UWC Scholar Publishing Support (University of the Western Cape)
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1520 research outputs found
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Echoes of War, Whispers of Peace
Full text linkThe cannons roar, the skies turn gray,As tears of sorrow flood the land,Yet hope still flickers in the fray,A gentle touch, a guiding hand..
Tick-Tock-Boom! Poetry
No full texttick—tock—tick—tock,A gentle reminderThat time is but a meander,Flowing by the secondEddies by the minuteTides by the hourOur bodies are ventriloquists to our passionsGiving form to the abstract.Time is but a companion
Scars of Silence
Full text linkIn the corners where shadows dwell,Whispers of pain are lost,Broken voices, fractured shells,Injustice\u27s bitter cost..
Autocratic Legalism through Anti-Corruption Strategies and Agencies: A Case Study of Nigeria
Full text linkOne of the hallmarks of the transition to constitutional democracy in Nigeria is the consolidation of an overarching anti-corruption strategy. After several years of successive military rule, Nigeria transited to a democratic dispensation in 1999. On the heels of this transition was the institution of the crusade against corruption which is often blamed as the progenitor of all the ills in Nigeria. In over two decades after the transition and the commencement of the anti-corruption crusade, it would seem that the anti-corruption strategies of the different administrations are targeted at perceived opponents and influenced by the private interests of political elites. The paper examines the operation of anti-corruption agencies (ACAs) as tools to entrench autocratic legalism in Nigeria. It interrogates the narrative that successive democratic administrations manipulate ACAs to perpetuate oppression and selectively apply anti-corruption mechanisms. The paper is purely doctrinal and adopts a desktop legal research approach. The paper examines whether purported anti-corruption strategies by different administrations are exploited to mask their rent-seeking tendencies. The political manipulations of prosecutorial authorities, selective prosecution by ACAs, indiscriminate application of plea bargain and abuse of court process do not only undermine anti-corruption efforts but subtly perpetuate autocratic legalism in Nigeria
70 years on \u27the Freedom Charter is not irrelevant - it is unfinished\u27
No full textWhen the Freedom Charter was adopted in 1955 in Kliptown, it was more than a political manifesto — it was a transformative social contract drafted, as Congress leadership claimed, by ordinary South Africans from all walks of life. Here, Ben Turok, the founder of this Institute, had a big task in collating the material gathered from many working groups on the “ground.”The two economic clauses—“The People Shall Share in the Country’s Wealth” and “There Shall Be Work and Security”—were particularly powerful because they addressed not only political exclusion under apartheid, but the deep economic dispossession that had long defined black life in South Africa
More from the ‘theatre of promise’? : Or can South Africa’s National Dialogue forge a real social compact?
No full textIn the aftermath of the August National Dialogue, South Africans are sceptical, asking if this will once again descend into more ‘political theatre,’ but at the same time hopeful that this may prove to be the ‘real thing’ at last? Following an IFAA Forum titled ‘South Africa’s Social Compact: Can it be Achieved?’ BRUCE KADALIE reflects on the elusive search for a binding national consensus in South Africa
Youth development, vulnerability, : and the unspoken costs of renewable energy in rural South Africa
Full text linkThis commentary draws on fieldwork conducted in a small Karoo town to explore how large-scale national renewable energy projects, which are lauded for providing much-needed socio-economic resources, can have unexpected and disruptive outcomes in the context of poverty, limited access to services, and social inequalities. CAITLIN RICKERTS focuses on the impact on young women and girls who,despite their agency, encounter new forms of vulnerability
Systemic trust in Higher Education in South Africa: Policymaking during the COVID-19 pandemic
Full text linkThis paper uses collaborative autoethnography and document analysis to examine the policymaking process during COVID-19 in the public higher education system in South Africa. The conceptual framework outlines the multi-dimensional nature of trust and the complexity of policy-making. The paper argues that system-wide cooperation was grounded in a form of systemic trust that was possible due to the nature of the COVID-19 emergency, the policy context of South African higher education, and interinstitutional relationships that had been built prior to the pandemic. We outline the nature of cooperation, enabling policy directions to be published quickly, supporting institutions to act flexibly within a legal framework that created conditions for the relatively safe completion of academic years. The paper argues that the systemic trust that existed during this time provides insights for the ways in which leadership and collaboration can create conditions for strengthening public trust in the system.
Physics graduate preparedness: A human capabilities perspective
Full text linkIn South Africa and globally, the preparedness of physics graduates for the workplace and societal challenges is increasingly prioritised. This study, framed by a human capabilities approach, explores physics students’ and graduates’ perceptions of the development of their graduate preparedness. Findings revealed various interconnected conversion factors that are seen to differently enable or hinder students’ ability to transform educational resources and opportunities into desired capabilities and functionings. These included personal factors such as motivation and computational skills; social factors such as teaching approach, opportunities for peer engagement inside and outside the classroom, and career guidance; and environmental factors related to the urban setting of the university. The study highlights implications for teaching and institutional arrangements, including more explicit focus on fostering desired graduate attributes, developing student voice, and enhancing career exposure. The study explores how universities could better equip physics graduates as critical citizens to advance individual and societal well-being