UKZN and uMsunduzi Museum Unite for a Better Africa

UKZN and uMsunduzi Museum Unite for a Better Africa

Celebrating Africa Day, the uMsunduzi Voortrekker Museum and UKZN’s College of Humanities joined together to help bring “greater prosperity to the continent”, under the theme Unite in Diversity for a Better Africa.

The event featured a variety of educational presentations, followed by exciting entertainment from the Johannesburg Child Welfare’s Unlimited Productions Theatre and the Uzalo Traditional Group.

The opening presentation, titled: From the Organisation of African Unity to the African Union: Challenges and Opportunity, was from Mr Feruzi Ngwamba who is the co-ordinator of the Access Programme and Community Liaison Officer at the College of Humanities. ‘We are celebrating Africa Day 60 years after the leadership of our people gathered together in Addis Ababa on 25 May, 1963, at the launch of the Organisation de l’unité africaine – the Organisation of African Unity, OAU the predecessor of, the African Union (AU).’

International students from UKZN participated with Mr Abdul Rashid Issahaku of Ghana talking about what being African means to him: ‘I believe being African goes beyond colour, and embraces everyone who accepts the continent as their home.’ He said more concerted efforts were needed from African leaders to address the common challenges confronting us.

International students were given a tour of the historic uMsunduzi Museum in Pietermaritzburg, which displays and explains the cultural history of the different cultural groups in KwaZulu-Natal.

When asked about the selection of UKZN’s international students for this occasion, Mr Njabulo Mpungose, Head of Department of Education and Outreach at the uMsunduzi Museum, said they spoke on the progress that Africa had made after colonisation while reflecting upon the common challenges the continent faced in a global environment, especially in their countries of origin. Inviting them was aimed ‘to promote unity, peace, social cohesion, and nation building and to educate them that as much as we are different, we are all humans and Africans.’

Words: Ntombizethu Gcaba

Photograph: Nkosikhona Gcabashe