Prof. Moletsane recognised for work rooted in rural classrooms
- Wits University
Prof. Relebohile Moletsane has been honoured with an honorary doctorate for her transformative contributions to education, gender equity, and rural development.
Moletsane, the FALF-Wits-NRF Chair in Gender-Based Violence and Femicide, has been conferred an honorary Doctor of Education degree by the University of the Free State (UFS). The conferral took place at the UFS’ Qwaqwa campus on 11 April 2026, a location Moletsane described as deeply significant, as it is a rural community like the one where she grew up.
A Voice for the Marginalised
Moletsane's career spans decades of groundbreaking scholarship at the intersections of gender, education, and social justice. From her early days as the JL Dube Chair in Rural Education at the University of KwaZulu-Natal to her current leadership of the FALF-Wits-NRF Chair in Gender-Based Violence and Femicide, she has consistently centred the voices of the most marginalised, particularly girls and young women in rural communities.
Her visual participatory research methodologies have not only advanced scholarship but have also empowered communities to tell their own stories, document their own experiences, and advocate for systemic change. Her influence extends far beyond academia, into policy, into practice, and into the lives of countless individuals who have been touched by her work.
A Call to Action for Rural Education
Speaking directly to the graduating class of 2026, Moletsane delivered a powerful message about the dignity and importance of rural education:
"Rural education is not lesser education. Rural education matters. It is built on and by communities and by teachers who refuse to let geography define children's futures."
She urged the new graduates to remember where they come from and to carry that responsibility into their careers:
"Whether you return to serve your own community or go out there to change the world, do it with commitment, understanding that no child's potential should ever be limited by where or how they were born."
An Urgent Plea to Policymakers
An academic activist, she also used the platform to issue a direct appeal to South Africa's leaders:
"My plea is that you take seriously the need for quality, equitable education in our country, especially the unique plight of children and teachers in poor rural communities. Until South Africa acknowledges in policy and in practice that rural schools do matter and invests in quality education, the very notion of rural communities as national economic pillars will remain just talk."
A Personal Journey
Reflecting on her own path from a small town of Matatiele in the southern Drakensberg to international academic leadership, Prof. Moletsane shared a story that resonated deeply with the graduates in attendance.
"As an 18-year-old girl from a very rural community, I travelled for the first time on my own to register as a first-year student. I had never been outside of my town of Matatiele. My rural school had not prepared me for this part, maybe because the teachers themselves did not know, or they did not believe any of us from this small village would ever go to university."
She concluded with words that drew applause from the entire auditorium:
"Where you come from is not what holds you back. It is exactly what drives you to thrive."
A Legacy of Impact
Moletsane's national and international recognition includes major research chairs, prestigious fellowships, and the Distinguished Women in Science Award from the Department of Science and Technology. Her work has influenced policy, inspired practitioners, and transformed countless lives.
FALF CEO Dr Xolelwa Zulu-Magwenyane has congratulated Prof. Moletsane on her recent accolade.
"The (FALF) extends its warmest congratulations to Prof. Relebohile Moletsane on this well-deserved honour," Zulu-Magwenyane.
"As our FALF-Wits-NRF Chair in Gender-Based Violence and Femicide, she has been a guiding light for our community, a scholar of integrity, a mentor of generosity, and a leader whose work continues to transform lives."
The Dean of Humanities Prof. Mucha Musemwa has also extended the Faculty's congratulations, praising her outstanding contribution to scholarship, and commitment to justice and access to education.