Oral History Journal of South Africa最新文献

{"title":"Understanding the Traditional and Contemporary Purpose of the Njelele Rainmaking Shrine through the Oral Testimonies of Local People in Matobo","authors":"Sindiso Bhebhe","doi":"10.25159/2663-6670/4015","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.25159/2663-6670/4015","url":null,"abstract":"The Njelele shrine is located in the Matobo Hills, an area that has been declared a world heritage site. The site of the Njelele shrine is of paramount spiritual significance in Zimbabwe, and it is visited annually between August and September for ritual purposes just before the rain season begins. The rituals are not limited to rainmaking but also relate to, for example, asking for forgiveness after society’s wrongdoings and asking for cures for diseases. During the liberation struggle in Zimbabwe, this shrine was consulted by politicians and liberation fighters, and, in contemporary times, war veterans still consult the Ngwali oracle. It is believed that many years ago a voice came from the Njelele rocks but that it has since disappeared because of the disrespect people have shown to the area. This article conveys the views of the local community about the traditional and contemporary purposes of the Njelele national shrine, and in so doing aims to provide some insight into these people’s views. It also looks at the diverse values that different interest groups attach to the site. The researcher mainly used oral testimonies as sources of information but also consulted some published sources.","PeriodicalId":384256,"journal":{"name":"Oral History Journal of South Africa","volume":"23 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2019-10-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"130395254","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Pension Funds in South Africa: Leadership Challenges","authors":"M. Makina","doi":"10.25159/2663-6670/4154","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.25159/2663-6670/4154","url":null,"abstract":"Service delivery in South Africa is a topical issue. What comes to mind immediately is the government’s ability (or inability) to provide basic services, such as running water, electricity, flushing toilets and tarred roads, to citizens. This line of thinking can be squarely attributed to the political history of South Africa. The country’s struggle for liberation was not limited to political freedom; the struggle was for economic freedom as well. Historically, the exclusion of Africans from mainstream economic opportunities also extended to pension benefits paid out upon retirement from active employment. Before 1994, only white beneficiaries had representation on boards of pension funds, but thereafter, Africans enjoyed full representation in pension funds in terms of leadership roles. However, many pension funds have recently been rocked by scandals resulting from poor leadership. We are reminded of the prophecy of O. R. Tambo that South Africa will experience a leadership crisis after achieving liberation. The aim of this article is to focus attention on the pension funds industry, which appears to suffer from a paucity of leadership. In the context of this article, pension funds are focused on as an aspect of service delivery as it can be regarded as a way of eradicating poverty among the historically disadvantaged. The author argues that if pension funds are administered properly, they have the potential to contribute to the eradication of poverty among historically disadvantaged communities. This argument is elucidated by the information provided by widows who are beneficiaries of pension funds in the Greater Sekhukhune District municipal area and by retired pension fund members with whom interviews were conducted. A focus-group discussion was also held with trustees employed in the Greater Sekhukhune District Municipality.","PeriodicalId":384256,"journal":{"name":"Oral History Journal of South Africa","volume":"163 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2019-10-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"131180646","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"O. R. Tambo in the Period of the ANC’s Illegality","authors":"P. Mangashe","doi":"10.25159/2663-6670/3872","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.25159/2663-6670/3872","url":null,"abstract":"Oliver Reginald Tambo’s life is best known by his association with the African National Congress (ANC) and the struggle for liberation, and as having been the foremost leader of the ANC for most of the period of its illegality. Most accounts, however, do not mention O. R. Tambo’s religious beliefs, and in this they pass off an opportunity to highlight what could have been the source of his individual strength, his spirituality. It is this spirituality that this article seeks to highlight and whose depth it seeks to explore. It aims to show that Tambo’s personal religious beliefs were infused with his political outlook and concludes that this composite belief system provided the strength he exuded throughout his service to the struggle for liberation in South Africa. The article looks at how he related to and influenced those he came into contact with, both inside his organisation, the ANC, its military wing Umkhonto We Sizwe (MK), the broader alliance, and those who were outside his close political realm. It looks at how he exercised his leadership qualities, born of his beliefs, under the pressures thrown up by the struggle, and finally how he grasped the moment at the point of the conclusion of that phase of the struggle. This article is informed by a number of sources, including books written on the subject by scholars, those who shared space with O. R. Tambo, some of his speeches, interviews, and occasionally the author’s own experience as part of the MK contingent from the late 1970s.","PeriodicalId":384256,"journal":{"name":"Oral History Journal of South Africa","volume":"1 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2019-10-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"129977715","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Freedom Charter, Women's Charter, Memories, and (Un)freedoms","authors":"Kogielam K. Archary","doi":"10.25159/2663-6670/4057","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.25159/2663-6670/4057","url":null,"abstract":"More than 60 years ago, South African women declared their aim of striving for the removal of all laws, regulations, conventions and customs that discriminated against women and that deprived them in any way of their inherent right to the advantages, responsibilities and opportunities that society offered to any one section of the population. Women do not form a society separate from men. There is only one society, and it is made up of both women and men. Against this backdrop, after 60 years, and with a Women’s Charter and Freedom Charter in place, there are many issues that still need to be addressed, highlighted and referred to. On the agenda is the investigation of unresolved women’s issues so as to pave the way for emancipation from the (un)freedoms that still prevail. On August 9, 1956, more than 20 000 women marched to the Union Buildings in Pretoria to protest against the extension of women’s pass laws. This march, organised by the Federation of South African Women, has been recorded as one of the largest demonstrations staged in this country’s history. Women have played an important role in building a better South Africa. They should be protected against abuse, violence and discrimination, and they must be valued and respected in order to uphold the vision of building a non-racist, non-sexist and prosperous South Africa. Against this background, celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Women’s Charter and 25 years of freedom indicates that change should have taken place over the last six decades. However, the liberation, education and management of South African women within the paradigm of political, legal, economic and social challenges need to be investigated and documented.","PeriodicalId":384256,"journal":{"name":"Oral History Journal of South Africa","volume":"2 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2019-10-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"124047696","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Contribution of Prof. H. W. E. Ntsan'wisi in the Development of the Mhala Area","authors":"Harold Lekhuleni","doi":"10.25159/2663-6670/3983","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.25159/2663-6670/3983","url":null,"abstract":"This article is based on the presentation that the author made at a conference that was organised by the Oral History Association of South Africa (OHASA) and that was held in Mthatha, Eastern Cape on October 12, 2017. The theme of the conference was “Oliver Reginald Tambo in Memoriam: Reminiscing on a Centenary of Struggle.”","PeriodicalId":384256,"journal":{"name":"Oral History Journal of South Africa","volume":"246 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2019-10-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"117184018","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The Origin of the Wentzel family of the Strand Muslim Community","authors":"E. Rhoda","doi":"10.25159/2663-6670/4775","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.25159/2663-6670/4775","url":null,"abstract":"No abstract","PeriodicalId":384256,"journal":{"name":"Oral History Journal of South Africa","volume":"2 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2019-06-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"117167024","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Hlengwe Memories of the Zimbabwean Liberation Struggle, 1975–1979","authors":"T. H. Chisi","doi":"10.25159/2309-5792/4889","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.25159/2309-5792/4889","url":null,"abstract":"The Hlengwe of the south-eastern lowveld of Zimbabwe are a minority group with a war history that remains largely unwritten. In Zimbabwe a lot has been written about the liberation struggle, covering the heroic acts and suffering of the Shona and Ndebele ethnic groups at the hands of colonial soldiers, but very little has been mentioned about minority groups such as the Hlengwe. Using oral evidence collected through interviews during the time of field research for my PhD thesis between 2014 and 2016, I analyse, in this article, memories of the Hlengwe about their participation in the struggle and their suffering at the hands of both the colonial soldiers and the liberation fighters or guerrillas. These memories reveal that the much-celebrated liberation struggle also had its “dark” side, which has been glossed over by most nationalistic scholars and patriotic historiography.","PeriodicalId":384256,"journal":{"name":"Oral History Journal of South Africa","volume":"102 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2019-04-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"133785458","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Utilising Indigenous Knowledge or Crime against Humanity?: A Critical Engagement with the Debate Generated by Alick Macheso’s Use of Manhood to Treat Nhova (Sunken Fontanelle)","authors":"C. Tembo, Allan T. Maganga, Peterson Dewah","doi":"10.25159/2309-5792/3856","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.25159/2309-5792/3856","url":null,"abstract":" This article presents various points of view regarding the treatment of sunken fontanelle by various communities as ignited by the controversial practice of kutara(a practice that involves the father of a child sliding his penis from the lower part of the left and right cheeks to the top of the head, as well as from the lower part of the face to the top of the head, and from the lower back part of the head to the top). The story of Alick Macheso’s use of his manhood to treat nhova (sunken fontanelle) opened a Pandora’s box. The story not only attracted the attention of critics from diverse cultural and ethical backgrounds, but revealed multi-ethnic positions. That is, reactions were steeped in a multiplicity of intellectual, religious and even cultural grounding. Reactions ranged from accusations of backwardness and absurdity, through to medical and Christian orientations toward the treatment of nhova. The overarching idea is that there is a general tendency to dismiss the age-old practice of kutara,coupled with an uncritical celebration of certain positions. The debate that ensued following publication of the story seemed to revolve around ethical considerations. The school of thought that dismisses kutara with disdain regards it as unethical and unimaginable in the present-day world—it is redolent with insinuations of absurdity on the part of those that live and celebrate it. We contend that the raging debate that followed the publication of the story can best be conceptualised within the context of African ethics. We note that kutara has relevance to the spirituality, ethical values, privacy, and protection of children’s rights, among other ethical issues. It is hoped that the article will stir further debate and encourage more research among information practitioners, scholars and researchers into the ethical issues surrounding the treatment of sunken fontanelle in various African communities. It argues for an Afrocentric conceptualisation of phenomena in order to contribute to debates on the renaissance of African cultures, and stresses that it is imperative to harness the life-furthering age-old traditions in African ontological existence.","PeriodicalId":384256,"journal":{"name":"Oral History Journal of South Africa","volume":"128 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2019-04-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"133988315","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Fragment of an Oral History of Opposition to the 1986 Paramilitary Overthrow of Chief Leabua Jonathan’s Government","authors":"M. Thabane","doi":"10.25159/2309-5792/3979","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.25159/2309-5792/3979","url":null,"abstract":"In January 1986, the Lesotho Paramilitary Force (LPF) overthrew the Basotho National Party (BNP) government of Chief Leabua Jonathan. In the aftermath of the coup d’état, Major General Justin Metsing Lekhanya led a military government with a civilian cabinet made up of individuals, some of whom, like Major General Lekhanya himself, were members of the BNP. The coup followed years of (a) general fear in the country as a result of acts of political violence and brutality perpetrated by the BNP Youth League against individuals and groups considered as anti-BNP government; and (b) the BNP government’s vociferous support of the struggle against apartheid in regional and international forums. Against that background, the overthrow of Chief Jonathan’s government was welcomed on the one hand by the people of Lesotho—happy to be rid of the BNP Youth League terror—and on the other hand by the South African government—happy to be rid of a fierce critic, Chief Jonathan, whose small country greatly depended on the South African economy. Indeed, the South African government was known to have encouraged the overthrow of Chief Jonathan’s government. This article presents oral testimonies about the events around, and opposition to, the coup. In this way, it seeks to draw attention to the experiencesof those who could be said to have failed, as opposed to the stories of the victors, which tended to dominate writings on the 1986 coup","PeriodicalId":384256,"journal":{"name":"Oral History Journal of South Africa","volume":"48 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2019-04-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"130633772","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Indigenous Medical Knowledge and the Experiences of ZIPRA Guerrillas in Zimbabwe’s Liberation Strugg","authors":"Joshua Chakawa","doi":"10.25159/2309-5792/3878","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.25159/2309-5792/3878","url":null,"abstract":"This article aims to examine the importance of indigenous medical knowledge during the 1970s when guerrillas from the Zimbabwe People’s Revolutionary Army (ZIPRA) negotiated their way to the front to fight the Rhodesian white minority regime. From the 1960s until the ceasefire at the end of 1979, ZIPRA was one of the two liberation movements that waged war to liberate Zimbabwe. This article traces the experiences of guerrillas who moved from the Zambian side of the Zambezi Valley into Rhodesia. The terrain that the guerrillas had to navigate on foot was punctuated by many devastating and life-threatening challenges. Some of these included malaria, sleeping sickness, venereal diseases, snake bites, mental disorders, injuries and even fatigue. Given that the guerrillas had no hospitals and other medical facilities at their disposal, it is important to establish how local knowledge assisted them to survive, especially when ailments struck them. The purpose of this study was to determine the role the fighters’ knowledge of indigenous medicines played in dealing with these difficulties. The author collected information by conducting interviews with former ZIPRA guerrillas who had operated in Zimbabwe during the war. Some civilians who were in ZIPRA operational areas were also interviewed. The importance of the study lies in understanding the continued use and existence of indigenous medical remedies in Zimbabwe. Findings from the study are valuable in widening knowledge horizons on indigenous medical knowledge as a useful alternative in times of need.","PeriodicalId":384256,"journal":{"name":"Oral History Journal of South Africa","volume":"3 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2019-04-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"130421305","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}