Editorial: The contradictions of green extractivism

Uneasy contradictions in development policy in Africa were laid bare in February 2025 by a disastrous accident at a copper mine in Zambia. An unmonitored and badly constructed tailings dam failed, releasing some 50 million litres of toxic mine sludge to pollute the Kafue River. Fish died, livestock were poisoned, farmers’ crops were destroyed and people along the river, the longest in Zambia, lost their water supply. As the poisoned water flowed downstream, engineers had to cut off water to Zambia’s second biggest city Kitwe, 30km from the mine with a population of over 600,000. By the date of publication, the scale of the catastrophe was still to be measured

I am my Shadow: Poetry

The incandescent glowDescends on me with a flick,It covers me with its vastnessThe darkness takes formI lift my hand,It traces the wallI sit, grounded with despair,It ascends the cellingThe darkness mocks meFor all my body can do is sit on this chair.Perhaps the darkness is an extension of what my soul longs to do?The darkness illuminates me

Integrating decolonial theory through signature pedagogies in design education

This paper explores the challenges of integrating decolonial theory into design pedagogy within higher education. A case study approach was employed to collect qualitative data from 31 design educators and 23 design students across public and private higher education institutions in South Africa. Based on the findings of the case study, I argue that advancing decolonial design education requires greater engagement with the concepts of belonging and cultural representation, which are recurring themes in the work of Elmarie Costandius. To support this engagement, I propose a matrix that maps conceptions of belonging and cultural representation, as expressed by design educators and students, in relation to Ndlovu-Gatsheni’s (2015) decolonial perspectives and Shreeve’s (2016) signature pedagogies of design. The aim of the paper is to provide a practical tool for design educators seeking to integrate decolonial perspectives in their teaching, with broader implications for other disciplines striving to decolonise their pedagogical practices

Accountability

Everyone wants to be bejewelledWith the shine stones of victimhoodThe glimmer so blindingabsolving anyone to seethe dim of the truthLeaning into the luminous sunForgetting it’s simmerTill tipping poin

Where is the noise? Rethinking language, meaning, and noise through a decolonial and crip orientation

Background: Autism is commonly understood through the lens of non-autistic experts and their ethnocentric and gendered methods, which can reduce its complexity and make some concerns invisible. Autistic people can have different relationships with language, externally understood as "noisy," "nonsense," or even disregarded as linguistic production when manifested (Yergeau 2013, Rodas 2018). As a tacit practice, there is even an acceptable type of noise in spaces such as schools, assumed to be natural or even un‐ perceived as such: bells, shouts, chair drag. In contrast, some types of manifestations that neurodivergent people produce can be easily perceived as incorrect or inappropriate (Wood 2018). Still, Milton\u27s (2012) proposal about the "double empathy problem" can remind us that sometimes the noisy are the others. Roughly, the author maintains that miscommunication between autistic and non-autistic people is a two-way issue caused by difficulties in understanding on both sides involved

A World of Love, Not Hate

Oh rulers, let your hearts be wise,And see the tears in children’s eyes.The bombs you drop, the wars you wage,Have filled the world with fear and rage..

To Stitch and to Teach: A critical reflection on pedagogy as embodied praxis

The late Professor Elmarie Costandius contributed to stitching me together as creative practitioner in the field of South African higher education. In her memory, this paper reflects on the practicalities involved in pedagogy as embodied praxis through an autoethnographic lens. I have read memories of our pedagogical interactions through Tim Ingold’s theories of embodied making. Ingold believes that making is not a process of imposing preconceived form on the material world but rather involves processes that allow meaningful form to emerge through active engagement with the world’s materiality. The result of this autoethnographic enquiry is presented as a patterned memoir; a practical example of stitching together a pedagogical praxis built on the premise of process, trans-disciplinarity, and affecting tangible, real-life change. The purpose of the memoir is to make Elmarie’s pedagogical praxis accessible to other educators, thus facilitating her legacy in shaping future education, specifically locally, in productive, tangible ways

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Policy Frameworks for Development in Africa

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a universal call to action adopted by all UN member states in 2015, aiming to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all by 2030. The SDGs promote inclusive development through sustainable economic growth, social inclusion and environmental protection. Using secondary data analysis, this paper investigates the opportunities and challenges associated with the SDGs, examining how national policies connect with them and evaluating the implementation of relevant treaties and conventions. Key findings highlight institutional capacity gaps, the impact of political will and the importance of international alliances in achieving the SDGs. The study also emphasises the need for effective monitoring and evaluation systems to track success, ensure accountability and promote adaptive policy approaches. These findings contribute to the discourse on sustainable development and offer a roadmap for policy-makers and organisations committed to advancing sustainable development across Africa

Africa Diary : News from the Continent

Mauritius ordered all internet service providers to suspend access to social media platforms until a day after the 11 November general election, sparking such outrage from civil society groups that the government of the ruling Militant Socialist Movement (MSM) party was forced to overturn the ruling a day later. “National security” was the reason given by the office of the Prime Minister. As it turned out national security was not at risk. The main opposition party won a landslide victory, preserving an electoral practice of simply and seamlessly alternating power between two dynasties of family leaders since independence from Britain in 1968