Karabo Ntanzi
Khumo Makame
For many years to come, 24th March 2026 will be deeply engraved in the hearts mind of Kimberlites especially those who had the privilege of attending Dr Thebeitsile Investiture as Chancellor for Sol Plaatje University (SPU).
Ikalafeng is the second Chancellor since the inception of SPU, one of two universities built during the democratic dispensation.
The SPU auditorium was filled with distinguished guests, including more than 10 Chancellors from universities across the continent, religious leaders, politicians, businesspeople, 200 high school learners, MEC for Education Abraham Vosloo, Northern Cape Premier Zamani Saul and the Ikalafeng friends and relatives.
Ikalafeng, an award-winning pan-African marketer and author, hails from Kimberley and has Botswana origins. He has worked on over 100 brands across Africa and is an avid traveller who has visited over 100 countries globally, including every country in Africa.
In preparation for his investiture, Ikalafeng drew inspiration from the Sankofa concept, a Ghananian philosophy that emphasizes learning from the past to inform the present and future,
He started the journey into the past on Friday 20 March 2026, by going to Wits University to fetch Solomon Plaatje’s historic passport, issued by the Canadian Government in 1921, after the colonial-era South African Government refused to issue him one.
At Wits, he met Tebogo Galagala, a Soweto Cyclist who volunteered to cycle for 490 km, from Johannesburg to Kimberley, carrying the symbolic passport to SPU. Sol Plaatje cycled throughout South Africa, documenting the impact of the 1913 Land Act.
Ikalafeng said, “That passport is a testament to Sol Plaatje’s reach, a leader who crossed oceans, moved governments, and demanded to be heard. Today, Tebogo completed that journey when he brought the symbolic passport here into Sol Plaatje University”.
He thanked Dr. Judith Dlamini for ensuring that SPU is granted access to the passport which is insured for R13 million, highlighting the significance of preserving South African history and the importance of safeguarding its heritage.
The investiture programme unfolded as a deeply symbolic and culturally rich journey.
On Monday, Ikalafeng visited his grandparents’ graves at ABC cemetery in Kimberley; thereafter, he went with some Senior Management staff from SPU to Solomon Thekisho Plaatje’s grave at West End cemetery. At home, friends, family, close associates and neighbours joined the traditional festivity where a goat and a sheep were slaughtered to appease the ancestors.
On Tuesday, the proceedings began at No. 5 Montshiwa Road, the house in which he was born. He reflected on his upbringing alongside his three siblings and mother. The moment was both intimate and spiritual. A short prayer was led by Fr Molefe Koloi, from Our Lady of Fatima Shrine, the church of his upbringing, and where he served as an Altar Server as a youngster.
Guests then accompanied Ikalafeng to St Boniface High School, his alma mater, where he introduced them to the former Principal, Brother Donald Maddan (a 93-year-old retired Catholic Religious Brother), who played an instrumental role in shaping Ikalafeng’s life.
Spectacularly, led by vintage cars, the procession moved to Sol Plaatjie Museum in New Park. the house in which he lived until the time of his death.
Ikalafeng accompanied by Dr Zamani Saul unveiled the famous Solomon Thekisho Plaatje’s portrait. A concerted effort in collaboration with Ikalafeng celebrated a trio representing three distinct disciplines about one city. Restored the institutional memory, Photographer Trevor Stuurman, born in the city worked with Dr. Mofokeng who earned his doctorate at Wits University on Plaatje’s writings, whose ancestral roots run through Kimberley and the award-winning Visual Artist Mark Modimola.
Ikalafeng said the Solomon Plaatje Museum is not a resting place for the past but a laboratory for the future. “This portrait will not merely hang as a decoration here at this institution but will hang as a permanent question to every person who goes past it or beneath it”.
It was a breathtaking and humbling scene to see academics from Chancellors and Professors, dressed in multi-colored robes, hoods and belts, including, Northern Cape Premier, Dr Zamani Saul retracing Plaatjie’s journey, in a 500m commemorative walk from the Sol Plaatje’s Museum in Angel Street to the University’s Great Hall, led by a group of traditional dancers.
Chairperson of the University Council, Prof Randall Carolissen, commented on the significance of the moment, saying, “Today we mark another important step of anchoring ourselves in the Northern Cape and becoming an anchor institution for the development of the province.” He said of Ikalafeng, “With a man of his stature and moral authority, whose reach extends across the African continent as an opinion maker and global connector, we stand to benefit immensely.”
Speaking during an interview, Ikalafeng emphasised the university’s responsibility to uphold its founding values. “Our role is to ensure that Sol Plaatjie University reflects Plaatje’s values and serves as a catalyst for young people in Kimberley,” he said.
In his maiden speech, Chancellor Ikalafeng outlined a vision anchored on three pillars: aligning the university with Plaatjie’s legacy, contributing to the revitalisation of Kimberley’s mining sector and positioning the institution at the centre of economic and social development. He also took pride in his Chancellor ceremonial robe, specially reimagined by South African born, Thebe Magugu, a Louis Vuitton prize winner. The lining is imbedded with Plaatje’s writings and Plaatje’s image is prominently featured.
Delivering the keynote address, Northern Cape Premier Dr Zamani Saul described the university as “a product of social urgency”, urging it to remain grounded in community needs while advancing research, democracy and social justice.
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