Pretoria - The University of South Africa (Unisa) will confer a Doctor of Philosophy degree posthumously to political activist and Pan Africanist Congress (PAC) stalwart, the late Philip Ata Kgosana, at a graduation ceremony on Tuesday at the university's main campus.
The university will confer the honorary degree on the late Kgosana in recognition of his outstanding performance and political service over the years, his contribution to the campaign march he led in Cape Town towards the liberation of South Africa from colonial dominance and his dedication to the causes of social justice, liberation and equality.
Kgosana is known for leading a protest demonstration at the age of 23 on March 30, 1960, where 30 000 protestors opposing the country's pass laws marched from Langa to Cape Town.
The peaceful march subsequently led to his arrest, and then he fled into exile. During his 30 years in exile, Kgosana demonstrated outstanding servant leadership qualities.
He served at the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) from 1976 until his retirement in 1996 as a programme officer in Uganda, Sri Lanka, Tanzania and Botswana.