Daisy Selematsela, University Librarian at WITS, with incoming Sol Plaatje University Chancellor Thebe Ikalafeng.
Image: Supplied
Johannesburg played a pivotal role this week in the lead-up to the historic investiture of Thebe Ikalafeng as Chancellor of Sol Plaatje University, set for 24 March 2026 in Kimberley. The investiture, rooted in African tradition, heritage, and the values of Solomon Tshekisho Plaatje, marks a national cultural moment in the 150th year of Plaatje’s birth.
The programme, themed “Light from Africa: Building on Legacy, Advancing Knowledge and Securing the Future,” unfolds across landmark Kimberley sites linked to Plaatje and the university. A key highlight began in Johannesburg on 20 March 2026, when Soweto-born cyclist Tebogo Galagala and incoming Chancellor Ikalafeng met the archival team at Wits University’s McCullen Library to receive Plaatje’s historic passport - issued by the Canadian government in 1921 after the colonial-era South African government refused to enable his travel. This symbolic journey retraces Plaatje’s final route to Kimberley and will culminate in the ceremonial transfer of the passport at the investiture, representing the enduring reach of Plaatje’s intellectual legacy.
The Chancellor’s ceremonial robe, to be unveiled at the investiture, has been specially reimagined by Kimberley-born designer and Africa’s first LVMH Prize winner, Thebe Magugu, celebrating global African brilliance alongside tradition.
Cyclist Tebogo Galagala with incoming Sol Plaatje University Chancellor Thebe Ikalafeng and Elizabeth Marina, Archivist at WITS University.
Image: Supplied
A newly-commissioned portrait of Solomon Plaatje by Chancellor Ikalafeng - created with celebrated Kimberley-born photographer Trevor Stuurman, Solomon Plaatje scholar Dr Lesley Mofokeng of Wits University, and visual artist Mark Modimola - will also be unveiled, uniting art, scholarship, and heritage in a single powerful moment.
In a first for South African higher education, the formal academic procession will depart from Ikalafeng’s childhood home in Galeshewe township, pass key sites tied to his life and Plaatje’s legacy, and culminate in a 500-metre public procession from the Solomon Plaatje Museum to the university’s Great Hall.
The investiture will bring together public figures, business, civil society, public sector, and higher education leaders, including Chancellors Dr Judy Dlamini, Prof Bonang Mohale, and Prof Brian Figaji, Vice-Chancellors such as Prof Letlhokwa Mpedi of the University of Johannesburg, and Northern Cape Premier Dr Zamani Saul as Guest of Honour.
The programme concludes with Chancellor Ikalafeng’s inaugural address, in which he will outline his vision for his tenure and SPU’s role in shaping Africa’s intellectual and cultural future.