Papers by Bheki Mngomezulu
African Renaissance, 2015
This article looks at what makes terrorism special in Africa, especially given that it is a globa... more This article looks at what makes terrorism special in Africa, especially given that it is a global phenomenon which transcends geographical boundaries. Specifically, the objective is to look at how Africa is affected differently by terrorist activities citing several factors which make the African continent peculiar. To achieve this objective, I scanned the literature with the view to identify and enumerate the characteristic features of the African continent and established how each of them creates fertile ground for terrorism to thrive. In order to locate the study to the broader context I premised it on the Frustration-Aggression theory which holds that when people are frustrated they act in an abnormal manner and sometimes direct their anger to innocent victims. The findings of the study show that Africa is more vulnerable to terrorism due to a confluence of factors. Some are endogenous while others are exogenous. Among these factors are: porous borders, ethnic and religious differences, lack of financial resources which force countries to rely on Western countries, multiplicity of political parties and many others. Based on these findings, the article recommends inter alia: strengthening borders, reducing the number of political parties as well as electing political leaders based on their credentials and not ethnic or religious affiliation.
South African Historical Journal, 2008
Lungisile Ntsebeza has made a name for himself in academic circles - both in South Africa and abr... more Lungisile Ntsebeza has made a name for himself in academic circles - both in South Africa and abroad - through his conspicuous courage in tackling topical issues and his scholarly engagement with sensitive topics. He presents his views on land and the role of traditional leadership institutions in a democracy with brevity. Some stakeholders in the African continent concede that traditional leaders are integral to modern governance and therefore cannot be ignored. Consequently, many would argue that the debate is gradually shifting from whether or not they should be retained in a democracy to how they should function under the new system. However, Ntsebeza questions the very notion of incorporating the institution of traditional leadership into a democracy. For him, traditional leadership and democracy are antithetical to each other. Implicit in this submission is that traditional and democratically elected leaders cannot co-exist.
African Renaissance, 2014
Africa has undoubtedly become notorious for a number of reasons. This is despite the continent... more Africa has undoubtedly become notorious for a number of reasons. This is despite the continent's contribution to global civilisation and economic development occasioned by the supply of raw materials and human capital. Over the years, the image of Africa has been tarnished by several factors. One of the factors that have contributed to Africa's notoriety is the constant outbreak of political crises. This article provides a critical analysis of this phenomenon by tracing its root causes, expounding on its magnitude and, most importantly, discussing some of the negative impacts of these conflict situations on African people - as individuals, groups/communities and as polities or nation states. This goal is achieved by citing different examples from across the continent. The conclusion drawn in the article is that Africa's political conflicts do not have a single source and that resolving them call for concerted effort amongst different stakeholders (both international and local actors).
EDULEARN12 Proceedings, 2012
Routledge eBooks, May 21, 2020
The #FeesMustFall Movement in 2015 invoked old calls for free education, decolonization and Afric... more The #FeesMustFall Movement in 2015 invoked old calls for free education, decolonization and Africanisation of the curriculum, which have deep roots in African political history. From the 1920s, Africans expressed utmost discomfort about the fact that their education systems had been relegated to the periphery and replaced by Western education systems. The school curriculum did not resonate with the reality on the ground and university colleges taught a foreign curriculum. At independence in the 1960s, African countries engaged in intense debates regarding the decolonisation and Africanisation of the curriculum at national universities. Against this backdrop, in this article, we look at Political Science as an academic discipline and extrapolate what it would entail to decolonise and Africanise its curriculum. Using the experiences at the Federal University of East Africa as a reference point, we conclude that the task is not insurmountable and propose a vanguard approach in making this happen.
Journal of Social Sciences, Dec 1, 2016
The demise of colonialism in the 1960s and 1970s and the resultant collapse of apartheid in 1994 ... more The demise of colonialism in the 1960s and 1970s and the resultant collapse of apartheid in 1994 marked a new epoch in African independence. The political leadership called for the reconfiguration of its energy sector. Traditional sources of energy lost currency while the industrial economy demanded more energy. As the population increased, energy demands increased too. Subsequently, the post-colonial state has been entangled in the dilemma of increasing energy supplies to meet the needs of its population and to simultaneously reduce carbon emission which disturbs the ozone layer. This paper draws from history and politics to expound the nature of the dilemma. Using various countries in southern Africa as examples, this paper revisits endogenous and exogenous factors, which affect energy reforms in Africa. It concludes that both the West and Africans are partly to blame for the current situation. The paper proposes that only joint efforts can redeem the current situation.
Alternation, Dec 31, 2021
Throughout the African continent, the development of higher education was predicated on race or s... more Throughout the African continent, the development of higher education was predicated on race or showed racial overtones on either side of the political divide. The colonial government wrestled with this challenge. At independence in the 1960s and 1970s, Africa's nationalist leaders invested in the reconfiguration of the higher education sector. Meanwhile, they unwittingly sustained the endemic race/higher education symmetry. The difference was that unlike their erstwhile oppressors who privileged Whites, they put Africans first. South Africa is no exception in this regard. The apartheid government allocated more resources in White higher education institutions at the expense of Black institutions. During the advent of democracy in 1994, the South African political and academic leadership faced the challenge of reconfiguring the higher education landscape without being fixated on race. However, reality dictated that race could not be removed from the equation. Consequently, deciding on the number of higher education institutions, student and staff profile, curriculum content and resources allocation could not leave out race as one of the determining factors. As White South Africans cried foul, arguing that they were being side-lined or forced to accommodate Black students thereby diminishing the status of their higher education institutions, Black students welcomed the new development. More than five decades since the end of colonialism, and more than 25 years since the demise of apartheid, race and higher education remain inseparable. Against this backdrop, this article revisits the metamorphosis of race in higher education, appreciates the sustained nexus between the two phenomena and proffers recommendations.
Routledge eBooks, Aug 22, 2022
ABSTRACT Beyond the Border War: New Perspectives on Southern Africa's Late-Cold War Conflicts... more ABSTRACT Beyond the Border War: New Perspectives on Southern Africa's Late-Cold War Conflicts. Edited by GARY BAINES and PETER VALE. Pretoria: Unisa Press, 2008. xix + 342 pp. ISBN 1 86914 109 1. The Zealous Conservator: A Life of Charles Lane Poole. By JOHN DARGAVEL. Crawley, WA: University of Western Australia Press, 2008. xiii + 252 pp. ISBN 978 1 921401 145. Mapping Colonial Conquest: Australia and Southern Africa. Edited by NORMAN ETHERINGTON. Crawley, WA: University of Western Australia Press, 2007. X + 220 pp. ISBN 978 0 9802964 4 0. Daily Lives of Civilians in Wartime Africa: From Slavery Days to Rwandan Genocide. Edited by JOHN LABAND. Scottsville: University of KwaZulu-Natal Press, 2007. 301 pp. ISBN 1 86914 109 1. Liberals, Marxists, and Nationalists: Competing Interpretations of South African History. By MERLE LIPTON. New York and Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, 2007. 228 pp. ISBN 13:978 0 230 60059 1. To the Brink: The State of Democracy in South Africa. BY XOLELA MANGCU. Scottsville: University of KwaZulu-Natal Press, 2008. xv + 208pp. ISBN 978 1 86914 137 0. L’épopée du diamant du sang en Afrique – Un creuseur Zaïro-Congolais à Lunda Norte. Mémoires lieux de savoir series. By DAMIEN DANIS MBIKI and EMMANUEL GUIDON MBIKI. Paris: L'Harmattan, 2008. 282 pp. ISBN 978 2 296 04160 8. De L-D. Kabila à J. Kabila – La vérité des faits! Comptes Rendus series. By YVON RAMAZANI, HENRI MOVA SAKANYI, and OMER NSONGO BROCHÉ. Paris: L'Harmattan, 2008. 128 pp., ISBN 978 2 296 05644 2.
Journal of Local Government Research and Innovation, 2022
Background: This research examines the effectiveness and efficiency of the Provincial MuniMEC in ... more Background: This research examines the effectiveness and efficiency of the Provincial MuniMEC in facilitating the Inter-Government Relations (IGR) arrangements for improvement provincial service provision mandate in the Eastern Cape Province. Post-1994 local government reforms led to the establishment of wall-to-wall municipalities to accelerate municipal services provision and the introduction of systemic municipal service provision guidelines as part of socioeconomic transformation. Objective: The effectiveness and efficiency of this plan remains unclear. This research intends to address this issue with the view to contribute on strategies that can be adopted to improve service provision through the integration of IGR structures. Method: The study adopted a qualitative approach by administering structured questionnaires to purposely selected participants and carefully reviewed various documents and policies in IGR and Local Government. The questionnaire analysis included theoretical propositions that incorporated the efficiency of the provincial MuniMEC IGR structures, the legal IGR framework, and the participatory approach in MuniMEC IGR structures by stakeholders. Result: One core finding is that the MuniMEC IGR structure has contributed to the coordination and integration of government service delivery interventions at municipalities, yet little empirical evidence explains this improvement. Research shows that government's IGR obligation to coordinate the integration of government service delivery interventions to municipalities could have more impact on service delivery improvement than the utilisation of a single-oriented approach. This study provides lessons on that any regulation without a structured implementation plan leads to poor service delivery. A key recommendation is that both the national and provincial government need to promote shared service delivery through the enhancement of the IGR framework.
Alternation Interdisciplinary Journal for the Study of the Aarts and Humanities in Southern Africa, 2021
Throughout the African continent, the development of higher education was predicated on race or s... more Throughout the African continent, the development of higher education was predicated on race or showed racial overtones on either side of the political divide. The colonial government wrestled with this challenge. At independence in the 1960s and 1970s, Africa's nationalist leaders invested in the reconfiguration of the higher education sector. Meanwhile, they unwittingly sustained the endemic race/higher education symmetry. The difference was that unlike their erstwhile oppressors who privileged Whites, they put Africans first. South Africa is no exception in this regard. The apartheid government allocated more resources in White higher education institutions at the expense of Black institutions. During the advent of democracy in 1994, the South African political and academic leadership faced the challenge of reconfiguring the higher education landscape without being fixated on race. However, reality dictated that race could not be removed from the equation. Consequently, deciding on the number of higher education institutions, student and staff profile, curriculum content and resources allocation could not leave out race as one of the determining factors. As White South Africans cried foul, arguing that they were being side-lined or forced to accommodate Black students thereby diminishing the status of their higher education institutions, Black students welcomed the new development. More than five decades since the end of colonialism, and more than 25 years since the demise of apartheid, race and higher education remain inseparable. Against this backdrop, this article revisits the metamorphosis of race in higher education, appreciates the sustained nexus between the two phenomena and proffers recommendations.
Journal of Social Sciences, 2016
The demise of colonialism in the 1960s and 1970s and the resultant collapse of apartheid in 1994 ... more The demise of colonialism in the 1960s and 1970s and the resultant collapse of apartheid in 1994 marked a new epoch in African independence. The political leadership called for the reconfiguration of its energy sector. Traditional sources of energy lost currency while the industrial economy demanded more energy. As the population increased, energy demands increased too. Subsequently, the post-colonial state has been entangled in the dilemma of increasing energy supplies to meet the needs of its population and to simultaneously reduce carbon emission which disturbs the ozone layer. This paper draws from history and politics to expound the nature of the dilemma. Using various countries in southern Africa as examples, this paper revisits endogenous and exogenous factors, which affect energy reforms in Africa. It concludes that both the West and Africans are partly to blame for the current situation. The paper proposes that only joint efforts can redeem the current situation.
African Renaissance, 2015
Terrorism has recently become a menace to society, more especially in the African continent which... more Terrorism has recently become a menace to society, more especially in the African continent which already faces other challenges. However, not all parts of the continent affected by terrorism feature in the literature. Thus, the primary aim of this article is to fill that lacuna by discussing Al Qaeda terrorism in the Maghreb region which covers most of the region in north and north-west Africa. Using historical analysis, the article demonstrates how terrorism has evolved and changed forms in the Maghreb region in countries such as Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, Western Sahara and Mauritania. Sources such as reports and internet sources are used to trace the origins of terrorist activities in the Maghreb region, bearing in mind the historical links between the region and the Middle East through trade and religion. The findings show that Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) has evolved over time and devised various strategies in order to ensure its continued existence. Based on ...
The institutionalisation of apartheid in 1948 created a favourable environment for the sustenance... more The institutionalisation of apartheid in 1948 created a favourable environment for the sustenance of social classification and stratification. Among other things, the state used education as a tool to reorganize the society. White children had better education opportunities and their schools enjoyed a lion's share of the national education budget compared to their black counterparts. Although this was a racial problem, the urban/rural divide became more evident. Rural communities were totally neglected .But not all rural communities succumbed to their predicament. This book, therefore, uses a case study of Ingwavuma rural setting to discuss the social and political ills of apartheid. It demonstrates how some rural communities like that of eSovane responded to apartheid. This analysis is timely in South Africa today where the global economic crisis makes it difficult for the government to address the needs of its people. The study shows how people can help themselves. Historians,...
South African Historical Journal, 2008
The areas / institutions Njoh uses to expound his argument are: the traditional African family; t... more The areas / institutions Njoh uses to expound his argument are: the traditional African family; the traditional land tenure system; gender and property inheritance; the traditional African administrative system; traditional resource mobilisation strategies; traditional healthcare and healing strategies; as well as traditional architecture and housing. His argument is that each of these areas / institutions has the potential to contribute to development but they have all been misconstrued by the West and are dismissed out of hand. Njoh delineates the gaffes made by Western scholars and provides an alternative interpretation of what each of these institutions meant and could mean for development.
Rurality, Social Justice and Education in Sub-Saharan Africa Volume I, 2020
The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this p... more The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specific statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use.
Journal of Social Sciences, 2013
This article analysed the racial profile of senior staff at South African universities to see if ... more This article analysed the racial profile of senior staff at South African universities to see if they comply with the Employment Equity Act (EEA). This was done through a broader analysis of official reports and reports derived from empirical studies on this theme. The results from both the broader analysis and selected case studies show that there is still racial inequality in the staff profile at South African universities. Whites dominate in senior positions while Africans dominate in Historically Black Universities (HBUs). This leads to the conclusion that the Historically White Universities (HWUs)/HBUs dichotomy continues to paint the higher education sector in South Africa in a bad light. To address this situation, the article recommends that parallel to i ncreasing the number of students from designated groups at tertiary institutions to undergo training so that they could keep up with their white counterparts, the entire mind-set of giving whites more recognition than other raci al groups should change.
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Papers by Bheki Mngomezulu
The book project shall cover a wide scope of topics, including, but not limited to, the relationship between political and civil leadership and factors influencing it in Africa; the role of political and civil leadership in political changes and transition; the relations of political and civil leadership with the people and its impact on political outcomes; the role of state agencies, especially those in the security sector, on political changes and transition; political governance challenges that may affect political changes and transition; external influences on political change and transition.