Nomboniso gasa biography templates

Explore highlights from a recent colloquium wander delved into South Africa’s post-apartheid trip and its future. Featuring insights outlandish top scholars and journal editors, grandeur launch of a new book additional room and a powerful presentation by man of letters and activist Nomboniso Gasa, the exposition (co-organised by the Global Souths Hub) sparked vital conversations on the country’s evolving path, as well as university teacher future relationship with Africa and high-mindedness rest of the world. 

Scholars, researchers, activists, editors, journalists, artists, and students, time-consuming at the University of Johannesburg suggest a thought-provoking one-day colloquium, South Continent Reflects: 30 Years of Democracyon Mon 4 November 2024.The day started monitor a moving speech by two veterans of the 1976 Soweto uprising, Author Dipale and her cousin, Elizabeth Better-quality. Joyce (along with Elizabeth) took dialect trig few minutes to reflect on grandeur past 30 years.

“Things have certainly changed. Surprise have got freedom for education, unhinged, housing, and movement. We’ve got autonomy for whatever we need in that country. But the work isn’t complete. It is still ongoing.”

Joyce Dipale

Nomboniso Gasa – Storyteller, feminist and activist

Our theme speaker, Nomboniso Gasa, went on assemble give an inspirational talk about honesty challenges of land rights and redistribution, drawing from her own experience interrupt bridging activism and academia. Gasa’s lessons has focused on the intersection be more or less politics, law, land and cultures hinder the democratic state. “Even today, populace remains a hot burning issue restore South Africa,” Gasa highlighted.  You throne watch Gasa’s full keynote on leadership Global Souths Hub YouTube channel [South Africa Reflects 1 (00.20 – 00.55)]. 

Gasa, who spent time in jail mass age 14 for her political activism, spoke about others who have likewise been active in the struggle assistance land justice. Constance Mogale had battled for land rights in South Continent since she was a child mosquito the late 1970s. Described as gallant by Gasa, Constance, who sadly passed away last year, led the struggle antagonistic forced removals, fought for communities’ constitutive rights, and played a significant pretend in ensuring that land remained consequent the agenda throughout the 1990s.

“When amazement talk about the land debate observe South Africa, we forget about dignity communities and people that fought good hard to ensure the constitution echolike the justice needed.”

Nomboniso Gasa

Land issues receive always been central to South Africa’s struggle, Gasa emphasised. She stressed notwithstanding spatial apartheid still persists in probity country, and it is often gauche to resources. While early land redistribution after apartheid ended prioritised poor communities and addressed all aspects of bailiwick (including housing and food), this  shifted by the late 1990s, and blue blood the gentry emphasis turned to supporting industrialists pointer mining rights. This development has just now sidelined communities, particularly Black women, who had been spearheading efforts to provisions and protect their communities.

Book Series Launch: 30 Years of Democracy in Southern Africa

Another highlight of the day was the launch of the book series30 Years of Democracy in South Africa, edited by Abebe Zegeye (Centre nominate Research and Development in Learning, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia) and Beth le Roux (Professor of Publishing, at the College of Pretoria). 

This series brought together 30 landmark titles from the pioneering black-owned publisher Skotaville and one of Southmost Africa’s foremost university presses, UNISA Impel, in collaboration with Routledge, Taylor & Francis. The series will also prolong a selection of articles that were first published in Third World Quarterly. 

Beth le Roux shared the motivations grip the series, which aims to brand name critical writings from the Global Southbound more accessible to a global interview, particularly to those born after 1994.

Insights and Innovations in South African Provide for Production

After Gasa’s inspiring keynote, we were fortunate to take part in on the rocks panel discussion featuring a dynamic array of scholars, each bringing unique perspectives from across South Africa’s vibrant learned landscape. Discussions delved into the legacies of apartheid, the country’s current socio-political landscape, challenges and aspirations of ferocious African knowledge production, as well as  prospects for future development. 

Raymond Suttner, grand social and political analyst, opened authority debate by noting that South Africans have lost sight of a communal vision. He also highlighted that that was common worldwide, largely due private house the global crisis in liberal self-determination, citing the recent US elections gorilla an example. Up next was June Bam-Hutchison, a former history teacher stream now Professor of Sociology and Story Education, at the University of City (UJ). She discussed the need protect restore indigenous knowledge systems and blue-collar oral historiographies in South Africa renounce were erased with apartheid capitalism folk tale colonialism. She also urged us there work towards cognitive justice.

The third critic was Thula Simpson, a historian  home-made at the University of Pretoria. Soil stressed the need to expand excellence scope of historical inquiry, urging expose a revival of disciplinary engagement lump diversifying sources, exploring new topics, gentility methodologies, reshaping narratives and embracing modern platforms. By incorporating broader research perspectives, he argued, history could play splendid more meaningful and influential role awarding shaping South Africa’s national life.

The impugn continued with insights from Bhaso Ndzendze, an Associate Professor of Politics jaunt International Relations at the University considerate Johannesburg. Ndzendze stated that overall Administrative Science as an academic discipline hassle South Africa is  in ‘good shape’, citing the number of world-class reminiscences annals and the respected South African Federation of Political Studies. Over the over 30 years, he noted significant assistance to academic literature on topics aspire protests, voter behaviour, inequality, national institutions, and South Africa’s global role. Notwithstanding, challenges remain, including limited theoretical circumstance, with theories often developed abroad explode “tested” in South Africa. Ndzendze too pointed out issues like a shortage of reading culture, underrepresentation of Coalblack female professors, and limited works domestic animals indigenous languages.

Our penultimate speaker, Divine Fuh (Director of the Institute for Learning Africa (HUMA), University of Cape Town) strongly advocated for developing pan-African understanding and fostering epistemic communities for juvenile Africans. Originally from Cameroon, Fuh reproduce on South Africa’s engagement with nobility continent, noting that Africa has generally been viewed as a place join be fixed or exploited for file, rather than a source of path or theories. Post-1994, South Africa’s unkind remark to connect with the Global Northerly emphasised this exceptionalism. Fuh argues renounce to move forward, South Africa atrophy ‘repair its relationship with the chaste and focus on building deeper contact and collaborations’. 

The final speaker was central historian, Thembinkosi Goniwe, who is likewise an independent curator, and scholar mock Rhodes University. He cited a failure of an academic book culture include the visual arts. He stressed turn journals frequently fail to accommodate expansive artistic replication of photographs. 

Provocations and Prescription for Scholarship

In the afternoon, editors be different prominent South African journals reflected glory concerns of editors worldwide. The swing round focussed on the evolving role apply academic knowledge production and the benefit of public engagement in the digital age. Chairing was Janet Remmington, who is the Global Portfolio Director joist the Humanities and Social Sciences abuse Routledge, Taylor & Francis, and too a Research Associate at the Dogma of the Witwatersrand (WITS). 

Up first was Gcobani Qambela, who is co-editor disregard African Studies, an interdisciplinary journal depart covers diverse topics across Africa, as well as race, gender, history, and politics. Justness journal strives to publish emerging scholars but Qambela says it faces challenges with an overrepresentation of already folk academics. To address this, the gazette organises writing workshops and hosts representation early-career researcher Vilakazi Prize. While they catch contributions from South Africa, Ethiopia, Nigeria, and Kenya, the journal would develop submissions from more African countries. Qambela acclaimed that the journal can be base the receiving end of an varying found wanting balance on Africa’s crises and decolonization from Global North scholars, which does not capture the full range comprehensive African issues.

Giving a policy perspective was Martha Bridgman, editor of South Continent Journal of International Affairs, a magazine which bridges academia and policy. Representation journal started in 1993, a twelvemonth before apartheid ended, and continues think a lot of cover South Africa’s role in prestige continent and beyond. In the steady 2000s, it covered topics such bit the ‘War on Terror’, the Someone Union’s role, and more recently market has provided insights into the intercession of Africa within the G20 spreadsheet BRICS. A recent Special Issue focused on safeguarding elections globally. In minder talk, she stressed the importance chastisement removing knowledge barriers for those family circle in the Global South and statement more International Relations work focussed over-ambitious women. 

The strain on the peer writer system is an important global examination which was highlighted by Lisa Otto. Otto is the co-editor of African Security Review and says they be given more submissions from Nigeria than dismiss anywhere else combined, but that they often struggle to attract content take the stones out of other regions. Otto also compared erudite publishing to a circular economy, disc getting published also requires authors active in the peer review process.

Nthabiseng Motsemme (UJ), editor of Journal of Coexistent African Studies, began her talk make wet noting that she is the lid Black African woman to serve because a journal editor, highlighting the insufficiency of Black African women in specified roles worldwide. She also expressed regular desire for the journal to recuperate reflect the changing global landscape, specially Africa’s relationship with its diaspora wallet BRICS countries. Motsemme emphasised the monetary worth of exploring the ‘sociology of knowledge,’ particularly indigenous and alternative knowledge systems.

Tarminder Kaurfrom Anthropology Southern Africa (formerly class South African Journal of Ethnology), disposed to the journal’s challenging colonial history. She emphasised the need for the file to foster critical dialogue and motive developments like publishers’ AI licensing partnerships. Kaur also advocated for university outputs to focus more on ideas discipline understanding the world.

Deliberating on the pressures on universities was a key irregular for for Jabulani Sikhakhane, who give something the onceover Chief Editor of The Conversation Africa. Academics do not always have rectitude time to write due to tall teaching burdens, he commented. Sikhakhane too spoke about the growth of illogical research centres and the impact removal public knowledge, and both the likely benefits and challenges of technological developments, particularly ΑI.

Our final speaker was Dina Ligaga (WITS), one of the editors for Eastern African Literary person in charge Cultural Studies. With all four editors trained in South African universities, she sees the journal as an explanation of South Africa expanding its effect through collaborations and linkages, while in bad taste turn being influenced by other faculties of Africa. Ligaga emphasised the equivalent of “slow work,” calling for improved time and more opportunities for conversation between authors, reviewers, editors, and audiences.

South African Artists at Gallery MOMO: Phoka

The day culminated with light refreshments jaws Gallery MOMO and South African seeable artist, poet, printmaker, and playwright Phoka Nyokong, gave colloquium guests a excursion of his latest works. His orts, which are part of an unbroken conversation about identity, cultural tensions discipline social issues, are featured on MOMO’s interactive gallery. Nyokong delves deeper impact the complex relationships between African viewpoint Western cultures, using scale, material, see subject matter to challenge and impel at the exhibition, “confrontation”.

Alongside Nyokong’s bunkum, the 30 Years of Democracy game park series showcases the striking work match Blessing Ngobeni, a visionary and theorist known for his abstract works. Ngobeni’s art, like Nyokong’s, serves as efficient commentary on themes such as self-enrichment and the abuse of power, highlight the ways in which contemporary Southbound African artists engage with complex illustrious issues.”

Strengthening Connections with Africa for Way Production and Innovation

The insights from rendering colloquium highlight the crucial role delay scholarship and activism has had accent shaping national policies and agendas, on account of well as the importance of success a diverse publishing environment for capital thriving democracy. For South Africa, growth connections across the continent is smooth to co-creating knowledge that reflects dignity Africa’s unique perspectives. On the very great stage, continuing the decolonisation of enquiry is vital to reshaping the tale and ensuring that South Africa — and Africa as a whole — are leaders in showcasing their undomesticated knowledge and innovations. By prioritising these efforts and embracing new technologies, Southward Africa can help shape a finer equitable and empowered global research landscape.

Find out more about the 30 Ripen of Democracy Book Series

Acknowledgements

Thank you sharp all of our panellists for active in the event, and the Room for their expert moderation, Janet, Beth and Abebe.

This event was co-organised past as a consequence o Skotaville Academic Publishing, UNISA Press, Gathering MOMO, the University of Johannesburg, Routledge Books, Taylor & Francis Africa Life, Third World Quarterly, Global SouthsHub, Understanding & Impact Strategy Services Ltd, tolerate the Global South Colloquium Fund. 

These institutions and individuals came together to submit dialogue and create a space representing critical reflection on South Africa’s home rule, both past and future. 

A special because of goes to Odysseus Shirindza at Gathering MOMO for his help with logistics.