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Dr Maramura
Dr Tafadzwa Maramura says she carved her path by remaining focused and resolute on her journey.

The African proverb ‘it takes a village to raise a child’ conveys the message that it requires many people to provide a safe and healthy environment for children. The village gives the child the security needed to develop and be able to realise their hopes and dreams. 

Dr Tafadzwa Maramura believes that the same applies vice versa. “It takes a good child to be raised by a village. You need to understand that the village can only do so much, the rest lies on your shoulders as the child,” she says.

The journey of a child raised by a village
The senior lecturer reflects on the journey that led her to serve in the Department of Public Administration and Management at the University of the Free State. At the age of three, she lost her father, who was an army general in Zimbabwe. Soon after, her academic journey would begin at a boarding school. Her widowed mother then moved her to a mission school due to financial constraints, seeing that she had two more children relying on her for survival. Since her father served in the government, she qualified for a state scholarship, which saw her launch her academic career in South Africa as an undergraduate student. 

“I came to South Africa in 2010 and pursued a Bachelor of Social Science degree in Development Economics at the University of Fort Hare. Once my honours were conferred, I acquired my master’s within a year. Thereafter, I enrolled at the North-West University, where I completed my PhD within two years.”

Dr Maramura was the Vice-Chancellor’s valedictorian for her bachelor, honours, and 
master’s degrees. Graduating cum laude was another way of ensuring that she pays it forward to the village that raised her. Not only was she funded by the Zimbabwean government, but she also received financial aid from South Africa throughout her studies. 

Once a child, now part of the village 
Today, as founder of a foundation based in Zimbabwe, she pays the fees of orphaned and disadvantaged primary school learners. “I wish everyone could adopt a child, pay their fees, buy their schoolbooks – because we only have each other, we do not have anyone else. That’s also part of what I call co-creating.”

The Brightest Young Minds in Africa alumna goes above and beyond focusing on academics, as she believes that “if you are the only one holding the light, everyone else will have to follow behind you to make sure that they can see ahead. However, if you share that light, then it means many more can see, therefore making it easier to solve societal challenges as a collective”.

She argues that the amount of money you spend on lunch could pay a child’s school fees for a term, and the cash that you use to buy a jacket or a pair of shoes, could cover a child’s fees for a month.
Making a difference in the lives of young children is her way of playing the role of the village now that she is an adult. “I make sure that wherever I am, I make an impact in the lives of others.”

Dr Maramura says she plans to make sure that life is better for the next young African female, by setting up a mentorship programme for the next generation of leaders. In addition to that, her goal is to become an associate professor, rise in academic rank, and develop a research unit that can speak to issues of sustainable service delivery.

On how to be a good child 
You do not need to be a figure of authority to make an impact. According to Dr Maramura, all you need is a desire to co-create, and making sure that the public is in a different place after you have left the relevant office you hold or the organisation you serve. “Make sure that you can co-exist, because humans don’t live in a vacuum, we exist among each other.”

Serving the people makes all the difference. She suggests that everyone asks themselves what they are doing for their community, class, or family. 

News Archive

Reconciliation ceremony brings a closure to the Reitz incident
2011-02-08

The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) and the University of the Free State (UFS)
are pleased to announce the successful conclusion of the Equality Court complaint against the four
former UFS students for their recording and dissemination of a video which demeaned and
humiliated five university workers in 2007.

The closure of the complaint culminated tonight in a moving reconciliation ceremony held on the
Main Campus of the UFS in Bloemfontein. The key event of the evening included the reading of
messages of apology from Prof. Teuns Verschoor, Vice-Rector, on behalf of the institution, and Mr
Danie Grobler, on behalf of the former students; and a message of acceptance of the apologies
from Ms Emmah Koko on behalf of the workers.

Deputy Chairperson of the SAHRC Commissioner, Pregs Govender, said of this historic event:
“The courage and compassion shown by the workers together with the students’ willingness to
embrace the spirit of change have enabled a process of justice, transformation and reconciliation
that is an inspiring example for South Africa. The process, led by Prof. Jonathan Jansen, Vice-
Chancellor and Rector of the UFS, whose term began just after this incident, has laid a significant
foundation for the future. It is significant, not just for this university, but for all educational
institutions, including schools.”

“The ceremony of apology, forgiveness, and reconciliation represents a historic event – not only for
our campus, but also for the country. It lays the groundwork for building a new university culture and
climate. “Reitz” hurt all of us, and we can finally close the book on the past and rebuild our
institution to be a truly non-racial university where we respect each other, first and foremost, for our
common humanity,” said Prof. Jansen.

Messages from among others former President Nelson Mandela, Archbishop Emeritus Desmond
Tutu, and the Presidency, were also read.

The day started off with a seminar on reconciliation, hosted by the SAHRC, UFS and the Mangaung
Local Municipality. Former Chief Justice Pius Langa was the keynote speaker at this event. Other
participants in the seminar included Mr Lawrence Mushwana, Chairperson of the SAHRC; Mr Wally
Serote from the Freedom Park; and Mr John Samuel, Director of the International Institute for
Studies in Race, Reconciliation and Social Justice at the UFS.


Media Release
25 February 2011
Issued by: Lacea Loader
Director: Strategic Communication
Tel: 051 401 2584
Cell: 083 645 2454
E-mail: news@ufs.ac.za

 

 

 

 

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