A powerful piece of South Africa’s liberation history was revisited last week as Professor Bonginkosi “Blade” Nzimande, Minister for Science, Technology, and Innovation, led a high-level delegation to the University of Sussex.
The visit wasn’t just a diplomatic formality; it was a homecoming of sorts. Minister Nzimande praised the institution for its “pivotal role” as an academic sanctuary for activists and freedom fighters during the turbulent years of apartheid.
A Sanctuary for Revolutionaries
The University of Sussex holds a unique place in the story of South African democracy. During the 1960s, 70s, and 80s, the campus served as an intellectual refuge for those in exile.
- The Mbeki Connection: Former President Thabo Mbeki is a Sussex alumnus, alongside nearly half of Nelson Mandela’s first democratic cabinet.
- Constitutional Roots: In a staggering historical detail, Vice-Chancellor Professor Sasha Roseneil noted that the first draft of South Africa’s post-apartheid constitution was actually penned within the Sussex Library.
- The Mandela Scholarship: Founded by Sussex students in 1973 to counter apartheid injustice, the programme has produced over 70 graduates who now serve as ministers, scientists, and environmental leaders in South Africa.
“Sussex provided an intellectual home and a refuge… many of whom went on to serve in the first democratically elected government of South Africa.” — Professor Sasha Roseneil, Vice Chancellor
The Mission: Building the Researchers of Tomorrow
The visit, which included leaders from Nelson Mandela University and the University of Cape Town, focused on future-proofing South Africa’s innovation economy.
Key areas of collaboration include:
- Digital Transformation: Aligning Sussex’s research with South Africa’s national Science, Technology, and Innovation plan.
- The Presidential PhD Programme: A major focus is growing a new generation of South African researchers to strengthen the country’s innovation capacity.
- Sustainable Innovation: Minister Nzimande delivered a lecture titled “Co-creating resilient innovations for sustainable futures,” emphasizing the role of African-led scholarship in shaping the continent.
A Living Legacy: Dr. Nhlanhla Msomi
Representing the tangible impact of this partnership was Dr. Nhlanhla Msomi. Invited to Sussex by former Chancellor Sir Richard Attenborough after fearing for his life under the apartheid regime, Msomi studied Molecular Genetics and later completed a PhD in Genetic Engineering.
Today, he is a prominent research scientist and entrepreneur in South Africa, embodying the “Mandela legacy” that the scholarship aimed to foster.
