Africa Insight - latest Issue

This paper assesses indigenous knowledge systems used by women in rural subsistence farming in Africa. The focus is on indigenous knowledge systems that help farmers to survive and mitigate the adverse effects of climate change. They apply this knowledge in the absence of modern technology to grow crops and raise livestock and poultry. A survey of literature revealed various indigenous technologies that women use in crop, livestock and poultry production. The analysis of indigenous knowledge systems includes seed and breed selection, seed protection and preservation, weeding and intercropping, free-range farming and the use of indigenous technologies in livestock and poultry treatment. Science and technology should benefit rural women: they should be able to use appropriate technologies, and to upgrade their technical skills and increase their knowledge of sustainable agriculture.

The ethno-religious conflict that resulted from the Seleka rebellion of 2012–2013 has had serious implications for social cohesion in the Central African Republic (CAR). The purpose of this study was to examine the reasons for the current decline of social cohesion (albeit already weak) in the CAR and to explore the opportunities that are available to enhance cohesion. Using a qualitative research strategy, three sources of social erosion in the CAR were identified: insecurity, the undemocratic nature of CAR regimes, and the polarising nature of the international environment. To effectively address the challenges to social cohesion in the CAR, it is recommended that concrete efforts be made to promote democracy.

The Africa Peace and Security Architecture (APSA) was established by the African Union (AU) in 2002 to promote the AU’s fundamental principles on peace, security and stability in Africa. The APSA was further established to guard the behavior of Member States in conformity to these principles and norms. The APSA is the operational structure for the effective implementation of decisions taken on conflict prevention, peacemaking, peace support operations, peace-building and post-conflict reconstruction. Its mandate reflected the shift from state-centric security to human security, which is widely accepted at the continental level. The APSA through its Peace and Security Council has, since its inception, dealt with issues relating to human development, promoted democratic practices, good governance and respect for human rights, humanitarian action and the management of disasters. This paper reflects on the performance of the APSA in order to establish whether it has made any difference in the area of peace and security in Africa since its inception. The paper found that the APSA has been unable to uniformly apply its rules to shape the behavior of Member States. This has greatly disadvantaged the Architecture in terms of its credibility with Members as an impartial arbiter. Despite this negative, great strides have been made by the APSA in delivering on its mandate to promote peace, security and stability in Africa.

The United Nations Mission in Somalia (UNSOM)1 implements United Nations Security Council resolutions. The UNSOM supports the Somali Federal Government (SFG) and combines formality with informality in facilitating transnational power and legitimacy claims. While informal interactions sustain internal legitimacy, formal transnational alliance coordination protects the SFG. Building on qualitative data collected between 2012 and 2016, and an analysis of 45 interviews and three focus groups, this paper proposes empirically grounded, theoretical perspectives involving the UNSOM, Somali politicians and traditional elders. Although the three main actors engage with formal bureaucratic exchanges, such actors also pursue informal transnational connections.

This study makes a critical investigation into the efficacy of the Bakweri chieftaincy of the south-west region of Cameroon in the sustainable transformation of contemporary conflicts. The Bakweri people have a rich culture of indigenous mechanisms for mitigating conflicts. However, most of them have been overshadowed by modern state structures in the contemporary era of globalisation. The study found that the Bakweri chieftaincy faces numerous challenges in contemporary times. Among others, it is marred by corruption, a leviathan state and the impact of immigration into the local communities. These undermine Bakweri customs, including respect for its traditional institutions. Despite this, the study concludes that as an indigenous African institution, the chieftaincy holds great potential for the restorative and sustainable resolution of disputes.

This article argues that the establishment of higher education in South Africa was part of the grand colonial project. However, with the inauguration of a democratic dispensation such in-congruent institutions had to undergo re-orientation in order to suit and be relevant to the imperatives of a new society. In light of this, the paper looks at the attestations around the critical issue of transformation of higher education by comparing four major theories in terms of their rhetorical pronouncements and representations. Having identified a more suitable theory in terms of its explanatory power, the paper concludes that it is no longer justifiably acceptable for the Western epistemological paradigm and institutional cultures to retain primacy and dominance in the new South Africa.

In contemporary developing countries, the Sustainable Livelihoods Approach (SLA) has increasingly been employed in policy and development intervention designs that focus on poverty reduction. This article investigates the SLA’s diagnostic potential as a framework that can guide development interventions and policy designs for A1 farms that were acquired under the Fast-track Land Reform Programme (FTLRP) in Zimbabwe, specifically in Chiredzi. It suggests that livelihood strategies, including diversification and risk-spreading behavior, are imperative in A1 farming. Such livelihood strategies have, however, often been hindered by inappropriate sector-based policies. With a perceptible withdrawal of the government from A1 farming, the remaining informal livelihood strategies may now be even more valuable. The article concludes that adopting the SLA as a framework for policy and development designs can promote the role and function of A1 farming in the wider rural economy in Zimbabwe.

Peace and development hang on resources for personal and collective sustenance. This study sought to establish the relative influence of the water access policy on peace, development and livelihood sustenance in rural communities. The study was situated in Mhondoro- Ngezi, rural Zimbabwe. With the aid of the phenomenology research design, a thematic analysis of data from semi-structured interviews and observations was undertaken. The policy implementation theoretical framework was used to contextualise water policies in development and community livelihood sustenance. The results revealed neglect by policy makers to implement water access and development instruments. Although community people said they used informal practices to access water, it was not sufficient for their production needs. Findings suggest that water access policies, if implemented collaboratively with the community, are instruments for community peace.

This is not only the most comprehensive biographical piece of writing on Pixley Ka Isaka Seme, but also corrects a number of inaccuracies contained in other writings. That Seme is a phenomenal historical figure is undoubted. He was among the first black lawyers in South Africa and led the initiative to form the African National Congress (ANC) in 1912. Yet, there is very little written about him. Documents about him include journal articles by Chris Saunders, a short sketch by Richard Rive and Tim Couzens, and master’s dissertations by Marvin Faison and Michael Ndlovu. All these writings focused on different aspects of Seme’s life, and some contained inaccuracies that were repeated in my other subsequent writings, and assumed a veneer of truth.