Prof Luvuyo Mthimkhulu Dondolo

Qualifications

Ph.D. in History (Public History, Heritage Studies, Museums, and Social Transformation) from UFH; MA in Public and Visual History, BA Honours, BA. From UWC.

Currently teaching

Decolonisation, Independence, and Social Changes in Modern Africa. 

Field of Specialisation

Public history, heritage and museum studies, South African history, Pan Africanist scholarship, identity and racism, and biographies (and the New African Movement)  

Books

Dondolo L.M. and Morakinyo O, Afrocentric Turn in African Heritage Studies: Epistemology of Alterity, (2020).

Dondolo L.M., One Race: Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe, in press (2022/3).

Deacon H, Dondolo L, Mrubata M & Prosalendis S, The Power of Intangible Heritage: Legal and Financial Instruments for Safeguarding Intangible Heritage, (2004).

Book chapters:

Dondolo L.M, “Racialised Heritage IN Post-Apartheid South Africa: The Paul Kruger Statue in Pretoria”, in Houston G et al. (eds), Paradise Lost: Race and racism in post-apartheid South Africa, (Boston: Brill, 2022).

Dondolo L.M, “Colonial Representation: Complexities of the Nelson Mandela Statue at the Union Buildings Precinct”, in Ndlovu S.M. and Hlongwane A.K. (eds), Public History, Heritage and Culture in South Africa: The Struggle Continues, (Johannesburg: Skotaville, 2021).

Dondolo L.M, “Pan Africanist and Black Consciousness perspectives: Beneath the surface of the Robben Island Museum images”, in Odendaal A et al (eds), Robben Island Rainbow Dreams: The Making of Democratic South Africa’s First National Heritage Institution, (Cape Town: HSRC Press, 2021).

Dondolo L.M, “Elijah Makiwane and Early Black South African Public Intellectualism”, in Brookdryk C (ed), Public Intellectuals in South Africa: Critical Voices from the past, (Johannesburg: Wits University Press, 2021).

Dondolo L.M, “Apartheid Spatial Plan: Heritagisation and Museumification of the past at Vilakazi Street in Soweto”, in Myambo M.T. (ed), Reversing Urban Inequality in Johannesburg, (New York: Routledge, 2019). 

Journal articles

Dondolo L.M, “The Ethiopian Movement: Memory as a Weapon in the Struggle Against Forgetting”, in Bongani Ngqulunga (ed), Journal of Historical Association of South Africa, (in press).

 Dondolo L, “Intangible Heritage: The production of indigenous knowledge in various aspects of social life” in Indilinga: African Journal of Indigenous Knowledge Systems, Vol. 4, No. 1, (Pietermaritzburg, 2005).

 Dondolo L, “Museums and Communities: The Reconstruction of Museums and their Practices in Post- Apartheid South Africa,” in South African Association of Museums, Vol. 31, (Port Alfred, 2005).

 Dondolo L, “Intangible Heritage: A Study of Memory Heritage Sites in Two Cape Town Townships”, South African Association of Museums, Vol. 30, (Port Alfred, (2004).

Paper presentations

Prof Dondolo has presented many papers in national and international platforms. The following are most recent:

Dondolo L.M, 'Politics of Public Spaces and Colonial Architectural Gazes at the University of Fort Hare,' Decoloniality University of Pretoria Conference- Unsettling paradigms, 10-13 July 2019.

Dondolo L, “Can the Subaltern Speak?”: Dialectics of Public Space and Colonial Architectural Gazes with Reference to ‘Freedom Square’ at the University of Fort Hare”, Public history and Archiving Struggle from Below Conference, 7-9 June 2019, History Workshop, Wits University.

Dondolo L, "The meaning of Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe: Representation and Misrepresentation of a man of vision in post-apartheid South Africa," History Association of South Africa Biennial Conference, 20-22 June 2018, Thaba Nchu.

Dondolo L, 'Sobukwe's quest for an African University: The struggle for decolonization and Afrikanisation of Higher Education in South Africa with reference to the University of Fort Hare,' UNISA Decoloniality Conference- Decolonisation and Re-Afrikanisation: A Conversation, 6-8 August 2018.

Dondolo L, “History Matters- African American Heritage at Crossroads: A Study of

President Washington’s House Gaze and the Complexities of Seventh Ward Neighbourhood

Cultural Heritage in Philadelphia," National Association of African American Studies and Affiliates International Conference, 31 July- 2 August 2017, Durban.

Dondolo L, “Pitfalls of Mythological National Consciousness – Anton Lembede in Conversation with Robert Sobukwe: A Silenced and Marginalised Liberation Struggle Connection in South African Historiography, 31 July 2018, Location, University of Fort Hare.

Dondolo L, "Racialised Heritage - Negotiating the Past and Race Politics in Post-Apartheid

South Africa with reference to the Paul Kruger Statue in Church Square, Pretoria," 13 April 2018, Location - University of Johannesburg.

Dondolo L, “Apartheid Spatial Plan: Heritagisation and Museumification of the Past in Soweto”, UJ June 2017, Location -Wits University.

Dondolo L, “The Struggle for Meaning: Reflections on Poqo Insurrections, Truth and Reconciliation, and Memorialisation in Post-Apartheid South Africa”, National Association of African American Studies, 2 019, Location – University of Fort Hare.

Dondolo L, “African American Heritage at Crossroads: A Study of President Washington’s House Gaze and the Complexities of Seventh Ward Neighbourhood Cultural Heritage in Philadelphia”, Black History Month - 2017, Location - Cheyney University.

Dondolo L, “The Cheyney University Legacy: Preserving the Past, Securing the Future," Black History Month -2017, Location - Cheyney University, US.

Dondolo L, "South Africa's Road to Democracy: Politics of Transition and Consolidation of Power in Post-Apartheid Era," (2016), Location- Delaware Country Community College, US

Dondolo L, “Presented a paper entitled “Vernacular Architecture: A Comparative Case Study of Vernacular Architecture Gazes in Transkei and Ciskei” at an ICOM International conference in Mali. (2008).

Professional positions, fellowships & awards

Professional positions: Former Director - Centre for Transdisciplinary Studies (UFH), Senior Curator – Adler Museum of Medicine (Wits University), and Senior Manager: Policy and Research (ADM), Specialist researcher – HSRC, and researcher -District Six Museum.

Fellowships:

2020 Ubuntu Dialogues Seminar Fellow housed by the University of Stellenbosch and Michigan State University.

Fulbright Scholar based at Cheyney University of Pennsylvania (US) for the 2016/17 academic year working on African American heritage scholarship.

Former Rockefeller Scholarship holder and, as such, studied at Emory University in Atlanta, US,

Research grants awards:

Heritage Ubuntu Project funded US Embassy between the University of Fort Hare and Kent State University (US).

The New African Movement Project funded by NIHSS.

 Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe Book Project funded by NIHSS.

Projects

Post-apartheid memorialization and Heritage production research project with a book research output expected in 2023/4.

Pambani Jeremiah Mzimba research Project with a book research output expected 2023/4.

Edited volumes: (1) The New African Movement and (2) The Spatial Plan Justice in South Africa (expected out in 2023).