​​​​​​​On 16 June, Dr Simthembile Xeketwana (Department Curriculum Studies) was hosted by the Language Centre of the University of Pardubice in the Czech Republic. He presented a lecturer on Ubuntu and African languages as embodiment(s) of communal living. This lecture was quite significant as South Africa was celebrating youth day, which is related to language rights. In the presentation, Xeketwana elaborated on how ubuntu as a way of living is seen and realised through the African languages. These languages espouse ubuntu not just as a philosophy that one can theorise and move on but also invoke the hidden onto-epistemologies that should be used and work on to develop our languages as South Africans and possibly Africa at large. He further argued that through these onto-epistemologies that underly ubuntu, social cohesion can be developed and used to improve South Africa. 

The lecture was further interesting as it was also attended by the representative from the South African embassy, Counsellor Namhla Gigaba. It was instrumental for the government and these two institutions of higher education for further collaborations. 

This lecture was made possible by Zaan Bester, a former SU employee, who is now working at the University of Pardubice.

Finally, Xeketwana hopes that there will be more collaborations with the University of Pardubice (Language Centre) concerning language teaching.

Xeketwana is currently spending two months in Germany at Leipzig University as a fellow at the Institute for African Studies. 

​ Xeketwana presenting in Pardubice.
​ ​​ Gigaba and the director of the Language Centre at Pardubice, Andrea Koblížková.​	​