Doctor Educationis / This study investigates how two groups of African pupils, namely the low and high performers in standard 9 mathematics classes in some high schools in Mangaung, construct meaning of their African cultural, individual African identity and performance in mathematics respectively. The observation underpinning this investigation is that social structural factors have not gained much attention in research as bases for explaining differentiated performance in mathematics, hence this study. To arrive at the findings mentioned below, the study used three quantitative instruments namely Mboya's Self-Description Inventory II (MSDI-II), Rotter's I-E scale and Tuekman's Mathematics Attitude Scale (MAS). Four hundred pupils who constituted the sample that responded to these questionnaires were controlled as to confounding variables like, gender, social class, exposure to mathematics and future aspirations relating to this subject. MSDI-II and Rotter's I-E Scale accessed data relating to signification of African individual identity while MAS and one of MSDI-Il's subscale, Maths Ability were 'triangulated' to access data relating to signification of performance in Mathematics. To triangulate findings on these two variables as well as to allow the sampled pupils' voices to be heard, discourse analysis was conducted on the open interviews with the two groups of low and high performing pupils in their respective schools. This qualitative approach also enabled the study to access information relating to signification of African Cultural Identity. No quantitative instrument was found suitable for this purpose. Although the study is careful not to make strong causal inferences between meaning construction (signification) and performance, the results show that (i) low performers are not sure about whether they are Africans or not since according to them African cultural identity implies an obsolete and primitive way of doing things. They are unable to identify with this. High performers see African Cultural Identity as involving lived experiences which challenge them to transform their despised status as Africans (ii) Low performers are not as positive as high performers about Africanness (individual identity) and (iii) they are also not positively inclined towards mathematics and their own ability to perform well therein, while high performers are very positive as they see doing well in mathematics as an act of struggle that would enable them to improve their social standing and that of other Africans. On the basis of the above the study is able to conclude that low performers construct meaning of the mentioned factors in agreement with the dominant discourses that see Africanness as being primitive, incompetent and unable to adequately comprehend the intricacies of modem day subjects like mathematics. High performers on the other hand tend to contest this negative definitions about what it means to be an African (identity, culture and performance in mathematics). They are thus positioned within counter-hegemonic ideology and discourses in as far as their meaning construction is concerned. Grounded on the above findings and conclusions, the study recommends that efforts should not be spared to enable the low performers (and/or pupils at risk of failing) to adopt positive meaning making strategies of high performers. These strategies may be accompanied by enhanced positive feelings about self and what one is capable of, which may in tum also impact positively on performance in mathematics, in particular. The research further argues that this goal may be achieved through curriculum enrichment, guidance, counselling and teaching, couched in the framework of African Renaissance. Therefore further research needs to be conducted that will elaborate clearly (i) what the implications of African Renaissance are on education, teaching, learning and mathematics curriculum in particular, (ii) what are the most effective means of transferring high performers' strategies of meaning construction to the low performers in the context of African Renaissance and (iii) how to strengthen and further sustain the positive meaning making strategies among high performers. Recommendations relating to curriculum enrichment in the context of Curriculum 2005 and Outcomes Based Counselling are also made as well as suggestions for future relevant research based on the concepts generated in this research.

Comment se penser Africain au XXIe siècle, tout en étant à la fois héritier d’une histoire travestie, et désireux de dépasser les imaginaires stéréotypés générés par ladite histoire ? Cette question suggère que l’héritage colonial, précisément « la raison nègre » – laquelle est composée de deux approches distinctes, à savoir « la conscience occidentale du Nègre » et « la conscience nègre du Nègre » –, fait l’objet d’une critique. Cette critique qui se veut « objective », prône un humanisme de « l’en-commun » qui transcende l’« universalisme abstrait » occidental qui avait fait de l’Europe le centre du monde. Plusieurs discours, qui convergent vers un but commun, dévoilent une écriture qui s’investit dans la déconstruction des représentations et des imaginaires culturels forgés par l’Occident : ils interrogent le rapport Afrique-Monde et la perception identitaire en tenant compte de l’évolution historique des sociétés de ce continent. La plupart des essais et des fictions littéraires d’Achille Mbembe, d'Alain Mabanckou, de Léonora Miano, de Célestin Monga et de Fatou Diome révèlent que la race, le Nègre et le mot « Afrique » sont des fabriques, lesquelles ont été mobilisées en faveur de la traite atlantique. Ce processus de mise en fiction de l’altérité africaine semble encore d’actualité démontrant à cet effet que la condition des Africains à notre époque serait étroitement liée au passé colonial. Une analyse à la fois poétique et sociocritique des textes, mettant en avant des études croisées de ces œuvres, lesquelles confrontent les différentes perspectives, s’avérait indispensable. Dans la mesure où l’avortement des indépendances africaines occasionné par les anciennes puissances coloniales en complicité avec leurs alliés africains, les « plaies sociales » sévissant quotidiennement en Afrique et l’immigration africaine sans cesse croissante en direction des pays occidentaux indiquent que les rapports Afrique-Occident, en particulier, ne paraissent pas encore sereins ni « équitables ». D’après ces écrivains, l’identité africaine – à laquelle ils s’intéressent et qu’ils conçoivent comme une donnée flexible – s’est nourrie des multiples rencontres de l’Afrique avec principalement l’Occident, donnant ainsi naissance à une africanité inclusive : favorable à l’ouverture de l’Afrique au monde et à l’intégration du monde en Afrique. / How can we consider ourselves African in the twenty-first century when we are both the heirs of a disguised history and willing to go beyond the stereotyped imaginaries inherited from it? This question suggests that the colonial inheritance, precisely the "Negro reason", which is composed of two distinct approaches, namely "the Negro's Western consciousness" and "the Negro's negro consciousness", is submitted to criticism. That criticism – allegedly "objective'' – advocates an "in-common" humanism that transcends the "Western abstract universalism" which had placed Europe at the centre of the world. Several discourses that converge on a common purpose reveal a writing that is based on the deconstruction of the Western representations and stereotyped cultural imaginaries. They investigate the Africa-World relationship and the concept of identity taking into account the historical evolution of societies from this continent. Most of the literary essays and fictions by Achille Mbembe, Alain Mabanckou, Leonora Miano, Celestin Monga and Fatou Diome show that the race, the Negro and the word "Africa" are factories that were mobilized for the Atlantic trade. This process of putting the African otherness in fiction is still current. Indeed, it demonstrates that Africans' conditions today would be closely linked to the colonial past. A poetic and socio critical analysis of these texts, by highlighting cross-studies of these works which compare different angles, appeared necessary. In so far as the interruption of African independences caused by the former colonial powers in complicity with their African allies named the "social plagues" operating daily in Africa and the ever-increasing African immigration towards Western countries, indicate that the relationships between Africa and the Westerners in particular seem neither serene nor "equitable" yet. According to these writers, the African identity – in which they are interested in and which they consider as flexible data – has been nourished by the multiple encounters of Africa with the West mainly; thus giving birth to an inclusive Africanity: suitable to the opening of Africa to the world and the integration of the world into Africa.

Text in Afrikaans / Die portefeulje Verdediging het vanaf 1948 tot 1959 besondere eise aan F.C. Erasmus gestel. Hy moes 'n parate en doeltreffende Unieverdedigingsmag, wat Suid-Afrika teen moontlike kommunistiese aggressie kon verdedig, daarstel. Hy moes ook die Nasionale Party se verdedigingsbeleid, tot nag toe abstrakte beginsels vervat in die partyprogram, implementeer. Erasmus het die Mag d.m.v. 'n ingrypende hervormingsprogram met 'n Suid-Afrikaanse identiteit beklee en Afrikaanssprekendes in groat getalle daarheen gelok. Nieteenstaande die beperkte hulpbronne tot die land se beskikking en sterk kritiek teen hom, het Erasmus Suid-Afrika se verdediging met rasse skrede laat vooruitgaan. Hy het die organisasie, opleiding en krygstuig van die Mag uitgebou en gemoderniseer, en ook die grondslag van 'n onafhanklike, plaaslike krygstuigvervaardigingsbedryf gele. Voorts het Erasmus 'n prominente rol in Suid-Afrika se internasionale militere strategie gespeel. Hy bet onvermoeid gepoog om die Europese koloniale moondhede te oorreed om 'n Afrika-verdedigingsorganisasie op die been te bring. 'n Hoogtepunt van sy dienstermyn aan die internasionale front was Brittanje se oordrag van Simonstad aan Suid-Afrika. / The Defence portfolio placed heavy demands on F.C. Erasmus from 1948 to 1959. He had to transform the South African armed forces into an efficient and combat ready Union Defence Force. He also had to implement the National Party's defence policy, which hitherto consisted of abstract principles contained in the party's political programme. Erasmus made far reaching changes to the Union Defence Force, furnishing it with a distinct South African identity. Despite criticism against him and the country's limited resources Erasmus improved South Africa's defence significantly. He modernized the organization, training and equipment of the Union Defence Force and established the basis for an independent local armaments industry. Erasmus also played a prominent role in South Africa's international military strategy. He laboured unceasingly to persuade the European colonial powers to enter into an African defence alli~nce. One of his greatest achievements is the transfer of Simonstown to South Africa. / History / M.A. (Geskiedenis)

Text in Afrikaans / Die portefeulje Verdediging het vanaf 1948 tot 1959 besondere eise aan F.C. Erasmus gestel. Hy moes 'n parate en doeltreffende Unieverdedigingsmag, wat Suid-Afrika teen moontlike kommunistiese aggressie kon verdedig, daarstel. Hy moes ook die Nasionale Party se verdedigingsbeleid, tot nag toe abstrakte beginsels vervat in die partyprogram, implementeer. Erasmus het die Mag d.m.v. 'n ingrypende hervormingsprogram met 'n Suid-Afrikaanse identiteit beklee en Afrikaanssprekendes in groat getalle daarheen gelok. Nieteenstaande die beperkte hulpbronne tot die land se beskikking en sterk kritiek teen hom, het Erasmus Suid-Afrika se verdediging met rasse skrede laat vooruitgaan. Hy het die organisasie, opleiding en krygstuig van die Mag uitgebou en gemoderniseer, en ook die grondslag van 'n onafhanklike, plaaslike krygstuigvervaardigingsbedryf gele. Voorts het Erasmus 'n prominente rol in Suid-Afrika se internasionale militere strategie gespeel. Hy bet onvermoeid gepoog om die Europese koloniale moondhede te oorreed om 'n Afrika-verdedigingsorganisasie op die been te bring. 'n Hoogtepunt van sy dienstermyn aan die internasionale front was Brittanje se oordrag van Simonstad aan Suid-Afrika. / The Defence portfolio placed heavy demands on F.C. Erasmus from 1948 to 1959. He had to transform the South African armed forces into an efficient and combat ready Union Defence Force. He also had to implement the National Party's defence policy, which hitherto consisted of abstract principles contained in the party's political programme. Erasmus made far reaching changes to the Union Defence Force, furnishing it with a distinct South African identity. Despite criticism against him and the country's limited resources Erasmus improved South Africa's defence significantly. He modernized the organization, training and equipment of the Union Defence Force and established the basis for an independent local armaments industry. Erasmus also played a prominent role in South Africa's international military strategy. He laboured unceasingly to persuade the European colonial powers to enter into an African defence alli~nce. One of his greatest achievements is the transfer of Simonstown to South Africa. / History / M.A. (Geskiedenis)

This thesis is an endeavour to participate in the call for the African Renaissance from a missiological perspective. The study observes how the debate about this African ‗dream‘ persists in the domain of intellectuals and political leaders. It recognises as timely the opportunity to contribute theologically to the development of the renaissance concept. It also observes that ordinary people have jumped onto the African Renaissance bandwagon albeit for reasons that are mainly sentimental. Hence a two-fold appeal to protagonists of the African Renaissance movement: firstly, to be inclusive of all stakeholders especially ordinary people who should be both participants and co-beneficiaries; secondly, to consider spirituality as an indispensable factor in birthing this African ‗dream‘. To help arrive at a well-considered argument the study discusses a brief history of Africa‘s economic, social and political development. Central to this history is how the human factor, actively or inadvertently, and the natural factors have devastated the continent thus necessitating a rebirth. The study notes how especially the political economy and issues of good governance of African states are key concerns to the protagonists of the renaissance movement. It also notes the establishment of structures and policies in addressing these concerns. These interventions are hoped to improve the continent‘s image towards its global counterparts and to lift the hopes of distraught African peoples. The prospect of their success in terms of probabilities and/or perceptions is discussed and Missiologically critiqued. An overview of these endeavours has led to the observation of a lingering chasm of the absence or the apparent sidelining of African spirituality as a necessary component of the African Renaissance discourse. As a major thrust of this thesis the spiritual notion of ‗rebirth‘ is advanced. The basis for this argument lies in the ‗rebirth‘ concept that is inherent in many religions, faith formations and philosophies akin to African spirituality. It is on this understanding that a Missiological dimension is build. In introducing this spiritual dimension towards an African Renaissance a Missiological methodology of a seven pointed praxis cycle is proposed and unpacked. In deconstructing this methodology real models are presented as examples to illustrate Missiology‘s contextual life-long learning philosophy. / Christian Spirituality Church History and Missiology / D. Th. (Missiology)

With the advent of Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy (HAART), people with the human immune deficiency virus (HIV) infection are increasingly enjoying longer and relatively healthy lives, particularly in developed countries. However, black Africans and African-Caribbean people in the United Kingdom and other developed countries are not yet enjoying the full benefits of HAART, essentially as a result of delayed diagnosis. Delayed diagnosis, in addition to affecting the health of infected individuals, also creates a community reservoir for the spread of the infection; thereby hampering prevention and control strategies by international and NHS guidelines. The delayed diagnosis may be grounded in individual, societal and health service factors that guide help-seeking behaviours of black African and African-Caribbean populations. This study set out to investigate the help-seeking behaviours to diagnose HIV and AIDS among UK based black African and African-Caribbean people, and to investigate the dynamics in those behaviours by place of origin (Africa vs. Caribbean) and by gender. A qualitative methodological approach involving semi-structured interviews was used to explore help-seeking behaviours to diagnose HIV and AIDS among black Africans and African-Caribbean populations in the UK and compared by gender. Thirty (30) purposively selected individuals from patients attending two sexual health clinics in the city of London were interviewed. These included 16 black Africans and 14 African-Caribbean people, and 16 men and 14 women. The symbolic interactionist perspective, and the concepts of broken narratives/silences, biographical disruption and biographical abruption guided the study and interpretation of findings. One main theme ‘Africanness’ and two sub-themes (“African way” and “African thing”) emerged from the findings. The “African way” embodies the risk factors involved in contracting or transmitting HIV and the “African thing” represents the HIV status itself. This is a cultural construction of HIV and AIDS within the acceptable context of participants which helped them to talk about HIV and AIDS without addressing it by the biomedical idiom. The notion of ‘Africanness’ provided a ‘marker’ for African identity. The “African thing” represented a new landscape for naming HIV without necessarily calling it by name and provided a comfortable platform for participants to seek help. The “African way” described the risk behaviours by participants that resulted in the “African thing”. Three sociological concepts; ‘broken narratives or silences, biographical disruption and biographical abruption were key issues in HIV and AIDS diagnosis at a late stage and have formed the basis for the development of a model of help-seeking for diagnosis by participants. Apparently, the main determinants of help-seeking for diagnosis of HIV and AIDS are dependent on cultural factors. Stigma is reinforced by the national health care system practices as well as health professionals themselves. This potentially increases the reluctance among black African and African-Caribbean populations to voluntarily test for HIV. An HIV diagnosis is seemingly a challenging experience because of the impending uncertainties associated with it. Seeking help for diagnosis may even be more difficult because of the anticipated and unpleasant experiences along the path to diagnosis. This may guide the individual to consider other alternatives outside the biomedical pathway, potentially; the biomedical path becomes the least likely choice, especially with black African and African-Caribbean populations. An insufficient cultural understanding is likely to result in inadequate recognition of alternative medical practices, insufficient attention to alternatives to biomedical health systems and potential distortion of the meaning of health messages linking them to practice.

This thesis is an endeavour to participate in the call for the African Renaissance from a missiological perspective. The study observes how the debate about this African ‗dream‘ persists in the domain of intellectuals and political leaders. It recognises as timely the opportunity to contribute theologically to the development of the renaissance concept. It also observes that ordinary people have jumped onto the African Renaissance bandwagon albeit for reasons that are mainly sentimental. Hence a two-fold appeal to protagonists of the African Renaissance movement: firstly, to be inclusive of all stakeholders especially ordinary people who should be both participants and co-beneficiaries; secondly, to consider spirituality as an indispensable factor in birthing this African ‗dream‘. To help arrive at a well-considered argument the study discusses a brief history of Africa‘s economic, social and political development. Central to this history is how the human factor, actively or inadvertently, and the natural factors have devastated the continent thus necessitating a rebirth. The study notes how especially the political economy and issues of good governance of African states are key concerns to the protagonists of the renaissance movement. It also notes the establishment of structures and policies in addressing these concerns. These interventions are hoped to improve the continent‘s image towards its global counterparts and to lift the hopes of distraught African peoples. The prospect of their success in terms of probabilities and/or perceptions is discussed and Missiologically critiqued. An overview of these endeavours has led to the observation of a lingering chasm of the absence or the apparent sidelining of African spirituality as a necessary component of the African Renaissance discourse. As a major thrust of this thesis the spiritual notion of ‗rebirth‘ is advanced. The basis for this argument lies in the ‗rebirth‘ concept that is inherent in many religions, faith formations and philosophies akin to African spirituality. It is on this understanding that a Missiological dimension is build. In introducing this spiritual dimension towards an African Renaissance a Missiological methodology of a seven pointed praxis cycle is proposed and unpacked. In deconstructing this methodology real models are presented as examples to illustrate Missiology‘s contextual life-long learning philosophy. / Christian Spirituality Church History and Missiology / D. Th. (Missiology)

PhD (African Studies) / Centre for African Studies / African authors play a significant role in passing on African folklore. Their writing is often influenced by their lived experiences and the social context embedded within folklore. Folklore houses the cultural beliefs, customs and traditions of a society and is passed on from one generation to the next through oral and written literature. Many African authors’ works instil an appreciation of people’s African identity, customs and beliefs. The aim of this study was to explore the extent to which folklore had influenced the writings of four selected African authors: Chinua Achebe, a renowned author from Nigeria, Ngũgĩ wa Thiongʹo from Kenya, Es’kia Mphahlele and Andrew Nkadimeng, both from South Africa. These African authors, who chose to write their stories in English rather than in their African language, were influenced by the folklore they were exposed to in their upbringing. The objective of the study was to identify various aspects of folklore and demonstrate how folklore had remained entrenched in the writings of these African authors, despite the fact that they were telling their stories in the English language. The research was qualitative in nature and a hermeneutic research method was used to describe and interpret the meaning of texts as used by the authors and to explore the influence of folklore in the text. The study will be a useful resource for teachers in the Further Education and Training (FET) band in schools (grade 10 to 12) which includes folklore studies as part of its syllabus. Currently, folklore is studied in schools only in terms of Oral Literature. However, Oral Literature is just one aspect of folklore, as is discussed in this study. The study will also contribute towards efforts to re-establish Africans’ dignity and identity / NRF