Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga has urged University of Fort Hare (UFH) graduates to see their education as more than a qualification and use their knowledge to serve society.
Madlanga, who received an honorary Doctor of Laws, Honoris Causa, at UFH’s Spring Graduation in Alice, Eastern Cape, on Friday, told the 395 graduates that the true measure of a university education was what they went on to do with their knowledge.
ALSO READ | Ramaphosa extends Madlanga Commission deadline to January 2027
“A university’s influence is thus measured not only by what happens within its walls, but also by what its graduates go on to imagine, create, and contribute beyond the university itself,” he said.
Madlanga said universities had a responsibility to produce graduates who could think critically, question prevailing assumptions and help solve society’s problems.
They cannot merely be repositories of knowledge, but institutions of foresight, imagination, and societal problem-solving.
Madlanga’s personal connection to UFH
The former Constitutional Court justice reflected on his own experience at UFH, where he spent time as a visiting professor teaching constitutional law during his long leave from the Constitutional Court.
He said he had arrived expecting to share lessons from his years in legal practice and on the bench, but ended up learning from his students.
He recalled students questioning where legal principles came from, what they meant and why they mattered.
ALSO READ | Engineering graduate turns parents’ struggle into sign language technology
Their questions, he said, reminded him that studying law was not simply about acquiring technical skills, but about developing sound judgment.
“When my teaching stint came to an end, I left Fort Hare deeply inspired and profoundly hopeful, hopeful for our future,” he said.
Madlanga also highlighted UFH law students Babalwa Mofokeng and Christian Buthelezi, who distinguished themselves at the Constitutional Court during the 2025 Public Interest Law Moot Court Competition before representing Africa at the Price Media Law Moot Court Competition at Oxford University.
He said their achievements demonstrated the importance of opportunity.
“Talent has never been confined to particular institutions, provinces, or communities. What has too often been unevenly distributed is opportunity,” he said.
When opportunity is matched with talent, excellence has an extraordinary way of revealing itself. That is why institutions such as Fort Hare matter.
‘Access’ must mean more than admission
Madlanga also challenged universities to consider what meaningful access to higher education means.
ALSO READ | Graduate’s tie carries the memories of his two late grandmothers
He acknowledged the expansion of access as one of the enduring achievements of South Africa’s constitutional democracy, but cautioned against confusing admission with fulfilment.
He said students could gain entry to university while still struggling to access the resources and opportunities needed to succeed.
Drawing on the concept of “epistemic access”, Madlanga said meaningful access required an environment where students could participate, understand, learn and succeed.
This included access to libraries, laboratories, lecture halls, residences and digital resources, as well as financial and institutional support.
“The question, therefore, cannot simply be: How many young people have been allowed into our universities?” he said.
We must also ask: What have we enabled them to do once they are there? How have we empowered them to give meaning to their presence at the universities?
Madlanga said the honorary doctorate was more than a personal accolade.
ALSO READ | Zuma beams with pride as granddaughter graduates from UKZN
“In this latter sense, the honor is not only historical; it is an exhortation for sustained service for the public good,” he said.
UFH Council Chairperson Dr Siyanda Makaula said the honour recognised not only Madlanga’s achievements, but his contribution to society.
“Through your leadership and your continuing public service, you have demonstrated that the pursuit of justice does not end with judicial office,” said Makaula.
Acting Vice-Chancellor and Principal Professor Mzukisi Njotini said the honour reflected the qualities UFH wanted its students and scholars to value.
“When a university chooses whom it honours, it also says something about itself,” Njotini said.
“It identifies the qualities it wishes its students to admire, the principles it wishes its scholars to defend, and the kind of society it hopes its graduates will help to build.”