Stalwart Dr John Langalibalele hailed as trailblazer
Durban – KwaZulu-Natal sought to develop a model citizen guided by the values of leaders like Dr Langalibalele Dube, said Premier Nomusa Dube-Ncube.
She was speaking at the Inaugural Commemorative Public Lecture of Dube on Thursday night at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre (ICC).
It was hosted in collaboration with the provincial government and Unisa.
This year’s commemorative lecture was themed: “Promoting Unity and Human Rights for Community Empowerment: Celebrating 151 Years of John Langalibalele Dube’s Legacy.”
“Among these values and commitments to unity is the pursuit of excellence through education and skills development, self-awareness and selflessness, commitment to serve and to serving others,” said Dube-Ncube.
She said to cement Dube’s legacy, the provincial government and Unisa have agreed to co-operate in various areas, such as work-integrated learning for Unisa students, co-operation in supporting unemployed graduates and undergraduates, skills development and training initiatives for the unemployed, the development of the maritime industry, the incubation of start-ups, capacity building of public servants, joint research initiatives, as well as community projects.
“I am along, with millions of fellow South Africans, a beneficiary of the pioneering struggles of icons such as Dr Langalibalele Dube. Even for years to come, we will continue to honour this visionary leader whose clarity and foresight and commitment to the cause will continue to define our own vision to come.”
Former Deputy Judge President in KwaZulu-Natal, Judge Thabani Jali, delivering the keynote address, said the story of John Dube was one which should be told to every child in the country.
“Our children need to hear this story. It is a story of ambition, vision, values, devotion, fortitude, resilience, black excellence, and the epitome of the struggle of black for liberation. It is a story of a young man who could have easily been satisfied with attending to family matters as it was the practice then, or being satisfied with an education up to Standard 4 as it was the government policy then.”
Jali said that Dube instead chose a route that was less travelled that in turn ended up making him a trailblazer in education, politics, and media.
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Durban