Ideological objectives underpinning imbizo as a model of communication and governance
In 2001, the South African government adopted an imbizo (plural: izimbizo) as a model of communication. Imbizo is a Zulu word for a traditional community gathering called by the chief to solve pertinent community issues. The word imbizo has its variants in many African languages in South Africa, e....
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
University of Johannesburg
2022-10-01
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| Series: | Communicare |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://journals.uj.ac.za/index.php/jcsa/article/view/1749 |
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| Summary: | In 2001, the South African government adopted an imbizo (plural: izimbizo) as a model of
communication. Imbizo is a Zulu word for a traditional community gathering called by the chief to
solve pertinent community issues. The word imbizo has its variants in many African languages
in South Africa, e.g. pit o in Sepedi, kgotla in Setswana and Sesotho. In African indigenous
communities, imbizo is used as a platform to resolve pertinent community challenges through
honest engagement between the subjects and leadership. In this article, the ideological nuances
of the government’s decision in 2001 to appropriate imbizo as a model of communication and
governance are explored. It is argued that, at face value, imbizo is presented by government as
a communication and governance model to deepen participatory democracy and public participation
especially for the poor. It is argued in this article that the government’s appropriated imbizo appears
to be used to deepen the ideological positions of the government and ruling party, the African
National Congress (ANC) amongst the masses. It is further argued in this article that an imbizo
is used by government of South Africa for the attainment of four interrelated ideological objectives.
• It is a vehicle to advance the political strategy of the ANC.
• It is used as an expression of the African Renaissance paradigm.
• Imbizo expresses the ideology of African unity.
• It is used as a manifestation of participatory democracy
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| ISSN: | 0259-0069 2957-7950 |