Opening Remarks by President Kgalema Motlanthe
on the occasion of the 25th Anniversary of the publication of New Agenda and the release of issue no 100

Programme Director;
Vice Chancellor and Rector of UWC, Prof. Robert Balfour;
Rectoral Special Adviser, Prof. Shaun Pather;
Dean of the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences, Prof. Michelle Esau;
Acting Director of UWC’s Institute for Social Development, Prof. Amiena Bayat;
Members of IFAA’s Board of Directors;
Acting Executive Director of IFAA, Mr. Tony Ehrenreich;
Members of New Agenda’s Editorial Board;
Members of the Turok family;
Staff and students of the University of the Western Cape;
Distinguished Guests;
Ladies and Gentlemen:
Today we gather to mark a significant milestone: the 25th anniversary of New Agenda, the academic journal founded by Professor Ben Turok, and the publication of its 100th issue. This is more than a celebration of a journal’s longevity. It is an opportunity to reflect on the enduring intellectual and political legacy of Professor Ben Turok and to examine the vital relationship between universities, activism, and the public good.
At the time of his passing at the age of 91, Professor Ben Turok was remembered for the pivotal role he played in South Africa’s political and intellectual history: he presented the economic clause of the Freedom Charter at the historic Congress of the People in 1955, championed the Reconstruction and Development Programme, and devoted his life to the ideals of justice, equality, non-racialism, and human rights.
Turok’s career was remarkably diverse. Trained as a town planner, he was also a trade union activist, editor, economic theorist, philosopher, and prolific author. In his later years, after retiring from Parliament, he served as Director of the Institute for African Alternatives (IFAA) and as publisher and editor of New Agenda. His life’s work embodied a profound commitment to both political struggle and intellectual engagement in the service of social transformation.
Ben Turok believed in one simple truth: great ideas are rarely born alone. They emerge from rigorous collaboration, honest debate, and shared purpose.
That belief shaped everything he did — from editing Sechaba in the late 1960s to founding New Agenda. Long before “collaboration” became a buzzword, Turok understood that real knowledge is produced together.
Today, that same spirit lives on in the powerful partnership between the Institute for African Alternatives and the University of the Western Cape.
When Ben Turok passed, New Agenda faced a crisis. Without its founding editor and key members of the editorial collective, the journal’s future — and its academic accreditation — hung in the balance. This created a significant leadership and capacity gap that threatened the journal’s academic accreditation.
In response, the Academy of Science of South Africa granted a two-year grace period for compliance. IFAA recognised that New Agenda needed to evolve if it was to survive and preserve Turok’s intellectual legacy. The appointment of Dr Martin Nicol as editor, combined with the efforts of Zunaid Moolla, then Ben Turok’s deputy, helped chart a sustainable path forward. Through constructive dialogue with colleagues at UWC, particularly Professor Amiena Bayat, a shared vision emerged: to bridge civil society and academia by pooling resources, expertise, and institutional support.
In this connection, IFAA and UWC turned a moment of loss into a model of renewal.
Through open dialogue and mutual respect, they have created something stronger: a true alliance between civil society and the academy. UWC has provided New Agenda a secure academic home. In return, the journal brings sharp, policy-relevant analysis and a deep commitment to social transformation.
This partnership works because both institutions share the same DNA: a refusal to hide behind ivory towers while the world burns.
IFAA, for its part, has remained fiercely independent and Pan-African, pushing for genuine alternatives in economics, ecology, and society.
The achievements of the IFAA–UWC partnership have already been substantial. New Agenda is now co-published on UWC’s Open Access platform, making its content freely available to readers worldwide. The journal has been fully digitalised, integrated into international scholarly databases, and remains available in print for those without reliable internet access.
Importantly, it now fully complies with accreditation requirements and retains its recognition with the Department of Higher Education and Training. At the same time, it continues to publish not only peer-reviewed academic articles but also commentaries, book reviews, and opinion pieces that connect scholarship with activism and the public interest.
This balance is particularly valuable for emerging scholars. Both IFAA and UWC share a strong commitment to creating accessible publishing
opportunities for new voices — opportunities that remain limited in much of mainstream academic publishing.
This is what a 21st-century African academic journal should look like: rigorous yet relevant, scholarly yet activist, rooted in the academy but connected to the struggles of ordinary people.
As we mark 25 years of New Agenda, the deeper lesson is clear: when universities and civil society organisations work together with trust and purpose, they strengthen democracy itself. They produce better ideas, foster active citizenship, and help societies confront today’s challenges with courage and creativity.
This collaborative spirit defines the vision for New Agenda. Through rigorous editorial standards and peer review, it forges meaningful intellectual connections with scholars across Africa. Over time, collaboration has become a foundational principle of the Institute for African Alternatives itself.
This raises a vital question for the future: how can institutions like IFAA preserve intellectual rigour while broadening the range of voices that shape public debate?
This remains one of the central challenges facing academic and policy institutions today.
In recent years, universities worldwide have become more entrepreneurial, inclusive, and open to professionals bringing experiential knowledge beyond traditional academic credentials. This evolution strengthens their ability to address complex societal challenges.
Historically, many Western universities drew a sharp distinction between theory and practice, often prioritising institutional autonomy to the point of social irrelevance. In contrast, the African university, as a post-colonial and post-modern institution, has a responsibility to serve the continent and its people. Amid Africa’s rich cultural, linguistic, and ethnic diversity, African universities must actively contribute to improving the quality of life for all.
By embracing New Agenda, UWC has deliberately positioned itself within the communities it serves. Universities must not only impart knowledge and foster critical thinking but also ensure that knowledge drives tangible societal betterment—economically, socially, and holistically. Building a truly multicultural and Pan-African university is not a compromise of academic freedom; it is essential to its relevance and global competitiveness.
As New Agenda enters its next quarter-century, it stands as a powerful example of what an academic journal can be: rigorous, relevant, accessible, and firmly rooted in a commitment to social transformation. It demonstrates that scholarship and activism need not be in opposition; they can, and should, enrich one another.
The broader lesson is clear: collaboration between universities and civil society can strengthen democratic life in profound ways. It fosters more inclusive knowledge production, encourages active citizenship, and equips societies to respond to contemporary challenges with creativity and shared purpose.
This, perhaps, is the most fitting way to celebrate this 25th Anniversary of New Agenda: by continuing to create intellectual and democratic spaces where rigorous scholarship, public engagement, and collective wisdom converge in the pursuit of a more just and equitable society.