Rhodes University will confer honorary doctorates on three distinguished South Africans during its autumn graduation ceremonies, to be held from 25 to 27 March 2026.
The honourees, award-winning actress Leleti Khumalo, eminent sculptor Maureen Quin, and veteran human rights lawyer Advocate Wim Trengove SC, will be recognised for their exceptional contributions to their respective fields and to the advancement of society. In honouring them, the University reaffirms its commitment to service, integrity and excellence, values these individuals embody in their sustained pursuit of the public good.
Leleti Khumalo, who will receive a Doctor of Laws (honoris causa), is internationally acclaimed for her portrayal of Sarafina in the anti-apartheid musical Sarafina! and for a body of work that has consistently engaged pressing social realities. She played the title role in Yesterday (2004), a film about a young Zulu mother living with HIV/AIDS. Yesterday received an Academy Award nomination and won multiple international accolades. Across stage and screen, Khumalo’s performances have confronted defining moments in South Africa’s history, from the Soweto uprisings to the HIV/AIDS epidemic. As she has reflected, “art is a mirror…that we hold up to society to help it heal.” Through storytelling, she has advanced public reflection, awareness and empathy.
Maureen Quin is a South African sculptor whose evocative works explore the human form and its interconnection with the natural world. Having studied fine art in Durban and London, she has exhibited widely since the 1960s. Her sculptures have been described as passionate responses to social issues and to the world around her. Among her many accolades is the South African Academy of Science and Culture’s Medal of Honour for Visual Art (2016). Frequently juxtaposing human and animal forms, Quin’s work affirms a vision of harmony between humanity and the animal kingdom. She will receive a Doctor of Laws (honoris causa) in recognition of her enduring contribution to South African art.
Advocate Wim Trengove SC, who will also receive a Doctor of Laws (honoris causa), is widely regarded as one of South Africa’s foremost constitutional lawyers. A senior counsel practising in Johannesburg, he played a significant role in shaping the country’s constitutional jurisprudence. He successfully argued the landmark Certification of the Constitution case (1996) and was co-counsel in S v Makwanyane (1995), the Constitutional Court judgment that abolished the death penalty. Over the course of his career, he has appeared in matters concerning HIV/AIDS discrimination, land restitution and labour rights, and has represented former Presidents Nelson Mandela, Jacob Zuma and Cyril Ramaphosa. His work has consistently strengthened constitutional democracy and the rule of law.
Advocate Trengove served as an honorary professor at Rhodes University for two decades. Reflecting on his contribution, Vice-Chancellor Professor Sizwe Mabizela noted that he “inspired generations of students to understand that a career in law is not merely an avenue for personal advancement and self-enrichment, but a powerful instrument to advocate for ethical leadership, public accountability and the safeguarding of the rule of law.”
Through the conferment of these honorary doctorates, Rhodes University affirms that the arts and the law are central to the ethical and civic life of society. In recognising Leleti Khumalo, Maureen Quin and Advocate Wim Trengove, the University honours lives devoted to creative excellence, principled leadership and the defence of human dignity. Their work has shaped public consciousness, strengthened democratic values and expanded the moral imagination of the nation.