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Honouring Moshoeshoe I’s decolonial philosophy

01 April 2021 | Story Rulanzen Martin | Photo Supplied

Dr Mushonga_web read more — Dr Munyaradzi Mushonga drew from Moshoeshoe I’s decolonial philosophy in his virtual lecture hosted by Institute of Peace and Leadership at the National University of Lesotho.

King Moshoeshoe I was a decolonial philosopher-king well before the decolonisation of the 20th century and the current insurgent and resurgent decolonial turn gained momentum. This was the overarching message of Dr Munyaradzi Mushonga, who delivered the annual Moshoeshoe I Memorial lecture. The lecture, hosted by the Moshoeshoe I Institute of Peace and Leadership at the National University of Lesotho, took place virtually on Wednesday 17 March 2021.

Dr Mushonga, Senior Lecturer and Progamme Director of Africa Studies in the Centre for Gender and Africa Studies (CGAS) at the University of the Free State, says his lecture titled, In living memory of Moshoeshoe I: The decolonial philosopher-king of love, peace, co-existence and pluriversal humanism, was about how wisdom, knowledge, love, peace, ethics of living together, and pluriversal humanism were all merged into alliance in the one person of King Moshoeshoe.

Moshoehoeism a prequel for modern decolonialism

Being an African Studies scholar, Dr Mushonga implored modern scholars to appreciate ‘Moshoehoeism’ and said that such lectures provide the opportunity to relive the past and honour prominent individuals such as King Moshoeshoe I.

Moshoehoeism is a philosophy that is dedicated to liberating Frantz Fanon’s ‘the wretched of the earth’. It is important that Moshoehoeism is used by African Studies scholars for the “purposes of re-humanising, remembering, and re-educating previously de-humanised, dis-membered and mis-educated sons and daughters of the earth.”

Dr Mushongha says that King Moshoeshoe I was always seeking true understanding (knowledge) – to seek true knowledge is to have a decolonial mind and consciousness. “He saved his kingdom from extinction through a paradigm of knowledge; a paradigm that informed him that it was time to make concessions on sovereignty in order to save the nation and nationhood.”

“To have the wisdom, knowledge, and courage to love and make peace under social and political conditions that did not permit love and peace is to be truly decolonial,” said Dr Mushongha.

▶WATCH: YouTube recording of Moshoeshoe I Memorial Lecture

Note to viewers: the order of the recordings is as follows:

1. Preamble

2. Part 1

3. Part 2a

4. Part 2b

5. Part 3 and 4

News Archive

Judgement in the Supreme Court of Appeal about UFS Language Policy

2016-11-17

The University of the Free State (UFS) is pleased with the judgment handed down in the Supreme Court of Appeal this morning, relating to the university’s appeal against the implementation order granted on 12 September 2016 by the Full Bench of the Free State High Court. The implementation order barred the UFS from implementing its new Language Policy in 2017, pending the outcome of the appeal of the review application.

The Supreme Court of Appeal held that the application brought by AfriForum and Solidarity failed on a legal and factual level, and was misconceived. The court accordingly upheld the appeal by the UFS against the implementation order, setting aside the order, and directing that AfriForum and Solidarity pay the legal costs of the UFS in respect of both the High Court and Supreme Court of Appeal proceedings pertaining to implementation.

The effect of today’s judgment is that the UFS may proceed to implement the new Language Policy in its pilot programme next year, pending the appeal of the review application which will only be heard early in 2017.

In March 2016, the Senate and then Council adopted with overwhelming majority a new Language Policy that strives to achieve multilingualism. The new policy entails English as primary medium of instruction, but with the introduction of a tutorial system in Afrikaans and progressively in Sesotho to support students’ learning in their first and second year of study.

The policy will be piloted in 2017 with first-year students in three faculties: Law, Health Sciences, and the Humanities. In these faculties, the majority of students indicated their preference to be taught in English. The Afrikaans-English policy will be maintained in the rest of the faculties in 2017 and phased out according to an implementation plan as from 2018.

Current registered students will be able to complete their studies in the language they selected upon registration.

Released by:
Lacea Loader (Director: Communication and Brand Management)
Telephone: +27 51 401 2584 | +27 83 645 2454
Email: news@ufs.ac.za | loaderl@ufs.ac.za
Fax: +27 51 444 6393

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