Women lead charge at Fort Hare graduation

Women are leading the pack at the week-long University of Fort Hare (UFH) graduation that kicked off yesterday.

This year’s ceremonies are particularly special because they mark 100 years of students graduating at the historic institution.

Of the more than 2,900 graduates crossing the stage at the Alice [Dikeni] Sports Complex, 63% are women.

In addition, more than 60% of those graduating cum laude are women.

Chancellor advocate Dumisa Ntsebeza SC, and vicechancellor Prof Sakhela Buhlungu will confer 2,168 undergraduate degrees, 412 honours, 77 Masters degrees and 33 doctoral degrees.

Acting deputy registrar: academic and administration Actor Katurura said at the cusp of the university’s centennial graduation ceremonies, he thought of the 2002 coming-ofage comedy-drama, Drumline.

“Drumline is a ‘fish out of water’ story about a gifted young man from Harlem who gets a place at a historically black college in Atlanta, Georgia. Certainly, many of you graduating this season are young.

“That you are here is surely testimony that you are gifted and for some of you at least, arriving at and trying to fit into this citadel of higher learning was a real fish-out-of water experience and yet in the coming days we will be celebrating your triumphant journey through your chosen areas of study.

“This means that you have travelled through the contested territory and that every inch of ground you gained, every module that you passed, required dedication, preparedness, hard and smart work, and more.

“Over and above the usual and inevitable challenges of higher education, the bulk of your studies were during the miasma that came with the Covid-19 pandemic,” Katurura said.

Remarking on the 100th year of graduation and congratulating all graduates, Katurura highlighted the evolution of UFH graduations since 1924.

“Having come this far it is fitting that there is evidence of real transformation in achievement patterns at this graduation.

“This year there will be more female graduates at every level except at the doctoral level, but the gap between the number of male and female graduates is closing. The majority of those graduating with cum laude are also women.”

He said graduation was a distinct coming-of-age event, which is why they had “commencement” speeches delivered on such occasions in America.

“One of the punchlines from the movie, Drumline, says, ‘gentlemen [and ladies], you have now crossed the burning sands ..!’

“The phrase aptly captures the journey of challenge and sacrifice which you have gone through to arrive at this point.

“Therefore, you who are graduating here can now rightfully bang on the doors of opportunity, whether they be in education, careers, entrepreneurial endeavour, or any other, and proclaim, ‘We have crossed the burning sands, grant us entry’.”