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News - Date: 21 September 2007
The University of Venda conferred an honorary doctoral degree of law to the deputy judge president of the Transvaal Provincial Division of the High Court (Pretoria), Mr Justice Jeremiah Buti Shongwe, during the graduation ceremony held at the university auditorium on Saturday.
Shongwe was honoured for his outstanding record in leadership in the legal profession.
Shongwe was born in Pretoria in 1948. He was the first student to complete the BProc degree at the University of Zululand in 1974. However, as a result of prevailing violent political unrest, spearheaded by student activists, he was compelled to terminate his studies during the final year of his LLB. He is currently studying for the LLM degree with specialization in human rights law at the University of South Africa.
He practiced as an attorney and defended many victims of human rights abuses across the country. In recognition for his distinguished track record as a gallant champion of human rights during and after the demise of apartheid, the Gauteng law council presented him with an award for his excellence. In 1979, Shongwe joined the Black Lawyer’s Association and played a key role in ensuring that newly admitted attorneys and candidate attorneys received practical legal training required for successful careers in the comparative practice of law as professional attorneys.
During his acceptance speech, Shongwe told the guests that it was the start of his adoption process by the University of Venda and the local community. He said he is ready to be utilized in any way for the betterment of the University of Venda and its stakeholders. "We are presently making history by building an empire of knowledge and legacy. It never crossed my mind that one day I would find myself being highly regarded by this institution. This signifies the confidence you have in me and I gladly accept this honour."
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