Legacy Of Apartheid Research Articles

Exploring worker subjectivity: shaping industrial and organizational psychology in post-apartheid South Africa

This article critically evaluates the role of industrial–organizational psychology in post-apartheid South Africa, advocating for a transformative framework that addresses the socio-political and historical inequalities in the workplace. The article highlights how industrial–organizational psychology has traditionally focused on organizational efficiency, often aligned with capitalist interests, while overlooking the socio-historical forces shaping worker experiences, particularly related to race, gender, and class. By introducing the concept of worker subjectivity, the article calls for a reimagined industrial–organizational psychology that integrates critical perspectives from psychology and management studies to better understand how workers navigate their identities and agency within broader socio-political structures. The author emphasizes the need to address the emotional and psychological dimensions of worker experiences, especially in the South African context marked by the legacies of colonialism and apartheid. By focusing on worker subjectivity, industrial–organizational psychology can move beyond traditional quantitative methods and engage with the complexities of workplace inequality. This approach aligns industrial–organizational psychology with the broader mission of the Psychological Society of South Africa to promote socially just and inclusive practices. The article also calls for interdisciplinary collaboration and the reformation of industrial–organizational psychology education to better equip practitioners with the tools needed to address the realities of post-apartheid workplaces.

Revisiting the Challenges of Teaching and Learning Indigenous South African Languages

Whereas South Africa has made significant strides after the official end of colonialism and apartheid in 1994 concerning the advancement of indigenous South African languages, there are observable challenges that demonstrate endurance even in the post-colonial and post-apartheid contexts. In particular, there are enduring challenges in the teaching and learning of these languages within the basic and higher education system. With this view in mind, the aim herein is to explore and discuss four noteworthy challenges that obstruct the optimal teaching and learning of indigenous languages in the South African context. It must be noted that this article concentrates on indigenous South African languages in general, and not specific ones. The objective is to uncover and sensitize the language and education policymakers as well as affected stakeholders such as parents, learners, and students that challenges in the context of language in education exhibit determination, hence the necessity to scholarly revisit them in a bid to solicit reasonable solutions to the conundrum. The four noteworthy challenges, which are discussed in the body of this scholarly discourse, are recognized as a source of discussion. The findings and discussion underline that challenges within the language in education in the South African context are multifaceted. One of these challenges could be pinned on colonial and apartheid legacies that appraised oppressive languages to the detriment of indigenous South African languages and dialects. In fact, the Bantu Education Act of 1953 is implicated in this article as one of the principal drivers of the subjugation of these languages. In the same vein, this article implicates some post-colonial and post-apartheid perceptions towards the subjugation of these vernacular languages. The closing remarks highlight the necessity to recurrently debate challenges of indigenous languages within the educational system.

Examining sustained sub-national health system development: experience from the Western Cape province, South Africa, 1994-2016.

Governance and leadership are recognised as central to health system development in low- and middle-income countries, yet few existing studies consider the influence of multi-level governance systems. South Africa is one of many (quasi-)federal states. Provincial governments have responsibility for managing health care delivery within national policy frameworks and norms. The early post-apartheid period saw country-wide efforts to address the apartheid legacy of health system inequity and inefficiency, but health system transformation subsequently stalled in many provinces. In contrast, the Western Cape provincial health department sustained service delivery reform and strengthened management processes over the period 1994-2016. This department can be considered a 'pocket of relative bureaucratic effectiveness' (POE): an organisational entity that, compared to others, is relatively effective in carrying out its functions in pursuit of the public good. This paper considers what factors enabled the development of the Western Cape health system in the period 1994-2016. Two phases of data collection entailed document review, participatory workshops, 43 in-depth interviews with purposively selected key informants from inside and outside the Western Cape, and a structured survey testing initial insights (response rate 42%). Analysis included triangulation across data sets, comparison between the Western Cape and other provincial experience and deeper reflection on these experiences drawing on POE theory and public administration literature. The analysis highlights the Western Cape experience of stable and astute sub-national governance and leadership and the deepening of administrative and technical capacity over time - within a specific provincial historical and political economy context that sustained the separation of political and administrative powers. Multi-level governance systems can create the space for sub-national POEs to emerge in their mediation of wider political economy forces, generating spaces for skilled reform leaders to act in the public interest, support the emergence of distributed leadership and develop robust management processes.

Intent vs Reality: Dehumanization in the South African Corporate Landscape

Thirty years after apartheid’s abolition and the ascension of a new democratic leadership, South Africa continues to grapple with the discriminatory legacy of apartheid. Measures introduced by the post-apartheid government to combat historical marginalization, including legislative initiatives like affirmative action laws and diversity management policies, encounter inherent structural barriers within South African organizations shaped by prevailing cultural norms. Despite the legal framework in place, black employees often endure dehumanizing treatment, finding themselves sidelined from decision-making channels and lacking access to avenues for career advancement and professional development. This essay aims to better understand the lived experiences of South African workplace employees through the lens of organizational dehumanization. This work underscores the urgent need to reimagine transformation efforts in South Africa, moving beyond numerical representation toward a more inclusive work environment that promotes genuine empowerment. It emphasizes the importance of developing holistic diversity management strategies, implementing effective mentorship and sponsorship programs, and providing opportunities for meaningful participation and decision-making by black employees. Such an approach will ensure that legislative intentions are translated into practical workplace realities, ultimately fostering true equality and empowerment.

The intersection of Maslow's theory and African public policy implementation: Insights and perspectives

This study examines the application of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs to public policy formulation and implementation in African nations, with a focus on Rwanda, South Africa, and Kenya. It analyzes how these countries have aligned their policies with different levels of Maslow's hierarchy, from addressing basic physiological needs to fostering self-actualization and societal progress. The research explores Rwanda's comprehensive post-genocide policy framework, South Africa's efforts to address apartheid legacies, and Kenya's struggle to balance economic growth with basic needs fulfillment. Through these case studies, the study demonstrates the value of applying Maslow's theory to guide policymakers in prioritizing and addressing diverse societal needs while pursuing broader development goals. The analysis reveals both successes and persistent challenges in areas such as social cohesion, economic inequality, and rapid urbanization. The study concludes by offering recommendations for a more holistic, context-specific, and sustainable approach to need-based policy formulation in African countries, emphasizing the importance of inclusive governance, long-term vision, and regional cooperation.

Strandlooping as a relational enquiry to reimagine higher education and gender studies along the Camissa coastline

ABSTRACT Thirty years after democracy in South Africa, the legacy of apartheid continues to affect Black and Brown 1 bodies by excluding them from the ocean and other spaces through the legacies of racist laws which continue to bleed into the present. In this paper, I argue that strandlooping as a method of enquiry is key to understanding care for our hydrocommons. This methodology can also be considered to be a generative way of re-imagining and practicing higher education research and gender studies differently. Strandlooping as a lone, Brown woman along certain stretches of the coastline is unsafe, and this influences the way I work and whom I choose to walk with. I make use of African feminism, Indigenous knowledge and research-creation frameworks in the paper to enact theory-practice-praxis in creative and relational ways. The paper concludes with three suggested watermarks or propositions for strandlooping to encourage knowledge-making with humans and more-than-human entities.

Prophecy, Pentecostals and South Africa’s socio-economic inequality

Background: The article dissected white South African classical Pentecostals’ concept of prophecy in the context of widespread poverty and the resulting socio-economic inequality that characterises their society. As a rule, most white Pentecostals do not respond to the challenges of inequality and disparities by getting involved in assemblies in former apartheid-segregated ‘black’ communities that are characterised by widespread poverty. The legacy of apartheid’s separate neighbourhoods is still intact, implying that racial distinctions determine, to a great extent, who lives where. In addition to preaching practices, the congregational prophecies that occur among them also do not reflect these dire circumstances that characterise a majority of South Africans and play no role in arousing their social conscience.Objectives: The article aims to define Pentecostal prophecy against the context of South African socio-economic inequality.Method: A qualitative conversation with 43 white Apostolic Faith Mission of South Africa (AFM) pastors at the level of regional and national conferences during 2024 provides a view of white Pentecostals regarding the church’s handling of social inequality.Results: Most white Pentecostals in South Africa (SA) are aware of the social inequality that mars the separateness between formerly white and black neighbourhoods. However, the awareness has not infiltrated their spirituality to the extent that it is reflected in the prophetic practice.Conclusion: Most white South African Pentecostals still live in neighbourhoods separated from the squalid conditions of many black townships and ignore the structural, political, economic, and social issues that cause poverty. They interpret their prophetic task to exclude consideration of social ethics and structural challenges. What is needed is an urgent reconsideration of prophecy and its relevance for current socio-economic challenges.Contribution: The article was presented to awaken and stir up the consciences of white Pentecostals for the dire economic circumstances of most South Africans threatened by unemployment and poverty.

Inclusive Leadership in the South African Police Service (SAPS)

The purpose of this article paper is to shed light on the value and possibilities of inclusive leadership in the South African Police Service (SAPS). Background: Gives historical background, emphasizing apartheid's legacy and how it affected the SAPS's connection with the community. Problem Synopsis: identifies the main obstacles to developing inclusive leadership, including prejudice that isn't conscious, a lack of education, and mistrust from the past. Key Takeaways/Results: Makes the case that inclusive leadership builds community trust and is necessary for efficient law enforcement. It will showcase research results that bolster this claim, like higher officer morale and better problem-solving through a variety of viewpoints. Methodology/approach: Although not a research study, the article will cite reliable sources to bolster its claims, including reports, studies, and expert comments. Importance/Repercussions: examines the benefits of having an inclusive SAPS, such as increased community ties, less crime, and an equitable judicial system. The intended audience for this post is anyone who is interested in enhancing police in South Africa. This includes members of the community, police leadership, policymakers in the Department of Safety, and anybody else who is committed to creating a society that is safer and more equitable. This essay seeks to encourage positive change within the SAPS and to start a national dialogue on the value of having a more inclusive and representative police force by highlighting the opportunities and challenges of inclusive leadership.

“Going beyond the call of duty”: academic agency and promoting transformation for sustainability in higher education

Purpose In the past decade, against increasing global inequality, higher education has grappled with increased demands for social justice, transformation and decolonisation. While a lot of research in South Africa has focused on the (im)possibilities of fostering racial, gendered, socio-economic and cultural change, the connection of such change to questions of sustainability has been less explored. The purpose of this paper is to specifically explore the agency of academics to foster transformative initiatives for sustainability within the context of institutions historically serving under-represented populations. Design/methodology/approach Using a qualitative methodology, this paper highlights the importance of considering sustainability in processes of transformation. This paper is specifically interested in how academic faculty and those in assigned leadership positions view their agency in relation to promoting transformation for sustainability at the institutional level. Drawing on data generated from semi-structured interviews with 13 participants at an historically Black university in South Africa, this paper details academics' and leaders’ experiences and perceptions of their agency. Findings This study reveals the adverse interactional dynamics within higher education institutions, which negatively impact academics’ participation as key agents in change processes. Positional and identity challenges faced reveal the persistence of colonial and apartheid legacies of racism, sexism, Afrophobia and xenophobia – which casts a shadow on possible trajectories of transformation and sustainability. This has serious implications for the common good, given South Africa's regional import for knowledge production and decolonisation within universities; its key role in the African 2063 Agenda; and the wider global Sustainable Development agenda. Originality/value This study highlights insufficient engagement with the sustainability of transformation efforts within the context of South Africa. This study also emphasises the relation between transformation imperatives and racial, socio-economic, gender and epistemic justice imperatives of sustainable development.

Imagining black feminist geographies of Johannesburg through Senzeni Marasela’s creative (un/re)mapping of Johannesburg’s mine slopes

ABSTRACT Part of the project of philosophy is to problematise how the world is known, including destabilising geography as one of the dominant imperialist discourses. In the Afropolis, legacies of colonialism and Apartheid still work to uphold spatial inequality within urban spaces in ways that are both racialised and gendered. Black feminist scholar, Katherine McKittrick, provides a fruitful theoretical foundation to consider postcolonial cities from a renewed epistemological perspective. In the 2006 book Demonic Grounds: Black Women and the Cartographies of Struggle, McKittrick works alongside and across traditional geographies through critical black geographies that centre a black feminist sense of place. In considering ‘a black sense of place’, McKittrick demonstrates how transatlantic slavery enforced and naturalised the connection between blackness and placelessness. She writes to document black women geographies and provides a narrative that locates and draws on black histories and black subjects to ‘make visible social lives which are often displaced, rendered ungeographic’. This paper places McKittrick in conversation with the work of South African artist Senzeni Marasela through their selected literary and artistic works to explore alternative feminist geographies of Johannesburg’s decommissioned mine slopes/dumps, and to emphasise the liberatory potential of a black feminist point of departure in relation to the mining–industrial complex. The argument is not merely that Johannesburg needs to become more inclusive to black feminist understandings of place, but rather that the centring of black feminist geographical knowledges has the subversive ability to reshape how the city is known in the first place. In doing so, this paper hopes to ‘raise questions about the ground beneath our feet, and how we are all implicated in the production of space’.

Revisiting Philosophical Dichotomies in South Africa's Post-Colonial Policing Foundational Structures: A Retrospective Analysis

This article examines the historical and medieval policing paradigms in South Africa, focusing on the integration of diverse policing styles worldwide, including indigenous precolonial African policing systems. Irrespective of efforts to modernize policing, remnants of Eurocentric and Americentric approaches persist, rooted in colonial and apartheid legacies. Through qualitative document analysis, it's evident that within contemporary policing in South Africa, there are similarities influenced by historical practices driven by colonisation, racism, and oppressive ideologies that excluded the indigenous majority. To a certain extent, these influences impede effective crime resolution. The article advocates for a paradigm shift towards blending a resource-based policing model and African pre-historic policing systems (syncretic), diverging from the prevailing business-centric approach. This model emphasizes continuous adaptation to crime trends, situational responses, and community dynamics, incorporating multidimensional factors such as historical context, social policies, and cultural influences. Embracing this model offers South Africa a more inclusive and effective approach to hybridised policing tailored to its unique challenges and persistent aspirations.

Maternal and child oral health barriers and solutions: Case studies from South Africa, Brazil, and Indonesia.

The World Federation of Public Health Associations (WFPHA) has introduced a maternal oral health framework and launched its Global Maternal and Child Oral Health Initiative, advocating for maternal and child health as a strategic entry point for oral health to be integrated into primary healthcare systems. This article delves into maternal oral health initiatives in South Africa, Brazil, and Indonesia, exploring challenges and proposing context-specific solutions aligned with the WFPHA maternal oral health framework and its Global Maternal and Child Oral Health Initiative. The apartheid legacy in South Africa has led to the gross health inequalities, including oral health disparities characterized by maldistribution of dental facilities and dental professionals in the public sector. The proposed objectives focus on effective leadership, human resource capacity building, and integration of maternal and child oral health policy into existing health policies. Brazil faces challenges in reaching pregnant women, especially pregnant teens, due to workforce shortages. Brazil's Oral Health National Program mandates all pregnant women undergo at least one dental appointment, but a shortage of oral health teams persists and impedes timely access to dental care during pregnancy. Dental students' outreach to vulnerable pregnant teens can enhance the future oral health workforce's sensitivity to maternal oral health matters. In Indonesia, the Antenatal Care Innovative (iANC) Project has introduced a co-training model for midwives and oral health professionals addressing oral health needs of mothers and their spouses and fostering a comprehensive understanding of the interplay between oral health and maternal well-being. These country cases demonstrate the importance of tailored policies, health promotion, and care delivery interventions in maternal oral health. All cases highlight the importance of workforce training and distribution, fostering cross-disciplinary collaboration and future oral health workforce who can promote health beyond treatment delivery.

Socio-Economic Dynamics Inhibiting Inclusive Urban Economic Development: Implications for Sustainable Urban Development in South African Cities

Globally, the need for sustainable urban development has never been more urgent than it is now. This is because estimates indicate that more than half of the global population will be living in urban areas by 2050, with South Africa estimated at 80%. This paper focuses on socio-economic nuances that impede sustainable urban development, as well as the strategies that can accelerate sustainable and inclusive urban development in South Africa. Through a literature-review methodology, the analysis identified the following issues as impediments to sustainable urban development in South Africa: informality, lack of consultations with urban citizens, unresolved apartheid legacies, crime and insecurity, and migration intricacies in South Africa. The paper also establishes prospective strategies to accelerate sustainable urban development, such as working with informality and not against it, promoting inclusivity and access to resources, accelerating policy reforms, investing in rural towns, and investing in superior technology and innovation. These findings imply that there is a need to seek alternative development models and approaches, to address poverty, unemployment, and poor housing, aspects that negatively impact urban development planning and sustainable development. The paper recommends inclusive urban housing as a remedy to address the challenges of access, affordability, and the quality of housing facilities in urban areas.

Re-membering the dismembered in university 'politics of process': Strategies for women's empowerment and inclusivity in academic leadership

In response to the legacy of Apartheid, South Africa has implemented gender equality policies to address the marginalisation of women in higher education institutions. Despite this liberation movement, the politics of university systems have continually marginalised previously disadvantaged black people, especially women. This is evident in the statistics of black women in positions of authority and academic development in South Africa. Observations and literature confirm that social, cultural, and institutional practices, often called the "politics of process," remain significant obstacles to women's full inclusion in the university leadership system. Therefore, this study aims to deconstruct gender supremacy within university systems from the perspectives of experienced women. It adopts a decoloniality approach, viewed through a transformative lens, which seeks to transform the perceived organisationally "dismembered" women by "re-membering" them into the sphere of equal recognition in university politics. Participatory research (PR) was employed to design the study, involving five women from a public university in South Africa, selected using a convenient sampling method. Unstructured interviews were conducted to gather information from the participants. Thematic Analysis (TA) was applied to analyse the data. The study found that institutionally induced challenges, women as impediments to themselves, and patriarchy and societal issues are major barriers preventing women from attaining positions of authority. In contrast, institutional support, self-empowerment, and mentoring initiatives represent strategies to re-member the dismembered, forming the basis of the study's recommendations.

What is there to drink? Water (in)justice in the democratic South Africa

IntroductionAligned to Chapter 2 of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa which recognizes water to be a basic human right, the democratic government from 1994 adopted policies, legislation and programmes that encourage universal access to basic water services. Although some progress has been made in urban areas concerning access to potable water supply, South Africa still faces serious problems in providing basic water services in rural areas. This study aims to understand sources of drinking water, how water is accessed by local communities, and determine the barriers associated with access to potable water and management in the rural villages of Madiba and Enqabeni.Data collectionTo fulfil the aim of this study, semi-structured interviews, interviewer-administered questionnaires, and field observations were employed as data collection tools. Data obtained from interviews were analyzed using thematic content analysis, while the questionnaires were assessed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences.Results and DiscussionThe study found that the majority of people still rely on untreated water from open water bodies. The study also identified corruption, and infrastructural and institutional problems as barriers affecting water service delivery to communities. These institutional problems mean that water resource management and access are unfair, inequitable and unjust, and constitute water injustice. The basic human right of access to water by communities is thereby violated and this has devastating effects on the lives and livelihoods of community members. Despite democracy, the legacy of apartheid's unequal water policy is still influencing water services and South Africa remains far from achieving Sustainable Development Goal 6.

Development of African Languages as the Medium of Instruction in Higher Education: From Policy to Practice

This study, using the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) as a key case study, critically examined the integration of African languages, specifically isiZulu, in South Africa’s higher education system. Employing a qualitative approach, the research conducted semi-structured interviews with lecturers and students while analysing relevant policies through a comprehensive examination of secondary data. The theoretical framework is grounded in sociolinguistics that focuses on diglossia—a linguistic phenomenon where two languages serve distinct functions in multilingual communities. The article engaged with the legacy of apartheid and colonialism, considering racial power differences that position African languages as inferior. The findings highlight the transformative role UKZN has embarked on of intellectualising isiZulu, challenging persistent misconceptions about the capacity of African languages to contribute to knowledge within higher education. The recommendations stressed the need for innovative teaching approaches, and robust support services for students engaging with academic content in African languages. This paper contributes to reshaping the narrative around African languages, recognising their vital role in higher education. Keywords: African Languages, Higher Education, Transformation, Language Policy, Diglossia

An Exploration into People with Disabilities’ Access to Sex, Sexuality, and Sex Education in South Africa

IntroductionThe needs of people living with disabilities regarding sex and sexual health remain largely neglected. Knowledge and resources about disabled sexuality have emerged mainly from the global north and have centered on heteronormative ideas about sex, gender, and sexuality.MethodsAn affirmative, sex positive, queer, and intersectional exploration was undertaken of the experiences and needs a group of adults with disabilities living in Gauteng, South Africa in relation to accessing information about sex, sexuality, and sexual health. Interviews were conducted with people of diverse disabilities, language groups, and cultural backgrounds. Interviews were analyzed using thematic analysis.ResultsThe participants revealed that sexual encounters, relationships, and dating were infused with negative experiences related to lack of understanding about sex, internalized ableism, exploitation, and physical, sexual, and emotional abuse resulting from societal stigma and ignorance regarding disability. Participants offered suggestions for how their needs could be addressed.ConclusionOur study concludes that the denial of sexual rights is a central element of the broader forms of social exclusion that people with disabilities. In South Africa, many of these forms of exclusion have been compounded by the legacy of apartheid, and the persistence of racial inequality, taboos about sex, and stigmas associated with disability.

South Africa and the “Othering” of the “Non-Euro-Christian” Religions

At the heart of Rabiat Akande's inspiring article, “An Imperial History of Race-Religion in International Law,” is the problematization of international law as an enabler of the othering of “non-Euro-Christian” religions.1 Akande employs “the imperial history of international law” to demonstrate that “racial and religious othering were mutually co-constitutive in the colonial encounter.”2 She rightly points out that “the legacy of that past survives in the continuing interplay of the racial and religious of the non-Euro-Christian other.”3 The focus of my essay is the post-colonial/settler colony4 and post-apartheid state that is South Africa. I argue that despite its highly acclaimed Constitution,5 which values international law and human rights, colonial and apartheid legacies still exist in South Africa, and come in the form of subjugating minority religions in favor of Christianity. In particular, I focus on the failure of the South African government in 2024 to pass legislation that would legally recognize Muslim marriages despite a constitutional obligation to do so.6 I argue that the government's non-recognition of Muslim marriages for almost three decades is a result of South Africa's colonial and apartheid legacies. South Africa's international and constitutional obligations law should be at the heart of the South African government's realization of fundamental rights when dealing with matters pertaining to religious freedom, especially as they relate to Muslim marriages.

Induction-Phase Challenges Faced by South African Higher Education Students: A Case Study of Sol Plaatje University

This study investigated the challenges facing entry-level students at Sol Plaatje University. Research has underscored the inequalities and socio-cultural and economic disparities between students at universities. In the case of South Africa, these inequalities are particularly prevalent because of the legacy of apartheid. There is therefore a need for universities to monitor the transition of students in their academic journey from high school to university and to ensure that this transition is underpinned by social justice that ensures that no student feels excluded. It is in this context that this study sought to investigate the challenges of the induction phase of transition faced by Sol Plaatje University students, with first-year students as the target population. Through a social justice theoretical framework, the study adopted a qualitative design. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews with a sample of twenty-five students. The findings reveal that in the induction phase of their higher education journey, the students experienced environmental, social, and academic challenges. The authors, therefore, recommend that universities be aware of the various challenges faced by first-year students in order to find appropriate solutions to eliminate these challenges, and ensure the students’ ability to successfully transition through university.

Who wants a reparative future? Social mobility beliefs, and young South African’s narrative positioning within the historic moral community

This paper explores how young South Africans think about the need for a reparative future through a consideration of their relationship to South Africa’s historic moral community. By historic moral community I draw on MacIntyre (2007), Sandel (2009), and Shotwell’s (2016) work to refer to the network of those from whom we inherit, and to whom we owe, an obligation – past, present, and future. This paper draws on data from a ten-month classroom ethnography in Cape Town. The ethnography looked at four Grade 9 history classrooms in four racially distinct schools and included multiple interviews with between four and six students from each class (n = 20) over the course of the year. Data collection focussed on how the legacies of apartheid were taught, and how students learned to use history to make sense of their personal circumstances and contemporary society. It also explored students’ narratives regarding their own social mobility trajectories, how they perceived the effects of apartheid on their own lives, and attitudes regarding the need for reparative action in light of apartheid. The data demonstrated not only the diversity of attitudes towards reparative futures that exist among South African youth, but also suggests that young people who narrate their life trajectories as being intertwined with South Africa’s historic moral community both advocate for collective responsibility for past injustice, and feel a sense of agency over their future social mobility.