10 Cape Times December 6, 2012 A Commercial Feature Hamba kahle, Chancellor Gerwel Co-ordinated by: Brent Cole – 021 488 4174, Special Projects, Independent Newspapers, Cape

‘The nation drew inspiration from its A humble man of defiant transformation of intellect and integrity itself from an SALEEM BADAT VICE-CHANCELLOR, ethnic institution ONE of the first messages of condo- into a proud lences following the death of Rhodes national asset: University Chancellor Professor Jakes Gerwel came from a retired academic from its concrete who said he was “a good and great man. He will be hard to replace”. and manifest The chairperson of Rhodes’ UK Trust, Geoffrey de Jager, wrote: concern for the “What sad and devastating news. A great man who often gave me wise poor, for women counsel. His death will leave a big void and rural in many people’s lives”. I first met Jakes Gerwel in 1987 at communities, and the London apartment of former Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, from its readiness Aziz Pahad. This was soon after Ger- wel became vice-chancellor of the to grapple with the University of the Western Cape (UWC). I was excited by his commit- kinds of problems ment to make UWC the “intellectual that a free and home of the democratic left”, and was JAKES GERWEL thrilled when he invited me to con- democratic South sider joining UWC when I returned to . Africa was to deal Joining UWC in 1989 was the and Jakes Gerwel. smartest thing that I have done in my potential and talents of all our youth, ensured that these twin and paradox- with later’ life. Many black intellectuals and his example of a rural boy who ical goals received constant close scholars like myself owe our achieve- achieved remarkable success under attention. ments and positions to Gerwel’s bold, adverse conditions must serve as a He was a strong advocate of inspired leadership, and the exciting source of inspiration for young people Rhodes University pursuing, in a prin- intellectual environment that he culti- who struggle under the burden of dis- cipled manner, equity with quality vated at UWC. And so it was exciting mal educational opportunities. and quality with equity. He took pride to be formally linked with him again Gerwel was an exceptional, coura- in the university’s academic achieve- when I became vice-chancellor at geous, gifted and pioneering South ments and performance in research Rhodes in 2006. African intellectual, scholar, leader, and teaching and its increasing He will be fondly remembered and citizen and person with a profound involvement in community engage- greatly missed as chancellor of Rhodes commitment to creating a just and ment. University. A humble, gentle man of humane society. The Jakes Gerwel Rhodes Univer- great integrity with a lively mind and Through a long and distinguished sity Scholarship Fund is testimony to intellect, he was always a source of association with the higher education his own life of achievement and sup- good judgement and wise counsel. He sector, as an academic, dean, vice- ports Eastern Cape students from will be warmly remembered for the chancellor, chairperson of the Com- socially disadvantaged backgrounds to grace and dignity with which he offi- mittee of University Principals in the attend Rhodes University and gradu- ciated at the university’s graduation early 1990s, chancellor, and chairper- ate from one of South Africa’s leading ceremonies and capped thousands of son of the Mandela Rhodes Founda- universities. graduating students. tion, Gerwel was an outstanding Gerwel was not only a significant Born on January 18, 1946 in Som- champion of higher education. figure in higher education, but he was erset East in rural Eastern Cape, Pro- As chancellor, he challenged also an important beacon in the eco- fessor Gert Johannes Gerwel was a Rhodes to become socially conscious nomic, social and political life of product of historically disadvantaged and think critically and imaginatively South Africa more generally. schools in the Eastern Cape. Like about access, equity and transforma- There were many pioneering firsts. most black South Africans of rural tion, and about its role in socio-eco- On June 5, 1987 he became the first backgrounds, he had to triumph over nomic development issues in South radical vice-chancellor, not only of the the apartheid and Verwoerdian dic- Africa, especially in the Eastern Cape. University of Western Cape but of any tum that there was no place for blacks On accepting an honorary doctor- South African university. beyond being hewers of wood and ate from Rhodes, Gerwel said: “Uni- He led the rejection of the drawers of water. versities are both central agents for apartheid principles on which UWC In a country deeply challenged to change and steady beacons of continu- had been established. Noting that the improve schooling so as to realise the ity and tradition.” His leadership “Afrikaans universities stand firmly within the operative con- text of Afrikaner national- ism”, and that the “English- language universities operate within the contexts of anglophile liberalism”, he observed that there was no university linked to “those people and institu- tions working for a funda- mental transformation of the old settler-colonial order”. In this context, he declared that UWC faced “the historical imperative to respond to the democratic left, to be an intellectual home for the left”. This meant that UWC had to “develop a critical align- ment with the democratic movement” and had to “educate towards and for a change society”. Gerwel stated that he could not “in conscience, in truth, educate or lead educa- tion, towards the reproduc- tion and maintenance of a social order which is unde- mocratic, discriminatory, exploitative and repres- sive”. Universities, instead, had to promote “through example a democratic cul- ture”. Gerwel was too good and thoughtful an intellec- tual to reduce a university to a political institution. He observed that a university can never “have a corporate opinion” nor compromise its “essential identity as ‘dis- interested’ searchers after Truth”. President Mandela has noted: “The nation drew inspiration from its defiant transformation of itself from an apartheid ethnic institu- tion into a proud national asset: from its concrete and manifest concern for the poor, for women and rural communities, and from its readiness to grapple with the kinds of problems that a free and democratic South Africa was to deal with later”. Archbishop Desmond Tutu recalled Gerwel say- ing, especially at a time when it was unpopular: “We are on the side of the downtrodden, we are going to work for the upliftment of our people”. To page 11