This article reflects on the unfinished task of liberation – as expressed in issues of land – and drawing from the work of Franz Fanon and the Durban-based social movement Abahlali base Mjondolo. It locates its reflections in four specific sites of struggle in the City of Tshwane, and against the backdrop of the mission..
Read moreResponses to migration: Tensions and ambiguities of churches in Pretoria Central and Mamelodi East
This article is a result of research being conducted to explore how churches in two regions of the City of Tshwane – Pretoria Central and Mamelodi East – respond to urban change and vulnerability. Both regions are deeply affected by urban migration patterns. Firstly, I will explore various forms of migration – transnational, rural-urban, urban–suburban and generational –..
Read morePrecarious housing in the Salvokop neighbourhood: A challenge to churches in the inner City of Tshwane
This article describes the daunting challenge of precarious housing in Salvokop located in the southern part of inner City of Tshwane, Gauteng Province. Insecure tenure, unmaintained dwellings, overcrowding, mushrooming of backyard shacks and the rise of the informal settlement, all that led to deep levels of vulnerability and neighbourhood deterioration. Current conditions show that life..
Read moreChurches claiming a right to the city? Lived urbanisms in the City of Tshwane
This article sets out to describe how churches have responded and continue to respond to fast-changing urban environments in Pretoria Central and Mamelodi East, animating Henri Lefebvre’s sociological perspective of citadins or urban inhabitants. We make tentative interpretations and offer critical appreciation. Churches, which were historically separated from the city centre, now directly participate in..
Read moreConceptual considerations for studying churches’ engagement with urban fractures and vulnerabilities
This article provides an overview of conceptual considerations underpinning the design of a research project on religious innovation and competition amidst urban social change. The conceptual work developed out of the planning of the research methods, questions and questionnaires, and provides the background on which particular methodological choices and research foci were built. In six..
Read moreExploring possibilities of social entrepreneurial activities as a tool to reduce unemployment amongst churches in Tshwane central and Mamelodi East: Pretoria case study
Unemployment is one of the major problems in South Africa. It is the concern of the government and the people at large to engage in means in order to reduce poverty. In this research, I would like to explore the possibilities of social entrepreneurial activities as a way of social and economic transformation in Tshwane...
Read moreTrans-disciplinary research on religious formations in urban Africa: Towards liberative methodological approaches
In this article, we are exploring a methodological approach to research on faith and religious expressions in urban Africa. We are committed to trans-disciplinary work that pursues research methods mutually liberating for researchers, co-researchers and community participants and that results in long-term benefits and strengthened agency on the part of the host communities. Our reflections..
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