Pitika Ntuli

Pitika Ntuli (born 1942, Springs, Gauteng) is a South African sculptor, poet, writer, and academic who spent 32 years of his life in exile in Swaziland and the UK.^[1] He holds an MFA from the Pratt Institute in New York and an MA in Comparative Industrial Relations and Industrial Sociology. While in exile in the UK he taught at Camberwell College of Art, Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design, the London College of Printing, Middlesex University and the University of East London. Since returning to South Africa he has taught at Wits and UKZN, and is currently Professor Extraordinaire at Tshwane University of Technology.

Pitika Ntuli has exhibited in several individual and group exhibitions in many countries in Europe and in the USA, and has organised numerous international art and cultural events in Britain. His sculptures are in several collections and some of his public sculptures can be found in the Swaziland National Bank, Matsapa International Airport and St. Mary's Catholic Church in Lobamba. However until 2010 he had never exhibited in his own country, South Africa. He has exhibitions planned in Durban and Pretoria for 2011.

Pitika Ntuli is an expert in African indigenous knowledge systems. He is a regular political and cultural commentator on SABC 2 every Saturday morning and his column is acknowledged as having increased the audience ratings of Weekend Live. He is a well-known poet and speaker who has been a keynote speaker at numerous high profile events and has read his poetry in many forums in the country and the Region.

He was the main organiser of the KwaZulu-Natal Millennium Parade and a key figure in the African Renaissance Annual Festivals in Durban. He is a frequent guest on TV and Radio and especially on many of the SABC African Language Radio stations, and has also participated in several national and provincial task teams and ministerial advisory committees. He was a judge for the Sunday Times Literary Awards (2009). He recently chaired the 2010 Task Team that advised the Minister of Arts and Culture with regard to cultural programmes associated with the World Cup, including the opening and closing ceremonies.

Pitika is married to Antoinette Ntuli; they have four sons, two daughters and four grandchildren.

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