The Department of Arts and Culture, in partnership with eThekwini Municipality invites members of the media to the Nat Nakasa Annual Lecture, in commemoration of Nat Nakasa’s vision of an equal and democratic society. Minister Nathi Mthethwa will deliver an opening address at this event which will take place on Thursday, 26 May 2016 at the Moses Mabhida Stadium.
Titled “Nat Nakasa and the Dream of an Equal and Democratic Society”, the lecture celebrates the life of Ndazana Nathaniel ‘Nat’ Nakasa, a South African journalist who was educated in Durban, who began his work and career as a writer of Ilanga lase Natal in the late 1950s. He subsequently moved to Johannesburg, where he wrote for Golden City Post, Rand Daily Mail, DRUM magazine, and founded the Classic Literary magazine. In 1964, he got awarded a Nieman Fellowship to study journalism at Harvard University in the United States of America, but was not issued with a passport, and thus reluctantly went into exile. He died in New York in 1965, aged 28.
This lecture will be delivered by Prof Harold McDougall from Howard University who used to be at Harvard University with Nat Nakasa. The lecture forms part of the 2016 annual Africa Month Celebration that will be taking place throughout the month of May under the theme, “Building a Better Africa and a Better World.”
The Month of May has been declared Africa Month, to celebrate the founding of the Organisation of African Unity on 25 May 1963, it was on this date that 25 May was declared as Africa Day as a symbol of unity amongst all Africans. Africa Month also acknowledges the progress that we, as Africa have made and the Africa Month programme will feature all aspects of arts, culture and heritage among African nations.
Members of the media are invited as follows:
Topic: Nat Nakasa and the Dream of an Equal and Domecratic Society
Date: Thursday, 26 May 2016
Time: 17h00
Venue: Moses Mabhida Stadium, Durban
Media RSVPs: James Mathibeng, 078 802 8851 or JamesMa@dac.gov.za
Media Enquires:
Teresa Magidela
Cell: 060 601 7724
Email: TeresaM@dac.gov.za
