Download PDFThe 2022 Khanya College Political Education Program weekly WhatsApp Study Groups commences once again as of Wednesday, 14th September 2022, one month after Khanya’s 23rd Annual Winter School that occurred from the 18th July – 22nd July 2022 with the theme “Organize to remake the world”.
The study groups occur every Tuesday for the Khanya College staff and every Wednesday to Thursday for participants’ constituencies on WhatsApp platforms facilitated by Khanya staff as well as every second Saturday where the groups come together to read and discuss readings and articles in line with the theme and organizing.
The readings that are used in the includes writings by the late comrade Oupa Lehulere, Corruption of a Dream, which speaks about how a dream that was once had by South Africans is now corrupted by the ANC government that were meant to fight for them and how they are sold out to White Monopoly Capitalists and allowing them the space to legalize corruption and their misdistribution of wealth. “What is race?” That speaks about how race is nonexistent and that there is only one race which is the human race as well as books by authors such as Pepetela and Lauretta Ngcobo titled Mayombe and “And they didn’t die”.
Lebogang Linah Moshupa, and also poetry and drama artist and a Tsohang Batja member from Rena Le Lona Creative Centre, a creative centre for children and school youth and is also a community organisation said that “I have joined the study groups to improve my reading and writing.”
“What stands out for me the most is the novels that is given to us and also the stories/extracts that they give us,” says Moshupa. Moshupa had also said that the study groups benefit her a lot since with the definitions and pronunciations of words.
“The readings that stands out for me the most are “The Black Tulip” and “Marikana is not just a strike.” said Moshupa
Organizer of the Study group program, Nosipho Mdletshe, who is also coordinator of the Jozi Book Fair Festival said “The main of the study groups is to get our constituencies to read and discuss the issues around them and for them to understand the world in which we live and exist.”
“Because reading is a poor culture in South Africa and we thought we would have the study group to keep comrades reading,” said Mdletshe
Mdletshe also said that the interest around the school has been good and some participants get hyped by readings and authors that they are familiar with. “In my group, people even follow up to find out about the study group” said Mdletshe
“Since reading is not easy and has not been smooth sailing but we have had groups that have been consistent, especially the Tsohang Batjha group.” said Mdletshe
The festival coordinator said that there have been some challenges with the adult groups when it comes to consistency and some even fall of along the way but the number has been operational.
She had also highlighted that the study groups have made an impact on the participants for the Winter school and is as they have come prepared and used to the practice of reading and the idea had not seemed foreign in the study groups.
Mdletshe said “Currently we are preparing for the Jozi Book Fair and the study groups will play a very big role in the JBF as the participants won’t just be participating as an audience but will also be active in the discussions.”
She had said that the feminist groups will be reading and discussing the work of Lauretta Ngcobo at the Jozi Book Fair.
“The way forward for the study groups is expand the study groups and to have more out of school youth participate in the sessions and also to get more facilitators for the study groups” said Mdletshe.
This article was submitted on 13 September 2022. You may republish this article, so long as you credit the authors and Karibu! Online (www.Karibu.org.za), and do not change the text. Please include a link back to the original article.
