By Datin Nikki Lugun
On April 2015, in South Africa, one Asian stood out among heads of governments, ministers of state, ambassadors and other eminent commanders-in-chief to receive the nation’s highest award, Order of the Companions of O. R. Tambo.
Tan Sri Datuk Seri Paduka Limkokwing was the only Asian and Malaysian at that event who was given that honour for his phenomenal role of running Nelson Mandela’s campaign for a free South Africa.
When Mandela visited Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad who was Malaysia’s then Prime Minister in 1990 and asked for support for South Africa’s first ever democratic election campaign, Mahathir recommended Limkokwing for the role.
The work Limkokwing would do for Mandela and the African National Congress (ANC) and the months he would spend traversing the country were turning points in his life. They contained many life lessons in communication and peace from the charismatic Mandela and lessons in gratitude and humility from the South African people.
“In South Africa at its defining moment, I witnessed scenes that moved me to tears,” said Limkokwing. “I talked to hundreds of people from all walks of life. And I began to understand the dreams, hopes and fears as South Africans adjusted to a new less socially oppressed life. These were significant in the message that the ANC wanted to bring to its people.”
The voter education exercise
The task began with the voter education exercise. There were 20 million eligible voters of which 18 million were voting for the first time. “So much needed to be done. The ANC needed to set up facilities, train and educate workers and volunteers. Although the exercise was aimed at educating South Africans about the importance of voting, it was in reality a vehicle to do much more. It was about closing ranks, building unity, bringing peace, removing hostility. It was to me a celebration of democratic freedom.”
Iconic one visual one promise campaign
Limkokwing’s task began with the voter education exercise — a monumental task. In Johannesburg, he was working with leaders of the ANC to put in place what must be done, within very limited time, and with very limited resources.
As there was no one there who had any experience in orchestrating an election campaign, Limkokwing took it upon himself to create and produce what was needed to drive it as well as win the election.
Finally, all parties agreed on an election platform that seemed obvious to all. “We wanted a campaign that would unite, not further divide, so no violence,” recalled Limkokwing.
It was clear to him that they were going to build the message entirely on Mandela’s own philosophy and he went on to design a campaign that carried only one simple promise using one simple image.
The iconic campaign was an image of a smiling Mandela surrounded by children of all races. That picture became the defining image of the campaign, sending a powerful message not only to South Africans but the world who was watching with great interest.
In the run up to the ANC campaign, Limkokwing’s company produced 60 tonnes of billboards and posters to be put up throughout the country. All materials were flown in from Malaysia at great expense and utmost secrecy.
A friend of Africa
His love for Africa and Africans, assisting Mandela in the first free all race election, building universities and helping nations build capacity, are all the stuff of legends. What Limkokwing discovered in Africa was the enormity and variety of creative talents. With the setting up of universities in Africa, thousands of young Africans are living their dreams.
Limkokwing’s ground-breaking education system has succeeded in transforming Africa in a number of ways. In Africa, he is regarded as an influential philanthropist in education. His campuses in Africa are models of successful social entrepreneurship. He works closely with national governments which provide financial assistance to their young people to attend university.
Investing in African potential
On any one visit to any of his African campuses, Limkokwing is surrounded and enthusiastically greeted by thousands of happy groups of students dancing and singing and chanting his name. This scene is repeated at each of the campuses in Botswana, Lesotho, Eswatini and in Sierra Leone. New campuses are to be opened in Uganda, Rwanda and Namibia by the end of the year.
At these campuses, thousands of students are graduating with skills that are critical to the economic and social diversification of their countries. In Africa, the Malaysian is seen as a visionary and a catalyst of change who has transformed the education landscape. Effectively, he has transformed the lives of young people and enabled them to compete with the rest of the world on an equal footing.
Transform Africa initiative
In Africa, the impact of Limkokwing’s 21st century relevant educational approach has been nothing short of astonishing. He was invited by the governments of various countries and established his first African campus in Botswana more than a decade ago, followed closely by campuses in Lesotho, Eswatini, Sierra Leone and more recently in Uganda, Namibia and Rwanda.
In transforming their communities, students in Africa, who through their digitally empowered education at Limkokwing Universities are specialists in new technology and are armed with digital skills to manage innovation and have embraced the power of the Internet and social media on a phenomenal scale.
In recognition of pioneering leadership in Africa
University Limkokwing in Eswatini has been declared Eswatini’s “University of Transformation” by His Majesty King Mswati III and in Sierra Leone, the university is known as the country’s “National University of Transformation”.
In Malaysia, Limkokwing is acknowledged as the “Father of Innovation in Creative Education” by the Malaysian government and he is recognised as “Father of Innovation in Africa” by the World Confederation of Business.
The Malaysian continues to play an active role in Technical and Vocation Education and Training (TVET) education and has been appointed the first International President of TVET UK by the TVET UK Council.
The International Vocational Education and Training Association (IVETA), UK recognised the university’s initiatives with an award for Global TVET Leadership for Economic Transformation.
Landmark collaborations and recognitions with UN, UNESCO, UNDP, UNHCR and Commonwealth
In dedicating his life to uplifting the lives of others, Limkokwing has provided access and opportunities for education on a philanthropic model and has established partnerships with UNICEF, UNESCO, UNDP, UNHCR, The Commonwealth and other world organisations to promote world peace and understanding across the 160 countries where the university’s students come from.
His unwavering efforts in nation building and empowering youth worldwide through creative education earned Limkokwing the Commonwealth Champions Award by the Commonwealth Youth Council. The Unesco Institute for Information Technologies in Education, Unesco IITE and Limkokwing University of Creative Technology established a successful partnership and are working together to promote the innovative use of ICT and implementing new ICT solutions in education for people with disabilities.
In line with the Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4), the university has established special labs in collaboration with Unesco IITE to strengthen its obligations not just to the disabled; it will also provide training to achieve inclusive and equitable quality education for all — not only in Malaysia but across all its campuses in Asia, Africa and Europe.
