Transitional justice interventions, particularly in Africa, have failed. In this context, there is a growing interest in tradition-based community-led practices for resolving justice. Yet little is known or understood about these practices on their own terms, and what role they play in transitional justice on the continent. This volume challenges some of the underlying assumptions of current responses to mass violence on the continent, including the way these are embedded in state-centricism and an international justice system that lacks relevance in relation to the day-to-day realities of rural African communities. Through the case studies of Zimbabwe, Burundi and Mozambique the volume explores some of the limitations and possibilities with regard to justice during transitions.
Cori Wielenga is a senior lecturer in the Department of Political Sciences and an associate of the Centre for the Study of Governance Innovation at the University of Pretoria. She holds a PhD in Conflict Resolution and Peace Studies from the University of KwaZulu Natal. Her research interest is in the intersection of legal and indigenous justice systems during transitions.
Chris Nshimbi joined GovInn as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in 2012 and is now a Department of Science and Technology-National Research Foundation (DST-NRF) Research Fellow and Deputy Director in the Centre. He holds a PhD from Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University (Japan) and his current research focuses on informal cross-border trade in eastern and southern Africa, regional (labour) migration, and the prospects of regional transitional justice and reconciliation policy in Africa.
Throughout history, African people have traversed their continent. Why do people leave their place of birth and what do they seek? More importantly, what happens to the places they go to when they are joined by many others? With the colonialists' exploitation of raw materials and search for outlets for manufactured goods, new centres of production and communication were created destroying traditional economies in their wake. The subsequent rural exodus has had a vast impact on the economic potential of Africa. Aging populations and decreased productivity in the rural areas, lead to pressure on over stretched housing, education and employment opportunities in the free sprouting urban outskirts. Even in relatively industrialized countries, droves of unemployed are continually on the move in the search, for work and a decent standard of living. Recognizing the importance of population dynamics and their effects on development policies, CODESRIA has brought together a unique collection of studies from across the entire African continent. Twelve teams of African researchers and writers have been working since October 1986 to generate information and data on links between population dynamics, development policies, the urbanization process and the crisis of rural Africa. The teams also suggest measures that could be taken to solve the various problems they identify. In this way, this book is not only a valuable reference source, but a vital contribution to the debate on Africa's future.
Meriba Toure and T. O. Fadayomi
ISBN: 2-86978-016-8
CODESRIA 1993