Zama M Mthombeni
Biographic Data
| ID | 3066041 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Zama M Mthombeni |
| GIVEN NAMES | Zama M |
| FAMILY NAME | Mthombeni |
| SIGNATURE | MTHOMBENI Z M |
| AFFILIATIONS | Human Sciences Research Council |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-7940-7094 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 8 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 15 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 8 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2020 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 1 |
Coalition Governance and Public Discourse in South Africa: A Critical Analysis of Mediated Political Speech
Coalition governance has become a prominent feature of South Africa’s political landscape, particularly after the 2024 general elections, when no single party secured an outright majority. Limited empirical research has examined how coalitions in democracies are framed in media discourse, and the implications for political legitimacy and public perception. An analysis of representations of coalition governance in political commentary disseminated…
Higher education access crisis in South Africa: Implications for the developmental state
South Africa’s higher education system faces a deepening access crisis, as evidenced in the 2025 admission cycle when thousands of eligible students were excluded due to limited institutional capacity. With only 26 public universities serving a rapidly growing youth population, the mismatch between demand and available spaces has become a structural challenge with profound social and economic implications. This article interrogates South Africa’s…
Rethinking the foundations: A conceptual framework for youth transitions, basic education, and graduate attributes in South Africa
Graduate attributes such as critical thinking, problem-solving, and academic literacy are often positioned as higher education outcomes, yet their foundations need to be laid much earlier in schooling. This study explores how South Africa’s fragmented education system shapes youth transitions from basic to higher education, focusing on the misalignment between the Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS) and university expectations. Usin…
Amabhinca subculture: Re-branded expression of black masculinity in South African townships
Fears have been expressed that global forces diminish the integrity of local cultures through the influence of subcultures of consumption. This study examined the dynamic identities of black males, specifically within the amabhinca subculture to shed light on how neoliberalism and consumerist tendencies have re-shaped these identities. A qualitative research method was employed, with the researcher engaging with 30 males involved in the subcultur…
Development of African Languages as the Medium of Instruction in Higher Education: From Policy to Practice
This study, using the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) as a key case study, critically examined the integration of African languages, specifically isiZulu, in South Africa’s higher education system. Employing a qualitative approach, the research conducted semi-structured interviews with lecturers and students while analysing relevant policies through a comprehensive examination of secondary data. The theoretical framework is grounded in socioli…
The Cost of Equality: Analyzing the Unforeseen Financial Strains of Fee-Free Higher Education in South Africa
In the past, many South African students found it difficult to pursue higher education due to the high expense of tuition, which also restricted their prospects for development on both a personal and professional level. Fee-free education has helped to level the playing field and provide equal access to education, regardless of an individual’s financial background. Evidently, financially disadvantaged students now have better access to higher edu…
Safeguarding intangible cultural heritage: Exploring the synergies in the transmission of Indigenous languages, dance and music practices in Southern Africa
Like other forms of Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH), Indigenous music and dance cultures have been adversely affected by significant social, economic, technological, and ecological modifications. The resultant transformations in cultural contexts, function, modes of transmission, and performance have endangered the sustainability of several music and dance traditions and their transmission languages. Moreover, efforts to actively support the v…
An appraisal of bilingual language policy implementation in South African higher education
The demand for promoting bilingual and multilingual language policies in African universities can be regarded as a decolonial force for driving pedagogical changes in teaching and learning. In South Africa, there have been polemic debates particularly on the need to include African languages as alternatives to English. This article intervenes in the increasing tensions about language policy implementation in tertiary institutions. The study utili…
Safeguarding intangible cultural heritage: Exploring the synergies in the transmission of Indigenous languages, dance and music practices in Southern Africa
Like other forms of Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH), Indigenous music and dance cultures have been adversely affected by significant social, economic, technological, and ecological modifications. The resultant transformations in cultural contexts, function, modes of transmission, and performance have endangered the sustainability of several music and dance traditions and their transmission languages. Moreover, efforts to actively support the v…
An appraisal of bilingual language policy implementation in South African higher education
The demand for promoting bilingual and multilingual language policies in African universities can be regarded as a decolonial force for driving pedagogical changes in teaching and learning. In South Africa, there have been polemic debates particularly on the need to include African languages as alternatives to English. This article intervenes in the increasing tensions about language policy implementation in tertiary institutions. The study utili…
The Cost of Equality: Analyzing the Unforeseen Financial Strains of Fee-Free Higher Education in South Africa
In the past, many South African students found it difficult to pursue higher education due to the high expense of tuition, which also restricted their prospects for development on both a personal and professional level. Fee-free education has helped to level the playing field and provide equal access to education, regardless of an individual’s financial background. Evidently, financially disadvantaged students now have better access to higher edu…
Safeguarding intangible cultural heritage: Exploring the synergies in the transmission of Indigenous languages, dance and music practices in Southern Africa
Like other forms of Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH), Indigenous music and dance cultures have been adversely affected by significant social, economic, technological, and ecological modifications. The resultant transformations in cultural contexts, function, modes of transmission, and performance have endangered the sustainability of several music and dance traditions and their transmission languages. Moreover, efforts to actively support the v…
Development of African Languages as the Medium of Instruction in Higher Education: From Policy to Practice
This study, using the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) as a key case study, critically examined the integration of African languages, specifically isiZulu, in South Africa’s higher education system. Employing a qualitative approach, the research conducted semi-structured interviews with lecturers and students while analysing relevant policies through a comprehensive examination of secondary data. The theoretical framework is grounded in socioli…
Amabhinca subculture: Re-branded expression of black masculinity in South African townships
Fears have been expressed that global forces diminish the integrity of local cultures through the influence of subcultures of consumption. This study examined the dynamic identities of black males, specifically within the amabhinca subculture to shed light on how neoliberalism and consumerist tendencies have re-shaped these identities. A qualitative research method was employed, with the researcher engaging with 30 males involved in the subcultur…
Coalition Governance and Public Discourse in South Africa: A Critical Analysis of Mediated Political Speech
Coalition governance has become a prominent feature of South Africa’s political landscape, particularly after the 2024 general elections, when no single party secured an outright majority. Limited empirical research has examined how coalitions in democracies are framed in media discourse, and the implications for political legitimacy and public perception. An analysis of representations of coalition governance in political commentary disseminated…
Higher education access crisis in South Africa: Implications for the developmental state
South Africa’s higher education system faces a deepening access crisis, as evidenced in the 2025 admission cycle when thousands of eligible students were excluded due to limited institutional capacity. With only 26 public universities serving a rapidly growing youth population, the mismatch between demand and available spaces has become a structural challenge with profound social and economic implications. This article interrogates South Africa’s…
Rethinking the foundations: A conceptual framework for youth transitions, basic education, and graduate attributes in South Africa
Graduate attributes such as critical thinking, problem-solving, and academic literacy are often positioned as higher education outcomes, yet their foundations need to be laid much earlier in schooling. This study explores how South Africa’s fragmented education system shapes youth transitions from basic to higher education, focusing on the misalignment between the Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS) and university expectations. Usin…
Political science (4 works) · Sociology (4 works) · Multilingual Education and Policy (3 works) · Pedagogy (3 works) · EFL/ESL Teaching and Learning (2 works) · Higher education (2 works) · Languages of Africa (2 works) · Linguistics (2 works) · Psychology (2 works) · Qualitative research (2 works)