Dar es salaam– Former South African President Thabo Mbeki has urged African governments to strengthen the teaching of African history in schools, warning that the continent risks repeating past mistakes if younger generations remain disconnected from their roots.
Mbeki delivered the appeal following his keynote address at the annual Thabo Mbeki Lecture held in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Speaking in an interview with academic and media personality Dr Mbuyiseni Ndlozi on Power FM, he said there is growing concern that the lack of historical awareness among Africa’s youth undermines the continent’s unity, development, and resilience.
He called for a coordinated effort to foster a shared understanding of Africa’s liberation struggles, victories, and the lessons that shaped its post-colonial path. Mbeki insisted that without this foundation, efforts at continental solidarity would remain superficial.
“We must collaborate to find solutions,” he said. “The foundation of this effort lies in understanding our shared history — the struggles, sacrifices, and triumphs that have shaped us.”
He shared how the Thabo Mbeki Foundation has worked to preserve these stories, including launching initiatives such as the South African Democratic Education Trust, which documents South Africa’s path to democracy from the perspective of those who lived through it.
President Mbeki reflects on the deep roots of Pan-African solidarity:
— Thabo Mbeki Foundation (@TMFoundation_) May 26, 2025
"Guinea was the first to teach apartheid in schools. They understood us. That’s why the Foundation began there."
He recalls walking through the streets of Conakry, where a shopkeeper gifted jewellery to SA’s… pic.twitter.com/L9JXouIHaE
According to Mbeki, similar stories from the wider continent, including Tanzania’s pivotal role in regional liberation, must also be captured and taught. He recalled concerns expressed by Tanzanian leaders who said their youth were forgetting or neglecting key historical moments in their country’s independence movement.
Mbeki also revealed plans to develop high school history textbooks that centre African voices and make historical narratives more accessible and engaging.
“This history must not come only from secondary sources,” he said. “Young people need to hear directly from those who participated in these defining moments.”
He urged African education ministries to stop treating history as an optional subject, arguing that young people are not disinterested—they simply lack the opportunity to engage meaningfully with content that reflects their heritage.
“It’s our responsibility to ensure that history is part of public education,” he said. “If young people are unaware of their history, they risk repeating past mistakes.”
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