Posthumous honorary degree for activist

Date: 19 May 2016 By: Elmon Tshikhudo

The mood was sombre when a late struggle hero's citation was read during the awarding of a posthumous honorary doctorate to him, but it turned into ululations when Tshifhiwa Muofhe's only daughter Mulanga responded.

The honorary doctorate in law was conferred on the late political activist during the recent graduation ceremony of the University of Venda. A total of 2 181 degrees, diplomas and certificates were conferred during the different sessions of the ceremony. Nine doctorates, 90 masters, 204 honours and 1 878 degrees were awarded.

In her acceptance speech after the doctorate had been conferred on her late father, Mulanga said the honour was a confirmation of the ultimate sacrifice her father had made towards the freeing of the people of South Africa from the bondage of apartheid. “Tshifhiwa Muofhe was a beloved son, brother, husband, father, friend and an activist who wasn't afraid to stand and fight for what he believed in. He fought selflessly for social justice and for the alleviation of oppression of his fellow people. He put his life on the line and now we all enjoy the fruits of his labour," she added.

The late Tshifhiwa Issac Muofhe was born in Musina in 1954. He registered as a first-year student at the University of the North in 1972, but dropped out because of financial problems. Dropping out of varsity did not stop his passion for reading as he continued to collect books, including banned material, and established his own library at home. His death came as a shock to many as the real cause of his death is still unknown.

He was reported dead in his cell in Matatshe Prison on 12 November 1981, only two days after his arrest. He was arrested together with cleric and fellow political activist Dr Tshenuwani Farisani on allegations that were connected to the bombing of the Sibasa Police Station, where three policemen had died.

The police report of his death at the time said that he died after he had jumped from the police van when he was being transported from Sibasa to Matatshe prison. Muofhe left his only daughter, Mulanga, who was just a toddler when he died. He was also a founding member of the Bold Evangelical Christian Organisation (BECO), which he founded together with Cyril Ramaphosa at Mphaphuli High School in 1971.

He established links with many banned organizations and travelled extensively to countries such as Swaziland, Botswana, Lesotho and Zimbabwe.

A proposal has been made by the Department of Justice and Correctional Services to the Muofhe family to rename the Matatshe Prison to the Tshifhiwa Muofhe Correctional Centre.

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Elmon Tshikhudo

Elmon Tshikhudo started off as a photographer. He developed an interest in writing and started submitting articles to local as well as national publications. He became part of the Limpopo Mirror family in 2005 and was a permanent part of the news team until 2019.

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Mulanga Muofhe is led to Univen chancellor Kgalema Motlanthe by Univen principal Professor Peter Mbati.