Understanding the Depth of Community Engagement Through the Lens of "a Node for African Thought": A Case Study of the University of Zululand

The role of universities as known has primarily been about teaching and learning-a space where knowledge is derived and is then exported to the population. This article argues that, in the present era, universities have a much bigger role than before. There is a serious need to incorporate community derived knowledge with university derived knowledge. Furthermore, the article applies a decolonial lens to valuing and understanding community engagement. The article critically examines how the University of Zululand should use its community engagement pillar to strengthen its position as an institution in which African thought and knowledge are embraced. Moreover, the article advocates the incorporation of indigenous/rural knowledges created from real experiences. The University of Zululand's academic system is restructured and positioned to address the historical inequities and to concretise a policy that is driven to forge the university as a leading academic space where African thought is at the centre of knowledge regeneration. This rebranding by the university is an attempt to globalise African philosophies, stories and epistemologies. African thought is broad and it comes in multifaceted nodes. In navigating African thought, the study uses decolonial and constructivist theories. This study seeks to contribute to ongoing discussions about how community engagement could be responsive to the needs of the communities and how it could lead to societal transformation.