OpenUCT :: Browsing by Author "Jolobe, Zwelethu"

Browsing by Author "Jolobe, Zwelethu"

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Open Access
AIDS drugs for Africa!' a case study examining transnational AIDS treatment activism and the reduction of global antiretroviral prices from 1996 to 2001
(2012) Kavli, Eleyce M Northcraft; Jolobe, Zwelethu
Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references.
Open Access
An Analysis of the Political Dynamics that Influenced the Process of Adopting the 2016 National Land Laws in Malawi: A Gender Perspective
(2019) Thindwa, Priscilla; Murithi, Timothy; Jolobe, Zwelethu
The thesis interrogates how the political dynamics that emerged in the formulation of the 2016 land legislation in Malawi influenced the gendered outcomes. It highlights the complexity of the policymaking process that was shaped by divergent interests and power dynamics of the stakeholders. It argues that although the interests and agenda complicated the process, their discourses were framed and justified their positions within the development and gender equality framework. It highlights the progressive nature of the socio-legal provisions in the legislation by significantly recognising and promoting women’s land rights. It contends that advances in legal institutions are essential; however, for inclusive transformation to be sustainable, changes in social and cultural practices and norms are imperative. This is because Malawian women continue to face exclusion in owning, controlling and accessing land albeit being the major agricultural producers. This is owed to the persistence of patriarchal attitudes in institutions that perpetuate contestation in the public and private spheres of women’s rights to access, own and control over land. Such is persistent particularly within customary laws which remain sites of struggle between traditional leaders’ claims and women’s societal positions. Hence, creating enabling environments for women will allow them to articulate their political voices and agenda and as such influence policy and legal formulation. Through a multi-faceted approach encompassing of legal pluralism, feminist perspectives on gender and development, and the theory of change, the paper discusses the complexity of policymaking that has been shaped by interests and power. For instance, most chiefs contested against their limited powers and the inclusion of women in land administration issues as stipulated in the new Land Laws, while CSOs advocated for the laws to be people-centred, gender-sensitive and responsive to women’s needs. Also, International organisations were interested in ensuring that there is improved land governance framework and its implementation is in line with VGGT. Thus, apparent realities emerge from the analysis of these political dynamics within the adoption of the 2016 Land Laws: the differing stakeholders’ agenda and how they all pressed on advancing their agenda. Nonetheless, gender equality and development discourse was an aspect that was apparent in the debates.
Open Access
Constructive engagement in the interest of regional peace a critical reexamination of U.S. mediation in Southern Africa, 1981-1989
(2021) Leslie, Alexis; Jolobe, Zwelethu
This dissertation reexamines the negotiation process mediated by the U.S. that occurred between parties representing Angola, Cuba, Namibia, and South Africa during the 1980's. It presents the U.S. policy of constructive engagement ('81- '89) as a contributing factor in the mitigation of regional conflicts in Southern Africa. It reexamines whether the guiding principles of the mediation strategy effectively led to the Cuban withdrawal from Angola and the independence of Namibia. In addition, it looks at how constructive engagement created a regional climate for peace through the mitigation of these interconnected conflicts which significantly contributed to South Africa's transition away from apartheid. The central question of the dissertation is, did constructive engagement foster a regional climate for peace in Southern Africa, defined by the withdrawal of Cuban troops from Angola, the independence of Namibia, and a path towards South African democratization? There are three sub questions: (I) what were constructive engagements techniques and guiding principles? (II) why did the Reagan administration pursue the strategy; and (III) was constructive engagement a successful international conflict mediation strategy? To answer these questions, this dissertation will employ relevant literature to produce general principles of constructive engagement. It will use William Zartman and Saadi Touval's classifications of third-party mediators in international conflict in addition to Vincente Tome's staged model of the negotiation process. In this respect, this dissertation is an interpretative case study. This dissertation argues that constructive engagement is an effective conflict mediation strategy that made a significant impact on the propensity for peace in Southern Africa on several fronts. It aims is to reconsider the overwhelmingly negative opinion of U.S. intervention in Southern Africa throughout international relations discourse. It produces a piece of literature that explores the positive impact of the mediation strategy of constructive engagement as a driver for Southern African regional peace and subsequently a contributing factor in the end of apartheid.
Open Access
The creation of a national identity: construction and representations with a case study of Mobutu's Zaire
(2016) Menon ,Sunita; Jolobe, Zwelethu
This paper is in response to the stereotypes perpetuated around Africa. Much like other postcolonial spaces, Africa has fallen prey to Western assumptions and stereotypes. While the continent is diverse and has multiple narratives and voices, the notion of barbaric backward Africa has lived on. The shift to independence from Belgian Congo to Zaire marked the reclamation of not only an African identity but the African voice. While his rule was characterised by patronage politics and corruption, Mobutu effectively developed a counterhegemonic discourse on the Congo through the twin processes of authenticité and Zairianization. Mobutu created an authentically African state with a common national identity while still attracting foreign investment and financial aid. It is through Edward Said's Orientalism that the "othering" and subsequent exploitation of Africa can best be understood. Orientalism has been used to explain the systematic oppression and exploitation of the Orient and has called for discourses on this from within the region. Although Mobutu has been touted as a puppet of the West, he applied the core tenets of post-colonial theory and Orientalism in his reimagining of the "the Congo". This thesis looks at the postcolonial discourse surrounding Africa and Mobutu's role in redefining the Heart of Darkness. The significance of this study is in translating Orientalism's applications to the East and the perceptions and assumptions held by the West to Africa and particularly "the Congo". Mobutu subverted the traditional colonial narrative by inventing a new Zairian identity that asserted control over the dominant colonial discourse. In a sense, what Mobutu did was to control the narrative and ensure that it was experienced by the West as an authentic African vision while transacting with the West for his own personal benefit and ensuring that he remained in power.
Open Access
Financing the ANC: Chancellor House, Eskom and the dilemmas of party finance reform
(Jacana Media (Pty) Ltd, 2010) Jolobe, Zwelethu; Anthony Butler
On 8 April 2010 the World Bank approved a US$3.75 billion loan to help South Africa achieve a reliable source of electricity supply. The loan, the World Bank’s largest lending engagement with South Africa since the end of apartheid, was provided to South Africa’s state-owned power utility, Eskom, and was brought about by the circumstances surrounding South Africa’s energy crisis of 2007–8, and the global financial crisis that exposed South Africa’s vulnerability to an energy shock and accompanying severe economic consequences. Named the Eskom Investment Support Project (the Eskom Project), the World Bank loan will co-finance the completion of the 4800MW Medupi coal-fired power station (US$3.05 billion), the piloting for a utility-scale 100MW wind-power project in Sere and a 100MW concentrated solar-power project with storage in Upington (US$260 million), and low-energy efficient components, including a railway to transport coal with fewer greenhouse gas emissions.
Open Access
The gendarme of Africa : how can France's 2002 military intervention in Cote d' Ivoire be explained?
(2015) Moody, Daniel; Jolobe, Zwelethu
On 19 September 2002, dissatisfied soldiers in Côte d'Ivoire attempted to overthrow Laurent Gbagbo's regime. In response, France rapidly mobilised its military forces, once again intervening in one of its former colonies. This intervention is all the more surprising given the recent and important reforms in France's Africa policy; reforms which led to the increased disengagement of the French military in Africa. In light of this conundrum, this thesis seeks to understand why France pursued intervention in Côte d'Ivoire in 2002. Moreover, given these wide ranging reforms, I seek to understand the extent to which France's intervention in 2002, indeed, represents something new, or is simply another manifestation of France's traditional way of doing this in Africa. In answering these research questions, this thesis combines both quantitative analysis and an in-depth case study of French intervention in Côte d'Ivoire. In applying the results from the analysis to the case study, I find that the French intervention in Côte d'Ivoire is largely consistent with, and indeed indicative of, France's historical modus operandi in sub-Saharan Africa. In sum, I show how France has a plethora of important interests in the Côte d'Ivoire, interests which are shaped by its strong historical relationship with Côte d'Ivoire and which strongly influenced French intervention in 2002. Moreover, circumstances surrounding the 2002 failed coup attempt, notably the deteriorating situation in Côte d'Ivoire, the empowerment of Jacques Chirac and even the mistrust between Chirac and Gbagbo created the conditions which further fostered military interventions. These factors, it is shown, are largely consistent with the general trends of French intervention in sub- Saharan Africa, thus indicating that, despite important French reforms leading up to the 2002 intervention, very little has changed regarding French motives for intervention in sub-Saharan Africa. As such, the results from this thesis indicate that when one of France's important former African colonies is perceived to be under threat, France is bound by historical responsibility and a plethora of deep-seeded interests to deploy its military and attempt to remedy the situation.
Open Access
Getting to CODESA: an analysis on why multiparty negotiations in South Africa began, 1984-1991
(2014) Jolobe, Zwelethu; Seegers, Annette
This dissertation examines the pre-negotiation stage of the negotiation process in South Africa leading to the first plenary session of the Convention for a Democratic of South Africa on 20 December 1991. The pre-negotiation stage was that period in the South African conflict when negotiated solutions were considered, and negotiation towards a political settlement was adopted as an option by the major parties, namely the National Party South African government and the African National Congress. The central question this dissertation asks is why did the South African multiparty negotiations begin? This question is important; De Klerk's seminal address to the Tricameral Parliament on 2 February 1990, and the subsequent release of Nelson Mandela on 11 February 1990, is often considered as the beginning of the negotiation process in South Africa. This however is not true. Negotiations did take place before this date and they were crucial in shaping the path towards multiparty negotiations. The important question therefore is what prepared the ground for 2 February 1990, and the resulting political process that l ed to multiparty negotiations. The dissertation thus has two sub-questions: (1) why negotiations in South Africa occurred at all; and (2) why the South African government ended up negotiating with the ANC. To answer these questions, the dissertation will use I. William Zartman's theory of ripeness as a guide, and Brian Tomlin's five-staged model of prenegotiation as an analytical framework. In this respect, the dissertation is a theoretical singlecase study. The dissertation argues that multiparty negotiations in South Africa began because the South African government and the African National Congress reached a shared understanding that the South African conflict could be solved through a negotiated solution, produced a commitment to a negotiated solution, and in the process, overcame the problem of preconditions as a barrier to the opening of multiparty negotiations.
Open Access
Political Marginalisation and Political Violence in the Niger Delta
(2019) Kiernan, Christopher; Jolobe, Zwelethu; Govender, Rajendran
This study analyses the relationship between perceived marginalisation and the willingness of civilians to participate in, and justify political violence in Nigeria’s Niger Delta region. The dominant literature in this area tends to highlight political, economic and identity marginalisation as the causal factors behind political violence. However, there remains a lack of clarity in the conceptualisation and operationalisation of the purported political and socioeconomic marginalisations. This because large portion of the literature fails to take into account the psychological aspect of marginalisation. Using a statistical analysis of Afrobarometer1 survey data collected in 2003, the study applies two regression models to measure the predictive effects of 16 variables on attitudes towards both political violence justification and the willingness to participate in political violence in the Niger Delta. The benefit of survey methodology is it is a more accurate measurement of the term marginalisation, as marginalisation is perceived by people and is thus a psychological phenomenon. By disaggregating these broad marginalisation terms into discrete items, this study provides a more nuanced analysis of the motivating factors behind political violence. Interestingly, no measures of economic marginalisation were statistically significant in either model. Two elements of political marginalisation exhibited a statistically significant effect on the justification of political violence. Multiple aspects of political marginalisation and identity group prioritisation exhibited statistically significant effect on the willingness to participate in political violence, however not all items exhibited effects predicted by the majority of the literature. This analysis does confirm that the relationship between citizen and state is a salient predictor of attitudes towards political violence. However, the results also demonstrate that the blanket marginalisation terms used in political science literature are overly simplistic and lack nuance. Nevertheless, both scholars and policy makers should prioritise the government’s relationship with society when crafting policy designed to minimise political violence.
Open Access
Recreating the Rwandan state and Citizen : an analysis of diaspora politics and its role in transforming Rwandan identities
(2016) Ta, Thanh; Jolobe, Zwelethu
This dissertation utilizes a descriptive case study method to provide a comprehensive and critical analysis of identity politics in Rwanda. More specifically, this thesis situates identity politics in nation building in post-genocide Rwanda. In order to do so, this study examines diaspora engagement politics. The central question in this thesis is: In what ways, and to what extent, have identity politics affected the nation building project in post-genocide Rwanda, in relation to its diaspora? Rwanda's turbulent history raises many issues regarding the political and social construction of Rwandan identity, but scholarship has not thoroughly examined the diaspora and state engagement with the diaspora. This thesis sought to examine these dynamics. It will do so by examining: (1) the ways in which the Rwandan Patriotic Front reconfigured identities inside Rwanda by perpetuating the narrative of unity; (2) the collective identities ascribed to groups of citizens inside and outside Rwanda, based on this government narrative; (3) how the RPF governed perceptions abroad; and finally (4) the education programs to shape the ideal Rwandan citizen. This thesis concludes that the Rwandan government, while trying to rebuild the nation, has failed to transcend divisive identities that have pervaded in Rwanda. Instead, it has created a tightly controlled political space in which a restrictive single identity and narrative existed; furthermore, identity politics have been increasingly manipulated and controlled by the state apparatus. The state's engagement with its diaspora illustrates this.
Open Access
The social-revolutionary process as a cause of genocide in Rwanda : a critical interpretation on the causes of Rwanda's 1994 genocide
(2003) Jolobe, Zwelethu; Seegers, Annette
Bibliography: leaves 141-145.
Open Access
The Lived Experience of Inheritance for Muslim Widows in Contemporary South Africa
(2020) Megannon, Vayda; Jolobe, Zwelethu; Moore, Elena
This empirical research explores experiences of inheritance in Muslim families, drawing upon case law, archival research and in-depth interviews with 6 Muslim widows in Cape Town. I examine women's experience of and attitudes towards inheritance in middle class Muslim families around Cape Town. This research aims to document Muslim widow's experiences of inheritance, furthermore, explore their attitudes towards these practices among their wider family. In particular, I investigate the experience of inheritance for Muslim widows, and interpret how these experiences relate to the governing principles of equality and diversity in the South African Constitution. This research has found that fairness and reciprocity serve as guiding principles of inheritance practices in middle class Muslim families around Cape Town. This is evidenced by two prominent practices of inheritance identified in the data, namely gendered conditionalities of inheritance shares, secondly the practice of gifting while alive. These findings indicate that to a large extent, on the micro level, the experiences of inheritance practices for Muslim women are in fact aligned with the principles of equality and diversity in the Constitution. However, these patterns of inheritance do occur in a context of gendered family practices. It is therefore argued that the challenge arises from the informality of inheritance practices among middle class Muslim families in Cape Town, characteristically occurring in the private sphere. In instances where fairness and reciprocity are not given primacy as guiding principles of inheritance practices, women tend to experience downward social mobility. Weak legal protection for Muslim widows during instances of discriminatory inheritances practices is resultant of the lack of a transformative mandate in the public sphere. Embedded within social forces, Muslim women's agency is conceptualised as proactively and strategically shaping their lives and the lives of female family members. Bringing the findings into conversation with transformative justice, there has been a stratification of rights and the realisation thereof, therefore resulting weak legal protection for Muslim widows in instances of discriminatory inheritance practices. It is further noted that existing international discourse regarding family law reform on a state level is relatable in this instance as gender-sensitive reforms do not in fact erode the foundations of religion and family, but merely challenge the tenuous balance of power. This research contributes to the developing body of literature on Muslim family practices in South Africa and acts as a lens in which to understand links between wider family history, and established social and institutional systems; therefore, leading to an evaluation of the role of transformative justice in this instance.
Open Access
The politics of change? A critical analysis of power sharing in Kenya after Kofi Annan's mediation in 2008
(2020) Hijnekamp, Elisabeth; Jolobe, Zwelethu
This thesis explores the relationship between the mediation led by Kofi Annan in 2008 in Kenya, in the middle of the post-election violence that took place after the presidential elections, and the performance of the subsequent power sharing agreement. This study does so by focusing on five variables, as defined by Alexandre Raffoul, that are particularly relevant in understanding barriers to elite cooperation in power sharing settlements. By analysing problems relating to the balance of power, inside and outside spoilers, identity and political accountability problems and credible commitment problems, barriers to a successful power sharing agreement can be examined. To analyse how the mediation affected power sharing, five variables concerning the mediation are examined, namely the use of leverage, horizontal and vertical inclusivity, relationship-building and the content of the agreement. These five variables are combined one-on-one with the power sharing analysis to determine how mediation affects the performance of power sharing. This study argues that the type of mediation shapes the performance of power sharing, and that barriers to elite cooperation in the power sharing period can be addressed in the mediation phase of conflict to prevent future tensions. This knowledge can contribute to improving mediation efforts and make power sharing a more viable undertaking. By regarding mediation as an integral process to peacebuilding and to change mediation designs when applicable, conflict can be addressed in a more sustainable way that will bring long-term benefits.
Open Access
The rise of populism within the Economic Freedom Fighters in South Africa: a theoretical case study of anti-establishment, economic inequalities and cultural backlash
(University of Cape Town, 2020) Carstens, Joshua; Jolobe, Zwelethu
Populism is on the rise in many developed and developing countries and uprooting established party systems. In South Africa, research has shown that the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) can be seen as our turn towards populism, but what fuels the rise of the party? This dissertation argues that an anti-establishment stance entices citizens to vote for the EFF and economic inequalities and a cultural backlash makes our society fertile ground for a populist party. In this theoretical case study, international populism theory from especially Inglehart and Norris is applied to the local context to show why the aforementioned factors can explain the rise of populism.
Open Access
The securitisation of ethnic identities and the 1993 genocide in Burundi: an interpretative case study
(2021) Goll, Anna Lena; Jolobe, Zwelethu
This dissertation investigates the 1993 Genocide of Burundi's Hutu and Tutsi population as the product of the securitisation of ethnic identities. By utilising an International Security Studies approach in combination with a Fanonian conception of colonial society, this dissertation provides an alternative interpretation as to why the genocide occurred. At heart of its analysis is the question of ‘how did ethnic identities in Burundi become securitised?', which it seeks to answer through a qualitative research design based on the interpretative case study method. By reconstructing particular representations of enmity in historical perspective, the dissertation locates the crux of the Burundian tragedy in the emergence of ethnicised discourses on security. Incidentally, the interpretative analysis reveals a convergence in the subject matter of African Studies and International Security Studies that presents a promising potential for further research. The explorative approach of this dissertation may be of interest to scholars in Conflict Studies, African Studies, International Security Studies, Political Science, and anyone fascinated by the small African country.

Browsing by Author "Jolobe, Zwelethu"

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