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17 November 2022 | Story Valentino Ndaba
Dr Catherine Namakula
Dr Catherine S. Namakula, Senior Lecturer of Public Law at the UFS and Chairperson of the UN Human Rights Council's Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent.

During the 77th General Assembly of the United Nations (UN), the plight of children of African descent was a main topic of conversation. The conversation was led by Dr Catherine Namakula, Senior Lecturer of Public Law at the University of the Free State (UFS) and Chairperson of the UN Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent (WGEPAD).

On Monday 31 October 2022, in New York, she presented the group’s yearly report, titled ‘Children of African Descent’ to the third committee of the General Assembly. Dr Namakula urged the UN and other stakeholders to avoid using photos of African children and children of African descent in deplorable situations for fundraising and marketing purposes. She stated that "children of African heritage are not synonymous with poverty".

Some of the issues discussed at the meeting included conflicts of law with regard to children of African descent, their disproportionate criminalisation, the intense policing of their families and homes, the racial conditioning of their education, and the use of images of them in degrading circumstances in UN and other stakeholder messaging for marketing and fundraising.

The Working Group recommended the creation of a racial justice index to assess how well states are performing and making progress in improving the well-being of children of African heritage. South Africa was one of the nations that intervened to affirm the report. Among the countries that affirmed other related issues were Russia, Cameroon, China, and Syria.

Dr Namakula also had private meetings with the leaders of the World Council of Churches, UN Women, UNICEF, and other UN agencies to talk about human rights-based approaches to programming aimed at mainstreaming racial justice in their work.

 

African Commission on Human and People’s Rights

In addition, Dr Namakula headed the WGEPAD team to the 73rd regular meeting of the African Commission on Human and People's Rights. She made a statement at the session that brought attention to the opportunities for and necessity of African civil society participation in the work of the Working Group and the UN anti-racism machinery. She made reference to the 'Declaration on People of African Descent' being drafted, to which they may add African perspectives.

Dr Namakula also called attention to the precarious status of victims of modern forms of enslavement, torture, and exploitation in the Middle East and Gulf States, emphasising the important role of civil society in documenting and publicising the tales of vulnerable victims. She emphasised the need for work on the reparations agenda to start right now in order to document Africa's claims and create the necessary institutional and normative frameworks.

She added that efforts are under way to have the UFS Faculty of Law serve as the academic alliance's anchor for the reparations agenda in Africa.

News Archive

King Letsie III wishes Moshoeshoe project every success
2004-10-14



King Letsie III of Lesotho attaches great importance to the Moshoeshoe project of the University of the Free State (UFS) and wishes it every success.

This was the message of King Letsie III to the audience that attended the première of the documentary on King Moshoeshoe, the founder of the Basotho nation, at the UFS last night ( Wednesday 13 October 2004).

The message was read on his behalf by Lesotho’s Minister of Communications, Science and Technology, Dr Mamphono Khaketla.

Dr Khaketla said that through this important initiative the UFS is sending an important message that the current and future leadership can learn useful lessons from past great leaders such as King Moshoeshoe.

She said the screening of the documentary on King Moshoeshoe was a joyous occasion where the leadership attributes of a great Basotho King, who lived more than two hundred years ago, have been captured on film.

“The initiative which has brought us together, demonstrates the importance which the University of the Free State attaches to leadership, particularly in our southern African region,” she said.

Dignitaries in the audience included the Lesotho Minister for Communications, Science and Technology, Dr Mamphono Khaketla, Queen Mopeli, the MEC for Education, Ouma Tsopo, the MEC for Safety and Liaison, Tate Makgoe, the Director General of the Free State, Dr Khotso de Wee, the Senior Private Secretary to King Letsie III, Mr Mabotse Lerotholi, the Vice-chancellor of the National University of Lesotho, Dr Mothibe, Acting Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Tourism, Environment and Culture, Mr Jobo Molapo, Chairman of the Council of the University of the Free State, Judge Faan Hancke, and Rector and Vice-chancellor of the University of the Free State, Prof. Frederick Fourie.

The documentary on the life and legacy of King Moshoeshoe was commissioned by the UFS as part of its Centenary year. It was produced by journalist Max du Preez and it will be screened on SABC 2 on Thursday 4 November 2004.
 

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