Unisa online - TMALI should address poverty of the mind

The Thabo Mbeki African Leadership Institute (TMALI) should, alongside its purpose, help set free the intellectual potential of Africa if Africans are to become their own liberators and subjects of their own development.  – Unisa’s Principal and Vice Chancellor, Prof Barney Pityana made this statement at  the three day conference of the Thabo Mbeki African Leadership Institute  (TMALI) in Sandton today (Monday).

He said the intellectual community must not only participate in teaching, research and publishing but also in promoting intellectual exchange and in contributing to social development. “The burden falls on the new elites to build Africa, revitalize her economy and systems of life, and to renew her shattered institutions and humanity. That aspiration of African rebirth can never be realized unless we are ready to begin at the beginning. It must begin with education-with our intellectuals,” he said.

The conference, which follows the launch of Thabo Mbeki Foundation, is attended by high level panel comprising of former Ghanaian President, John Kufuor, Mocambiquean former head of state, Joachim Chissano, former Italian Prime Minister, Romano Prodi, Senegalese politician Prof Abdoulaye Bathily and CEO of Mont Dax Trading, Adv. Christine Qunta.

The event was officially opened by former President, Thabo Mbeki and aims at creating a platform for the exchange of ideas by distinguished though leaders on African advancement and development. During the conference, there will be discussions on topics including Alternative Leadership paradigm for Africa’s advancement, African perspective on Globalization, Pan Africanism and African renaissance and Cultural Dimensions of African Development.

The Thabo Mbeki African Leadership Institute (TMALI), a collaboration between the Thabo Mbeki Foundation and the University of South Africa,  is an African institution which aims to generate new knowledge and ideas about Africa by conducting research, through publications, and by holding seminars and conferences to discuss and promote such knowledge and ideas.