Latest News Archive

Please select Category, Year, and then Month to display items
Previous Archive
17 May 2024 | Story Valentino Ndaba | Photo iStock
Africa Reparation Hub Launch 2024
Join us as we unite to confront the challenges of our past and pave the way for a more just and equitable future for all Africans.

The Department of Public Law at the University of the Free State’s (UFS) Faculty of Law is proud to announce the launch of the UFS Africa Reparation Hub alongside a colloquium centred around the theme Unifying Africa for Action to Advance Reparatory Justice.

Date: 6 June 2024

Time: 11:00-16:00

Venue : Microsoft Teams; join the event here

Click to view documentClick here to RSVP and here for more information and speakers.

The pursuit of reparations for historical and contemporary injustices in Africa has gathered significant momentum. From the adoption of the African Union resolution advocating a united front to the push for reparations of past atrocities, the continent is asserting its demand for justice. This drive traces its roots back to historical landmarks like the Abuja Proclamation of 1993 and the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action in 2001.

Launch of the hub

Aligned with the UFS Vision 130, the university has established the UFS Africa Reparation Hub to serve as a nucleus for frank discussions on Africa's reparations. It houses a comprehensive database of resources on the subject and is poised to host expert groups dedicated to furthering the cause.

The Colloquium

The faculty invites academics, policymakers, human rights advocates, justice professionals, and representatives from international, regional, and national bodies to the colloquium which will precede the launch of the hub. This virtual gathering aims to foster dialogue and action toward reparatory justice in Africa. Thereafter, attendees will witness the official launch of the UFS Africa Reparation Hub, marking a significant step forward in the continent’s journey towards healing and restitution.

Leading voices on reparatory justice

In an eagerly awaited keynote address, Prof Verene Shepherd, the esteemed Director of the Centre for Reparations Research at the University of West Indies, Jamaica, is poised to set the stage for a thought-provoking discussion on reparatory justice. Joining her will be a distinguished line-up of speakers including Prof Serges Kamga (Dean of the Faculty of Law at the UFS); Martin Okumu-Masiga (Secretary-General of the Africa Judges and Jurists Forum); Dr Ahmed Bugri (Senior Expert and Coordinator for Reparatory Justice and Racial Healing at the African Union); and Prof Kula Theletsane (Director of the Organ on Politics, Defence, and Security Affairs in Southern African Development Community (SADC).

Dr Catherine Namakula, Convenor of the Africa Reparation Hub, is anticipated to moderate the discussion, guiding the conversation towards actionable strategies for advancing reparations and fostering racial healing across Africa and beyond.

News Archive

Award-winning artist and UFS intertwine
2017-06-10

Description: Nomusa Makhubu Tags: Nomusa Makhubu

Nomusa Makhubu’s work will be exhibited for the next
few weeks at the Johannes Stegmann Art Gallery.
Photo: Kara Schoeman

“It is this sense of ownership, or the loss thereof, that I would still like to explore.” Exploring issues of identity, and more particularly, the sensitive issue of representation through the medium of photography, is exactly what Nomusa Makhubu sets out to do in her exhibition entitled Intertwined 2005 – 2017.

The issue of self-representation
This solo exhibition is a survey of Makhubu’s practice as a lens-based artist working mainly with portraiture, performance and space-time politics. Her exhibition includes the series entitled, Trading Lies, Self-Portrait Project, Inquietude, The Flood and In Living Colour.

The exhibition, in association with Erdmann Contemporary, is on display in the Johannes Stegmann Art Gallery at the University of the Free State from 24 May to 23 June 2017. She has exhibited in Africa, Europe, the US, and China.

Throughout this exhibition, Makhubu focuses on the issue of self-representation, but also brings in geographical locations to question the assumed universality and objectivity of time and place.

Not only an artist, but a writer too
As an award-winning artist, academic and a full-time lecturer at Michaelis School of Fine Art at the University of Cape Town, Makhubu is a force to be reckoned with in the art world. She has also contributed her writing to Critical Arts, African Arts, the Journal of African Cultural Studies and Third Text, as well as other book projects and catalogues.

We use cookies to make interactions with our websites and services easy and meaningful. To better understand how they are used, read more about the UFS cookie policy. By continuing to use this site you are giving us your consent to do this.

Accept