Research Articles (Centre for the Advancement of Scholarship)

Permanent URI for this collectionhttp://hdl.handle.net/2263/32251

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Utrecht University; exploration, colonial knowledge : a ‘civilizing mission’. Interview with Henk van Rinsum
(Academy of Science of South Africa, 2025-03) Botha, Jan; Vale, Peter Christopher Julius; Van Rinsum, Henk
SIGNIFICANCE : This piece relays an interview with Henk van Rinsum (retired from Utrecht University). In the interview, the idea of the university as a detached space connected with the notion of the alleged objectivity of science is challenged by an “older white Dutchman attempting to offer insights on colonialism”. The interview explores the colonial historical development of a university in Western Europe as it finds its place within the entanglements of Christianity, capitalism, commerce, colonialism, and civilisation. The interview calls for a sensitive dialogue on issues of decolonisation. Are we prepared to address the ills of colonialism, given that we still seem to live under the influence of coloniality, including in higher education?
A new conceptual framework for African sovereign debt : finding an optimal outcome that addresses five challenges
(Oxford University Press, 2024-12) Bradlow, Daniel; danny.bradlow@up.ac.za
The current arrangements through which African sovereigns raise and manage the external finance for sustainable and inclusive development in their countries are functioning sub-optimally. This troubling situation suggests that Africa needs a new approach to managing its sovereign debt and to restructuring the debt when servicing it becomes too burdensome. This paper argues that Africa is currently facing five challenges in regard to its sovereign debt and that addressing them requires a new conceptual framework that facilitates reaching an Optimal Outcome. This is defined as an outcome that, taking into account the circumstances in which the sovereign debtor and its creditors are negotiating their transaction and their respective rights, obligations and responsibilities, offers each of them the best possible mix of economic, financial, environmental, social, human rights and governance benefits.To make this case, the paper will focus on the case of sovereign debt restructurings. These transactions most clearly demonstrate the complexities and the challenges involved in reaching an Optimal Outcome in sovereign debt transactions. The paper is divided into 3 sections. The first section focuses on the five challenges that African countries are facing in managing and, when necessary, restructuring their sovereign debts. The second proposes eight principles, the DOVE (Debts of Vulnerable Economies) Fund Principles, that together offer a new conceptual framework for negotiating and drafting both new and restructured sovereign debt agreements. This new framework will help the sovereign and its creditors reach an Optimal Outcome. The third section draws some conclusions.
Contextual challenges experienced by CHVs in the informal use of mobile phones within integrated community case management (ICCM) in Nyaguda sub-location, Western Kenya
(Springer nature, 2024-12) Nyabundi, Agnetta Adiedo; Nyambedha, Erick Otieno; Merten, Sonja; Ombere, Stephen O.
Since the 1990s, Kenya has made substantial progress towards reducing child mortality. However, Kenya still lags behind regional and global averages in child mortality rates. Developing countries like Kenya face constraints in health system performance and access to services, especially in hard-to-reach areas such as Nyaguda sub-location calling for integrated care. Yet, it faces challenges that the everyday use of mobile phones could potentially address. In Nyaguda sub-location, mobile phones were used informally since they were not part of the integrated Community Case Management feasibility study. Several contextual challenges existed despite the benefits of using mobile phones within iCCM. This paper explores the contextual challenges to the informal use of mobile phones within iCCM in Nyaguda sub-location. The study employed an ethnographic research design. The data collection methods included informal conversations, Focus group discussions (FGDs) and in-depth interviews. This paper found several challenges to the informal use of mobile phones within iCCM, including physical challenges, high expectations on the Community Health Volunteers, cultural obligations, trust issues, and work/family conflict. The article concludes that physical follow-ups providing deeper connections among the various health stakeholders are still vital despite using mobile phones to avert child morbidity and mortality in hard-to-reach areas.
2023 ASR distinguished lecture : decoloniality and its fissures. Whose decolonial turn?
(Cambridge University Press, 2025) Ogude, James; james.ogude@up.ac.za
This paper examines the fissures within recent decolonial debates, arguing for the privileging of alternative narratives from formerly colonized groups and a shift away from centring colonialism. It calls for the recognition of decolonial struggles whose histories run deep and the need to link the struggles with indigeneity, its poetics of relations, and connectedness. Therefore, decoloniality requires thinking and doing and paying attention to social and economic well-being of hitherto marginalized indigenous communities, while giving due recognition to their poetics of relationality, reciprocity, and conviviality. Drawing on the example of #RhodesMust Fall movement in South Africa, it raises difficult questions around ownership, agency, while pointing to cracks that this contemporary movement surfaced, in spite of its claim to decoloniality.
The New Development Bank in Africa : mid-term evaluation and lessons learned
(Wiley, 2024-05) Bradlow, Daniel David; Masamba, Magalie L.; danny.bradlow@up.ac.za
The New Development Bank (NDB) launched its first project in Africa on April 13, 2016, and on August 17, 2017, the Bank opened its Africa Regional Centre (ARC) in Johannesburg, South Africa. This article assesses the NDB's presence in Africa. It addresses the following questions: what role is the NDB playing in Africa? What is the ARC and why was its created? How well have the NDB and the ARC been performing? Have they delivered on their intended purpose? If the NDB or the ARC have not performed as well as hoped, or expected, what has stood in their way? We assess the NDB and the ARC within the context of the general experience of some of the projects that the NDB has been financing in Africa and determine whether there are lessons that can help the NDB as it expands further into the continent. The main policy recommendation is that the ARC be strengthened in ways that enhance the NDB's transparency and make it a truly new type of multilateral development bank.
Disclosure, outing and family reactions : experiences of gender and sexuality diverse individuals in Harare, Zimbabwe
(Taylor and Francis, 2025) Muparamoto, Nelson
Extensive research on the process of ‘coming out’ underscores the significance of disclosing one’s sexual orientation and gender identity for personal development and self-expression. However, sharing this information with family members can be difficult, particularly in Zimbabwe where broader social and cultural forces pose significant challenges to ‘coming out’, and gender and/or sexuality diversity is strongly reacted against. This paper explores the experiences of gender and sexuality diverse persons in Harare as they came out to their families, or were ‘outed’ by others. The study involved semi-structured interviews, informal conversations, and focus group discussions with 31 gender and sexuality diverse individuals aged between 18-31 years. The participants revealed the different ways in which their families became aware of their sexual orientation. These pathways included planned disclosure, outing through extortion, blackmail, and other incidents. The narratives shared by participants varied significantly, encompassing a spectrum from overtly negative or positive responses to more complex reactions from families regarding their child or siblings’ gender and sexuality diversity.
Noblesse Oblige : the enduring legacy of Boutros Boutros-Ghal
(Brill Academic Publishers, 2024-12) Adebajo, Adekeye
No abstract available.
Psychosocial support systems for adolescents on antiretroviral therapy in rural western Kenya
(University of Gondar, 2024) Owoko, Lilian Adhiambo; lilian.owoko@up.ac.za
Initiation of antiretroviral therapy (ART) was a major milestone in the care and management of HIV; however, adolescents who are living with HIV (ALHIV), and who are on ART still show a 50% increase in deaths due to sub-optimal adherence. Despite reduced therapeutic options and higher risk of repeated treatment failure, there was a dearth of information which was focusing on adherence support. This paper was conducted to explore how existing psychosocial support systems promoted adherence among 15-19years old ALHIV on 2nd-line ART. Using focused ethnographic design, data was collected from 37 ALHIV enrolled in the sampled patient support centers. Data was collected by using semi-structured interviews, direct observation, 10 in-depth and 13 key informant interviews and 3 focus group discussions. Social ecological theory was used to explore the interplay between available resources, health habits and life-styles of the respondents. Data from semi-structured interviews were cross-tabulated to identify appropriate relationships. Qualitative data were exposed to thematic analysis, and they were presented using descriptions and verbatim quotations. According to the findings of the study, psychosocial support systems were essential in promoting adherence among ALHIV. The researchers recommended that treatment guidelines and intervention strategies should recognize the central role of psychosocial support from families, and from the healthcare setting, and it promotes their participation in care and management of HIV among ALHIV.
Can “the expanded free maternity services” enable Kenya to achieve universal health coverage by 2030 : qualitative study on experiences of mothers and healthcare providers
(Frontiers Media, 2024-09) Ombere, Stephen O.
INTRODUCTION: Universal health coverage is a global agenda within the sustainable development goals. While nations are attempting to pursue this agenda, the pathways to its realization vary across countries in relation to service, quality, financial accessibility, and equity. Kenya is no exception and has embarked on an initiative, including universal coverage of maternal health services to mitigate maternal morbidity and mortality rates. The implementation of expanded free maternity services, known as the Linda Mama (Taking Care of the Mother) targets pregnant women, newborns, and infants by providing cost-free maternal healthcare services. However, the efficacy of the Linda Mama (LM) initiative remains uncertain. This article therefore explores whether LM could enable Kenya to achieve UHC. METHODS: This descriptive qualitative study employs in-depth interviews, focus group discussions, informal conversations, and participant observation conducted in Kilifi County, Kenya, with mothers and healthcare providers. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: The findings suggest that Linda Mama has resulted in increased rates of skilled care births, improved maternal healthcare outcomes, and the introduction of comprehensive maternal and child health training for healthcare professionals, thereby enhancing quality of care. Nonetheless, challenges persist, including discrepancies and shortages in human resources, supplies, and infrastructure and the politicization of healthcare both locally and globally. Despite these challenges, the expanding reach of Linda Mama offers promise for better maternal health. Finally, continuous sensitization efforts are essential to foster trust in Linda Mama and facilitate progress toward universal health coverage in Kenya.
The potential of Moringa oleifera as a sustainable broiler feed additive : investigating Awareness, perceptions and use by broiler farmers and moringa farmers in South Africa
(MDPI, 2024-03) Lungu, Nobuhle Sharon; Maina, Joyce G.; Dallimer, Martin; Van Marle-Koster, Este; este.vanmarle-koster@up.ac.za
Moringa oleifera’s high nutritional value and bioactive properties have attracted significant scientific research interest as an additive in broiler feed for sustainable broiler production. The tree’s multifunctional characteristics make it a potent alternative growth promoter for broilers and a valuable resource to address Sustainable Development Goals related to poverty alleviation, food security, good health, and responsible consumption. Moreover, it provides a less expensive and environmentally friendly alternative for broiler farmers. However, less is known about the awareness, perceptions, and prevailing practices of broiler farmers and M. oleifera farmers regarding the plant’s use as an additive. This study determined the awareness, perceptions, and practices of M. oleifera use among broiler and M. oleifera farmers in South Africa. Quantitative data collected from 165 purposively sampled small-scale broiler farmers, along with qualitative insights from 11 key informants, indicated that 66.7% of respondents, primarily females, knew about M. oleifera but lacked awareness of its benefits for broilers (82.4%). Awareness varied significantly (p < 0.05) by gender. Only 10.9% of those aware used M. oleifera, predominantly small-scale female farmers. Leaves and stems were common parts used, added to feed, or infused in water. Perceived benefits included improved growth rates and reduced mortalities. Large-scale broiler farmers expressed interest if provided with more information on the nutritional benefits and the availability of bulk M. oleifera to sustain their large operations. The study underscores the need for targeted awareness campaigns, especially among female farmers, and providing guidelines for M. oleifera use. Formulating broiler diets that include M. oleifera as an ingredient will require a consistent supply, which is currently lacking. Therefore, there is a need to address the production capacity to meet the requirements of larger broiler operations.
Semi-empirical supported, Ab initio derived thermodynamic properties for ClO2 and its sub and extended species, applied in water treatment cycles
(Elsevier, 2024-10) Misheer, Natasha; Ndungu, Patrick; Pretorius, Jan A.; jannie.pretorius@up.ac.za
Please read abstract in the article.
The limits of virtue politics in an African context
(Wiley, 2024) Olujohungbe, Benjamin Timi; Owoseni, Adewale O.
This paper situates Karl Popper's ‘paradox of tolerance’ as foundation within the context of interrogating multifaceted violent identity politics propagated in contemporary Nigeria. The paper argues that the ‘active’ virtue of tolerance which requires that subjects within the Nigerian polity engage each other in rationally-driven discourse on issues of dissent does not presume long-suffering or passive endurance of violence propagated by a side of the dissenting divide. It is thus pertinent that an appropriate intervention by the Nigerian state delineating the limits of tolerance in the face of perennial intolerance and the proliferation of violent identity politics is inevitable.
Credit information sharing and credit access in Kenya : impact, perspectives and challenges
(Adonis and Abbey Publishers, 2024-03) Magale, Eric Gwandega
Credit bears great significance to people‘s financial lives. However, access to affordable, unsecured and formally provided credit remains constrained, particularly in the developing world, due to multiple factors. Sharing of borrowers‘ credit history, otherwise called information sharing, emerged as a remedy to this challenge and is an integral feature of credit markets with undeniably significant implications for both lenders and borrowers. This study explored the impact of information sharing on credit access in Kenya. The study drew on interviews with industry insiders and borrowers who offered their perspectives on how the information-sharing mechanism operates and how it impacts credit access. Findings indicated that information sharing has broadened and deepened the credit market and made it more competitive. While the mechanism is useful to lenders as a screening and soft collection mechanism, it has not yielded remarkable benefits for borrowers besides expanding access to digital credit. Particularly, information sharing has had a minimal effect in diminishing the role of collateral, promoting risk-based loan pricing and enhancing transparency in credit appraisal. Further, inaccurate and incomplete information, prohibitive participation and limited understanding of the mechanism hamper its effectiveness and constrain credit access. The study pinpointed regulations that require relaxing and others that need tightening to address these drawbacks and deliver greater benefits to users.
Cancelling apocalypse by risking to envision
(University Library System, University of Pittsburgh, 2023) Valiani, Salimah
No abstract available.
Affective capital : Lagos and Nigerian music videos
(Cambridge University Press, 2023-03) Eromosele, Femi
Lagos is a recurrent theme in Nigerian music videos. Eromosele examines this phenomenon in relation to the objectives of the music video and the musician’s star image. Various studies involving emotion and forms of capital help to reveal how Lagos is appropriated into the iconography of music stars in ways that extend the city’s affective capital while serving the promotional aims of the music video. Capital is viewed chiefly as value accumulated through circulation and capable of being transubstantiated into different forms. The economic and political prominence of Lagos influences and is fed by the city’s affective power.
Bio-functional prospects of Moringa oleifera lam on meat quality : a review
(Science Publications, 2024) Lungu, Nobuhle Sharon; Idamokoro, E.M.
Research done by scholars on the utilization of the different parts of Moringa oleifera Lam. in improving livestock performance and boosting meat quality has increased over the years in many nations across the globe. Moringa oleifera has been identified as an essential bio-resourceful plant containing vital nutrients and bio-active compounds with proven functional properties, including antimicrobial and antioxidant activities. These properties are essential for promoting healthy and quality meat production. As a multi-purpose plant with well-established evidence of its beneficial attributes, such as its ability to withstand harsh environmental and weather conditions, rapid growth rate, resilience in drought conditions and high longevity, the use of M. oleifera to ameliorate emerging food challenges and food security could proof a worthwhile breakthrough in the meat industry. Moreover, its sustainable characteristics for mitigating climate change, make it an environmentally friendly option for meat production. Different plant parts of Moringa oleifera have been studied as additives, feed supplements and phytomedicine plants for different livestock, to improve their health, productivity and product quality (including meat, eggs and milk among others). In addition, the plant has been used to lessen microbial growth, lessen the process of oxidation and boost functional meat quality. However, its use in the meat sector is still limited. Conversely, the limited utilization might be due to paucity of information on the quantification of the exact amount of the varied segments of the M. oleifera (leaf, seed, root) required in meat, as well as the suitable form (extract, powder, or whole) of inclusion in meat. This information is crucial for the practical and effective application of M. oleifera to produce functional and healthy meat and its products. More studies are needed so as to broadly comprehend the beneficial prospects of the studied plant in improving the quality and consumer acceptability of meat fortification with the M. oleifera plant.
Constitutional environmental rights and state violence : implications for environmental justice in protected forests
(Mary Ann Liebert, 2023-06) Mushonga, Tafadzwa; tafadzwa.mushonga@up.ac.za
In this article, I examine environmental justice in a context where environmental rights legalize the subjection of people to harm resulting from conservation, first because the environment is privileged with constitutional rights to be protected, and second because this right is imposed on citizens. To unpack this complexity, I engage with literature on environmental rights and environmental justice from a legal and political ecology perspective. I then use the case of protected forests in Zimbabwe to show how the constitutional right to promote conservation for the benefit of present and future generations, on the contrary, exposes citizens residing in and adjacent to protected forests to diverse forms of state violence. Such violence subsequently takes away the right to equal access to natural resources and often comes with injustices around human dignity, culture, recognition, and the overall right to life. I broadly argue that state ideas on environmental rights, and their embeddedness in violent practices, have implications on environmental justice in the way they privilege ecological justice without recognizing justice for humans in relation to their environments.
Beilharz in South Africa – jottings
(Sage, 2023-12) Vale, Peter Christopher Julius
No abstract available.
Re-thinking the sustainability of sovereign debt
(Oxford University Press, 2024-06) Bradlow, Daniel David; Lastra, Rosa M.; Park, Stephen Kim
This article explores the contributions that law can make to the development of a holistic approach to sovereign debt sustainability. We focus on debt sustainability assessments (DSAs) conducted by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which are linked to the IMF’s surveillance and lending functions, and determine whether it is necessary to restructure the debt of a country in debt distress and the timing, process, and terms of such a debt restructuring. While the precise causes of each country’s debt situation are unique, all countries are grappling with the rising costs and growing risks posed by climate change and other environmental and social factors. We suggest that the IMF’s current treatment of these environmental and social factors is opaque, unpredictable, and hard for the citizens of affected countries and other outsiders to understand. It also obscures the true burden that debt obligations impose on a sovereign and the country’s residents, and, thus, the amount of debt relief that it may need in order to achieve a sustainable debt position. To address these shortcomings, we identify financial, economic, environmental, and social (FEES) factors that we contend should be incorporated in the design of the frameworks governing DSAs and the operating principles and practices of the IMF through which DSAs are conducted. We argue that the IMF should draw on various hard and soft sources of international and transnational law to develop a FEES-based approach to sovereign debt sustainability that is more consistent, predictable, and legitimate than the current approach.
Using participatory videos in understanding farmers experiences with climate smart agricultural practices : reflections from Ghana
(Frontiers Media, 2023-01-24) Kwapong, Nana Afranaa; Whitfield, Stephen; Ambuko, Jane; Ankrah, Daniel Adu; Swanepoel, Frans
Climate-smart agriculture (CSA) has gained traction as one of the effective strategies in tackling the climate crisis. Many CSA practices have been promoted by development agencies to smallholder farmers based on the assumption that farmers would adopt these innovations for their potential benefits. However, the adoption of CSA practices in Ghana and much of Africa remains low and decision making and on-farm innovation processes are poorly understood. This study seeks to provide empirical and participatory insight into how smallholder farmers innovate. Based on a novel application of a participatory video methodology, in farming communities in the Upper West Region of Ghana, that have been exposed to multiple CSA intervention programmes, the paper analyses farmers’ own self-curated accounts of experiences with CSA innovation. The findings show that farmer’s motivation to adopt CSA innovations is driven by their concerns for food security, economic gains, and the environmental impact of climate change on their farming activities and livelihood. The study reveals a mismatch between the CSA technologies and practices advanced by the development agencies and what farmers perceive as relevant and important in addressing their farming challenges. In particular, the findings show that in a pool of more than 12 CSA technologies and practices that had been promoted through three donor-driven intervention programmes in the communities, farmers selected less labour intensive, less costly, and CSA technologies and practices that fitted to their current farming practices and the local context. Agricultural extension agents served as an important information source on the CSA innovation and their practical implementation and farmers’ social groups played a crucial role in facilitating learning about the CSA technologies and practices. There is the need to integrate farmers voices using innovative methodologies such as participatory videos to better understand farmers’ experiences in the innovation process which will help inform the design of effective interventions and promote adoption of innovations aimed at enhancing the productivity of smallholder farmers and reducing environmental impacts in African food systems. By focusing on the innovations that farmers perceive as beneficial and adaptable to their local contexts, development organizations can use their resources more efficiently and promote adoption of contextually appropriate CSA innovations.

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