Brand South Africa CEO Ambassador Kingsley Makhubela was today awarded a PhD in Political Science at the University of Pretoria. His thesis focused on the field of conflict resolution and mediation.

Ambassador Makhubela’s seminal work on the intractable conflict in Somalia, explores the etiology of the conflict, including the formation and failure of the post-colonial state, leadership, tribal and ethnic divisions and the root causes of the conflict.

The critical contribution of this study to conflict resolution and mediation however comes in its assessment of the various peace processes and why these have thus far failed to yield a durable solution.

Indeed, the study finds that the “application of coercive mediation has also contributed to the failure of international diplomacy” while the “failure of the peace process has facilitated the transformation of Somalia into a militia state, balkanised along clan militia fiefdoms based on parochial clan political interests in which civil militia leaders are the main beneficiaries of the disintegrated Somali state.”

Most importantly, it concludes that the intractability of the Somali conflict necessitates a “new [approach] to resolve the conflict where civil militia have established governance without government.”

The study, finalised under the supervision of Professor Maxi Schoeman - Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Humanities at the University of Pretoria - continues to outline “an alternative approach to analysis of conflicts where the state has been decimated and civil militia groups have assumed power without the checks and balances that come with such responsibilities.”

This study has been described by one of the external examiners as making an important contribution to the discipline of mediation and holds important lessons for other intractable conflicts in, amongst others, Iraq, Libya, South Sudan, Syria, Yemen and the Central African Republic.

Ambassador Makhubela is a member of the advisory board of the Centre for Mediation in Africa based at the University of Pretoria.

Ambassador Makhubela has had an illustrious and distinguished career in the public service having most recently served as the Director-General of the Department of Tourism and prior to that, holding, amongst others, the position of Chief of State Protocol at the Department of International Relations and Co-operation.  Ambassador Makhubela has also been at the helm of positioning South Africa in Portugal and Kenya during his tours of duty as Ambassador and High Commissioner respectively.

Ambassador Makhubela also holds a Master’s degree in Diplomatic Studies from the University of Pretoria.

Issued by Brand South Africa