African Languages Colloquium Hailed as a Success

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The Teaching and Learning Unit within the College of Humanities recently held its African Languages Colloquium over two days at the UNITE Building at UKZN.

The theme was:"African Languages in South Africa’s Dispensation of Freedom and Democracy".  Deputy Vice Chancellor and Head of the College of Humanities, Professor Cheryl Potgieter pointed out that the College management committee declared the College as the home of African languages and the Colloquium was thus the family talking to a wide community.

‘This Colloquium comes at a time when the University has taken the bold step of introducing isiZulu as a compulsory course for first-year students in 2014. This step contributes to implementing our Transformation Charter,’ said Potgieter.

‘The Colloquium deepens UKZN’s vision to be the Premier University of African Scholarship and its mission of being a truly South African university that is academically excellent, innovative in research, critically engaged with society and demographically representative, redressing the disadvantages, inequities and imbalances of the past.’ 

The Colloquium also formed part of implementing the Charter for Humanities and Social Sciences, according to a report commissioned by the Minister of Higher Education and Training, Dr Blade Nzimande. 

The Charter seeks to revitalise Higher Education by strengthening the humanities and social sciences in South African universities.

Two well-known African Language activists, the Executive Secretary of the African Academy of Languages (ACALAN), Professor Sozinho Matsinhe, and the Director of the Institute of Kiswahili Studies, Dr Aldrin Mutembei, both delivered the keynote addresses at the colloquium.

Their topics looked at African Languages and the Struggles for Democracy in Africa and African Languages as a Gateway to Development.  

-           Melissa Mungroo