Sibonsile Zibane

The restructured South African family law system emphasized mediation as an alternative dispute resolution for marriage and divorce matters. However, the dominant family mediation knowledge is rooted in Western paradigms, overlooking the complexities, culture, traditions, and philosophical basis of Indigenous African family and marriage systems. Rooted in African studies’ principles of reclaiming and validating African-centered knowledge, this study explores how family mediation is constructed and enacted in Indigenous Zulu marriages. African-centred mediation drawing on a qualitative exploratory design, the study uses data from interviews with 14 purposively selected participants, including 9 senior community members and 5 community leaders. It examines how Indigenous African families understand and practice mediation, its timing and context, and the key role of players involved. Contrary to Western-centered mediation, which is initiated by a professional unfamiliar with the family, time-bound process, the findings reveal that Indigenous African mediation is relational, intergenerational, and deeply embedded in cultural practices. In Indigenous Zulu Communities, family mediation is not initiated as a response to a marriage dispute but begins during the initial phase of love negotiations ( ukushela ). It forms part of marriage’s spiritual, communal, and historical dimensions, framing it as a heritage site where the departed, the living, and future generations converge.

South Africa is a country with 11 official languages. However, teaching and learning in South African universities continue to be dominated by a language that was imposed by colonialism. Drawing on a broader doctoral study which explores students’ experiences of (de)coloniality in post-apartheid education, this article reports on how access to education is hindered by the absence of indigenous languages as languages of learning and teaching. This article is based on data that was collected through in-depth individual interviews with 10 social work graduates. In a setting dominated by English, graduates spoke of their hardships in accessing education. Framed within the Afrocentric paradigm and anti-colonial theory, the article calls for the advancement of African indigenous languages in South African universities as part of the transformation agenda. The article draws attention to a need for the university community to commit to the formulation and implementation of language policies that promote translanguaging.

The number of female drug users has been on the rise in South Africa, with statistics reflecting a rise in the number of women who attend treatment centres annually. This article presents empirical data from a broader qualitative study which aimed to explore perceptions concerning the effectiveness of aftercare programmes for female recovering drug users. The main data source was transcripts of in-depth interviews and focus groups with both service users and service providers from a designated rehabilitation centre in Gauteng, South Africa. Framed within a biopsychosocial-spiritual model, this article explores the perceptions and meanings which the female recovering drug users and the service providers attach to aftercare programmes. The findings of the research outlined the range of factors promoting recovery, alongside noteworthy suggestions for improvement in aftercare services. While acknowledging multiple influences on behaviour, this article highlights the significance of these findings in planning and implementing holistic aftercare programmes.