Browsing by Author "Chidester, D"

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    People's courts and people's justice : a critical review of the current state of knowledge of people's courts, with a particular focus on South Africa
    (1990) Moses, Joey; Chidester, D
    This dissertation is an attempt at broadening the understanding of People's Courts and People's Justice in South Africa. People's Courts mushroomed throughout African townships in South Africa, especially during 1985/1886 to the extent J' that it was said to be a conspiracy, instigated by the then banned African National Congress (ANC) in alliance with the South African Communist Party (SACP), to overthrow the South African State. The central argument of this dissertation is that People's Courts, with its objective of creating a new legality which is encapsulated in the notion of People's Justice, did indeed shake the foundations of ·the Apartheidstate. It presented the white ruling bloc in South Africa with one of its biggest hegemonic challenges in the 1980s. People's Courts are dealt with in three parts. The first part explores the relationship between law, ideology and the state; the second explores that relationship within the South~African context, and th~ third locates people's courts within that context. In the latter part the continuities between People's Courts and the Makgotla are explored as well as the fundamental differences which exist between them, which differences also account for the different state strategies toward them. A comparative analysis of People's Courts in the different regions in South Africa indicates that the vast majority of these popular tribunals were not only deliberately anti-state. Apart from their immediate objectives of controlling crime in townships and reconciling parties to disputes, they also deliberately alligned themselves with the broader political movement which attempted to overthrow organs of state power and replace it with organs of people's power: the main objective being the realisation of people's power. The comparative analysis also reveals certain potential and real dangers as well as tensions within the operation of people's courts and in its alliance with the broader, extra-state political movement, which are reflected on in the conclusion.
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    The assessment of cardiac risk in elective aortic surgery
    (1990) Matley, Philip John; Chidester, D
    The high prevalence of coronary artery disease in patients undergoing elective abdominal aortic reconstruction accounts for the fact that the commonest cause of postoperative death or major morbidity is myocardial infarction or left ventricular failure . Accurate assessment of cardiac risk is essential in patient selection for surgery and in the allocation of limited medical resources and invasive monitoring techniques. The factors which are clinically valid in predicting cardiac risk have yet to be defined in a large prospective study of patients undergoing aortic reconstruction. Scoring systems such as the Goldman cardiac risk index (CRI) developed in patients undergoing largely non vascular operations and the Cooperman formula developed in patients undergoing a wide range of vascular procedures require prospective evaluation in patients undergoing aortic surgery before their validity in this high risk group can be established. Several non invasive or minimally invasive procedures are now available to assess ventricular performance or myocardial perfusion. To date the few studies that have investigated the predictive ability of radionuclide ventriculography or dipyridamole/thallium-201 scintigraphy in patients undergoing vascular surgery have been limited by small patient numbers and conflicting results. In a prospective study representing a complete capture of all 220 patients undergoing elective abdominal aortic reconstruction in a single institution over a 3 year period, this study has demonstrated seven clinical factors lo be valid in cardiac risk prediction using both univariate and multivariate analysis of a large number of possible risk factors. These factors arc age greater than 70 years, angina, previous myocardial infarction, past or present evidence of congestive heart failure, an abnormal electrocardiogram, arrhythmia or previous stroke. No patient developed a major cardiac event postoperatively in the absence of at least one of these factors. The non-invasive studies evaluated were not found to be clinically useful in the absence of these factors as the results were almost invariably normal in such patients. Despite having a significant correlation with the risk of major cardiac events, the usefulness of the Goldman CRI was limited by the large number of patients in the lowest risk category that developed cardiac events. The Cooperman formula was found to be a remarkably accurate predictor of statistical cardiac risk. The computation of left ventricular ejection fraction by equilibrium radionucliude angiocardiography significantly added to cardiac risk prediction and defined a subgroup of patients with poor left ventricular function in whom the operative risk was prohibitively high. The performance of dipyridamole-thallium scintigraphy as a predictive test was disappointing. Patients who are at increased cardiac risk can be reliably identified using simple clinical criteria. Cardiac risk estimation can be further refined in those with clinical risk factors by simple non-invasive tests, particularly radionuclide ventriculography. The widely promoted policy of routine coronary angiography to detect coronary lesions prior to aortic surgery cannot be supported on the basis of this data and the clinical relevance of asymptomatic coronary lesions that may be detected by routine coronary angiography is questioned by this study. The potential for sudden death or acute myocardial infarction in patients with non-flow-limiting coronary stenoses will continue to be a source of error in any system of clinical risk prediction. None of the currently available non-invasive tests are able to detect such lesions or predict their natural history.
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    The problems of delimitation of the EEZ between Taiwan and the Philippines: with special reference to the legality of their claims
    (1990) Sun, Kuan-Ming; Chidester, D
    [After the extension of the maritime zones of littoral states in the 1970s and in the beginning of 1980s, 1 the South China Sea came into the limelight as a disputed area. Legally speaking, the South China Sea is a semi-closed sea. 2 Geographically speaking, its physical location is 'further complicated by the present politiGal situation. The area is complicated by the presence of political blocs, 3 ideological confrontation4 and the special legal status of Taiwan. 5 Though the area as a whole is known to be a troublesome one, there are few people who pay sufficient attention to the north-east corner where a serious fishery dispute has arisen between the Republic of Philippines and the Republic of China (Taiwan). The reasons for such inadvertence may be the following. Firstly T~iwan is not a member state of the United Nations and most states consider that it is part of the Chinese People's Republic (CPR). Hence, this dispute should be one between CPR and the Philippines. Secondly unlike the military conflict between CPR and Vietnam over ~the sovereignty of the Four Claim Area, 6 there is no such drastic confrontation between the Philippines and Taiwan. The passive attitude of Taiwan toward the dispute makes the entire situation even less clear. 7
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    Witchcraft in Venda: healing, violence and the symbolism of evil
    (1999) Ravele, Dokotela Elias; Chidester, D
    This thesis argues that witchcraft in Venda must be understood in relation to both traditional healing and traditional ways of symbolising evil. While outlining the basic Venda vocabulary of witchcraft, the thesis places that discourse about witches in the context of beliefs and practices relating to healing. As explored in detail in Chapter Three, knowledge about medicines provides a crucial background to the basic concept of witchcraft. Within the community, the healer or nanga is seen as the central figure. Without the protection provided by a =~ witches are believed to be able to operate freely in causing harm to persons and property. By virtue of his knowledge in healing, however, a == can be regarded as a witch. This irony introduces a certain ambiguity into the roles performed by traditional healers, sometimes blurring the line that divides good and evil applications of powerful medicines. The context of traditional healing, however, with its traditional medicines, roles, and techniques, provides the basic environment for identifying the harmful c~t::ct:; of witchcraft that are examined in detail in Chapter Four. Proceeding from healing to the symbolism of evil, the concluding chapter of the thesis, Chapter Five, examines the violence of witchcraft not only as a traditional way of identifying anti-social conduct but also as a modern symptom of economic competition and political rivalry.