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Stabanising the eucharist: theological implications of the eucharist in the UCCSA for reimagining an inclusive and embodied community of faith.
(2024) Morrison, Craig Graham Farrel.; Van Der Walt, Charlene.
Every person has a sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, and sex characteristics (SOGIE-SC). It’s an inclusive term that applies to every individual human being, irrespective of how they self-identify. Every person has a human right to sexual self-identity, whether as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, Queer, asexual, two-spirit, heterosexual or cisgender (identifying with the same gender that one was assigned at birth). A contextual equivalent of the reclaimed word “Queer” in South Africa is Izitabane, a plural. It is an isiZulu expression that literally means, “here come the gays”. In this dissertation, I argue for the contextual use of this term. Izitabane members of the Church are still most often marginalised and rejected. It is appropriate to reclaim such terminology in our African context as a self-identity. The author is an active and committed member of the United Congregational Church of Southern Africa (UCCSA). The UCCSA identifies itself as “a justice Church”. This Church ordains women, “welcomes all”, and affirms that prejudice based on sexual orientation (“homophobia”) is a sin. Yet, despite declaring itself a justice Church, its clergy are prohibited from conducting, concluding or blessing same-sex marriages, even though samesex marriage is constitutionally legal in South Africa. There appears to be a disconnect between the Church’s claim to be a justice Church that “welcomes all” and the full inclusion and acceptance (open and affirming stance) of Izitabane members.
This dissertation explores the current SOGIE-SC landscape within the UCCSA based upon the ostensibly competing resolutions of its highest court, the General Assembly, and asks whether the theological distinctives in its understanding of Covenant and Eucharist can bridge that disconnect, since this is a matter of justice. It is especially pertinent since Izitabane persons suffer violence, harm, bigoted discrimination, ostracism and rejection for no other reason than innate sexual orientation and desired identity. Queering, or stabanising, refers to the intentional process of decolonising theological heteronormative patriarchy in faith and praxis. In this paper, through the lens of Systematic Theology, I discuss Queer theory, Eucharist and its Covenantal implications in the UCCSA, explore what it might mean to re-imagine the Eucharist and to stabanise Eucharistic liturgy. The research concludes with a working example of a reimagined, more inclusive, and stabanised Eucharist as an expression of our embodied Covenant.
Tracing 19th-century scientific racism and its implications for contemporary gender discourses of religion in South Africa.
(2025) Fela, Sphosethu.; Settler, Federico Guliano.
This study hypothesizes that current Christian religious discourses and attitudes toward the black female body, such as religious identity marked through sexuality, purity culture, (in)fertility rituals, menstruation and the exclusion from communion or prayers, have been influenced and informed by 19th-century scientific assumptions of the black female body as 1) source of pollution, 2) hypersexual/oversexed, and 3) unruly and feral. These scientific assumptions of the black female body can be said to be the genesis of our current realities as (black) women in South Africa of gender-based violence, sexual assault and femicide (Roberts, 1997; Baderoon, 2014). In postcolonial South Africa, the black female body continues to be seen as the measure of moral order, and social order, conversion and civility are maintained through the regulation of (black) women's sexuality. How the black female body and sexuality are defined and controlled using Western and Christian religious discourse calls for the need for a decolonial feminist lens to make sense of the present by searching the past in hopes of constructing a new narrative about the black female body and a new hope for black women living in a world not meant for them.
In this study, I am interested in tracing how the Church in South Africa viewed and still views the black female body through the lens of 19th-century scientific racism and sexism. To unearth the interconnections of race, science, and religion regarding the black female body, my study uses the feminist philosophy of science as a framework. Employing feminist philosophy of science will enable the study to illuminate the Black female as a gendered body, how 19th-century science has commodified, dehumanized, hypersexualized, and exploited this gendered body and how the colonial classifications of race and black(ness) have played a significant role in this. Drawing on selected colonial texts and scholars, I hope to show how their ideas shaped how people thought about race, gender and religion in the colonial period. As its methodology, my study employs Feminist Critical Discourse Analysis (FCDA). This methodology hones on social justice issues and transformation. Similar to the aims of Feminist Critical Discourse Analysis, my research hopes to challenge current Christian religious discourses that subordinate black women and repress their agency and autonomy in the name of culture and religion.
An exploration of the role of the Zimbabwe heads of christian denomination's Kairos theology on general elections.
(2024) Yesaya, Priviledge.; Siwila, Lilian Cheelo.
This study interrogates the multifaceted phenomenon of electoral violence in Zimbabwe, particularly within the context of the theological responses of the Zimbabwe Heads of Christian Denominations (ZHOCD). Anchored in a historical narrative of political violence that began in the colonial era [i.e. political violence following the 1965 Unilateral Declaration of Independence and war of independence] and was adopted by independent Zimbabwe for use in contemporary electoral practices [i.e. marked by euphoria (1980-1990); decline (1990-2000); crisis (2000-2010); hope (2010-2020); skepticism (2020- 2017-2025)]. The struggle for independence is referred to by Kriger as a struggle within struggles, leading to persistent escalation of violence since 1965, and later in 1980, re-assigned into the electoral landscape. Zimbabwe, a republic since 1965, professes to have a predominance of Christianity at 85% (Zimbabwe Demography and Health Survey, 2015). Nonetheless, the escalating cases of electoral violence cast doubt on the accuracy of the claim. If that's the case, then who is violating, and who is being violated during electoral disputes? There is a conspicuous gap in the scholarly discourse regarding religious institutions' engagements, particularly the ZHOCD, in addressing election-related violence, as highlighted by scholars such as Ndlovu-Gatsheni, Kriger, and Dube, among others, who have all examined the intricate dynamics of political conflict and its implications in Zimbabwe.
While extant literature has extensively documented the political underpinnings and socioeconomic ramifications of electoral conflict in Zimbabwe, there is a notable amount of work that examines how churches can respond to these crises. The Christian demography is justification enough for the church’s involvement, but its theology, which is expected to guide how members ought to behave in a political context, has been found wanting, raising questions on the type of Kairos theology the ZHOCD must offer on electoral violence. The study posits that the ZHOCD and its constituent bodies have considerably influenced the electoral landscape of Zimbabwe through vigils, pastoral letters, and joint publications like the Zimbabwe We Want (2006) and The Elections We Want (2023). These communiques and documents emphasize on peace, dialogue, justice, and reconciliation to counter the prevailing culture of violence during electoral cycles. Utilizing a literature-based methodology, the research synthesizes various theological perspectives and strategic analysis of the ZHOCD’s previous engagements during pivotal electoral moments in Zimbabwe’s history [i.e. 2000/2 and 2005/8/9]. The study uses the Kairos principles in public theology that advocate for grassroots engagement and active participation in electoral discourses. The use of ZHOCD in transformative dialogues with political parties, electoral administrators, home affairs (especially the police and prison service), chiefs and church leaders to promote peaceful electoral contests at grassroots levels is of particular interest for this study. Thus, the study, given the ZHOCD’s national vision in the ZWWD (2006), the EWWD (2023), and the recent publication on Ecumenical Christianity (2024), aims to elucidate more actionable pathways for the ZHOCD to engage with political parties in Zimbabwe to minimize violent practices during elections. Ultimately, the study proposes the Kairos election theory as a sustainable theory for election violence in Zimbabwe.
Molecular epidemiology of antibiotic-resistant ESKAPEE pathogens in surface water in proximity to informal settlements: a tale of two cities.
(2025) Mukwevho, Fulufhelo Naomi.; Abia Akebe, Luther King.; Gordon, Michelle Lucille.; Bester, Linda.; Mbanga, Joshua.; Essack, Sabiha Yusuf.
Drug-resistant Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Enterobacter spp and Escherichia coli (ESKAPEE) are increasingly identified in wastewater and surface water of rivers and streams, presenting a transmission risk to humans, animals, and plants. Using whole genome sequencing and bioinformatics analysis, we investigated the resistome, mobilome, and phylogenetic relationships of antibiotic-resistant ESKAPEE bacteria in surface water from two cities. Water samples (500 mL) from streams near informal settlements in Durban and Pietermaritzburg were filtered through a 0.45 μm filter membrane. The ESKAPEE were identified on selective media, purified and tested for antibiotic susceptibility using the VITEK® 2 platform. DNA was extracted from isolates for whole genome sequencing, followed by bioinformatics analysis using the open-source CARD, CGE, RAST, BV-BRC and PubMLST tools. Eleven E. faecium, 12 E. coli, four K. pneumoniae and one Enterobacter isolate were molecularly identified. Cephalosporin-resistant E. coli was found in Durban with the AcrAB-TolC efflux pump that conferred resistance to multiple antibiotic classes. The ARGs identified in E. coli were blaTEM- 1, qnrB19 and qnrS1, sul1, sul3, dfrA12, tet(A), cmlA1, aadA1 and aadA2. ARGs aac(6)- Ii, ant(6)-Ia and aph(3”)-III, tet(M) and tet(L), msr(C) and erm(B) and dfrG were detected in E. faecium. The Durban K. pneumoniae isolates were MDR harbouring blaSHV-75, blaSHV-110, blaSHV-81, blaCTXM-14, blaCTX-M-15, blaTEM-1B, and blaOXA-1. E. kobei only harboured blaACT and tet(A) genes that showed phenotypic resistance against piperacillin- tazobactam. ARGs and MGEs in E. faecium were mostly carried on chromosomes. Plasmid-carried ARGs were associated with IS1, IS1B, IS6, IS256 and ISKpn19, and the Tn3 transposons in E. coli. Of all identified ESBL genes in K. pneumonaie, only blaTEM, blaCTX-M-14 and blaCTX-M-15 were co-carried on plasmids and associated with ISKpn25, ISNCY, IS3, IS1, IS5075, IScep1, and Tn3. Phylogenetic analysis revealed close relationships with other South African human, animal and environmental isolates. The identified ARGs and their associations with MGEs present potential transmission routes of these resistance genes within and across bacterial species in aquatic environments, making these surface waters a potential reservoir for antibiotic resistance transmission.
Evaluation of heat and drought stress tolerance of diverse tropical sorghum germplasm.
(2024) Ndlovu, Elton.; Van Staden, Johannes.; Maphosa, Mcebisi.
Abstract available in PDF.