Professor Mafeje contributed enormously to the concrete understanding of the African socio-political and economic situation. He emphasised the structural need to substantiate theoretical positions on issues in practice as a means to solve Africa’s problems. The annual lecture in his honour immortalizes his perspectives.

In 22 years there has been no real transformation of the bedrock structures of colonialism. Under-developed rural areas administered by colonially transformed traditional leaders, aommodation of migrants in degrading urban hostels, rampant human rights violations, are some of the manifestations of this failure. South Africans must do more to realize the dream of democracy.

The whole point of the freedom struggle was the repossession of land by African people from the hands of Europeans who had grabbed it. But the ruling ANC will never resolve land question in South Africa. Its “Freedom Charter” long renounced the land question in 1955. Its “willing seller and willing buyer” policy is an unmitigated disaster.

The overlords in the World Bank, who are protected by absolute immunity from lawsuits, do not realize that racial discrimination is not all about rejected positions and denied promotions. It is a traumatic experience because it chips at people's human dignity. It costs lives.

Archie championed the pan-Africanist ideal that Africans should speak for themselves and understand themselves through their own efforts. As an anthropologist he made immense contributions to a better understanding of African people, their achievements and struggles. In a continent where the academy is often oupied by fence-sitters and academic cowards, Archie’s thought is an outstanding challenge.

The unprecedented contagion of what President Zuma has called ‘gossip and rumour’ around his inner circle threatens the internal stability of the Pretoria regime. The loyalty of many key individuals is being tested. Indeed the ANC’s schizophrenia was amplified recently Zuma himself finally agreed to repay some of the $16 million spent on upgrading his rural palace, Nkandla.

South African Finance Minister Gordhan’s 2016 Budget Speech compels the South African Government to adopt a Leadership style that is oriented toward being inclusive, collaborative and of service to individuals and society at large.

As a musician, Mama Africa enthralled millions from Cape Town to Nova Scotia. As a woman, her struggles to find love and selfhood speak to women worldwide. As an indigenous South African, she always used her voice as a weapon in the struggle against apartheid.

“I am a victim of circumstances”, says activist Mphandlana ‘Victim’ Shongwe of the nickname he is known by because of the decades of state harassment he has endured in his homeland, Swaziland. “But what has kept me going is the desire to be free”.

Indeed, manners maketh the man, but what happens when the man who insists on being treated as a highly-respected elder uses his position to steal millions of dollars of public money to redecorate his private home? Maybe being a conscientious people with good manners is what is causing the downfall of Africa.

South Africa is eerily starting to mimic Brazil in the run-up to that country’s current financial meltdown: a devastating drought combined with a domestic fiscal crunch, unfavourable global financial conditions and a governing leadership that lost market and public credibility to deal with the problems.

Despite abundant evidence of pro-corporate bias, the Bank endorses the government’s “sound policy” on redistribution because Bank researchers cannot grapple with the core problem that best explains why South African capitalism causes poverty and inequality: extreme exploitation systems amplified after apartheid by neoliberal policies.

More than twenty years after the end of formal apartheid, several African nationalists who resisted the inhuman system are still languishing in prison. Yet many apartheid agents who committed atrocious crimes against the African people were pardoned, some without even expressing any remorse. This is unacceptable. The ANC Government must release all political prisoners now.

Zuma has a very warm, self-effacing and jovial personality. He is also humble. Because of these traits many people often easily trust him. Others easily mistake his self-depreciating style, combined with his humble beginnings and bearing and his lack of formal education, for weakness. But how long will his cunning last?

What started with rejection of the statue of a Dutch colonialist in Cape Town fast expanded to nationwide student protests against a racist, colonialist and classist education system that denies many South Africans the right to study. President Zuma finally respondend and turned an intended increase in tution into a 6 per cent cut for 2016, but this can only be a beginning.

Students are insisting that the social value of education must come before its commercial value. Just as land should not be bought and sold, so also education is not something that should be bought and sold.

History has time and again shown that violence does not take place in a vacuum and until the ongoing issue of an illegal and brutal occupation is addressed, there is unlikely to be peace and justice for Palestinians and Israelis, Jews and Muslims in Israel/Palestine.

Academic staff at universities in South Africa call on their colleagues at universities and tertiary institutions around the world, members of civil society, and all who have been fortunate enough to enjoy the benefits of higher education, to sign this campaign and stand with South African students in their struggle for a democratised higher education sector. Sign the petition .

South Africa is keen to strenghten its ties with Jamaica and other countries of the Caribbean in efforts to extend African solidarity. This cooperation is not only at the level of government. The two nations are pursuing increased people-to-people relations, especially those who are engaged in music, art, education and sport.

The ‘gurus’ of South Africa’s business education sector need to learn to be increasingly adaptable – making sense of uncertainty and managing complexity. The qualities of openness, empathy, integrity and self-awareness should replace harmful elitist posturing.