NOTE FROM THE EDITOR CONTRIBUTORS TO THIS EDITION The University of Johannesburg acquired The Thinker in April 2019 f rom Dr Essop Pahad. Over the last decade, The Thinker has gained a reputation as a journal that explores Pan-Af rican issues across fields and times. Ronit Frenkel, as the incoming editor, plans on maintaining the pan-Af rican scope of the journal while increasing its coverage into fields such as books, art, literature and popular cultures. The Thinker is a ‘hybrid’ journal, publishing both journalistic pieces with more academic articles and contributors can now opt to have their submissions peer reviewed. We welcome Af rica-centred articles f rom diverse perspectives, in order to enrich both knowledge of the continent and of issues impacting the continent. - All contributing analysts write in their personal capacity Prof Ronit Frenkel Nathan Chapman Nathan Chapman is a PhD Sociology student at the University of the West Indies, St. Augustine campus, Trinidad and Tobago. His PhD and MSc thesis focuses on Frame Case, a notion whereby rogue police officers maliciously charge or accuse residents of a crime by tampering with evidence. His research interests also include coloniality, gender and migration studies. He theoretically positions within a decolonial lens in the pursuit of social justice and disentangling eurocentrism within praxis. Samia Chasi Samia Chasi has more than 20 years of experience in higher education internationalisation as practitioner, scholar and facilitator. She currently serves as Manager: Strategic Initiatives, Partnership Development and Research at the International Education Association of South Af rica (IEASA) and is a Research Fellow at the University of the Free State (UFS). Her research interests lie in Global South perspectives on higher education internationalisation, with a particular focus on North-South collaboration and partnerships. David du Toit David du Toit is a senior lecturer at the Department of Sociology at the University of Johannesburg. In 2019, he received his PhD in Sociology f rom the University of Stellenbosch. He is currently teaching third-year Social Science Research Methodology, Honours Sociology of Work and Labour Markets and SPSS for MA students at UJ. He has supervised ten successful MA students on topics ranging f rom emotional labour, domestic work and the gig economy. He has published several articles on outsourcing, paid domestic work, the private security sector and emotional labour. Steven Friedman Steven Friedman is Research Professor in the Humanities Faculty, University of Johannesburg. He is a political scientist who specializes in the study of democracy. He has written widely on South Af rica’s transition to democracy and on the relationship between democracy , social inequality and economic growth. He has stressed the role of citizen voice in strengthening democracy. He is the author of Building Tomorrow Today, a study of the South Af rican trade union movement and its impact on democracy. His study of South Af rican radical thought Race, Class and Power: Harold Wolpe and the Radical Critique of Apartheid was published in 2015, his examination of democratic theory, Power in Action: Democracy, Citizenship and Social Justice in 2018 and his discussion of South Af rica as a path dependant democracy, Prisoners of the Past, in 2021. Emmarica Houlder Emmarica Houlder is an MSc. Sociology student at the University of the West Indies, St. Augustine campus, Trinidad and Tobago, Her current research for the MSc. thesis focuses on the pandemic experiences V o l u m e 8 9 / 2 0 2 1 and realities for marginalised groups in Trinidad and Tobago. She is passionate about the economic instability and injustice tied to social hierarchies and is determined to change such realities. George Hull George Hull is a senior lecturer and NRF Y1-rated researcher in the Philosophy Department, University of Cape Town. He lectures on Political Philosophy, Philosophy of Race, Business Ethics and History of Philosophy. Together with Jimmy Winfield and Greg Fried, he co-authored Business Ethics and Other Paradoxes: How Philosophy Answers Questions About the Ethics of Business (Fairest Cape Press, 2014). He is editor of The Equal Society: Essays on Equality in Theory and Practice (Lexington Books, 2015) and Debating Af rican Philosophy: Perspectives on Identity, Decolonial Ethics and Comparative Philosophy (Routledge, 2019). He has published essays in academic journals and collections on topics including transitional justice, democracy, reification, social equality, affirmative action, higher education funding and South Af rican literature. Samuel Igba Samuel Igba is a Researcher and PhD student of Political Science at the University of Pretoria, and the Centre for Mediation in Af rica. His research focuses on statebuilding, peacebuilding and the use of force by security agencies in Af rica. He has a background at undergraduate level in Peace and Conflict studies, and a Masters in Diplomatic Studies. He also has experiences working at government and intergovernmental organizations across Af rica including the United Nations (UN), and the Economic Community of West Af rican States (ECOWAS). Emmaculate Asige Liaga Emmaculate Asige Liaga is an associate post- doc researcher at the Centre for Af rican Studies, University of Basel, and a visiting researcher at the Centre for Conflict, Development and Peacebuilding (CCDP), Graduate Institute Geneva. Her work is on the analysis of conflict resolution mechanisms and nexus of local and adaptive approaches in intervention of peacebuilding in Af rica. Emmaculate is also a senior researcher at the Centre for Conflict and Peace Af rica (CCPA), South Af rica, where she conducts policy research on peacebuilding in Af rica. Her research interests include peace and security f rom below, conflict resolution, agency of communities in policymaking, and international relations theories (critical theories and marginalized theories). Sangeeta Maharaj Sangeeta Maharaj is an MSc. Sociology graduate of the University of the West Indies, St. Augustine campus, Trinidad and Tobago. Her research for the MSc. thesis includes issues of sexual violence, where her focus was on exploring how women work through the socio- cultural trauma associated with that experience. She is an advocate for domestic violence survivors and intends to pursue NGO work to assist victims. Zilibele Mtumane Zilibele Mtumane is Professor and Head of the Department of Af rican Languages and School of Languages at the University of Johannesburg. He holds the degree of DLitt et Phil f rom the University of South Af rica, specialising in Af rican languages. He also has the Higher Education Diploma f rom the University of Fort Hare and Diploma in Translation f rom the University of South Af rica. He has presented a number of academic papers in various national and international conferences, where he chaired sessions as well. He has authored and co-authored over twenty five articles in various accredited journals. He has also authored three books and co-published two. Apart f rom publishing, he is a regular adjudicator for various accredited journals and has edited (and evaluated) book manuscripts for various publishing houses. Mtumane has supervised a number of postgraduate students, some of whom passed cum laude. He is also external examiner of both undergraduate and postgraduate students for various universities. He is a member of various professional and academic organisations. Theo Neethling Theo Neethling obtained a DLitt et Phil in International Politics f rom the University of South Af rica in 1992. He CONTRIBUTORS TO THIS EDITION T H E T H I N K E R has held the position of Professor in the Department of Political Studies and Governance at the University of the Free State since 1 April 2009. He also served as Head of Department f rom April 2009 to June 2020. He is rated as an ‘established researcher’ by the South Af rican National Research Foundation (since 2009) and his research interests concern Af rica’s international relations; South Af rica’s foreign relations; security and politics in the Af rican context; and Af rican futures. Anton M. Pillay Anton M. Pillay is a UJ Humanities PDRF. He completed his MA and PhD under the supervision of Prof Chris Landsberg, the South Af rican Research Chair on Af rican Diplomacy and Foreign Policy. He is also affiliated with the Centre for Academic Development based at the Vaal University of Technology. Melanie Seeberan Melanie Seeberan is an MPhil Sociology student at the West Indies, St. Augustine campus, Trinidad and Tobago. Her research for the MSc and MPhil thesis include issues of intimate partner violence. Additionally, she focuses on bullying among high school students and advocates for policies to reform social issues plaguing the T&T socio-cultural environment. Ruth Nozibele Tabu is the Principal of Inxiweni Primary School at Tembisa township, in Gauteng. She holds the degree of Master of Arts in Af rican languages, f rom the University of Johannesburg. She also has the Junior Primary Teachers’ Diploma f rom the former Daveyton College of Education. Her research interests include Af rican literature and culture. She has co-authored one other article published in an accredited journal; South Af rican Journal of Af rican Languages. Buck Whaley Buck Whaley is studying toward an MA in Social Impact Assessment at the University of Johannesburg. He completed his Honours Degree in Social Anthropology f rom the University of Cape Town. Alongside his MA, Buck is a second-year sociology tutor. This would be Buck’s first published journal article. With a strong writing background and varied interests, he hopes this will be his first of many to come. Tlhabane Mokhine ‘Dan’ Motaung Tlhabane Mokhine ‘Dan’ Motaung is a former student and youth activist. He has published articles in the mainstream media and chapters in edited volumes. He currently works as a civil servant. His interests include classical antiquity, history (South Af rican, Af rican, and world), as well as international political economy, classical and philosophy Af rican philosophy. V o l u m e 8 9 / 2 0 2 1 CONTRIBUTORS TO THIS EDITION