{"id":37609,"date":"2026-06-02T14:53:07","date_gmt":"2026-06-02T14:53:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vut.ac.za\/?p=37609"},"modified":"2026-06-02T14:53:08","modified_gmt":"2026-06-02T14:53:08","slug":"vut-decolonisation-workshop-inspires-students-to-reclaim-african-knowledge-and-identity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vut.ac.za\/st\/vut-decolonisation-workshop-inspires-students-to-reclaim-african-knowledge-and-identity\/","title":{"rendered":"VUT decolonisation workshop inspires students to reclaim African knowledge and identity"},"content":{"rendered":"

“VUT hosted a Decolonisation Workshop led by Dr Vuyolwethu Seti-Sonamzi, promoting dialogue on African knowledge systems, identity and change.”<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

02 June 2026 | Story by: By: Ntebogeleng Digasu | Picture: Keitumetse Mokgope\u00a0<\/strong>
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4 minutes read time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"VUT<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Social Justice and Transformation Unit (SJT) at the Vaal University of Technology (VUT) hosted a thought-provoking Decolonisation Workshop on 26 May 2026 under the theme Thina Sizwe: The Phenomenology and Dismemberment. The workshop brought together students, academics and researchers to engage critically with questions of identity, knowledge production, coloniality and the role of African knowledge systems in contemporary society.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The session provided a platform for meaningful dialogue and reflection, encouraging participants to examine how colonial structures continue to shape education, culture, language and social realities long after the end of formal colonial rule.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Opening the workshop, Mr Tebogo Bojabotshega, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Tourism and Integrated Communication, welcomed attendees and reflected on the importance of creating spaces where students and academics can challenge dominant systems of thought and contribute to transformative scholarship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He noted that the workshop was particularly aimed at Master’s and Doctoral students, encouraging them to think critically about decolonisation within academia and society.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“There was a session in one of the departments where Dr Seti-Sonamzi spoke to students about decolonisation, and from that moment I knew she was the right person for this platform,” he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mr George Mvalo, Director of SJTS at VUT, reaffirmed the University’s commitment to fostering intellectual freedom, transformation and critical inquiry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“As a public university, we must appreciate the opportunity we have created for scholars and researchers to grow. We have created a safe environment for critical engagement and learning,” he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Delivering the keynote address, Dr Vuyolwethu Seti-Sonamzi, Lecturer in the Department of Tourism and Integrated Communication in the Faculty of Human Sciences, captivated the audience with a presentation that combined intellectual rigour with personal reflection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Her address explored the enduring effects of coloniality and how systems of power continue to influence identity, language, culture, education and social relations long after colonial administrations have disappeared.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She challenged participants to recognise that coloniality is not simply a historical event but an ongoing reality that continues to shape the lived experiences of many people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“The system becomes anxious when you begin to ask questions you were never expected to ask,” she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr Seti-Sonamzi encouraged students to embrace critical thinking, question inherited assumptions and resist structures that seek to silence African voices and indigenous knowledge systems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“The whole idea of decoloniality is to end the war on the ‘other’, those who have been made to feel less human,” she explained.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Throughout the session, participants engaged with themes of exclusion, modernity, language politics, identity formation and the importance of recognising African epistemologies within institutions of higher learning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The workshop left a lasting impression on many attendees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ms Pertunia Silinda, a Sport Management student at VUT, described the session as insightful and empowering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“The session was super helpful and beneficial because, as a Sport Management student, the information I gained from this session can also be applied within the sports industry,” she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another participant, Mr Gomotsegang Mooketsi, also a Sport Management student, reflected on how the discussion challenged his understanding of society and opportunity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Coming to this session, I did not expect to learn as much as I did today. I never realised how diversity and systems have silenced black people from opportunities that were meant for them. I found the session very educational,” he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The workshop concluded with an interactive question and answer session, allowing students to engage directly with Dr Seti-Sonamzi on issues relating to decolonisation, identity, transformation and the future of higher education.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As VUT advances its commitment to social justice, transformation and inclusive knowledge production, the Thina Sizwe workshop reinforced the importance of creating spaces where African perspectives, experiences and knowledge systems can be explored, celebrated and advanced. The dialogue served as a powerful reminder that decolonisation is not only an academic undertaking but also a collective journey towards restoring dignity, voice and belonging.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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