Unisa online - CLAW Lekgotla on curriculum transformation

With the issues of ubuntu, humanisation of law and epistemology as its bedrock, the College of Law (CLAW) held a two day lekgotla where it discussed curriculum transformation in its efforts to create a more Afro-centric curriculum.

(left to right) Prof Nqosa Mahao, CLAW Executive Dean, Andries Nel, Deputy Minister for the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development, and Prof Mandla Makhanya, Principal and Vice-Chancellor

CLAW Executive Dean, Prof Nqosa Mahao, said that, along with examining Unisa’s transformation charter and policy, the lekgotla was also held to consult and tap into the views of people responsible for the training of those in the law and criminal justice system. The forum took into consideration the post-liberation challenges for education faced by the college and the subsequent views expressed were taken ‘very seriously’ according to Mahao.

Principal and Vice-Chancellor Prof Mandla Makhanya said the college’s lekgotla for curriculum transformation was part of Unisa’s journey in becoming a truly African university. He said it was imperative that the university – and higher education in general – not be held hostage by forces that have hindered our cultural and national development. He also said Unisa was committed to re-writing and re-imagining curriculum and course content to be more Afro-centric.

Prof Makhanya continued by saying that the legal fraternity needs to have a clear understanding of its role in society, and said that Unisa was deeply committed to ensuring that graduates exercise their knowledge for the good of society.

Prof Rushiela Songca, Deputy Executive Dean College of Law, facilitated the afternoon session of day one

Minister of Higher Education Blade Nzimande said: “In our curricula lies the very identity of our society. If we, therefore, want to change our society, address inequalities and develop ourselves into a just and healthy society, we need to change the very content of the vehicle through which we teach and develop our young people.”

He said any social development lies embedded in curriculum transformation. “We do, however, need to be cautious. Change for the purpose, or sake, of change itself does not imply improvement, so our change must be informed by what we seek to achieve, and guided by our overall transformation goals,” said Nzimande.

Nzimande also spoke about the strains being placed on South Africa’s labour market due to technological changes and a skills shortage, and highlighted the importance for higher education to produce graduates with skills. He said, “We are grappling with a high number of unemployed graduates in South Africa – many of whom have an LLB.”

Nzimande placed emphasis on the training of legal providers, not just for the labour force, but for their broader roles in society, and said that the type of law graduate emanating from South African and African universities should be broad thinking, critical, engaging and exposed to many ideas, “so that we ourselves can become producers of knowledge”.  Nzimande agreed that the country has to be competitive globally, but also had to respond effectively to the challenges we as South Africans and Africans face.

When Deputy Minister for the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development Andries Nel began his presentation, he suggested that the lekgotla be renamed the ‘Victoria Mxenge Lekgotla’, in honour of the South African anti-apartheid activist who trained as a nurse but became a practising lawyer after working at her husband’s legal firm. She was assassinated in 1985 shortly before the Pietermaritzburg Treason Trial against the UDF and Natal Indian Congress as she was a part of the defence team.

Nel said the discourse at the lekgotla would make a significant contribution to transformation of the South African legal system and other matters of justice. He presented a list of domestic challenges for curriculum transformation to engage in:

• Discourse and ideological engagement of the South African constitution
• The field of economy and the training of lawyers to participate in the economy and engage with it against the backdrop of the constitution
• Engage with the seven-point plan that emanated from the review of the criminal justice system
• Encourage law students to participate in the various law institutes in South Africa such as the South African Judicial Education Institute and the South African Law Reform Commission
• Lawyers need to be trained to defend the constitution
• Lawyers need to be trained to be a part of building a developmental democratic state
• Lawyers need to engage with government and its priorities as well as its legislative programme

The College of Law’s statement of curriculum and institutional transformation was also unveiled through various discussions on ubuntu, humanising law and epistemology.  There were also discussions on brainstorming tentative core law programmes and brainstorming tentative transformation pilot modules.