The episteme of academia in Africa: the developmental history of the University of Bophuthatswana/North-West and the city of Mmabatho as an exemplary case.

Abstract

• Opsomming: In hierdie artikel word aangetoon dat die stand van die akademie 'n Afrika ten nouste saamhang met die politieke aspirasies van die heersende politieke party. Die oorspronklike idee van die universiteit, soos oorgelewer deur die eeue, word hierdeur nietig verklaar, sodat die konsep van 'universiteit', soos ons dit vandag ken, eintlik 'n kontradiksie in terme is. Vanweë die praktiese eise van Afrikaregerings moet die konsep van 'universiteit' na regte vervang word met die konsep 'multiversiteit'. Die ontwikkelingsgeskiedenis van die Universiteit van die Noordweste (vroeër Universiteit van Bophuthatswana) toon duidelik aan hoedat die teorie van die Afrikauniversiteit in die praktyk gestalte gekry het. Die begeerte om 'n eie akademiese identiteit te verkry was gedra deur politieke aspirasies, met streng kontrole deur die destydse staatshoof, Lucas Mangope. Alhoewel akademiese vryheid gedetermineer is deur politieke aspirasies, en veral deur die vestiging Val 'n kultuurtrots, het die universiteit desnieteenstaande 'n uitstekende balans tussen Westerse standaarde en gemeenskapsbetrokkenheid gehandhaaf. Die artikel fokus ook op die komplementere ontwikkeling van Mmabatho as tuislandhoofstad en die ontwikkeling van die universiteit. Daar word aangetoon hoedat hierdie frenetiese bou gedryf was deur die begeerte om 'n eie identiteit vas te Iê, 'n eie unieke kulturele ruimte vir die Batswana tot stand te bring.

• Summary: In this article we have indicated that academia in Africa is closely related to the political aspirations of the ruling political party. On this continent, the original and now global idea of the university is being discarded, with the result that the concept of 'university' has become a contradiction in terms. Because of the practical demands of the African environment, the concept of 'university' should rather be viewed in terms of being a 'multiversity'. The developmental history of the University of the North-West clearly shows how the theory of the African university has been determined by practical realities. The desire to have an own academic identity was implemented, in the first instance, by political aspirations, of the then head of state, Lucas Mangope. Although academic freedom was determined by political aspirations, the University nevertheless managed to strike a balance between Western standards and the pragmatic need of African universities to be intimately involved with the community. This article also focused on the complementary development of Mmabatho as the capital city of the then homeland. It had been clearly shown how the frenetic building of those years was motivated by the desire to create an own identity in stone, to bring into being a unique cultural space for the Batswana.