Explore highlights from a recent colloquium that delved into South Africa’s post-apartheid journey and its future. Featuring insights from top scholars and journal editors, the launch of a new book series and a powerful presentation by intellectual and activist Nomboniso Gasa, the event (co-organised by the Global Souths Hub) sparked vital conversations on the country’s evolving path, as well as its future relationship with Africa and the rest of the world.
Scholars, researchers, activists, editors, journalists, artists, and students, connected at the University of Johannesburg for a thought-provoking one-day colloquium, South Africa Reflects: 30 Years of Democracy on Monday 4 November 2024. The day started with a moving speech by two veterans of the 1976 Soweto uprising, Joyce Dipale and her cousin, Elizabeth More. Joyce (along with Elizabeth) took a few minutes to reflect on the past 30 years.
“Things have certainly changed. We have got freedom for education, health, housing, and movement. We’ve got freedom for whatever we need in this country. But the work isn’t finished. It is still ongoing.”
Joyce Dipale
Nomboniso Gasa – Storyteller, feminist and activist
Our keynote speaker, Nomboniso Gasa, went on to give an inspirational talk about the challenges of land rights and redistribution, drawing from her own experience of bridging activism and academia. Gasa’s work has focused on the intersection of politics, law, land and cultures in the democratic state. “Even today, land remains a hot burning issue in South Africa,” Gasa highlighted. You can watch Gasa’s full keynote on the Global Souths Hub YouTube channel [South Africa Reflects 1 (00.20 – 00.55)].
Gasa, who spent time in jail at age 14 for her political activism, spoke about others who have also been active in the struggle for land justice. Constance Mogale had battled for land rights in South Africa since she was a child in the late 1970s. Described as courageous by Gasa, Constance, who sadly passed away last year, led the struggle against forced removals, fought for communities’ constitutional rights, and played a significant role in ensuring that land remained on the agenda throughout the 1990s.
“When we talk about the land debate in South Africa, we forget about the communities and people that fought so hard to ensure the constitution reflected the justice needed.”
Nomboniso Gasa
Land issues have always been central to South Africa’s struggle, Gasa emphasised. She stressed how spatial apartheid still persists in the country, and it is often tied to resources. While early land redistribution after apartheid ended prioritised poor communities and addressed all aspects of land (including housing and food), this shifted by the late 1990s, and the emphasis turned to supporting industrialists and mining rights. This development has now sidelined communities, particularly Black women, who had been spearheading efforts to feed and protect their communities.
Book Series Launch: 30 Years of Democracy in South Africa
Another highlight of the day was the launch of the book series 30 Years of Democracy in South Africa, edited by Abebe Zegeye (Centre of Research and Development in Learning, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia) and Beth le Roux (Professor of Publishing, at the University of Pretoria).
This series brought together 30 landmark titles from the pioneering black-owned publisher Skotaville and one of South Africa’s foremost university presses, UNISA Press, in collaboration with Routledge, Taylor & Francis. The series will also include a selection of articles that were first published in Third World Quarterly.
Beth le Roux shared the motivations behind the series, which aims to make critical writings from the Global South more accessible to a global audience, particularly to those born after 1994.
Insights and Innovations in South African Knowledge Production
After Gasa’s inspiring keynote, we were fortunate to take part in a panel discussion featuring a dynamic lineup of scholars, each bringing unique perspectives from across South Africa’s vibrant academic landscape. Discussions delved into the legacies of apartheid, the country’s current socio-political landscape, challenges and aspirations of indigenous African knowledge production, as well as prospects for future development.
Raymond Suttner, a social and political analyst, opened the debate by noting that South Africans have lost sight of a shared vision. He also highlighted that this was common worldwide, largely due to the global crisis in liberal democracy, citing the recent US elections as an example. Up next was June Bam-Hutchison, a former history teacher and now Professor of Sociology and History Education, at the University of Johannesburg (UJ). She discussed the need to restore indigenous knowledge systems and working-class oral historiographies in South Africa that were erased with apartheid capitalism and colonialism. She also urged us to work towards cognitive justice.
The third panellist was Thula Simpson, a historian based at the University of Pretoria. He stressed the need to expand the scope of historical inquiry, urging for a revival of disciplinary engagement by diversifying sources, exploring new topics, refining methodologies, reshaping narratives and embracing innovative platforms. By incorporating broader research perspectives, he argued, history could play a more meaningful and influential role in shaping South Africa’s national life.
The discussion continued with insights from Bhaso Ndzendze, an Associate Professor of Politics and International Relations at the University of Johannesburg. Ndzendze stated that overall Political Science as an academic discipline in South Africa is in ‘good shape’, citing the number of world-class journals and the respected South African Association of Political Studies. Over the past 30 years, he noted significant contributions to academic literature on topics like protests, voter behaviour, inequality, national institutions, and South Africa’s global role. However, challenges remain, including limited theoretical development, with theories often developed abroad and “tested” in South Africa. Ndzendze also pointed out issues like a lack of reading culture, underrepresentation of Black female professors, and limited works in indigenous languages.
Our penultimate speaker, Divine Fuh (Director of the Institute for Humanities Africa (HUMA), University of Cape Town) strongly advocated for developing pan-African knowledge and fostering epistemic communities for young Africans. Originally from Cameroon, Fuh reflected on South Africa’s engagement with the continent, noting that Africa has often been viewed as a place to be fixed or exploited for data, rather than a source of knowledge or theories. Post-1994, South Africa’s push to connect with the Global North emphasised this exceptionalism. Fuh argues that to move forward, South Africa must ‘repair its relationship with the continent and focus on building deeper connections and collaborations’.
The final speaker was art historian, Thembinkosi Goniwe, who is also an independent curator, and scholar at Rhodes University. He cited a lack of an academic book culture in the visual arts. He stressed that journals frequently fail to accommodate an artistic replication of photographs.
Provocations and Directions for Scholarship
In the afternoon, editors from prominent South African journals reflected the concerns of editors worldwide. The panel focussed on the evolving role of academic knowledge production and the importance of public engagement in the digital age. Chairing was Janet Remmington, who is the Global Portfolio Director in the Humanities and Social Sciences at Routledge, Taylor & Francis, and also a Research Associate at the University of the Witwatersrand (WITS).
Up first was Gcobani Qambela, who is co-editor of African Studies, an interdisciplinary journal that covers diverse topics across Africa, including race, gender, history, and politics. The journal strives to publish emerging scholars but Qambela says it faces challenges with an overrepresentation of already established academics. To address this, the journal organises writing workshops and hosts the early-career researcher Vilakazi Prize. While they receive contributions from South Africa, Ethiopia, Nigeria, and Kenya, the journal would like submissions from more African countries. Qambela noted that the journal can be on the receiving end of an unequal balance on Africa’s crises and decolonisation from Global North scholars, which does not capture the full range of African issues.
Giving a policy perspective was Martha Bridgman, editor of South Africa Journal of International Affairs, a journal which bridges academia and policy. The journal started in 1993, a year before apartheid ended, and continues to cover South Africa’s role in the continent and beyond. In the early 2000s, it covered topics such as the ‘War on Terror’, the African Union’s role, and more recently it has provided insights into the agency of Africa within the G20 and BRICS. A recent Special Issue focussed on safeguarding elections globally. In her talk, she stressed the importance of removing knowledge barriers for those based in the Global South and publishing more International Relations work focussed on women.
The strain on the peer reviewer system is an important global issue which was highlighted by Lisa Otto. Otto is the co-editor of African Security Review and says they receive more submissions from Nigeria than from anywhere else combined, but that they often struggle to attract content from other regions. Otto also compared academic publishing to a circular economy, where getting published also requires authors participating in the peer review process.
Nthabiseng Motsemme (UJ), editor of Journal of Contemporary African Studies, began her talk by noting that she is the first Black African woman to serve as a journal editor, highlighting the scarcity of Black African women in such roles worldwide. She also expressed a desire for the journal to better reflect the changing global landscape, particularly Africa’s relationship with its diaspora and BRICS countries. Motsemme emphasised the importance of exploring the ‘sociology of knowledge,’ particularly indigenous and alternative knowledge systems.
Tarminder Kaur from Anthropology Southern Africa (formerly the South African Journal of Ethnology), discussed the journal’s challenging colonial history. She emphasised the need for the journal to foster critical dialogue and discussed developments like publishers’ AI licensing partnerships. Kaur also advocated for university outputs to focus more on ideas and understanding the world.
Deliberating on the pressures on universities was a key focus for for Jabulani Sikhakhane, who is Chief Editor of The Conversation Africa. Academics do not always have the time to write due to high teaching burdens, he commented. Sikhakhane also spoke about the growth of independent research centres and the impact on public knowledge, and both the potential benefits and challenges of technological developments, particularly ΑI.
Our final speaker was Dina Ligaga (WITS), one of the four editors for Eastern African Literary and Cultural Studies. With all four editors trained in South African universities, she sees the journal as an example of South Africa expanding its influence through collaborations and linkages, while in turn being influenced by other parts of Africa. Ligaga emphasised the importance of “slow work,” calling for more time and more opportunities for dialogue between authors, reviewers, editors, and audiences.
South African Artists at Gallery MOMO: Phoka
The day culminated with light refreshments at Gallery MOMO and South African visual artist, poet, printmaker, and playwright Phoka Nyokong, gave colloquium guests a tour of his latest works. His pieces, which are part of an ongoing conversation about identity, cultural tensions and social issues, are featured on MOMO’s interactive gallery. Nyokong delves deeper into the complex relationships between African and Western cultures, using scale, material, and subject matter to challenge and provoke at the exhibition, “confrontation”.
Alongside Nyokong’s creations, the 30 Years of Democracy book series showcases the striking work of Blessing Ngobeni, a visionary and philosopher known for his abstract works. Ngobeni’s art, like Nyokong’s, serves as a commentary on themes such as self-enrichment and the abuse of power, highlighting the ways in which contemporary South African artists engage with complex societal issues.”
Strengthening Connections with Africa for Knowledge Production and Innovation
The insights from the colloquium highlight the crucial role that scholarship and activism has had in shaping national policies and agendas, as well as the importance of nurturing a diverse publishing environment for a thriving democracy. For South Africa, strengthening connections across the continent is key to co-creating knowledge that reflects the Africa’s unique perspectives. On the global stage, continuing the decolonisation of research is vital to reshaping the narrative and ensuring that South Africa — and Africa as a whole — are leaders in showcasing their indigenous knowledge and innovations. By prioritising these efforts and embracing new technologies, South Africa can help shape a more equitable and empowered global research landscape.
Find out more about the 30 Years of Democracy Book Series
Acknowledgements
Thank you to all of our panellists for participating in the event, and the Chairs for their expert moderation, Janet, Beth and Abebe.
This event was co-organised by Skotaville Academic Publishing, UNISA Press, Gallery MOMO, the University of Johannesburg, Routledge Books, Taylor & Francis Africa Journals, Third World Quarterly, Global Souths Hub, Knowledge & Impact Strategy Services Ltd, and the Global South Colloquium Fund.
These institutions and individuals came together to foster dialogue and create a space for critical reflection on South Africa’s democracy, both past and future.
A special thanks goes to Odysseus Shirindza at Gallery MOMO for his help with logistics.
