Sol Plaatje University (SPU) is encouraging students to read Mhudi, the landmark novel by its namesake, Solomon Tshekisho Plaatje, as part of its commitment to promoting reading for academic and personal success.
The University will mark International Literacy Day on Tuesday, 8 September 2026, with the Vice-Chancellor’s Reading for Life Initiative, Readers Become Leaders: Promoting Literacy for Academic and Personal Success. The initiative promotes reading for life success, not just student success; encourages SPU students to read Mhudi; and promotes reading as a means of broadening general knowledge.
Before He Was a Leader, He Was a Reader
The event forms part of the University’s preparations to mark 150 years since the birth of Solomon Tshekisho Plaatje in October. It connects International Literacy Day with the legacy of a man whose life demonstrated the power of reading, learning and knowledge in service of others.
Although Plaatje’s formal schooling ended at Standard III, he continued his education through reading and self-study. He became a well-read journalist and leading Setswana scholar, spoke at least eight languages, translated Shakespeare into Setswana, edited newspapers and wrote Native Life in South Africa. What he learnt, he turned outward into service.
Reading Mhudi, Meeting Our Namesake
Mhudi was the first full-length novel written in English by a Black South African. Its connection to SPU is reflected in the residences Tauana, Umnandi, Hannetjie and Moroka, which are named after characters in the novel.
Reading Mhudi invites students to encounter the work of the person whose name their University carries and to understand the stories and legacy represented by these familiar names.
A Programme Shaped by Reading
The one-hour programme will open with a welcome by Professor José Frantz, Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research, Innovation and Postgraduate Studies, followed by an address on the purpose of the initiative by Professor Debra Meyer, Vice-Chancellor and Principal.
Mr Sabata Mokae, Senior Lecturer: Creative Writing, will present Sol Plaatje: The Reader Behind the Leader. Ms Sizakhele Mokhele, Lecturer: Creative Writing, will reflect on reading that changed her life, while Mr Macduff Mpho Valashiya, Student Reading Club Leader, will discuss how readers can become future leaders.
Students were invited to submit one-minute videos explaining how reading has changed their lives. Selected reflections will be presented before the winners are announced and receive book awards. Entries will be judged by Ms Mokhele and Dr Jakobus Bezuidenhout, Lecturer: History.
Event Details
The event will take place on Tuesday, 8 September 2026, from 12:30 to 13:30, and will also be streamed live on the SPU Library Facebook page and the official SPU YouTube channel.
Carrying His Legacy Forward
As the University prepares to mark 150 years since Plaatje’s birth, making his book part of student life honours his contribution and renews his belief in reading as a source of knowledge, identity, leadership and service. Through reading Mhudi, students engage with his words and allow them to shape the way they think, learn and contribute to society. Through reading, we carry his legacy forward.
