23 October 2026
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Story Siqhamo Hlubi Jama
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Photo Supplied
Prof Theo du Plessis, Emeritus Professor of Language Management and Research Fellow at the University of the Free State, has been elected to the Council of the South African Academy for Science and Arts (SA Akademie).
Professor Vasu Reddy, Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research, Innovation and Postgraduate Studies, praised the achievement both personally and professionally: “It is gratifying to see a former professor, who is now a colleague at the University of the Free State, elected to this prestigious position. Prof du Plessis’ election reflects the vital role universities play as custodians of knowledge, advancing research, language, culture, and public engagement for the public good. His representation in this esteemed national body strengthens the university’s contribution to thought leadership on multilingualism, social inclusion, education, and the advancement of science.”
One of four members elected from the Division of Humanities and Arts, Prof Du Plessis brings extensive expertise in language policy and planning, language rights, multilingualism and language-in-education to the national academy’s governing body.
A new chapter for the SA Akademie Council
The 2026 Council election was the first to be held under the SA Akademie’s new Deed of Establishment, adopted on 22 April 2026, and its revised election procedures.
Under the new arrangements, eight Council members are elected: four from the Division of Humanities and Arts and four from the Division of Natural Sciences and Technology. The Chief Executive Officer also serves as a voting member, while the Council may co-opt additional members when specific expertise is required.
To safeguard the integrity, independence and transparency of the election, nominations were submitted directly to the SA Akademie’s external auditor, MVB Audit & Advisory. Eligible members voted electronically in September, after which the auditor received, verified and counted the votes.
Following the announcement of the results, the new Council was constituted, with Prof Marena Manley of Stellenbosch University elected as Chairperson and Prof Tobie van Dyk of North-West University as Deputy Chairperson.
As the SA Akademie’s governing body, the Council is responsible for providing strategic direction and ensuring sound corporate governance. Its term of office runs until the Annual General Meeting in April 2029.
Bringing language expertise to the table
The Council brings together expertise spanning the humanities, arts, natural sciences and technology, with language-related scholarship contributing to this breadth of knowledge.
Prof Van Dyk specialises in applied linguistics, language assessment, multilingualism and digital language resources, including generative artificial intelligence. Prof Laurette Pretorius, Emeritus Professor of Computer Science at the University of South Africa, focuses on natural language processing and the development of resource-scarce languages.
For Prof Du Plessis, whose research examines how language policy translates into practice in education and public life, this combination of expertise creates opportunities to consider language rights, multilingualism and technological developments in relation to one another.
Those who nominated him highlighted his strategic leadership and policy experience. Reflecting on their expectations, he said: “To me, this sounds rather intimidating, and I can only hope to live up to these expectations.”
His commitment to linguistic justice has long informed his academic work. In his 2003 inaugural address, he introduced linguistic justice as the guiding motto of his professorship.
“I therefore hope that, as a member of the newly constituted SA Academy council, I can continue to make a meaningful contribution in the field of linguistic justice,” he said.
Why representation matters
Language influences whether learners can understand what they are taught, whether citizens can access public services and whether knowledge reaches beyond those who already speak the language in which it is communicated. Expertise in language policy, rights and multilingualism is therefore essential to conversations about equitable participation in education and society.
Prof Du Plessis’s election brings this expertise, together with the UFS’s research contribution, into the deliberations of a national academy whose work spans the humanities, arts, natural sciences and technology. His appointment provides an opportunity for language-related questions to inform the Council’s strategic direction over the next three years.
The Council also has a family connection to the UFS. Prof Helena van Coller, Professor of Administrative Law at Rhodes University, was elected from the Division of Humanities and Arts. She is the daughter of the UFS’s
Prof Hennie van Coller.
For the UFS, Prof Du Plessis’s election reflects the value of research-led scholarship that extends beyond the university and contributes to national institutions. It also resonates with the university’s Vision 130 and its commitment to shaping Responsible Societal Futures through knowledge, collaboration and meaningful societal impact.
Over the Council’s term, Prof Du Plessis will bring his experience in language policy and linguistic justice to a national platform where diverse fields of knowledge meet, helping to keep language, society and the right to participate meaningfully in public life part of the conversation.