Through its Faculty of Humanities, the University of Pretoria (UP) has conferred an honorary doctorate on acclaimed South African writer Mandla Langa in recognition of his dedication to arts and culture, his long career in literature and his steadfast commitment to defending the rights of the oppressed.

“UP is one of the world’s leading universities and has a long and admirable record of academic excellence,” Langa says. “Being recognised by such an institution is extremely gratifying.”

Langa is a political activist, journalist and an award-winning author who has written both prose and poetry. His most recent book is the novel The Lost Language of the Soul (published in 2021). He also co-authored former president Nelson Mandela’s unfinished biography titled Dare Not Linger: The Presidential Years (2017), and has penned several other fiction and non-fiction books.

Langa grew up in KwaMashu in KwaZulu-Natal as part of a “lively, loving family where reading, which was associated with academic success, was encouraged,” he says. Unsurprisingly, reading led to writing.

South African writer Mandla Langa accepting his honorary doctorate from the University of Pretoria as Vice-Chancellor Professor Tawana Kupe looks on.

“I started writing when I was very young, starting with poetry. I was encouraged by my teachers to try my hand at short story and essay writing. In 1980, after my short story won an award, I had enough confidence to write novels. I have since written both fiction and non-fiction.”

Langa has a qualification in printing and journalism, and a Master’s in Creative Writing, though his academic journey got off to a rocky start.

“I went to the University of Fort Hare where I was expelled after my first year because I was involved in a protest, following the much-publicised ‘Tiro affair’ [where Black Consciousness student activist Abram Onkgopotse Tiro delivered a valedictorian speech that led to students boycotting classes in solidarity with him]. This plunged black universities into turmoil in the early 1970s,” Langa says.

His career highlights include winning Drum magazine’s Short Story Award in October 1980; being granted a British Arts Council bursary for creative writing in 1991; winning the 2009 Commonwealth Writers’ Prize (Africa Region) for his novel The Lost Colours of the Chameleon; being commissioned to co-author Dare Not Linger; and publishing The Lost Language of the Soul, which was received with great acclaim.

“UP is proud to confer its highest academic honour on a man whose work is fiercely honest and morally astute,” says Professor Vasu Reddy, Dean of the Faculty of Humanities. “With this award, it is our hope that we can inspire more of our students to be, like Mr Langa, the writers and voices our country so desperately needs.”

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