To date, the vast literature on theories of psychology, and psychology as a practice, still remains a reflection of Western experiences and conceptions of reality. This is so despite "psychology" and "psychotherapy" being studied and implemented by Africans, dealing with Africa's existential issues, in Africa. In this context, a distorted impression that positions psychology and psychotherapy as irreplaceable and irrefutable Western discoveries is created. This perception creates a tendency in which psychotherapists adopt and use universalised, foreign and imposed theories to explain and deal with African cultural experiences. In recent years, African scholars' quest to advance "African-brewed" conceptions, definitions and practices of "psychology" and "psychotherapy" is gaining momentum. Psychologists dealing with African clients are increasingly confronted with the difficulty, and in some instances the impossibility, of communicating with, and treating local clients using Western conceptions and theories. Adopting the dominant Western epistemological and scientific paradigms constitutes epistemological oppression and alienation. Instead, African conceptions, definitions and practices of "psychology" and "psychotherapy" based on African cultural experiences, epistemology and ontology are argued for. The thesis defended in this study is that the dominant Western paradigm of scientific knowledge in general and, psychology in particular, is anchored in a defective claim to neutrality, objectivity and universality. To demonstrate this, indigenous ways of knowing and doing in the African experience are counterpoised against the Western understanding and construction of scientific knowledge in the fields of psychology and psychotherapy. The conclusion arising from our demonstration is the imperative to rethink psychology and psychotherapy in order to (i) affirm the validity of indigenous African ways of knowing and doing; (ii) show that the exclusion of the indigenous African ways of knowing and doing from the Western paradigm illustrates the tenuous and questionable character of its epistemological and methodological claims to neutrality, objectivity and universality. Indeed the Western claim to scientific knowledge, as described, speaks to its universality at the expense of the ineradicable as well as irreducible v ontological pluriversality of the human experience. This study's aim is to advance the argument for the sensitivity to pluriversality of be-ing and the imperative for wholistic thinking. / Psychology / D. Phil. (Psychology)

Text in Afrikaans / Bophuthatswana het gedurende 1977 tot stand gekom as 'n onafhanklike staat. In die Grondwet daarvan is 'n uitvoerige menseregtehandves vervat wat as hoogste reg gegeld het - alle wetgewing in stryd daarmee was nietig. Die hoop was dat Bophuthatswana sou ontwikkel as 'n groeipuntvir die handhawing van menseregte in Suidelike Afrika. Aanvanklik het die howe gevolg gegee aan die bepalings van die menseregtehandves. Algaande is daar teruggekeer na 'n letterknegtige soeke na die wil van die wetgewer, wat daartoe gelei het dat die burger se menseregte deur die howe misken is. Die laaste beslissings van die howe verteenwoordig 'n terugkeer na die ware rol van die howe in 'n menseregtebestel. Die Wetgewende en Uitvoerende gesag was outokraties en het geen besef gehad van die essensie van menseregte nie. Die ondervinding in Bophuthatswana is grootliks dieselfde as elders in Afrika, waar menseregte vertrap is. Teen hierdie agtergrond word die grondwetlike toekoms van Suid-Afrika in oenskou geneem. / Bophuthatswana came into existence as an independent state during 1977. A justiciable bill of rights provided for judicial review. The hope existed that Bophuthatswana would be a growing point for the protection of human rights in Southern Africa. Although earlier judgments of the courts were promising and augured well for the future protection of human rights later judgments have reverted to the positivistic approach to constitutional interpretation. This led to the bill of rights being rendered inoperative. However, in the latest and most recent judgements there was a return to the bold and innovative interpretation of the first decisions. The legislative and executive branches of state was autocratic to the core as experienced elsewhere in Africa. The constitutional future of South Africa is evaluated against this background. / Law / LL.M.

Text in Afrikaans / Bophuthatswana het gedurende 1977 tot stand gekom as 'n onafhanklike staat. In die Grondwet daarvan is 'n uitvoerige menseregtehandves vervat wat as hoogste reg gegeld het - alle wetgewing in stryd daarmee was nietig. Die hoop was dat Bophuthatswana sou ontwikkel as 'n groeipuntvir die handhawing van menseregte in Suidelike Afrika. Aanvanklik het die howe gevolg gegee aan die bepalings van die menseregtehandves. Algaande is daar teruggekeer na 'n letterknegtige soeke na die wil van die wetgewer, wat daartoe gelei het dat die burger se menseregte deur die howe misken is. Die laaste beslissings van die howe verteenwoordig 'n terugkeer na die ware rol van die howe in 'n menseregtebestel. Die Wetgewende en Uitvoerende gesag was outokraties en het geen besef gehad van die essensie van menseregte nie. Die ondervinding in Bophuthatswana is grootliks dieselfde as elders in Afrika, waar menseregte vertrap is. Teen hierdie agtergrond word die grondwetlike toekoms van Suid-Afrika in oenskou geneem. / Bophuthatswana came into existence as an independent state during 1977. A justiciable bill of rights provided for judicial review. The hope existed that Bophuthatswana would be a growing point for the protection of human rights in Southern Africa. Although earlier judgments of the courts were promising and augured well for the future protection of human rights later judgments have reverted to the positivistic approach to constitutional interpretation. This led to the bill of rights being rendered inoperative. However, in the latest and most recent judgements there was a return to the bold and innovative interpretation of the first decisions. The legislative and executive branches of state was autocratic to the core as experienced elsewhere in Africa. The constitutional future of South Africa is evaluated against this background. / Law / LL.M.

To date, the vast literature on theories of psychology, and psychology as a practice, still remains a reflection of Western experiences and conceptions of reality. This is so despite "psychology" and "psychotherapy" being studied and implemented by Africans, dealing with Africa's existential issues, in Africa. In this context, a distorted impression that positions psychology and psychotherapy as irreplaceable and irrefutable Western discoveries is created. This perception creates a tendency in which psychotherapists adopt and use universalised, foreign and imposed theories to explain and deal with African cultural experiences. In recent years, African scholars' quest to advance "African-brewed" conceptions, definitions and practices of "psychology" and "psychotherapy" is gaining momentum. Psychologists dealing with African clients are increasingly confronted with the difficulty, and in some instances the impossibility, of communicating with, and treating local clients using Western conceptions and theories. Adopting the dominant Western epistemological and scientific paradigms constitutes epistemological oppression and alienation. Instead, African conceptions, definitions and practices of "psychology" and "psychotherapy" based on African cultural experiences, epistemology and ontology are argued for. The thesis defended in this study is that the dominant Western paradigm of scientific knowledge in general and, psychology in particular, is anchored in a defective claim to neutrality, objectivity and universality. To demonstrate this, indigenous ways of knowing and doing in the African experience are counterpoised against the Western understanding and construction of scientific knowledge in the fields of psychology and psychotherapy. The conclusion arising from our demonstration is the imperative to rethink psychology and psychotherapy in order to (i) affirm the validity of indigenous African ways of knowing and doing; (ii) show that the exclusion of the indigenous African ways of knowing and doing from the Western paradigm illustrates the tenuous and questionable character of its epistemological and methodological claims to neutrality, objectivity and universality. Indeed the Western claim to scientific knowledge, as described, speaks to its universality at the expense of the ineradicable as well as irreducible v ontological pluriversality of the human experience. This study's aim is to advance the argument for the sensitivity to pluriversality of be-ing and the imperative for wholistic thinking. / Psychology / D. Phil. (Psychology)