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20 February 2023 | Story Gerda-Marié van Rooyen | Photo Supplied
Nthabiseng (JahRose) Jafta, a Publishing Coordinator at the University of the Free State (UFS), recently received the Silver Medal Award and other accolades at the Eurasian Literary Festival held in Egypt. She says writing is a way of life for her and she writes anywhere and anytime.

Nthabiseng (JahRose) Jafta, a Publishing Coordinator at African Languages Press in the Library and Information Services at the University of the Free State (UFS), recently received the Silver Medal Award and other accolades at the Eurasian Literary Festival held in Egypt. Jafta, an MA scholar (Creative Writing) at Rhodes University, describes herself as an international performing poet, artpreneur, teacher, festival curator, content developer, and creative strategist born in the Free State.

Being an introvert, she says her love for writing gives her a voice. “I can echo my thoughts and colour my grey sky,” she explains poetically. She feels writing is as natural to her as breathing. She is comfortable writing anywhere and anytime. “There’s no physical area needed. We type on WhatsApp in the taxi. We catch brainwaves whenever they appear.” Jafta's creative juices seem to be overflowing, as she confessed to even getting an idea while contemplating her love for writing. “Life throws you prompts from all spheres, but you have to be present to recognise its call. And sometimes the piece decides if it wants to be happy, erotic, or sad.”
 
Her literacy cap serves Jafta's career as a publisher and her creative writing when time allows. “I read and write. Publish what I read or write. I also happen to recite, read, and sing what I write. It’s all in alignment.” This Deputy President of the National Writers Association of South Africa and founder of the Poetic Blues Virtual Festival writes in her mother tongue, Sesotho, and English. She also has additional experience in the poetry industry, as she was previously the Curator of the Macufe Poetry Festival. She also attended the International Writing Centre at Beijing Normal University part time. Her poems have also been translated into Mandarin and published in Chinese literary magazines.

Jafta says besides the growing catalogue of more than 40 publications, she also has an upcoming multilingual poetry compilation featuring Spanish, Danish, Mandarin, Arabic, KiSwahili, IsiZulu, and Sesotho translations from English. This poet believes poetry is a gift that feeds lyrics to melodies. “And that song carries us to humanity's highs and lows. Prose is how we navigate that gift daily. They are rainbows on melting clouds, events plants rejoice on their rhythmic drops.”

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‘Many people disagree with me. My life is One Long Debate.’ – Ali A. Mazrui
2014-10-31



Prof Ndlovu-Gatsheni
Photo: Stephen Collet
The Vice-Chancellor and Rector, in conjunction with the Centre for Africa Studies, recently presented a memorial lecture in honour of the work and life of an academic giant, the late Prof Ali A. Mazrui.

Ali Al'amin Mazrui (24 February 1933 – 12 October 2014), was an academic professor and political writer on African and Islamic studies. Hy was born in Mombasa, Kenya and was an Albert Schweitzer Professor in the Humanities, as well as Director of the Institute of Global Cultural Studies at Binghamton University, New York.

The lecture, held on Thursday 30 October 2014 in the Albert Wessels Auditiorium, was presented by Prof Sabelo J. Ndlovu-Gatsheni, Head of the Archie Mafeje Research Institute (AMRI) at UNISA.

His memorial lecture was entitled ‘Ali A Mazrui on the Invention of Africa and Postcolonial Predicaments’.

Prof Ndlovu-Gatsheni has published widely, including more than 47 articles in peer-reviewed journals, 45 chapters in books and 8 books. This includes The Ndebele Nation: Reflections on Hegemony, Memory and Historiography (Amsterdam & Pretoria: Rozenberg Publishers & UNISA Press, 2009), as well as Bondage of Boundaries and Identity Politics in Postcolonial Africa: The ‘Northern Problem’ and Ethno-Futures (Pretoria: Africa Institute of South Africa, 2013).

Prof Sabelo J Ndlovu-Gatsheni speech: ‘Ali A Mazrui on the Invention of Africa and Postcolonial Predicaments’.


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