NGOs, Africa and Global Power: Decolonial Meditations
Author: Prof. Siphamandla Zondi, Director: Institute for Pan-African Thought and Conversation (IPATC) and Co-director, Institute for Global African Affairs (IGAA), University of Johannesburg, South Africa.
Publisher: Lukhanyo Publishers
About the book:NGOs are prominent in Africa, since they are used by global powers as alternative providers for aid against poverty, disease and other social ills in the face of a failing African state. Citizens also use them to demand accountability from governments and business elites.
In NGOs, Africa and Global Power, Siphamandla Zondi analyses the complex role of non-governmental organisations in post-colonial Africa. On the one hand, they are perceived to be extensions of colonial and imperialist designs over Africa, which locates them close to the Western world’s efforts to cultivate Western-style liberal democracy and liberal versions of development as solutions to Africa’s contributions. The book shows how this continued neo-colonialism is enabled by the failures of African States that are still beset with socio-political ills, undermining the promise of liberation. Like the states themselves, NGOs have inadvertently imposed Wester designs and globalisation with a seemingly benign spirit yet often with malign outcomes.
On the other hand, there are exceptions to the rule. The second half of the book looks at specific NGOs of African origin that showcase another story of the NGO, one that links NGOs to bottom-up efforts to overcome African governance and developmental challenges in ways that redeem the idea of NGOs from their trapping in neo-colonial designs. This part of the book showcases the agency. What emerges is a complex story of NGOs navigating spaces between Africa and global power, either as extensions of global power or as champions of African agency, and other renditions in between.
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Ms Zoliswa Ntsoko (South Africa) is the Institute’s Administrative Assistant who assists with general administration and research. She is a seasoned professional with a background in Disaster Management. She holds an Advanced Diploma in Management from Milpark Business School, and a Post Graduate Diploma in Public Management from Regenesys Business School. She also holds certificates in Project Management, and in Disaster Management. Previously, she has worked as a Disaster Management Specialist at the City of Johannesburg – Disaster Management Centre.
Ms Cecilia Lwiindi Nedziwe-Moyo is the Research Coordinator at the Institute for Pan-African Thought and Conversation. She previously served as a Regional Coordinator at the Centre for Peace Initiatives in Africa (CPIA) in Zimbabwe between 2007 and 2013. She completed her master’s degree in International Studies, Peace, and Conflict Resolution at the University of Queensland in Australia as a Rotary Peace Scholar. She has just completed her doctoral studies at Rhodes University. Her areas of interest include: gender, foreign policy, regional organisations and conflict resolution.
Ms Thembeka Somtseu is a seasoned professional with a background in the textile and construction sectors. She holds a National Diploma in Business Administration from the Durban University of Technology, and studied Development Communication and Media Studies at the University of the Witwatersrand. She worked as a corporate communications specialist for more than ten years, serving in both local and multinational companies.