​Over two days in October, national leaders drawn from academia, government, business, civil society, the diplomatic community and experts from around the world will meet in Cape Town to shed fresh light on the role of business and civil society in advancing social justice. The fourth Annual International Conference on Social Justice and the fifth Annual Social Justice Summit will be held at the Artscape Theatre Centre on 11 and 12 October. The events are hosted by the Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) at Stellenbosch University (SU) and the Council of Social Justice Champions. 

Businesses and corporates have a crucial role to play in supporting social justice initiatives, says Prof Thuli Madonsela, director of the CSJ. “In South Africa, the legacy of apartheid has created deep-rooted socio-economic disparities, and the promotion of social justice has become a significant focus. In recent years, there has been increasing recognition that businesses should go beyond their traditional profit-making activities and actively contribute to addressing social issues and inequalities. Businesses are being called upon to take responsibility for their impact on society and actively contribute to creating a more equitable and inclusive nation. Business leaders have the power to shape what we value in society, and they have an obligation to leverage their influence for good. Even the most vigorous corporate social investments effort can’t compensate for a business underpaying its employees or suppliers or overcharging its customers,” Madonsela notes.

“We look forward to discussions that will offer new insights and strategies to make a real impact. The corporate voice can be used effectively to help meet the social, economic, environmental and health needs of the communities they serve. Collaborative social justice interventions can be a powerful tool to bring about systemic social change.”

The programme director of the International Conference will be Songezo Mabece, a lawyer with specialisations in legal advisory and research, public policy and regulatory work. Well-known media personality and entrepreneur Basetsana Kumalo will facilitate the International Summit where the keynote addresses will be delivered by the Minister of Justice and Correctional Services, Ronald Lamola. The Summit welcoming address will be presented by Busisiwe Mavuso, Chief Executive Officer of Business Leadership South Africa. Prominent SU academics such as Prof Stan du Plessis (Chief Operating Officer), Prof Nicola Smit (Dean of the Faculty of Law) and Madonsela will also feature on the distinguished speakers list. 

A highlight of the Social Justice Summit on 12 October will be the announcement of the Social Justice Champion of the Year. The main aim of this initiative is to identify a South African that is making positive difference to advance social justice. Last year Lorenzo Davids, a leader and veteran in the social development space, was celebrated as Social Justice Champion of the Year for his tireless community work and activism. In 2021, Dr Imtiaz Sooliman of Gift of the Givers received the same honour. 

A second annual award for a South African who is committed to promoting social cohesion was introduced at the 2022 Social Justice Summit. The Bridge Builder Award recognises a person who has achieved extraordinary heights in healing the divisions of the past by building social bridges across historically divided groups and communities. The award was initiated in honour of the late Council of Social Justice Champions member, Dr Beatrice Wiid, who excelled in building bridges across communities divided by economic and historical racial disparities, in pursuit of social cohesion and peace. 

Partners for Possibility, the flagship programme of the NPO, Citizen Leader Lab, was awarded the 2022 inaugural Bridge Builder Award in recognition of its efforts to foster social cohesion in South Africa. Citizen Leader Lab’s current focus is strengthening and increasing leadership development and support within the education ecosystem. 

Nominations for the Social Justice Champion of the Year and the Bridge Builder Award will open soon. 

• Conference and summit dates: The interdisciplinary fourth Annual International Conference on Social Justice will be held on 11 October, followed by the fifth Annual Summit on Social Justice on 12 October 2023. 

• Venue: Both the conference and summit will take the form of an in-person event with the option of attending either online or in person at Artscape Theatre Centre in Cape Town. 

• Registration link: http://forms.office.com/r/ykWAebEkve

• For more information, including information on registrations and other matters, please contact Fanelesibonge Ndebele at [email protected] or +27(0)21 808 9734.

Issued by the office of the Centre for Social Justice at Stellenbosch University. 

Photo: Participants in the Annual Social Justice Summit and International Conference gathered at Boschendal last year. ​