Post-apartheid South Africa Research Articles

The Impact of White Supremacy on First-Generation Mixed-Race Identity in Post-Apartheid South Africa

South African white supremacy has been shaped by over 400 years of settler colonialism and white minority apartheid rule to craft a pervasive and entrenched legacy of privilege and oppression in the post-apartheid context. This paper explores the constructions of white supremacy, specifically its role in shaping the perceptions of first-generation mixed-race identity in South Africa, through semi-structured, in-depth interviews. Through a critical race theory and an intersectional lens, this paper unpacks the personal, political, and social impact of white supremacist structures on the identity construction of first-generation mixed-race people in post-apartheid South Africa; specifically, societal- and self-perceptions of their identity within power structures with which they interact. Moreover, this paper aims to understand how first-generation mixed-race people understand their connections to white privilege. Ultimately this paper argues that although first-generation mixed-race people experience relative privilege, their access to white privilege and acceptance within structures of whiteness is always conditional.

Strategic Leadership and Diplomatic Agility: A Comparative Analysis of Conflict Resolution in South Africa and Qatar

This research delves into the dynamic interplay between strategic leadership and diplomatic agility in conflict resolution, juxtaposing Nelson Mandela's transformational leadership in post-apartheid South Africa with Qatar's diplomatic navigation through the 2017 geopolitical blockade. It aims to uncover how leadership dynamics are crucial in guiding nations through conflicts and crises in diverse geopolitical landscapes, employing a qualitative comparative methodology that includes case study analysis and thematic literature review to investigate leadership virtues, diplomatic engagements, and the strategic use of international law. By comparing Mandela's commitment to reconciliation and unity with Qatar's resilience and economic ingenuity, this study seeks to articulate core principles underpinning strategic leadership and diplomatic agility, highlighting their applicability across various geopolitical challenges. Anticipated outcomes include the identification of key leadership traits such as ethical governance, strategic foresight, and the ability to foster unity, alongside effective diplomatic engagement and adherence to international norms. This investigation enriches the academic discourse on conflict resolution by providing insights into the synergy between leadership and diplomacy in managing complex disputes, underscoring the adaptability of leadership strategies in changing geopolitical dynamics, and setting a foundation for future leadership efforts aimed at achieving global peace, stability, and progress. Furthermore, it opens avenues for further scholarly inquiry into leadership dynamics in conflict resolution, enhancing the academic understanding and offering practical guidance for policymakers and leaders, thereby emphasizing the critical importance of visionary leadership and diplomatic finesse in achieving sustainable resolutions to international conflicts. 

An ideological critique of the legacy of Nelson Mandela in Brenda Fassie’s “Black President”

The intrarelationship between language and music is an enthralling and intricate interplay that spans various dimensions of human expression. Both language and music are complex forms of communication, and their interaction can be observed in several ways. Words, phrases, and sentences in a language underpin specific meanings and convey information. The structure and choice of words enable precise communication of thoughts, emotions, and ideas. Musical elements such as melody, harmony, rhythm, and dynamic forces contribute to the emotional and expressive power of music. Even without lyrics, instrumental music has the capacity to evoke a wide range of sensibilities. With this in mind, the primary aim of this article is to uncover Brenda Fassie’s “Black President” in an attempt to unravel Nelson Mandela’s political and leadership discourse. To do this, an ideological critique as a theory is applied to the discussions. Ultimately, this article makes two notable findings and discussions. First, Fassie’s “Black President” emerges as a consequential symbol within postcolonial and post-apartheid South Africa. In fact, the clause “Black President” is laden with historical significance, representing a departure from the era of racial subjugation. Through linguistic choices and symbolic language, the song contributes to the ideological critique by illustrating Mandela’s presidency as a transformative moment in the nation’s history. Second (last), Fassie’s lyrical craftsmanship introduces a layer of narrative complexity, offering an ideological critique that goes beyond simple glorification. While the song acknowledges Mandela’s heroic stature, it equally confronts the challenges and disparities countenancing in post-apartheid South Africa. Linguistic choices convey a multifaceted reflection on the “Black President’s” legacy, questioning whether the dreams of liberation have materialized into concrete improvements for all citizens. The language used becomes a tool for critique, urging listeners to grapple with the intricacies of societal transformation and the realization that, despite the monumental changes, there remains unfinished business in the pursuit of liberty and justice. The concluding remarks underline the necessity to continue to examine political and leadership figures as (re)produced in musical linguistics.

Contested Heritage in South Africa: Perspectives from Mahikeng

Mahikeng, the seat of the Ngaka Modiri Molema District and capital of South Africa’s North West province, has identified tourism as an economic driver based on cultural heritage related to Batswana, Boer, and British contestation. However, the colonial heritage is underutilised as visitors come to Mahikeng (formerly Mafeking) in search of experiences relating to the siege of Mafeking, the Anglo–Boer War, and the origins of the Boy Scouts movement but leave disappointed. This heritage has been downgraded in democratic post-apartheid South Africa as there is an agenda that seeks to highlight African cultural heritage, particularly relating to the anti-apartheid struggle. This formerly suppressed cultural heritage needs to be promoted as it is crucial to South Africa’s history, identity, and social cohesion. However, other heritages that are also important are falling by the wayside with the result that the country’s diversity as the ‘rainbow nation’ is being eroded, and heritage tourism opportunities, which could prompt Local Economic Development (LED), are missed. A more critical engagement with the colonial heritage by including African perspectives, critiques, interactions, and roles within the narrative is needed.

Transformation Deferred: Disparate Development in Post-Apartheid South Africa (1994-2004)

The role of the state in promoting development and economic transformation in South Africa has been the subject of diverse viewpoints and discussions. With the transition to democracy in 1994, progress on various socio-economic indicators has been achieved due to the macro-level programs instituted by the African National Congress (ANC) led government. The current economic situation in South Africa, influenced by globalization, involves various powerful entities such as global and national capital, the apartheid elite (mostly white), and the emerging black elite connected to the ANC. These dynamics have an intricate impact on the working class, reshaping power structures in the country. This article delves into the developmental impact of key socio-economic programs of the ANC, notably the Reconstruction and Development Program and the Growth, Employment, and Redistribution Plan. It explicitly examines access to basic services like housing, electricity, water, and sanitation, shedding light on their impact. The focus also extends to the persistent issues of unemployment and resulting income inequalities within South Africa. These programs' effects on these societal challenges are thoroughly analyzed. Ultimately, the article highlights the starkly unequal developmental outcomes, showcasing how significant portions of South African society remain excluded despite these initiatives.

Access to healthcare by undocumented Zimbabwean migrants in post-apartheid South Africa.

Zimbabwean undocumented migrants rely on the South African public health care system for treatment of non-communicable and communicable diseases, surgery and medical emergency services. A gap remains to understand undocumented migrant experiences at a time when accessing public healthcare has been topical in South Africa. This article aimed to describe and understand the experiences, challenges and health-seeking alternatives of undocumented Zimbabwean migrants in accessing healthcare services in Nellmapius in Pretoria. The study was conducted at Nellmapius in Pretoria. A qualitative descriptive research design was used. Structured interviews with 13 undocumented migrants were conducted by applying purposive and snowballing sampling techniques. The data were thematically analysed. Migrants reported that the attitudes by healthcare officials suggest unwillingness to provide services to undocumented migrants, aggravating their vulnerability and perennial illness. Migrants faced challenges of discrimination, a lack of professional service delivery, a lack of financial capacity to pay for services and a lack of documentation evoking health-seeking alternatives. Migrants continue to face challenges while accessing subsidised health care. This study confirms that medical xenophobia is generally present in the public health care centres, at least for the sampled undocumented Zimbabwean migrants. The majority of undocumented migrants cannot afford to pay for private healthcare.Contribution:The findings of this study inform national, provincial and local healthcare facilities to be ethical and provide dignified quality healthcare to undocumented migrants in line with international practices.

Understanding ‘violence’ within protest: A call for further research within occupational therapy and occupational science

ABSTRACT There is a dearth of research in occupational science towards understanding ‘violence' within the context of protest, including why and how these two phenomena occur in and of each other and why both are characteristic of Post-Apartheid South Africa. This gap in knowledge is particularly concerning as both the profession of occupational therapy and the discipline of occupational science are concerned with human occupation as a means of analysing everyday doing as shaped by context. Efforts towards contextually reflexive research, practice, and education in the discipline and profession cannot continue to ignore this issue, especially as it pertains to the impact of violence within protest on the health and well-being of activists. This article offers a historical analysis of protest ‘violence’ across key political shifts in South Africa, using a decolonial lens. This perspective foregrounds colonial configurations of context, and the need to critically interrogate structures, practices, and processes that are potentially complicit in sustaining and reproducing this social order. The conceptualisation of what is termed ‘violence’ within the context of protest is problematised throughout, highlighting the contested nature of this term. Lastly, this article identifies occupational science constructs that may offer insights into this complex phenomenon and notes pertinent questions for theory and practice developments.

Black Chartered Accountants in Post-Apartheid South Africa: Global Implications for the Profession

SYNOPSIS Although South Africa’s Apartheid system legally ended with the advent of democracy in 1994, by 2021 only 15 percent of chartered accountants were Black. This is despite the fact that 80 percent of the South African population is Black. We examine this underrepresentation through interviews with 22 Black South Africans who earned their chartered accountancy certification in the second decade of the 21st century. This study reveals the similarities and differences between the experiences of those we interviewed and those who initially broke into the profession in the 20th century (see Hammond, Clayton, and Arnold 2009). In both eras, entry to the field was constricted by professional closure. While the officially mandated educational and employment barriers that previous generations faced have been dismantled, Black aspirants continue to face immense barriers to entering the profession. Their experiences suggest ways forward in making the worldwide profession more diverse, equitable, and inclusive.

“Asiphelelanga!” (we are not complete!): #FeesMustFall movement and higher education in post-apartheid South Africa

This article focuses on the Fees Must Fall Protests in South Africa as a decolonial strategy implemented by university students who seek a fully liberated South Africa. Students’ core demands of the access to and quality of university education embody Africans’ early ideals of freedom from the Victorian Era to the turbulence seen in the violent student protests of the 1970s and 1980s. Students underscored that their future is compromised by the ruling party’s inability to live up to a democratic blueprint of liberation. By marching and inflicting disruptive modes of politics, including vandalizing property, university students called for the removal of colonial artifacts. Through innovative uses of social media networks and viral hashtags, students documented their effort to decolonize their universities through a form of knowledge production infused with African epistemologies.

The New Apartheid

The fundamental distinction between a Civil Rights movement such as the African National Congress and a liberation movement like Poqo lies in the status of white settlers and Apartheid. The mythologisation of Apartheid by promoting it to the main problem in liberation politics and history in conqueror South Africa  is the persistent intellectual obsession of the Congress Tradition. A trenchant contestation and rejection of Apartheid as the fundamental antagonism in the history of the struggle for national liberation is the defining trait of a liberation movement and liberation intellectual production.Having written a book entitled Democracy & Delusion: 10 Myths (2019), in which he debunks what he considers to be myths about the so-called post-Apartheid South Africa, Sizwe is back again only this time he is reinventing two myths.In the book under review, entitled The New Apartheid (2021), Sizwe promotes the delusion and first myth of Apartheid as the problem and the second myth of the ANC as a liberation movement. This review is about these two myths.

Development of Open Education Resources to Teach Oral History: Perspectives of a Sports Heritage-Engaged Scholarship Initiative in Gauteng, South Africa

Gaps exist in archival practices, and developments are in progress to decolonise and transform archives by supplementing existing archival collections with oral history accounts. This is a recent development in the archival field, requiring archivists and records managers to become aware of how oral history collections should be undertaken to preserve testimonies related to socio-economic, sociopolitical, and cultural events not yet captured by South African public archivists. An open educational resource (OER) was developed in 2022 as part of an engaged scholarship initiative to instruct archivists on oral history research techniques and how to apply research ethics when undertaking such projects. The research paradigm for this study was a postmodernist qualitative study. Action-based research was used in the research design. Action research is a flexible methodology uniquely suited to research and support change. It integrates social research with exploratory actions to promote development. Action research outcomes are both practical and theoretical. The knowledge it generates directly and continuously impacts the changing practices of the participants. Data from participants were collected through recorded project workshops and meetings. The content for the OER was developed from observing online videos showcasing oral history interviews, consulting literature on OER development, and discussions with archivists and heritage collectors at the South African National Film, Video and Sound Archives, the South African National Parks Board, and the Gauteng Provincial Archives. The OER was developed to enable collaboration to ensure that the oral narratives of postcolonial Africa, particularly post-apartheid South Africa, are not lost but captured by the public archives’ services for the benefit of South Africans and other interested stakeholders.

A Critical Appraisal of the Continuity and Elusiveness of the Concept of Development in Post-apartheid South Africa

A Critical Appraisal of the Continuity and Elusiveness of the Concept of Development in Post-apartheid South Africa

A theological response to racism in post-apartheid South Africa: A Korean perspective

A theological response to racism in post-apartheid South Africa: A Korean perspective

Ubuntu in Post-Apartheid South Africa: Educational, Cultural and Philosophical Considerations

Ubuntu has been defined as a moral quality of human beings, as a philosophy or an ethic, as African humanism, and as a worldview. This paper explores these definitions as conceptual tools for understanding the cultural, educational, and philosophical landscape of post-apartheid South Africa. Key to this understanding is the Althusserian concept of state apparatus. Louis Althusser divides the state apparatus into two forces: the repressive state apparatus (RSA); and the ideological state apparatus (ISA). RSAs curtail the working classes, predominately through direct violence or the threat of violence, whereas ISAs function primarily by ideology, including forms of organised religion, the education system, family units, legal systems, trade unions, political parties, and media. This paper discusses the link between increasing inequality in post-apartheid South Africa and education, with specific reference to Althusser’s ISAs and the abuse of Ubuntu as a subterfuge for socio-economic inequality.

Black Consciousness and Black Theology: Di ya thoteng di bapile (relationship for liberation)

The aim of this article is to point out that Black Consciousness and Black Theology are conceptually and philosophically comrades in arms, fighting side-by-side for the liberation of the oppressed masses, especially the black people emerging from apartheid South Africa. Through the literature review, the two philosophical disciplines are historically sketched, defined, and compared. The Setswana idiom, Di ya thoteng di bapile (comradeship), like many African proverbs and idioms, is philosophically employed as a way of decolonising theology. The idiom is used to demonstrate the symbiotic relationship between Black Consciousness and Black Theology in fighting against structural injustices in societies. Historical evolvement of the two disciplines is narratively presented to demonstrate how the two philosophies can continue to fight together towards the liberation of the marginalised masses in post-apartheid South Africa. The article concludes by sketching some strategic initiatives that can be undertaken to create the space for these two disciplines to symbiotically lead to the liberation of people living under the new form of political, cultural and socio-economic marginalisations. The strategic initiatives include the enhancement of self-reliance, prophetic role, and dialogical processes that lead to emancipation of those who sense self-pity, dependency syndrome, and loss of sense of quality life. These initiatives can be achieved through symbiotic cooperation of Black Consciousness and Black Theology, eventually leading to human liberation from any form of oppression.Contribution: There is a symbiotic cooperation of Black Consciousness and Black Theology, eventually leading to human liberation from any form of oppression.

Mary-Anne Plaatjies-van Huffel

There’s no doubt that Mary-Ann Plaatjies-van Huffel is amongst the women who “have moved into the academy, assumed religious leadership, and claimed their religious agency and heritage”. However, as a woman of colour Plaatjies-van Huffel’s life and work reveal that she had to navigate her leadership and exercise her agency along a well-beaten patriarchal beaten track. In this article I foreground some “first woman to…” milestones on Plaatjies-van Huffel’s trailblazing journey through the ecclesial ranks of the Uniting Reformed Church in Southern Africa (URCSA), highlighting that her academic research and community engagement reflect the social, economic, and political realities of racism and sexism, and its complex ramifications in post-apartheid South Africa. The main argument I make in this article is that, while women may no longer be excluded from leadership positions, it is second-generation gender bias that maintains the patriarchal beaten track in “the church”. Thus, I call for the debunking of second-generation gender bias which, I argue, will require a virtue of unctuousness.

Towards a critical pedagogy of global citizenship: Breaking the silence as a trained dancer in post-apartheid South Africa

AbstractThis article reveals a reflective journey of a dancer through unpacking two performances experienced over the course of two years. It examines and navigates ways of decolonizing oppressive dominance and investigating the ramifications of indoctrination in dance. It depicts how a trained dancer evolved and became more conscious by breaking the “culture of silence” and changed in becoming a more critical reflective dancer in a post-apartheid South Africa. This project aligns itself with global citizenship education (GCE) as it re/imagines traditional forms of civic and citizenship education in a more critical and decolonial perspective. In writing this paper, we are reminded of “the myriad shifts of thinking, strategies and back-and-forth debating” with each other and can also see our “encounters as a dance” (Waghid in Dancing with doctoral encounters: Democratic education in motion, African Sun Media, 2015). In breaking the silence surrounding dance and its conservative elements, we question the technocratic practices and accepted norms in the performance arts and the dancing arena. How does a classical dancer redress the colonial past in a performance arts classroom? The significance of this paper lies in the argument that decolonization becomes an imperative within GCE if one is striving for social justice and intends to commit oneself to a more equitable society where crossing borders must be a seamless act.

Basic Analytical Assumptions of Empowering the Periphery

Against the background of the global crises and the urgency it created, the authors attempt to problematise the pathways to empowering the peripheries of the world – the victimised, excluded, humiliated and entangled. As assumptions relevant for the empowerment of the peripheries they discuss: the need to re-read one’s own history; “accurate reconnaissance” of the current local circumstances; understanding the “workings of the global neoliberal capitalism”; focusing on integrating, making use of new scientific insights, reinvigorating fundamental values and generating internal actors of change; establishing new transformative alliances of the peripheries. The assumptions are contextualized in relation to the process of transition taking place in post-apartheid South Africa and post-socialist Serbia.

Press and Politics: Contributions of Sol Plaatje to South African Journalism

The article looks into the journalism of Solomon Thekisho Plaatje (popularly known as Sol Plaatje) and his contributions to the early South African black press and politics. Sol Plaatje remains one of South Africa’s most important political and literary figures. He was a pioneer of black press in South Africa. He was a spokesman of his people and an opinion leader among them. He was the first Secretary of the South African Native National Congress (SANNC) which later became the African National Congress (ANC), the current ruling political party in South Africa. His services to war correspondents as secretary, typist or interpreter and ‘liaison officer’ (to war correspondent Vere Stent) laid the foundation for his careers in journalism and writing. Plaatje edited/published a number of Setswana/English newspapers such as Koranta ea Becoana ( Bechuana Gazette), Tsala ea Becoana ( Bechuana Friend) which later became Tsala ea Batho ( Friend of the People) and Our Heritage. He also wrote regularly for English language newspapers such as Star, Pretoria News, Cape Times, Cape Argus and Diamond Fields Advertiser. The study seeks to find out the interplay between Sol Plaatje’s journalism and politics and his contributions to South African journalism as a pioneer of the black press. The study adopts the historical research method. Data gathered for the study were qualitatively analysed. Sol Plaatje’s kind of journalism was developmental as it was geared towards defending his people and re-orientating them to better ideals while at the same time trying to build cohesion with the white populace. The study is a contribution to the reconstruction of media history in the post-apartheid South Africa.

The Representation of Black Queer Masculinities on YouTube in the Film Out of This World

This article is an explorative study of the documentary film Out of This World (2017), which captures the narratives and experiences of queer individuals in Johannesburg, South Africa, through a series of snapshots. Guided by activist and host Mykki Blanco, the film explores queer creative cultures in post-apartheid South Africa using YouTube as a platform. It exposes the lived realities of queer voices often silenced and marginalised, bringing visibility to stories of urban CBD and township queer experiences. The film navigates the experiences of the “born-free” generation within the queer community, as they grapple with continued marginalisation. Utilising social media, the film exemplifies self-fashioned queer visualities in post-apartheid South Africa, enabling visibility and belonging for some queer individuals. The film employs YouTube as a visual media to understand how black queer people forge spaces of visibility, countering historical oppression and erasure. The article serves to explore and discuss how black queer masculinities are represented on YouTube in the film Out of This World. The article will employ Grant Andrews’s concept of “mirror” and “mirroring,” utilising visual media to foster recognition and identity in the post-apartheid context. The project uses qualitative visual content analysis to unpack the complex social and cultural dynamics represented in these texts, and the analysis demonstrates how these visual texts are themselves sites of resistance and of imagining and claiming “liveable lives” that the transgressive vulnerabilities allow for.