The North-West University (NWU) will host a special Heritage Public Lecture and Celebration on 9 October 2026, bringing together traditional leadership, academia, students and communities to celebrate heritage, leadership and the living cultural legacy of the Barolong Boo Ratshidi.
Under the theme “Heritage, leadership and legacy: celebrating 25 years of Kgosi Kgotleng Jeffrey Montshioa and the living heritage of Barolong Boo Ratshidi”, the event will form part of the Heritage Month programme of the university at the Mahikeng Campus.
The public lecture will feature Kgosi Kgotleng Jeffrey Montshioa, King of the Barolong Boo Ratshidi, who will reflect on his 25-year journey of traditional leadership and the changing role of traditional institutions in contemporary society.
The occasion provides an opportunity to celebrate a significant leadership milestone while creating a platform for dialogue about the history, culture, traditions, indigenous knowledge and future of the Barolong Boo Ratshidi.
Celebrating a living heritage
Heritage Month provides South Africans with an opportunity to reflect on and celebrate the diverse cultural heritage, languages, traditions and indigenous knowledge of the country.
For the NWU, this celebration also provides an opportunity to strengthen its relationship with the communities in which it operates and to create platforms where academic knowledge and indigenous knowledge can engage with one another.
The Barolong Boo Ratshidi have a significant historical and cultural presence in Mahikeng and the broader North West. Their history, traditions, leadership structures and cultural practices form an important part of the heritage of the province.
Kgosi Montshioa's 25 years of leadership therefore provide an important opportunity for reflection, not only on his leadership journey, but also on the evolution of the community and the changing place of traditional leadership in modern South Africa.
Reflecting on leadership and legacy
During the public lecture, Kgosi Montshioa is expected to share reflections on his experiences as a traditional leader over the past 25 years and the history of the Barolong nation, including the opportunities and challenges faced by traditional institutions.
The conversation will also consider the role that traditional leadership can play in areas such as community development, education, social cohesion, cultural preservation and the promotion of indigenous knowledge.
The event will provide students and members of the public with an opportunity to engage directly with these issues and to consider how traditional knowledge and contemporary institutions can work together to address challenges facing communities.
More than a public lecture
The Heritage Public Lecture will also be a celebration of culture and identity.
The programme is expected to include performances by NWU student cultural societies, poetry and praise singing, indigenous knowledge exhibitions and a dedicated Barolong Boo Ratshidi heritage display.
These activities will allow students and guests to experience heritage not simply as something from the past, but as a living expression of identity, knowledge, language, creativity and community.
For NWU students in particular, the event will provide an opportunity to learn about the history and heritage of the communities surrounding the university while engaging with a prominent traditional leader.
Creating space for intergenerational dialogue
One of the key objectives of the event is to encourage dialogue between generations.
By bringing together traditional leadership, academics, students, cultural practitioners and community members, the university seeks to create a space where knowledge and experiences can be shared across generations.
The event will also highlight the importance of documenting and preserving indigenous knowledge so that it can be passed on to future generations.
It is envisaged that the engagement will contribute to broader conversations about the role of universities in preserving heritage, supporting indigenous knowledge systems and strengthening community partnerships.
Strengthening the university-community relationship
The Heritage Public Lecture forms part of the broader commitment of the NWU to community engagement, knowledge creation, indigenous knowledge and cultural heritage.
As a comprehensive university with a strong presence in North West, the NWU recognises the importance of engaging with traditional leadership and communities in ways that promote mutual learning and collaboration.
The event also creates opportunities to explore future partnerships in areas such as research, education, indigenous knowledge, cultural preservation and community development.
Looking towards the future
As Kgosi Jeffrey Montshioa marks 25 years of leadership, the Heritage Public Lecture will provide an opportunity not only to look back, but also to look forward.
It will ask important questions about how heritage can be preserved while remaining relevant to younger generations, how indigenous knowledge can contribute to contemporary society, and how traditional leadership can continue to contribute to community development.
For the NWU, the event represents an opportunity to celebrate the past, engage with the present and inspire future generations to value and preserve their heritage.
The NWU Heritage Public Lecture and Celebration will take place on Friday, 9 October 2026 at the Mahikeng Campus, with the final venue and programme details to be confirmed.
As Heritage Month continues to remind South Africans of the richness of their shared and diverse heritage, the NWU will use the occasion to place heritage, leadership and legacy at the centre of meaningful public dialogue.
Photo: Kgosi Kgotleng Jeffrey Montshioa
