Abstract
My involvement with Psychological Society of South Africa (PsySSA) dates back to 1996 when I attended what I believe was its second national congress at Wits University. I was still a very young academic who had just returned to my post as a lecturer at the University of Venda, after spending 2 years of my study leave at the University of Cape Town where I had gone to pursue a PhD in psychology. This was the first truly national psychology conference that I attended. I presented a paper that focused on the notion of African personality. Although the paper was well received, I remember the vibrant debate that my presentation generated, with some in the audience challenging my assertion about an African way of being-in-the-world. I am mentioning this because when I look back, I see that PsySSA has for a long time provided a platform for some of us to raise critical issues pertaining to the relevance of psychology in (South) Africa.
Since 1996, I have, together with some of my colleagues, continued to raise the issues of relevance and the importance of culture in psychology and mental health. I have continued to be a member of PsySSA till today and have served the organisation in many capacities, including a term as President during the period 2017–2018. I have also had the privilege to represent PsySSA nationally and internationally. For example, I have been a voting delegate at the congresses of the International Congress of Psychology (ICP) in Paris (2014) and in Montreal (2018). On both occasions, I have seen the potential role that PsySSA can play to influence global debates on mental health in general, and psychology in particular. For me the most memorable moment was in 2012 when the organisation hosted the first ICP on African soil. This was a very loud and clear demonstration of the maturity of the organisation that has continued to a beacon of hope for most us. Indeed, we are still continuing to ‘bask in the glory’ of that successful and historic event.
Why I choose to belong to PsySSA
From the first PsySSA congress I attended in 1996, my wish has been to associate with colleagues who have the passion and commitment to transform psychology both nationally and continentally. I considered PsySSA to be a vehicle that could enable me to make a contribution in the fight for justice in our country. Looking back, I believe, PsySSA has played a significant role over the years in this fight for justice. I have enjoyed the many opportunities that PsySSA has provided me to connect with psychologists around the globe. Today, most of us are able to work with colleagues from all over the world on a variety of projects. In my view, this has been made possible largely by PsySSA’s elevated profile on the global stage. I urge psychologists in South Africa to capitalise on these kinds of opportunities for self-development and to contribute towards the development of the discipline and profession. Over the years, I have seen PsySSA growing in leaps and bounds to become one of the most influential psychological societies in the world. I consider myself privileged to have been associated with an organisation of this calibre.
What should PsySSA’s future plans and goals be?
More than ever before, PsySSA should strive to be responsive to the needs of the majority of South Africans. While it is not possible to provide solutions to all the problems that our country faces, I do believe that PsySSA can make a contribution in a number of ways. First, the lingering effects of colonialism and the resultant mental oppression that many Black South Africans continue to experience need to be addressed. As a representative body with a national reach and global footprint, PsySSA can play a significant role in liberating the minds of our people. Second, PsySSA should play an active role in those debates and initiatives that are aimed at decolonising psychology. Third, PsySSA can contribute immensely by developing interventions that can help reduce the high levels of violence in schools, as well as in both our public and private spaces. The chaos that is gradually engulfing our schools is a clear indication that not all is well in our society. Fourth, PsySSA will need to grapple with the issue of the fourth industrial revolution and the potential impact that this technological wave might have on the behaviour of our people. We need to see more presentations and deliberations in our future conferences tackling these kinds of issues. Finally, I believe PsySSA needs to seriously invest in the development of a cadre of future leaders. Such an intervention should prioritise young and Black psychology graduates so that they can prepare and be mentored to become the leaders of tomorrow.