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17 August 2020 | Story Rulanzen Martin | Photo UFS Photo Archive
Prof Hussein Solomon’s new book, which provides a comprehensive overview of the crises facing the Middle East North Africa region, will hit the shelves in 2021.
The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) is a region plagued by various crises in governance, gender relations and identity politics as well as environmental challenges.  These crises, viewed from a COVID-19 perspective, is placed under the spotlight in a new book by Prof Hussein Solomon, senior lecturer in the Department of Political Studies and Governance at the University of the Free State (UFS) and Prof Arno Tausch, associate professor at Innsbruck University in Austria. 

In, Arab MENA Countries: Vulnerabilities and Constraints Against Democracy on the Eve of the Global COVID-19 Crisis, the authors offer critical insights into the region and explore their different facets and how policymakers have responded to them and what alternatives there are in overcoming them.

Existing literature does not speak to a post-COVID MENA

“As someone who follows current developments in the region via news media, one obviously asks oneself: what is the political, economic and social implications of the pandemic,” says Prof Solomon.

One of the main reasons for writing the book was that existing literature does not speak to a post-COVID-19 world. “My co-author and I felt it imperative to work on this book and get it out so policymakers can take cognisance of these new developments and academics can re-assess the current literature extant on the region,” says Prof Solomon

The book also examines regional trends whilst being conscious of the situation in each country. It also aims to bring an understanding of the regional trends and country specific peculiarities.  

COVID-19 made the MENA region even more vulnerable

The title of the book is quite a mouthful but Prof Solomon explains: “The MENA region is awash with crises; their heavy dependence on fossil fuels, their closed political systems and social fragmentation. With the advent of the Covid-19 pandemic their vulnerabilities and constraints are exacerbated.” 

With the lockdowns imposed by governments worldwide and the decreased demand for fossil fuels in the MENA region resulted in huge fiscal challenges for the governments. This as well as nepotism and, appointing people without the required expertise also constraints these states in adopting and implementing effective strategies.

Prof Hussein cautioned that “the impact of COVID-19 is still a novel and new area of research” but by framing the book within the context of the pandemic, the book provides the most comprehensive account on the region.

The book will be published by Springer for distribution in 2021.

News Archive

Johann swims his way to Olympics
2016-05-18


Johann van Heerden from the University of the Free State has qualified for the Paralympic Games in the swimming pool, and is now waiting to hear if he will be included in the South African team. Photo: Nadya van Heerden.

In the past couple of months, Johann van Heerden has been swimming his way to the Paralympic Games, and is still preparing as if he will be going to Rio de Janeiro.

The Kovsie swimmer, who will know whether he has been included in the Paralympic team in July 2016, feels his training is progressing well. The Olympics will be held in Brazil from 7 to 18 September 2016. If all goes well, this could be the first of several Olympics for the 20-year-old second-year Education student from the University of the Free State (UFS).

Dream year for Education student

Van Heerden (cerebral palsy), whose hero is the former Paralympic superstar Natalie du Toit, has had huge successes in the run-up to the 2016 Olympics. Among others, he was named the best senior swimmer at the Nedbank National Championships for the Physically Disabled in Bloemfontein in March 2016. At the South African Senior Championships in Durban in April 2016, he qualified for the Olympics in the 100 m breast-stroke with an A-qualifying time, and in the 50 m and 100 m freestyle with B-qualifying times.

Only three male swimmers to Olympics

However, he has to wait until the announcement of the South African Paralympic team, since only three male and three female swimmers will be selected. He will not be competing in another major event before the Olympics. “My short-term goal is to compete in this year’s Games, and, in the long term, I would like to reach even greater heights at the 2020 Games,” he said. Du Toit is an inspiration to him because “she was hard-working, and she had a lot of drive”.

Other students from CUADS also excel

At the above-mentioned National Championships, Van Heerden won a total of five gold medals (200 m medley, 100 m breaststroke, 50 m freestyle, 50 m breaststroke, and 200 m breaststroke) and one silver medal (100 m freestyle). Other students from the Center for Universal Access and Disability Support at the UFS also excelled.

Dineo Mokhosoa (cerebral palsy) won three gold medals (long jump, shot-put, and discus), while the athlete Louzanne Coetzee (blind) shattered the world record in the 5 000 m, as well as the Africa record in the 1 500 m. Juanré Jenkinson (cerebral palsy) won two silver medals (discus and shot-put) while Danie Breitenbach (blind) won two gold medals (800 m and 1500 m).

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