Peter Mtuze

Peter Mtuze

Peter Mtuze will be launching his book, An Alternative Struggle, at the 2007 Wordfest.

About Peter Mtuze

Professor P. T. Mtuze started writing in the mid-sixties and has written more than thirty books. His writings cover all genres – novels, short stories, essays, poetry, drama and translation. Some of the books were co-authored with either budding or established authors. In this way he served as motivation for many people who would probably not have written anything.

He is what many people generally refer to as a self-made man. He worked himself up from being an interpreter in the law courts of the old South Africa, became a radio announcer, a salesperson for a publishing company, a civil servant in the homeland government structures, a lecture at Unisa, an editor-in-chief of the Fort Hare Greater Dictionary of is isiXhosa, before joining Rhodes University as Professor and Head of the isiXhosaDepartment. In later years he was appointed Deputy Director of the then East London campus and finally Deputy Registrar of Rhodes University while holding the position of Canon in the Anglican Church of Southern Africa.

He holds several degrees in the humanities and theology, and is married to Kutala.

Also …

Short CV of Prof P T Mtuze.

Peter Tshobisa Mtuze was born on a farm in the district of Middelburg Cape in 1941 although the exact date is totally anybody’s guess as his parents were illiterate farm workers.

He grew up in the districts of Middelburg and Cradock where he passed the then Junior Certificate and started working in the RSA civil service as Court Interpreter Clerk in various towns.

He joined the SABC as an announcer/producer/translator at the King William’s Town studios in 1969.

From 1971 to 1976 he worked for Via Afrika Publishers and from 1976 to 1985 he worked in the so-called Ciskei Government Services in various capacities culminating with the position of Director of Language Services.

From 1985 to 1988 he lectured at Unisa and took over as Editor in Chief of the Greater Dictionary of isiXhosa at Fort Hare, before joining Rhodes University as its first black professor and head of department in 1988 where he worked in various capacities until the end of 2006.

He holds the following qualifications – BA (Translation) (Rhodes), Hons BA, MA, BTh (Unisa), MTh (Rhodes) and a PhD from UCT.

An Alternative Struggle

Peter Mtuze’s An Alternative Struggle, is an autobiography covering major phases in the life of the author, Peter Mtuze. It maps out the author’s journey from a farm boy who, in spite of great difficulties, manages to go to school, works at a face cream factory, and then becomes a court interpreter, a radio announcer, an employee at a publishing company, a civil servant in the then homeland civil service, and finally one of the most productive academics and scholars in South Africa. His career as academic spans a stint as lecturer at Unisa, Editor-in-Chief of the Fort Hare Greater Dictionary of isiXhosa, Professor and Head of the Department of African Languages at Rhodes University. He also served as Deputy Director of the East London campus of Rhodes University, as well as Deputy Registrar of Rhodes University until his retirement.

Professor Emeritus Peter Mtuze is the author of more than 20 books covering all the genres – short stories, essays, novels, dramas, poetry. He has won several awards for some of them. His contribution to isiXhosa literature has been acknowledged by both the local Department of Sport, Arts and Culture as well as the national department. One of his greatest achievements was his translation of Dr Mandela’s Long Walk to Freedom into isiXhosa.