Politicisation of Administration and Implications for Knowledge Generation in South Africa : A case of a Black University

Abstract

The subject of the politics of knowledge is not uniformly understood by both scholars and practitioners. Much work in this regard is based on Northern angled perspectives, which are deficient in abilities to capture the essence of African reality. On the basis of qualitative materials and interdisciplinary discourse analysis, this article’s focus is on the politicisation of university administration in South Africa. Taking cue from my previous works on this subject, I have identified and discussed additional three central factors which impair scientific knowledge generation and development in South Africa and Africa as a whole. Among others, these factors include bureaucratisation of academic administration, academic jealousy and gangsterism and shortage of academic role models. Theoretically and in order to foster epistemic justice, this study has drawn from Afrocentricity as an alternative contextual lens to paint a qualitatively rich picture of the phenomena under study.