School of Social Sciences (ETDs)

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Browsing School of Social Sciences (ETDs) by Keyword "Africa"

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    South Africa's State Capture Architecture: A critique of 'State Capture' and Development in 21st Century Post­ Apartheid South Africa, using the Estina Vrede Dairy Farm Project as a case study
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2023-07) Mfikili, Khanya Lulibo; Brown, Julian
    State Capture can be described as corruption on a macro-level, reaching unheard and unseen of levels involving the state, state organs and private business. It has been described as the erosion of democratic processes and a 'coup d'etat'1 of some sorts of the state and its functions-functions affected are mainly empowerment, development, fiscal responsibility and transparency-turning the state 'into a shadow state'. The recent uncovering of "state capture" at different levels of government in South Africa required an analysis of the relationship between 'state capture' and development in South Africa. In this paper, this will be achieved by looking at the Free State Estina Dairy Farm Project (EVDF Project) as a unit of analysis. Four research questions around this dairy farm project will be explored, to ultimately answer the overall question: What is the relationship between development and 'state capture' in 21st Century Post-Apartheid South Africa? An extensive literature review will be done in Chapter Two looking at the history of agricultural projects, illegal financial flows (IFFs) and state capture in South Africa, in the African region and internationally. This research is qualitative in nature, utilizing a case study method. Information used was publically available sources of information, with the testimonies and evidence in the Zonda Commission Reports forming a bulk of the data analyzed. The findings and policy implications in the last chapter informed possible future studies, centered on my research. One possible future study would be a look at the role of IFFs in rural development in (South) Africa.
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    To the captor goes the spoils: An investigation of Russian State Capture in Sudan and the Central African Republic, 2014 - 2021
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2023-06) Connock, Kendra; Mpofu-Walsh, Michael Sizwe
    Following a period of disengagement after the collapse of the Soviet Union, Russian engagement in Africa has resumed in earnest. In the almost-decade since Russia annexed Ukrainian Crimea, Russia has endured criticism and hostility from the international community. Some African nations have, however, continued to express support for Russia in diplomatic fora and continue to engage with Russia through both formal and informal means. Russian engagement in Africa has come into acute focus for its unconventional nature. Particular concern is shown for the use of disinformation and the deployment of Private Military Companies. A distinct pattern of Russian engagement is presenting itself in Africa whereby these services are traded in exchange for access to natural resources, specifically precious minerals. This transaction between Russia and African nations is allowing embattled leaders to hold onto power. This research report seeks to explain and understand this phenomenon.
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    What are the reasons behind the poor access of Covid-19 vaccines in Africa?
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2023-09) Xaba, Lumkile Thobile; Moore, Candice
    Despite the pandemic and initiatives such as COVAX that were put in place for fair and equal distribution of vaccines, the African continent remains the least vaccinated continent in the world. Incorporating evidence from articles, journals and policies, this study demonstrates that the African continent had the least and poorest access to vaccines. This research paper aims to understand why Africa has received the least vaccines and is the least vaccinated continent. The paper looks at the availability of vaccines in Africa and the appropriate options available in healthcare settings to receive Covid-19 vaccines. Literature is used by various scholars to understand the reasons behind the poor access to vaccines which have resulted to low vaccine uptake in Africa. It aims to look at the various contributing factors to this phenomenon, “why has the African continent been the least vaccinated?” To respond to these issues, this study uses the theories of classical realism and institutional liberalism to discover why Africa was the least vaccinated continent. Data has been collected from March 2022 and subjected to discourse analysis to help further understand the reasons behind the poor access of vaccinations during Covid-19 in Africa. We find that there are both internal and external reasons behind the poor access in Africa and both national and international factors have contributed to poor vaccine access.
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    Witchcraft management in the early twentieth century Transvaal
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2016) Pearson, Joel David; Delius, Peter; Falkof, Nicky
    Towards the end of the nineteenth century, colonial governments across Africa, including South Africa, promulgated laws which aimed to prohibit the accusation of witchcraft, methods for the detection of witches and witch trials. However, while administrators saw merely superstition in witchcraft beliefs, “repugnant to the standards of civilisation”, many Africans saw an integral element of the social and spiritual order. The policing of witchcraft beliefs became a thorn in the side of colonial rule. This article brings to light some of the deeper historical complexities in policing witchcraft by looking at the application of witchcraft law in the early twentieth century ‐ a neglected period in witchcraft scholarship. Firstly, it examines some prominent discursive constructions of the concepts of “witchcraft” and the “witch doctor” during the early twentieth century, two terms which feature centrally in colonial witchcraft legislation. It argues that these terms were shrouded in a great deal of misconception and, at times, fear. Secondly, it examines instances in which the Transvaal Witchcraft Ordinance No. 26 of 1904 was applied at the Supreme Court level, demonstrating that it was employed in a wide variety of instances which often shared only a tenuous link to poorly defined notions of “the supernatural”. Nevertheless, diviners seem to have been especially prejudiced in the implementation of the law. Finally, archival correspondence derived from Native Affairs Department files dealing with witchcraft are examined to reveal that the job of policing witchcraft was rather more uncertain and ad hoc at the grassroots level than official “civilising” rhetoric may have suggested. While in principle there was no compromising with beliefs in witchcraft, in practice, such beliefs had to be carefully managed by local officials, who were given (often uncomfortably) wide powers of discretion in deciding when and how to employ the force of the law.