Mzileni got it wrong on UKZN graduation

I am not impressed by Dr Pedro Mzileni's passionate argument in his "UKZN graduation an African celebration against British bondage" article (Sowetan, May 23).

First of all, university graduations are not an African tradition in origin nor are they of our cultural heritage despite Timbuktu. They, like the doctorate that Mizileni holds, began in Italy and blossomed in the UK (such as Oxford).

Mzileni undercuts his own argument when he correctly cites Prof Sabelo Ndlovu-Gatsheni in pointing out that African universities are nothing else but transplants from colonial Europe. To put some African colouring does not make them authentically African.

Those ululations and traditional attires are merely latter-day embellishments. Traditionally, university graduations (especially of doctoral graduates) are solemn occasions recognising the achievements of those who have slavishly worked to produce new knowledge.

And also, nothing stops "black students (from speaking) their home languages and expressing their thoughts", except the fact that African languages, unlike, say, Japanese or Chinese languages, are yet to develop to the stage reached by, say, Italian or English or German, etc.

So, let us not romanticise the underdeveloped African stages and misconstrue them as suppressed African ingenuity.

Prof Themba Sono, email