Kutlwano Kgaoganyeng
Sol Plaatje University’s (SPU) Library and Information Service hosted “Read Mhudi” for Information Literacy Day on Tuesday, 8 September, at the University Library Auditorium under the theme “Readers Become Leaders: Promoting Literacy for Academic and Personal Success.”
This initiative forms part of the Vice-Chancellor’s Reading for Life Initiative, which encourages SPU students to read Mhudi by Sol Thekiso Plaatje, and recognises reading as a foundation for knowledge, personal growth and success throughout life.
The book is the first full-length novel written in English by a black South African, Plaatje. Mhudi is an astute young woman who escapes a violent raid by the Ndebele people in her hometown of Kunana in 1832.
Students were encouraged to engage with Mhudi as a powerful story of resilience, identity and hope, while reflecting on the relevance of its themes in contemporary society.
The initiative reaffirmed the university’s commitment to cultivating a culture of reading among students, not only as a means of academic success, but as a tool for lifelong learning, empathy and informed citizenship.
Through Mhudi, students were reminded that literature can preserve heritage while opening pathways to understanding the experiences of others.
The event also formed part of the University’s ‘Sol Plaatje@150’ campaign, bringing students together to celebrate literacy, heritage and the power of reading.
As SPU continues its Sol Plaatje@150 celebrations, the message remains clear: reading is not simply preparation for success but also a foundation for becoming informed, thoughtful and engaged leaders.
The scholars were invited to record and submit one-minute videos, sharing how Mhudi had inspired them, changed their perspectives, or connected them with their literary heritage.
The video also had to display how Plaatje continues to inspire generations, contribute to the growth of literature and help preserve cultural heritage.
Speaking at the event, SPU Vice-Chancellor Professor Debra Meyer urged young people to develop a reading culture that extends beyond academic requirements and the content presented to them by social media algorithms.
“Having access to information isn’t the same as having wisdom, so read beyond the examination, read beyond the assignment, beyond your discipline, beyond your comfort zone, and read beyond what the algorithm puts in front of you when you open social media,” Meyer said.
She emphasised that reading can broaden young people’s understanding of experiences different from their own.
“Read because it helps you understand people different from you. When you read, you enter someone else’s world. You begin to understand what it might feel like to grow up in a world different from yours,” she said.
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