Opinion

By Sello Hatang: There is something deeply moving about watching an experienced artisan patiently teach an apprentice, a teacher refusing to give up on a struggling learner, or a seasoned professional opening doors for someone who reminds them of where they once began. It is one of the purest expressions of hope. It says, "I believe tomorrow will be better than today, and I am willing to invest in making it so." The greatest leaders understand a simple truth: leadership is not about creating followers; it is about preparing servants. Our greatest contribution to the future is not merely the work we accomplish ourselves, but the people we equip to continue that work long after we are gone. Too often we celebrate talent while negle...

By Sello Hatang: Some generations inherit freedom. Others choose to become its architects.This week, we honour the memory of Ntate Govan Mbeki and Ashley Kriel, two men from different generations whose lives converged around a single conviction: that freedom was never meant to be a slogan, but a responsibility. They believed that liberation demanded sacrifice, courage and an unwavering commitment to those whose voices were too often ignored. They understood that no nation can truly call itself free while the poor, the landless and the forgotten remain behind.Their lives ask each of us a question that cannot be outsourced to politicians, governments or activists alone: What unfinished freedom has been entrusted to us?South Africa has tra...

By Sello Hatang: July arrives carrying a powerful reminder: we are not merely inhabitants of this world; we are contributors to it. Mandela Month, and particularly Mandela Day, invites us to reflect on one of life’s greatest questions: what difference does my presence make? Service is often misunderstood. We sometimes imagine it as a grand gesture reserved for people with resources, influence, titles or platforms. Yet the deepest forms of service are often found in ordinary moments: a hand extended, a burden shared, a child encouraged, an elder remembered, a stranger treated with dignity. Service is not an event. It is a way of being. Nelson Mandela’s life reminds us that service is not about perfection; it is about purpose. He was the first...

Headlines have often focused on turbulence at the University of Fort Hare. Yet the deeper institutional record of Professor Sakhela Buhlungu’s two terms tells a different story — one of rebuilding, stabilisation and strategic renewal at one of Africa’s most important universities. By Zola Pinda: (Image: Forte Hare University Website) The University of Fort Hare has never been merely another university. It is one of the great institutions of African history. Its historical orbit includes heads of state — Nelson Mandela of South Africa, Julius Nyerere of Tanzania, Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe, Seretse Khama of Botswana, and Kenneth Kaunda of Zambia. It produced liberation leaders of extraordinary courage — Oliver Tambo, Chris Hani and Robert ...