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Potensiaal van Pentekostalistiese prediking om geslagtelike identiteit te vestig
Get PDFJournal Article, Faculty of Theology, Unit for Reformational Theology and Dev of the SA Society-- Potchefstroom CampusDie navorsing het ten doel om die vraag te beantwoord: Tot watter mate dra klassieke Pentekostaliste se prediking moontlik by tot die vestiging en bevestiging van geslagtelike identiteit? En hoe kan dit doelgerig ’n positiewe bydrae in Suid-Afrika lewer te midde van ’n pandemie van geslagsgebaseerde geweld? Die vertrekpunt is dat prediking ’n vormende invloed op luisteraars kan uitoefen en hul gedrag beïnvloed deurdat dit die potensiaal het om menseverhoudings te belemmer deur hegemoniese geslagskarakteriserings en -aannames. Die klem val op die praktyk van prediking en hermeneutiek in klassieke Pentekostalistiese groeperings. Pentekostalistiese hermeneutiek beskryf Bybelleespraktyke wat aanleiding gee tot ’n standpunt oor geslagtelikheid. Die navorsing berus op vergelykende analises van tersaaklike literatuur asook die Lekgotlaprakties-teologiese metode wat deur Abraham Mzondi ontwikkel is. Die bevinding is dat prediking gebou op die heersende ideologie van ’n hiërargiese en seksistiese stelsel manlike oorheersing van die vrou bevestig, wat onbewustelik en onbedoeld tot geslagsgeweld bydra. Solank as wat prediking dié diskoers verkondig, vervreem dit die kerk van ’n samelewing gerig op die beskerming van menseregte. Dit is nodig dat prediking doelbewus van die bestaande hegemoniese ideologie losgemaak word deur Pentekostalistiese taal te versaak wat ’n tydgerigte en kontekslose begrip van geslag en familie uit enkele Bybelse tekste aflei. Preekinhoude moet ook geëvalueer word sodat dit genuanseerd besin oor geslag as sosiale konstruk binne die konteks van die erkenning van alle mense se waardigheid en regte.
Potential for Pentecostal preaching to establish gendered identity
Do Pentecostal sermons reflect a tolerance towards all people that characterises the legalese and statutory language of the new democratic South Africa concerning gender sensitivity? Or do Pentecostal preachers contribute to the negation of the diverse gender identity illustrated in the LGBTIQ+ abbreviation? What does the gender identity they propagate and confirm advocate? In a country marred by gender-based violence, which also holds the record for the highest number of reported rape cases, how can Pentecostal preaching contribute to combatting the gender-based violence pandemic? This article’s premise is that preaching can and does exert a formative influence on listeners and their behaviour to some extent. The Pentecostal Church encourages its members to follow in Christ’s footsteps regarding their moral decisions and behaviour. However, preaching can effectively hinder human relationality when its hegemonic gender characterisations and assumptions do not reflect the Christ of love, who purposefully sides with the marginalised. What the Pentecostal Church preaches is determined by their hermeneutics and consequent Bible reading practices.
This article focuses on classic Pentecostalist groups and the way their hermeneutics establishes and qualifies their position on sexuality and sexual identity. By carefully comparing and analysing relevant literature using the Lekgotla-practical-theological method developed by Abraham Mzondi, Pentecostal preaching is investigated to explore its perspectives and potential prejudices on human sexuality.
The above-mentioned method reveals that some of the preaching reflects a prevailing ideology of a hierarchical and sexist system that confirms male dominance. Consequently, it is possible for it to contribute to gender violence, albeit unconsciously and unintentionally. If classical Pentecostal preachers utilise a discourse that discriminates between men, women, and people of alternative sexual orientations, the Pentecostal Church alienates itself from the current South African society, which is based on protecting human rights.
Where this is the case, it is argued that it becomes necessary for Pentecostal preachers to shift their allegiance away from the existing hegemonic ideology, which is based on a literalist reading of a few chosen texts. They should no longer ignore their own socio-cultural setting, and they should abandon the patriarchal discourse that characterised first-century Roman society. It requires that the Pentecostal language that derives a context-free understanding of gender and family from a few biblical texts be reconsidered and abandoned. Classical Pentecostals should conscientiously adhere to a new consciousness of the worth and dignity of each human being, a principle reflected in many layers of the Bible. They should critically and thoughtfully reconsider the content of their sermons, evaluating them to ensure they reflect a nuanced and sensitive approach to gender as a social construct within the context of the recognition of all people’s dignity and rights.
Preaching modelled on the prevailing ideology of a widely accepted hierarchical and sexist system that affirms male dominance negatively contributes to the complex process of gender construction. It can and does unconsciously and unintentionally contribute to gender destruction. This ideology views men as physically and emotionally stronger (real men don’t cry), heterosexual (hunter syndrome), and characterised by a fresh masculine posture. In contrast, it views women as emotionally unstable, physically weak, and (supposed to be) submissive to the man’s authority. In practice, this discourse often functions and is regularly used in conjunction with the humiliation with which people view any “unnatural” sexual orientations(that is, any potential sexual relationship outside the boundaries of the heterosexual “biblical norm”). If someone does not identify as heterosexual, they become “the other”, and they are not viewed as “normal” men or women since they do not conform and identify with society’s categorical representations. It turns them into non-things, or the “other”, and they become marginalised and (at least verbally) victimised. The lesbian woman, gay man, and intersex person threaten the social order that the hegemonic-normative ideology presupposes, which defends the church’s position as “keeper of society’s morals and ethics”; it is threatened in the same way as when the “liberal” woman does not submit to the man’s authority but wants to stand in leadership positions that allow them to exercise authority over men. As long as Pentecostal preachers support and preach this discourse, they alienate the church from the growing group of people who see it as an outdated system and a danger that tramples human rights because it uses hate speech towards people who are considered “inferior” based solely on their gender identification.
The same applies to and is true of the church’s description of God as a white male figure, the same as Jesus, who is believed to be the incarnation of God. It presents the church with a challenge and problem because it models and measures the relationship between man and woman against the relationship between God and the church, which is Christ’s body on earth. The church teaches that God is the head of the church and that its members should follow and trust God in everything. Likewise, the husband is the head of the wife; this presupposes that the wife will show the same loyalty and submission to her husband – that she will diligently and meticulously follow him like the church follows God’s guidance. It is argued that the image of God as a white male is “biblical”, but the church should become sensitive towards the fact that this image contributes to parts of society dismissing the church as old-fashioned, an outdated patriarchal feature that survived from bygone years.
It is necessary for preaching to be deliberately and consistently detached from the existing hegemonic ideology; this will prevent it from continuing to serve as a form of heterosexist policing that confirms and reinforces static understandings of gender and relationality. The church should consider shifting its perspective to include all people as image bearers of God if the church is to become an agent that encourages believers to cross the boundaries of their previously accepted understandings of sexuality and sexual orientation. Thereby, the church will function as a means of power that develops believers’ ontological potential as free agents that reconsider their previously accepted norms that served as a form of institutional violence. Moreover, the preacher’s discourse will empower people to respect and love their neighbour and combat widespread gender violence.
The article concludes that Pentecostalist language and discourse should abandon the timebound, traditional understanding of gender and family, which is derived from a few biblical texts in a literalistic and contextless manner, and they should reconsider the changed moral climate that is characterised by a tolerance towards people of all sexual orientations. It requires of preachers to be aware of the fact that the language they use in affirming sexual ethics has the potential to influence their audiences’ understandings, ideologies, and practices, and to establish and confirm specialised gender perceptions. They should reconsider their contribution to how believers view the relationship between people, how they behave towards each other in the intimacy of their bedroom, and how they treat people of other sexual orientations. Therefore, Pentecostal preachers should be sensitised to critically evaluate the content of their sermons, especially to the extent that they propagate gender and human relationality. There is a need for nuanced and well-considered reflection on gender as a social construct within the context of recognising all people’s dignity and rights
Tractable Quinolone Hydrazides Exhibiting Sub-Micromolar and Broad Spectrum Antitrypanosomal Activities
Get PDFJournal Article. Health Sciences: Research & Innovation, North West University, PotchefstroomNagana and Human African Trypanosomiasis (HAT), caused by (sub)species of Trypanosoma, are diseases that impede human and animal health, and economic growth in Africa. The few drugs available have drawbacks including suboptimal efficacy, adverse effects, drug resistance, and difficult routes of administration. New drugs are needed. A series of 20 novel quinolone compounds with affordable synthetic routes was made and evaluated in vitro against Trypanosoma brucei and HEK293 cells. Of the 20 compounds, 12 had sub‐micromolar potencies against the parasite (EC50 values=0.051–0.57 μM), and most were non‐toxic to HEK293 cells (CC50 values>5 μM). Two of the most potent compounds presented sub‐micromolar activities against other trypanosome (sub)species (T. cruzi and T. b. rhodesiense). Although aqueous solubility is poor, both compounds possess good logD values (2–3), and either robust or poor microsomal stability profiles. These varying attributes will be addressed in future reports
Epigallocatechin gallate as a nutraceutical to potentially target the metabolic syndrome: novel insights into therapeutic effects beyond its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties
Get PDFJournal Article. Department of Biochemistry, North-West University, MafikengEpigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) is one of the most abundant and powerful flavonoids contained in green tea. Because of the global increase in green tea consumption, there has been a general interest in understanding its health benefits, including its bioactive compounds like EGCG. Indeed, preclinical evidence already indicates that EGCG demonstrated a strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that could be essential in protecting against metabolic syndrome. The current review explores clinical evidence reporting on the beneficial effects of EGCG supplementation in obese subjects or patients with diverse metabolic complications that include type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. The discussion incorporates the impact of different formulations of EGCG, as well as the effective doses and treatment duration. Importantly, besides highlighting the potential use of EGCG as a nutraceutical, the current review also discusses crucial evidence related to its pharmaceutical development as an agent to hinder metabolic diseases, including its bioavailability and metabolism profile, as well as its well-known biological properties.This work was supported in part by baseline funding from the Biomedical Research and Innovation Platform of the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) and the National Research Foundation (NRF) of South Africa (Grant number: 117829). The content hereof is the sole responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the SAMRC or the funders
Suitability of different artificial diets for mass rearing of six lepidopteran pest species
Get PDFJournal Article, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management-- Potchefstroom CampusBusseola fusca (Fuller) (Noctuidae), Chilo partellus (Swinhoe) (Crambidae), Eldana saccharina (Walker) (Pyralidae), Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner) (Noctuidae), Sesamia calamistis (Hampson) (Noctuidae) and Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith) (Noctuidae) are six of the most important insect pests of sugarcane, sorghum and maize in Africa. Suitable artificial diets are needed for the continuous rearing of these species in sufficient numbers to support research on Bt protein-incorporated artificial diet bioassays, screening for host plant resistance, as well as for monitoring of insecticide and Cry-protein resistance evolution in pest populations. This study evaluated diet protocols for rearing of these species. Different noctuid and crambid diets were evaluated and the following life history parameters were recorded: larval survival and mass, larval duration, pupation rate, pupal mass, duration of pupal period and sex ratio. Chilo partellus, E. saccharina and H. armigera excelled on a sugarcane-incorporated diet with high larval survival and mass, pupation and the quickest development to adults. Busseola fusca, S. calamistis and S. frugiperda performed better on a maize leaf-incorporated diet. These two diets are considered optimal for the respective species and are recommended for use in rearing of these species.Acknowledgements
We thank the Agricultural Research Council (ARC) Entomology section and North-West University for assistance with research trials and resources.
Funding
This research was funded by Biosafety SA via the Technology Innovation Agency and the South African Department of Science and Technology, grant number 15−001. Open access funding provided by North-West University
Open Access
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as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article’s Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article’s Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons. org/licenses/by/4.0/
White Liberalism and Black Consciousness in Rosie Motene’s Reclaiming the Soil (2018)
Get PDFJournal Article, Faculty of Humanity, North--West UniversityWhite liberal gestures of kindness such as interventions to alleviate poverty in black communities are often seen as altruistic initiatives with noble intentions. However, in recent years, these interventions have come under greater scrutiny as scholars question the “white savior mentality” that often frames and propels such initiatives. In fact, contemporary neo-liberal interventions bear resemblance with the colonial civilizing mission because of their preoccupation with fixing problems in “broken” black communities. This article draws on Steve Biko’s notion of black consciousness and some concepts from black feminist thought to explore how Rosie Motene’s autobiography, Reclaiming the Soil: A Black Girl’s Struggle to Find her African Self (henceforth Reclaiming the Soil) interrupts the hegemonic liberal narrative of white saviorism to insert an alternative narrative of black struggle for self-determination. The study has three objectives. Firstly, it investigates how the autobiography narrates Motene’s lived experiences as a black girl adopted by and growing up within a white family. Secondly, it explores how the autobiography narrates liberal white saviorism in the context of apartheid racism and discrimination. Thirdly, it examines how the contradictions of the apartheid system and the white savior narrative awaken feelings of resentment and ultimately black consciousness in the narrator. The study argues that Motene’s autobiography is a “black consciousness” text that highlights the inherent contradictions of being white and liberal in a society that systemically entrenches poverty and suffering for black people to serve white interest
Bacillus anthracis in South Africa, 1975–2013: are some lineages vanishing?
Get PDFJournal Article. Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management: Microbiology, North-West University, PotchefstroomThe anthrax-causing bacterium Bacillus anthracis comprises the genetic clades A, B, and C. In the northernmost part (Pafuri) of Kruger National Park (KNP), South Africa, both the common A and rare B strains clades occur. The B clade strains were reported to be dominant in Pafuri before 1991, while A clade strains occurred towards the central parts of KNP. The prevalence of B clade strains is currently much lower as only A clade strains have been isolated from 1992 onwards in KNP. In this study 319 B. anthracis strains were characterized with 31-loci multiple-locus variable-number tandem repeat analysis (MLVA-31). B clade strains from soil (n = 9) and a Tragelaphus strepsiceros carcass (n = 1) were further characterised by whole genome sequencing and compared to publicly available genomes. The KNP strains clustered in the B clade before 1991 into two dominant genotypes. South African strains cluster into a dominant genotype A.Br.005/006 consisting of KNP as well as the other anthrax endemic region, Northern Cape Province (NCP), South Africa. A few A.Br.001/002 strains from both endemic areas were also identified. Subclade A.Br.101 belonging to the A.Br.Aust94 lineage was reported in the NCP. The B-clade strains seems to be vanishing, while outbreaks in South Africa are caused mainly by the A.Br.005/006 genotypes as well as a few minor clades such as A.Br.001/002 and A.Br.101 present in NCP. This work confirmed the existence of the rare and vanishing B-clade strains that group in B.Br.001 branch with KrugerB and A0991 KNP strains.Funding was obtained from the National Research Foundation (NRF) grant 98651 and 78909 of South Africa, Institute of Tropical Medicine FA3, and
BE-2157/3−1 from the German Research Foundation (DFG). Open access funding provided by North-West Universit
What Future for Protected Areas? Analysing the Mismatch between South Africa’s Pre-existing Protected areas System and the Declared vision in Contemporary Conservation Policy
Get PDFJournal Article, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Science,North--West University-PotchefstroomDesignation of protected areas has enjoyed global application as a means of biodiversity conservation for over 100 years. National conservation policy is essential as a means of protecting biodiversity, but is contingent on, amongst others, changing values and international drivers, and remains dynamic in many countries. As conservation policies evolve, the role
of pre-existing protected areas within broader strategies for conservation can become unclear, with consequences both for the ability of the conservation policies to achieve their stated goals, and also for biodiversity outcomes within a nation. In order to map evolving inconsistencies between conservation policy and the role of protected areas within it, we develop a
conceptual conservation policy framework synthesised from different policy orientations reported in the literature. Using South Africa as a case study, the conceptualisation is used to characterise the policy goals for protected areas in the recently adopted conservation policy, and the pre-existing protected areas system which remains on the statute books. The results
indicate that the conceptual conservation policy framework can be used identify misalignment between policy and practice, and has enabled a mismatch to be identified between South Africa’s pre-existing protected areas system and its contemporary conservation policy, which suggests that the management of protected areas is likely to significantly change towards greater access and monetisation at the expense of their intrinsic valu
Climatic effects on aflatoxin contamination of maize
Get PDFJournal Article, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Science,North--West UniversityAflatoxins are frequent contaminants of maize especially in the face of climate change with deleterious health and socio-economic impacts. South Africa is ranked 9th maize exporter globally; hence, insights need to be gained in terms of the maize value chain in South Africa with respect to aflatoxin contamination to evaluate consumers’ exposure. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) technique was used in this study to quantify aflatoxins in South African commercial maize. One thousand and twenty-eight (1028) maize samples were collected across six distinct agro-climatic regions over five harvest seasons (2017 – 2021). A total of 205 samples (19.94 %) were found to be contaminated with aflatoxins, with mean total aflatoxin concentration of 64.17 ppb amongst the contaminated samples, which is above the SA regulatory limit of 20 ppb for animal consumption. The year 2018 recorded the highest mean total aflatoxin value while North-West agro-climatic region had the highest mean total aflatoxin value. Drastic reduction in average rainfall significantly influence aflatoxin contamination of South African maize
Biostimulant and antagonistic potential of endophytic fungi against fusarium wilt pathogen of tomato Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici.
Get PDFJournal Article. Unit of Environmental Sciences and Management, North-West University, PotchefstroomEndophytic fungal-based biopesticides are sustainable and ecologically-friendly biocontrol agents of several pests and diseases. However, their potential in managing tomato fusarium wilt disease (FWD) remains unexploited. This study therefore evaluated effectiveness of nine fungal isolates against tomato fusarium wilt pathogen, Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici (FOL) in vitro using dual culture and co-culture assays. The efficacy of three potent endophytes that inhibited the pathogen in vitro was assessed against FWD incidence, severity, and ability to enhance growth and yield of tomatoes in planta. The ability of endophytically-colonized tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) plants to systemically defend themselves upon exposure to FOL were also assessed through defence genes expression using qPCR. In vitro assays showed that endophytes inhibited and suppressed FOL mycelial growth better than entomopathogenic fungi (EPF). Endophytes Trichoderma asperellum M2RT4, Hypocrea lixii F3ST1, Trichoderma harzianum KF2R41, and Trichoderma atroviride ICIPE 710 had the highest (68.84–99.61%) suppression and FOL radial growth inhibition rates compared to EPF which exhibited lowest (27.05–40.63%) inhibition rates. Endophytes T. asperellum M2RT4, H. lixii F3ST1 and T. harzianum KF2R41 colonized all tomato plant parts. During the in planta experiment, endophytically-colonized and FOL-infected tomato plants showed significant reduction of FWD incidence and severity compared to non-inoculated plants. In addition, these endophytes contributed to improved growth promotion parameters and yield. Moreover, there was significantly higher expression of tomato defence genes in T. asperellum M2RT4 colonized than in un-inoculated tomato plants. These findings demonstrated that H. lixii F3ST1 and T. asperellum M2RT4 are effective biocontrol agents against FWD and could sustainably mitigate tomato yield losses associated with fusarium wilt
Sloshing and spiral structures breeding a putative radio mini-halo in the environment of a cool-core cluster, Abell 795
Get PDFJournal Article, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Science--North-West University-PotchefstroomSpiral structures and cold fronts in X-rays are frequently observed in cool-core galaxy clusters. However, studies on radio minihaloes associated with such spirals and their physical connections are rare. Here, we present the detection of an extended diffuse radio emission entrained in the X-ray spiral structure in a known cool-core cluster, Abell 795. Though the cool core is a sign of the relaxed nature, our re-analysed 30-ks Chandra X-ray data of Abell 795 confirm the presence of an interesting log spiral structure of an X-ray deficit region complemented by an X-ray excess counter spiral in the residual map, exposing its dynamical activity. Our new analysis of 150- and 325-MHz Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope archival data confirms the detection of a ∼180-kpc ultra-steep (α ∼ −2.7) diffuse radio structure, previously reported as a candidate radio mini-halo from low-sensitive survey maps. This emission spans the entire spiral structure, enclosed by two previously reported cold fronts. Furthermore, optical spectra from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release 13 and far-ultraviolet data from the Galaxy Evolution Explorer show a considerably low total star formation rate of 2.52 M yr−1 with no significant variation in metallicity distribution. We argue that the two-phase (hot and cold) plasma at the core with differential velocity has plausibly caused the spiral formation and has redistributed the secondary electrons from the brightest cluster galaxy or the pre-accelerated electrons, which have been (re-)accelerated by the sloshing turbulence to form the observed candidate radio mini-halo structure. This is supported by a few previous studies indicating that spiral formation and sloshing turbulence quenches star formation and facilitates smooth metallicity distribution by mixing the gas in the core