Electronic Theses and Dissertations (Masters)
Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://hdl.handle.net/10539/37997
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Item Gold, Politics and Violence: Artisanal gold mining in Kwekwe City, 1980-2022(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2023-08) Nkomo, Tilda; Skosana, Dineo; Musemwa, MuchapararaThe study sought to reveal the murky, multidirectional and dynamic political, economic and socio-cultural exchanges that have often followed ‘informalisation’ of natural resource extraction in Zimbabwe. It considered how artisanal mining became a source of everyday social, political and economic contestations. In an economy that is in crisis, and a political terrain characterised by state-sponsored violence, persistent electioneering mode, politics of patronage, artisanal mining –which has directly and indirectly drawn thousands of people – has created new ideas for both the political elite and the general populace about political survival, basic economic sustenance and accumulation. It demonstrated that, for instance, politicians used artisanal mining for vote mobilisation whereas, artisanal miners needed politicians for access to the mines and related activities. As a result, the line between politicians and artisanal miners was increasingly blurred; artisanal mining was now a source of income not only to direct participants but has also benefited downstream formal and informal activities such as vending, transportation, security, among others. Building on literature that has focused on Southern Africa and other regions of the continent, the study considered how artisanal mining has contributed to both building and destroying various aspects of Zimbabwe’s wider society: the growth of new entrepreneurs, the transformation of the rural economy, the destruction of the environment, increased political and non-political violence, among other consequences. It examined everyday interactions between economic, social and political forces, with particular focus on the grassroots.Item The Politics of Cancel Culture: Origins, Identity, and Prognostications of Cancel Culture in South Africa(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2023-03) Dunlop, John Anthony Blackadder; Omar, AyeshaIn this Research essay, I identify five socio-political developments, trends, and or features which characterize the relationship between Cancel Culture and South Africa. Firstly, because of Cancel Culture’s origins and notoriety, the concept was moulded in the United States and, therefore, a modern liberal device. Secondly, because of its roots Cancel Culture is also founded upon ideas around identity and woke politics. Thirdly, South Africa’s employment of Cancel Culture is justified within the country’s common and most troublesome socio-political struggles, which include issues with racism, decolonization, sexual assault, and gender-based violence. Fourthly, South African Cancel Culture, is ideologically and politically non-partisan, as there doesn’t seem to be an overload of opposition, claim and dismissal for the concept. Lastly, South Africa’s right-wing conservatives and far-right factions are not as hyper-critical of Cancel Culture, and their discontent and critiques of the socio-political phenomenon are not well published when compared to the Western World. This essay argues and predicts that: firstly, Cancel Culture will not take an extensive period before it becomes a household name, and more cases or examples will follow. Secondly, Cancel Culture’s social media presence will escalate, which will allow for further development and evolution of the concept. Thirdly, Cancel Culture will become a prominent fixture and component among South Africa’s various Universities. There will be an upsurge in self-censorship and political correctness amongst South African citizens to prevent attempted cancellations. South African liberals and far-left advocates will continue to be Cancel Culture’s principal protagonists and perpetuators. Following that, right-wing, conservative, and far-right South Africans will aim to retort and resist the rise of Cancel Culture. I contend that parallel to the United States, Cancel Culture will continue to be an ineffective feature of South Africa’s contemporary socio-political environment. Lastly, because of Cancel Culture’s online presence and notoriety, the concept will have a dramatic increase in academic enquiry, research, and literature.