Advocate Muzi Sikhakhane SC awarded Honorary Doctor of Laws at University of Zululand

In a historic moment that reverberated through the halls of the University of Zululand, Advocate Muzi Sikhakhane SC was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Laws (LLD) during the institution’s second graduation session. 

But this accolade was more than mere ceremony; it was a clarion call—a fiery declaration of resistance, decolonisation, and unwavering commitment to justice.

Sikhakhane, a renowned legal thinker, author of Odyssey of Liberation, and a stalwart voice of activism, used his acceptance speech to challenge the status quo, ignite the spirit of rebellion, and urge a collective movement toward genuine liberation.

A Humble Beginning, A Bold Call

He opened with humility, acknowledging the honour and its significance.

“I am grateful and humbled by this recognition,” Sikhakhane said. 

“I always thought such an honour was reserved for the older generation, most of whom are en route to their graves. But to receive it from this university, a place I hold dear, affirms the ongoing struggle for our liberation.”

He paid homage to the pioneers of resistance—those who dared to challenge imperialist, colonial, and apartheid systems—and called on future leaders to embody integrity and moral courage.

“As a lawyer, I must emphasise that unwavering courage and integrity are your most vital qualities,” he declared.

“They may not make you rich, but they will build your character and earn you respect. We must confront the worship of money – the ‘pagan god’—which ruling elites and society alike have elevated above our shared humanity.”

Law Is Not Justice: A Critique and a Call for Revolution

Sikhakhane’s critique of the legal system continued as he emphasised that  “Law is not justice.”

“It often disguises itself as neutral and universal, but is rooted in specific religious and cultural frameworks designed to reproduce and entrench social hierarchies. 

Recognising the co-constitutive relationship between settler colonialism, racial capitalism, and the psychology of colonialism is vital for true liberation.”

He called for a revolutionary reimagining of society based on decolonisation. 

“Decolonisation is not an end but a process—‘the veritable creation of new men,’ as Fanon said. It demands that we completely question the foundations of our knowledge, systems, and identities.”

Challenging Western Narratives and Building a New Society

Sikhakhane challenged leaders and intellectuals to contest Western civilisation’s dominant narratives. 

“Our Eurocentric legal and educational systems, and their apologists, only push us backwards,” he said.

“Western civilisation, as it stands today, is in disarray. If our point of departure remains European—if we accept their histories and standards—we are not truly free. It is time to tell Europe they are too young to teach us about being and knowing.”

He called for the reconstitution of the state, arguing that it is time for citizens’ assemblies—genuine platforms to rethink our revolution and draft a constitution rooted in liberation.

He urged everyone to see themselves as active creators of this new reality, emphasising the power of individual and collective will in shaping the future.

The Unfinished Revolution: A Call for Collective Resistance

Sikhakhane’s speech was infused with urgency, quoting Revolution by Okri.

“They live as if everything is settled in the world. But nothing is settled.

Not our dreams, nor our fears, nor the boundary between things.

“The land is not settled, nor the realm of sleep, nor the deep mines where our fathers weep, nor the deep wells where mothers call out our names.

“Those steel walls never kept out the eyes of hunger, which wander the world like thunder.”

He called for active resistance against systemic injustice. 

“Join me for the redemption of the people of God – whose humanity has been devoured by the cold hearts of leaders,” he implored.

“Let us create a new world where all humanity matters, where the sub-human status of African people is erased from history, never to be resurrected as ghosts to haunt future generations.”

A Poetic and Prophetic Vision for Liberation

Sikhakhane’s closing words were poetic, invoking his own words and Margaret Walker’s For My People.

“Let the new earth rise. Let another world be born.

Let a bloody peace be written in the sky.

Let a second generation full of courage issue forth,

Let a people-loving freedom come to growth,

let a beautiful healing and a strength of final clenching

be the pulsing in our spirits and our blood.”

He reaffirmed the centrality of struggle and the necessity of forging a new society from the crucible of pain, betrayal, and poverty.

“It is in the furnace of pain, betrayal, and dehumanising poverty that the fire of liberty can be ignited and born anew.

“I am truly humbled and deeply grateful for this honour. But the absolute honour is in the work, which I believe should be the preoccupation of every decent human being.

“May God bless you and may true liberation be upon us. May you be the new salt of the earth, the hope of our vanishing dreams, the restorers of our tumbling hopes.”

The Final Call: Join the Last Battle

Sikhakhane’s speech culminated in a direct call to action.

“Join me in this last battle – to collapse systems that oppress our people. Let us get our people out of this wilderness. Let us see the dawn of a new earth built on genuine liberation, justice, and collective sovereignty.”

thabo.makwakwa@inl.co.za

IOL Politics