Umkhonto we Sizwe poet and award-winning anthologist Professor Makhosazana Xaba was on Wednesday conferred a Doctor of Laws honorary degree by Rhodes University.
Xaba was honoured during the university’s first physical graduation in two years.
An associate professor of practice in the faculty of humanities at the university of Johannesburg, Xaba wears various caps.
She has worked with national and international NGOs and media organisations in the areas of women’s rights, gender and anti-bias training and violence against LGBTQI+ communities.
Rhodes University vice-chancellor Professor Sizwe Mabizela thanked Xaba for serving SA with courage, unquestionable conviction and unyielding devotion.
“Our nation owes her an enormous debt of gratitude and appreciation for all the sacrifices she has made throughout her life by serving the poor and downtrodden and by restoring their faith in the goodness of humanity,” Mabizela said.
“We celebrate her long and sustained contribution as a dedicated and committed activist for a free, democratic, nonracial, non-sexist and prosperous SA.
“Her love and passion for SA and its people forced her to sacrifice her youth and join the liberation struggle and its military wing and Radio Freedom.”
The Greytown-born midwife and psychiatric nurse has authored four collections of poetry.
Receiving the award on Wednesday, Xaba reflected on the 1983 Ongoye Massacre where four University of Zululand students were killed during a clash with hundreds of IFP supporters.
Xaba was part of a crisis committee that was elected after the tragedy.
“The University of Zululand closed down formally soon after that Saturday.
“We returned in 1984. That year the university set up a commission of inquiry into the deaths.
“Some of us, the students, were called to testify in front of the committee.
“After the commission of inquiry submitted its report, all seven of us who were elected into the crisis committee on that Saturday were expelled.
“So, 2½ years into my degree, I was told to leave,” Xaba said.
Xaba posed questions to Wednesday’s graduates challenging them to research and question past events such as the Ongoye Massacre, which left several questions unanswered.
Among several questions she raised, Xaba asked why the four students who were killed during the clash were not named in the report submitted by the commission of inquiry about the massacre.
PLEASE NOTE: In an earlier version of this article we referred to Makhosazana Xaba as an anthropologist, as per the press release sent out by Rhodes University. She is in fact an anthologist. We also referred to Xaba as a poet, which she has since pointed out is not correct. We apologise for the mistake.
HeraldLIVE
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.