The North-West University’s (NWU’s) Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS) Centre on its campus in Mahikeng took part in the 2018 Africa Day Celebrations held on the Thojene Farm in Rustenburg on 26 May 2018.
Africa Day is the annual commemoration of the foundation of the Organisation of African Unity on 25 May 1963. It is celebrated in various countries on the African continent, as well as around the world.
This commemoration was organised by Ikitse Cultural Solutions in partnership with the IKS Centre.
The event – with the theme “Africa Unite” – was attended by African nationals, learners, community members, IKS experts, local councillors from the Rustenburg municipality, and academics and students from the NWU.
The day included presentations by various speakers. Mr Ntsingisi from the Isigodlo Institute spoke about looking at Africa from the Kemetic perspective, and how our governance has degenerated from our early civilization in Kemet, Timbuktu. Ms Moichela from UNISA spoke about using African languages to Africanise and indigenise the current education, and the NWU’s Dr Rendani Ndou presented about ethno-veterinary medicine among local farmers in Mahikeng.
Mr Gaseitsiwe, an NWU MIKS student, talked about the role of African men in the society, and Ms Masemola from the Department of Basic Education spoke about the Africanisation of science in higher education, and the need to produce our own food as indigenous people. Ms Cossa, a fourth-year BIKS student spoke about the role of women in the African society.
The last presentation was on African mathematics by Mr Mokhine, an IKS expert from Johannesburg, who explained how Africans contributed to calculus, trigonometry, algebra, among others.
On the campus the Student Campus Council also hosted a commemoration. Mr Sello Tatai gave a presentation on “Africa’s political economy: Challenges and opportunities”, and Mr Alpheus Oshebeng Koonyaditse, a well-known radio personality, gave an insightful and heart-warming speech on the state of Africa and its future.
Attendees of the Africa Day Celebrations in Rustenburg.
