Anti-apartheid hero and former judge on the Constitutional Court of South Africa Albie Sachs has said an enormous price was paid by other Africans for the freedom of South Africa. And a Zambian doctoral researcher, Chanda Mfula, has said the University of Sussex is intimately connected to the liberation and political history of Southern Africa through prominent alumni that included presidents, activists and leaders in various spheres. Meanwhile Dr Sachs has urged the United Kingdom and other western countries to embrace ubuntu.
Speaking at the launch of a society for Southern, East and Central Africans studying at the University of Sussex, Dr Sachs, who lost one of his arms and part of his sight in Mozambique in a car bomb attack by agents of the South African apartheid regime over his role to end apartheid, paid tribute to southern African countries, including Zambia, Mozambique and Tanzania for contributing towards ending apartheid and for their sacrifices that involved a tremendous loss of life in many of these countries. He praised the initiative to form the students’ society at Sussex, which he suggested would be an effective platform for debates and interactions among students from Southern, East and Central Africa.
Meanwhile, co-founder of the society, Chanda Mfula, said the grouping will draw inspiration from the fact that the University acted as an effective bootcamp responsible for intellectually arming and rearming leaders including former South African President Thabo Mbeki, former President of Botswana Festus Mogae and Zambia’s former Acting and Vice President Guy Scott, all of whom studied at the University of Sussex. He noted that many of the alumni from the university, such as Dr Sachs, who completed his PhD there in 1972, went on to contribute greatly to the various struggles, activisms and projects in a wide range of fields on the continent, including politics, governance, economics and civil society.
Another co-founder of the society, Thabani Mutambasere, a doctoral researcher in the School of Global Studies from Zimbabwe, outlined the vision of the society, pointing out that students from all countries in southern, east and central Africa needed a home away from home by coming together to share their aspirations, fears, cultures and foods, among others and that they would benefit from a platform that enabled them to offer one another solidarity in a variety of situations.
And speaking during the 11th Annual Draper Lecture hosted by the University of Sussex’s Law School, Dr Sachs said that it was not just Africa that needed the ‘broad spirit of ubuntu’, which he describes as the ‘quest for something better’ and the ‘willingness to work with others’, saying the United Kingdom, United States and other countries needed ubuntu. Dr Albie Sachs spent a week at the University of Sussex, reliving his student days by living on campus, and giving a series of talks that included a presentation at Sussex University’s Institute of Development Students (IDS), which for the fourth year running has been ranked number one in the world for development studies by QS Rankings. He also gave the 11th annual Draper Lecture and was guest at a fundraiser in London for the Nelson Mandela Scholarship Fund which is aimed for scholars from Southern Africa.
Albie Sachs could make a nostalgic trip to Sussex University because standards hv been maintained and most likely improved since he was a post-grad student there. It’s not easy to do the same in most universities in Africa. The overcrowding nightmare would drive u nuts.
while in Zambia…. you have a president who:
– questionable if he his even the man he claims to be….
– managed to study for a law degree with a 9 in mathematics at form 5
– Completes law and ends up staying and drinking kachasu in a compound
– to sustain his kachasu drinking he steals clients money
.
.
. list endless
and people expect him to have a clue
Where is the police to arrest people who have nothing to say but busy defaming our President. Lock them up and throw away the keys.
Abena, The police can not catch people living overseas and voicing their opinions on the internet, there is a thing called freedom of speech, in many countries such as US, Canada UK, Australia you can say what you want except death treats, yes there is a law in Zambia that said you cant insult the president but its time to rescind it. just remember all MP’s, Ministers and the President are public servants and are paid by us, so they are here to serve us , we are not here to serve them and that applies for all parties.