For 80 years, the University of South Africa's (Unisa) Department of Political Sciences has been part of the intellectual and political journey of South Africa, educating generations of students and contributing to debates that have shaped the country and the continent.

The department marked this milestone at Unisa's Muckleneuk Campus, bringing together current and former academics, students, alumni and colleagues to reflect on its history, achievements and continuing relevance.

As one of Unisa's oldest and largest academic departments, Political Sciences has evolved alongside South Africa's changing political landscape. Its academics have contributed not only through teaching and research, but also through public commentary, electoral processes and broader engagement with society.

College of Human Sciences Executive Dean Prof Zethu Nkosi congratulated the department on reaching the milestone, describing 80 years as a significant achievement and recognising its enduring role in political education.

"Reaching 80 years is no small achievement," she said.

Nkosi highlighted the department's role in educating generations of South Africans through Unisa's distance-learning model. She also commended its academics for taking their expertise beyond the university, particularly through media commentary and participation in electoral processes.

The anniversary also provided an opportunity for former department chairs and academics to reflect on the people and experiences that shaped the discipline at Unisa over the decades.

Among those attending was former department chair Prof Daniel Kriek, now in his 90s, whose association with Unisa stretches back to 1970. He joined the university after spending 13 years as a lecturer at the University of Pretoria and retired from Unisa in 1999.

Reflecting on the department's standing in South Africa, Kriek said: "This department is on the map in South Africa. There is no doubt about it."

He encouraged both academics and students to remain committed to lifelong learning, read widely, engage with international scholarship and build networks beyond their institutions.

"They should not stop being involved, because when you are involved, you get more and more opportunities," he said.

Emeritus Professor Pieter Labuschagne, who served as chair of the department from 2011 to 2015, also reflected on the intellectual relationships and exchanges that shaped his time at Unisa.

He spoke about the lessons he gained from colleagues, particularly those who challenged his thinking and broadened his understanding of political science. His reflections highlighted the importance of intellectual debate, collaboration and collegiality in sustaining an academic discipline over generations.

Labuschagne extended his warmest wishes to the department, expressing hope that it would continue to uphold its tradition of scholarship and excellence in the decades ahead.

While the anniversary offered an opportunity to look back, student representatives brought the focus firmly to the future.

National SRC President Siyathokoza Nkwanyana said the department's next chapter should remain grounded in the experiences and aspirations of its students and the wider society.

He said the 80th anniversary should serve as a reminder that political education cannot be separated from the realities facing young people and their communities.

"As students, we are not only inheriting the legacy of this department; we are also responsible for shaping what the next 80 years will look like. Political education must continue to empower young people to question, analyse and participate meaningfully in the society they are part of."

PODASA Convener Dzunisani Shibanda echoed the call for a department that remains responsive to a rapidly changing political environment.

Shibanda said students should be regarded not simply as recipients of knowledge, but as participants in the development of political thought and society.

"The future of the department of Political Sciences must be one where students are not merely recipients of knowledge, but active contributors to political thought, dialogue, and change. The next 80 years must speak to the realities facing young people today," he said.

The reflections at the anniversary celebration highlighted the depth of the department’s institutional memory, from academics who helped establish and develop its reputation to students who are now preparing to carry its work into the future.

As the Department of Political Sciences enters its ninth decade, its 80-year legacy is therefore more than a record of its past. It lives on in the scholarship it produces, the debates it informs and the generations of students who continue to take its knowledge into wider society.

* By Noxolo Miya, Journalist, Department of Institutional Advancement