[SAHS] SAHS President: #COVID19 AND #SAHS2021 CONFERENCE POSTPONEMENT

[Naledi Nomalanga Mkhize]

Dear Colleagues and Members,

Please see below a message from the President of the Southern African
Historical Society Prof Luvuyo Wotshela at the University of Fort Hare,
Eastern Cape, South Africa.

Regards,
Nomalanga Mkhize
SAHS Secretary 2019-2021
-------------------------

Greetings Fellow SAHS Members

As you all know, we have been for the last weeks confronted by enormously
difficult times.

The rapid spread and cumulative fatalities connected to COVID-19 pandemic
continue to cause enormous shock, and anxiety in our respective
communicates. In South Africa, we have now entered fourth week of national
lockdown, which is an extension from the original implementation date of
the 26th March.

Ever since that day, it has been almost impossible to carry out normal
academic and university functions. Universities have also been compelled to
place
suspensions on hosting events, and it has been impossible for fellow
academics to travel. All other public facilities which include libraries,
museums and archival repositories that we normally use for our researches,
and other networks, are also closed as a result of the lockdown regulations.

The prevailing situation has also unfortunately led to the cancellation of
a June 2020 Conference that has been organised by our colleagues, the
Historical Association of South Africa (HASA), and this was to be hosted by
Sol Plaatje University. We, the SAHS executive have extended our compassion
to our HASA contemporaries, and in realising the efforts already put in
preparations, have decided to concede June 2021 for the rearranging of
their conference.

Essentially, we all are hopeful that HASA will now host their conference in
June 2021, and ours will be in June 2022, a year later. We acknowledge this
may inconvenience some of you who were already thinking ahead, but we trust
that adjustment will enable members from both societies to attend and
support both rearranged conferences. We also believe these alterations are
for growth, and enduring interest on the discipline of history, which both
societies aspire for.

We will continue to monitor the national situation for further updates. We
will also follow further developments from different universities through
Universities South Africa (USAf). As per norm the SAHS will continue with
its relationships with Editorial Committees, Taylor & Francis Group, and
our associated Journals; the South African Historical Journal and Journal
of Natal and Zulu History.

We trust that you are keeping safe, and we also wish you good health during
these testing times.

Sincerely Yours,
Luvuyo Wotshela
President SAHS
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