Spirit Of Ubuntu Research Articles

Reflections and Insights on Leadership Competencies in Botswana: Lessons and Experiences for African Managers

In Africa, leadership crisis stalls many organisations from realizing their goals and holds back people from attaining their dreams. Yet African culture is rich with experiences which draw from the wisdom of traditional leadership, with its emphasis on communality, hard work and kindness as emblematic in the spirit of Ubuntu (Botho) (van de Colff, 2003) an African philosophy which inculcates compassion and integrity. This paper reflects on insights of leadership practices in some of Botswana organisations to appreciate the challenges they face in steering the leadership pedestal and their impact in fostering organizational success. The role of leadership is examined against a set of attributes and functions. For example, articulation of vision, staff welfare, customer care and more importantly the extent to which leadership contributes towards social justice and equity is considered. The study was conducted in Gaborone, the capital city of Botswana, based on exploratory mini practical survey. This involved unstructured personal interviews with industry leaders’ from private, public and non-governmental entities, to understand their roles as leaders and explore issues that preoccupy them and appreciate the challenges they face. Key findings from this research are the realization that the intersection between scholarship and practitioners provides a powerful mediatory process of reflection for leadership learning, more especially in transformation. Leaders who reflect are constantly imagining the vision of their organisations and ways of actualizing it.

Conceptualising Community Engagement through the lens of African Indigenous Education

The conceptualisation of “community engagement” at Higher Education in South Africa remains a topic for debate in the transformation agenda. South African Indigenous knowledge has been transmitted and perennially refreshed through educational pedagogy that are characterized by a sensitivity to African Philosophy, axiology and the spirit of Ubuntu. This article presents a qualitative critical review from the perspective of African indigenous education of the conceptualisation of community engagement. Community engagement is explored as a contemporary pedagogical counterpart to the indigenous pedagogies that supported African epistemology and axiology and community engagement is positioned within a natural evolution of the South African indigenous education and human development framework. Since children are the most vulnerable and affected community it is postulated that a student-centred framework for community engagement would offer an empowering praxis for a new South African Indigenous Education. Community engagement conceptualised within African Indigenous Knowledge Systems is argued as a means towards authentic transformation giving “voice” and “agency” to communities across all levels of education. Within this framework, the article affirms the use of indigenous concepts and practices within a transformed education system where Higher Education assumes a key role-player in human development from the cradle to the grave.

Factors Influencing Non-Disclosure of Child Sexual Abuse Amongst Bapedi Tribe in Polokwane, Limpopo Province, South Africa

Child sexual abuse is a global public health issue calling the attention of practitioners, scholars and policy makers to address it. This study argues that children are being sexually abused both by family and non-family members, and such incidents are not always reported and/or disclosed due to various influential factors. This study was aimed at exploring and describing possible influential factors for the non-disclosure of child sexual abuse amongst Bapedi tribe. A qualitative approach with a descriptive phenomenological design was followed. Fifteen caregivers of children were purposively selected in order to pursue the aim of this study.  Data was collected through semi-structured interviews and analysed thematically through the help of Nvivo Software. The findings indicate that due to factors such as fear of the perpetrator, the practice of the spirit of ubuntu, socio-economic status of the family and relationship with the perpetrator, protecting the dignity of the family, fear of victimisation, fear of witchcraft, and cultural beliefs, child sexual abuse in the Bapedi tribe is an issue to be dealt with by families affected and if need be, traditional courts intervene in case the families disagree. It can therefore be concluded that there is a lack of information on the nastiness of child sexual offences against children amongst Bapedi tribe. Therefore, the Bapedi tribe must be empowered to disclose and/or report child sexual abuse and the implications of not doing so.

One Made by Many: the Recording of Present-Day Kalahari Stories

ABSTRACT An inclusive methodology emphasises other-centredness and many ways of knowing including spirituality. It draws on the spirit of ubuntu, kanala and participatory communication towards research that results in a product that is “the one made by many”. How this type of methodology can be implemented ethically in the recording and dissemination of indigenous stories and, more importantly, how it may challenge the spiritual well-being of the storyteller is considered. Three case studies involving the author directly are examined. Aspects of The South African San Institute’s San Code of Ethics are considered specifically in the argument for participant agency. Challenges addressed include the following. What are the ethical concerns that need to be addressed in the process of recording and transcribing indigenous stories and the publication and dissemination of the product? If and how does the telling of their stories impact the spiritual well-being of the storytellers? How can an inclusive methodology assist in preparing storytellers for possible negative impacts on their spiritual well-being in the telling of their stories?

Becoming, belonging and sharing: Striving to live in the spirit of Ubuntu in Portugal

In this paper I examine the non-formal education programme of the Ubuntu Academy in Portugal, a non-profit organisation that aims to empower and train young adults with strong leadership potential. The participants, who come mostly from African immigrant communities and contexts of social exclusion, are trained to develop and implement social entrepreneur and outreach projects in their communities. I explore the Ubuntu Academy’s use of the Southern African communitarian philosophy of ubuntu and draw on ubuntu literature to argue that this specific education programme’s focus on the notions of humaneness and interdependence encapsulated in the concept of ubuntu has introduced a paradigm shift from an individualistic worldview prevalent in the West to a communitarian form of becoming, belonging and sharing. In this context, I consider the role of testimony and narrative in both promoting personal growth and developing a sense of interdependence and connectedness among people of diverse backgrounds and identities.

PARTICIPATORY COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AND THE PROCESS OF COLLECTING VOICES: THE CASE OF AN EDUCARE CENTRE IN BOKSBURG, SOUTH AFRICA

This article examines the process of collecting voices from a participatory community development perspective and the theoretical framework from which the process was facilitated. The focus of the study was on building a viable and good organization that is responsive to the needs of its primary stakeholders. This is the operationalization of the principle of empowerment of men and women alike – aimed at enhancing the sustainability of the envisaged project beyond the time of the research-facilitator’s departure. Through this participatory community development process participants were enabled to start a Stokvel project, the aim of which was to help augment the members’ financial resources so as to sustain payment of their children’s day care fees and to also materialize the spirit of Ubuntu (humaneness) among themselves as local community members. Given the lessons learnt this article concludes that after engaging people in capacity building as facilitators of participatory community development, it is important to give people a voice at grassroots level, allowing them to make informed decisions and choices about their situations. This in turn helps them take control of their lives in a meaningful way. Besides this, the researcher is also intrigued by the task of documenting the process of collecting the latter voices and the attendant lessons learnt.

“We Pray for the Death of ‘God”’: Southern African Women in Prayer

IntroductionIn South Africa (North Africans) are being ambushed, burnt, or beaten to death xenophobic attacks that have been sporadic but widespread. The media carry gruesome stories of displaced women and children who originally come from war-tom regions of Africa or economically unstable countries Africa north of Republic of South Africa. Having come to South Africa seeking a different life, their husbands and fathers are killed, and they are displaced again. The reasons given by South African mobs have ranged from the are taking 'their women' (notice objectification of South African women) to foreigners take jobs that rightfully belong to South Africans. Activists and government officials both inside and outside South Africa are working to effect change so that women and children's lives are not at stake. Rape statistics are high South Africa with a woman being raped every two minutes. Police statistics reveal that twenty-seven cases of rape are reported per day province of Western Cape alone.1 Statistically more women than men are unemployed South Africa.2With this context mind, I will consider prayers of women Anglican Church of Southern Africa (ACSA). I realize that task of describing women's prayer ACSA is not only difficult but fact impossible to do an article of this length, for ours is a rich with multiple languages, multiple ways and forms of expressing diverse spiritualities, all of which form totality of ACSA prayer. Women pray song and dance, words and deeds, with traditional African drums and Western guitars, deep silence and tears, meditation and wonder, bright colors and candlelight, around adorned altars and under trees rural places where there are not any church buildings-yet they are all prayer. I will focus on concerns of women's prayers ACSA. Women ACSA pray away rape and pray away xenophobia South Africa brought about by violence of those who believe this land belongs exclusively to them. Women also pray away deeply gendered poverty affecting mostly women and children, and pray away violence against women.Many Christians have believed that violence and poverty are ordained by God. So women essence pray for death of this who ordains this violence and pray to a God who wills peace and affirmation of humanity of women and weak of our communities. Women pray to a life-giving God for all humanity. Women pray to a God who will answer their prayers and not oppose everything that women experience and believe to be divine and life-giving.Contrasting Images of GodNeither progressive South African constitution nor ideals of Ubuntu have modified impact of image of God. Despite equality affirmed constitution, African culture and religion continue to influence daily experience of black women. Although many argue that Ubuntu makes up fabric of African society, and that violence against women and xenophobia are against spirit of Ubuntu, it is clear from statistics offered introduction that Ubuntu has not been effective for women's freedom and equality.3 Ubuntu itself is based on patriarchy and male-dominated cultures Southern Africa, therefore Ubuntu can never liberate women from domination. Mercy Oduyoye correctly argues that in Africa as elsewhere a literal reading of creation narratives has stifled theological content and buried chance for real reflection.4 The literal reading of Genesis has also given to South Africa a who is only like those and for those who were first Africans to interpret Bible-men. Indeed this God-who Anglican Prayer Book of ACSA is male (Father, Almighty, Lord)-has given human men an undue status, where they see themselves as more like God than women are. Women, therefore, should be submissive to men. …

Naming and exploring the causes of collective violence against African migrants in post-apartheid South Africa: Whither Ubuntu1 ?

In South Africa, attacks mainly directed at black non-South Africans, is a rampant, long- standing phenomenon notwithstanding the spirit of Ubuntu which is thought to permeate the social fabric. Assumptions have been made in various labels describing the attacks, raising concerns about their appropriateness. Further, various explanations and hypotheses have been advanced about causes of or reasons for the attacks. The root causes of the attacks need to be properly understood for lasting solutions to be found. The objectives of this article are: first, to analyse the appropriateness of various labels in order to name the phenomenon South Africa is confronted with; and, secondly, to identify the root causes of the attacks. This analysis could assist in formulating policies and strategies to address the attacks. This article is theoretical, and it draws on in-depth analysis of relevant literature and empirical studies in order to addresses two research questions. First, are the attacks motivated by pure criminality, or are they manifestations of Afro-phobia/Negrophobia, expressions of xenophobia or indicators of outright racism? Secondly, what are the causes of or explanations for the attacks? On nomenclature, the article rejects the criminality label as reductionist. To an extent, the Afro-phobia/Negrophobia label has merit, but the racism tag is unsustainable. Xenophobia emerges as the appropriate description because empirical studies point to a significant number of South Africans holding xenophobic attitudes and having expressed their preparedness to forcefully eject foreign nationals. The article concludes that xenophobia is a complex phenomenon and has multiple causes, which must be properly understood and that finding effective solutions to it requires involvement of all key stakeholders.

The end of ubuntu

Since the advent of democracy in South Africa, there has been a concerted effort at reviving the notion of ubuntu. Variously conceived, it is seen as the authentic African ethical concept, a way of life, an authentic mode of being African, an individual ideal, the appropriate public spirit, a definition of life itself and the preferred manner of conducting public and private business. Thus, among other public displays of the spirit of ubuntu, the government of the day has deliberately chosen its service delivery mantra and its public slogan as Batho Pele (people first) to animate, or perhaps pay obeisance to, ubuntu. In this paper we seek to advance arguments that question such a public, widespread, and concerted ‘ubuntu-isation’ of the intellectual, business, public and private lives. Our project follows two main lines of reasoning. (1) We seek to show that the aggressive promotion of ubuntu in post-apartheid South Africa is an elitist project so conceived by the new black elite. It is conceived both as a restorative move that is aimed at securing the dignity of the black masses as well as an attempt at forging a so-called black identity. This line of reasoning will rely on similar historical cases on the continent that sought to aggressively promote an African mode of being, which coincided with both the end of colonialism and the rise of black elitism. We note that such attempts always ended in very public social and political failure. (2) We seek to question the desirability of ubuntu as a mark/guide of the spirit of the nation. Here our critique shall be concentrated on the disjunct that exists between the metaphysical conditions necessary for the attainment of ubuntu and the stark ontological and ethical crisis facing the new elite and ‘our people’.

In the Spirit of Ubuntu: Stories of Teaching and Research, Diane M. Caracciolo & Anne M. Mungai, Editors

In the Spirit of Ubuntu: Stories of Teaching and Research, Diane M. Caracciolo & Anne M. Mungai, Editors

SOCIAL CAPITAL AND THE IMPERATIVES OF THE CONCEPT AND LIFE OF UBUNTU IN THE SOUTH AFRICAN CONTEXT

In this article, I argue that an interface exists between the Western concept of social capital and the African concept and the way of life traditionally known as Ubuntu. Social capital generates values of co-operation and collaboration which appear to be consonant with the spirit of Ubuntu, a concept and way of life which characterize hospitality or generosity as the core values of African communality. I highlight that both concepts differ in that while social capital can be quantified Ubuntu cannot. I also show that negative consequences may emanate from the application of the concepts and their possibilities of being manipulated for selfish means in promoting the interests of the minorities at the expense of the majority. However, I suggest that the appropriation of both could enhance the capacity of communities to deal with anti-social issues such as crime.

Hospitality in a Postapartheid Archive: Reflections on <em>There Was This Goat</em> and the Challenge of Alterity

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission helped to reconstitute the South African archive as more open, more self-reflexive, more hospitable to those previously marginalized by poverty and racial injustice, but its disciplinary and ethical framework produced new norms and exclusions. A recent book, There Was This Goat, co-authored by writer Antjie Krog, linguist Nosisi Mpolweni, and psychologist Kopano Ratele, investigates the “incomprehensible” testimony of Mrs. Konile, mother of a murdered ANC activist. In trying to imagine a new public drawn together in the spirit of ubuntu, it raises troubling questions about accommodating alterity. The fragmented nature of the book shows up the impossibility of achieving coherence in the name of hospitality. I reflect on the construction of what seems “strange” within the postapartheid archive and on the role of the archive itself in underwriting particular notions of citizenship and belonging. Greater openness may call for a relinquishing of certainty and sovereignty, and a willingness not to comprehend.

Aspects of the Legal Environment of Coastal and Marine Tourism in South Africa

Until the end of apartheid, tourism and marine affairs in South Africa were deliberately confined to the white minority and left largely unregulated. This article is the first integrated description of the new legal landscape resulting from the wide-ranging entrenchment of human rights, the development of a complex system of tourism legislation, the updating of maritime legislation, as well as new legislation to better regulate the management of the national environment. It concludes by alluding to the substantial resources that must be mobilized as a matter of urgency to implement and enforce that legislation in such a way as to give effect to the spirit of ubuntu.

Competing or co-existing? Representations of HIV/AIDS by white women teachers in post-apartheid South Africa

This study explores the social representations of HIV and AIDS that circulate among white women teachers in South Africa, a group whose personal risk of the disease is low but who have a major role to play in shaping attitudes to HIV/AIDS among children and young people. The study examines how white women talk about the origin and causes of the spread of HIV in South Africa and their personal and community risk. This was explored through 25 semi-structured interviews and two focus groups with white female teachers in Johannesburg. A thematic analysis of the in-depth interviews revealed a shared private understanding of the disease, wherein the women distanced themselves by anchoring it in the context of racist cultural stereotypes of black sexuality and vulnerability. In contrast, the focus group discussions revealed a type of public talk in which HIV/AIDS is anchored in the contemporary cultural images of the new South Africa and the spirit of ubuntu or togetherness. These contradictory views reflect the racial tensions and social contexts of South Africa and which shape HIV/AIDS discourses. The findings suggest that more needs to be done to create a genuine understanding of HIV and AIDS within contemporary South African contexts.