Humanities research professor receives Fellow of the English Academy Award
Professor Lesibana Rafapa has been awarded the prestigious Fellow of the English Academy Award by the English Academy of Southern Africa (EASA) in recognition of his significant contributions to and promotion of English Studies and Northern Sotho literature
The extraordinary award is reserved for deserving Council members of the Academy upon retirement and for non-members worldwide who have provided exceptional service in promoting English as an adapted global language. Prof Rafapa, a Research Professor in the Faculty of Humanities at the University of Limpopo (UL), oversees research programmes where twelve Heads of Department and three Directors of Schools report to him on all research matters.
His dedication and hard work in academia have been recognised with this prestigious award, previously granted to white people during apartheid and now awarded to luminaries who have significantly contributed to the field of English language studies in the post-apartheid era. Previous recipients of the Academy award include the late Professors Guy Butler and Es’kia Mphahlele; Prof Njabulo Ndebele; radio presenter of the programme Word of Mouth on SA FM, John Orr; Professor Peter Titlestad; and veteran liberation struggle magazine editor Mothobi Mutloatse.
Since the founding of the Academy in 1961, Prof Rafapa is the first recipient of this award from UL, which presents with it, enhanced global standing spin-offs for the institution.
“It gives me great pleasure to be associated with the likes of Professors Guy Butler, Es’kia Mphahlele and Njabulo Ndebele, who have previously won this award. I will continue to empower postgraduate research leadership and mentor UL academics in the Faculty of Humanities in a manner aligned with the latest global trends,” stated Prof Rafapa.
His peers commend his work and note his pivotal role in empowering students and communities in language matters. Prof Mbongeni Malaba, Past President of EASA, who nominated him, praised his services within EASA since 2006 in various committees, including finance and executive committees. Prof Malaba highlighted Prof Rafapa’s tenure as the head of the Department of English at the University of South Africa (Unisa) and the University of Venda (UNIVEN). During this time, Prof Rafapa ensured that departmental funds were available to pay EASA subscriptions for his entire staff. This is just one example of the many admirable qualities possessed by Prof Rafapa, who is recognised as an EASA Fellow.
Prof Rafapa has actively participated in all the Academy’s international triennial conferences, presenting high-quality papers and engaging in scholarly debates. He has also adjudicated awards and attended all the Gauteng Awards Ceremonies.
Amongst his career highlights, he has served as an external examiner and assessor for numerous universities and academic programmes. In addition to being a distinguished scholar and administrator, he is also a creative writer with numerous textbooks and fictional works in both Northern Sotho and English. Among his gems is his English poem published in 1998 by the Poetry Institute of Africa, in the anthology Crossroads of the Century. His novel Leratosello, written at the age of 17, is currently prescribed for Grade 11 learners and has previously been prescribed for BA degree students at Unisa and the University of the North (now UL). Over five master’s and three PhD theses have been completed on Prof Rafapa’s commendable creative writing, including analyses of his novels Diphiri tša Soweto and Mogwane o a Lla.
Despite his numerous academic responsibilities, Prof Rafapa has served tirelessly on National Research Foundation (NRF) panels, reviewed journals for the Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf) regarding eligibility for re-accreditation, and maintained a sustained NRF C-rating for his research output.
His track record in community service is equally impressive. He has been an active Steering Committee Member of the Limpopo Research Forum housed in the Premier’s Office since 2009 and has contributed to motivation for and the administration of multimillion-rand projects as a member of the Standing Funding Committee of the National Heritage Council Of South Africa from 2006 to 2010.
Additionally, he has promoted multilingualism as a Focus Area Manager for Literature and Previously Marginalised Languages at the Pan South African Language Board (PanSALB) Pretoria head office from 2000 to 2006. In addition, Prof Rafapa has served on editorial boards of internationally accredited journals and as chief editor of more than three peer-reviewed journals.
Despite these commitments, he has published over 30 peer-reviewed research publications and presented at more than 35 national and international scientific conferences.
In his congratulatory message to Prof Rafapa, Prof Owen Seda, President of EASA, said: “Our biggest and most heartfelt congratulations to you for all your work and the amazing commitment you have shown to the academy.”
Meanwhile, Prof Satsope Maoto, Executive Dean of the Faculty of Humanities at UL, said: “Prof Rafapa’s work has put us on the map, and his efforts in the faculty do not go unnoticed. Congratulations to him for his latest prestigious achievement. He is doing an excellent job that significantly enhances our research profile.”