Professor Mary-Anne Plaatjies-van Huffel, known as a passionate church historian and church-law expert, has left a remarkable legacy. PHOTO: Dominique Jeftha, MatieMedia (2019)
Stellenbosch University (SU), the Faculty of Theology and the wider ecumenical church community, mourned the passing of professor Mary-Anne Plaatjies-van Huffel this week.
The dean of SU’s Faculty of Theology, professor Reggie Nel, said in a press release earlier this week that Plaatjies-van Huffel passed away on 19 May, following complications after a surgical procedure.
The late Plaatjies-van Huffel was an activist for black theology, women’s rights and transformation, according to Nel. She represented the African continent at the World Communion of Reformed Churches and was elected as one of the eight presidents of the World Council of Churches, said Nel.
Last year, Plaatjies-van Huffel became the first black woman to be promoted to professor, Nel told MatieMedia.
According to Nel, he would remember Plaatjies-van Huffel as a passionate woman in her field, committed to making a difference in the hearts of students and colleagues.
“Professor Plaatjies-van Huffel brought an international footprint. She positioned the Faculty [of Theology] whether it be in a public domain, or in government. In conferences, there were moments she would give input and that could turn the tide of the conversation,” Nel told MatieMedia.
One PhD student at the Faculty of Theology, Ashwin Thyssen, said Plaatjies-van Huffel played a direct role in his academic career and personal growth.
In future, scholars would continue to return to her work on the critique on patriarchy, white supremacy and black queer women that she studied later in her career, said Thyssen.
According to Thyssen, when he came out as gay to the leadership of the Uniting Reformed Church of South Africa in the Cape region in 2017, it meant that he could not be ordained in the ministry.
“Since I came out, she has been very supportive of my own journey, of my own calling and of the scholarship that I am doing, as well as the role that I play in the academy to shed light on the experience of the LGBTQI people and how we are doing theology,” said Thyssen.
Ashwin Thyssen and professor Plaatjies-van Huffel at his graduation ceremony, in 2019. Plaatjies-van Huffel was the first woman to be ordained in the former Dutch Reformed Mission Church, which became the Uniting Reformed Church in Southern Africa. Later Plaatjies-van Huffel was also elected as the first woman moderator of its General Synod. PHOTO: Supplied Ashwin Thyssen
Associate professor at SU’s Faculty of Theology, Anita Cloete, said that the late Plaatjies-van Huffel had impacted her life in various ways and will always be remembered for her contribution to academia.
“She had standards [and] morals that she lived by in her personal and public life and led a life characterised by integrity,” said Cloete.
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