Pioneering mathematician Joseph Mokoena honoured with posthumous honorary doctorate
- Wits University
The honorary doctorate recognises his contribution to mathematics, education and greater equality in the production of knowledge.
Wits University has awarded a posthumous honorary doctorate to Dr Joseph Albert Mashite Mokoena, the first Black South African to earn a PhD in mathematics from a South African university.
The Doctor of Science, honoris causa, was conferred at a graduation ceremony for the faculties of Science and Health Sciences on Wednesday, 15 July 2026.
Acting Vice-Chancellor and Principal Professor Ruksana Osman conferred the degree, while Acting Dean of Science Professor Deena Naidoo presented Mokoena’s citation.
Mokoena completed his PhD at Wits in 1959, less than five years after the introduction of the Bantu Education Act. His achievement challenged the racial barriers and beliefs that sought to restrict access to advanced education for Black South Africans.
“Dr Mokoena’s life stands as a testament to the power of intellect, resilience and dedication to transforming societies through learning and discovery,” Naidoo said in the citation.
Born in Evaton, near Vereeniging, on 25 November 1919, Mokoena attended St Peter’s School in Johannesburg, where he excelled in mathematics, physics and Latin. He later completed a Bachelor of Science degree with distinction in mathematics at the University of Fort Hare in 1942 and a Master of Science degree with distinction through the University of South Africa in 1948.
His Wits doctoral thesis, titled An Inversion of a General Class Lambert-Type Integral Transforms, examined a complex area of mathematics. The citation notes that his work has links to one of the field’s most well-known unsolved problems.
Mokoena also made a major contribution as an educator. He lectured at the University of Fort Hare from 1945 to 1957 before teaching at universities in Ghana, Nigeria, the United Kingdom, Rhodesia and Zambia.
As a UNESCO lecturer, he helped to develop mathematics curricula and supported the growth of university education across Africa.
“His dedication to education transcended borders, fostering academic excellence and inspiring students across the African continent,” said Naidoo.
Mokoena died in a car accident in Lusaka, Zambia, on 4 February 1969. He was 49.
Although his contribution remained largely absent from South Africa’s account of the history of mathematics, the government posthumously awarded him the Order of Ikhamanga in Gold in 2004.
The Wits honorary doctorate recognises his contribution to mathematics, education and greater equality in the production of knowledge. It also restores Mokoena’s place in the history of the University and of South African scholarship.
“In the area of advanced mathematics, Dr Mokoena was practically self-taught, an extraordinary achievement,” said Naidoo.
The citation describes Mokoena as a trailblazer and a symbol of possibility for Black South Africans during apartheid and for future generations.
“It is therefore befitting that the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, confers, posthumously, an Honorary Doctorate Degree of Science, honoris causa, upon Dr Joseph Albert Mashite Mokoena,” said Naidoo.