Introduction: Food, an inquiry I seek to provoke deeper inquiries into the centrality of food, food substances, food and the spectacular, and ways of and the sub-texts of serving and consuming food, as well as the ways of imagining food in Zimbabwean politics. Globally, food has become an increasingly contested site for re/thinking about power, […]
by Chris Joubert Back in 2014 when my friend told me about the CSA&G volunteer training he was doing, I saw it as a pointless distraction. A few weeks later, we both had a large gap between our classes, and he had to attend a catch-up session at the Centre. I went with him to this […]
Excerpt from a forthcoming CSA&G monograph by Mary Crewe Folks, we either have a country or we don’t[1] Earlier in 2020, Paul Simon recorded from isolation, American Tune for Til Further Notice 03/19/2020: I don’t know a soul who’s not been battered I don’t know a friend who feels at ease I don’t know a dream […]
by Pierre Brouard I have been having contradictory feelings about loss and Covid-19. On the one hand there is a sense that the virus has caused so many losses. Not only the obvious loss of life, or the losses of economic and other forms of certainty (noting certainty is ephemeral anyway), or the loss of […]
By Gabriela Pinheiro Introduction Throughout the month of April 2020, a quick and random survey of various social media and online news platforms has revealed a curious trend. At this time, the rapid spreading of COVID-19 has resulted in a coronavirus pandemic, killing more than 100 000 people globally[1]. Most of the world’s citizens are now […]
by Vickashnee Nair I sit alone on my couch in the quiet and warm flat that I share with my partner. The roads are quiet, except for the occasional truck that delivers goods to the shopping complex adjacent to where we live. Sometimes a car darts by and the sound of rain patters down to remind […]
by Pierre Brouard More than ever, as we grapple with a virus which is causing so much fear, shame is a key tool for social control, and an often dangerous one. This was certainly true for the Polish professor with Covid-19, Wojciech Rokita.[1] Rumours had spread – both online and in local media – that […]
by Vickashnee Nair The roads are ghostly, not a single pedestrian or car. This is an odd sight and sound for me as usually these roads are bustling with honking cars with differing ideas of how a traffic circle works. I miss the chattering of women walking by, holding packets full of groceries with small […]
By Vickashnee Nair What makes a person a leader is complex, especially during crises such as the one we all face at this point in history. Why leadership matters now In these times, leaders can seek to emerge, and those that have been longstanding leaders are tested. This goes beyond the obvious examples of presidents, […]
by Christi Kruger Something of an opportunity appeared to show up for President Cyril Ramaphosa and his government amidst the crisis of Covid-19. Being the president of any country during a global pandemic is certainly not an enviable position; yet for Ramaphosa, the moment might have presented an opportunity to truly assert and entrench his power. […]