Abstract
Historically White Universities (HWUs) in South Africa have been the primary targets of the calls for decolonisation, due to their colonial baggage. Many voices from within higher education, the public, and politics have been heard. However, the voices of Black academics are often left in the background and the periphery of conversations on this topic. There is a need and concern emanating from coloniality, as seen in the Euro-American and Afrikaner strongholds of these institutions' socio-cultural, philosophical, epistemic, ideological, and scientific structuring. These concerns are sometimes not considered primary institutional objectives. The experiences and perceptions of the university in South Africa are marred by colonisation and apartheid. This has impacted the ideology and culture of historically white universities (HWUs). As stakeholders and key members of these institutions, the experiences and perspectives of Black academics give insight into contemporary, local contestations and the geopolitics of knowledge production, institutional change, and decolonisation.
Through the decolonial approach, the study explores coloniality within higher education. It examines knowledge production, institutional cultures, and acceptable ways of being. The decolonial approach is critical in historicising higher education in South Africa, contextualising the continuities and understanding modern knowledge systems, patterns and structures within HWU. The theory does not appear from a vacuum; decoloniality is linked to multiple liberatory theories and encapsulates critical arguments within contemporary society and higher education institutions. Through uncovering the experiences of Black academics in white institutions, their student and academic voices and experiences centre the investigation. Black academics argued for decolonising the curricula and sought to discuss how new philosophical, intellectual, and social changes can occur through ideological changes in higher education.
The decolonial methodology is used because it allows for a humanising methodological journey. It centres on new ways of exploring indigenous voices, caring approaches to those who can be considered vulnerable, and an exploration of new decolonial means of analysis.
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The study regards Black academics as change agents within the university. Their active role in the running and structuring of the university provides insight into voices that have been on the periphery. The study contends that academics' diverse responsibilities capture global, institutional, and national intellectual debates and experiences. Furthermore, the thesis provides recommendations for systemic decolonial in higher education and institutes such as the Council of Higher Education, National Research Council and other higher education bodies to ensure coloniality and power are dismantled across all aspects of higher education