Livingstone Mqotsi

Livingstone Mqotsi (18 April 1921 – 25 September 2009), also known as Livy, was a South African social anthropologist and activist. Born in a low-income family, his academic journey led him to Fort Hare University, where he studied social anthropology and became one of Monica Wilson's distinguished students. He engaged in activism and resistance against apartheid and was known for mobilising communities.

Mqotsi's teaching career was cut short due to his opposition to the apartheid government's Bantu Education Act. He struggled to find employment and eventually transitioned to being a newspaper editor, facing bans and persecution. In exile, he continued his activism, writing, and educational career in London. His research focused on witchcraft, healing practices, and African society, challenging Western stereotypes and promoting African perspectives in academic discourse. He engaged in academic disagreements with scholars like Archie Mafeje and Ruth First on the Soweto uprising, emphasising the complexity of the struggle against apartheid.

Mqotsi posthumously received an honorary decoration from Fort Hare University. In 2013, Musician Israel paid tribute to him in a single from the album "Critical Thought."

Early life and education Livingstone Mqotsi was born on 18 April 1921, in the village of Rabula in the Keiskammahoek district, which is now part of the Eastern Cape province in South Africa. He was born into a low-income family, and his father worked as a farmer. He published a study in African Studies during his time as a student, which served as a stepping stone into the professional academy.

Career and activism Livingstone Mqotsi's early life experiences and upbringing likely played a role in shaping his perspectives and future endeavours. His humble origins as part of a peasant family in a rural area may have influenced his later engagement in activism and pursuit of higher education in social anthropology. and started participating actively in groups connected to the Non-European Unity Movement.

His involvement with the Cape African Teachers' Association (CATA) in campaigning against the Bantu Education Act resulted in him and 200 other CATA members being banned from teaching. For example, he studied that explored the role of witchcraft and traditional healing in the Middledrift community during the period from 1945 to 1957 including a study about Ukuthwasa, a Culture-bound syndrome associated with the calling and the initiation process to become a sangoma, a type of traditional healer.

Academic disagreement with Archie Mafeje and Ruth First

Death He died on 25 September 2009, at the age of 88.

In 2013, Musician Israel single, part of the album "Critical Thought," payid tribute to Mqotsi.