“If you ask yourself the question: ‘What will the community remember me for if I leave tonight’ and the answer is ‘I don’t know’, then you urgently need to find yourself a purpose and stop being a waste of space.”
With this hard-hitting challenge, Mandla Gagayi concluded his public lecture at Rhodes University on Monday evening, in his capacity as this year’s recipient of the Vice Chancellor’s Distinguished Award for Community Engagement.
“If you ask yourself the question: ‘What will the community remember me for if I leave tonight’ and the answer is ‘I don’t know’, then you urgently need to find yourself a purpose and stop being a waste of space.”
With this hard-hitting challenge, Mandla Gagayi concluded his public lecture at Rhodes University on Monday evening, in his capacity as this year’s recipient of the Vice Chancellor’s Distinguished Award for Community Engagement.
Gagayi pointed out that community engagement is not a new thing, but traditionally an African way of life. However, he said it is under serious threat because people are losing a sense of community identity in the pursuit of self-interest and the absence of role models.
There are today, he says, an almost unlimited amount of rights but very few responsibilities, which leads to a culture of non-involvement and a lack of accountability.
Known for his role in establishing sports leagues for the young people of Grahamstown East, primarily soccer, Gagayi gave a heartfelt and at times humorous account of his journey with the community and different partners.
What he stressed in the process is the fact that there should be reciprocal relationships – both or all parties involved should bring something to the table – and that he doesn’t “own” the project that he facilitates.
Rhodes should not be seen as a kind of “Father Christmas” who just gives hand-outs and provides resources, but rather as a supportive and enabling partner. Believing that it is important to build sustainability into community projects, Gagayi not only initiated the sports leagues, but established management structures for them and arranged for the training of 33 soccer match referees.
He also emphasised that one should not make assumptions about who “the community” is and about what they want, but rather go out and have conversations with a range of people in order to establish what is needed, what is available and who the role players are.
Furthermore you should stick to your principles and be clear about your terms of involvement: “We must not sell our souls to satisfy communities.” Dr Sizwe Mabizela, deputy Vice Chancellor for Academic and Student Affairs, paid tribute to Gagayi and said he had not only made a significant contribution to youth and sports development in Grahamstown, but that his work had benefited relationships between the university and the municipality, as well as helping to bridge the divide between Rhodes and the greater community.
The appreciative audience also clearly enjoyed the opportunity to benefit from the insights and experiences of someone who has walked the walk, and talked the talk.
