Central SA
Sol Plaatje University to host third annual memorial lecture─── CASEY-LEE ANTHONY 10:25 Fri, 04 Oct 2024
“The funds raised at the golf day will go towards the Chancellor’s Bursary Fund, which enables academically talented learners from the Northern Cape to participate in the SPU Talent Pipeline Programme.”
The legacy of the visionary and scholar Solomon Tshekisho Plaatje, who was born in October, formed the foundation of the Sol Plaatje University (SPU).
A series of special events will be hosted to commemorate this remarkable figure, including a memorial lecture with a special guest speaker, a founder’s dinner and a golf day, which will take place throughout the weekend.
“This weekend will bring together alumni, key funders, and stakeholders whose support has been instrumental in making the university sustainable and ensuring the success of the SPU project. It will also provide an opportunity to reflect on the enduring legacy of Sol Plaatje and the university’s commitment to advancing education and innovation in his honour,” said the director of institutional advancement, Kashini Maistry.
The theme for this year’s memorial is “to reflect on the past, engage critically with the present, and look forward to the future”.
The special guest lecturer for this year will be Justice Albie Sachs, a former constitutional court judge and a pivotal figure in the creation of South Africa’s post-apartheid constitution. Justice Sachs brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the discussion. His lecture this year is titled “Is this the country I was fighting for?”
“This thought-provoking topic prompts reflection on our nation’s current state and the crucial questions about our future. It aligns with the themes of the lecture, such as law, liberation, and human rights – areas where Plaatje has left his mark – while offering an opportunity to assess South Africa’s political, economic, and social landscape,” added Maistry.
The university expects around 200 people for the lecture, 140 for the dinner, and 21 teams have been entered for four balls – with specific invited guests for the Chancellor’s Golf Day.
Maistry also mentioned that the funds raised at the golf day will go towards the Chancellor’s Bursary Fund, which enables academically talented learners form the Northern Cape to participate in the SPU Talent Pipeline Programme – a pre-university programme to help academically talented students in the Northern Cape to register at universities.
