The award-winning writer, editor, satirist and columnist, Ms Mariann Thamm, has called on the next generation to help uncover untruths. She delivered the eighth annual Frederick Van Zyl Slabbert (FVZS) Honorary Lecture at Stellenbosch University (SU) on Monday 19 August 2019.
The theme of her lecture was Navigating your way in a world filled with untruths. She also encouraged the many young people in attendance to help make society a better place for the generations to come.
“The way to navigate our way through a world filled with untruths is by seeking the truth. We also need to strengthen our institutions of democracy by ensuring a free and accountable media, which subscribes to a code of ethics," said Thamm.
Thamm is assistant editor of the Daily Maverick, a top-selling author, comedian and commentator at large. She has written several successful books, including Hitler, Verwoerd, Mandela and Me and Alison Botha's story, I Have Life.
In his welcoming speech at the event, Prof Wim de Villiers, Rector and Vice-Chancellor at SU, praised Thamm for her incredible work. He also said that events like the FVZS lecture would ultimately help empower students to become active citizens in society.
“In 2011 we launched the FVZS Institute for Student Leadership Development, which has since enriched the lives of thousands of students who have benefited from its short courses, series of discourses and other activities – and not only Stellenbosch students, but students from other universities locally and abroad. We hold Van Zyl up as a role model to students because he helped build bridges across the divides – not only in our country, but also at his alma mater," said De Villiers.
The late Dr Frederik Van Zyl Slabbert was a respected politician, business leader, critical thinker and SU Chancellor. The annual FVZS Honorary Lecture aims to stimulate critical and challenging dialogue about our country and the continent. The event is hosted by SU's Centre for Student Leadership & Structures' (CSLS) FVZS Institute for Student Leadership Development, with financial support from the Konrad Adenauer Foundation.
Mr Henning Suhr, Resident Representative at Konrad Adenauer Foundation, expressed how excited the foundation was to have been part of the FVZS lecture over the last few years.
“For many years the foundation has supported the annual lecture of the FVZS Institute for Student Leadership Development. This is an excellent platform for discussing a topic, which is relevant to the actual debate in the country," said Suhr.
He also expressed his delight at the fact that this year's speaker works for The Daily Maverick, whose slogan is 'Defend Truth', something that Suhr believes is important in our society.
“It is important to strive for the complicated truth, rather than the convenient and often untrue soundbite. The Konrad Adenauer Foundation is working worldwide for the promotion of democracy and strengthening the free press," said Suhr.
During her lecture, Thamm also reiterated the importance of a free press and believed that it was every citizen's democratic right to help uphold press freedom and eliminate the spread of disinformation.
“Disinformation is designed specifically to cause public harm, to fracture society, to reduce trust in the media and to undermine democratic processes. Seek out those who themselves seek truth and guard the Constitution that is the foundation of our democracy in South Africa," said Thamm.
For more information on the FVZS Institute click here.
Photos by Henk Oets.
