UJ Press Journals
Not a member yet
2155 research outputs found
Sort by
The points from Primrose Ridge: A possible Still Bay workshop on the Gauteng Grassland of South Africa
Get PDFWith this contribution we re-introduce a Middle Stone Age point assemblage from the Gauteng Grassland. Whilst the open-air site can no longer be excavated or dated, an updated interpretation of the Primrose Ridge points has the potential to shed new light on the Middle Stone Age occupation of the Witwatersrand. We apply a fine-grained approach, developed for compiling intra- and inter-assemblage comparative data, to assess how the Primrose Ridge points compare to some other Middle Stone Age point assemblages. We demonstrate that most of the points from Primrose Ridge conform to what can be expected from Still Bay point assemblages in terms of invasive bifacial retouch, lenticular cross sections and semi-circular or pointed butts as originally defined. In situ anvil boulders surrounded by fresh quartz chips recorded in the 1940s, and knapping mistakes provide reasons to think of Primrose Ridge as a workshop or production site for Still Bay-like quartz points. If our interpretation is correct, Primrose Ridge could have been used during the Still Bay phase – in terms of relative chronology – representing the first tentative record of this technocomplex on the Grassland Biome of interior South Africa
Wearing Christ: A Lived Theology of the Uniform among Reformed Women in Zambia
Get PDFMembers of African ecclesiastical women’s organisations can be recognised by a special uniform they wear during meetings, Christian holidays, and designated Sundays. This uniform, and its wearing, can be considered a kind of religious practice that carries theological meaning. Often, this practice reflects a lived theology shaped by women\u27s everyday life experiences, rather than a formalised theology. This article teases out women’s lived theology of the uniform based on empirical research (observations, interviews, focus groups) from one women’s fellowship, the Chigwirizano cha Azimai of the Reformed Church in Zambia.
The article illustrates how the uniform is not simply a symbol of membership but, rather, a significant embodiment of the faith and religious identity of the members of the women\u27s fellowship. It represents the core doctrines of the Christian faith, a commitment to a holy lifestyle, and a divine calling to be a light in a dark world. It also reminds the wearers to stand firm in a world full of socio-economic challenges, patriarchy, and spiritual warfare. For some, it acts as a shield, protecting them against temptation and evil powers
Can African Women be Womanists?
Get PDFAlice Walker\u27s definition of a womanist anchors itself in Black feminist identity, but what if different women experience the modifier "Black" in distinct ways? Using narrative theological and womanist religious methodology to center African feminist, African women\u27s theological, and womanist religious voices, this article treats the modifier "Black" as an inflection point that identifies the theological categories and foci from and about which African-descended women speak. It encourages African and African American women to be attentive to why nomenclature and contextuality are important markers of the other’s theological and ethical viewpoint
Africa Regional Unification: In the Eyes of Indigenous Thinkers, Adebayo Adedeji and Raúl Prebisch
Get PDFAdebayo Adedeji and Prebisch are revered as generational thinkers and exemplars of regional economic integration in Africa and Latin America. Both have addressed unequal wealth distribution and unfavourable conditions that lead to underdevelopment. They sought to promote domestic development concepts rather than accept a global blanket prescription for resolving the underdevelopment problem. In addition, their worldview influenced thousands of young intellectuals and activists on both continents. Their experience and unique views on the role of regional integration in establishing economic space and political differentiation were invaluable. They helped the UN embrace local intellectual thought as a development principle. Their intellectual and personal qualities allowed them to argue for reviving economic principles in both regions’ development policies. Adedeji mocked the Bretton Woods institutions for their determination to tout success stories from SAPs despite all evidence to the contrary. This paper compares their philosophical framework to today’s economic and development concerns.
Editorial
Get PDFJust a few days ago, on 22-23 November 2025, South Africa hosted the first G20 Summit on African soil in Johannesburg, under the theme Solidarity, Equality, and Sustainability. The summit highlighted the growing role of African countries in a multipolar world. It drew attention to issues disproportionately affecting the Global South, including infrastructure development, food security, disaster resilience, and challenges related to unsustainable debt and a fair allocation of benefits from mining resources
Causes, Consequences and Control of Online Advance Fee Fraud in Ilorin Metropolis, Nigeria
Get PDFIn this mixed-method study, which employed strain theory and routine activities theory (RAT) as the theoretical framework, surveys and interviews were conducted with 382 respondents and 10 participants, respectively. The research explored the causes, consequences, and solutions related to online advance fee fraud (OAFF), also known as "419 scams." The primary drivers identified by respondents were unemployment (33.8%), poverty (21.2%), and the allure of easy money, as well as low detection risks, weak regulatory oversight, peer pressure, and poor societal values. It is estimated that victims suffer substantial financial losses (64.1%), emotional trauma (46.6%), and a loss of trust (52.6%), whereas governments suffer financial losses (63.6%), tainted law enforcement (60.7%), and reputational damage (71.4%). As a result of these incidents, companies suffer financial losses (99.5%), reputational losses (74.8%), and customer trust losses (78.7%). Youth empowerment, employment opportunities, awareness raising, partnership with stakeholders, and increased EFCC monitoring were identified as key interventions by respondents. The importance of public vigilance, self-control, avoiding greed, and whistleblowing was emphasised as preventative measures. The study highlighted the evolving nature of OAFF, presently amplified by artificial intelligence and deep-fake technology, which calls for not only socio-economic remedies, but also strong technological, legal, and collective action to counter its increasing impact on individuals, governments, and businesses
Assessing Nigeria’s Post-Civil War Idea of “No Victor No Vanquish” Agenda in the Southeast Geopolitical Zone: A Panacea for National Unity
Get PDFOn 15 January 1970, at the end of the brutal Nigeria Civil War, pronounced the outcome of the war as that of “no victor, no vanquished” an important rhetorical effort to heal the wounds of the war and to give a sense of belonging to the defeated ‘Biafrans’ into the Nigerian State. The General Gowon administration made it clear that the aim of the Federal Government was the reunification and reintegration of the former citizens of the rebel Republic of Biafra into the Federal Republic of Nigeria. However, 53 years after the famous speech, the southeast geopolitical zone which constituted the majority of the former Biafra Republic is still struggling for political inclusion, social equity, and economic emancipation and development from the Nigerian state. The effect has been the reinforcement of the bitterness of the civil war which has in recent times resurrected the agitation for the independence of Biafra as evident in the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) with a severe threat to the unity of the country. The study therefore recommended the need for restructuring of the country, the creation of more states for the southeast, and inclusive politics among others for the restoration of peace and harmony in the country. The study relied primarily on secondary data and content analysis for its research methodology.
The Lagos Space Programme’s Re/construction and Queering of Masculinity
No full textThere is a growing number of African fashion designers who use their work to contribute to queer artistic production. This article examines how non-gendered forms are viewed concerning fashion styles in sub-Saharan Africa. In doing this, the article considers the narratives in gendered items of clothing. Focusing on the Lagos Space Programme this article incorporates visual and textual analyses of the fashion pieces available on the brand’s official Instagram page. The article examines the imagery, fashion films, and design statements for different collections as well as the brand’s manifestos and interviews with its creative director, Adeju Thompson. This article demonstrates how the projects of this brand are invested in reconstructing, queering, and pluralising African masculinities. This article ultimately highlights how fashion can be a site for contesting the presentation of queer identities and challenging the binary ways of thinking about gender identities
Archaeological survey of the Modder River dongas, Free State, South Africa
Get PDFThe semi-arid grasslands of the Free State Province of South Africa have produced the earliest evidence of the presence of Homo sapiens in the subcontinent, together with an extensive Pleistocene palaeoenvironmental record based on fossil assemblages. However, the known Middle Stone Age (MSA) archaeological sites in the Free State are limited to a few major localities that cannot be integrated into a unitary narrative, thus hindering our understanding of human cultural evolution in the central interior of South Africa. Here we report the results of a survey of the dongas of the Modder River aimed at documenting new localities embedded within its alluvial terraces. We identified 43 previously unknown archaeological areas spanning the Late Pleistocene to Holocene based on the regional chronology, of which the majority are MSA sites. Four of the latter include artefacts in situ and thus hold potential for excavation and absolute dating by trapped-charge methods. The occurrence of a specific lithic type at six sites along the course of the river highlights a pattern in the occupation of the region during Marine Isotope Stage 5, which confirms the importance of the grasslands of the central interior for the characterisation of the spatiotemporal distribution of human groups in the open landscape during the MSA