Buried Glory Documentary finally makes its way to the screen

By Tsholofelo Robert Ledwaba

On the 9^th and 10^th of May 2025, Film and Television 3 students from the School of Journalism and Media Studies at Rhodes University embarked on a journey to Alice, Eastern Cape, to shoot a documentary at the University of Fort Hare, under the supervision of Mrs Thandeka Gqubule-Mbeki, a Film and Television 3 lecturer.

The title of the documentary Buried Glory, resonates from the Rise and Fall of University of Fort Hare, where the "Rise" phase accentuate the history of the institution formerly known as the South African Native College where it contained graduates from various countries around the continent such as Seretse Khama, Govan Mbeki, and Ticofa Samuel Parirenyatwa, who was the black medical doctor from Zimbabwe; whereas the "Fall" part emphasizes the hardships that the institution has encountered including its candidates.      

The Television 3 class from the School of Journalism and Media Studies, Rhodes University, introducing themselves as the brains behind the creation of the Buried Glory documentary.

"As much as we know our past, including the intellectuals and activists such as Steve Biko, Chris Hani, and Nelson Mandela, we do not review where they come from and what they did for us as a country. It is the same way we recognise our indigenous cultures and heritages, including White, Zulu, Pedi, Tswana, etc. But in this context, we want our people to see our forefathers' strength, history, knowledge, and the care they brought to the table to better our lives.

Despite the corruption and bringing down the country's economy, we also want our people to understand that intellectualism and excellence are not buried or dead. Therefore, we want the resurgence in our people loving the heritage and intellectual history of a strong and diverse country such as South Africa, which, as a result, is the reference to the documentary," said the Director, Joshua Dlamini.

After their return from the University of Fort Hare in Alice, and weeks of editing, the Television 3 students finally had a documentary screening on the 01^st August 2025, at Amazwi South African Museum of Literature. On the day, they had special guest speakers from the University of Fort Hare Student Representative Council and Rhodes University Film and Television Lecturers. On the contrary, before the event – the Director of the documentary, Joshua Dlamini, along with the Assistant Director, Aphiwe Xanti, as well as the Producer and Head of Marketing, Tsholofelo Ledwaba; had a radio session at Rhodes Music Radio (RMR) to promote the event and share some knowledge to the audience about the making of the documentary and why it is essential to attend the event. Therefore, with the amazing performances by the Rhodes University African Choir, Kenya Winn, and Sethulo Chirwa, the event turned out to be a success. In addition, the support we received from the students, including the guests showcasing their diverse cultures through their traditional attire, and the Q&A session that took place between the audience and the documentary crew, was one of the many things that made the night an unforgettable one.

The Director of Photography, Linda Libala (holding the mic), engaging in the Q & A session with the audience about the making of the documentary.

The Assistant Director remarks, "The best part of the event was when people applauded our work after viewing it, including their compliments, and it was amazing learning that our audience enjoyed our project the most. Moreover, having the Student Representatives Council from the University of Fort Hare at the documentary screening event was a privilege and an honour, as that would accentuate the relationship both institutions share. We also appreciate everyone who attended our event and witnessed our creative work."  As a result, the Rhodes University School of Journalism and Media is proud of the work that the Television 3 students have accomplished, including the sense of leadership through the hardships they have overcome during the making of the documentary, which will be uploaded on the School of Journalism and Media Studies plus the  Rhodes University Television YouTube channels for more traction.