Henry Mitchell Scholarship Report Research Stay on the University of the Western Cape
September 3 - November 4, 2022
John Kelly Bonilla Aranzales
Doctoral Candidate in Political Science at The Truman School of Government and Public Affairs University of Missouri, Columbia.
Understanding the inclusion of voters in peacemaking efforts requires a deep knowledge that scholars could achieve through the development of archival research and fieldwork activities in situ. Here is relevant to note that my doctoral dissertation analyzes the analytical elements that are decisive in celebrating peacemaking referendums as a strategy to sideline spoilers in intrastate contexts, namely South Africa, Guatemala, and Colombia. In that regard, the opportunity provided by the Henry Mitchell Scholarship allowed me to travel to Cape Town for two months in the fall of 2022 to conduct archival research, and some interviews concerning the 1992 South African Referendum became a crucial milestone in the development of my doctoral dissertation. Thus, in this report, I would like to detail all the actions I achieved in developing this research stay.
Before packing up and scheduling the trip to South Africa, I have to organize previous actions for the correct development of this research stay. Considering that I am a Colombian citizen, I must first collect some bureaucratic documents to get a visa to develop a research stay in South Africa without any problem. In that regard, the support provided by the Department of Political Studies at the University of Western Cape, the Department of Political Science at the Truman School of Public Affairs, the Office of International Programs, and the University of Missouri South African Education Program (UMSAEP) at Mizzou were vital in obtaining this migratory requirement without any delay.
Secondly, before traveling to South Africa, I scheduled a zoom meeting with the people of the
F.W. de Klerk Foundation, one relevant civil society institution that preserves and promotes the legacy of Former President de Klerk. Considering that Former President de Klerk proposed this referendum in the starting phase of the political negotiations to dismantle the Apartheid regime, I wanted to talk with some former governmental authorities that lived that moment in South African history. Through the support of
the F.W. de Klerk Foundation, I had the opportunity to contact different governmental actors that lived through the political transition in South Africa. Additionally, this institution offered me a chance to develop a nonpaid internship to check some digital archives and the possibility to write two open-ed articles focusing on the relevance of political transitions by looking at lessons learned from Colombia and South Africa, and the relevance of truth commissions in those countries.
The opportunity to develop a research stay is one of the most profound experiences that scholars in the social sciences can face, reflect on, and enjoy. Before traveling to Cape Town, I made a training stop at the Peace Research Institute of Oslo. In that place, I took an Advanced Qualitative Methods in Conflict Studies course: focused on Case Study Research and Process Analytics. The content of this advanced graduate course would be relevant in developing the research stay in Cape Town. In that place, I learned some critical issues that scholars should consider before starting the fieldwork, such as the positionality of the researcher and the need to address ethical implications before, during, and after the research process.
Learning about the Legacy and the Struggle to dismantle the Apartheid System
Before settling interviews with government officials, freedom fighters, South African citizens, and academics, I went for a walk to understand the legacy of the apartheid rule in South Africa. In that sense, the downtown of Cape Town provides many elements to understand the rule and the struggle to dismantle the apartheid political system. One iconic place that one can find is the High Court Civil Annex. This place is one of the locations where South Africans were "tested" to determine what racial group they belonged to using no scientific rigor. Close to this place, one can find a piece of the Berlin Wall in Cape Town. This important symbol of peace arrived in SA in 1996 when the German ambassador to South Africa organized for the piece to be housed outside the BMW Pavilion at the Waterfront. Nowadays, this piece resides outside the Mandela Rhodes Foundation in Downtown. This monument recalls that the attempts to separate people fail over time. Finally, One can find a bronze statue of President Mandela on the balcony of Cape Town City Hall. This piece remembers the first public speech that President Nelson Mandela gave on freedom. In sum, these places gave me an initial glimpse of the political transition that the South African people and the world experienced in the 90s decade.
Images: (Left) Façade of the High Court Civil Annex in Cape Town. (Center): Berlin Wall piece outside the Rhodes Mandela Foundation in Cape Town. (Right): Nelson Mandela Statue in Cape Town City Hall.
Doing Archival Research at the Mayibuye Archives and National Library of South Africa
Before and during the scheduling of interviews, I went to the Mayibuye Archives at the University of Western Cape to track the news coverage about the 1992 South African Referendum. In that place, I went to find some newspaper reports, but instead, I found historical gold. With the kind support of the archivists at the Mayibuye Archives, I found more than 200 news reports that provide evidence that supports my theoretical assumptions about the South African case. Additionally, I went to the National Library of South Africa and complemented some missing information about this particular case.
Images: (Left) Mayibuye Archives at UWC. (Center): Catalogue No 3: South African Press Clips Collection. (Right): Doctoral Candidate of the University of Missouri taking pictures about the campaign options of the 1992 South African referendum at Mayibuye Archives.
Visit to Robben Island and participation in academic events
One of the most remarkable moments in this research stay was the possibility of visiting Robben Island. This island is a mandatory place to visit to understand South African history because this island was used as a prison for political prisoners, a hospital for lepers, and a military base within the framework of the Second World War. Additionally, the staff of the Mayibuye Archives kindly invited me to attend the launch of the Digitalization Strategy of the Mayibuye Archives sponsored by the French Government. Finally, within the framework of this launch, scholars presented some initiatives concerning digital humanities using videos, audio recordings, and different innovative materials to show how the digitalization of archives could enhance activities of memory and reconciliation using novel technologies.
Image: (Left): Visit of the Robben Island mines.
Cultural event of the launch of the Digitalization of the Mayibuye Archives.
Presentation of the Virtual Reality VR animated documentary: Accused #2 Walter Sisulu, which was made based on the sound archives of the Rivonia trial.
Another event that I included in my agenda on this particular research stay was the launch of the book Peacemaking and Peacebuilding in South Africa, The National Peace Accord, 1991-1994—written by Professor Liz Carmichael at the Institute of Justice and Reconciliation in Cape Town. In this particular event, I had the opportunity to schedule interviews with South African citizens, grassroots leaders, and former authorities that were key players in the
political transition. Image: Presentation of the Book at the IJR.
Development of Interviews
Through the development of this research stay, I had the opportunity to develop 21 interviews that were scheduled, whether online or in situ. Among the interviewees that agreed to share their reflections about the 1992 South African referendum, I count on the insights of different South African citizens, reporters, former authorities, freedom fighters, and current politicians, among other actors in South African Politics. Without a doubt, the insights provided by all of them would serve as primary evidence about the use of referendums in transitional contexts.
Images: Photo with Justice Richard Goldstone, (Center): Photo with Mr Jan Jan Joubert, Former political editor of Die Bugler,
(Right) Photo with Dr Pieter Groenewald, Leader of the Freedom Front Plus Party.
Other Activities
Considering that one of my research interests looks to understand the effects of No-Confidence Motions towards Cabinet Instability in democratic systems, I had the opportunity to talk with the Directors of the African Legal Information Institute, which is a research program of the Democratic Governance and Rights Unit at the Department of Public Law, University of Cape Town. In that regard, I hope I can shortly access the gazette collection concerning No-Confidence Motions in African polities. Mainly in South Africa and Kenya. Let’s see how these new research contacts could help me to develop novel research about those horizontal accountability mechanisms considering the African context.
Additionally, this research stay allowed me to explore the city of Cape Town deeply. On this particular visit, I had the opportunity to admire and explore different cultural activities in the city's heart, such as graffiti on Cape Town's streets. Also, the variety of cultural offer reflected in museums and theaters are worth exploring.
Images: (Left): Mural located close to District Six. (Right): Façade of The Baxter Theater.
Cartoon about the role of Archbishop Desmond Tutu in the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
Natural Landscapes.
One of the most lovely elements that one can appreciate in developing a research stay is the natural beauty South Africa shows to its citizens and visitors. In that regard, I had the opportunity to visit some places I never thought would be so amazing. Such as the top of Lion's head mountain, the vineyards of Paarl, and a short visit to Sunset beach.
Images: (Left): Sunset view at the top of the Lion’s head Mountain. (Center): Vineyards of Paarl. (Right): Table Mountain from the perspective of Sunset Beach.
Final thoughts.
This research stay allowed me to reflect on some particular elements of the political transition in South Africa that undeniably would help me understand the key role that referendums play in establishing a peace accord that would end intrastate conflicts in the Global South. Beyond the access to archives and the opportunity to develop elite interviews, the add-value of this research stay was linked to interacting with South African citizens, who are always willing to help you in any situation. Many thanks to all of them.
Images: (Left): Photo with a former prisoner of Robben Island. (Center): Photo with the staff of the F.W. de Klerk Foundation. (Right): Photo with roomies at Observatory.
Finally, I would like to thank all the people who made the development of this research stay a reality. Without a doubt, being a Henry Mitchell scholar is a life-changing experience. In that regard, I would like to thank faculty members and administrative staff from the University of Missouri. First, I must thank Professor Rodney Uphoff for the guidance and help in getting some elite interviews before the South African trip. Professor Mary Stegmaier for her trust and support in this academic endeavor; Professor Laron Williams from the Truman School of Public Affairs for the help in developing this research stay; and my advisor, professor Bryce Reeder, for checking on me in the development of this research stay. Last but not least. Thanks to Ms. Hilary Baumann for the logistics support provided since day one.
On the other hand, I would like to express my gratitude to some faculty members and administrative staff of the University of Western Cape. First of all, I would like to thank Professor Joelen Pretorious for her trust, support with the paperwork and indications to work at the UWC, Professor Cherrel Africa for helping me to get some interviews with some faculty members at UWC that experienced the political transition, and the lovely team of archivists from the Mayibuye archives, such as Ms. Babalwa Solwandle, Mr. Masetshaba Masilo, Ms. Esther Van Driel, and Mr. Andre Mohammed that helped me in different moments of this research stay.
Image: View of the Lions Head Mountain close to the Offices of the F.W. de Klerk Foundation.
Reviewed 2025-11-06