Professor Kunene

Daniel Pule Kunene (April 13, 1923-May 27, 2016).

Madison - Daniel P Kunene, emeritus professor of African Languages and Literature at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, died peacefully at his home on the evening of May 27, 2016 surrounded by his family. He was 93.

Professor Kunene was a renowned and award-winning author of poetry, short stories and translations, and an acclaimed linguist, scholar, transcriber of South African oral works, and translator of South African writers. He was a civil rights activist and spokesperson in the long struggle against apartheid in South Africa. He was a beloved husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, teacher, and community leader in Madison.

Daniel was born in Edenville, South Africa. He received a B.A. in 1949 from the University of South Africa and an M.A. in 1951 and a Ph.D. in 1961 from the University of Cape Town. He married Selina Kunene (b. Sekhuthe) in 1953. In 1963 he left South Africa with his family and found political asylum in the United States after a stay in London, England. He was in exile for thirty years and was only able to return to South Africa in the summer of 1993 with his beloved wife Selina for an emotional reunion with their families and a tour hosted by academic institutions in the country. Selina died on October 22, 1993. In 2003 Daniel married Marci Kunene (b. Mauricina Ellis) and lived a full, loving life with her through his last days.

Professor Kunene taught for 33 years at UW Madison in the Department of African Languages and Literature, in addition to teaching at the University of Cape Town, University of London, University of California, Los Angeles, and the Johannes Gutenberg University in Mainz, Germany. In addition, he traveled extensively with his family and conducted research around the world in countries such as Lesotho, the Netherlands, and Zambia.

He published sixteen books and monographs in English and Sesotho, as well as hundreds of other publications. His books include the memoir: Kero Court Chronicles (2015); fiction: Dawn To Twilight (2013); Dithoko, Dithothokiso le Dithohetletso tsa Sesotho (1996); From the Pit of Hell to the Spring of Life (1986); poetry: The Rock at the Corner of My Heart (2009); A Seed Must Seem to Die (1981); Pirates Have Become our Kings (1978); theater: The Mandela Saga (1991); translation: Thomas Mofolo's Pitseng: The Search for True Love (2013); CLS Nyembezi's My Child! My Child! (2010); Thomas Mofolo's Chaka (1981); and scholarship: The Zulu Novels of C.L.S. Nyembezi: A Critical Appraisal (2007); Thomas Mofolo and the Emergence of Written Sesotho Prose (1989); The Ideophone in Southern Sotho (1978); Heroic Poetry of the Basotho (1971); The Beginning of South African Vernacular Literature: A Historical Study (1967); The Sound System of Southern Sotho (1961). His written work is widely anthologized. His narrative poem Soweto was set to music by Dutch composer Bernard van Buerden and was performed in the Netherlands and in Madison. Daniel is the composer of a substantial body of songs and music that is archived at the UW-Madison Mills Music Library, some of which will be played at his funeral service.

Professor Kunene received honorary doctorate degrees from the University of South Africa (1999) and the University of Cape Town (2013), as well as numerous other awards and honors, including the Sol T. Plaatje Translation Award by the English Academy of Southern Africa (2011), the Karel �'apek Award by the International Federation of Translators (FIT) (2011), Honorary Member of the Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters (1997), Shuter and Shooter Prize for Literature (1995), and Honorary Member of the African Language Association of Southern Africa (1993).

Daniel was a committed member of the Madison community, culturally and politically. He regularly hosted programs on WORT's Radio Literature Collective, and was the reigning chief of the Potluck Poets. His poems are personal and socially engaged; he read them at political rallies at the capital and published them in local publications such as The Wisconsin Academy Review, The Madison Times, The Capital Times, The Capital City Hues, and The Wisconsin Poets Calendar.

He was preceded in death by his father Ephraim and mother Martha Kunene and his siblings Sophia, George, Magdeline, Peter, and Phillip. He is survived by his beloved wife Marci of thirteen years; his daughter Liziwe Kunene Pointer and her husband Fritz Pointer of San Francisco; his sons Sipho Kunene of New York, Luyanda Kunene and his wife Linda Fowells of Los Angeles, and Wandile Kunene of Los Angeles, his grandsons, Somori Pointer and his wife Tracy, and Thiyane Pointer and his wife Jackie of San Francisco, his great grandchildren Selina and Phoenix, his adopted daughter Michele Goodwin and her husband Gregory Shaffer of Laguna Beach, California, and extended family in South Africa.

Full of humor and zest for living, Daniel enjoyed engaged discussion about literature, politics and social change.

A celebration of his life will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, June 5 at Cress Funeral Home, 3610 Speedway Road, Madison.

In lieu of flowers, memorials in his name may be made to the University of Wisconsin Foundation for the Professor Daniel Kunene Scholarship Fund for African Languages and Literature either through its website at supportuw.org/giveto/kunenefund, or by check made out to the UW Foundation (for the Professor Daniel Kunene Scholarship Fund), U.S. Bank Lockbox, Box 78807, Milwaukee, WI 53278-0807.

The family gives its heartfelt thanks to the wonderful staff at Agrace Hospice and Bright Star, particularly Jennifer, Lisa, Melissa, Sarah, Tairu, and Tracey for their invaluable assistance to Daniel and us during this final stage of his long and wondrous life.

Cress Funeral and Cremation Service
3610 Speedway Road
Madison, WI 53705
608-238-3434