DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY (HONORIS CAUSA)
Tembeka Nosipho Tozama Nkamba–Van Wyk was born on 11 September 1954 in Umtata. She did her schooling at various schools in the former Transkei and passed her matric in 1972.
In 1973 she enrolled at Fort Hare University where she attained a BA degree in Xhosa and English and in 1976, an honours degree in Xhosa Literature. In 1977 she enrolled for a master’s degree in Xhosa poetry, but when her parents and her baby sister were tragically killed in a road accident she had to leave university and seek work to support her five sisters who were all still in school.
Moving to Johannesburg in 1978, she was employed by the Chamber of Mines as a researcher and translated and interpreted Xhosa poetry and protest songs sung by the miners. After three months she was fired as the managers thought she put too much depth into the interpretation. In 1979 she worked as a volunteer in rural villages teaching women to read and write where she was spotted by the Department of Education in Umtata who sent her on a literacy teacher training course. Her project expanded into art production including beadwork and grass work.
Taking up her studies again in 1981, she enrolled for a master’s degree in English Literature and African Studies and later an MA in Film and Video at UCLA in Los Angeles, graduating with a dual degree in 1984. Returning home, she joined the South African Department of Education in Umtata as a planner for Cultural Affairs – organising traditional music competitions and encouraging artists to produce beadwork and grass work products for the major centres. She also encouraged budding writers to write books in both Xhosa and English.
In 1988 she enrolled at the University of Witwatersrand to study for a Higher Diploma for Educators of Adults for which she attained two distinctions. In 1989 Professor Russell of Wits University recruited Tembeka to conduct research on the use of radio for a participatory democracy in South Africa and her report “Listening to Learn, Learning to Listen” prompted the SABC to offer Tembeka a position at the national broadcaster to produce educational and career guidance programmes. In 1992 she was promoted to the position of Manager of Corporate Services. It was during this time that Tembeka worked with children and youth giving them a voice and recording their feelings about what was happening in their communities. She edited the magazine called “The Children’s Voice” and later produced 10 TV documentary programmes under this name. After this production, she produced 52 episodes called The People’s Choice.
In 1995 she was appointed as the National Chief Director for Communications for the new democratic government, but left the position in 1997 to start the Talking Beads Academy, focussing on job creation and the promotion and preservation of the arts and cultural heritage. In 2000, she started Blue Sky Investments – the social upliftment arm of Talking Beads – providing counselling and education on aids awareness. In 2008 when xenophobic unrest swept the nation she used her bead craft centre as a refugee centre which when eventually vacated in 2010, was converted into the Ngezandla Zethu Earth Centre – creating beautiful crafts utilising recycled waste materials – addressing her desire to be more environmentally responsible.
She has received numerous awards throughout her illustrious career, including the Absa Top Award for Innovation in 2006, the SABC Checkers Business Woman of The Year in 2000 and the National Department of Arts and Culture Award for Developing the Arts in 1998. Tembeka was married to Sirk Bernadus Van Wyk for ten years, until his death following a stroke. Together they wrote and performed poetry at reading sessions.
In recognition of her substantial literary, cultural and community development contributions to South African society, it is an honour for NMMU to confer the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (honoris causa) on Tembeka Nosipho Tozama Nkamba – Van Wyk.
Dr Nkamba-van Wyk subsequently passed away in March 2015.