This year marks three decades since the death of dynamic activist and founder of the black consciousness movement, Stephen Bantu Biko. In commemoration of this political icon DUT hosted a memorial lecture at Mansfield Hall in September.

The lecture was delivered by academic, feminist and prolific author Professor Pumla Dineo Gqola who has published short stories in various collections and literary journals locally and internationally. In her speech, Gqola fused some of her views with those of Biko’s, proving thereafter the relevance of Biko’s words in post-apartheid society.

“As we approach the end of the second decade of democracy, many students’ chances of making it across various degree programmes are still shaped by where they went to school, what race they are, and which part of the country they come from. Although apartheid is officially over, these inheritances continue to wreak havoc among the citizens of a democracy,” said Gqola.

She emphasized the notion of fully experiencing the range of what freedom means and the difficult task of normalising freedom in a society where an individual is viewed as just a body. “Biko said interiority matters. He said it over and over again He reminded us that only your oppressor will tell you what you think and feel does not matter, that you cannot be trusted to make your own choices,” said Gqola.

She expressed that the current society, where dreaming big is considered something to be apologetic for, must still encourage young minds to look beyond the external.

L-R: Prof Frederick Otieno (Deputy Vice-Chancellor : Technology Transfer and Innovation), Prof Pumla Dineo Gqola (Feminist, Author and Academic at Wits), Sam Moodley (Friend and Comrade of Steve Biko) and Prof Sibusiso Moyo (Acting Director: Research Management and Development).
Photo – Jerry Sylvester

– Naledi Hlefane
– Lisa Mbongwa