Gathering as resistance in the Nama and Damara community
Posted: 20 December, 2024 Filed under: Sinqobile Makhathini | Tags: colonial legacies, cultural heritage, cultural preservation, culture, Damaraland, economic empowerment, holistic Indigenous healing, home-based abortions, Indigenous practices, medicinal knowledge, Nama people, Namibia, traditional healing practices, Western medical standards 1 Comment
Author: Sinqobile Makhathini
Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation
It was the middle of winter, and all nineteen of us sat in our polypropylene chairs – closely arranged, our eyes fixed on Ouma Dudu as she took out her bag filled with indigenous herbs and medicines from the Damara people. She unrolled each herb one by one, laying them out in her black bag. Some were stored in old Nola containers for preservation. Chairs creaked as we leaned forward, curiosity and excitement narrowing the space between us.
As Ouma introduced us to various medicines – like Sã-i, used for good luck and as a perfume, and ǃNãu/aru, a remedy for bladder infections, period pains, and even as an abortifacient – our smiles grew wider, and the room filled with eager whispers. With each revelation, our curiosity deepened. Yet, when the demonstration ended, a deeper question lingered. For the Khoisan communities present, this gathering meant more than just learning; it marked a step towards healing from a long history of violence that has scarred the Nama and Damara. Was this gathering the very ‘work in motion’ that Athambile Masola (2020) calls ukuzilanda, the act of reclaiming oneself by engaging with collective histories? The notion of remembering oneself through telling intimate stories of our past?
Gender and the Bifurcation of Paid and Unpaid Care Work
Posted: 14 November, 2024 Filed under: Sinqobile Makhathini | Tags: African Societies, Beijing +30, child-rearing, colonialism, cooking, domestic work, elder care, feminised poverty, formal employment, gender dynamics, gendered labour, International Day of Care and Support, low wages, paid employment, socio-economic factors, unpaid care work, voluntary community work 1 CommentAuthor: Sinqobile Makhathini
Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation
The 29th October marked the International Day of Care and Support, and this year’s theme focused on transforming care systems to achieve Beijing +30. This occasion prompts us to critically examine the dynamics of gendered labour and the ongoing disparity between paid and unpaid care work in Southern Africa.
According to the United Nations, unpaid care work encompasses all unpaid services provided by individuals within a household or community to benefit its members. This includes activities like cooking, cleaning, collecting water and fuel, and caring for children, older persons, and individuals living with illnesses or disabilities. Voluntary community work, such as operating community kitchens or childcare services, also qualifies as unpaid care work.
The Status of Citizenship for Black Women in Post-Apartheid South Africa
Posted: 13 May, 2024 Filed under: Lesego Sekhu, Sinqobile Makhathini | Tags: African feminists, African women, apartheid, “face of poverty”, black women, discrimination, economic exploitation, heteropatriarchal systems, historical injustices, inequality, national oppression, post-colonial identity, racial division, South Africa, unemployment, women's rights 1 Comment |
Author: Lesego Sekhu Research Assistant, Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation |
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Author: Sinqobile Makhathini Research Assistant, Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation |
As we reflect on the celebration of International Women’s Month in March and motion towards the upcoming 2024 elections, which will be held on 29 May 2024, it is a significant time to critically reflect on Black women’s citizenship and positionality in post-apartheid South Africa.
Brief history
Historically, Black people have experienced second-class citizenry within the social, economic, and political landscape of South Africa. During apartheid, racial division was the primary strategy of ‘otherness’ that was exemplified by racialised citizen status that was reserved for white races, while the Black majority were systemically excluded from the imagination of the state. Equally, gender played a role in the divisions of labour, access to resources, and experiences of systematic violence that show apartheid as equal parts racial and equal parts gendered.
AfricLaw 