Advance Search

Ideological objectives underpinning imbizo as a model of communication and governance

Keywords:
Copyright and Licensing:
Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

Share:

How to Cite

Ideological objectives underpinning imbizo as a model of communication and governance. (2022). Communicare: Journal for Communication Studies in Africa, 25(2), 103-125. https://doi.org/10.36615/jcsa.v25i2.1749
  • Articles
  • Submited: October 19, 2022
  • Published: October 20, 2022

Abstract

In 2001, the South African government adopted an imbizo (plural: izimbizo) as a model of
communication. Imbizo is a Zulu word for a traditional community gathering called by the chief to
solve pertinent community issues. The word imbizo has its variants in many African languages
in South Africa, e.g. pit o in Sepedi, kgotla in Setswana and Sesotho. In African indigenous
communities, imbizo is used as a platform to resolve pertinent community challenges through
honest engagement between the subjects and leadership. In this article, the ideological nuances
of the government’s decision in 2001 to appropriate imbizo as a model of communication and
governance are explored. It is argued that, at face value, imbizo is presented by government as
a communication and governance model to deepen participatory democracy and public participation
especially for the poor. It is argued in this article that the government’s appropriated imbizo appears
to be used to deepen the ideological positions of the government and ruling party, the African
National Congress (ANC) amongst the masses. It is further argued in this article that an imbizo
is used by government of South Africa for the attainment of four interrelated ideological objectives.
• It is a vehicle to advance the political strategy of the ANC.
• It is used as an expression of the African Renaissance paradigm.
• Imbizo expresses the ideology of African unity.
• It is used as a manifestation of participatory democracy

Pdf.
Pdf.

Article Metrics Graph

Article Views | PDF Downloads
Chart Graph | Range Graph

References

  1. Adejumobi, S. (2000). Engendering accountable governance in Africa. A commissioned paper for the regional workshops on Democracy forum. Switzerland.
  2. ANC (African National Congress). (1994). Reconstruction and Development Programme: African National Congress Policy Framework. Johannesburg: Umanyano.
  3. ANC (African National Congress). (1996). Speech delivered by the ANC Deputy President, Thabo Mbeki, on the occasion of the adoption of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa. Cape Town: Parliament, May 1996.
  4. ANC (African National Congress). (1997). Strategy and Tactics of the ANC for 50th National Conference. Mafikeng, July 1997.
  5. Ayeye, J.R.A. (2000). Participation. Paper presented at a two-day workshop on Democracy, Poverty and Social Exclusion: Is Democracy, the Missing Link, organised by DPMF and International IDEA, held at Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on 15th-16th May 2000.
  6. Bennet, T., Martin, G., Mercer, C., & Woollacott, J. (Editors). (1986). Culture, ideology and social processes: A reader. London: Batsford Academic and Educational Ltd in association with The Open University Press.
  7. Blakenberg, N. (1999). In: On search of a real freedom: Ubuntu and the media. Critical Arts, 13(2): 42-65. https://doi.org/10.1080/02560049985310121
  8. Chinyowa, K.C. (2005). Manifestations of play as aesthetic in African theatre of development. Unpublished doctoral thesis. Griffith University.
  9. Curran, J., Gurevitch, M, & Woollacott, J. (1984). Mass communication and society. London: Edward Arnold in association with The Open University Press.
  10. Derrida, J. (1988). Signature event context, Limited Inc abc… and Afterword: Toward an ethic of discussion. Evanston, IL: Northwestern University Press.
  11. Derrida, J. (1992). Afterw.rds: or, at least, less than a letter about a letter less. Translated by Geoffrey Bennington, in N Royle (Editor). Afterwords. Tampere, Finland: Outside Books.
  12. De Villiers, S. (2003). A people's government. The people's voice: A review of public participation in the law and policy-making process in South Africa. Parliamentary Support Programme.
  13. Donelly, D. (2001). Media and democracy in Botswana: The Kgotla and Globalization, in Tomaselli,
  14. K. and Dunn, H. (Editors). Media, democracy and renewal in Southern Africa. Denver: International Academic Press: 269-280
  15. Epskamp, K. (1989). Theatre in search of social change. The relative significance of different theatrical approaches. The Hague: Centre for the Study of Education in Developing Countries (CESO).
  16. Epskamp, K. & Boeran, A. (1992). The empowerment of culture: development communication and popular media. The Hague: Centre for the Study of Education in Developing Countries (CESO). Esterhuyse, W. The normative dimension of future South African political development. Edited by van Vuuren, D, Wiehahn, N E, Rhoodie, N J & Wiechers, M. In: South Africa in the nineties. Pretoria: HSRC Publishers
  17. Garham, N. (1995). Political economy and cultural studies: reconciliation or divorce? Critical Studies in Mass Communication, 12 (62).
  18. https://doi.org/10.1080/15295039509366919
  19. Government of South Africa. (2000). Municipal Systems Act of 2000. Pretoria: Government Printers.
  20. Government of South Africa. (1998). Municipal Structures Act of 1998. Pretoria: Government Printers.
  21. Government of South Africa. (2004). Speech delivered by the President of the Republic of South Africa, Thabo Mbeki, on the occasion of Opening of Parliament. Cape Town, 21 May 2004.
  22. Hall, S. (2002). The west and the rest: discourse and power. In S. Schech and J Haggis (Editors). Development: A cultural studies reader: Oxford: Blackwell.
  23. Haverkamp, A. (1995). Deconstruction is/in America: a new sense of the political. New York: New York University Press.
  24. Higgs, P. (1999). A reconstruction of South African philosophy of education. Interchange, 30(2). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1007666117791
  25. Hoppers, C. A. (2001). Indigenous knowledge and the integration of knowledge systems: toward a conceptual and methodological framework. A comparative study of the development integration and protection of knowledge systems in the Third World. Pretoria: Human Sciences Research Council.
  26. Joseph, J & Roberts, J.M. (Editors). (2004). Realism discourse and deconstruction. London: Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203300473
  27. Kerr, D. (1995). African popular theatre: From pre-colonial times to the present. Oxford: James Currey.
  28. Kerr. D. (2001). Media and democracy in Botswana: The Kgotla as Myth. Practice and Postcolonial communication paradigm. In Tomaselli, K. and Dunn, H. (Editors). Media, democracy and renewal in Southern Africa. Denver: International Academic Press: 255-266.
  29. Kidd, R. & Colletta, N. (Editors). (1980). Tradition for development: Indigenous structures and folk media in non-formal education. Berlin: German Foundation for International Development and International Council for Adult Education.
  30. Kotze, J.C. (1993). In their shoes: Understanding Black South Africans through their experiences of life. Cape Town: Juta.
  31. Laden, S. (2003). Who is afraid of a black bourgeoisie? Consumer magazines for black South Africans as an apparatus of change. London: Sage Publications, 3(2): 191-216. https://doi.org/10.1177/14695405030032003
  32. Littlejohn, S.W. (1989). Theories of human communication. Berlmont, California: Wardsworth Publishing.
  33. Loesberg, J. (1991). Aestheticism and deconstruction: Peter, Derrida, and de man. New Jersey: Princeton University Press.
  34. https://doi.org/10.1515/9781400862214
  35. Makgoba, W. (Editor). (1999). African Renaissance. Cape Town: Mafube.
  36. Mbigi, L. & Maree, J. (1995). Ubuntu: the spirit of African transformation management. Johannesburg: Knowledge Resources (Pty) Ltd.
  37. Mbiti, J. S. (1970). African religions and philosophy. London: Heinemann.
  38. Mlama, P.M. (1991). Culture and development: The popular theatre approach in Africa. Uppsala: The Scandinavian Institute of African Studies.
  39. Motshekga, N. (1999). The dawn of the African century: The African origin pf philosophy and science. Halfway House: Kara publishers.
  40. Netshitenzhe, J. (2003). Editorial Comment. In Bua Magazine. A quarterly magazine for government communication. Pretoria: Government Communications.
  41. Ndebele, N. (2002). The social bases of values for South Africa: Prospects and challenges. In New Agenda, South African Journal of Social and Economic Policy. 5 (1): 49-55.
  42. Pokela, J. (2001). Towards freedom. In Maharaj, M. (Editor). Reflections in Prison. Cape Town. Zebra and Robben Island Museum.
  43. Prah, K. (1996). Beyond the colour line: pan-Africanist disputations. Johannesburg: Vivlia.
  44. Rantete, J. (1998). The African National Congress and the negotiated settlement in South Africa. Pretoria: Van Schaik.
  45. Royle, N. (Editor). (1995). After Derrida. New York: Manchester University Press.
  46. Royle, N. (Editor). (2000). Deconstructions: A user's guide. New York: Palgrave. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-137-06095-2
  47. Seliger, M. (1976). Ideology and politics. London: Allen & Unwin.
  48. Sheehan, H. (2000). Interview with Jeremy Cronin. a Member of the Parliament of South Africa, Member of the National Executive of the African National Congress, and Deputy Secretary General of the South African Communist Party. South Africa, Cape Town.
  49. Suttner, R. (2003). Culture(s) of the African National Congress of South Africa: Imprint of exile experiences. Journal of contemporary African studies https://doi.org/10.1080/02589000305450
  50. Strelitz, L. (2001). Global media/local meanings. Communicatio, South African Journal of Communication Theory, 27(2).
  51. https://doi.org/10.1080/02500160108537905
  52. Teffo, L.J. (2000). Africanist thinking: an invitation to authenticity. In Higgs, P., Vocalise, N.A.G., Mda, T.V., and Assis-Lumumba, N.T (Editors). African voices in education. Cape Town: Juta.
  53. Terreblanche, S.J. (1999). The ideological journey of South Africa: From the RDP to the GEAR macroeconomic plan. Address at a special ME99 workshop on Globalisation, Poverty, Women and Church in South Africa held on 16 February 1999.
  54. Zima, P.V. (2002). Deconstruction and critical theory. London: Continuum.
How to Cite
Ideological objectives underpinning imbizo as a model of communication and governance. (2022). Communicare: Journal for Communication Studies in Africa, 25(2), 103-125. https://doi.org/10.36615/jcsa.v25i2.1749

Send mail to Author

Send Cancel

Similar Articles

You may also start an advanced similarity search for this article.

Custom technologies based on your needs

  • ORCID
  • Crossref
  • PubMed
    • Clarivate