Modiegi Mafalo is a master’s student in Sociology at Stellenbosch University, focusing on governance and policing in post-apartheid South Africa. Her research explores how residents of historically marginalised townships, particularly Alexandra, narrate and make sense of policing in their everyday lives. Driven by a commitment to centring community knowledge in debates about safety, justice, and governance, she engages in critical qualitative inquiry that challenges state-centred narratives. Drawing on decolonial theory and Frantz Fanon’s work on colonial violence, she contributes to debates on justice, security, and state society relations. Outside research, she enjoys horror films and exploring representations of fear and violence in popular culture.

Current Research Project

Alexandra Township, a historically significant urban township in South Africa, serves as a key site for understanding contemporary perceptions of police and policing in a post-apartheid context. Marked by histories of resistance, spatial marginalisation, and systemic state neglect, Alexandra reflects the enduring legacies of apartheid-era policing. Using the 2024 Alexandra police station shooting as an entry point, the study explores how historical policing practices, systemic inequality, and intergenerational trauma and shame continue to shape public attitudes toward law enforcement. Drawing on Frantz Fanon’s theories of colonial violence, the study examines how historical memory and spatial injustice influence trust, fear, and resistance in police-community relations. Through qualitative methods, including interviews and social media analysis, the research contributes to decolonial scholarship on governance, security, and state-citizen relations in post-apartheid South Africa.

Supervisors: Dr Mosa Phadi & Dr Akuch Kuol Anyieth

Email: 27671062@sun.ac.za