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Editorial Note DOI: https://doi.org/10.31920/2050-4950/2019/sin1a0
Victor Ojakorotu9
Literature by black South Africans emerged in the 20th century. The first generation of mission-educated African writers sought to restore dignity to Africans by invoking and reconstructing a heroic African past. The 1950s also saw a new generation of black writers talking about the conditions of their lives in their own voices – voices with a distinctive stamp and style. The popular Drum magazine in the 1950s was their forum, and encouraged their emergence. It depicted a vibrant urban black culture for the first time – a world of jazz, shebeens (illegal drinking dens), and flamboyant gangsters (tsotsis).
The aim of the paper is to appraise the apartheid communicative strategies of South African literature as a framing tool of the struggle against apartheid. The refrain mined from the data is based on the opinion of Modisane where he voiced the view that the most problematic and vital area of his life in South Africa was his search for an African Identity. The relevant literature was gathered to gain the insight into the effectiveness of Apartheid’s communicative strategies as expressed in the writings of Black South African writers. The paper also aims to conceal how various genres were utilised as a vehicle that promoted the political ideas of anti-apartheid popular movements, like the Black Consciousness Movement. Steve Biko’s I write what I Like, among other texts, is a prime example.
Constitutional development in African states was at it peak during the days of the Cold War and the realists emphasis on state centric and politico-military security which was preferred above other paradigm. This relegated human security concerns to the lowest ladder of security consideration. Howbeit, the end of the Cold War in 1990 herald the ascendancy of human security in socio-political discourse on the continent due to the widening of threats and the securitization of entities and issues which were left out of security concern by Western countries. This study dwells on the dynamic nexus between constitutional development and the promotion of human security in Africa, with focus on South Africa and Nigeria. It seeks to unveil the similarities and differences between the variables in the two countries and their relevance to the continent. The study adopts historical research design, and therefore depends on secondary data which would be presented and analyzed qualitatively with content analysis technique. The study concludes that African states need to embrace human security paradigm in their constitutional development in order to address the root sources of security threats and violent conflicts within their domain, since most of the conflicts on the continent are traced to human security deficits within the states.
South Africa is a prominent global player and the gateway to Africa’s economy. However, the economy still lags behind in terms of innovation and research. To remain relevant, South Africa needs to keep abreast with the rest of the world. In the face of the fourth industrial revolution, keeping up with the future is not an easy task for a developing economy, as it should be providing infrastructure for human capacity development. This study compares South Africa with other countries (developed or other developing countries) in order to assess the readiness of the economy in terms of capacitating entrepreneurs and the workforce. The education sector is of essence to the economy, as it comprises institutions that enable economic actors. The study employs secondary data to make the comparison and a number of tables and figures were generated from data collected from the global economic forum, Statistics South Africa and official government documents. Quantitative and qualitative data is derived from these secondary sources. The finding validates that South Africa has made significant efforts to avail the people with technology. However, there is still the issue of access. Some areas in the country do not have access to up-to-date technology and institutional support is required to capacitate the people. Technology and relevant institutions are important in building a future labour force and also in terms of involving South Africans in the creation of future jobs, instead of just preparing them for current jobs that are in danger of being phased out. Among the solutions suggested by the study is that liberal arts enable students to learn about their future and create their own employment.
Cybercrimes in Nigeria keep evolving and taking newer dimensions as its perpetrators encounter newer challenges in the crime system. Beyond the basic conning of people’s financial assets, organization’s data and intellectual properties, the fortification of some Nigerian cyber fraudsters has grown beyond the basics of intellectual smartness and creativity. Some spiritual elements are now being introduced to strengthen the survivability of cybercrimes in Nigeria. Emerging developments bring to light the gruesome murders being committed on daily basis at different parts of the country for yahoo plus rituals, the latest has even become the wanton stealing of women’s under wears to make yahoo rituals potent. These issues have created multiple dimensions of victims all of whom can be categorized as direct victims of cyber fraud both locally and globally. The study sourced secondary data from scholarly articles and media reports; the data were discussed thematically. The study suggests that the security of women especially is highly threatened at an alarming rate. Although the security agencies are trying hard in arresting suspects in this regards, enough is not being done radicalize the mentality of Nigerians at large towards rising against internet fraudsters. The current value system which promotes materialism, hero-worship of corrupt but affluent leaders and persons serve as incubators for more criminality in the country. This paper therefore argues that cyber fraudsters have always posed threats to the security and image of Nigeria in the past, but has even become more threatening in recent times. Hence, a value re-orientation is required to curtail these dangerous effects. One of such becomes whistle blowing against internet fraudsters. This will not only sensitize Nigerians against criminal acts, but it will also promote a positive change in values.
Lifelong Learning has become a tool for human capital development in Youth Work Professional Development. This article looks at the trends, implications and policy issues in lifelong learning for youth work practitioners in South Africa. Lifelong learning is an essential ingredient that ensures that young people and adults, more specifically in South Africa, accesses quality education in line with Sustainable Development Goals for Africa. Much has been written about the poor-quality training of youth work practitioners and South Africa introducing numerous youth development structures, which to date, remain unresponsive to the needs of youth workers, but little, if any, on education for liberation and development as an alternative strategy to youth workers’ continuous professional development. In this article, documents such as National Development Plan, Sustainable Development Goals, government reports, and local and international literature was used to collect data. The dynamics of globalization and ICT call for a radical change in the Youth Work Professional development. Given complexity and fluidity of the youth work development environment, through open distance and e-learning mode, the lifelong learning will advance social transformation in the youth work practitioners by enhancing knowledge, skills, attitudes, abilities and empowering them as lifelong critical, reflective learners.
During the epoch 1990 to 1994, the nature and pattern of political conflict in South Africa had changed considerably, particularly in its apparent anonymity. Two factors dominated the period 1990 to 1994. The first was the process of negotiations aimed at democratic constitutional dispensation. The second was a dramatic escalation in levels of violence in the country, with a consequent increase in the number of gross violations of civil liberties, particularly by the white right-wing formations. For the purposes of this Paper, the definition of the white right wing incorporates all white groups and individuals who organised themselves to acquire self-determination and against the democratic changes, but in particular those who were willing to commit violations of civil liberties in pursuit of their aims. These groups at times worked closely with other ethnically based nationalist groups, like Inkatha Freedom Party and the Bantustan leaders. The comparatively short period of the constitutional transformation in South African society during the 1990s was marked by a radical mobilisation of white right-wing groupings. In a number of instances, unlawful acts perpetrated by members of right-wing organisations resulted in gross violations of civil liberties.
The role that the legislature performs- as one out of the three arms of government- is inescapably sacrosanct for society’s betterment. The legislature’s primary function of law-making and its other ancillary activities and routines are sine qua non in the nation-building process. Accordingly, the legislature’s effectiveness is a safeguard against executive recklessness and overbearingness in the exercise of political power which is essential to development. By implication, the behaviour of a national parliament and its policy outcomes are critical to gauge a country’s overall development and national integration. Consequently, the prospects to entrench social justice and economic prosperity in Nigeria viz-a-viz Africa cannot be divorced from the role of the national legislature. This paper interrogates the rule-making behaviour of Nigeria’s 6th National Assembly with a view to prophesying legislative tendencies beyond that Assembly. It finds that the 6th national parliament of Nigeria which functioned between 2007 and June 6, 2011, was more self-serving in the nation-building process. This self-serving behaviour aggravated political corruption and ultimately underdeveloped the social, political and infrastructural advancement of the country. Prophetically, the paper theorizes that the policymaking behaviour of the 6th National Assembly signalled the frosty and fractious legislature-executive relationship that subsequently has become commonplace in the country. This explains the future corrupt and hegemonic cravings of Nigeria’s national legislators. It concludes that the policymaking behaviour of the 6th National Assembly is pervasive in Africa, thus signifying the undermining of both nation-building and a continental-wide developmental renaissance.
No careful study into the politics of Zimbabwe can ignore the celebrated discourse of the Chimurenga as an important guideline into the formulation and execution of the country’s foreign policy. The beginning of the 2000s saw change in the political economy of Zimbabwe that subsequently led to the diplomatic fall-out between Zimbabwe and the West. In response to what was presented, by the ZANU-PF government, as the extension of imperialism by the West, the ruling party embarked on the revival of the Chimurenga that saw its foreign policy in Southern Africa aimed at strengthening regional solidarity amongst former liberation movements particularly in Angola. Be that as it was the same could not be said of the relations between Zimbabwe and Botswana in making sense of the Chimurenga that was interpreted by Gaborone as exhausted nationalism that was responsible for the advent of an economic and political crisis at unimaginable proportions. The paper argues that since independence Zimbabwe’s foreign policy has been largely influenced by the Chimurenga discourse and that the crisis in the country was an ample opportunity for ZANU-PF to amplify this ideology however divided Southern Africa in making sense of it.
This study examined the view that the acquisition of English-language skills must of necessity derive from one’s consciousness and agentic capability of decision and action informed by a dynamic interplay of personal, behavioral and environmental influences (Pajares, 2002). This view is predicated on the proposition that English skills and the ability to negotiate the striking of invaluable business enterprises by and large complementary. This study, therefore, argued for the existence of a link between language and economy. This link is attested to by Mesthrie’s (1990:8) argument in reference to the early days of the settlement of the Indian community to the effect that for them (Indians) “the gains of becoming bilingual in English were ‘outward’ in terms of economic mobility and social integration within the broader South African society”. Similarly, Bourdien (1991) avers that English, having assumed the position of language of higher status, is associated with access to the global markets both materially and symbolically so. As such, English “allows individuals to be more mobile and cosmopolitan by looking beyond local boundaries for personal and professional advancement (Tembe et al, 2011:131). As argued by Mesthrie (1990:18), “proficiency in English enabled working-class Indian to obtain economic opportunities in urban white-collar jobs as clerks and salespersons in Natal
Curriculum and Assessment Plan Statement in South Africa was introduced to develop, maintain and support a South African school education system. This curriculum policy was envisioned to give more detailed guidance on what teachers need to teach and how they should assess. However, Curriculum and Assessment Plan Statement appears not to be optimally implemented by rural public-school teachers. This study investigated the constraints faced by North West Province in the implementation of Curriculum and Assessment Plan Statement to suggest the intervention mechanisms to bring improvement in the rural public schools teaching and learning. This is in line with UNESCO’s believe that any education system should strive to transform lives and build peace and security, eradicate poverty and drive sustainable development. Using the qualitative approach, data were collected through interviews and focus group discussions with grade 9 to 12 teachers from the secondary schools in the North-West Province, Zuluboy Moloto Region. The grounded (thematic) method was used to analyse the data. The findings revealed that the current state of the infrastructure, limited resources and limited teacher training fail to promote and support the implementation of Curriculum and Assessment Plan Statement. The study recommends that continuous CAPS training should be given to teachers on pedagogical knowledge and skills training related to specific subject matter disciplines.
Currently, women are present in all spheres of life, and legislation gives them the same rights as men. Ironically, this access is sometimes hampered by women in high positions who are not willing to help their female subordinates achieve professional growth and promotion. This goes against sisterhood ‘solidarity behavior’. Through a review of the extant literature, this article explores the scope and various manifestations of Queen Bee syndrome in women’s leadership. The question that arises, given this syndrome in educational leadership, is: How can collaborative leadership be achieved in the face of the Queen Bee syndrome? The article aims to show that ubuntu philosophy is critical to African leadership. Moreover, sisterhood is premised on one of the principles of ubuntu, namely collective leadership. Recently, the world of management has begun emphasizing the importance of collective leadership. Thus, the author will show why ubuntu philosophy is important if women are to be true African leaders who espouse solidarity. Ubuntu as a philosophy has the power to resonate with people of all cultures, traditions, religions and philosophies. Its universality stems from the fact that it recognizes that human beings – like all life – are fundamentally interconnected, thus the saying “I am because you are”. Women therefore need to support one another, instead of reinforcing the very same discrimination that hurts them as a collective.
Weather forecasting is not a new phenomenon to Africa and Africans. African Indigenous people lived and survive weather related catastrophic events such as draughts, floods, thunder storm and strong winds that have always been accompanied by loss of livestock and crop failures. This is because somehow, they had an ideal about these catastrophic events before they happen and as such they were able to minimise loses and preserve their lives. This paper is aimed at exploring the use of the moon, sun and stars for weather forecasting by Vhavenda communities. This aim will be achieved through determining the history of African Indigenous astronomy; as well as exploring different ways that are used in weather forecasting by Vhavenda communities. The paper employs qualitative research approach. The paper intends to use purposive and snowball sampling techniques to identify 10 elderly people who possess vast knowledge pertaining to the use of African indigenous astronomy for weather forecasting purposes. Data was analysed thematically to generate meaning. findings suggest that Vhavenda communities has been using the star, the moon and the sun for effective weather prediction since the beginning of history. The paper therefore recommends for this knowledge to be integrated in the modern astronomy for effective weather forecasting.
The Igbo ethnic group in Nigeria is known for success in business and entrepreneurship. Through an apprenticeship scheme known as Igba-boi, people from this ethnic group have dominated and continued to excel above their contemporaries from other ethnic groups in the country and beyond. This article profiles the “Igba-boi” scheme and comes up with a model on how to improve it. A survey research design grounded on a qualitative method was used. Purposive sampling technique was used to identify individuals with in-depth knowledge about this approach for one-on-one interview and focus group discussion in selected regions of Nigeria. The data analyses were performed using Atlas. ti v8, through thematic approach. Findings reveal the approach involves three main stages: the talent identification, the learning stage and the settlement/start-off stage. The parents/guidance helps identify their children’s entrepreneurship ambition and provide capacity building such as sourcing a mentor. The child indicates interest of entrepreneurship and accepts to pursue the career at early stage. Potential mentor/entrepreneur takes the child through the training process and in the end provides support to establish and individually innovation. In light of discrepancies during settlement of apprentices after a successful completion of training, the study recommends legal involvement in the process. It will be appropriate for the government to use the approach as a resource for entrepreneurship capacity building. The approach should be improved as pedagogy in institutions of learning to spur entrepreneurship spirit amongst the youths.
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