UFH host Africa Day Festival on Alice and East London Campus

The University of Fort Hare has a full line-up of activities and events in celebration of Africa Day today, 25 May.

Africa Day is a commemorative event to acknowledge the creation of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), the precursor of the African Union (AU) on May 25 in 1963.   The event is intended to celebrate AU’s successes in the fight against colonialism and apartheid while celebrating the progress that Africa has made and also reflecting on continental challenges.

“The University of Fort Hare is the cradle of African leadership with our notable alumni luminaries. This commemorative event holds a special place for the University.  We are grateful that various support functions across the University have come together to create a festival line-up for our student communities, but also for the general public by harnessing synergies,” announced Dr. Nthabi Taole-Mjimba, UFH’s DVC: Research, Partnerships and Innovation.

This year the African Union has selected the theme: “Strengthening Resilience in Nutrition and Food Security on the African Continent: Strengthening Agro-Food Systems, Health and Social Protection Systems for the Acceleration of Human, Social and Economic Capital Development.”

According to the AU, “the Assembly of Heads of State and Government has adopted common African aspirations, drawing on the potential of its populations, in particular, human capital of well-nourished citizens and in good health with a particular emphasis on women, adolescents and children. Human capital is key for development as it leads to improved lives for individuals, higher earnings and improved incomes for countries.”

Highlights of UFH’s Africa Day festival on 25 May 2022 will include:

1. Cultural dance, poetry, music and artwork, and exhibitions on African food and traditional medicines at the UFH Sports Complex to celebrate the rich tapestries of African cultural diversity that exists at the University.
2. A special art exhibition by the National Heritage and Cultural Studies Centre University of Fort Hare (NAHECS) entitled Africa’s Gift to Humanity.  The exhibition is open to students and the general public, and it will be hosted at the De Beers Art Gallery at the UFH Alice campus. 
3. A special screening of the documentary Intellectual Giants of the Eastern Cape will be screened for students at the Miriam Makeba in the Eastern Cape.  The documentary will be screened on the hour starting at 11:00 until 19:00.  The one-hour-long documentary retraces and retells the history of some of the intellectual giants from the province who have paved the way for the intellectual freedom enjoyed by all today.
4. Various UFH faculties have collaborated to exercise public scholarship in the form of thought leadership and opinion-editorial pieces to provoke public conversations on developmental agendas for the African continent.

“We are excited with the full schedule of events that will enliven our campuses on Africa Day to enrich student affairs.  This event forms part of the institution’s deep commitment to creating a vibrant student life,” said Mr. Lufuno Tshikhudo, UFH’s Dean of Student Affairs.