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UFS to launch Africa Reparations Hub

13 July 2023 | Story Valentino Ndaba | Photo Supplied

UFS African Reparation — The University of the Free State Africa Reparations Hub (UFSARH) aims to anchor the African reparations agenda through scholarship and advocacy.

The University of the Free State (UFS) is set to launch an Africa Reparations Hub, which will serve as a hub for Pan-African-led reparations scholarship, policy, and advocacy. The University of the Free State Africa Reparations Hub (UFSARH) will be housed within the UFS Faculty of Law.

“The UFSARH vision is to be an international academic forum to institutionalise, promote and advance the Africa reparations agenda,” says Khanya Motshabi, UFSARH Strategic Lead. “Its mission anchors the Africa reparations agenda through research, scholarship, and advocacy. The hub is underpinned by the values and principles of excellence, ubuntu, social justice, African-centredness, and Pan-African epistemological grounding of all its initiatives, operations, activities, and undertakings.”

As a Pan-African centre, the hub will work at national, regional, and international levels, and resolves to conduct research, offer education, develop policies, and advocate for reparations via a UFSARH Panel of Experts on Africa Reparations. It will have three key facets: a database on Africans for Africa, which will serve as a repository for resources and an information archive; it will serve as home to the expert group on Africa reparations; and anchor a research group on the subject.

Convened by Dr Catherine Namakula, the hub will be established under the auspices of the Faculty of Law and the Department of Public Law, and would be accountable to an advisory board led by Prof Serges Kamga, Dean of the Faculty of Law, and Prof Shaun De Freitas, Head of the Department of Public Law.

Addressing the wrongs of the past

As a home for a repository of all resources on Africa reparations, the UFSARH aims to support the pursuit of justice for historical injustices such as enslavement, apartheid, colonialism, neo-colonialism, and economic exploitation and extortion. In addition, the UFSARH’s contribution to global equality and social justice aligns with the UFS’s Vision 130 strategic plan.

The UFSARH aims to unify and strengthen the fragmented African reparations narrative by serving as a prominent legal, academic, and transdisciplinary forum.

“The hub would also anchor and reinforce the Africa Reparations Agenda of the African Union. It shall bolster the increased awareness and activism of African government, non-government, civil society, and individual actors through grounding relevant political, diplomatic, normative, and academic activities and initiatives,” says Dr Shelton Makore, UFSARH Technical Lead.

News Archive

Meeting between Prof. Jansen and Mr Julius Malema conducted in a positive spirit

2009-10-31

This morning, Thursday, 29 October 2009, the senior leadership of the University of the Free State (UFS) hosted a meeting with the ANC Youth League (ANCYL) as well as SASCO leadership. The delegation was led by Mr Julius Malema, President of the ANCYL.

In a spirit of mutual respect, the two parties outlined their positions on the Reitz matter and the decision of the university management to invite the students back for purposes of learning. President Malema supported the principle of opening the doors of learning but made concrete and useful proposals on how this could be done and, especially, the importance of corrective measures that ensured full integration of the students into the university.

President Malema encouraged the management’s decision to meet with the five workers to hear their representations on a way forward for the university and to address the working conditions of the members of staff.

Both parties agreed that the independent processes led by the Human Rights Commission were critical in building a sense of conciliation and integration for both the workers and the students, and that the university was and should remain a stakeholder in this process.

The delegation also recognised that the university would be continuing its own processes of further consultations, and recommended that the process be opened up to enable all constituencies to bring their own concerns about racial difficulties to an open and safe forum.

“I very much appreciate the positive spirit in which the meeting was conducted, and the clear leadership and constructive proposals offered by President Malema,” said Prof. Jonathan Jansen, Rector and Vice-Chancellor of the UFS.

“It is open and frank discussions like these that will take both the campus and the country forward in addressing the twin imperatives of racial reconciliation and social justice in South Africa,” said Prof. Jansen.

Media release
Issued by: Lacea Loader
Deputy Director: Media Liaison
Tel: 051 401 2584
Cell: 083 645 2454
E-mail: loaderl.stg@ufs.ac.za
29 October 2009

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