Charlotte Maxeke, Naledi Pandor and Francesca Albanese awarded UWC honorary doctorates
Struggle icon Charlotte Maxeke, former Irish president Mary Robinson, former minister Naledi Pandor and UN investigator Francesca Albanese were among seven people honoured by the University of the Western Cape at a ceremony at Kirstenbosch on Friday night.
On Friday, the University of the Western Cape honored seven remarkable women, including trailblazers Charlotte Maxeke, Mary Robinson, and Francesca Albanese. Maxeke, a pioneering figure, had become the first Black South African woman to earn a university degree almost 125 years prior. The other honorees were legal advocate Adila Hassim, Emeritus Professor Loyiso Nongxa, and the late Mandisa Monakali.
Maxeke's great-grandson, Thulasizwe Makhanya, expressed his delight at her being recognized for the first time since 1994. He emphasized how her life story would inspire the younger generation. Maxeke, who graduated from Wilberforce University with a BSc, founded the Bantu Women's League and dedicated her life to women and children's education and protection.
UWC rector and vice-chancellor, Professor Robert Balfour, stated that honorary degrees are conferred sparingly, yet those awarded are often closely connected to South Africa's struggle for democracy. Honorees Hassim and Pandor advanced SA's engagement with international law, while Robinson and Albanese brought global attention to human rights and accountability.
Mandisa Monakali, another posthumous recipient, founded Ilitha Labantu in Gugulethu, which provided counseling for abused women and children in townships. Pandor, who served as minister in various capacities across three decades, expressed her privileged connection to UWC and her excitement for her future role at Nelson Mandela University.
Hassim, an evidence leader at the Madlanga Commission and co-founder of Section27, received the honor unexpectedly, praising the university's values and expressing gratitude. Albanese, the special rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories, remained on a US sanctions blacklist despite US legal challenges. Despite the obstacles, she remained committed to her task, according to Pandor.
Robinson, Ireland's first female president, served as UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, while Nongxa, a mathematician, was vice-chancellor of the University of the Witwatersrand for 10 years.
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