Professor Pamela Maseko

Bio of Professor Pamela Maseko

English

Professor Pamela Maseko is currently the Executive Dean of the Faculty of Humanities at Nelson Mandela University. She has worked for over three decades at various higher education institutions in South Africa, and as a research fellow both locally and abroad. She has held tenure at the University of Cape Town, Rhodes University, University of the Western Cape, and at North West University as Executive Dean of the Faculty of Humanities. Prof Maseko has extensive experience of the HE sector in South Africa having also served as a founding Board member of the National Institute for the Humanities and Social Sciences (NIHSS), Council member of the Council for Higher Education (CHE) and as member of the Higher Education Quality Committee (HEQC). She also served as a member of the Ministerial Oversight Committee on the Transformation in the South African Public Universities. She is presently the member of the Board of the National Research Foundation, and serves as the Chairperson of the Board’s Research Development Committee. She is also the current President of the South African Humanities Deans Association (SAHUDA). She holds fellowships in universities in South Africa and abroad. Prof Maseko is a social scientist, specializing in historical sociolinguists Her areas of research include language policy and planning, language and epistemic access in higher education, historiography of (south) African literature and intellectual traditions of early black literates. A recipient of numerous grants and awards, Prof Maseko has been instrumental in sourcing funding from various national and international funders to support research in universities where she has held tenure. She is the author and editor of at least five academic books, and author of various book chapters and journal articles. She is also the co-editor of a UKZN Press Literature Series that publishes works on literary traditions of the 19th century early African thinkers from the Eastern Cape. Prof Maseko holds a PhD from Rhodes University, South Africa.

Afrikaans

Professor Pamela Maseko is tans die Uitvoerende Dekaan van die Fakulteit Geesteswetenskappe aan die Nelson Mandela Universiteit. Sy werk al meer as drie dekades by verskeie hoëronderwysinstellings in Suid-Afrika, en as navorsingsgenoot plaaslik en in die buiteland. Sy het ampstermyn by die Universiteit van Kaapstad, Rhodes Universiteit, Universiteit van Wes-Kaapland en aan die Noordwes-Universiteit as Uitvoerende Dekaan van die Fakulteit Geesteswetenskappe beklee. Prof Maseko het uitgebreide ervaring van die HO-sektor in Suid-Afrika nadat hy ook as stigterslid van die Nasionale Instituut vir Geesteswetenskappe en Sosiale Wetenskappe (NIHSS), raadslid van die Raad vir Hoër Onderwys (RHO) en as lid van die Hoëronderwysgehaltekomitee (HOKK) gedien het. Sy was ook lid van die ministeriële oorsigkomitee oor die transformasie in die Suid-Afrikaanse openbare universiteite. Sy is tans die lid van die Raad van die Nasionale Navorsingstigting en dien as voorsitter van die Raad se Navorsingsontwikkelingskomitee. Sy is ook die huidige president van die Suid-Afrikaanse Geesteswetenskappe Dekane Vereniging (SAHUDA). Sy het genootskappe aan universiteite in Suid-Afrika en in die buiteland. Prof Maseko is 'n sosiale wetenskaplike wat spesialiseer in historiese sosiolinguiste Haar navorsingsgebiede sluit in taalbeleid en -beplanning, taal- en epistemiese toegang tot hoër onderwys, geskiedskrywing van (suid-) Afrikaanse literatuur en intellektuele tradisies van vroeë swart geletterdes. Prof Maseko, 'n ontvanger van talle toekennings en was instrumenteel in die verkryging van befondsing van verskeie nasionale en internasionale befondsers om navorsing te ondersteun by universiteite waar sy verblyfreg beklee het. Sy is die skrywer en redakteur van minstens vyf akademiese boeke, en skrywer van verskeie boekhoofstukke en tydskrifartikels. Sy is ook die mederedakteur van 'n UKZN Press Literature Series wat werke oor literêre tradisies van die 19de eeuse vroeë Afrikaanse denkers uit die Oos-Kaap publiseer. Prof Maseko het 'n PhD van Rhodes Universiteit, Suid-Afrika.

isiXhosa

Kutsha-nje, uNjingalwazi Pamela Maseko yiNtloko ePhetheyo yeSebe lezifundo zoluncwadi, zembali nezefilosofi kwiYunivesithi yaseNelson Mandela. Usebenze ngaphezu kweenkulungwane ezintathu kumaziko emfundo ephakamileyo eMzantsi Afrika njengomnye wabaphandi basekhaya naphesheya. Ukhe wasesikhundleni njengeNtloko ePhetheyo yeSebe lezifundo zoluncwadi zembali nezefilosofi kwiYunivesithi yaseKapa, kwiYunivesithi yaseRhodes, kwiYunivesithi yaseNtshona Koloni nakwiYunivesithi yoMntla Ntshona. Lo kaMaseko unamava aphangaleleyo kwicandelo leMfundo ePhakamileyo ( HE) eMzantsi Afrika kwaye kwakhona ukwangumseki welungu leBhodi leNational Institute yezifundo zoluncwandi, zembali nefilosofi neyeNzululwazi yezeNtlalo (NIHSS), ilungu lebhunga, iBhunga leMfundo ePhakamileyo (CHE) aze abe kwalilo nelungu leKomiti yobuLungu beMfundo ePhakamileyo (HEQC). Ebekwalungu leKomiti loBongameli boMphathiswa kwiNguquko yeeYunivesithi zoLuntu zoMzantsi Afrika. Kungoku nje ulilungu leBhodi yesiSeko soPhando lweSizwe kwaye ukwanguSihlalo weBhodi weKomiti yoPhuhliso loPhando. Kutsha-nje unguMongameli woMbutho weeNtloko eziPhetheyo zezifundo zoluncwadi, zembali nezefilosofi (SAHUDA). Unobudlelane kwiYunivesithi yaseMzantsi Afrika naphesheya. UNjingalwazi Maseko siSazinzulu sezeNtlalo esiyincutshe kwiNzululwazi ngeMbali yoLuntu. Izifundo zakhe zophando ziquka ucwangciso nomgaqo-nkqubo wolwimi, ulwimi nokufikelela kulwazi lwemfundo ephakamileyo, ubugcisa okanye umsebenzi wokubhala uncwadi lwembali yoMzantsi Afrika nolwazi lwemveli olunengqiqo lwabamnyama bokuqala ababengakwazi ukufunda nokubhala. Njengomamkeli wezibonelelo ezininzi neendodo uNjingalwazi Maseko ngumthunywashe wentsusa yengxowa-mali evela koongxowa-nkulu besizwe nabamazwe ngamazwe ukuxhasa uphando kwiiyunivesithi apho akhe wabamba khona izikhundla. Ungumbhali, umhleli weencwadi zezifundo ezihlanu ubuncinane ekwangumbhali wezahluko zeencwadi ezahlukeneyo namanqaku ejenali. Ungomnye wabahleli we-UKZN Press Literature Series epapasha imisebenzi kuncwadi lwemveli labaCingi bama-Afrika okuqala enkulungwane ye-19 yaseMpuma Koloni. UNjingalwazi Maseko watheswa isidanga sobuGqirha kwiYunivesithi yaseRhodes eMzantsi Afrika.

Sesotho

Moprofesara Pamela Maseko ke Molaodi e Moholo wa Lekgotla la Phethiso Lekaleng la Dithuto tsa Botho yunibesiting ya Nelson Mandela. O sebeditse mengwaha e fetang boraro mekgatlong ya dithuto tse phahameng Afrika Borwa, mme e le mofuputsi hae le dinaheng tsa mose. O kile a sebetsa diyunibesiting tsa Motse Kapa, Rhodes, Kapa Bophirima le Leboya Bophirima e le Molaodi e Moholo wa Lekgotla la Phethiso Lekaleng la Dithuto tsa Botho. Maseko o na le boiphihlelo bo batsi lefapheng la dithuto tse phahameng Afrika Borwa. Ke e mong wa bathei ba Lekgotla la National Institute for Humanities and Social Sciences (NIHSS), molekgotla wa Lekgotla la Thuto e Phahameng hape ke setho sa Higher Education Quality Committee (HEQC). O ile a boela a sebetsa e le setho sa Ministerial Oversight Committee e tlisang diphetoho diyunibesiting tsa Afrika Borwa. Hona jwale ke setho sa Mokgatlo wa Setjhaba wa Diphuputso, mme ke modulasetulo wa Komiti ya Ntshetsopele ya Diphuputso. Hape ke mopresidente wa Lekala la Afrika Borwa la Bolaodi la Dithuto tsa Botho Afrika Borwa. Ke e mong wa maloko a diyunibesiti tsa Afrika Borwa le tsa mose. Moprofesara Maseko ke rasaense ya thusang batho ho ba le kutlwisiso ya ho sekaseka boitshwaro ba bona le ba batho ba bang, ya ileng a ntshetsa thuto ya historical sociolinguistic pele. Diphuputso tsa hae di kenyelletsa leano la puo le moralo wa yona, tsela eo tsebo ya puo e bokellwang ka yona le mehlodi eo e fumanwang ho yona thutong e phahameng, thuto ya nalane ya dingolo le bohlale ba meetlo ya ditsebi tsa bathobatsho. Moprofesara Maseko o fumane dikgau tse ngata. Ke yena ya ileng a etsa bonnete ba hore ba fumana tjhelete ho tswa naheng ya rona le mafatsheng a mang ho tshehetsa diphuputso diyunibesiting tseo a sebeditseng ho tsona. Ke mongodi le mohlophisi wa dibuka tsa hlano bonnyane, mongodi wa dikgaolo tsa dibuka tse fapaneng hammoho le diatikele. O boela e le mohlophisi wa kopanelo wa UKZN Press Literature Series e phatlalatsang dibuka tsa mekgwa le meetlo ya ngwahakgolo ya 19 tsa ditsebi tsa Kapa Botjhabela. Moprofesara Maseko o fumane lengolo la hae la bongaka yunibesiting ya Rhodes, Afrika Borwa.

Abstract To be presented

Engaging the African language literary archive: prospects for the diversification of the academic canon in South African higher education

The historiography of multilingualism in South Africa is generally characterised by language contestations of the colonial, apartheid and post-apartheid South Africa. These historical narratives often consider the communicative value of language and, with the debates of social justice in the post-apartheid South Africa, provide contestations on assumptions that at the different political regimes, Dutch, English and Afrikaans were the only best communicative tools in terms educational, socio-economic and political participation. The narrative has not differed much with the present language legislative provisions which argue for recognition and inclusion of indigenous African languages. Firstly, they presuppose detachment between language as a means of communication, and language as a repository of knowledge of its speakers. Secondly, they exclude intellectual histories of the early African intellectuals who write, soon after the acquisition of writing as a system of archiving knowledge, how the colonial education promoted monolingualism, and bastardised indigenous African languages, and cultural and philosophical knowledge embedded in them.
In this presentation I argue that the historiography of multilingualism in South needs to be revisited to include narratives written in African indigenous languages. These writings focus less on the communicative value of language. Rather, they put emphasis on the value of languages as reservoir of knowledge, philosophy, thoughts, experiences and values of its speakers. Ntsiko (1879), Gqoba (1888), Mqhayi (1940) and Kunene (1970) lament the epistemicide at the core of language practices of the colonial education. Mqhayi writes, “iya kuthi yakutshonela iphele le ntetho nale mikhwa inesidima .. kutshonele ntoni na emveni koko” [when these indigenous languages disappear, and the dignified philosophies embedded in them cease to exist … what else will follow?] (Mqhayi, 1914, v) and he concludes that his writings are “amazwembe-zwembe okuzama ukuxhathalaza kuloo msinga uza kutshayela isizwe siphela” [attempts in trying to hold steady against the powerful stream that will sweep away the entire knowledge of a nation] (Mqhayi, 1914, v).
The first part of the presentation, therefore, seeks to present efforts on excavation and preservation, through formal publications, of selected literary works of early African literates, most of whom wrote in newspapers. Most of these works are over two hundred years old, and are published by the UKZN Pres under the Publications of the Opland Collection of Xhosa Literature Series with the support of the National Institute for the Humanities and Social Sciences.
In the second part, I make a case for the recognition of the early contestations of coloniality from Southern Africa, contestation that recognise the value of the multiple languages in South Africa, both indigenous and exogenous.
Lastly, I wish to present proposals on strategies for reclamation of knowledge from African languages, and possible contribution of these literary texts to diversification, decolonisation and transformation of university canon that South Africa has grappled with since the achievement of democracy, and the legislative mandate for recognition of multilingualism.