During his state visit to the country, President of Portugal Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa visited Wits University.
He, along with his Prime Minister António Costa, met with the vice-chancellor and principal Professor Zeblon Vilakazi and other senior members of the university to discuss a shared vision of preserving Portuguese knowledge and heritage among both Portuguese students and the broader Wits community.
When he welcomed the president and his delegation, Vilakazi said as an institution of higher learning, they are strengthening the educational ties between our two nations. “Our young people will be the ones to set the tone for the future.”
Apart from his political engagements, the Portuguese president is known for his work as a professor of law at the University of Lisbon, where he taught for several decades. He used the occasion to briefly lecture students from the Portuguese Language Centre of Camões on the history of Portugal and the Portuguese language.
De Sousa spoke of the Carnation Revolution of 1974 which saw a military coup decolonise Portugal and ultimately resulted in the birth of their democracy. The country will celebrate 50 years of the revolution in 2024. He also noted the important relationship Portugal has with South Africa.
“South Africa is home to the third largest community of Portuguese nationals outside of Portugal. Portuguese is also the second most spoken language in the southern hemisphere,” said Rebelo de Sousa. “This shows you how important the community and language are, both in international and non-governmental institutions.”
Several students also engaged with Rebelo de Sousa on the importance of leadership and politics in the European state and its relationship with South Africa.
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