Graduation Ceremony, Faculty of Humanities, WITS. 2 July 2012, 15h00
By Pat Pillai, News Anchor – E News Prime Time and CEO - Life College Group and LifeCo
Mindset Academy - Ashoka Globalizer Fellow.
The Chancellor, Vice Chancellor and Deputy Vice Chancellors, Council Members, Deans of
Schools, Academics and the broader WITS Community, Parents and Graduates:
Good afternoon.
‘Fish discover water last ’... True? Or false?
What do you think?
I’ll come back to that in a while...
The news of Prof Philip Tobias’s passing resonated not just in South Africa, but across the
world. Even though we know he struggled with illness, he, at the grand, proud age of 86,
bequeathed a legacy of profound human significance. News rooms buzzed with activity as
journalists told the story of his life – amazingly - in 90 seconds or 600 words – too short it
seemed to me, for our very own Indiana Jones, a life so full, so focussed and so much in
service of humanity. Media reports included various people who were asked to comment on
his life and contribution. I read. I listened and in all this, what struck me – as I’m certain it
did others - was the apparent single, clear purpose of his life. Not to oversimplify Prof
Tobias’s life, but the world remembers him almost unanimously as a South African, an
academic and scientist whose lifelong passion was a burning purposeful curiosity about our
human ancestry and its study.
It brings particular resonance to Shakespeare’s Hamlet when he says holding a skull in his
hand: “Alas, poor Yorick! I knew him...” I admit that I couldn’t help thinking of that scene
whenever I saw Prof Tobias pictured at work, skull in hand... But that famous extract from
Hamlet is so often delivered by players across the world with sadness. Sadness because of a
life lived, and a life ended – and Shakespeare clearly questions the meaning of life itself.
You see Prof Tobias’s legacy has less to do with human ancestry and fossilised bones - but so
much more to do with life and what it means to be human. It has to do with our human
need to - as Viktor Frankl says - ‘detect purpose’. It has to do with the humanity we share
and the consciousness that lifts us out of dust and bones. Something Philip Tobias
profoundly achieved. If ever there was a person who demonstrated academic excellence
and a relevant, compelling humanising consciousness it was Prof Tobias.
But all too often I wonder about the lack of humanising consciousness we see manifested in
our society. I also wonder to what extent it is manifested in the media. And a lack of
consciousness can, and does, manifest.
‘Fish discover water last ‘... True? or false?
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What do you think?
It was a somewhat bewildered, wet-behind-the-ears, youngster who 30 odd years ago
began his undergraduate degree at the then University of Durban Westville. My undergrad
education degree was a long-held dream come true. What I studied was augmented by my
campus experience and my introduction to the writings of Steve Biko – and something
began to bother me. So, after a few years, I qualified as a teacher and soon realised that I
was not qualified for what my students really needed. I felt not only inexperienced, but
completely inept. My state-provided curriculum fell short of giving my students what they
really needed. It was Steve Biko who so clearly raised the question of consciousness decades
ago. He spoke too of self-reliance and the critical self-reflection that leads to true personal
liberation and engaged citizenry. He was relevant then. He is relevant now. It appears that
we need the conscientising process he spoke of then, now more than ever. It was
Archbishop Desmond Tutu who said a few years ago ‘blacks need black consciousness and
whites need white consciousnesses’.
In a nation that has proven its humanity and so much more potential for greatness, we
struggle with massive inequality, gross unemployment, clear disrespect for human life,
disregard for the environment, corruption and poor service delivery and so on... perhaps we
need to ask ourselves: is sowing seeds of competence and ignoring mindset not like farming
without tilling the soil? Or let me state this more clearly: Sowing seeds of competence and
ignoring a humanising, conscientising education IS like farming without tilling the soil. A
truly engaged citizen cannot be without critical thought and engagement. To ignore this
kind of education is to merely hope for the best; to hope that the qualifications we proffer
will be enough to bring to society the engaged, conscientised human being our society
needs.
‘Fish discover water last’... True? or false?
Today you graduate. Today we celebrate your academic achievement. As we move into
greater circles of influence, let’s ask ourselves: Do we really think about our thinking? Not
just the content of our thoughts, but the process of thinking itself. The kind of deep,
reflective thinking that brings into focus our consciousness and our humanity. Or do we
simply succumb to the frames of thinking we are born into... the frames of reference we
seldom question.
Without being too serious, let me demonstrate what I mean: it was 1987. I was about 23
years old and driving along the N2 South in Kwa-Zulu Natal – driving back from Stanger and
heading back toward Durban. As a means of supplementing my income and feeding my
family I would travel throughout the province setting up lights and sound for community
events and for theatre productions. It was rough, untidy work. Cutting or bruising a finger or
two was common. I always carried a pack of Johnson & Johnson plasters with me. That day,
just before the Kwa Mashu/Phoenix turnoff I suddenly realised, while tapping the steering
wheel to the local radio tunes, that the Johnson & Johnson flesh-coloured plaster on my
finger was not my flesh colour! That ‘pink’ plaster was anything but my flesh colour: brown.
Curious and suddenly intrigued, I turned off into Kwa Mashu to see if Johnson & Johnson did
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indeed have a flesh-coloured plaster for ‘brown’ people. If they did, surely it would be on
sale in Kwa Mashu and Phoenix! I popped into chemists, supermarkets, corner shops,
doctor’s rooms and even 1 clinic – nothing. I spent the next few days doing research
developing a plan to bring flesh-coloured plasters to an African market. The entrepreneur in
me came alive. There had to be a massive market for brown plasters in South Africa and
Africa... However, after a week or so, I emerged a little depressed. Among the fastest selling
products in the skin and hair care category in black markets were skin lighting creams and
hair straighteners. My product – while being novel – would not sell. You see we were simply
not acknowledging our blackness. I thought: Steve Biko is right.
I realised that the only people who may buy a few of my brown plasters would perhaps be
my friends at the UDF at the next Howard College meeting – probably as a political
statement. In fact, my idea was not the opportunity I thought it was. The real opportunity
was one that Johnson & Johnson saw many years later. They introduced the clear plaster! I
kicked myself. So much for the great entrepreneur, I thought.
Do we really think about our thinking? Not just the content of our thoughts, but the process
of thinking itself.
‘Fish discover water last’... True? or false?
We still use the phrases ‘non-white’ or ‘non-European’ in South Africa. Even today, 18 years
after democracy. I hear it from time to time, even in my own family. I don’t think it’s said
with malice or a deliberate attempt to undermine self or others. It’s just another mental
frame of reference. We would think it ridiculous to greet a group of people in Europe and
say: welcome all you non-Africans. We would think it preposterous to describe a new team
member at work named John as ‘a non-black accountant’.
Do we really think about our thinking? Not just the content of our thoughts, but the process
of thinking itself.
‘Fish discover water last‘... True or false?
Our most powerful tools as we consider our thinking, our consciousness, or mentality are
questions. We spend many years employing those tools as we study and build our responses
to questions. But to what extent do we question ourselves and our thinking? I use simple
examples of plasters and fish – but trust that you will make the link to invite yourself to
think about your thinking – not just the content of your thoughts but the process of your
thinking as well.
If we are to rise above the dust and bones of our existence we must surely understand – for
ourselves - what it means to be human. Not some arms-length academic exploration (as
important as those can be), but a personal one. Perhaps then we will take the gift of
education we have, and bring to South Africa and the world a purpose-led contribution that
leaves a legacy of service – beyond just the qualification you have earned.
‘Fish discover water last‘ is a French proverb. And I believe they do. . .
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What is your water? If you know that – you WILL rise above the dust and bones of
existence. You will one day be given the greatest honour of all: you will be acknowledged as
a great human being – of that I have no doubt.
To all graduating human beings – congratulations!
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