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A voice for the voiceless through research

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Research has continued to flourish at Unisa, despite the extraordinary circumstances in which researchers have found themselves in the past two years, given the Covid-19 pandemic. Celebrating its crème of the crop researchers through its annual Research and Innovation Awards ceremony, which this year was hosted online for the second time, Unisa honoured Prof Mishack Thiza Gumbo with the Chancellor's Award for Research Excellence.


Celebrating indigenous knowledge

Prof Mishack Thiza Gumbo

Sharing his sentiments on the award, Gumbo says: "I feel ecstatic! This is one of the most prestigious awards I could have dreamed of receiving. Moreover, the fact that it is named the Chancellor's Award makes me feel honoured by Unisa's Chancellor, Dr Thabo Mbeki, a national icon." Gumbo's field of research is indigenous technology knowledge systems education, focusing on the decolonisation and/or indigenisation of technology education curriculum and pedagogy.

His body of work has revolved around developing technology teachers' pedagogical content knowledge, especially regarding the integration of indigenous technology, indigenising the postgraduate programme and supervision, mentoring developing and emerging scholars in writing for publication and postgraduate supervision, and providing leadership in research excellence and transformation of education and research.

With an envied reputation amongst his peers, asked who or what inspires him in his research field, Gumbo says: "Firstly, my guards have disquieted me and made me confront intellectual conditioning inflicted on indigenous people." He adds that he regards himself as a voice for the voiceless. Secondly, he explains: "I now can see that local and international scholars value my work, which fuels my passion." Thirdly, Gumbo asserts that the work of other prolific scholars such as Adebayo Ogungbure , Linda Smith, Vuyisile Msila, Bagele Chilisa, Jacob Mapara, and others also inspire him. Fourthly, he says: "The students' #FeesMustFall campaign in the past few years confirmed the concerns that hung in my mind over the years."


Overcoming Western dominance

Explaining further factors that influenced his choice of research work, he says: "I have been bothered by Western cultural domination in education and research over the years. I felt that I was closed off to a larger extent and the curriculum did not, and still does not to some extent, include indigenous knowledge – I did not learn about what I knew growing up." Furthermore, Gumbo says that education systems undermine indigenous people and their epistemes. "Indigenous people's contribution toward this world's development is not celebrated as there is no mention of them and their discoveries, especially in the gateway subjects, mathematics, science and technology – the list goes on," he asserts.

Over the years, Gumbo has consistently enjoyed a growing influence in his field of research locally and internationally. However, as a passionate teacher and mentor, he regards the highlights of his career as the postgraduate students he has supervised and developing and emerging academics and post-doctoral fellows he has mentored, and the way they have advanced in their careers after his mentorship. Other highlights include research projects that he completed, recognition and awards, including an NRF C1 rating, Best International Research Project Paper Award, Comprehensive Programme for Rated Researchers, and a Research Professorship.

* By Tshimangadzo Mphaphuli, Acting Editor: Internal Publications, Department of Institutional Advancement

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Publish date: 2022/06/06

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