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Umhlaba Umanzi
No full textOne theme of this collection is the joy and the deep seated grief of my community of Kwa-Nobuhle; the brightness of hope on the faces on children running around our streets, the strides made by their mothers, the confusion of factory workers who are lost in darkness since the dawn of new dispensation. Then there are more personal poems: my own joys as well as the difficulties that have kept me from sleep and strangled my dreams as a writer, even though like Mafika Gwala, I believe that “words are born the way mothers beget children/words are born to survive time”. My style is influenced by imagistic, mystic and soulful poetry, such as the haunting Spanish voice of Garcia Lorca who wrote “I lose myself in the heart of certain children” and the absorbing isiXhosa voice of S E K Mqhayi. In response to their poetry my offering will be words that enliven us; my style will be what I see in the mirror, through the window, the sound of rain on my zinc roof and what frightens me
Intlambo yokufel’amahashe
No full textMy collection of short stories delves into government and governance, democracy,
citizenship, civil servants, poverty, corruption and nepotism. My stories draw on the
traditions of gritty urban crime fiction uncovering crimes of violence, service delivery,
vandalism and corruption. They explore themes of mental cruelty and greed, selfpreservation
and community in rural areas, farms, townships and cities characterized
by wrenching contradictions and inequalities.This epic dramatic poetic verse delves into government and school governance, labour unions,
liberation struggle, parenting and a wide range of school perceptions. It interrogates the roles of
parents, teachers, students, department of education officials and that of other stakeholders that
make use of schools. Influenced by William Wellington Gqoba’s ‘A great debate on education: a
Parable’ wayback, it continues the education debate in the current post-democratic South Africa
characterized by wrenching contradictions and inequalities
Shifting identities: An exploration of the possibilities for a syncretic Afrikaans theatre by means of three case studies – Hex (2003), Lady Anne (2007), Ekspedisies (2008)
No full textThis thesis investigates the possibilities for syncretic Afrikaans language theatre within a post-1994 South African society. The research sets out to explore in what manner theatre can be language-specific, while at the same time being able to cross language contexts. This exploration is driven by the wish to develop strategies for creating Afrikaans theatre that is able to reflect on a society “united in diversity”. In this regard it is argued that for theatre to be able to both retain and cross language barriers, processes of bonding and bridging are necessary. The thesis sets out first to explain why these processes are required and then to suggest ways in which such processes can be implemented in practice.
A triangular approach is used, in which conceptual and theoretical frameworks are developed to reflect on actual theatre practices. Three of my own productions are used as case studies, namely Hex (2000; 2003), Lady Anne (2007) and Ekspedisies (2008). These productions can be understood to be “boundary objects” in Henk Borgdorff’s (2012: 177) sense of the word, in that they fulfil a dual function: they are artistic productions that can also be reconstituted to serve a research purpose beyond the productions themselves. All three works were first created for public consumption before becoming cases for this thesis. Many of the strategies that were developed and tested in creating these productions are examples of ways in which bonding and bridging in Afrikaans language theatre can be understood.
Chapter One of the thesis contextualises the political currents and events that necessitated the impulse towards “bonding and bridging”. In this case the political and ethical impetus behind the practical explorations has been related predominantly to the democratisation of South African society, in which a paradigm shift happened from viewing the Afrikaans language as one over many to one amongst many. Within a multilingual South Africa, concerns are raised about ways in which to create theatre in South African languages other than English (often understood to be the only possible bridging language) that are able to cross language divides.
Following this introduction to language-related concerns, Chapter Two explains how the shift from apartheid to democracy made space for shifts in identity – on personal as well as institutional levels: a progression from essentialised notions of culture to the celebration of plurality. This progression is then related to theatre, with an explanation of how the post-1994 theatre landscape demanded a reimagining of the form and function of theatre. In this re-imagination the notion of a “third space” is important; something that is introduced in this chapter as an alternative to polarised identity constructions. The function of the “third space” as an in-between space and a meeting point for diverse people and entities is a strong underlying theme of this thesis and it serves as a reoccurring touchstone to the ideas put forward.
Chapter Three discusses the South African arts festival culture and its contribution to the South African theatre landscape. Particular focus is placed on the Klein Karoo National Arts festival (KKNK) as a platform for the development of the Afrikaans language within a post-1994 context. What is emphasized in particular is the attempt by the KKNK festival to be linguistically and culturally exploratory and inclusive in the face of language protectionism.
After the contextual background of the first three chapters, the thesis shifts to an analysis of theories related to “hybridity” and “syncretism”. In Chapter Four the argument is put forward that of the various inclusive performance and theatre models that represent a multicultural society, the most responsive forms are those that are syncretic and hybrid. Principles that can contribute to the unification and merging of diverse and polarized societal groups are described, and suggestions are made for possible ways to bring about bonding and bridging within cultural practices. Having introduced these principles, examples are offered of how these theories might be understood in other disciplines, namely, religious studies, anthropology, history and a range of cultural practices.
Following this broad discussion, Chapter Five describes syncretism and hybridity more specifically in theatre by means of relevant examples. Taking the discussion further into the realm of application, Chapter Six offers an overview of “workshop theatre”, “translation” and “collage making” as strategies for putting theories of hybridity and syncretism into practice. This is followed (in Chapters Seven, Eight and Nine) by a discussion of the three productions (Hex, Lady Anne and Ekspedisies) as case studies that demonstrate how these theories can be understood in practice. Practical strategies for bridging language divides are foregrounded, such as code switching as an approach for enabling a “co-habitation” of languages; physical theatre as a means for crossing language divides; and the creation of more than one language version of a production as a tactic to accommodate shifting contexts. Following on from the discoveries made in the foregoing chapters, I conclude that theories and practices related to notions of “third space”, “hybridity” and “syncretism” are ideal for creating theatre forms (in the Afrikaans language in particular) that can truly reflect a South African society which is “united in diversity”. The thesis ends by offering suggestions for ways in which new, future identities, can be developed
Interrogating the specific challenges of teaching play texts in heterogeneous classrooms in the Eastern Cape
No full textThis study is an autoethnographic reflection, rooted in Action Research based on my teaching experience in a multicultural high school environment in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. It is an analysis, in particular, of teaching play texts in two classes, Dramatic Arts and English Home Language, at matric level. A combination of discourse analysis and autoethnography formed the theoretical basis for the interpretation of data drawn from lesson transcripts, group interviews, learners’ reflections and my own journalled reflections. This analysis has formed the foundation for a deeper reflection on culture, the colonist within, and the colonialism embedded with in my teaching, and in the education system more broadly.
At a practical level, I suggest embracing student-led and co-led discussions of literature, as advocated by Mayer (2012), as well as transcultural readings (Keating, 2007), and Drama activities, as ideals in the teaching of play texts. These techniques are designed to encourage learners to develop intellectual authority as well as allowing them the space to enter discussions around culturally sensitive topics, while minimising the teacher’s hierarchical, dominant position. I also argue for the importance of making culture an overt topic of conversation. White English-speaking South African culture, in particular has been prone to “invisibility” and, through this, an unspoken normative position, particularly in multicultural school environments. I challenge myself and others to engage in ongoing efforts to articulate our particular perception of our cultures, dynamic and diverse though they may be
Perceptions of indigenous people regarding mental illness at Cacadu district in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa.
No full textIndigenous people tend to consult traditional healers when a family member manifests change in behaviour, whilst conventional treatment disregards spirituality when preserving mental health. The aim of the study was to explore the perceptions of indigenous people and the role of traditional healers in the management of mentally ill persons within the Cacadu District in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. The study has adopted a qualitative approach which was exploratory and descriptive in nature.
The sample consisted of nine relatives of mental health care users (MHCUs) and six traditional healers. Ethical principles were also taken into consideration by the researcher during the process of conducting the study. Data were collected from two strata, namely, relatives of the MHCUs and the traditional healers and an interview guide was used to conduct in-depth face-to-face interviews. Data were analysed using Tesch’s method of data analysis. Four themes emerged from the data categories and sub categories were identified. According to the themes participants indicated the negative impact of mental illness; as a result they portrayed great desperation regarding the means of accessing a cure for mental illness. Some participants showed insufficient knowledge regarding mental illness and had different perceptions and beliefs regarding the origin of mental illness.
Available literature was used to emphasise and support the views that were expressed by both traditional healers and relatives of MHCUs. It has been highlighted from this study that indigenous people of Cacadu District view mental illness as spiritual in origin but they include Western medication for the benefit of the mentally ill. In addition, the relatives of the MHCUs highlighted the economic burden as the major problem that results from mental illness
Investigating a mathematics recovery program for assessment and intervention with groups of Grade 4 learners
No full textThis study reports on the findings of my research, which was based on an intervention focused on recovery of early arithmetic strategies with one Grade 4 class of learners in a township school in Port Elizabeth in the Eastern Cape. Learners came from poor socio-economic backgrounds and initial evaluations showed that the majority of learners still relied on concrete methods, like tally counting, to perform addition and subtraction calculations even with numbers less than 10. This is not uncommon in the South African context especially with learners in low Socio-economic Status (SES) schools. The results of numerous assessments including the Department of Education’s Annual National Assessments point to a crisis in primary mathematics education where intermediate phase learners are generally operating several grade levels below the grade they are in. A large drop in mathematics performance is seen in the ANA results in grade 4 learners (the first grade of the transition from foundation phase to intermediate phase). Within this context, and my background in learning support for students, my research aimed to understand the possibilities and constraints of the implementation of a recovery program adapted from the widely implemented work of Wright et al. (2006, 2012).
The primary adaptation made to the MR program involved administering the assessments and intervention with groups of (rather than individual) learners. Within the context of the many low SES under-resourced schools in SA, individualised interview based assessments and recovery is not seen as a possible remediation strategy. Drawing on a socio- constructivist perspective, my study used action research with one class of 23 learners and found that adaptation of the MR program for a group, based on eight recovery sessions, was useful for enabling some progress for all learners in terms of their early arithmetic strategies and conceptual place value. Although the need for a longer recovery period is acknowledged, the adapted program enabled some progress in levels and stages of conceptual knowledge (as conceptualized by Wright et al.’s (2006) Learning Framework in Number) for these two domains. The study concludes with some reflections and recommendations for the future
Nanocomposites of carbon nanomaterials and metallophthalocyanines : applications towards electrocatalysis
No full textNanohybrid materials have been prepared and examined for their electrocatalytic activity. The nanocomposites have been prepared from carbon nanomaterials (multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and graphene nanosheets), cadmium selenide quantum dots and metallophthalocyanines (MPcs). The MPcs used in this work are cobalt tetraamino-phthalocyanine (CoTAPc) and tetra (4-(4,6-diaminopyrimidin-2-ylthio) phthalocyaninatocobalt (II)) (CoPyPc). Their activity has also been explored in different forms; polymeric MPcs, iodine doped MPcs and covalently linked MPcs. The premixed drop-dry, sequential drop-dry and electropolymerisation electrode modification techniques were used to prepare nanocomposite catalysts on the glassy carbon electrode (GCE) surface. The sequential drop dry technique for MPc and MWCNTs gave better catalytic responses in terms of limit of detection, catalytic and electron transfer rate constants relative to the premixed. MWCNTs and CdSe-QDs have been used as intercalating agents to reduce restacking of graphene nanosheets during nanocomposite preparation. Voltammetry, chronoamperometry, scanning electrochemical microscopy and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy methods are used for electrochemical characterization modified GCE. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, X-ray diffractometry, transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, infra-red spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy were used to explore surface functionalities, morphology and topography of the nanocomposites. Electrocatalytic activity and possible applications of the modified electrodes were tested using oxygen reduction reaction, l-cysteine oxidation and paraquat reduction. Activity of nanocomposites was found superior over individual nanomaterials in these applications
An investigation of participative management in a museum in the Eastern Cape, South Africa
No full textThe purpose of my research was to investigate participative management at the Albany Museum
with a view to generating knowledge and insights that can be used to support senior
management’s engagement with participative management at mid-management level. My
interest was to investigate participative management with regards to five HODs of the Albany
Museum with a view to generating knowledge and insights that can be used to support senior
management’s engagement with participative management at mid-management level.
The research was informed by the interpretive paradigm. The interpretive paradigm does not
concern itself with the search for broadly applicable laws and rules but rather seeks to produce
descriptive analyses that emphasise deep interpretation and understanding of social phenomena
through the meaning that the people assign to them.
This study is mostly descriptive and presents the reality of participants from their own
experience. Semi-structured interviews and observation capture ‘insider’ knowledge that is part
of an interpretive methodology.
The study found that participative management was both understood and generally accepted as a
good way to manage an organisation, and even members who were critical of it could see its
benefits. However, the fractured and diversified structure of the organisation calls for a
particularly skillful application of this management approach, one which would also demand
leadership and a greater sense of working towards what are called collegial models of
management. Whether this is in fact desirable for a museum is debatable
The Caramel Venus and Other Stories
No full textMy collection of stories illustrates the absurdity, the beauty and the pain of being human by depicting experience through fabulation. The intensity of existence comes to light in strange worlds that operate by rules of our inner mechanics, distorted so that only the colours and the shape of our hearts swim underneath. My fiction embodies these realities using the flatness of the fairy tale form while incorporating the humorous, the bizarre and the surreal. Some of the stories build dystopian worlds using the manifestation of the unfamiliar as a mirror of our psyche in an overpopulated and consumer-driven society. Others create contained worlds where the fantastical is fostered only by the narrator being drawn into an inner life. All the stories take us through inner landscapes with the humans, animals and objects around us that can pulse with so much meaning and then none at all
Investigating the nature of the linguistic challenges of the Department of Basic Education (DBE) 2013 Grade 4 Mathematics ANAs and learners’ and teachers’ experience of them.
No full textThe underperformance of South African learners in literacy and numeracy is a source
of grave concern, especially at the transition from Grade 3 to Grade 4. The challenge
that complicates this shift is to some extent linguistic, since at Grade 4 in South Africa
the majority of learners begin learning in English, which is an additional language for
most. The study adopts a sociocultural view of language and learning. Vygotsky’s
influential theoretical work on language and learning, in which language is considered
central to learning and learning is a social process embedded in sociocultural settings,
informs the study.
The introduction of the Annual National Assessments (ANAs) across primary and
secondary grades in South Africa in mathematics and literacy in 2011 provides the
context for this research. It is against this background that the present study aimed,
through a case study approach of three Grade 4 classes of English additional language
(EAL) learners, to achieve four things, namely: to investigate the linguistic challenges
of the 2013 Grade 4 mathematics ANAs; to analyse the learners’ written responses to
the 2013 mathematics ANA items; to explore the 2013 Grade 4 learners’ difficulties
and experiences of the 2013 mathematics ANAs, and to investigate the Grade 4
mathematics teachers’ perspectives of the language of the ANAs. In order to achieve
these aims, the data was collected in four phases.
The first phase of the study addressed the nature of the linguistic challenges of the
Department of Basic Education Grade 4 mathematics ANAs. Data collection
occurred in two parts: 1) Comparing Grade 4 ANAs to exemplars provided and 2)
Analysing the language of the 2013 mathematics ANAs. This was done through
content analysis and Shaftel et al.’s (2006) linguistic complexity checklist. Findings
for part 1 of the study revealed that there were several inconsistencies in the
questioning format and language used in the ANAs and in the exemplars. Findings of
the content analysis done on the 2013 mathematics ANA test items using Shaftel et
al.’s (2006) linguistic complexity checklist and Vale’s (2013) Linguistic Complexity
Index formula point to many linguistic complexities in several test items, particularly
in relation to recurrent use of: 7 or more letter words, homophones, prepositional
phrases and specific mathematics vocabulary across the majority of questions.
In phase 2, the analysis of 106 learners’ written responses for the 2013 mathematics
ANA questions revealed that for many of the questions the language used was
unfamiliar for Grade 4 learners using English as an additional language. This was
aggravated by the inclusion in the ANAs of linguistic forms learners would not have
encountered in their workbooks or exemplars intended to prepare the learners for the
assessments. Therefore, linguistic complexity of items was a key contributing factor
to learners’ poor performance in the test.
In the third phase, the quantitative and qualitative analysis of the 26 learners’
interviews revealed that during the task-based interviews, learners experienced
difficulties in the following skills: reading, comprehension, transformation, process
and encoding. The greatest difficulties were experienced in comprehension and in
reading, especially in the two classes where the learners were less proficient in the
English language.
The fourth phase, in which two Grade 4 mathematics teachers’ perceptions of the
linguistic demands of the Grade 4 mathematics ANAs were presented and analysed,
the teachers’ perceptions indicated that the mathematical language was mostly too
difficult for the Grade 4 learners. Teachers also were of the opinion that learners’
reading skills were poor and they struggled to comprehend what they read. A dilemma
regarding whether teachers should assist learners during the ANAs, satisfying the
local needs for mediating the language or whether they should comply with the ANA
policy which states that they may not assist learners was expressed by one of the
teachers. A range of language challenges that teachers managed with various
strategies were raised. These included one teacher’s use of code-switching during the
teaching of mathematics.
The study concludes with implications and recommendations. These include that test
designers should minimise the language complexity of test items, especially in the
early transition grades of learning in English. Research should be conducted on
possibilities for allowing teachers to provide linguistic mediation to ANA questions in
these transition years of learners learning in English