean-Bertrand Aristide delivering his presentation

The annual Black Forum Africa Week Conference got off to a rousing start in Senate Hall on 14 May 2008. With the inspiring theme: Towards transforming higher learning for liberation and development, the conference showcased high-profile speakers and delegates at the opening session, with issues such as elusive equity, knowledge apartheid, racism as a mutating virus, and the inferiority complex of poverty stimulating discussion and debate. In his opening address, Professor Moroka Mogashoa, Black Forum President, noted that UNISA had gone through a great deal in the past five years to create a transformed institution, but made the point that sometimes reconstruction is confused with transformation. “We need to take stock critically and say what it is that we have achieved,” he added. Professor Chika Sehoole, Chief Director: Higher Education Policy, Department of Education, who delivered the keynote address on behalf of Mr Duncan Hindle, the Director-General of Education, emphasised the role that black people in South Africa in the knowledge industry can play in transforming higher education. “As the Black Forum, you should not only think about what can be done for you, but also what it is that you can do for yourself, and what contribution can you claim in terms of taking this institution forward.” He added that, from his own experience, the best way of silencing one’s critics is to produce, not only in terms of scholarship but also of research. “The more we produce and the more our names are reflected in publications the more we are going to earn the respect of our peers,” he said.

Public trust in democracy

Dr Fanie du Toit, Executive Director: Institute for Justice and Reconciliation, took a critical look at public trust in democracy in his presentation, drawing on the findings of a transformation audit conducted by the institute. He is of the opinion that South Africa stands balanced on the knife-edge of two scenarios: the leaky tyre syndrome into slow and irreversible decline, or the albatross syndrome, a comparison between South Africa and a bird that struggles for about a kilometre to get airborne, but then is strong and powerful in flight. He believes that the difference between the two scenarios will come down to the human factor and to leadership. He pointed out that the economy is not doing badly, but that equality and education are deteriorating, and the country needs to invest in human beings. “Among other things, our research shows that what South Africans want,” he concluded, “is to be treated with respect.”

President Jean-Bertrand Aristide, delivering a paper entitled Why African descendants are still facing poverty in Haiti, spoke of the need to nurture the spirit of ubuntu. “Africans and African descendants must be empowered by drawing from African values,” he emphasised.

Power-sharing on the African continent questioned

Dr Peter Kagwanja, a Director at the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) questioned power-sharing and the issue of widespread protests across the African continent with his presentation titled Return of the Protester – The State of Democracy in Africa. Dr Kagwanja said the phenomenon of post democracy in Africa is the “returning of the protester”, a discontent people who instead of challenging institutions, go to the streets. He questioned the issue of power-sharing on the continent whenever there was a stalemate, and why it was never suggested in the United States during the George Bush and Al Gore election in 2000 when they reached a stalemate. Dr Kagwanja believes that power-sharing is suggested as “primitives are incapable of grappling with democracy,” but added that the “main focus of African states is to consolidate institutions so that there is an arbitrator to prevent a power-sharing government.”

Ms Tshepo Khumbane, a development activist and founder of the Water for Food Movement, presented an invigorating and impassioned talk about transforming poverty, deprivation and moral decay in society. She spoke of her experiences of poverty saying that “having walked this road”, has empowered her to want to help and nurture others.

Other speakers during the three days of the conference included Dr Anniekie Ravhudzulo, Educational Consultant: ICLD; Dr Danny Titus, Executive Director: Afrikaanse Taal en Kultuurvereniging (ATKV); and Dr Cheryl de la Rey, CEO: Council on Higher Education (CHE).

L-R Professor Moroka Mogashoa, Black Forum President, Dr Peter Kagwanja, a Director at the HSRC, Dr Danny Titus, Executive Director: ATKV and a conference delegate

Ms Tshepo Khumbane, a development activist, catches up on some reading during the conference