The North-West University (NWU)'s subject group History recently held its inaugural seminar in a newly established hybrid history seminar series.
This series aims to create a discussion platform for scholarly works in progress and intellectual exchange within the NWU and the wider academic community, sharing cutting-edge research on various historical themes.
The inaugural seminar was delivered by Robert Benjamin Uys, a history lecturer at the NWU's Mahikeng Campus, who is also a PhD history candidate from the University of the Western Cape (UWC), and a fellow at UWC’s Flagship Centre for Humanities Research.
Robert’s interests include monuments, memorialisation and Afrikaner identity. His current research involves monuments dating from the 1938 Voortrekker Centenary, especially those affiliated with the Dutch Reformed Church’s the Dingaanstat mission station near Umgungundlovu, and the Geestelike Eeufees Monument near Nongoma.
He delivered a working paper titled "Cold Case: Umungundlovu's Missing Monument (1938 -?)”. This research relates to his PhD project, which probes the monumental landscape of Umgungundlovu.
The focus of the presentation was on Umgungundlovu’s missing Tractate Monument – a structure commemorating the mythical land deal supposedly made by the Voortrekker Piet Retief and the Zulu King Dingaan sometime between November 1837 and February 1838.
This monument has vanished without anyone taking much notice. The disappearance of the monument and the lack of interest shown by Afrikaner nationalist organisations and the press, persuaded Robert to ask a series of questions concerning the abandonment of the Afrikaner nationalist myth.
According to Dr Laura Phillips, senior lecturer and seminar series coordinator, the seminars aim to open a space for engagement across the NWU.
“We want to foster an environment for intellectual debate in and outside our university. We also want to showcase our work to colleagues in different departments, people outside the university and colleagues in Southern Africa and beyond," Laura says.
The History subject group will be hosting another five seminars this semester. If you would like to be added to their mailing list, please send an email to laura.phillips@nwu.ac.za.
Robert Uys
