Christi van der Westhuizen

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Christi van der Westhuizen
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Born
Grew up in Boksburg, South Africa
Known forMedia commentator and analyst. Academic. Author. Focuses on issues of gender, race, sexuality, nationalism, neoliberalism, democracy, and postcolonialism.
Notable work
White Power & the Rise and Fall of the National Party (2007)

Sitting Pretty - White Afrikaans Women in Postapartheid South Africa (2017)

Working Democracy: Perspectives on South Africa's Parliament at 20 Years (2014)]

Routledge Handbook of Critical Studies in Whiteness (2022)
TitleAssociate Professor
Awards2001: Mondi Paper Newspaper Award for analytical writing (political columns). 1998: Sunday Times WWF/Green Trust Sam Mabe Media Award: Environmental reporting.
Notes
Photo credit: Izak de Vries

Prof Christi van der Westhuizen.[1] is a South African author and media columnist, researcher, academic and public intellectual. Her work focuses on issues of gender, race, sexuality, nationalism, neoliberalism, democracy, and postcolonialism. Van der Westhuizen has authored numerous books, including Working Democracy: Perspectives on South Africa's Parliament at 20 Years[2]; this book was referenced by the evidence leader of the Commission of Inquiry into allegations of state capture during the testimony of President Cyril Ramaphosa[3].

Van der Westhuizen's public scholarship has featured on local and international radio, television, print, and online media[4]. She is currently an Associate Professor and senior researcher at the Centre for the Advancement of Non-Racialism and Democracy (CANRAD)[5] at Nelson Mandela University in Gqeberha (Formerly Port Elizabeth).[6] She has been a Visiting Professor at Research Centre Global Dynamics[7] at Leipzig University in Germany[8].

Life and Career

Student activism and early working life

Van der Westhuizen's early foray into activism was as one of the founding members of an organisation aligned with the National Union of South African Students (Nusas). Nusas was a banned orgzanization at the then Rand Afrikaans University. The youth wings of the National and Conservative Parties were however freely active.

Van der Westhuizen started working at Vrye Weekblad, an anti-apartheid Afrikaans newspaper, while still a student. She was the Afrikaans translator of the ANC’s 1994 election manifesto and of the interim 1993 constitution of South African. In 2019, the literary and academic website Litnet published Van der Westhuizen's personal reflections on South Africa's first democratic election[9].

Professional career

From 1994 to 2003 she worked in various capacities at Beeld, culminating in the positions of Chief Political Correspondent, Parliamentary Bureau Chief, and columnist. Thereafter she worked at This Day newspaper as Deputy Editorial Page Editor and Political Columnist.[10]

From August 2004 to January 2006 van der Westhuizen held the position of Senior Researcher at the Institute for Global Dialogue. Thereafter she was affiliated as Honorary Research Fellow of the School of Politics, University of KwaZulu Natal until 2012. She worked as an Associate Editor[11] at the global news agency Inter Press Service from 2006 - 2011.

From 2012 - 2014, Van der Westhuizen was a Research Associate at the Institute for Reconciliation & Social Justice at Free State University before moving to University of Cape Town as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow[12] at the Institute for Humanities in Africa[13] (HUMA)[14], and then in 2015 was appointed as an associate professor in the Department of Sociology and Centre for Sexualities, AIDS & Gender at University of Pretoria.

In 2019 she took up her current position as Associate Professor, Senior Researcher and Head of Research Programme at the Centre for the Advancement of Non-Racialism and Democracy, Nelson Mandela University. Van der Westhuizen is a political commentator and analyst in local and global print and online media, radio and TV. Additionally, she has written columns and articles for the Sunday Times, The Star, Cape Times, Mail & Guardian, Beeld, Die Burger and Netwerk24[15] receiving the Mondi Paper Newspaper Award for her political columns in 2001.

Books

Van der Westhuizen's work spans both journalistic and academic writing in English and Afrikaans. Her research is interdisciplinary, traversing sociology, political, cultural and media studies, as well as history and political economy. Democracy is an important focus of Van der Westhuizen's work over the past three decades. In 2021, she was the main convenor and programme director of an international online academic conference on democracy at Nelson Mandela University, The State We’re In: Democracy’s Fractures, Fixes and Futures[16]

A in-depth look at the rise and fall of the National Party in South Africa. (Cape Town: Zebra Press[17]. ISBN 9781770073050). Van der Westhuizen talking about the Afrikaner community on Cape Talk Part 1[18] and part 2 [19]

Van der Westhuizen takes an intricate look into the identity, image and role of white Afrikaans-speaking women post-apartheid. (Scottsville: UKZN Press[20]. ISBN 978-1-86914-376-3). The book was launched in Pretoria, Durban, Johannesburg and Cape Town during 2017, following which van der Westhuizen appeared on multiple media platforms including interviews on SABC News[21], with Anele Mdoda on Real Talk, SABC[22] and CNBCAfrica [23]. She also featured on radio with Eusebius McKaiser on 702[24]. The book featured in a seminar at Nelson Mandela University[25] and an excerpt was published in the Daily Maverick[26].

An analytical look at democracy in South Africa 20 Years after its first democratic election. The book was referenced by the evidence leader of the Commission of Inquiry into allegations of state capture during the testimony of President Cyril Ramaphosa; the full text can be downloaded[27].

Five international launches were held featuring most of the authors of the 29 chapters[28]. Van der Westhuizen and Hunter joined Ashley Mattheis on the podcast Right Rising[29]. They also featured on Beckett Talks[30] from Leeds Beckett University[31].

Career highlights

Van der Westhuizen's edited collection of political essays and media columns, was referenced by the evidence leader of the Commission of Inquiry into Allegations of State Capture during the testimony of President Cyril Ramaphosa in 2021. From 2008-2010 van der Westhuizen was an expert member of the Globalisation Project of the Beyers Naudé Centre for Public Theology[32] (Stellenbosch University), the Uniting Reformed Church in Southern Africa and the Evangelisch-reformierte Kirche of Germany, led by Allan Boesak|Dr Allan Boesak. In 2005 she was selected as gender specialist for the first Joint Ministerial Meeting of United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) and African Union.

Media and public engagement

Van der Westhuizen is active as a public intellectual and has appeared extensively in the media, including TV, radio, online and print. She uses the opportunity to share her work and engage in open debate with people across different spheres and positions, helping make sense of the complex South African landscape.[33]

Following the death of FW de Klerk, the last Apartheid Prime Minister, in 2021, van der Westhuizen appeared in numerous media formats debating his legacy[34]. This included an eNCA Interview "The last apartheid president | Looking back at the history of FW de Klerk's decisions"[35], an article FW de Klerk: the last apartheid president was driven by pragmatism, not idealism[36] and an interview on Newzroom Afrika[37].

Van der Westhuizen's public and/or media appearances cover a range of issues including politics, economics, gender, patriarchy, and race among others. On the public broadcaster SABC, Has South Africa failed to achieve an economically inclusive society?[38] as a speaker[39] on Freedom day at the Apartheid Museum [40]. She participated in a Women's Day Public Debate in 2019 and appeared on SABC News, talking about Patriarchy in Women's Month[41]. She also delivered a lecture entitled Is a critically white project possible?[42] in the same year. She appeared on Finding me [43] on itvnetworks[44]. ITV is a South African local community broadcasting television station with an Islamic Ethos. In a discussion with host Quraysha Ismail Sooliman[45] van der Westhuizen takes a more introspective look at her life. In 2019 she engaged in a public debate in the media with politicians from the official opposition, the Democratic Alliance, about liberalism and racism. Opinion pieces on the debate in the media included; Liberals are failing to wrap their heads around race[46], No 'white denialism' in the DA, despite what critics say[47], The DA's awkward history with race[48], 'The DA is accepting of many different perspectives, all under the broad umbrella of liberalism'[49], and Idea-less DA continues to revert to type[50].

Podcast interviews

Van der Westhuizen has also hosted her own podcast Nuusknars[51] since July 2021. The podcast covers issues surrounding 25 years of Constitution; the implications of the Zuma arrest; language, names and race relations among a string of other topics.

She appeared on Voices from Africa[52], a podcast hosted by journalist Nicholas Claude[53], which focuses on discussions with people working in the arts, business, academia and civil society in South Africa. She discusses her questioning the Afrikaner mainstream at a young age and talks about race, power and gender identity. She also talks about democratization, the re-emergence of a toxic Afrikaner nationalism, and the need to reboot the South African political discourse. Lidia Rauch[54] interviewed Van der Westhuizen on Fearless & Unfiltered[55], a podcast which engages with South Africans on issues of inclusivity, inequality and transformation as well on Van dink na doen[56], an Afrikaans podcast, also hosted by Lidia Rauch, focusing on the interplay between grassroots realities and academic research.

Curriculum transformation

Van der Westhuizen's work at the University of Pretoria included the development and lecturing of a hybrid learning non-discrimination and critical diversity module for first-year students across all faculties. She was a member of the drafting team of Curriculum Transformation Framework, later adopted by the UP Senate.

She delivered a lecture in March 2017 titled Higher Education Transformation: Interrogating normativities, dismantling centres of power at the Department of Sociology and Social Anthropology at Stellenbosch University, South Africa.[57]

Other academic writing

Published articles

  • 2018. ‘(Un)sung Heroines: The rise and fall and rise of the Afrikaner nationalist volksmoeder in South Africa.’ Matatu Journal for African Culture and Society 50, 258–279.
  • 2016. ‘Race, Intersectionality and Affect in Postapartheid Productions of ‘the Afrikaans White Woman’. Critical Philosophy of Race 4 (2), 221–238.[58]
  • 2012 (with T.M. Blaser). ‘The Paradox of Post-Apartheid “Afrikaner” Identity: Deployments of Ethnicity and Neo-Liberalism.’ African Studies 71:3, 380-390.[59]

Awards

  • 2001: Recipient, Mondi Paper Newspaper Award for analytical writing (political columns).
  • 1998: Recipient, Sunday Times WWF/Green Trust Sam Mabe Media Award: Environmental reporting.

References

  1. ↑ van der Westhuizen, Christi. "Nelson Mandela University Staff".
  2. ↑ "Working Democracy – Perspectives on South Africa's Parliament at 20 Years | DEMOCRACY WORKS FOUNDATION". Retrieved 2023-01-11.
  3. ↑ State Capture Inquiry | President Cyril Ramaphosa appears before the Commission, retrieved 2023-06-09
  4. ↑ "Christi van der Westhuizen | HuffPost". www.huffingtonpost.co.uk. Retrieved 2023-07-12.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  5. ↑ van der Westhuizen, Christi. "Christi van der Westhuizen".
  6. ↑ "Christi van der Westhuizen | Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University - Academia.edu". nmmu.academia.edu. Retrieved 2023-07-12.
  7. ↑ Leipzig, Leipzig Research Centre Global Dynamicswork Strohsackpassage Nikolaistr 6-1004109. "Universität Leipzig: Research Centre Global Dynamics". recentglobe.uni-leipzig.de (in Deutsch). Retrieved 2022-10-26.
  8. ↑ Beethovenstraße 15, Prof Dr Ulf Engel Institute of African Studies work; Schreiben, Room 2209 04107 Leipzig Telefon: work +49 341 97-37038 E.-Mail (2023-01-18). "Farewell to South African guest professor Christi van der Westhuizen". recentglobe.uni-leipzig.de (in Deutsch). Retrieved 2023-06-09.
  9. ↑ Westhuizen, Christi van der (2019-05-07). "25 years later: Christi van der Westhuizen reflects". LitNet. Retrieved 2022-10-25.
  10. ↑ "Christi van der Westhuizen". The Conversation. 2022-05-09. Retrieved 2023-07-12.
  11. ↑ "Christi van der Westhuizen - Author". Inter Press Service. Retrieved 2022-06-06.
  12. ↑ "Christi van der Westhuizen joins HUMA | Institute for Humanities in Africa". www.huma.uct.ac.za. Retrieved 2022-06-07.
  13. ↑ "Christi van der Westhuizen joins HUMA | Institute for Humanities in Africa". www.huma.uct.ac.za. Retrieved 2023-07-12.
  14. ↑ "Institute for Humanities in Africa | Faculty of Humanities". www.humanities.uct.ac.za. Retrieved 2022-06-06.
  15. ↑ "Netwerk24". Netwerk24 (in Afrikaans). Retrieved 2022-06-06.
  16. ↑ "The State We're In: Democracy's Fractures, Fixes and Futures".
  17. ↑ "Imprints and Agencies Penguin Random House South Africa". www.penguinrandomhouse.co.za. Retrieved 2022-06-07.
  18. ↑ Van der Westhuizen, Christi. "Prof. Christi van der Westhuizen talking about the Afrikaner community". soundcloud.com/.
  19. ↑ Prof. Christi van der Westhuizen talking about the Afrikaner community (Part 2), retrieved 2022-07-04
  20. ↑ "University of KwaZulu-Natal Press". www.ukznpress.co.za. Retrieved 2022-06-30.
  21. ↑ Sitting Pretty: White Afrikaans Women in post-apartheid SA, retrieved 2022-07-04
  22. ↑ Real Talk With Anele S4 EP112 PJ Powers & Christi Van Der Westhuizen, retrieved 2022-07-04
  23. ↑ Talking Books Ep 50 'Sitting Pretty: White Afrikaans Women in Post-Apartheid SA, retrieved 2022-07-04
  24. ↑ "Listen: Christi van der Westhuizen discusses Sitting Pretty with Eusebius McKaiser". UKZN Press @ Sunday Times Books LIVE. Retrieved 2022-07-04.
  25. ↑ Book Launch | Sitting Pretty: White Afrikaans Women in Postapartheid South Africa, retrieved 2022-10-14
  26. ↑ Van der Westhuizen, Christi (4 November 2018). "Sitting Pretty — White Afrikaans Women in Post-apartheid South Africa".
  27. ↑ Van der Westhuizen, Christi. "Working Democracy: Perspectives on South Africa's Parliament at 20 Years (2014" (PDF). {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  28. ↑ "Launch events of Routledge #Whiteness Handbook: February 2022 - YouTube". www.youtube.com. Retrieved 2022-09-09.
  29. ↑ Podcast, Right Rising. "New Book Spotlight - Routledge Handbook of Critical Studies in Whiteness". Right Rising. Retrieved 2022-07-11.
  30. ↑ "Beckett Talks... | Podcasts | Leeds Beckett University". www.leedsbeckett.ac.uk. Retrieved 2022-07-11.
  31. ↑ "Rethinking Critical Whiteness Studies". Beckett Talks. Retrieved 2022-07-11.
  32. ↑ "About us". www.sun.ac.za. Retrieved 2022-07-12.
  33. ↑ "Christi van der Westhuizen". Thought Leader. 2014-04-30. Retrieved 2023-07-12.
  34. ↑ Westhuizen, Christi van der. "Christi van der Westhuizen | FW de Klerk: A defender of his roots until the end". News24. Retrieved 2022-09-09.
  35. ↑ The last apartheid president | Looking back at history of FW de Klerk's decisions, retrieved 2022-06-13
  36. ↑ Westhuizen, Christi van der. "FW de Klerk: the last apartheid president was driven by pragmatism, not idealism". The Conversation. Retrieved 2022-07-15.
  37. ↑ Reflecting on the legacy of last the apartheid president FW De Klerk, retrieved 2022-07-18
  38. ↑ Democracy 27 | Has South Africa failed to achieve an economically inclusive society?, retrieved 2022-06-13
  39. ↑ Women's Day Public Debate: Prof Christi van der Westhuzen, retrieved 2022-06-13
  40. ↑ Apartheid Museum- Freedom Day 27 April 2017- Christi Van de Westhuizen, retrieved 2022-06-15
  41. ↑ Patriachy under spotlight in Women's Month, retrieved 2022-06-13
  42. ↑ Christi van der Westhuizen | Is a critically white project possible?, retrieved 2022-06-13
  43. ↑ Finding Me S04 E30 Professor Christi van Der Westhuizen, retrieved 2022-07-18
  44. ↑ "itvnetworks - YouTube". www.youtube.com. Retrieved 2022-07-18.
  45. ↑ "Quraysha Ismail Sooliman – Centre for the Study of Governance Innovation". Retrieved 2022-07-18.
  46. ↑ "OPINION: Liberals are failing to wrap their heads around race | News24". www.news24.com. Retrieved 2022-10-26.
  47. ↑ "OPINION: No 'white denialism' in the DA, despite what critics say | News24". www.news24.com. Retrieved 2022-10-26.
  48. ↑ "OPINION: The DA's awkward history with race | News24". www.news24.com. Retrieved 2022-10-26.
  49. ↑ "OPINION: 'The DA is accepting of many different perspectives, all under the broad umbrella of liberalism' | News24". www.news24.com. Retrieved 2022-10-26.
  50. ↑ "OPINION: Idea-less DA continues to revert to type | News24". www.news24.com. Retrieved 2022-10-26.
  51. ↑ "Christi van der Westhuizen, Author at LitNet". LitNet. Retrieved 2022-07-18.
  52. ↑ "Prof Christi van der Westhuizen-Academic and author". Audioboom. Retrieved 2022-07-18.
  53. ↑ "Voices from SA". audioboom.com. Retrieved 2022-07-18.
  54. ↑ "About Lidia". Bloom Enterprise. Retrieved 2022-07-18.
  55. ↑ "Episode 10 | Christi van der Westhuizen". Deezer. Retrieved 2022-07-18.
  56. ↑ Rauch, Lidia (2021-09-02). "Van dink na doen: 'n onderhoud met Christi van der Westhuizen". LitNet. Retrieved 2022-07-18.
  57. ↑ Christi Van Der Westhuizen: 'Higher Education Transformation', retrieved 2022-07-14
  58. ↑ van der Westhuizen, Christi (2016). "Race, Intersectionality, and Affect in Postapartheid Productions of the "Afrikaans White Woman"". Critical Philosophy of Race. 4 (2): 221–238. doi:10.5325/critphilrace.4.2.0221. ISSN 2165-8684.
  59. ↑ Blaser, Thomas M; van der Westhuizen, Christi (2012). "Introduction: The Paradox of Post-Apartheid 'Afrikaner' Identity: Deployments of Ethnicity and Neo-Liberalism". Taylor and Francis Online. 71 (3): 380–390. doi:10.1080/00020184.2012.740882.

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