Volume 2 (2013)

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Violation and the inscription of opposites in the Homeric Hymn to Demeter and Bram Stoker’s Dracula
(University of Namibia, 2012) Harford, Carolyn
Part of the power of myths and symbols is held to lie in their capacity to encompass opposites. This paper proposes that the mythologem of a male violation of a virginal female victim is inscripted to represent the opposites of fertility and infertility in the Homeric Hymn to Demeter and Bram Stoker’s Dracula, which represent the rape of Persephone by Hades and the vampiric attack on Lucy Westenra by Dracula, respectively. The opposition emerges partly in the fate of the victim. In the Homeric Hymn, Persephone is taken from above ground to the underworld by Hades, an allegory of the planting of the corn seed, which further symbolizes the cycle of fertility in which life emerges from death, as indicated by Kerényi (2002a). In Dracula, Lucy Westenra does not make this journey. When she dies after Dracula’s attack, she is not truly dead, neither above nor below, but trapped in the middle, as one of the Undead. This version of the mythologem may thus be said to represent infertility. This conclusion may be sharpened in the light of a common reading of Dracula as refl ecting the anxieties of Bram Stoker’s Victorian society about women’s sexuality. Lucy’s transformation into a vampire is accompanied by an increased sexual boldness towards the men around her. This voluptuousness suggests unchastity, the “fate worse than death”, represented by the fate of being undead. Unchastity in this light is opposed to, not fertility perse, but to socially sanctioned fertility.
Sociolinguistic meaning of Bantu place names : The case of Ruhaya in north-western Tanzania
(University of Namibia, 2012) Buberwa, Adventina
This paper examines the sociolinguistic meaning behind the adoption of place names in Ruhaya, the language spoken in north-western Tanzania. The paper based on the assumption that place names are not arbitrary labels but are connected with particular social-cultural phenomena such as community heroes or persons who made notable contributions to the society or people who had achieved particular notoriety or events that had come to be considered unique. These would be reflected in what the name was derived from in the appropriate time and place (appropriate context). The paper reveals that Ruhaya place names have meanings which tend to be derived from phenomena such as names of unique people, events, fauna, flora, crops raised, habitation information, natural terrain and activities carried out in the area to which the name is given. Also, place names in Ruhaya have meanings relating to parts of the human body such as hip, nape, tongue, breast and heart. As language advance, it was necessary to explore such sociolinguistic elements as an important contribution to the growing body of sociolinguistics and linguistics knowledge relating to languages spoken in Tanzania and Africa in general.
Genitals are assets: Sexual and reproductive behaviours of street children of Harare, Zimbabwe, in the era of the HIV and Aids pandemic by Watch Ruparanganda. Umbreit: LAP Lambert Academic Publishing, 2011, pp 303.
(University of Namibia, 2012) Chirere, Memory
Watch Ruparanganda’s book, Genitals are Assets: Sexual and Reproductive Behaviours of Street Children of Harare, Zimbabwe, in the era of the HIV and Aids Pandemic, is extremely thought provoking and will make you want to laugh and cry at the same time. It explores the sexual and economic relations amongst the street children of Harare, Zimbabwe, in a language that is effortless and compelling. This is a book for both the deep academics and ordinary readers. Underneath everything else, this book goes into important theoretical and methodological debates about power differentials between men and women in society.
Writers and teachers as agents of social change
(University of Namibia, 2012) Broekhoff, Marna
Despite idealistic intentions, teachers at all levels and in most subjects are often accused of fostering Western hegemony and linguistic imperialism. However, a unique writing project in the southern African country of Namibia demonstrates that teachers can become agents of social change. One part of this project is an anthology of writings by indigenous women about their struggles with HIV and AIDS. Because AIDS has become a pandemic, now afflicting more than 35 million people worldwide, this anthology from Namibia, produced by the Women’s Leadership Centre, provides both a local and global (or “glocal”) orientation to the problem. It demonstrates the value of English in promoting health and human rights issues and more generally of empowering marginalized populations. It is also a supreme example of auto-ethnography, an account of one’s own experiences as grounded in and reflecting a culture, which has become a cutting-edge form of qualitative research. This paper explains how this “grass roots” writing project works and how to replicate it and develop relevant curriculum in other settings. A Reading Guide and high school curriculum have already been created, providing authentic, contextualized, and culturally appropriate materials for consciousness-raising activities focusing on reader response to social concerns, as well as for a typical language lesson.
Land and racial domination in Zimbabwe: An African-centred critical analysis of selected post-2000 Zimbabwean-authored novels
(University of Namibia, 2013) Magosvongwe, Ruby; Nyamande, Abner
The article makes an African-centred analysis selected post-2000 Zimbabwean authored novels that narrativise the land experiences in the country. The African-led land occupations of white-owned commercial farms in Zimbabwe from the late 1990s have necessitated the study and revisiting of the land question in Zimbabwe (formerly Rhodesia). The process that has been defended by the Government as part of the necessary land redistribution exercise to rectify colonial land injustices shows that the land question is as potent now as it was at the inception of colonial settlements. Zimbabwe’s land history has remained consistently contentious because land is the life-blood of the people’s livelihoods, black and white. For this reason, the process and aftermath of the occupations have rocked racial relations in the country and internationally. The controversies arising from the land occupations have culminated in the socio-economic and political instability of the country, and threaten to spill into and destabilise the SADC countries as well. It is against this backdrop that the article makes an African-centred analysis of selected post-2000 Zimbabwean-authored novels that variously respond to Zimbabwean land issues characterising the tumultuous post-2000 period. The view presented here is that literature defines the epicentre of the struggle of ideas, that partially but significantly, define what Zimbabwe is, including how and where she wants to go. Tsitsi Dangarembga’s The Book of Not (2006); Eric Harrison’s Jambanja (2006); John Eppel’s Absent: The English Teacher (2009) and Mashingaidze Gomo’s A Fine Madness (2010) are analysed in this light. The African-centred approach utilised in this chapter is significant in locating both texts and authors within the background that informs their fictional representations. The extent to which texts successfully balance their explorations of land and racial identity and help to influence society to rise above parochial partisan approaches, and encourage people to confront some of Zimbabwe’s land challenges would be worth noting.
Socio-economic determinants of obesity of Namibian women in the reproductive age group: A binary logistic regression model
(University of Namibia, 2013) Pazvakawambwa, Lillian; Tjipueja, Werner
Obesity leads to reduced lifer expectancy, increased likelihood of a wide range of diseases Obesity also lowers self-esteem and has negative consequences on the cognitive and social development of a person. World-wide, obesity is a leading yet preventable cause of death and its prevalence both in children and adults is increasing day by day. Compared to men, women have a relatively higher burden of disease attributable to overweight and obesity. This paper establishes the socio-economic factors influencing obesity in women in Namibia using logistic regression. The outcome variable was Obesity (1 for Obese, 0 for Not obese). The independent variables included the total number of children ever born to the woman, her place of residence; current age of the woman, her highest level of education, her economic status, contraceptive use, smoking habits, age of the woman at first birth, place of residence, region, and religion. Results indicate that in Namibia, obesity of a woman is associated with the age of the woman, her highest level of education, her economic status, contraceptive use, smoking habits, and the age of the woman at first birth. Policy and intervention programs to reduce obesity should focus on encouraging women to delay onset of child-bearing, to embark on lifelong regular exercise and diet programs. Even though smoking was inversely related to obesity, women should be encouraged to stop smoking because of its other devastating health effects.
The marginalised in post-independence Zimbabwe in selected stories in Memory Chirere’s short story anthology Somewhere in this country
(University of Namibia, 2013) Mupondi, Aaron
Memory Chirere is one of the contemporary Zimbabwean writers who uses the short story genre as a mode of expression. In his fi rst collection of short stories in English under one book, Somewhere in this Country (2006), Chirere focuses on the marginalised members of society in their day-to-day struggles for survival in post-independence Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe’s masses leading miserable lives, years after independence which was obtained in 1980, refl ects that the black leaders failed to fulfi ll their erstwhile promises of better days to the majority. At the centre of each of the stories selected to be studied in this article, “Suburb”, “An Old Man”, “Maize” and “Sitting Carelessly” is the writer’s touching compassion for the underprivileged members of society such as squatters, street kids, land-hungry peasants and displaced farm workers respectively. However, in “Maize” the black government is applauded for alleviating the situation of peasants by giving them land under the recent land reform programme. Hence, notable in Chirere’s criticism of society and its institutions is his objectivity.
Processing methods of Oshikundu, a traditional beverage from sub-tribes within Aawambo culture in the Northern Namibia
(University of Namibia, 2013) Embashu, Werner; Cheikhyoussef, Ahmad; Kahaka, Gladys K.; Lendelvo, Selma M.
Fermented beverages have a long history in Africa and fermentation is the cheapest, oldest form of food preservation. Indigenous Knowledge (IK) has been at the for-front of the traditional food and beverage processing technology. Oshikundu is a Namibian cereal based fermented beverage brewed with water, brans, pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br.) flour locally known as mahangu and malted sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) flour. Oshikundu is brewed in many households among Aawambo and part of Kavango region.It is a perishable beverage with a shelf life under six hours. Oshikundu is brewed for many generations among Aawambo, which the brewing process have adopt and evolved over time. The traditional art of brewing Oshikundu has been passed orally from generation to generation. The knowledge of brewing and interest is declining over time especially among young people. Rural women have taken advantage of the locally available raw materials with their IK for their livelihood by selling Oshikundu. The traditional methods have potential to incorporate the modern biotechnology to control, optimise and standardise the organoleptic quality of Oshikundu.
Student evaluation at Windhoek College of Education: Evidence of quality assurance to improve teaching and learning
(University of Namibia, 2013) Iipinge, Sakaria M.; Likando, Gilbert N.; Haipinge, Erkkie; Claassen, Pamela
Using a qualitative approach, this paper took a critical look at the role of student evaluation at the then Windhoek College of Education as a tool to assess the quality of teaching at the institution. It examined the pros and cons of introducing student evaluation as a tool to measure teaching effectiveness of academic staff at this institution. The findings showed that, despite the fact that literature reveals that student evaluation is a common tool used to assess the content pedagogy of academic staff in many institutions worldwide, there are concerns that need to be taken into consideration in terms of validating the outcomes of these evaluations. The findings show that these concerns include: student lecturer relationship; student interest in a particular subject; lecturer subject content and pedagogical skills; general appearance of the lecturer; lecturer’s assertiveness and the quality of training received. It concludes by affirming that dealing with people’s perceptions and attitude is a complex phenomenon, and, in the context of this research, there was a need for a paradigm shift in the way lecturers at the former Windhoek College of Education perceived student evaluations vis-à-vis its purpose in academia.
Namibian teachers’ understanding of education for all issues
(University of Namibia, 2013) Zimba, Roderick F.; Mufune, Pempelani; Likando, Gilbert N.; February, Pamela J.
The purpose of this study was to find out Namibian teachers’ understanding of their work circumstances, goals of education for all (EFA) and quality of education. To obtain data on these issues, a structured questionnaire was administered to a proportional representative sample of 1611 primary and secondary school teachers from six regions. Some of the study’s main findings were that several sampled teachers taught under difficult circumstances in which their schools lacked classroom furniture, electricity, water, teaching and learning materials; had problems communicating with parents of their learners; had difficulties managing overcrowded classrooms; were given heavy administrative loads that prevented them from effectively undertaking their teaching duties and that they knew little about the existence of EFA goals. These and other findings are discussed in the paper and developed into insights for enhancing educational practice in Namibia and for identifying issues on which to base further research.
Land use practices in Caprivi’s changing political environment
(University of Namibia, 2013) Colpaert, Alfred; Matengu, Keneth K.; Polojarvi, Katja
This paper presents an account of developments that led to present land use practices in the eastern parts of Caprivi and the eff ects these practices have on the ecosystem. In the pre-colonial period (–1890), the early inhabitants of east of the Kwando River were hunters and gatherers. Climatic and hydrological conditions enabled the fi rst Bantu communities to practice settled subsistence agriculture in the 18th and 19th centuries, a time when the Lozi and the Kololo kings ruled this area. Its location between perennial rivers made eastern parts of Caprivi good and easily defensible grazing area. Peripheral location and prevalence of malaria and cattle diseases made the area less tempting for European and South African farmers, but also made the colonial administration of east of the Kwando River diffi cult for Germany 1890–1915 and South Africa 1915–1990. The paper reviews published works and government documents, which is combined with fi eld observations and aerial photos of the area. In particular, our analysis focuses on Salambala conservancy because of its successes and many controversies. The analysis shows that indeed, enactments of law did not address land use in the manner that would have led to fulfi lment of the needs of subsistence farmers until Namibia’s independence in 1990. Nowadays, almost the whole area is still intensively used for small-scale subsistence farming and agricultural practices have remained traditional. The article describes the eff orts of previous administrations and outlines several factors that accounts for present-day land use practices. This account concludes that intensifi cation of grazing and clearing
(Inter) cultural investigation: Kenya in German crime fiction
(University of Namibia, 2013) Augart, Julia
Despite its marginalised appearance in politics and economics and being reduced to crime, chaos and catastrophes, the African continent has lately featured regularly in crime fiction (Picker 2011). African crime fiction, meaning crime fiction written by African authors, but also crime fiction set in Africa and written by non-Africans, is on a rise. Kenya has been among the popular crime settings in German crime fiction since the 1970s. A number of crime novels make use of a German investigator and an African setting and feature crosscultural as well as intercultural investigation teams. This paper presents Geert Hofstede’s cultural dimensions and analyses the German crime novels of Henry Kolarz, Detlef Wolff and the trilogy of the Swiss author Peter Höner, all set in Kenya. The paper investigates the portrayal of cultural encounters and multicultural cooperation and to what extend the novels show an intercultural investigation. Furthermore, it outlines similarities of novels in regard to the (inter)cultural set up.
An examination of Korean students’ pronunciation of English consonants: The relationship between perception and production
(University of Namibia, 2013) Hamakali, Hafeni P.
This study examined the relationship between perception and production difficulties in English pronunciation. The participants were 24 Korean students at California State University, Los Angeles, in the English Language Program. First, the participants were given a listening test, evaluating their ability to discriminate consonants at word, sentence, and passage levels. Second, the participants took a read-aloud test, also at word, sentence and passage levels while they were being recorded. Using binary scoring, the recordings were rated by two raters. The means of perception and production errors observed were then correlated, and the resulting correlation coefficient indicated the kind and degree of relationship between the perception and production errors. The findings showed that although there seem to be differences between the number of perception and production errors, a significant relationship exists between the perception and production difficulties of English pronunciation. The findings of this study inform the ESL teachers and material developers about certain issues that they should consider when planning and designing teaching as well as assessment activities of English pronunciation. Even though this study only focused on perception and production difficulties experienced by Korean students, it can also be used as a reference for our Namibian ESL community in teaching and assessing ESL students.
Remembering or re-membering? Life-writing and the politics of narration in Morgan Tsvangirai’s autobiography At the deep end (2011)
(University of Namibia, 2013) Kangira, Jairos; Moyo, Thamsanqa; Gonye, Jairos; Hlongwana, James
Morgan Tsvangirai’s autobiography is a construction of both personal and national identities from the 1960s up to 2011. In doing that the autobiography At the Deep End reshapes events from the colonial up to the period of Zimbabwe’s crisis with a view to staking a specifi c, deliberate identity that privileges the self as more sinned against than sinning. This paper interrogates Tsvangirai’s autobiography so as to unpack the conspicuous presences and absences and the motive of such narration. The paper argues that the politics of narration in the book is motivated by the reality of his being a leader of the opposition party in Zimbabwe where he has faced a lot of accusations about his history and leadership qualities. Tsvangirai’s party, the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) was often branded as a ‘terrorist’ organisation by the ruling party, the Zimbabwe African National Union – Patriotic Front (ZANU PF). We argue that Tsvangirai’s analysis of events is compromised by his view of the self as a possible leader in Zimbabwe. Out of the possible selves generated by his shifty experiences, he privileges the political identity in order to create an aura of relevance in the rugged political terrain of Zimbabwe. Thus the autobiography is constructed in a way that shows remembrance and re-membering of historical accounts.
Establishing a university records management programme: A case study of the University of Namibia
(University of Namibia, 2013) Matangira, Violet; Katjiveri-Tjiuoro, Mercia; Lukileni, Ndahambelela H.
Records management is crucial to all organizations including universities. Unless records are managed efficiently, it is not possible to conduct business effectively, and to account for what has happened in the past or to make good decisions about the future. The University of Namibia (UNAM) records management project reported in this article was carried out on the notion that records need to be systematically and continuously managed throughout their life-cycle in an integrated manner. The management of institutional records throughout their life cycle is necessary in order to support strategic business objectives of the university and to preserve corporate memory. The project was an attempt to formalize record-keeping at the university in accordance with international archival standards. Starting with information gathering, the project followed some stages which included the legal and regulatory framework, resources and staffing. The investigation also covered vital functions of the university including finance, human resources, student affairs and the executive. The information gathered using the survey method paved way for the implementation of the records management programme at the university.
Mukwahepo: Woman, soldier, mother: As told to Ellen Ndeshi Namhila. Windhoek: University of Namibia Press, 2013; pp 141.
(University of Namibia, 2013) Akawa, Martha
Unlike many stories that deal with high ranking and public fi gures, Mukwahepo is a book about a humble and unknown personality who made outstanding and remarkable contributions to the liberation of Namibia, popularly called The Land of the Brave. Mukwahepo is an ordinary woman who performed extraordinary duties for her country. This book is a clear testimony that the contributions, especially those made by women, did not have to be ambassadorial or political.
We need new names: By NoViolet Bulawayo. London: Reagan Arthur Books, 2013; pp 290.
(University of Namibia, 2013) Muganiwa, Josephine
The novel captures the Diaspora experience of a young girl, Darling Nonkululeko Nkala, after experiencing hardships in the Zimbabwean economic meltdown. It is therefore a critique of moving to the Diaspora as a solution to challenges in one’s country. Darling constantly refers to the pain of missing home but stuck in the knowledge that she can never return because she has become an illegal immigrant in America. Once she visits ‘home’ she will not be allowed to come back as her papers are not in order. What intensifies the pain is the misunderstanding by those that remain in the troubled country that those in America are sitting pretty, with no worries at all. This pushes aunt Faustina and others to work double shifts so that they can send money home. The chapter “How they lived” fully captures the experience of those in the Diaspora from third world countries which gives the book a universal feel. Bulawayo writes: And the jobs we worked, Jesus- Jesus – Jesus, the jobs we worked. Low paying jobs. Back breaking jobs. Jobs that gnawed at the bones of our dignity, devoured the meat, tongued the marrow. We took scalding irons and ironed our pride fl at. We cleaned toilets. We picked tobacco and fruit under the boiling sun until we hung our tongues and panted like lost hounds. We butchered animals, slit throats, drained blood. We worked with dangerous machines, holding our breaths like crocodiles under water, our minds on the money and never on our lives. We swallowed every pain like a bitter pill, drank every fear like a love portion, and we worked and worked Every two weeks we got our paychecks and sent monies back home by Western Union and MoneyGram. We bought food and clothes for the families left behind; we paid school fees for the little ones. We got messages that said Hunger, that said Help, that said Kunzima, and we sent money. When we were asked, You guys work so hard, why do you work so hard? We smiled (We Need New Names, p. 244).
“Confessional spaces and criminality”: Incest in Alice Walker and Yvonne Vera’s works
(University of Namibia, 2013) Mhandu, Edwin
The paper explores incest in Alice Walker and Yvonne Vera’s works as site for contestation of larger forces in society. The portrayal of incest comes at a time where certain “truisms” known to be in Black men in the stereotypification lore are overly dramatised and this tend to submerge genuine and well meaning struggles for racial emancipation and self determination to the periphery. That black men are portrayed as people with unrestricted libido is neither fortuitous nor an incidental project in the aforementioned writers’ works, rather, as a matter of priority it is often easy to take the lesser path by further complicating and bashing the generic punch bag of the Caucasian world. Thus, l argue that the said incestuous relationships are meant to vulgarise in a parallel form the ongoing struggles in America and in Colonial Zimbabwe respectively in the manner of Thomas Rice’s staged minstrels in Antebellum America. The emphasis by Walker and Vera is on the defective forms of lifestyles by people who declare alibis from the struggles and many critics have tended to applaud such projections as characterising a quest for inclusivity of the formerly muffled voices. This article contextualises the crime of incest, in its socio-political realm and refutes the overblown criminality of the black men as a political invention. Cases of incest abound in society and may persist in the unforeseeable future but these are not a preserve of black men.
Liberal democracy, education and social justice in Africa
(University of Namibia, 2013) Amukugo, Elizabeth M.
It is a widely accepted view that military and other forms of authoritarian rule were employed in the governance of certain African countries during the early years of postcolonial period from the 1960s to 1980’s as indicated by Bangura (1992), Harber (1997) and Leon (2010). Besides, a few socialist-oriented, independent one-party states existed. The latter years (1990s into the 21st century), saw many independent African countries embracing ‘liberal democracy’ accompanied by market economic models. The introduction of liberal democracy on the African continent has not been without its controversies however, as some African and Carribean social scientists such as Ake (1993 & 1996), Mafeje (2002), Lumumba-Kasongo, (2005), Ngwane (2006) and Sankatsing (2004), have blamed this system for being responsible for much social wretchedness across Africa. The question is: (a) to what extent has liberal democracy delivered social equity on the continent; and (b) in which way do liberal democratic policies promote or impede the aims of education in a democratic society? Arguing from a critical theory perspective, this Article explores the way in which liberal democracy as a system of governance put limitations on education’s capacity to play the transformative role within society. It suggests that liberal democracy advocates equality of opportunities for all at the expense of social justice; and that this prevent education from playing its role as a tool for achieving greater equity within society through promoting human, social and economic development.
A proposed framework for best practice in quality assurance in Namibian higher education institutions
(University of Namibia, 2013) Van der Westhuizen, Louise
This study investigated into the current status of quality assurance in the relatively young higher education sector of Namibia, where the official quality assurance system still is in the process of development. The purpose of the study was to determine the status and level of quality assurance mechanisms within Namibian higher education institutions with reference to current international quality assurance practices. The study confined itself to degree-granting higher education institutions only, with a university status. Three institutions participated in the study - one public university, one private university, and one polytechnic. A phenomenological explorative and descriptive design was used with the aim of seeking an understanding and interpretation of the true meaning that the participants accorded to their experience of the phenomenon under study, namely, quality assurance in higher education institutions. The methodology was based on improvement-oriented evaluation. The data were collected by means of individual interviews (purposeful sampling) and institutional document analyses.

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