by Phaphama Tshisikhawe
On 19 August 2025, Prof Tinyiko Maluleke delivered a thought-provoking opening address at the inaugural Linguistic Society of South Africa (LSSA) conference, held at the Birchwood Hotel in Ekurhuleni.
Addressing a diverse audience of linguists, literary scholars and policymakers, Prof Maluleke explored the transformative power of language, highlighting the cognitive significance of the mother tongue and its capacity to foster connection and understanding.
The Vice-Chancellor and Principal Prof Tinyiko Maluleke, opening the inaugural LSSA Conference.
In his remarks, Prof Maluleke invoked what he described as Nelson Mandela’s “Damascus experience,” referencing a critical incident taken from Mandela’s Long Walk to Freedom - the speech of Chief Meligqili, son of the chief in whose house Mandela grew up. The speech was delivered at a ceremony marking the end of the male initiation ritual in which the young Mandela took part. In the speech, Meligqili provocatively questioned the efficacy of this great African ritual when carried out in the context of oppression and lack of freedom - political and economic.
Maluleke argues that this speech of Chief Meligqili, delivered in moving isiXhosa, had a profound impact on Mandela, planting the seed that later led to his political consciousness and activism. Maluleke then contrasted the speech of Chief Meligqili with the acceptance speech of Nobel Laureate and novelist, Toni Morrison.
Morrison’s speech was based on the fable of a wise old woman. What is common to both the speech of Chief Meligqili and that of Toni Morrison, is the belief in and the use of, the power of language, especially mother tongue, to conscientise the young and reassert the role of language in public life. Accordingly, Prof Maluleke called for the elevation of indigenous languages and the insertion of language practice in the public square.
The LSSA conference, a landmark event aimed at advancing linguistic research, policy reform and advocacy for South Africa’s 12 official languages, provided a platform for critical dialogue.
Please click here to read the full speech delivered by Prof Tinyiko Maluleke at the Inaugural Linguistic Society of South Africa Conference.