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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

Guest lecture: Mr Pretorius, CEO of McCarthy Limited

2004-11-05

The challenges facing business leaders in a rapidly changing South Africa

“The world we used to know does not exist anymore. Leaders are continually dealing with crisis and opportunities, in a high-pressure environment,” said Mr Brand Pretorius, honorary professor from the University of the Free State , delivering his 13th guest lecture on the challenges facing business leaders in a rapidly changing South Africa .

Mr Pretorius, CEO of McCarthy Limited, identified certain trends which are responsible for changes to the South African business environment. He said the South African business environment is ever-changing, fast moving, complex and unpredictable. “As business people we have to deal with the impact,” he said.

“Years ago we were globally isolated. Now we live in a shrinking borderless world with crumbling trade barriers. Globilisation of our economy is accelerating. For South African business leaders this creates a sea of export opportunities,” he said.

Although there are ongoing demands for substantial profit growth from shareholders, the days of focussing only on their interests are gone, said Mr Pretorius. Stakeholder commitment now enjoys high priority and business leaders have to deal with the challenges accompanying black economic empowerment and employment equity.

Customers are also well-informed and demanding. Business leaders could easily loose the loyalty of their customers because of a hyper-competitive environment with an oversupply of goods and services.

Mr Pretorius stated that staff want to be involved and are looking for meaning in their workplace. Employers also have to deal with HIV/Aids in their workplaces. Trauma, absenteeism and financial implications could have a great effect on the viability of a business.

Against these changes Mr Pretorius pointed out the challenges business leaders are facing. In doing so a number of questions arise. The external business climate is characterised by turbulence and change. Internally there is a need for stability and meaning. How do we handle both challenges effectively?

Because of changes strategy decay is taking place and past strategies become irrelevant. Mr Pretorius said that business leaders need to modify their business models to prevent the downfall of their companies.

It is important for leaders to know what is happening in their world. “Continuous innovation is a critical success factor. The reality is that innovation is the only insurance against irrelevance,” he said.

Because of a changed environment leaders must perform and transform, simultaneously. How do we strike a balance between focused transformation and the achievement of world class performance, asked Mr Pretorius? “We need to bring about meaningful and sustainable empowerment, in order to create an inclusive economy and society. Leadership and management profiles should reflect the diversity of our teams, however at the same time every effort should be made to stop the brain drain and retain the expertise of experienced white managers.”

He also stated that leaders have an important role to play in terms of employment creation and corporate caring. “Sustainable stability and prosperity will not materialise without efforts in this regard.”

Mr Pretorius said that above challenges could be addressed by developing the ability to focus on creating a better future, rather than defending the past, a long-term vision, facing new realities, enhancing the value of brands and mobilising IT and the Internet to serve the business and customers better.

Retaining a positive vision of the future, embracing change and transformation, building your business according to the right principles and values and aspiring to be the best are some of the guidelines, according to Mr Brand, for future business success. He stated that creating a value advantage above one’s competitors, customer satisfaction and retention and inspirational leadership will add to the success of one’s business.

“We are indeed living in the era of the ultimate challenges, but also the ultimate opportunities. Let me clearly state that I have hope – in my view the tide has turned. Every day I experience small miracles inspired by ordinary people making an extraordinary difference,” said Mr Pretorius.

Media release
Issued by: Lacea Loader
Media Representative
Tel: (051) 401-2584
Cell: 083 645 2454
E-mail: loaderl.stg@mail.uovs.ac.za
5 November 2004

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