Acknowledgements
It is an understatement to say I am grateful to everyone who has made this project possible. In particular, I thank Ylva Rodny-Gumede, viola milton, and Winston Mano for insightful conversations on it. I had many conversations with Nyasha Mboti on the topic and he also read a part of the manuscript and commented on it.
At the University of the Free State’s Unit for Institutional Change and Social Justice, I had many conversations with Giselle Baillie, whose encouragement and insights shine through many parts of this work. But others at the Unit, including Sihle Salmon and Sikhululekile Luwaca, guided me to think more closely about diversity, inclusion, equality, and social justice. So, I am grateful to Molapo Qhobela, Puleng Lenkabula and Francis Petersen for giving me the chance to serve as the head of the Unit at a tipping point period.
I marvel at the patience and insights of the series editor Everet Green and his anonymous reviewers. If your work is often thankless, please hear my Shona when I say Tatenda—accepting and acknowledging how you have pushed me to greater heights.
And how can I say I appreciate the Brill Dream Team—Helena Schöb, Erika Mandarino and Giorgia Rota? Publishing is not easy work. Yet this team has only met me with grace, creativity and professional commitment to excellence.
I cannot forget to thank Innocent Dande, who I met on one of my many walks on campus. He piqued my interest with talk of his work on mongrel dogs. But many moons later, when I got to searching for literature on the topic, he was not to be found. I am glad I have cited some of his work, and that I eventually tracked him down to my express appreciation for how his work led me to this exploration.
There are countless others whose contributions I am unable to list. In some instances, there are important names I fail to remember. So, trust me, I am aware that my work is a mongrel with many sources that spring eternal.
Above all, I thank my family.
This work is love made visible.
All the omissions and commissions that make my writing less than it could be are hard to bear. So, I hope readers generously take these as opportunities for productive engagements that can produce great good. As for me, there remains the certainty and gratitude of knowing that this project could not have delivered this fruit without so many contributions from others.