Biography of n the 18 years of exile, Mongane Wally Serote participated on various levels of the ANC structures in the mobilisation, planning, negotiations and leading in the struggle for the Liberation of South in the Political, armed struggle and cultural sectors.

He was the head of the regional Arts and Culture life time achievement underground structure in , award, the International Golden Head of the Department of Arts and Wreath for poetry in Strugga, the Culture; member of the Regional Alexandra icon award and the Pan Political Military committee in South African Language Board for Botswana and in Britain. He was contributing to the development and the cultural attache of the ANC , in promotion of African languages in Britain and Europe. From 1990, he South Africa. was head of Arts and Culture of the ANC in South Africa. He spearheaded He became a member of Parliament the organization and mobilisation of and chairperson of Arts and Culture, the cultural workers through major languages, science and Technology festivals, symposiums , conferences portfolio committee of Parliament. in Botswana (1982), Amsterdam He initiated, spearheaded and facilitated (1987) London (1990), the research, discussions and debate (1993) which resulted in the at National level and organized and formation of National organizations put on the national agenda, through of writers, musicians, Theatre, Dance, negotiations with the Universities , Photographers, filmmakers. He science Councils, various indigenous participated in the negotiations for the organizations e.g. Dikgosi, Dingaka, transformation of the international different government departments, cultural and other forms of boycotts of various communities nationally for the system into structures of Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS) democracy in the new dispensation in to be accepted as a tool for the social South Africa. and economic upliftment, nationally. And he lead He is a writer of a number of Novels, a team which organized poetry collections, essays and plays, the first IKS conference in and has been awarded national and 1998. international awards in this regard, including the Inkamanga in Silver, He participated in the by President Thabo Mbeki, the Arts, Culture, heritage ward, by the Chilean sectors of the national President, the Ingrid Jonker award for negotiations at Codesa. poetry, the Noma award for writing He has a Master of fine in Africa, the English medal for Arts with Columbia contributing in writing in Southern University in New York as Africa, the Presidential awar by the a Fulbright student. Black Management forum, the BBQ statesman award, the Department of He was CEO of the

1... Biography of Mongane Wally Serote National Heritage and Memorial – the creation of the medicinal plant Freedom Park, and received a long gardens in the 9 provinces of South service award. Africa, and spearheaded the cleansing, healing, and return of spirits rituals He is the CEO of iARi. He chairs and ceremonies, in Southern Africa various boards of organizations e.g. and the US before the building of The Johannesburg Theatres, the Freedom Park and at Vlakplaas, a Indigenous Knowledge system Trust farm which was the killing fields of of South Africa, (iIkssa). He is also the apartheid security forces which the founder and chairperson of the were attended by over a thousand South African Music Trust, SAMET Dingaka. and iARikssa based at the University of South Africa- Unisa. He participated in the He has been awarded opening event of the honorary doctorates, by International Women’s the Universities of Natal, Forum Global stage and the Transkei, and an 2015-Legacy and honorary Professorship Inheritance Journey to by Unisa. He is a member the Future: What makes of the Advisory Council us South Africans. of the Thabo Mbeki He has lectured on Foundation; and the various platforms, and magazine, The Thinker. He in different universities is the director of Seolo Sa abroad and in South Serote Pty Ltd. Africa on political, Arts, Culture, IKS built environment and heritage. He was initiated as a Ngaka in 1999. He has initiated and spearheaded He is in the process of setting up the discussions at a National level for Mongane Wally Serote Foundation.

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