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25 August 2022 | Story Leonie Bolleurs | Photo Supplied
Bernedette Muthien
Bernedette Muthien is the author of Rethinking Africa, which critically opens new pathways for decolonial scholarship and the reclamation of indigenous self-definition by women scholars.

“Claim your own agency and power, no matter how challenging the circumstances. Violence and oppression stop with each of us. We ended apartheid. We will end patriarchy. And everyone will benefit from the end of gender and intersecting oppressions, to live their full potential in an equal and nonviolent society. We are making the change; it is coming; always have hope.”

This is the message to women from Bernedette Muthien, Research Fellow in the Office for International Affairs at the University of the Free State (UFS).

For the past 20 years, she has conducted research on intersectional justice, a topic that is both scholarly, accessible to activists and others, and can be used to improve our communities, our country, and the world at large.

Muthien has written more than 200 publications, some translated into European and local languages, on gender, gender violence, HIV, Aids, poverty, and sexualities.

Additionally, she has published widely in peace and security studies, as well as indigenous studies. Some of her other works deal with human rights and justice, specifically the constitution and education in South Africa. "As a scholar and human being and being involved in the last cohort of youth activists against apartheid during the turbulent 1980s, I consider intersectional justice and constitutional rights of critical importance,” she says.

Restoring dignity to our people

One of Muthien’s most recent works, Rethinking Africa, is a collection of chapters by diverse indigenous women – from playwright Sylvia Vollenhoven, to academic Babalwa Magoqwana – reinterpreting our past from various women’s perspectives.

The book, conceived at the start of the pandemic lockdown and produced in less than a year, critically opens new pathways for decolonial scholarship and the reclamation of indigenous self-definition by women scholars. “It is long overdue that, as indigenous women, we write our own herstory, define our own contemporary cultural and socio-economic conditions, and conceive future visions based on our lived realities, which are social and gender equality, matricentric, beyond-heteronormative, based on nonviolence or peace, ecologically responsible, and goddess-loving,” she says. 

It is Muthien's commitment to her women ancestors and contemporary communities that inspired this work, correcting misinterpretations of indigenous knowledge, women's role in society, and colonially influenced patriarchy in our urban areas.

She believes one needs women at the centre of societies, co-creating social values and practices that are humane and nonviolent, that nurture and foster individual and collective growth, that heal and care, that do no harm, and definitely do not exploit. 

“There is enough light in the cosmos for all the stars to shine. One star’s light does not diminish the glitter of other stars, and shining together, all the stars united can be brighter than even the sun. Together, we continue to define our own herstories and scholarship for ourselves, as indigenous peoples in Africa,” Muthien was heard saying at the online launch of Rethinking Africa last year. 

Through this publication, she mostly wanted to convey that women are central to indigenous societies, and that our environment is alive and worthy of respect. In Muthien's view, humans, animals, plants, and the planet should not be exploited in any way but imbued with dignity.

Furthermore, she believes that we need to reclaim these core indigenous values and practices that have been corrupted by colonially inspired patriarchy. “As a result, we will eradicate gender violence and restore dignity to our women, our men, and to our people," she says.

Challenging colonially inspired patriarchy

The intent of Rethinking Africa is to contribute to scholarship. Yet the contributors are from different sectors, writing in diverse styles, making this work accessible to all audiences. “Photographs of sacred sites and rock art, as well as poems by leading indigenous poets, are included in the book, illustrating the indigenous intersections between scholarship, art, creativity, spirituality, and between individual and community,” she explains. 

The work specifically challenges colonially inspired patriarchy, including religious teachings about patriarchy, about the subordination of women, which contradict indigenous wisdoms of equality and women at society’s centre.

Muthien’s work, although challenging for some, does add value, changing people’s lives for the better. For decades, she has worked on consciousness transformation through scholarship and community work. She is of the opinion that mindsets need to change in order to change behaviour and society. “In this way, the change is deep and lasting,” she says. 

She is also a firm believer in less talk, and more strategic and effective action. “In taking action, one first decolonises the mindset; strip it bare of all internalised oppression. Then it is important to re-instil ancient indigenous knowledge, values, and practices. Also offer skills, networks, resources, to communities as they offer their knowledge to scholars.”

“In addition, leave concrete assets for communities,” she says. Muthien tells the story of a family in Andriesvale, deep in the Kalahari, who built their Kalahari Kombuis, which serves as their residence and a tourist entertainment and dining venue, funded by a small group of Dutch feminists who wanted to contribute to reparations. According to her, the building and the family and community thrive to this day.

And importantly, it is key to have compassion. “Always compassion,” she says.

Muthien offered Rethinking Africa as her contribution to the various communities she has served over decades since birth.

• The book is available in bookshops and online, and online around the world.

News Archive

Fracking in the Karoo has advantages and disadvantages
2012-05-25

 

Dr Danie Vermeulen
Photo: Leatitia Pienaar
25 May 2012

Fracking for shale gas in the Karoo was laid bare during a public lecture by Dr Danie Vermeulen, Director of the Institute for Groundwater Studies (IGS). He shared facts, figures and research with his audience. No “yes” or “no” vote was cast. The audience was left to decide for itself.

The exploitation of shale gas in the pristine Karoo has probably been one of the most debated issues in South Africa since 2011.
 
Dr Vermeulen’s lecture, “The shale gas story in the Karoo: both sides of the coin”, was the first in a series presented by the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Science under the theme “Sustainability”. Dr Vermeulen is a trained geo-hydrologist and geologist. He has been involved in fracking in South Africa since the debate started. He went on a study tour to the USA in 2011 to learn more about fracking and he visited the USA to further his investigation in May 2012.
 
Some of the information he shared, includes:

- It is estimated that South Africa has the fifth-largest shale-gas reserves in the world, following on China, the USA, Argentina and Mexico.
- Flow-back water is stored in sealed tanks and not in flow-back dams.
- Fracturing will not contaminate the water in an area, as the drilling of the wells will go far deeper than the groundwater aquifers. Every well has four steel casings – one within the other – with the gaps between them sealed with cement.
- More than a million hydraulic fracturing simulations took place in the USA without compromising fresh groundwater. The surface activities can cause problems because that is where man-made and managerial operations could cause pollution.
- Water use for shale-gas exploration is lower than for other kinds of energy, but the fact that the Karoo is an arid region makes the use of groundwater a sensitive issue. Dr Vermeulen highlighted this aspect as his major concern regarding shale-gas exploration.
- The cost to develop is a quarter of the cost for an oil well in the Gulf of Mexico.
- Dolerite intrusions in the Karoo are an unresearched concern. Dolerite is unique to the South African situation. Dolerite intrusion temperatures exceed 900 °C.

He also addressed the shale-gas footprint, well decommissioning and site reclamation, radio activity in the shale and the low possibility of seismic events.
 
Dr Vermeulen said South Africa is a net importer of energy. About 90% of its power supply is coal-based. For continued economic growth, South Africa needs a stable energy supply. It is also forecast that energy demand in South Africa is growing faster than the average global demand.
 
Unknowns to be addressed in research and exploration are the gas reserves and gas needs of South Africa. Do we have enough water? What will be the visual and social impact? Who must do the exploration?
 
“Only exploration will give us these answers,” Dr Vermeulen said.

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