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Planting seeds of hope – Dr Busi Ntsele’s journey of building a just society

11 December 2024 | Story Leonie Bolleurs | Photo Supplied

Dr Busisiwe Ntsele, a first-generation interdisciplinary scholar with a rich background in law, sociology, and human rights, returned to South Africa this year after completing a joint PhD degree between the University of the Free State (UFS) and Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VUA) in the Netherlands. Her mission is clear: to plant seeds of hope and drive transformative change in her community.

“My purpose is to share transformative narratives of change by spreading pockets of hope for young black girls who are often perceived to be at the bottom of the barrel in any given society,” says Dr Ntsele.

Her encounter with gender-based violence and involvement in advocacy and mobilisation of communities to stop gender-based violence sparked her passion for human rights and social justice.

Recognised for her contributions to building a just society, Dr Ntsele was awarded the prestigious Desmond Tutu Fellowship by the National Research Foundation, which supported her in pursuing this dual-degree opportunity. The title of her PhD thesis is A Critical Study of Community Engagement at a South African University.

Walking across the stage on Monday 9 December 2024 to receive her PhD during the UFS December Graduation Ceremonies on the Bloemfontein Campus marked the second time Dr Ntsele has celebrated this achievement in 2024. Earlier this year, in June, she defended her PhD in Amsterdam. In addition to her PhD, she holds a Bachelor of Arts in Law (UNESWA), a BA Honours in Industrial Sociology (UJ), and an MA in International Human Rights Law (Wits).

A double-barrel PhD

Speaking about her PhD, Dr Ntsele says the focus of her work was to critically study community engagement in South African universities using the UFS as a case study. “This case study equips us to understand community engagement (CE) and engaged scholarship (ES) within South Africa's higher education context,” she adds.

Her research explored how CE aligns with the UFS vision of supporting social justice, while addressing its broader role in post-apartheid South Africa. Through document analysis, interviews, and observations, she investigated the experiences of community members, students, staff, and policy makers involved in CE programmes.

Completing a joint PhD with four supervisors across two institutions not only exposed her to different skills, experiences, and varying personalities, but also offered a range of benefits. “In my case, it provided access to diverse expertise, research facilities, and methodologies, enriching the academic experience and strengthening innovative, interdisciplinary thinking.” The collaboration expanded her professional networks and connected her with global academic communities.

“As a first-generation student, I was never confident about my capabilities, but such exposure to varied academic systems and cultural perspectives improved my adaptability,” she explained.

“For the first time I saw myself as black, and I was not ashamed of my blackness. Instead, I was determined to put my community on the map by telling stories of hope. This hope inspired me to showcase the rich narratives of communities, highlighting how co-creating solutions alongside them can lead to epistemic justice, decolonisation, and the breaking down of knowledge hierarchy,” she reflects.

Decolonising education

Central to her study is the Meraka community, which beautifully tells the story of students, teachers, and community members who came together to build an indigenous cultural village using traditional methods combined with academic and scientific knowledge. “Meraka is not just a construction project; it’s about building relationships and valuing humility. The Meraka project is a typical example of how we can decolonise education by centring indigenous knowledge and supporting it with scientific research and lived experiences of the community,” she notes.

“By hearing the voices of the people in the community and treating them as equal contributors, my study contributed to an understanding of CE and its potential for co-creative and socially just outcomes in a rapidly evolving South African higher education context,” she states.

In the future, Dr Ntsele plans to pursue postdoctoral research, publish her findings, and advocate for the importance of integrating different forms of knowledge. Her goal is to educate graduates on the value of conducting research that addresses community needs with the community and by the community, emphasising the mutual benefits of such collaborative efforts.

Engaging with communities from start to finish of the project, Dr Ntsele found that universities must recognise the critical role academics play in addressing the invisible power dynamics that hinder engaged scholarship from reaching its full potential. “If universities are to break down institutional cultures, they need to confront normalised power structures and embrace partnerships that are mutually beneficial. They must also start treating communities as equal partners who have their own voice, rather than as blank slates or vulnerable groups in need of empowerment,” says Dr Ntsele.

Also read and listen

Click to view document Meraka Blog

Click to view document Narratives of Change Podcast

Click to view document Common Good Digital story

News Archive

UFS Winter Graduation Ceremony

2012-06-18

UFS awards record number of master’s degrees and doctorates

The University of the Free State (UFS) celebrated an increase in postgraduate successes with a record number of master’s degrees and doctorates that were awarded during the winter graduation ceremony at the Bloemfontein campus on Thursday 14 June 2012.

A total of 481 master’s degrees and 82 doctorates were awarded in two ceremonies in the Callie Human Centre on the Bloemfontein Campus. This is the most postgraduate qualifications to be awarded at a single graduation ceremony.

DiMTEC has reason to celebrate

Dr Andries Jordaan (second from right) with some of the people who received their master's degrees. From the left are Kehinde Balogun, the couple Olive Chisola-Darris en Clement West Darris, and the couple Everson Ndlovu en Patience Sibongile Ndlovu.
Photo: Leatitia Pienaar
18 June 2012

DiMTEC had reason to celebrate at the winter graduation ceremony. The Disaster Management Training and Education Centre for Africa delivered a healthy crop of 32 master’s degrees and one doctorate.

This was the most master’s degrees that the centre has been awarded at one opportunity. The doctorate, however, was not at DiMTEC – Andries Jordaan, the director of the centre, obtained his Ph.D. in Agricultural Economy.

It was also the first time that two couples received their master’s degrees at the centre at the same time.

Speaking at the event, Dr Jordaan said former students of the centre were using their expertise worldwide. Some of them are in senior positions at the United Nations, in African countries, Afghanistan, and elsewhere. DiMTEC’s students hail from 17 African countries, including French-speaking countries.

“I am proud that we have a footprint right across Africa,” he said.

Three travel all the way from Europe for their MBAs

Smiles on an important day. From the left are: Kasina Baker, Friederike Hackelberg, and Johanna Kössler and her parents and sister.
Photo: Stephen Collett
18 June 2012

No distance, time or money could prevent three MBA graduates from Europe from attending the winter graduation ceremony in Bloemfontein. Two of them were exchange students who were so captivated by the university and the country that they undertook their MBA studies at the Business School.

Friederike Hackelberg of Bremen, Germany, was an exchange student in 2008 and extended her stay to do an MBA. Johanna Kössler of Bolzano, Italy, was also an exchange student who succumbed to the charms of the UFS and South Africa. She brought her parents, George and Nannie, and her sister, Magdalena, with her to attend the graduation ceremony.

Kasina Baker of Warsaw, Poland, began her studies while her husband was working in Kenya. She wanted to study at a quality institution and thus chose the UFS's Business School.

Jessica gets three prestigious medals

Jessica Potgieter (right) was the first student in almost three decades to receive three prestigious medals at the Winter Graduation Ceremony. She received the Dean's medal as best Master's student in the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, the Senate Medal as best Master's student at the university and the Award for Scientific Achievement by the South African Association for the Advancement of Science. She is seen here with her mother, Mrs Ilse van Rhyn, and Dr Khotso Mokhele, Chancellor.
Photo: Johan Roux
18 June 2012

Three daughters, three degrees for proud Kovsie mom

Liezel Alsemgeest and Adri Kotzé.
Photo: Leonie Bolleurs
18 June 2012

Adri Kotzé, Faculty Manager in the Faculty of Law, is a very proud parent. In the course of one year, all three her daughters will receive degrees from the University of the Free State (UFS). First in line is the eldest, who received her Ph.D. in Business Management at the Winter Graduation Ceremony.

Liezel is a lecturer in the Department of Business Management at the UFS, where she lectures, publishes and hopes to further her research in finance. “I enjoy working at the university because you have the freedom to do your own thing and focus on whatever you like,” she says.

The title of Liezel’s thesis is Customers’ perception of business units within an agricultural business in South Africa. Her focus is on the subjects of customer satisfaction and financial management, with a specific focus on the management of agricultural businesses.

Middle sister Corné will be graduating with a master’s degree in Occupational Therapy in December, while the youngest, Adéle, will receive her B.A. in Media Studies and Journalism at the Autumn Graduation Ceremony in 2013.

“I am very proud of all three my daughters,” says Adri.

Sasolburg minister receives Dean's Medal for best master's degree in Theology

Rev. Frans Redelinghuys.
18 June 2012

Rev. Frans Redelinghuys of the Reformed Church in Sasolburg received his master’s degree in Theology at the University of the Free State’s Winter Graduation Ceremony. Rev. Redelinghuys was also awarded the Dean’s Medal as the best master’s degree student in the Faculty of Theology.

The focus of his dissertation is Spirituality. “My lecturers are all people who practice what they preach and they have shared their knowledge with me.,” he says.

“My studies also contributed to my personal development,” says Rev. Redelinghuys.

Student from the Netherlands receives degree at UFS Winter Graduation Ceremony

Deborah Van den Bosch-Heij.
Photo: Leonie Bolleurs
18 June 2012

Deborah Van den Bosch-Heij from the Netherlands was awarded a Ph.D. at the Winter Graduation Ceremony by the Faculty of Theology of the University of the Free State (UFS). Her thesis, Spirit and healing in Africa: A reformed pneumatological perspective, is an interdisciplinary investigation of the relationship between the Holy Spirit and healing in Southern Africa. The research addresses the need for a reviewed and contextually reformed approached to healing.

Deborah started her career as a minister at the Valkenburg Congregation of the Protestant Church in the Netherlands in 2001. She was appointed by the missionary department of her church to lecture at the Justo Mwale Theological University College in Lusaka, Zambia in 2005. It was here that she decided on the topic of her thesis. Prof. Rian Venter from the Department of Systematic Theology at the UFS, who is also involved at the Justo Mwale College, is Deborah’s promoter and assisted her in her studies whilst she was in the Netherlands. It was also Prof. Venter who made Deborah aware of the importance of interdisciplinary research.

Well-known judge's granddaughter receives degree

Judge Joos Hefer and Annelie de Man.
Photo: Leonie Bolleurs

Annelie de Man, a law researcher at the Supreme Court of Appeal in Bloemfontein received her master’s degree at the Winter Graduation Ceremony of the University of the Free State (UFS). She is Judge Joos Hefer’s granddaughter. Annelie was also awarded the Dean’s Medal as the best master’s degree student in the Faculty of Law.

“Today is one of the biggest highlights in my career,” says Annelie, who received exposure to the field of law from a young age.

In September, she will be leaving for Italy to study for a master’s degree in European Human Rights at the European Inter University.

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