Professor Peter Tshobisa Mtuze (1941-2025) was a towering figure in South African academia, literature, and the Anglican Church. His contributions profoundly enriched the cultural and intellectual landscape of the nation. Mtuze was an Old Rhodian, a former President of Convocation, and a recipient of the University’s highest honour, an honorary doctorate.
Mtuze was born in Middelburg, Eastern Cape. He achieved a Bachelor of Arts in Translation at Rhodes University in 1980, followed by an honours degree and a Master of Arts in African Languages from UNISA. He then obtained two PhDs – one in African Languages from the University of Cape Town and another in Theology from UNISA.
Mtuze’s career was marked by a series of pioneering achievements. In 1988, he made history by becoming the first-ever black professor at Rhodes University, where he served as the head of the isiXhosa Department. He later took on additional leadership roles, including Deputy Registrar, before his retirement from the University in 2006 when he took up a role as a publisher for Vivlia Publishers until 2013.
A prolific author, Mtuze published more than 30 creative and academic works spanning novels, short stories, poetry, drama, essays, autobiography, literary guides, translations, and cultural and religious academic papers. His writings, deeply rooted in his experiences as an umXhosa living through periods of significant socio-political and economic transition in the Eastern Cape, offered invaluable insights into the human condition. Among his most notable literary achievements was his translation of former President Nelson Mandela’s monumental autobiography, Long Walk to Freedom, into isiXhosa as Indlela ende eya enkululekweni. His novel uDingezweni (1971) is considered a literary classic, and his 2014 novel Iingada Zibuyile Endle garnered several awards.
Mtuze was a dedicated Anglican priest and canon in the Diocese of Grahamstown, serving as the rector of the parish of St Andrew, Ginsberg and St James, Peddie, and as the Archdeacon of East London West. His commitment to language and culture extended to his roles as General Secretary of the Xhosa Language Board, a member of the Xhosa Dictionary Advisory Board at Fort Hare, and an advisor on literature for the African Languages Association. His contributions were recognised with numerous accolades, including the Bertram’s VO/Skotaville literature award and an honour from the Eastern Cape government for his lifetime’s work in 2015. In 2022, the University of Johannesburg celebrated his life and work.
Rhodes University awarded him an honorary Doctor of Letters (DLitt) in 2018, acknowledging his unparalleled contributions to African languages and literature, and his profound impact on the academic community.
Mtuze was remembered by his colleagues as a “kind and a consummate gentleman”. He was consistently described as honest, forthright, humble, and deeply committed to the greater good – qualities that made him a role model for countless individuals.
Mtuze’s funeral service will be held at the Assemblies of God Church, Sweetwaters, King Williams today.
- Obituary provided by the Rhodes University Communications and Advancement Division
