Leslie van Rooi
At the end of each academic semester, it is always a worthwhile, necessary, and indeed interesting exercise to actively reflect on what transpired in the life and times of a university.
This is helpful not only to consolidate and to catch up on many levels, but also to plan for the semester ahead.
Reflection, to a degree, fills you with a sense of emotion and gratitude because you remember the highs and the lows, moments of joy and anxiety, and very often also moments of pride and disappointment.
But of all the moments that are called into remembrance through reflection, it is those that lead to profound internal and external change that stand out.
My role at Stellenbosch University (SU) comes with regular challenges.
But it is also characterised by gains, new pathways and memorable, deeply reflective and changing moments and experiences. And therefore, it is even more important to reflect on what was and to plan for what is to come.
One of the memorable and deeply transformative moments experienced in this semester was the renaming process of the Krotoa Building at SU. The building, formerly known as the RW Wilcocks Building, was renamed after a public engagement and consultation process, and ceremonially reopened in May.
So, why did we opt for a longer engagement process as part of the renaming?
After it was decided to rename the building in honour of Krotoa, SU started a deliberate and deeply engaged process by inviting traditional, community, academic and student leaders.
Under the leadership and guidance of Professor Sylvia Vollenhoven, the year-long process was aimed at inviting diverse voices and stories to determine what would be a fitting way to honour Krotoa at SU so that it is indeed not only about adding a name to a building.
This process allowed for a reflective exercise that culminated in a traditional ceremony led by chiefs of the First Nation’s people, and traditional leaders.
It also called together the First Nation’s experiences of South Africa and that of Australia in a play and exhibition following the ceremony.
Processes of naming and renaming should never only be about adding a (new) name to a building.
The goal should be institutional change and transformation that, through the process, should reflect something of the new name. And therefore, the need for a longer process of engagement after the decision to rename the building after Krotoa was finalised.
The Krotoa Building houses, among others, the departments of history, psychology, research development and the international office, and it is foreseen that her story will be reflected in what is taught and researched – also in who does the research – in this building and on our different campuses.
And to share her story, Krotoa is contextualised in text and poem in the building, thus inviting students and visitors into the space. Outside, the gardens reflect plants used by the Khoe people for centuries – all highly symbolic.
The spaces in and around the building thus reflect the story of Krotoa and her people. This exercise allows the broader university community to know more and better understand the history and realities of the Cochoqua people.
But even more so. With names like that of Adam Small, Simon Nkoli, Russel Botman, Nkosi Johnson and Krotoa on prominent buildings on the SU campuses, it cannot but lead to institutional change at the university.
These name changes add to the texture of SU and indeed celebrate diversity through stories, perspective, legacies, and identities.
The naming and renaming of buildings and spaces on campuses cannot be the be-all and end-all of institutional change. But no change is complete without a diversity of names, stories, identities, and histories reflected on campus. As such, it should be seen as part of other transformative processes.
And in this regard, the Krotoa renaming process stands out.
Given his role and openness to engage in the renaming process, the late Chief Karel King should be acknowledged.
Before his tragic passing, he served as the leader of the Cochoqua people (Stellenbosch thus falls within the boundaries of this chiefdom – a chiefdom now under the leadership of Chief Marius Krediet).
Before SU formally decided that the former Wilcocks Building will be renamed after Krotoa, we consulted with Chief King and indeed received his blessing to rename the building with a request that it should be reopened with a traditional ceremony.
I’m also very grateful that various other stakeholders partnered with SU over this period and guided one of the country’s top universities to do the right thing.
The story of Stellenbosch is now part of the Krotoa story. We are now part of the story of a diversity of people that predates our own story.
For SU, this is true not only in relation to world history and its impact on academia, but also in the context of our local, often hidden histories.
And this adds to what it means to be a university – a universal community of scholars.
In reducing the largest part of its history and story through focusing on the notion of Afrikaner nationalism that excluded the majority of South Africans, SU has up to now mostly lost out on the opportunity to fully embrace place, history and context.
We have deliberately impoverished our learning and engagement opportunities.
Through transformation and deep institutional change processes, SU is attempting to find its complete story –also in terms of its future. This it does in the broadest sense as it will add to the notion of excellence at SU.
This does not mean that we will not get it wrong. In fact, the processes and experiences mentioned above are filled with challenges, try-agains, empathy and humility. This, in itself, is part of a process of learning and unlearning and is counter to a skewed political understanding of transformation.
In fact, I would argue that transformation, actively and ongoing, is part of the nature of a university and is indeed counter to a one-dimensional and highly politicised understanding of the notion.
As such, by naming a building after Krotoa and acknowledging and sharing her story with members of the campus communities now and in future, SU adds a missing piece to the puzzle of its story.
This allows SU to become more than just its history and will indeed add to the tapestry of stories, memories and identities at play at a transforming university.
This is not an aim in itself, but a way of growing into becoming a national asset for all South Africans.
Dr Van Rooi is a senior director for social impact and transformation at Stellenbosch University.
Cape Times