NGOs and Social Justice Colloquium: Key Themes

Lungisile Ntsebeza and Mazibuko Jara 

The fourth annual Thinking Africa colloquium took place from 27-28 September 2014 at Rhodes University in Grahamstown, South Africa. Thinking Africa colloquiums seek to encourage careful consideration of key issues related to the study of Africa and typically include active participation from postgraduate students with the aim of encouraging conversation and debate between current and future scholars.

'If you want to know what NGOs are all about follow the money and you will know':NGOs and Social Movements

Ayanda Kota will be participating in our upcoming Thinking Africa colloquium. He is also involved in the organisation of a workshop on NGOs and Social Movements which will take place on the 26^th of September 2014. Sally Matthews interviewed him recently about UPM, social movements and NGOs.

Ayanda Kota is a member of the Unemployed People’s Movement (UPM) in Grahamstown and President of Makana Football Association. He is a campaigner for social justice whose roots can be traced in the Black Consciousness movement. He is also a community development worker for the organisation Masifunde Education and Development Project Trust. He is a die-hard fan of Aretha Franklin, Gladys Knight and other divas.

Social Movements and NGOs

Gladys Mpepho is the Chairperson of the Grahamstown branch of the Unemployed People’s Movement (UPM). Thembani Onceya recently interviewed MaMpepho on the role of NGOs in bringing about social justices in South Africa. This interview was conducted in Xhosa and has been translated. Here's the Xhosa version if you'd like to read it in Xhosa.

You can contact  UPM Grahamstown on 0466222318 or like the Unemployed People’s Movement page on Facebook.