Discourse In South Africa Research Articles

Whiteness and the Animal Question: Revisiting Coetzee's Postapartheid South Africa

Abstract: Scholars such as Evan Mwangi argue that postcolonial animal studies is all too often considered through white environmentalist perspectives, a point exemplified by the critical focus on white perspectives provided by writers such as J. M. Coetzee, Barbara Gowdy, and Lauren Beukes. Such focus bestows the authority to care for African natures to (white) Western visions of worldmaking. Mwangi's criticism suggests the white environmental discourses that have informed prominent readings of Disgrace (1999). The uncritical discourse of animal welfare in the post-colony has ties to apartheid governance and its rhetorical legacy. Through a comparative reading of Coetzee's Disgrace , the rhetoric of euthanasia used by animal welfare organizations, and contemporary reporting on the state of the animal, I outline a historical centering of white environmentalism—in particular welfarism—in institutional South African discourses about the animal. In opposition to assertions that the animal becomes a vehicle of redemption for the main character, David Lurie, and other redemptive readings of white characters in the novel such as Bev Shaw, I suggest that Disgrace reveals the legacies of white nationalist imaginaries that continue to undergird state and institutional environmental discourses in South Africa. The purportedly humane ideologies of animal population control and welfare perpetuate white interests. Disgrace reveals the tension between institutional expressions of care and the forceful integration of postcolonial nations into global markets, which sustain colonial legacies of white worldmaking.

DECOLONISING LABOUR LAWS AND REPOSSESSING SUBALTERN EPISTEMOLOGIES: A REVIEW OF SOUTH AFRICAN AND NAMIBIAN MINEWORKERS’ FIGHT FOR LABOUR RIGHTS

In the historical and current transformation discourses in South Africa and Namibia, the concept of decolonisation is no longer a mere abstract concept. Decolonisation is now a fundamental policy and regulatory imperative that is heavily centred on, among other things, the land question and debates around the historical as well as present-day use of indigenous cheap and unskilled labour in underpaid sectors of industry –particularly the mining sector. During the colonial era, as the mining industries in South Africa and Namibia expanded, a substantial number of migrant labourers and local workers entered the mines. To safeguard these mineworkers’ legal rights, labour laws were passed. Despite the implementation of such labour laws, regular strikes were a feature of the mining industries in South Africa and Namibia at the time. In the post-colonial dispensation, the South African mining industry has been characterised by numerous strike actions, while in Namibia, widespread dissatisfaction with working conditions has been noted. This raises the question of whether or not South Africa and Namibia have made progress in defending mineworkers’ labour rights. This question is critical when viewed through the lens of a post-colonial society governed by a constitutionalised labour law framework. While there has arguably been a noticeable improvement in mineworkers’ employment conditions, labour-related inequities continue to characterise the mining industries in South Africa and Namibia in the post-colonial era. Profiteering, capitalism, safeguarding the security of tenure of foreign mining corporations, and the persistent need to ensure the ease of doing business in the mining sector appear to take precedence over defending mineworkers’ rights. Thus, this article explores the labour rights discourse developed by South African and Namibian mineworkers, as well as the applicable labour legislation. A strong case is made for reconsidering the extent to which South African and Namibian labour laws have been decolonised. This is done in a manner that is attentive to investment security and sustainable growth of the mining sector in the two countries as well as the realisation of African mineworkers’ fundamental labour rights.

The Borders of Migrant and Refugee Activism in South Africa

Abstract This article examines the relationship between the activities of civil society organizations (CSOs) on migration and refugee issues with state-making processes and discourses in South Africa, based upon key informant interviews, discourse analysis, and ethnographic research. It argues that this relationship brings attention to the defining and reinforcement of national borders set against the backdrop of the ‘corporate pact’ between the South African government and CSOs that has necessitated public participation in social movements and voluntary associations involved in a range of different xenophobic activities that are legitimized by political parties seeking popularity, and the state. Financial resources operate as ‘material disciplines’ by influencing the kind of problems that are visible, and, in turn, categories that non-state actors like philanthropies, charities, and donors consider worthy of protection. Those affected by shifting categories and their influence on NGO support like Zimbabweans have taken matters into their own hands to counter this novel border from below.

Religion, morality, science – And the (?) story of Homo sapiens

From the most recent and directive dimensions of the (?) story of Homo sapiens (Hs), presented as a very limited overview and in broad outlines from an anthropological perspective, the focus will ultimately fall on three key concepts: ecosystems, niche construction and wisdom. These concepts in my academic opinion represent for our pursuit and further exploration on morality and religion from evolutionary perspectives the most important anthropological clues and directives. Against the background of two remarks: firstly, on the contextual state of the present science-religion discourses in South Africa and secondly, on the fluid and messy nature of the relationship between science-religion in contemporary discourses, the (no, a) messy story of Homo sapiens is told, incorporating the most recent post-Darwinian developments within evolutionary theories, highlighting the Extended Evolutionary Synthesis (EES) and the all-important four dimensions of inheritance that are embodied in these very three concepts.Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: Reflection on the stories of Homo sapiens within cultural anthropological, theological and philosophical contexts in order to highlight directives and implications for the relationship between morality and religion within contemporary science-religion discourses.

“Doing Just Enough to Get By”: Voices of Black Women Early Career Academics on Navigating the Publish or Perish Discourse in South Africa

In this article, we focus on the narratives of black women early career academics (ECAs) who are confronting and negotiating the “publish or perish” discourse in their professional lives in the university. Through a qualitative interpretivist case study, we purposively recruited and interviewed 10 education academics in one research-intensive university in South Africa. We relied on Nancy Fraser’s social justice framework to think through and to theorise the complex positionality of black women academics in a South African university. The findings reveal that black women ECAs often have challenges when it comes to research and publication, with some of the participants rejecting the publish or perish mantra, questioning the usefulness of publishing, and to what extent their own research will make a societal impact. The findings also reveal the deeply embedded patriarchal and gendered nature of the publish or perish discourse in how it disregards the role of wife/motherly/societal care work that women academics often perform. We end the article with broader reflections on the emergence of the publish and perish discourse in the South African higher education system and its implications for the attraction, retention, and wellbeing of black women ECAs in the sector.

Attempts to (re)capture the school history curriculum? Reflections on the history ministerial task team's report

The History Ministerial Task Team Report (HMTT) on the proposed compulsory school history in South Africa was made public in February 2018. Ever since, it has generated many debates and concerns among in- and pre-service history educators, History (of) Education scholars as well as the general public. Many of these concerns are premised on the fear that there is an attempt, at least by the state, through the work of the HMTT to (re)capture school history. This (re)capture, some argue, would deliver a school history that is both nationalist and patriotic in its approach, and glorifies only the African National Congress's (ANC) role in history, much in the same way as the apartheid curriculum glorified the role of the National Party (NP), Afrikaner nationalism and white supremacy thinking. However, we are convinced that there might as well be a different reading of the HMTT and its Report; thus, a different form of (re)capture. In this paper, we will explore, theorise and reflect on the HMTT's work and Report, as well as recent scholarly debates regarding the HMTT itself and its Report. This we do by employing the notion of (re)capture as our theoretical framework which is derived from the current 'state capture' discourse in South Africa. We then use this theoretical lens to review literature on the contested epistemic nature of school history, as well as to read and make sense of the HMTT and its Report. We conclude that those who argue that there are indeed attempts to (re)capture the school history for narrow nationalistic aspirations which are nativist in nature, provide us with a different reading of the HMTT and its report. We contend that the form of (re)capture advanced by the HMTT, and its Report is for a greater cause related to current calls for decolonisation and Africanisation of school history in post-apartheid South Africa - where the colonised ways of knowing and being can also take centre stage in the historical literature and where cognitive, epistemic, existential, and ontological justice is realised.

(En)gendering Peace: A Queer Feminist Analysis of South Africa’s (2020-2025) National Action Plan on Women, Peace, and Security

This research paper presents a queer feminist analysis of gendered discourses in South Africa’s (SA) (2020-2025) National Action Plan (NAP) on Women, Peace, and Security (WPS). It builds on an extensive field of WPS scholarship by using the case study of SA’s NAP to illustrate how policy can be used to harness critical gendered language and create possibilities for radical (re)imaginings of gendered peace. While a considerable knowledge base that explores the gendered discourses of NAPs on WPS already exists, a key gap in the literature —that has only more recently begun to be explored with greater rigor— is the bridging of queer and feminist theories to further push the boundaries of discursive policy analysis. Against this backdrop, feminist critical discourse analysis (CDA) was applied to the NAP case study to surface dominant and counter-discourses on gender and their possible inclusionary/exclusionary effects. Key findings centre the potential value of policy discourses which, in their fragmentation, ruptures, continuities and ambivalences, can facilitate opportunities for queer peace at the instrumental level and beyond.

Protection of the Rights of Refugees and Asylum Seekers: Examining the Role of South African NGOs

In the past ten years, there were so many. The country rose to the challenge enacting one of the most liberal pieces of refugee legislation in the world. Despite these developments, the status of refugees and asylum seekers in South Africa, and their substantive access to human rights provisions, has in recent times been subjected to greater public and judicial scrutiny after the violent episode of xenophobic attacks unfolded in 2008. This sector of society has always been vulnerable as a result of numerous factors and the weak institutional framework for facilitating refugee rights, either in terms of suitable policies or their implementation has always been part of the broader human rights discourse in South Africa. This state of affairs, poses something of a unique challenge for NGO’s specializing in the area of refugee rights to advocate for their rights as well as to monitor the implementation of polices and processes, in an environment lacking political will and public support. This research essentially explores whether refugees and asylum seekers in South Africa have been able to claim rights they are entitled to, in a substantive manner and to examine the degree to which NGOs working in the area of human rights and tasked with assisting refugees, have been able to contribute in this regard. The researcher collected data from Ethiopian and Congolese refugees and asylum seekers in South Africa to examine their perception of the contribution by NGOS and also interviewed personnel from the three case study NGOs. It is obvious that NGOS have made significant contribution to the protection of refugees and asylum seekers and continue to do so. However, their effectiveness has decreased since their relationship with government department has changed and their agenda lacks public support and political will of political elites.

WHY SHOULD THE STATE INTERVENE IN THE LABOUR MARKET: THE CASE OF SOUTH AFRICA

Labour remains at the centre of political, social, and economic discourse in South Africa. Two broad perspectives dominate the political discourse as to why the state should intervene in the labour market. The first is the laissez-faire, free-market model,and the second, known as ‘social justice’ –a concept generallyused to justify government intervention and the distribution of resources –is a perspective that stresses the need for social justice in the workplace in a variety of ways. This article explores which of these views will best protect workers –referred to in the context of the inadequacy of the contract as a mechanism to regulate the employment relationship –in an ever-changing South African labour market characterised by poverty, unemployment, inequality, the growth of the informal economy, an inflow of migrants, the digitalisation of the economy, and the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. The author concludes by supporting the view that upholds social justice in the workplace.

Intersectionality and/or multiple consciousness: Re-thinking the analytical tools used to conceptualise and navigate personhood

abstract Kimberley Crenshaw’s concept of intersectionality, read in the context of Black Feminist iterations, enables me to sift through the conflation of categories of analysis and praxis in three ways. Firstly, I analyse the purported tensions between Black Feminist theorists and decolonial feminist interpretations of intersectionality, and the attendant consequences of these. In so doing I navigate the fault-lines of the arguments articulated, and while acknowledging the merits of the critiques, I suggest that Black Feminist scholarship in conversation with decolonial feminist approaches may still yield possibilities for coalition which allow for subjectivity that breaks from colonial logics of essence and immutability. Secondly, I reflect on how intersectionality and the coloniality of gender have been taken up in legal discourse in South Africa, and in what ways the tensions and possibilities manifest and are navigated. I argue that fissures may be over-emphasised, replicating a divide and conquer mode of operation while simultaneously facilitating the, at times subtle, selective cooptation of these terms into liberal discourse. Finally, at the centre of this piece is the fact that personhood is the location from which meaning of the world is made and articulated – a question of ontology (Alcoff 2020). Despite the multiple meanings of personhood that suggest that it is both ambiguous and fluid, it has real implications in space/place and time interpersonally and/as structurally (Alcoff 2020). The law, authorised through the person of the state that it circularly authorises/legitimises into existence, holds a monopoly over legitimate force that is both physical and symbolic (Brubaker & Cooper 2020). What is unresolved is the question of who is a person.

Sustainability Discourse in Emerging Market multinationals: The Case of South Africa’s Largest Firms

ABSTRACT Despite the crucial role that multinational enterprises (MNEs) can play in advancing sustainability, progress toward meeting the United Nations’ Agenda for Sustainable Development by 2030 has been slow. MNEs are partly responsible, and even though they recognize that they are part of a larger social, economic and ecological ecosystem, and that sustainability can enhance their long-term growth and viability, they have been slow to embrace it. The sustainability and MNE literature initially focused on the sustainability priorities found in developed market multinational enterprises (or DMNEs). Increasingly, “home-grown” (or indigenous) multinationals from emerging market regions have garnered more attention but research on sustainability in the emerging market context is still lagging, despite the fact that emerging markets – and its businesses – have potentially much to gain from embracing sustainability. This paper examines the sustainability discourse in South Africa and identifies the sustainability priorities of its largest indigenous firms. The sustainability reports of South Africa’s largest public firms in 2019 were analyzed using Centering Resonance Analysis (CRA). Results indicate that South African MNEs focus on business and societal aspects of sustainability, more so than on environmental protection initiatives. This finding likely reflects: 1) South Africa’s context and its sustainability priorities, 2) a diverse sectoral sample, 3) geographic dispersion of South African MNE subsidiaries (presence in other emerging, developed or developing markets with different sustainability priorities by market profile), or 4) a combination of these factors.

The mirage of a triune rainbow

This contribution explores the state of the debate on the triune God in theological discourse in South Africa. It assesses the direction in which this debate is going in conversation with Prof. Rian Venter, one of the senior scholars contributing to this debate. It is written in the form of an “academic letter” that assumes the requisite scholarship, but deliberately engages in a conversation that is appropriate to the exploratory approach that is adopted and honours the correspondent upon his retirement. In a somewhat playful manner, a colourcoding for such discourse is proposed, identifying white, dark purple, light purple, green, brown, black, and grey perspectives on the Trinity. On this basis, the thesis is developed that discourse on the triune God takes place in self-isolating silos, so that conversation between these silos becomes difficult. In theory, a creative tension between these discourses can yield a rainbow alliance. It is, however, argued that no such attractive South African “rainbow” is emerging in this regard. South African debates may well serve as a barometer, or better,a thermometer to gauge the health of wider ecumenical discourse on the Trinity.

An incomprehensible rhetoric

In his pioneering essays on the role of rhetoric in political discourse in South Africa, and in particular within the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, Philippe-Joseph Salazar has emphasised the ‘postmodernist’ overtones of these debates. But he has clearly distinguished an Aristotelian line in the use of rhetoric in politics, according to which it ought to promote truth in order to convince, and a Protagorean line, according to which truth is relative and useless. Some commentators on these issues, such as Barbara Cassin, have – without a blink – espoused the postmodernist and Protagorean line. I take their view to be incomprehensible and incoherent. Rhetoric should not be used as a tool to bury truth, but to praise it. So, I prefer to see Salazar more as an Aristotelian than as a Protagorean.

Revisiting Black Theology of Liberation in South Africa: Through ‘new voices’ of women black theologians

Black Theology of Liberation (BTL) has done significant work for many decades in the struggle for the liberation of black people. Black Theology of Liberation is a theology which restores human dignity and identity for black humanity, and it needs to be acknowledged and celebrated. One of the most important contributions BTL made was the creation of new forms of ecclesiological knowledge, resulting from a critical look at the use of the Bible with Eurocentric perspectives, and the organisational structures of the church divided between black and white, leading to, amongst others, the dismantlement of black African knowledge, systems and their culture. From a black theological perspective, ecclesiology focused on restoration of the dignity of black persons by dismantling Eurocentric views about faith and ecclesiology that have continued to demonise black lives. Black theology, with its positive contribution, focused on racism and other constructs of oppression such as class, with very little and limited focus on sexism and patriarchy. This article will demonstrate how significant the contribution of BTL has been and also decry or denounce the fact that patriarchal violence and the liberation of women were not given equal attention.Contribution: The article contributes to theological discourse in South Africa (SA) today. It is written from the perspective of BTL and premised by the experience of oppressed black persons. In this article, it has been stated that black persons and their lived experiences are epistemologies in the quest for liberation of black humanity as a whole. The article will therefore bring forth BTL epistemologies that have been put in the periphery by western theology.

Terror at the front gate: Insurgency in Mozambique and its implications for the SADC and South Africa

The paper, employing a qualitative research approach through the review of literature seeks to examine the increasing acts of terrorism in Mozambique's Northern Cabo Delgado region and its implications for the SADC and South Africa. Regionally, the SADC's failure to act has cast doubt on the regional body's ability to protect and support member states in times of need and has painted a bleak picture for the region's security, should the insurgency spread to other countries. For South Africa, this presents a security conundrum, not only are the country's land borders porous, but the country's intelligence services have been marred by political interference, thus questioning the country's ability to promptly respond to possible threats that may emanate from its land borders. The current political discourse in South Africa argues that should terror groups consolidate their presence in Mozambique and look to expand their operations to South Africa, The country's borders at their current state together with a politically compromised intelligence service would serve little purpose in protecting the country considering their state of disarray. The paper recommends that collective action is needed to address the on‐going insurgency in Mozambique through a SADC initiated regional framework, which is supported by member states. For South Africa, investment in border operations, policy harmonisation, and the impartiality of intelligence services are key issues that ought to be addressed to ensure that going forward, South Africa can repel any possible terror‐related incident.

A poetics of sensuality: Xenophobia and same-sex intimacy in cane/cain

This article offers a reading of the ways in which the short film, cane/cain (directed by Jordache Ellapen, adopts a poetics of sensuality to both unsettle and undergird its themes of South Asian migration, sexual intimacy and xenophobia in South Africa. While both homosexuality and xenophobia are not uncommon sites of public discourses in South Africa, cane/cain unearths the less visible faces of both by centring Brown bodies in corporeal collisions of sexual intimacy and of xenophobic violence to disrupt normative and binary categories of sex, race and citizenship in post-apartheid South Africa. Utilizing the symbolic currency of sugarcane as an aesthetic and narrative pivot, cane/cain constructs a tension between the cinematic pleasure elicited by its poetics of sensuality and its discomfiting themes of homosexual intimacy and xenophobic intolerance to insert the South Asian subject into the discourses of race, sexuality and nationality in South Africa.

Die transformasie van die Suid-Afrikaanse gevangeniswese tot 'n openbare instelling met positiewe vrede as waardestelsel* Transforming the prison system in South Africa into a public institution with positive peace underlying its values

Die transformasie van die Suid-Afrikaanse gevangeniswese tot 'n openbare instelling met positiewe vrede as waardestelsel* Transforming the prison system in South Africa into a public institution with positive peace underlying its values

Legitimisation of banking transparency in the institutional field discourse in South Africa

Legitimisation of banking transparency in the institutional field discourse in South Africa

Using the Critical Management Studies Tenet of Denaturalisation as a Vehicle to Decolonise the Management Discourse in South Africa

It has been roughly five years since the #FeesMustFall student protests shook the foundations of higher education in South Africa. However, in the aftermath of these protests, the students’ demand for decolonization of the curriculum, despite initial energy, has seemingly lost momentum. Within the discipline of management and organization studies, the situation is even more exacerbated, with efforts toward decolonization being cosmetic at best. However, much criticism has been directed toward the notion of decolonization for its lack of normative literature. This paper suggests that Critical Management Studies (CMS), and in particular the CMS notion of denaturalization, might provide a broad framework for achieving decolonization. Furthermore, the work of contemporary philosopher Jacques Ranciere is proposed as a pragmatic means to denaturalize management thinking in order to move closer to a truly decolonized management curriculum in South Africa.

Vulnerabilities and Inequalities Experienced by Women in the Climate Change Discourse in South Africa’s Rural Communities: Implications for Social Work

Abstract Women’s vulnerability to climate-induced shocks hinges on a high dependence on climate-sensitive livelihoods and a natural resource base aggravated by the acute inequalities that they experience due to patriarchal dominance. This article’s purpose is to unpack the vulnerabilities and inequalities that rural women experience in the climate change terrain which necessitates the involvement of the social work profession. This study adopted a qualitative methodology guided by a multi-case study design. A sample of twenty-five participants, including community members and social workers, participated in the study. These participants were selected through simple purposive and convenient sampling techniques. Data were collected using focus group discussions and individual interviews. The thematic content analysis was followed to analyse the findings. The study established that rural women are impacted by various vulnerabilities and inequalities in the climate change discourse, which serve as barriers to their effective adaptation. The vulnerabilities and inequalities manifest through lack of land and property rights, discrimination from decision-making processes, poverty and lack of adequate knowledge about climate change mitigation and adaptation. Social work involvement to address these catastrophes is scant in the Vhembe district in Limpopo province, South Africa. The study recommends that all climate change interventions should put an end to inequalities women experience in order for them to be effective and social workers should be at the frontline of such initiative.