Research Articles (Political Sciences)

Permanent URI for this collectionhttp://hdl.handle.net/2263/3014

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Public transport systems and safety of female commuters in low-and-middle-income countries : a systematic scoping review
(BioMed Central, 2025-05) Mchunu, Gugu G.; Kuupiel, Desmond; Ncama, Busisiwe P.; Isike, Christopher; Kistan, Marcel; Pillay, Julian David; Duma, Sinegugu E.
BACKGROUND : This scoping review systematically maps and summarises research evidence concerning the safety of female commuters in public transport systems across Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs). Given the essential role of public transport in LMICs, particularly for women in both formal and informal sectors, understanding the safety challenges they face is crucial. METHODS : We followed the Arksey and O’Malley methodological framework to structure this scoping review. The Population (Females), Concept (safety in public transport/transit), and Context (LMICs) framework guided our eligibility criteria. We searched for original research articles in PubMed, EBSCOhost (CINAHL, PsycInfo, and Health Source: Nursing/Academic Edition), SCOPUS, and Web of Science published between 2012 and 2023, and updated in February 2025. We additionally searched Google Scholar platform, and the reference list of included studies to uncover any additional relevant literature. The study selection and data extraction were performed by two reviewers using pilot-tested forms. Thematic analysis was used to organise the data into themes and a narrative summary of the findings is presented. RESULTS : Of the total 114 articles obtained from the database searches, 26 studies published in 14 countries met the inclusion criteria. The review identified a paucity of research in this area, with an average of three relevant papers published per year. The existing literature is geographically imbalanced, with a predominant focus on South Africa, India, and Malaysia, leaving many LMICs underrepresented. Most (11 out of 26) studies employed quantitative methods, leaving a need for more diverse research methodologies. Widespread concerns, fear of assault and harassment among women commuters across various countries; underreporting of sexual harassment, prevalence of violence against women in public transport systems with its psychological, economic, health, and social consequences; and transit sexual assault were among the themes identified. CONCLUSION : This scoping review reveals the urgent need for further research on the safety of female commuters in LMICs, especially in underrepresented countries, to provide a more comprehensive understanding of the challenges faced by women in diverse contexts. It advocates for diversified research methods, public awareness campaigns, improved reporting mechanisms, policy reforms, infrastructure enhancements, and culturally sensitive initiatives to ensure the safety and well-being of female commuters in public transport systems across LMICs.
Coalition or government of national unity? Critical reflections on the 2024 elections in South Africa
(Routledge, 2025) Ihembe, Martin Ayankaa; Isike, Christopher; Onwuzuruigbo, Ifeanyi
This paper examines the 2024 general elections in South Africa which was reminiscent of the 1994 electoral ecology in terms of the high stakes. The pre- and post-election ecology of the recent elections exhibited characteristics of Key's critical elections, given the depth and intensity of involvement. With a 40.18% voter share, the African National Congress's (ANC) 30-year electoral dominance was over, thereby making a coalition government at the centre inevitable. Relying on the primary and secondary sources, the paper interrogates the electoral process that led to South Africa's first multi-party government at the centre. While the ANC terms the resultant government a Government of National Unity (GNU), the paper contends that conceptually, what materialised falls within a coalition typology scholars insightfully labelled as “contract parliamentarism,” with a dose of “confidence and supply agreement.” The contract found expression in the ‘statement of intent’ signed by the coalition partners.
The ethno-regional and religious drivers of Nigeria's foreign policy
(Instituto Brasileiro de Relacoes Internacionais, 2024) Isike, Christopher; Oyewole, Samuel; Okolie, Aloysius-Michaels; christopher.isike@up.ac.za
The stated objectives of Nigeria’s foreign policy consistently retain Afrocentric, realistic, and post-colonial aspirations of the country, although their interpretations and implementations inconsistently reflect the patrimonial nature of the state, plurality and identity politics, as well as rational-choice and sentiments of its leadership. Accordingly, foreign policy decisions in Nigeria like many other countries are shaped by multiple factors, including personality, bureaucratic politics, structural issues, and value system of the country. Amidst these is the identity forces of ethnicity, regions, religion, and their interconnectivity, which are central in domestic politics and policy, but underestimated in Nigeria’s foreign policy. This article, therefore, aims to examine the ethno-regional and religious drivers of foreign policy in Nigeria. Relying on secondary sources of data, the article explores these drivers of Nigeria’s foreign policy processes and filters them through the lens of realism, rational-choice, pluralism and critical (Marxist, dependency and Afrocentric) theories.
Knotting the psyche : white fantasy and racial violence
(Wiley, 2024-11-21) George, Sheldon
This article engages core Lacanian concepts to read racial whiteness in relation to the three registers of the psyche. It deploys Lacan’s concept of suture to argue that whiteness stitches together the registers of the psyche, joining the Imaginary and Symbolic as a mask over the Real. This masking of the Real privileges the function of fantasy, such that the Real of the white subject’s lack is veiled by racial discourses of the Symbolic that articulate Imaginary fantasies of wholeness. Through analysis of the 2014 shooting of Michael Brown, a reading of creativity in African American culture, and an interpretation of Toni Morrison’s novel Paradise, the article argues that white fantasies of wholeness threaten an unsuturing of the psyches of black subjects. It turns to Lacan’s work on the sinthome to suggest how black subjects knot the registers of the psyche in ways that protect against the traumas that assail them in acts of racism and racial violence.
Post-apartheid South Africa and African continental integration : the contribution of South African multinational corporations to integration in Africa
(Routledge, 2024) Mkhabela, Mpumelelo Kansas; Nshimbi, Christopher Changwe
This article argues that while South Africa’s post-apartheid foreign policy on Africa has largely emphasized state-led continental political and economic integration, the country’s Multinational Corporations (MNCs) have led in the practical articulation of integration as an integral part of their expansion strategies in search for increased market share and the establishment of new markets on the continent. It assesses the intersection between South Africa’s foreign policy on Africa’s integration and the role of the country’s MNCs. The article adopts a three-part juxtaposition approach to determine the convergence between South Africa’s foreign policy goal of continental integration with the case studies of expansion strategies pursued by two of the country’s MNCs namely, Standard Bank of South Africa Limited (Standard Bank) and Shoprite Holdings Limited (Shoprite). African Union member states should ensure that they design foreign policies that align the interests of MNCs with national and continental goals of integration.
Impact of coalitions on stability in Lesotho : how reforms can stabilise the country
(Human Sciences Research Council, 2024-10) Rabele, Litlhare; Shane, Sofonea
The advent of coalition politics in 2012 ushered a new dynamic into politics in Lesotho. Since the 2012 National Assembly elections, no political party has won an outright majority, which would allow it to form a government alone. In 2012, the Democratic Congress (DC), the then ruling party led by Pakalitha Mosisili, fell short of attaining an outright majority and could not form a coalition with other political parties. Therefore, the first coalition government in Lesotho was formed by the All-Basotho Convention (ABC) Party, the then second largest party led by Thomas Thabane (the Basotho National Party (BNP)), and the Lesotho Congress Party (LCD). This article looks at the impact of coalitions on the instability of governance in Lesotho and examines whether the national reforms process, which is supported by the Southern African Development Community (SADC), has the potential to stabilise the country. It is argued that coalition governments exploit the vulnerabilities of the weak governance institutions. An argument is advanced on the significance of institutional transformation in stabilising the country. The national reforms process is one such opportunity to reconstitute the governance institutions. The article concludes with proposals for policies that would allow for the realisation of the reforms.
Performance of women-led political parties in Lesotho’s 2022 national elections
(University of Banja Luka, 2024-03) Rabele, Litlhare
Since the dawn of multi-party democracy in Lesotho in 1993, few political parties have been formed and led by women, and they are not doing well. The main political parties lack the political will and commitment to nominate women as leaders. In the elections of 7 October 2022, none of the main political parties were led by women and none of them won a single constituency. While many women-led parties could not make it into parliament, a few women leaders got into parliament through Proportional Representation (PR). Four women-led political parties contested the election, all of them performing dismally. It is important to explore why women-led political parties did not perform well, as Lesotho has signed and ratified international protocols on women’s empowerment and equality in politics, among others, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolution 1325, the African Union (AU) Maputo Protocol, and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) protocol on gender and development. All these urge member states to ensure meaningful participation of women in politics and elections, specifically as leaders. We assess the implementation of Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 5) on gender equality and women empowerment to measure the progress Lesotho has made and the challenges yet to be addressed. This article explores factors that contributed to this poor performance and analyses the reasons for the poor performance by reviewing relevant documents regarding the performance of women-led political parties in Lesotho’s 2022 national elections.
Willing to be transparent? Assessing political parties’ commitment towards regulating party aid in South Africa
(Routledge, 2025) Thuynsma, Heather Anne; heather.thuynsma@up.ac.za
According to Malena, Brinkerhoff, Post, Raile and Raile the success of a policy is tied to the concept of “political will”. However, as this article argues, this concept is insufficiently understood and this imprecision makes political will the ideal rhetorical tool to explain policy failures, mostly because it is generally defined by its absence. This article, therefore, seeks to understand what constitutes political will within South Africa’s party finance policy system and determine the effect this commitment has on successfully implementing these measures. The article establishes that there is an effort within the country’s national policy framework to manage this flow of money in order to afford greater transparency and restore trust within the political system. However, the willingness of parties to comply with the legislation and the Independent Electoral Commission’s capacity to commit to enforcing its provisions, especially ahead of the 2024 National and Provincial elections, are in question. The article concludes by identifying what can be used to sustain the will needed to enforce such regulatory policy while creating transparency and increasing trust in South Africa’s political system.
Re-reading Africa through food : introduction
(Routledge, 2025) Lewis, Desiree; Thuynsma, Heather Anne
No abstract available.
A critique of conqueror South Africa, post-1994 liberal democracy and liberal democratic law
(Unisa Press, 2024-12) Marema, Tumelo
Violence and oppression in the form of conquest and colonialism, racism, patriarchy, heteronormativity and in terms of class are all inevitable effects of Western culture. This is due to the reason that Western culture is fundamentally highly materialistic, competitive, narcissistic, individualistic and takes aggressive and domineering stances towards innerworldly entities. Therefore, a Western concept of law based on such a culture is fundamentally ineffective to eradicate such violence and oppression, but rather perpetuates it. These characteristics of Western culture and the Western concept of law have their roots in the Western conception of “Being,” particularly in the conception of “Being-with.” This article argues that liberal democratic law and liberal democracy rooted in an individual, competitive, hierarchical and amensalist Western ontological framework fundamentally perpetuate group-based oppression. Therefore, the 1996 constitution and post-1994 South African constitutionalism secure and perpetuate the oppression of the indigenous conquered people under the guise of transformation and reconciliation.
Student experiences of attending the first online Southern African students psychology conference at an open distance e-learning university in South Africa
(African Minds, 2024-12) Moodley-Marie, Janice K.; Parry, Bianca Rochelle; Masisi, Itumeleng
The devastation and aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic continue to pervade almost every sphere of human existence, albeit arguably increasingly nuanced. As we move into the post-pandemic world, it is essential to reflect on the lessons learned and forge transformed, decolonised ways of knowledge production in higher education. To ensure the continuation of academic socialisation, academic conference organizers have had to introduce virtual conferencing during the pandemic. In this article, we discuss the experiences of students who attended the first online Southern African Students Psychology Conference (SASPC) during the pandemic in South Africa within a distance e-learning context. We use academic socialisation as a theoretical framework to understand student experiences attending the first online SASPC and to discuss the student conference as a site for decolonisation. From the focus group discussion with student attendees, the historical and current format of the conference unexpectedly emerged as a colonised space of academic socialisation that the students challenged. Opportunities for using the student conference space as a site of decolonisation are explored to contribute to the dearth of scholarly literature aimed at actively incorporating students’ voices in the decolonisation of academic spaces in the Global South.
“We’ve got a sisterhood …”: understanding personal and peer empowerment capabilities in the narratives of South African women furthering their education while incarcerated
(Brill Academic Publishers, 2024-06) Parry, Bianca Rochelle
The empowering effect of higher education in a carceral environment is recognised globally as the most effective rehabilitative tool for reducing reoffence and promoting the reintegration of incarcerated individuals into society. While many researchers from the Global North have studied carceral education and accessibility, few of those studies have focused specifically on incarcerated women’s access to higher education. Even fewer have considered this topic within the context of the Global South. This qualitative exploratory study addresses gaps in the literature by exploring the experiences of seven women who have pursued and completed a higher education degree while incarcerated in South Africa’s largest correctional facility. The narrative inquiry highlights how higher education helped these women develop capabilities that went beyond education, improving their personal agency and their ability to support their peers.
Dialogues for sustainable peacebuilding : from dialogues of the deaf to consensual dialogues
(Adonis and Abbey, 2024-08) Mandikwaza, Edknowledge
This article discusses the complexities of political dialogues, focusing on the reasons behind their failures and strategies for successful dialogue outcomes, using Zimbabwe‘s political landscape as a case study. The study‘s primary objective is to shed light on the dynamics of political dialogues by exploring three typologies of dialogues: consensual dialogues, echo dialogues, and deaf dialogues, as pivotal transformative paradigms for peacebuilding. The study employed a qualitative research methodology, utilising document and content analysis of journal articles, textbooks, newspapers, government reports, and opinion pieces. The findings reveal that for dialogues to succeed in transforming political conflicts, they must transition from being dialogically deaf to being consensually oriented. Notably, Zimbabwe‘s political dialogue efforts have failed because they have largely been deaf and echo-dialogues. Dialogues of the deaf were most common in intra-party and inter-party dialogues, whereas consensual and echo dialogues were predominantly observed in constitutional-related dialogues because of their national character. The study recommends the use of consensual dialogues with listening dialoguers as a typology of trust building and sustainable peacebuilding to resolve the current and future political and socioeconomic crises of the country.
The politics of documenting violence and trauma for transitional justice : the role of civil society in Zimbabwe
(Adonis and Abbey, 2024-12) Matshaka, Chenai G.
This article captures the politics of documenting trauma for transitional justice, particularly in contexts where transitional justice is contested in its norms and practices. The paper unpacks how documenting trauma by civil society becomes political, yet provides key references for transitional justice processes in the future. These nuances were captured through semi-structured, in-depth interviews with field officers from five civil society organisations who documented the 2008 electoral violence in Zimbabwe. The paper shows how documented violence and human rights violations have been used towards advocating for transitional justice and educating communities and other stakeholders of obligations emanating from domestic and international laws while impacting on ongoing violence. The article argues that while creating critical dossiers of violence and trauma for the future, documentation by civil society can also play a key role where violence is ongoing by creating awareness of what is happening and can be used to shift prevailing conflict dynamics. Etched in the theory and practice of transitional justice as a tool towards sustainable peace for post-conflict societies, the research used an interpretivist qualitative research methodology. This paper captures the reflections of those who have studied the norms of transitional justice and experienced the realities of practicing them in a contested field, thereby providing a nuanced contribution to the study of peace and conflict in which theory and practice converge.
A conceptual framework for national dialogues : applied theories and concepts
(African Centre for the Constructive Resolution of Disputes, 2025-01) Mandikwaza, Edknowledge
National dialogues are increasingly recognised as vital tools for resolving political con9icts, fostering state- and nation-building, enhancing social cohesion, and facilitating peaceful socio-economic and political transformation. Despite a growing body of literature examining national dialogues and their outcomes, there remains a gap in understanding their theoretical underpinnings and conceptualisations. This article addresses this gap by conducting a discursive analysis offering an alternative theoretical framework for national dialogues, drawing on three theories: social contract, consociationalism, and con9ict transformation. Using secondary data from scholarly journals, reports, political agreements, and documented policies and strategies, this article assesses the theories’ applicability in developing a robust conceptual framework for national dialogues. An analysis of each theory demonstrates that, while they approach peacebuilding from different angles, they share unique and common themes such as participatory governance, addressing root causes, and building trust and cooperation, which are essential in designing and implementing successful national dialogues. Leveraging the unique elements of each theory, the observed insights provide a more comprehensive approach to planning and implementing national dialogues, even in diverse socio-economic and political contexts. fe 1ndings’ implications are pertinent to scholars in the 1eld of peace studies, governments, political entities, civil society organisations, and international stakeholders engaged in national dialogue processes.
Narratives as a gateway to transitional justice : reflections on research methodology
(University of the Free State, 2024) Matshaka, Chenai
In many ways transitional justice is a battle of narratives. Both at the conception and implementation stages, it is contested in part by different meanings of what justice is, how harm is understood, and who the victim and perpetrator are. All these determine the trajectory the processes will take. How we reach deeper understanding about these battles and their implications is a result of our choice of research methodology. In this article, I reflect on the use of narrative as a philosophy of understanding the world, as a data source, a lens, and a method of investigation in relation to understanding the trajectory of transitional justice in Zimbabwe between 2000-2013. While the findings of the research have been presented in other outputs, this article gives insight into the research methodology. It argues that using narratives of violence as a gateway to transitional justice research is key to understanding the nuances that determine the trajectories transitional justice processes may take in any context.
Analyzing the paradigmatic impact of Seychelles blue economy financing model
(Ontario International Development Agency, 2024) Oche, Tony Onazi; u20759038@tuks.co.za
Seychelles is regarded as the first country to implement a debt-for-nature swap (marine conservation) and blue bond finance model. The goal of the initiative was to secure funding for the preservation of the ocean ecosystem and empower fishermen and women with facilities and skills for value addition in the fishery industry. Since the launch of the innovative blue economy finance framework in 2015, the phenomenon has attracted considerable attention in the literature and policy environment. This development bolsters the visibility of the most underfunded Sustainable Development Goal (Goal 14), however, there has been a limited study on the paradigmatic impact of the finance model. This study argues that Seychelles’ blue economy finance model has not only created opportunities for increasing blue funding. But has, in addition, provided a practical financing roadmap that addresses ecological issues through a human-centered approach. This unrecognized impact is significant given the popular debate between critics of ocean preservation and ecological security proponents. The paper argues that the Seychelles’ debt-for-nature and blue bond initiatives although ecologically conscious have designed collaborative programs to include the views of private landowners, fishermen and women, civil society organizations, and private landowners. This collaborative and human-centered approach to conservation has enabled fishers to absorb the livelihood impact of fishing regulation and marine zone protection. Although with its challenges, this approach to marine conservation shows that the policymakers in Victoria understand the significance of the marine ecosystem as well as the human agency in controlling overfishing and other harmful activities that may impact the sustainability of life underwater. The study leveraging a qualitative methodology and content analysis technique argues that the Island African country seems to have adopted a human-centered approach in its blue economy framework. Furthermore, the study identifies the challenges that may be associated with the blue bond financing model. In addition, the study argues that the popular evangelism for the adoption of the blue bond should be done with recognition of Seychelles’ peculiar robust ocean governance framework.
Food safety governance in South Africa
(University of KwaZulu-Natal, 2024-12-21) Mkhwanazi, Ntombizethu Simphiwe; Adelle, Camilla; Korsten, Lise; lise.korsten@up.ac.za
This paper reviews public policy with a focus on food safety governance. In this study, food safety governance refers to the policy, institutions, and actors involved in forming, interpreting, implementing, and enforcing food safety policies. South Africa is faced with various food safety challenges, resulting from a fragmented governance structure. Hence, better governance of food safety is needed to facilitate effective enforcement. In this study, food safety governance and the challenges of an effective food control system were reviewed. The aim of this review is to assess and analyse the existing state of food safety governance in South Africa and highlight the need for better governance to address the identified challenges and ultimately enhance the effectiveness of food safety enforcement. The challenges that were identified included inconsistencies in the interpretation and implementation of standards and regulations, poor industry participation, poor enforcement of legislation, inefficiencies, lack of a national food safety policy, lack of coordination and cooperation among government at the national level, and lack of communication between the different departments and levels of government involved in the regulation of food safety. The fragmented government structure makes it difficult for the regulators to communicate with the broader industry. Consequently, in South Africa, there is a need to create a robust regulatory framework for food safety that is effectively communicated, fairly implemented, and enforced by the appropriate entities with the necessary training.
African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and the challenges of protectionist policies on regional integration : insights from Nigeria and South Africa
(Adonis and Abbey, 2024-08) Adenuga, Gbeke Adebowale; Amusan, Lere; Oyewole, Samuel
This article examines the challenges posed by the protectionist economic policies of African states to the successful implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), which is designed to advance the economic integration of the region. Using the cases of the two largest economies in the region, that is, Nigeria and South Africa, the article investigates protectionist policies and practices and their effects on intra-African economic relations and integration. Based on regional integration and rational choice theories, this study reveals the importance of these countries to the success of the AfCFTA Agreement, the nature and rationales for their protectionist policies, and the negative implications. On different occasions, the regional giants have restricted the inflow of people, goods, and services from fellow African countries to protect their national economic, strategic, and political interests, contrary to the spirit of AfCFTA. Data for this study are derived from secondary sources and analysed qualitatively. African leaders are encouraged to balance their national and regional interests, minimise protectionist policies for short-term gains, and prioritise regional economic integration (AfCFTA) in the overall interests of the continent.
Theories of war and the African context : Whither strategic theory?
(University of Pretoria, Department of Political Sciences, 2024) Theron, Sonja; sonja.theron@up.ac.za
This article explores the state of strategic theory in relation to the African context. It argues that the dichotomy between war in the Global South and the Global North, combined with the shift towards critical security studies, has hobbled the development of robust strategic thinking relevant to war on the African continent. It combines a literature review of theories of war, that have sought to either explain the occurrence of war or how to fight and end it, with a scoping review of African strategic thinking to highlight this gap. It concludes with a call for greater African strategic thinking and propositions for what African strategy should entail.

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