What has media freedom entailed over the couple of centuries and successive governments of the geopolitical region that became South Africa since it was colonised by Westerners? And why can media freedom be described as both pillar and cornerstone of a democracy? It’s simple, as in the words of Nelson Mandela, first state president of a democratic South Africa: Press freedom is the “lifeblood of democracy”. This book tells the tale of the various states of press freedom, or unfreedom, from colonial times to today – from a British governor called a dictator and a despot, through apartheid’s “pigmentocracy”, or “sjambokracy”, where the rule of law “has been replaced by the rule of the whip”, up to the dawn of liberation, with media freedom entrenched in Article 16 of South Africa’s Bill of Rights. And why should all of this concern you? Because media freedom is not about the freedom of the media. It is about your freedom. As was formulated by an editor under apartheid: “If we don’t have a public sympathetic to a free press, not only will we not have a free press, we won’t have a democracy either.” Or, in the words of former Sowetan editor and SANEF chair, Mpumelelo Mhkabela: “Media freedom has nothing to do with the media, but with the freedom of citizens.” And that is why you should know that a free media is the only guarantee for your freedom. As we have seen, both under apartheid and also under a democratic dispensation, it is a matter of a luta continua. The struggle continues. But you, the public, are the guardian of those that guard democracy. Help ensure the rights of a free media, and thereby your democratic rights and a democratic South Africa.

From battling apartheid to saving the environment, fighting racism to urging tax justice, and Sunday preaching to visiting the sick, this book tells the story of nearly fifty years of active church ministry. The writer has ministered to congregations in three English cities, traveled to five continents, sometimes with his congregations, and engaged in the major dimensions of Christian mission today. The story begins in the late sixties, at the Fourth Assembly of the World Council of Churches. Chapters cover the struggle against apartheid, the Program to Combat Racism, the rise of Transnational Corporations, local ministry, the challenge of climate change, movements against racism and caste discrimination, and the growing campaign for tax justice. Each chapter ends with a reflection on a theologian who has influenced and encouraged the author. They range from Dietrich Bonhoeffer through Gustavo Gutierrez and Ann Morisy to James Cone and Tissa Balasuriya. The book mixes experiences of the local and global, congregational life and international engagement. It offers a sweep of concern and action, enlivened by humorous incidents. Readers will gain insight into how broad contemporary ministry can be, and how the churches can still make a contribution to bringing God's peace-with-justice to today's world.

Ernesto Fernandes Dudu is currently serving as a member of the National Parliament of Timor-Leste from Partido Democrático (PD). He is originally from Sub-district Hatolia, Municipality of Ermera. He was fi rst elected as a member of the National Parliament in the 2017 General Election and re-elected in the 2018 Early Election. Ernesto Fernandes Dudu is popularly known in Ermera and throughout Timor-Leste by his Nom de Guerre DUDU. Dudu has no formal schooling and is a low-profi le person but he has a very brilliant vision on issues related to politics and socio-cultural development in Timor-Leste and future directions for Timor-Leste. Dudu was a former FALINTIL commander from Region Four (Região Quatro) and one of the respected Commanders in the FALINTIL command structure.

Biliteracy is an inescapable feature of lives and schools worldwide, yet is often ignored by educational policymakers. This volume offers an extensive yet flexible model to guide educators, researchers, and policymakers in designing, carrying out, and evaluating educational programs for the development of bilingual and multilingual learners.

This collection of essays in honour of Gerhardus Cornelis (Pippin) Oosthuizen, provides perspectives on current research in Religion and Southern Africa. It includes essays on Indigenous and Diaspora Religions and Religious Literature Hermeneutics.

Rooted in the rich story-telling tradition of Africa, this volume of essays, the first of its kind, highlights the unique approach African women bring to reading and interpreting the Bible in their diverse historical and cultural contexts. Early bible translation and interpretation in Africa was carried out primarily by foreign missionaries and so was deeply influenced by patriarchal and colonial ideologies. The strategies of resistance to these dominant traditions exemplified by the contributors to Other Ways of Reading include examining translations in their own languages and reading from a variety of perspectives. Featured methods include storytelling; postcolonial feminist reading; womanhood/bosadi and womanist reading; and reading from and with grassroots communities. The book provides important new ideas and tools for Bible study in Africa and beyond.

Poems and illustrations, primarily on Africa, Africans, and women.