Abstract

PALI, K.J.. Role of active citizenship amid increasing societal challenges in South Africa. A theological reflection on the looting of businesses in South Africa. Missionalia (Online) [online]. 2024, vol.52, n.1, pp.1-21. ISSN 2312-878X.

Many of the citizens in South Africa are religious, with the majority of them affiliating with the Christian religion. The struggle against the apartheid regime was a struggle for full citizenship. The South African active citizenship index score is 68%, reflecting that more than half of South African citizens are active in their society. However, participation in the protest by South African citizens displays either positive active citizenship or negative active citizenship, characterised by violence and transgression of human rights. This negative or positive active citizenship is evident from the peaceful or violent protests in many South African places. Considering the above, the two objectives of the article are the following: The first is to analyse citizens' missional role in society from a Christian perspective. The second one is to give a theological reflection on the impact that the looting of businesses in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng in July 2021 had on the citizenship of South Africans. The research question of this article is: What kind of impact does the looting of businesses that occurred in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng in July 2021 have on the active citizenship of South African society? In response to the above research question and objectives, this article will use a literature study, the Practical Theological interpretation model by Osmer (2008), guided by a hermeneutical theoretical approach.

Keywords : Active Citizenship; Looting of Businesses; Societal Challenges.

        · text in English     · English ( pdf )