Unisa joins international Mandela centenary celebrations

Unisa joins the nation and the international community in their support of and participation in the celebration of the Centenary of Nelson Mandela, led and championed by the Nelson Mandela Foundation.

The centenary celebrations coincide with the university’s celebration of 145 years of existence, a milestone marked with a range of celebratory activities.

The university has put together a programme of activities that infuses the marking of its own milestone with a celebration of the life and times of the founding father of our nation, struggle icon and one of the leading figures of the 21^st Century, Isithwalandwe/Seaparankwe Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela. 

Further to this, the university aligns itself with the national theme, which has declared 2018 the year of Nelson Mandela and struggle heroin, the late Albertina Sisulu, who share the same birth year. All celebratory occasions will be used to celebrate these national heroes; as well as pay homage to another recently-departed stalwart and Mother of the Nation, Nomzamo Winnie Madikizela-Mandela. 

University activities

• A celebration of Nelson Mandela Day on the Muckleneuk Campus today (Wednesday 18 July 2018).
• Dedicating the Annual Unisa Women’s Day to the celebration of the lives and times of Mme Albertina Sisulu, Mme Nomzamo Winnie Madikizela-Mandela and Mme Mirriam Makeba.
• Dedicating the Annual Thabo Mbeki Africa Day and Annual Steve Biko Memorial Lectures to the memory of Madiba, Mme Sisulu, Mme Madikizela-Mandela and Mme Makeba.
• Hosting a High-Tea event with the Diplomatic Community, hosted by the Principal and Vice-Chancellor and celebrating the lives and times of these struggle icons.
• Professor Makhanya and Dr James will visit the Kgosi Mampuru Female Correctional Centre as part of the Unisa Community Engagement Project “Education for people behind bars”

“Unisa is particularly keen and honoured to celebrate the life and times of Madiba, one of the illustrious alumni of the university. Madiba has bestowed on us the privilege of having received all his degrees from Unisa, from undergraduate to postgraduate,” said Unisa Principal and Vice-Chancellor, Professor Mandla Makhanya. “Furthermore, we have also had the honour of bestowing on him an honorary doctorate in law as well as the Robben Island Alumnus Award, bestowed by the Chancellor of the university to a Unisa Robben Island alumnus who sacrificed immensely towards the liberation of South Africa,” he concluded.     

Nelson Mandela holds BA Law (1942) and LLB (1988) degrees from Unisa. A degree of Doctor of Laws (honoris causa) from Unisa was also bestowed on him in 1995. Read more about what Unisa meant to Nelson Mandela in this interview.

Mme Albertina Sisulu was also bestowed with the Degree of Doctor of Literature and Philosophy (honoris causa) on 07 December 2007.