Nelson Mandela University

Boundaries Between Freedom of Expression and Hate Speech: The Case of Struggle Songs Current Perspectives From the Global South

This discussion article addresses the historical, political and social context of struggle songs in South Africa and the circumstances in which such songs should be considered prohibited hate speech. The analysis is framed around the decision in AfriForum v Malema , in which the...

Forgotten reservoirs: an attempt to revive field research on rodent malaria parasites in their main natural host, the thicket rat Grammomys poensis (formerly Thamnomys rutilans)

<title>Abstract</title> Rodent malaria parasites have long served as essential experimental models for understanding human malaria, yet little is known about their ecology and evolution in the wild. The thicket rat <italic>Grammomys poensis</italic> (formerly <italic>Thamnomys ru...

Economic and Environmental Framework of Producing Green Hydrogen from Groundwater in South Africa: A Systematic Review

The hydrogen economy has emerged as a promising pathway to address climate change and ensure long-term global energy security, with water electrolysis powered by renewable energy as a key enabler of sustainable hydrogen production. Recent advances in various electrolyser technolo...

“A Bushman Story:” An Opaque Reference to Eugène Marais’s Dwaalstories in Eben Venter’s Decima

Decima, South African bilingual novelist Eben Venter’s most recent and critically acclaimed work, can be described as vintage Venter. As in his other writings, the novel explores questions of the “...

Baseline characterization of inshore reef soundscapes and noise dynamics along the southeast coast of South Africa

Underwater noise has risen in certain parts of the world, driven by continued growth of maritime economic activity. In South Africa, increasing economic development threatens to elevate underwater noise levels in marine habitats, yet knowledge of marine soundscapes remains very l...

Galactic Brains, Zombie Apocalypse, and the Poiesis of an Ecology of Metamodern Myths

Old myths have lost their power, while current mythologies fail to guide us through the coming metacrisis. The hypermodern salvation myth of galactic brains is inapplicable. The postmodern myth of the zombie apocalypse provides no positive vision. A new kind of mythopoiesis is ne...

Early Childhood Singing in Diverse Socioeconomic Backgrounds in South Africa

Abstract Research highlights the benefits of singing in early childhood for the development of cognitive, language, emotional and social skills. Grounded in this theoretical framework, this article draws on data from Statistics South Africa’s, The General Household Survey (2023),...