Former Unisa Vice-Chancellor, Prof Barney Pityana, was invited to deliver the Sol Plaatje annual public lecture which took place last week.
Here follows his thoughts which he set out in the public lecture entitled, “A Pariah in the Land of One’s Birth: Sol Plaatje and Reflections on Higher Education in South Africa in the 21st Century”.
Prof Pityana explains that the paper explores aspects of Sol Tshekisho Plaatje’s ouvre especially on Language, Literature, and outlook on justice for the people of South Africa.
“I had begun to think that I would explore as vehemently as I could his campaigns especially on the effects of the Native Lands Act, 1913 but decided against that on account of that being a subject on its own.”
The paper uses Plaatje as a handle on which to hang some thoughts on intellectual life in South Africa and the role of the higher education system as we have received it.
“I propose to “think aloud” about possible reform of the higher education system in our times. In this work, no doubt, I have been assisted by the work of Brain Willan on Sol Plaatje whom I acknowledge with gratitude.”
Download your electronic copy of the lecture transcript.