Van Niekerk Research Articles

Imagining the “forbidden” racial other: attitudes and approaches in the works of Antjie Krog, Marlene van Niekerk, Meg Vandermerwe and Zukiswa Wanner

What are the potential ethical and creative limitations of seeking to represent, in one’s work, the experience of the black subaltern class? This was a topic at the forefront of my mind as I embarked on my novel, Zebra Crossing, in January 2010, a work which I knew would place a Zimbabwean immigrant with albinism at its fore. As an apparently empowered white writer and academic, South African-born but Europe-educated, I was well aware of the taboos; traditional postcolonial theory makes them explicit.This paper, however, seeks to argue that an alternative discourse is slowly emerging within contemporary South African creative writing, one that offers a very different position to the one frequently posited by traditional postcolonial sensibilities and by the majority of South African authors who, I would argue, remain sceptical about the writer’s right and literary ability to imagine with authenticity and integrity what Edward Said terms the “forbidden” other (2009, 295).Although I make reference to my own work in this paper, my main focus is on the writings of Antjie Krog, Marlene van Niekerk and Zukiswa Wanner, all of whom were interviewed via email for this article.Keywords: Imagining ‘the other’, postcolonialism, taboo; creative writing, South Africa; ethics, Apartheid, prose, poetry

Conservation conundrum: Endangered predators eating endangered prey

Conservation conundrum: Endangered predators eating endangered prey

Geloof sonder sekerhede: Perspektiewe op die gesprek met Ernst Conradie

This article continues the discussion with Ernst Conradie in view of his earlier and critical review of the revised edition of Anton van Niekerk’s book Geloof sonder sekerhede [Faith without certainties]. The author provides further clarity on his notion of the nature of religious faith which, for him, essentially coincides with the life of love proclaimed and demonstrated by Jesus of Nazareth. The rest of the article contains Van Niekerk’s analyses of the three “creative tensions” that Conradie identified in his original discussion of the book. These are the alleged tensions between orthodoxy and orthopraxis, between faith and certainty, as well as between scientific knowledge and the knowledge of faith. Most attention is paid to the last tension which, according to Van Niekerk, reveals an unfounded metaphysical presupposition in Conradie’s position, as well as the yielding of too much intellectual territory to scientism in Conradie’s insistence on the ontological continuity between God and creation.

“Straddling Languages”: Aspects of the Translational and the Transnational in the Work of Afrikaans Authors Breyten Breytenbach, Marlene van Niekerk and Antjie Krog

SummaryThis article proceeds from the vantage point that the “transnational” and the “translational” are important concepts when discussing the processes of cultural literary signification taking place under the various conditions of displacement and migration the world has witnessed throughout the course of history. The article explores the notion of “translational literature” (as defined by Waïl Hassan) as a means to mediate between different languages and to connect cultures. Translational texts foreground, perform and problematise the act of translation by “straddling” two languages in their construction and presentation. The article proceeds from the vantage point of texts written in the minor language Afrikaans, but constructed and presented in such a way that they include or reach out to other languages. The focus falls on the way in which texts by Breyten Breytenbach (Oorblyfsel/Voice Over 2009), Marlene van Niekerk (De sneeuwslaper 2009, Die sneeuslaper 2010) and Antjie Krog (Mede-wete 2014, Synapse 2014) try to straddle the divide between Afrikaans and languages such as Arabic, English, Dutch and Xhosa. It looks at the way in which these texts stage the act of translation as a way of declaring solidarity with other cultural groups, exploit the connection with other languages to revitalise Afrikaans and also demonstrate the failure of translation.

Variasie en variëteit: 'n Voorlopige verkenning van die voorkoms en funksie van taalvariëteite in Kaar (Marlene van Niekerk)

In hierdie artikel word die polifonie van tale in Kaar, Marlene van Niekerk se derde digbundel (2013), ondersoek. Standaardafrikaans en verskeie sosiolekte, dialekte en streeksvariëteite van Afrikaans word in die bundel gevind, asook leksikale items uit verskeie moeder- en sustertale van Afrikaans. 'n Aantal moontlike invalshoeke tot die bundel word eerstens bespreek. Die fokus verskuif dan na die verskeie tale in die bundel; die wyses waarop hulle gebruik word in die gedigte, word gelys in 'n uitgebreide Addendum. Die vraag word gestel waarom soveel items uit Afrikaans wat geëtiketteer word as onder meer "argaïes", "weinig gebruiklik", "verouderd" en "deftig" gebruik word om 'n heteroglossiese effek te skep. Die argument word gestel dat byna vergete items "losgemaak" word uit die vergetelheid en vir die leser opgehou word as lewende items om 'n verbygaande en verbygegane wêreld mee op te roep. Kommentaar word voorts gelewer oor die plek van Afrikaans binne en tussen hierdie polifonie van tale en 'n indirekte stelling word deur die digter gemaak dat Afrikaans se wortels in die Indo-Germaanse taalfamilie lê en nie in die Afrikatale nie. Ten slotte word Deleuze en Guattari (1986) se begrippe "majeur-" en "mineurtaal" deelteoreties gebruik om die register van talle gedigte in Kaar as 'n mineurtaal te verduidelik, 'n taal wat verby sy gewone morfologiese en sintaktiese grense gedruk word om te verseker dat die taal in 'n voortdurend nomadiese en dinamiese staat bly.

‘Reterritorialising’ the land: Agaat and cartography

In this article, I look at the ways in which Marlene van Niekerk’s Agaat re-orders the ideas of stewardship and land ownership in the South African plaasroman by invoking notions of cartography. I argue that cartography is particularly important for postcolonial theory because writers may project spaces other than, or position themselves in the spaces between, those endorsed by dominant cultures. This is particularly significant for feminism. I argue that the story of mapmaking is important both in Jakkie’s frame narrative and in the central narrative dominated by Milla de Wet and her servant Agaat. Together the female protagonists’ participation in mapmaking and their use of the alphabet chart through which Milla originally taught Agaat language enables them to escape phallogocentrism. This process of liberation climaxes in their joint involvement in Agaat’s embroidery. By embedding Milla’s and Agaat’s stories in the story of maps, van Niekerk brings about ‘a new relationship to the land, to other people and to the tradition of Afrikaans literature’ (Gerrit Olivier, "The Dertigers and the Plaasroman: Two Brief Perspectives on Afrikaans Literature").

“Why were we crucified into car mechanics?”: Masculine identity in Marlene van Niekerk’s Agaat

Critical commentary on Jak de Wet in Marlene van Niekerk’s Agaat centres on his being a patriarchal stereotype of Afrikaner nationalism. However, while his negative behaviour in the novel is undeniable, the construction of his masculine identity is mediated by the emasculated space in which he enacts it. This article reads his masculinity in relation to the concept of “hegemonic masculinity”, the spatial construction of public and private masculine identities, and masculinity as performative. This highlights the ways in which Jak’s representation reveals transient moments of insight. These moments find expression in the novel’s recurring images of mobility that culminate in his death.

Analysis of modern information-psychological influence theories in aspect of information confrontation

This paper reviewed studies on the information warfare theory and information-psychological influence from a practical point of view. This subject is widespread among scientists in the whole world. Models and implementation concepts of the information-psychological influences, security from it, models of detection psychological and information attacks, lifecycles of information warfare were analyzed. During this research were examined the scientific works of South African scientists B. Van Niekerk and M. Maharaj, in which studied the lifecycle of information and psychological warfare, Finns Yormakka I. and J. Mols, in which studied the information warfare from the perspective of game theory, Australians B. Hutchison M. Warren in which identified and described the tactics of information warfare, American S. Johnson with his information attack model, and US Council Scientific Research of monitoring and information-psychological influence detection project CEPA. Also studied works of Ukrainian scientists: A. Shiyan, who presented method of detection information-psychological influences and confrontation methods and R. Grischuk, who considered the technological aspects of information influences. Above-mentioned researchers have made a significant contribution in practical research of information-psychological influences. In this study developed a formalized informational-psychological influence model, define basic characteristics and design the method, and based on it the detection system and the identification information-psychological influences.

Abstract B48: A novel high throughput screening platform identifies statins as inducers of basic Helix-Loop-Helix activity, p21 and growth arrest in pancreatic cancer cell and patient derived xenograft lines

Abstract Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma (PDA) is the most lethal form of cancer with an average survival of merely 6 months, underscoring the need for new therapeutic approaches. A central feature of PDA progression is the reduced expression and activity of basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factors. Recently, we showed that restoring bHLH activity in highly aggressive PDA cells, through overexpression of the bHLH factor E47, resulted in growth arrest and reduced tumorigenicity. Cell cycle exit was characterized by reduced expression of Aurora kinase A, cyclin A2 and Topoisomerase 2A and required upregulation of the cell cycle inhibitor p21. In order to translate these findings for clinical utility, here we developed a high throughput screening platform to identify small molecule inducers of E47-like bHLH proteins in PDA. E47 belongs to phylogenic Group A family of bHLH factors. Within Group A are the semi-ubiquitous Class I proteins, e.g. E47, and the tissue restricted Class II bHLH proteins, e.g PTF1a and MIST1. To capture compounds increasing the activity Group A factors we utilized a luciferase reporter driven by a 4x multimer of three unique canonical Group A binding sites. The vector was introduced into human PANC-1 cells and overexpression of E47 was employed as a positive control. Statistical analysis of assay robustness and dynamic range was measured as a z factor, and a promising z factor of 0.58 was achieved, demonstrating both robustness and reproducibility of the screening platform. We therefore performed a screen of 4,375 known drugs, revealing 246 hits which induced bHLH activity up to 40.6 standard deviations from the mean (initial hit rate=5.6%). Each hit was re-assayed in triplicate, resulting in 84 confirmed hits, representing 70 unique inducers of bHLH activity (final hit rate=1.6%). Notably, among the hits were 6 members of the statin class of cholesterol lowering drugs. Statins are currently in clinical trials for multiple cancers, including PDA. Mechanistic studies with pitavastatin in the established PDA cell lines PANC-1 and BxPC3, and in a patient derived cell line, AA0779E, revealed dose responsive inhibition of growth. Concurrently the statins induced dose responsive upregulation of p21 at both the mRNA and protein levels, with dose responsive abrogation of Aurora kinase A, topoisomerase, and cyclin A2. Together, these findings establish the effectiveness of a novel screening platform to identify drugs of interest in pancreatic cancer. Moreover, the studies reveal for the first time that statins regulate bHLH activity and bHLH target genes in PDA. In conclusion, the data underscore the central role of bHLH signaling as an arbiter of cell cycle arrest in PDA and suggest that pharmacologic induction of bHLH signaling for therapeutic benefit may be possible. Citation Format: Reyhaneh Lahmy, Nicholas Villarino, Jaco van Niekerk, Tarek Almaleh, SangWun Kim, Andrew Lowy, Pamela Itkin-Ansari.{Authors}. A novel high throughput screening platform identifies statins as inducers of basic Helix-Loop-Helix activity, p21 and growth arrest in pancreatic cancer cell and patient derived xenograft lines. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Pancreatic Cancer: Advances in Science and Clinical Care; 2016 May 12-15; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(24 Suppl):Abstract nr B48.

“Like the Skin on Top of Boiled Milk”: Allegories of the Abject in Marlene van Niekerk's Novels

SummaryMarlene van Niekerk’s three novels, Triomf, Agaat and Memorandum: A Story with Paintings show a deliberate engagement with the abject and abjection in the Kristevan sense of the word. Kristeva examines abjection and its manifestations extensively in Powers of Horror (1982) and this text form the theoretical departure point for this analysis. Following Dovey (1988) my approach will be “drawing attention to the theoretical issues the novels articulate and to the modes of novelistic discourse with which they engage”. I will locate the traces of the abject in Van Niekerk’s novels and demonstrate to what extent the three texts under discussion reflect Kristeva’s viewpoints on abjection, the relationship with the maternal body and related themes within Kristeva’s critical project such as the boundary between the I as subject and the abject object, food loathing and the omnipresent struggle with the maternal hold over the subject.

‘Treppie does not like guests’: <i>Xenia</i> in Marlene van Niekerk’s <i>Triomf</i>

This article investigates aspects of xenia or guest relationships – which forms a central aspect of Homer’s Odyssey – in Marlene van Niekerk’s novel Triomf. Hospitality and the lack thereof form the basis of several scenes in the novel. Examples include the visit of the agents canvassing for the National Party before the elections, the Jehovah’s witnesses, the AWB recruiters, as well as Lambert’s interaction with Sonnyboy and Mary. The latter scene in particular corresponds closely to the guidelines for proper hospitality as delineated by Homer.

Contemporary Afrikaans Fiction in the World: The Englishing of Marlene van Niekerk

Many of the most ambitious and important South African novels of the past fi fty years have been written in Afrikaans, but in order to reach a global audience the authors have had to turn to translators. Focusing on Marlene van Niekerk’s novels Triomf (1994; English translation by Leon de Kock, 2000) and Agaat (2004; English translation by Michiel Heyns, 2007), this article examines the challenges that this fi ction, and the particular character and social status of different varieties of Afrikaans, present to the translator, and discusses the signifi cance of the differences between versions addressed to an English-speaking South African readership and versions addressed to a global readership. Derrida’s claim that the only thing to be translated is the untranslatable is discussed, and the untranslatability of Triomf and Agaat, it is suggested, also means that they can only be translated and retranslated.

Beyond the Allegory: The Grotesque Body and the Limits of Liberation in Marlene Van Niekerk’s Agaat.

Agaat by Marlene van Niekerk (translated into English by Michiel Heyns) details the subjectivity of its bed-ridden and paralysed protagonist, Milla Redelinghuys, as well as the complex relationship she shares with her caregiver, Agaat. Through reading Milla’s body in relation to Mikhail Bakhtin’s notion of the grotesque, this article aims to explore the ways in which the text problematizes overly allegorical readings of the novel that emphasize Milla’s death as leading to Agaat experiencing rebirth. This is achieved through focusing on the ways in which Van Niekerk undermines the sense of social transcendence that Bakhtin considers indispensable to the carnival. In order to do this, I examine two instances that most closely align Milla’s corporeality with Bakhtin’s idea of the grotesque: the scene in which Milla pretends to be dying in order to play a joke on her neighbour is read in relation to the idea of ‘carnival laughter’, and the scene in which she wakes up to discover Agaat sleeping on her bed is analysed through Bakhtin’s description of the ‘two-bodied image’. I conclude that these gestures towards an association with the grotesque form part of the larger project of incompletion that Van Niekerk stages in the novel.

“Break and Be Broken”, She Said, “That is the Law of Life”: Loss and Racial Melancholia in Marlene van Niekerk’s Agaat

SummaryYvette Christiansë (2003: 373) argues that the Truth and Reconciliation Commission neglected daily narratives of loss in favour of an attempt of a nationwide process of mourning and a subsequent closure of the apartheid past. One account of quotidian losses certainly is Marlene van Niekerk’s novel Agaat (2004), which focuses on the relationship between the white farm owner Milla and her coloured servant Agaat. Throughout the story, Milla attempts to turn Agaat into a “refined” coloured, maintain control over her body and sexuality. This alienation leads to losses on Milla’s part, especially the emotional loss of a potential mother-daughter bond. Because the story is told from Milla’s perspective, Agaat’s voice is largely silenced. It has often been noted that Agaat uses mimicry in order to subvert Milla’s rule. However, critics have largely overlooked Agaat’s discriminatory behaviour towards the other coloured farm workers. By drawing on Anne Cheng’s concept of racial melancholia, I argue that this behaviour can be seen as Agaat’s attempt of melancholically repressing a part of her coloured identity which she has to negate in order to gain acceptance by Milla. The latter’s melancholia manifests through the incorporation of Agaat as her lost object of love and the simultaneous rejection of Agaat’s racialised body.

Paradigmatic perspective for a quality improvement training programme for health professionals in the ministry of health and social services in Namibia

This article focuses on the paradigmatic perspective facilitate the development of a quality improvement training programme for health professionals in the ministry of health and social services in Namibia. The study of this nature requires a paradigmatic perspective; this is a collection of logically linked concepts and propositions that provide a theoretical perspective or orientation that tends to guide the research approach to a specific. Assumptions are useful in directing research decisions during the research process.The study adopted a constructivism and interpretivism approach, since it involved understand the current situation of quality health care/service delivery at health care facilities, and explore and describe the of the health professionals; experiences at the health care facilities. The study was based on the specific information that was accepted as true, as obtained from those lived the experiences of challenges and constraints of providing quality health care at the health care facilities.The paradigm perspectives in this study include Meta – theoretical assumption which consisted ontological, epistemological, axiological, methodological and rhetorical assumptions. Theoretical basis of the study includes Dickoff (1968), Practice Oriented Theory; Programme development by Meyer and Van Niekerk; Kolb’s Theory of experiential learning; Demining’s model of quality improvement, Quality improvement policy of the Ministry of Health and Social Services (MoHSS) and Centre for Diseases control (CDC) framework for programme education.

A response to Penrose’s “Sandel on enhancement: A response to Van Niekerk”

In this article the author responds to Brian Penrose’s critical response to his (Van Niekerk’s) article “Biomedical enhancement and the pursuit of mastery and perfection: a critique of the views of Michael Sandel” that appeared in the PSSA conference edition of the SAJP 33(2), 2014. While Van Niekerk is appreciative of the opportunity for spirited dialogue that Penrose’s response provides, he nevertheless takes issue with several charges Penrose raises. He responds to Penrose’s claims that Van Niekerk does not fully understand “the Sandel project” and thus that Van Niekerk creates and shoots down a straw man in his argument against Sandel. Van Niekerk argues that Penrose’s claims are indicative of significant methodological differences between their respective approaches. Penrose acknowledges the “fuzziness” of Sandel’s arguments with regards to biomedical enhancement. He then develops an interpretation of Sandel’s views that claims to have “filled in the complete picture” of what Sandel attempts to do, and then reproaches Van Niekerk for not responding to that “completed picture”, i.e. the “Sandel project”. Van Niekerk finds this to be an unreasonable and methodologically highly problematic demand on him. Van Niekerk responds to a number of Penrose’s arguments, and then concludes that while there are, of course, good reasons to exercise caution at the prospect of biomedical enhancement with regard to its risks, the possibilities offered by enhancement need not elicit a prima facie reaction of pessimism. Rather, such prospects can also be regarded in a positive light as an exciting opportunity to take our own evolution in hand.

Sandel on enhancement: A response to Van Niekerk

Michael Sandel has criticised recent developments in, and towards, the biomedical enhancement of human beings. His view is criticised by Anton A. van Niekerk in a recent issue of this journal. Van Niekerk takes Sandel to task for rejecting enhancement tout court, for advancing inconsistencies, and for regarding enhancement as a “drive for mastery”. In this paper I argue that Van Niekerk’s critique fails. After discussing what we should mean by “enhancement”, and presenting an overview of what I call “the Sandelian picture” (of enhancement), I go on to address Van Niekerk’s criticisms. The first, I argue, either begs the question or attacks a straw person. The second pays insufficient attention to things Sandel says which, once on the table, leave his “inconsistency” critique inadequately argued for. The third also rests on misunderstandings and, as such, attacks a straw person. While stopping short of defending Sandel’s position outright, and allowing that Van Niekerk makes some important critical points, I maintain the three central criticisms fall short as an argued-for critique of Sandel’s view.

Description of a quality improvement training programme for health professionals in the ministry of health and social services in Namibia

The aim of this paper is to describe the quality improvement training programme for health professionals in the Ministry of Health and Social Services in Namibia. The Practice Oriented Theory of Dickoff (1968) was used as practical guidelines to develop the conceptual framework. This framework was employed during the research and the educational programme development process. During the research process, the agent was the researcher; recipients (Managers/leadership and health professionals); the context (MoHSS head office and healthcare facilities); dynamics (findings for objective one and two); Procedure (research process) and terminus (foundations for development of educational programme). For the educational programme developing process, agent (quality specialist), recipients (health professional), context (health facilities), procedure (training programme for health professionals), dynamics, (challenges hampering successful implementation of the programme) and the terminus (knowledge, skills and abilities acquired through the training programme). During the development of the quality improvement training programme, two main theories were adapted. The most prominent one was a model by Meyer and Van Niekerk (2008), which was adapted to guide the process of developing the training programme. Kolb’s experiential learning theory was used to explain the learning process and styles of developing knowledge through experiences.The content of the training programme was derived from five main themes, 17 sub-themes and the conceptual framework based on the situation analysis about challenges faced by the health care facilities. The five themes were lack of implementation of policies and guidelines; inadequate resources; lack of interpersonal relationships; inadequate understanding of quality assurance and quality improvement; and inadequate research to provide evidence-based information during treatment and patient care.The educational programme consisted of the purpose / aim, objectives, structure / design, facilitation process, implementation process, and evaluation of the programme.

Foreword

In 2014, four of Emeritus Prof. Peter (fondly known as PB) Beighton’s past PhD students decided that they would like to honour him for his leadership and the influence that he had on their professional lives, and collaborated on a project to compile a Festschrift in his honour. They are Prof. Michael Hayden, now living in Canada, the first PhD graduate that PB supervised in 1979, together with Profs Jacquie Greenberg from the University of Cape Town (UCT), Alan Bryer from UCT and Groote Schuur Hospital (GSH), and Lawrence Stephen from the University of the Western Cape (UWC). Prof. Lawrence Stephen was the last PhD graduate that Prof. Beighton supervised before he officially retired in 1999. Many colleagues who have worked over the past 5 decades and who continue to work with him were invited to contribute to this supplement to the SAMJ . The Festschrift includes the history behind Peter Beighton, who was born, grew up and trained in the UK and came to UCT in 1972. His legacy includes the impact that he made on those who trained under him in SA, as well as throughout the world. The Festschrift includes the history of genetics and current genetic practice in South Africa, as well as the influence that he has had on medical genetics in general, dental genetics and now genomics going into the new millennium. Tributes have been received from people all over the world, attesting to his outstanding leadership and mentorship, and highlight how he influenced the climate, growth and development of genetics at UCT, and scientific and technological fields in genetics and genomics over the past few decades. This Foreword includes a message from Emeritus Prof. Stuart Saunders – former Head of Department (HoD) of Medicine at GSH in the 1970s when PB arrived at UCT – followed by some words from Emeritus Prof. J P van Niekerk, former Dean of the UCT Faculty of Health Sciences in the 1980s. Profs Greenberg, Bryer and Stephen conclude the Foreword, while Prof. Hayden introduces the legacy that Prof. Beighton has passed on.

Development for a quality improvement training programme for health professionals in the ministry of health and social services in Namibia

The paper describes the steps followed in the development of a quality improvement training programme for health professionals. This was echoed by the facts that the health professionals are facing in their quest for quality health care delivery. In Namibia, most health care facilities have not been yielding good results in response to patients’ health care needs. Health care dynamics are complex and inundated with several factors; among others new methods, speed of improving medical science and technology, as well as increasing demands of the clients to address emerging and re-emerging diseases.In order to achieved that the five phases of programme development by Meyer and Van Niekerk (2008) were modified to facilitate the programme development. Quality improvement training for health professionals. Those five phases were situational analysis; conceptual framework; developing of the training programme; development of the guidelines for the implementation; and Evaluation of training programme.