Prof. Mandla Radebe

Associate Professor and Director: Centre for Data and Digital Communication
Name: Mandla J. Radebe
Location: B Ring 614 Auckland Park Kingsway Campus
Department of Strategic Communication Staff  Staff Members

Contact Details:
Tel: 011 559 3611

Email: mradebe@uj.ac.za

About Prof. Mandla Radebe

Qualifications:

• PhD, Media Studies (Wits University)
• MA, Journalism & Media Studies (Wits University)
• BA Honours, Journalism & Media Studies (Wits University)
• , Computer & Information Technology (Vista University, Soweto campus)

Professional bodies memberships:

• International Association for Media and Communication Research (IAMCR)
• Public Relations Institute of Southern Africa (PRISA)
• Institute of Directors in South Africa (IoDSA)
• South African Communication Association (SACOMM)

Overview/bio:

Mandla J. Radebe is an Associate Professor in the Department of Strategic Communication and the Director of UJ’s Centre for Data and Digital Communications. He is a seasoned communication professional with over two decades of work experience in industries such as Accounting & Auditing, Financial Services, Information and Communication Technology, Higher Education, Retail and Public Sector. Mandla has been involved in numerous policy formulation and development processes. Until December 2020, he was the Business Executive responsible for Communication and Stakeholder Management at the Auditor-General of South Africa. Mandla iss the author of ‘The Lost Prince of the ANC: The Life and Times of Jabulani Nobleman ‘Mzala’ Nxumalo 1955-1991’ (Jacana Media) and ‘Constructing Hegemony: The South African Commercial Media and the (Mis)Representation of Nationalisation’ (UKZN Press).

Research Interests: Key words / concepts

• Critical Political Economy of Communication
• Digital Capitalism and the Network Society
• Strategic communication: citizen engagement
• The National Question and Nation Formation
• Marxist Theories of Economy, State and Society
• Economic development, inequality, and livelihoods
• Marxist Theories of Economy, State and Society

Most recent journal publications

• Radebe M.J. 2023. “Book review: Vital retelling of SA’s history”, African Communist, 1st Quarter, Issue No. 206.
• Radebe, M.J. 2022. “New features of media imperialism: The South African online media and the coverage of the Ukrainian war”. Communicare: Journal for Communication Studies in Africa, 41(2), 75-89.
• Radebe, M. J. 2022. “Framing the Poor during Covid-19: Townships and Informal Settlements in South African Online News”. Communicatio, 1-22.
• Radebe, M. J. 2022. “Book Review: A Brief History of South Africa: From Earliest Times to the Mandela Presidency”. The Thinker, 92(3), 96-101.
• Radebe, M. J., & Chiumbu, S. H. 2022. “Frames and Marginalisation of Counter-hegemonic Voices: Media Representation of the Land Debate in South Africa”. African Journalism Studies, 1-18.
• Radebe M.J. “The Spirit behind the SACP: The International Socialist League and the formation of the Party”. Nduvhuwo
• Radebe, M.J. 2021. “Defending non-racialism”, African Communist, 3rd & 4th Quarter 2020 Issue 203.
• Chiumbu, S. H., & Radebe, M.J. 2020. “Towards a decolonial critical political economy of the media: Some initial thoughts”. Communicatio: South African Journal of Communication Theory and Research, 46(1), 1-20.
• Radebe, M.J. “Communists’ role in alliance building”, African Communist, 1st and 2nd Quarter. Issue Number 202.
• Radebe, M.J. 2017. “Class analysis of the South African communications systems”, African Communist, 2nd Quarter. Issue Number 195.

Books and chapters in books

• Radebe M.J. 2022. “The Lost Prince of the ANC: The Life and Times of Jabulani Nobleman ‘Mzala’ Nxumalo 1955-1991” (Jacana Media).
• Radebe, M.J. “Constructing Hegemony: The South African Commercial Media and the (Mis)Representation of Nationalisation” (UKZN Press).
• Radebe M.J. 2021. “South Africa’s Post-Apartheid Media and Democracy in Destroying Democracy: Neoliberal Capitalism and the Rise of Authoritarian Politics” Edited by Michelle Williams and Vishwas Satgar (WitsPress).

Conference proceedings (in the last 5 years)

• IAMCR Online 2021, hosted by United States International University – Africa: Economic Justice during Covid-19: The Framing of the Poor by South Africa’s Online Media (Radebe, M.J).

Conference participation (in the last 5 years):

• The Forge and Commune Bookshop, 29 April 2023: The Lost Prince of the ANC: The Life and Times of Jabulani Nobleman ‘Mzala’ Nxumalo (Radebe, M.J).
• Khanya college alumni in conversation with Mandla Radebe, 22 April 2023: The Lost Prince of the ANC: The Life and Times of Jabulani Nobleman ‘Mzala’ Nxumalo (Radebe, M.J).
• Jacana Conversations, 04 April 2023: Is it possible to reimagine South Africa’s politics and society? (Radebe, M.J).
• Constitutional Hill Human Rights Festival, the People’s Book Club stream, 26 March 2023: The Lost Prince of the ANC: The Life and Times of Jabulani Nobleman ‘Mzala’ Nxumalo (Radebe, M.J).

• Rhodes School of Journalism & Media Studies and Department of Political and International Studies, 03 March 2023: The Lost Prince of the ANC: The Life and Times of Jabulani Nobleman ‘Mzala’ Nxumalo (Radebe, M.J).
• Ike’s Books and Collectables, 21 February 2023: The Lost Prince of the ANC: The Life and Times of Jabulani Nobleman ‘Mzala’ Nxumalo (Radebe, M.J).
• Rosebank Exclusives books, 16 February 2023: The Lost Prince of the ANC: The Life and Times of Jabulani Nobleman ‘Mzala’ Nxumalo (Radebe, M.J).
• Centurion Exclusives books, 15 February 2023: The Lost Prince of the ANC: The Life and Times of Jabulani Nobleman ‘Mzala’ Nxumalo (Radebe, M.J).
• Book Circle Capital, 7 February 2023: The Lost Prince of the ANC: The Life and Times of Jabulani Nobleman ‘Mzala’ Nxumalo (Radebe, M.J).
• Centre for Data and Digital Communications, November 2022: The Limits of South Africa’s Liberal Media in the Digital Age (Radebe, M.J – organiser and facilitator).
• Centre for Data and Digital Communications, October 2022: The Public Sector Communication in the digital Age (Radebe, M.J – organiser and facilitator).
• MGIMO University, Odintsovo branch, School of Linguistics and Cross-Cultural Communication, October 2022: Media Imperialism Continuities and Changes: The South African Online Media and the Coverage of the Ukrainian War (Radebe, M.J).
• Johannesburg Institute for Advanced Studies (JIAS), June 2022: Media Decolonial Theory: Re-theorising and Rupturing Euro-American Canons for South African Media (Radebe, M.J).
• Chris Hani Institute and the Centre for Africa-China Studies, May 2022: THE CHRIS HANI LECTURE (Radebe, M.J. – programme director/facilitator).
• UJ Strategic Communication – Roundtable on PR, 25 May 2022: The role of PR and communications in fostering social cohesion in Africa and re-branding the African continent post the COVID-19 pandemic (Radebe, M.J. – opening remarks).
• Department of Strategic Communication Webinar, April 2022: Media freedom during conflicts in the digital age: The implications for the banning of Russia Today (Radebe, M.J – organiser and facilitator).
• UNISA and National Press Club Webinar, October 2021: Percy Qoboza Memorial Lecture (Radebe, M.J).
• Institute for the Future of Knowledge (IFK) at the University of Johannesburg and Government Communication and Information System(GCIS) Webinar, July 2021: Social media as an avenue to disseminate information (Radebe, M.J).
• Ikwezi Institute Conversation Webinar, June 2021: The Freedom Charter, Democracy and Freedom (Radebe, M.J).
• University of Johannesburg Confucius Institute and Centre for Africa – China Studies Webinar, June 2021: The 100^th Anniversary of the Communist Party of China (Radebe, M.J).
• Department of Strategic Communication Webinar, May 2021: University of Johannesburg’s World Press Freedom Day Webinar (Radebe, M.J – organiser and facilitator).
• Institute for Intelligent Systems Webinar, April 2021: A tsunami of disinformation around the covid-19 vaccine webinar (Radebe, M.J).

Contact details:

• Tel: 011 559 3611
• Email: mradebe@uj.ac.za