KovsieJournals - University of the Free State (UFS)
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Raising a thousand Tutu voices: Reflections on the Truth to Power exhibition
Get PDFThis article explores the lifework and legacy of Archbishop Desmond Mpilo Tutu who passed away on 26 December 2021. It relates the reaction of visitors to the newly installed exhibition, Truth to power: Desmond Tutu and the churches in the struggle against apartheid, in the historic Old Granary Building, home of the Desmond & Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation in Cape Town. The Victims Wall forms part of the exhibition, in a room dedicated to the unfinished business of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC). The article argues that the cries and bruised bodies of the victims of apartheid, such as those of Mrs Calata, widow of Fort Calata, one of the Cradock Four victims, and of thousands of “ordinary people”, arestill reverberating down the decades to be heard and acknowledged by specifically White South Africans. The example and the courage of the poet and journalist, Antjie Krog, who covered the TRC hearings and who is still speaking poetry to power as a public intellectual, are used to reflect on the author’s own culpability and that of other White Afrikaans-speaking South Africans and their involvement in the TRC process. The article concludes with the immense and joyful task of the Foundation to raise a thousand Tutu voices, in an attempt to answer questions on how to keep the memories of the bodies of those who suffered under colonialism and apartheid alive, while seeking reconciliation and fighting for a just, equal, and inclusive society in a deeply divided South Africa and how to become more fully huma
Interview with Nadine Bowers Du Toit
Get PDFNadine Bowers Du Toit is a professor in the Department of Practical Theology and Missiology at the Faculty of Theology at the University of Stellenbosch. She holds a PhD in Practical Theology (Theology and Development) and her research over the past 20 years has focused on the role of faith communities in addressing the intersecting issues of race, inequality, gender and poverty. Her most recent projects have been funded by grants from the National Research Foundation and the Nagel Centre for World Christianity. Besides lecturing, publishing and supervising postgraduate students, Nadine is often invited to address congregations, church leaders and faith-based organisations on topics pertaining to social justice. She sees herself as an “activist academic”, always advocating for more diverse voices to be heard: to this end, she chairs the transformation committee in the Faculty of Theology. Nadine is the director of the Unit for Religion and Development and serves on the boards of severalnon-governmental organisations. She is the current vice-president of the International Academy of Practical Theology
No voice for the Global South – analysing the Annual Convention of the International Studies Association (ISA)
Get PDFThe article contributes to the postcolonial and decolonial debate on epistemic inequality in International Relations (IR) research by analysing the global representation of universities at the Annual Convention of the International Studies Association in Toronto in 2019. The results are fourfold. First, the overwhelmingly represented Western countries are mostly located at universities in North America and Europe. Second, universities located in Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa (BRICS) are largely underrepresented compared to their population size and number of universities. Third, even in so- called Global South panels, the representation of scholars from the Global North is much higher than that of academics from the Global South. Fourth, the representation gap also holds true when analysing researcher mobility and individual publication records. The implications of the case study results shed light on the difficulties of analysing epistemic violence without contributing oneself to the prevalent asymmetries
Confronting the cataracts of whiteness to see the invisible: reflections on the transmission and reception of the Bible in post-apartheid South Africa
Get PDFThe goal of this article is to draw on some of the latest insights in biblical studies on the challenges posed to the reflection, transmission, and reception of the Bible with relevance to a post-apartheid South African context. The author engages with prominent figures in the field of Biblical Studies and critical race theory such as David Horrell, in order to address the issue of whiteness and its impact on marginalisation. The aim is to foster a deeper understanding of the ways in which certain voices have been rendered invisible and to continue to question and challenge these dynamics. This paper delves into the interpretation of the Bible in Africa, using the perspectives of scholars such as Thomas Wartenberg in conjunction with the ideas of Charles W. Mills, W. Jennings, R. Ellison, and Steven Biko, as well as other notable figures, to criticallyreflect on the role of biblical scholarship in the process of restoring historically marginalised voices within the contextof past injustices
Teachers’ perceptions of the psycho-social effects of COVID-19 on learners’ well-being in South African schools
Get PDFThe lockdown the South African government implemented in 2020 to contain the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in school closures. During this time, and also when learners were allowed to attend school again, the focus was on the physical health and safety of the learners. However, in the process, schools might have neglected the psycho-social and mental well-being of learners, which is a state in which learners are able to manage stress and function optimally. This paper reports on a study that investigated teachers’ views on how learners’ psycho-social and mental well-being was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. This qualitative study used semi-structured interviews to gather data from 17 teachers from five schools in two districts of the North-West Province in South Africa. The school mental health theoretical framework was used for the study because of its focus on the psycho-social mental health of learners and the role of institutions in supporting mental health. The findings indicate that learners experienced a higher level of emotional distress during the lockdown. This was caused by an increase in fear, stress, anxiety, uncertainty, frustration, anger and aggression during the pandemic. Although learners from all the schools were negatively affected by COVID-19, learners from low-income schools that had limited access to resources were affected more due to the limited professional psycho-social support they received. This highlights the need for Education Departments to build the capacity of all South African schools to address the emotional and psycho-social well-being of their learners. It is vital that schools commit themselves to enabling learners to develop a high level of resilience and antifragility at all times, not just during major crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic
Exploring collaborative strategies used by school management teams to sustain parental involvement in Xhariep District schools
Get PDFThe annual analysis of schools’ results shows that Xhariep District still has many underperforming schools at the primary level, requiring continuous intervention from the Free State Department of Basic Education. This article explored collaborative strategies used by School Management Teams to sustain parental involvement in Xhariep District primary schools. The article is based on one of the authors\u27 Masters dissertations. It is a qualitative research project that is based on the collaboration theory. After conducting a convenience sampling, 15 participants, including SMTs, teachers, and parents, were interviewed to determine their perception of parental involvement. The research used the inductive thematic analysis method, resulting in the identification of categories and trends and the interpretation of findings. The results of this study suggest that many societal issues contribute greatly to negative educational outcomes in the district. Most learners continue to become less interested in going to school, thus dropping out at the primary school level. The study also found that the contribution of parents to education is essential to ensuring a child\u27s academic success, well-regulated school attendance, and acceptable levels of behaviour in and out of school. Therefore, the article recommends that parents be empowered and developed to have the necessary attributes essential to their participation and educational partnerships with schools
Artificial intelligence technology applications in building construction productivity: A systematic literature review
Get PDFArtificial Intelligence (AI) holds the potential to revolutionise the construction industry, by enhancing productivity and addressing the challenges posed by a skills shortage. Historically resistant to technological innovation, the construction sector lags behind other industries that have embraced innovative technologies to boost productivity. This study investigates AI technologies that can be used to improve construction productivity, as well as the barriers impeding the widespread adoption of AI in the construction sector. The research adheres to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. A systematic review of scholarly journal articles and conference papers sourced from the Scopus database was conducted, employing relevant screening criteria to select the most pertinent sources aligned with the research objectives. Although AI applications in building construction are still emerging, AI technologies have been successfully deployed in various aspects of building construction. These include floor slab construction, steelwork, safety and risk management, materials management, and labour handling in multi-story buildings. The adoption of AI in the construction sector faces several challenges, including technical complexities, managerial and organisational barriers, economic justifications, and a shortage of AI-proficient talent. Drawing insights from this study, construction stakeholders can make informed decisions regarding AI investments and their specific areas of application within building construction
Contract administrators’ perspective on claim events under the JBCC Principal Building Agreement in South Africa
Get PDFThe JBCC Principal Building Agreement is widely used as the primary building agreement in South Africa, and claims are frequently encountered in construction projects where this contract is implemented. This study, therefore, set out to determine the perspective of principal agents, who are professional consultants acting as contract administrators within the South African construction industry, regarding the magnitude of claim incidents under the JBCC Principal Building Agreement. The research adopted a quantitative approach, involving the completion of a virtual structured questionnaire by 164 respondents who were practising principal agents in South Africa. The collected data was thereafter analysed by means of descriptive statistics. The following claim events were identified as noteworthy in terms of regularity and severity: adverse weather, the execution of additional work, rectification of physical losses and damages to the works where contractors are not at risk, causes beyond the reasonable control of contractors, and the inability to obtain materials and goods in time. By identifying the knowledge void regarding the frequency and impact of claims in South Africa under the JBCC Principal Building Agreement, this study provides contracting parties with updated insights that can assist them in averting and effectively managing such claims, thereby minimising damages to all parties involved. Furthermore, while the study was confined to South Africa, the findings may still hold relevance for users of the contract in other countries
Monitoring the condition of public sector fixed infrastructure in South Africa
Get PDFInfrastructure is designed and built to deliver a service, but how well the infrastructure is operated and maintained is a major determinant of how effectively it is able to deliver that service. Despite this, much of the South African infrastructure owned by the public sector is not kept in a good condition. The article describes 25 years of high-level effort – including the conducting of research, the compilation of guidelines, and the passing of legislation – to improve the condition of public sector infrastructure. Inter alia, it introduces and describes the ‘infrastructure report card’ concept and how that has been applied in South Africa. It also highlights current texts on infrastructure asset management and suggests some examples of infrastructure asset management planning
In daardie tyd was daar reuse
Get PDFProfessor Piet Meiring kyk terug op agt dekades en onthou van die reuse (vergelyk Genesis 6:4) wat hy op sy lewenspad sou teëkom. Buiten hoe indrukwekkend hy alles kan onthou, is dit absoluut merkwaardig hoeveel daar is om te onthou. In meer as een opsig het ons hier te make met ’n voorwaar ryk verweefde lewe en ’n blywende leeservaring