Reflections on the passing of Prof Bongani Mayosi: Universities and the burden of history

Abstract

Our heartfelt condolences to the family of Prof Bongani Mayosi. We begin by acknowledging that the condition of depression stalks societies, it silently chips away at the soul and identity of an individual. And, when tragedy strikes in the form of suicide, we desperately formulate questions in the hope that there will be clear answers. We have been witness to this confounding emotional process in our family. Notwithstanding, we continue to keep hope alive that advances in the social and natural sciences will walk us through the dense thicket of the vortex of our emotions. After all, it is the latter that is brought to bear on the everyday practices of our professional lives. Given that the psychological profile of an individual is layered onto the professional-workplace and since, Prof Mayosi’s tragedy is within the context of the university environment, we wish to reflect on the environment in which as academics we find ourselves in the current context.