Mr Kgalema Motlanthe
President, Republic of South Africa (2008 - 2009)
The Paradox of Education
31 October 2017, 5.00pm - 6.30pm
South Africa might have emerged from the apartheid oppression in April 1994, but its legacy continues to present itself as a formidable challenge to the state. Illiteracy is still prevalent among millions of adults, and the number of school dropouts is increasing at an alarming rate.
Contributing to this state of affairs is the fact that globalisation is imposing structural constraints on what developing nations can and cannot do to extricate themselves from the conditions of underdevelopment. Without proper education, South Africans continue to be trapped in the poverty cycle and are unable to contribute positively to the economy.
In attempts to change this for the better, South Africa has put a premium on education as the only viable socio-economic equaliser and therefore catalyst for change. Will South Africa be able to completely free itself from the shackles of apartheid by using education as a catalyst?
Join us as Mr Kgalema Motlanthe discusses his experiences in South Africa’s struggle against oppression and more.
About The Speaker
Mr Kgalema Motlanthe currently serves as Chair of the High Level Panel on the Assessment of Key Legislation and the Acceleration of Fundamental Change as well as Chancellor of the University of Venda, South Africa.
In 2008, Mr Motlanthe was elected President of the Republic of South Africa by Parliament. He served till 2009.
Mr Motlanthe was previously tasked with strengthening the trade union movement in South Africa. Under the National Union of Mineworkers, he was a national office-bearer responsible for education and was also involved in forming shop-steward committees. He was later elected as General Secretary of the union.
After his retirement as President, Mr Motlanthe was appointed Deputy President by President Jacob Zuma. During that period, he took on various leadership roles, of which included Leader of the Anti-Poverty Programme, Chairperson of the Human Resource Development Council and Chairperson of the South African National AIDS Council just to name a few.
Mr Motlanthe also re-established the structures of African National Congress. He served as Secretary General of the ANC from 1997 to 2007, and continued on as Deputy President of the ANC till 2012.