A memorial lecture about the life and times of Solomon Tshekisho Plaatje is set to restore his rich legacy as one of South Africa’s torchbearers in its liberation struggle. The memorial lecture will take place on Saturday, 08 October, at the St Margaret’s Anglican Church Hall in Bloemfontein.
The guest speaker will be activist Diphoko Tshitlho and respondents will be Sabata-mpho Mokae, a lecturer in creative writing in African languages, at the Sol Plaatje University in Kimberley, and Prof. Lesego Malepe, an educator at the Boston University. Mokae is the author of Plaatje’s biography, The Story of Sol T Plaatje, published in 2010.
The memorial lecture in Bloemfontein will follow the Sol Plaatje University’s annual lecture taking place at the institute on Friday. Events pay homage to Plaatje, well-known for being of one the founding members of the ruling party ANC in 1912. He served in various influential positions, namely a journalist, linguist, politician, translator, and writer.
The memorial lecture in Bloemfontein is an initiative by a local entrepreneurial publisher, Trevor Mokeyane, drawing inspiration from Plaatje’s immense contribution. “As a small publisher, I admire his role in the contribution to literary development in the country. His Mafeking diary is just amazing; hence I believe he deserves recognition and appreciation. Our lecture is on another level from what other institutions have organised,” said Mokeyane.
Plaatje received recognition in Mangaung by having a street named after him in Bochabela. The street was dubbed before the renaming of the Kimberley municipality and founding of the university.
“What is key with Plaatje is that he recorded the role of an African during the siege and captured it in diary form. His opinion on the Native Land Act and its impact is amazing in his Native Life in South Africa book. He even took the message even to the royalty in England,” said Mokeyane.
The lecture is set to start with a breakfast from 09:00 till 12:00.
