Born in Pietermaritzburg and the son of a bishop, Reverend Dr Sithembiso Zwane grew up in a religious household that valued education.

This background created a nurturing environment for his journey as a religious leader and a theologian.

Zwane graduates with his PhD, marking the completion of his lifelong commitment to faith-inspired social change. His thesis is titled: ‘Invited, Invigorated and Invented Spaces: An Analysis of the Ujamaa Centre’s Ideo-theological Conceptual Contribution to Participatory Community Development in South Africa and Beyond’.

Zwane is a lecturer in the University of KwaZulu-Natal’s (UKZN) Theology and Development Programme and serves as a Director at the Ujamaa Centre. The Ujamaa Centre is a non-partisan, non-denominational Centre for community development and research. It supports capacity building on development, good governance on church and civil society levels through theological education to ensure rigorous participation of all citizens in social transformation. 

Zwane explained, “The Ujamaa Centre is committed to working with communities of the poor, the working-class, and the marginalised, using biblical and theological resources for social and individual transformation. I have always been fascinated by how change takes place as a process rather than an event in the community and I wanted to explore how Ujamaa’s methods have contributed to social change.”

Zwane’s research primarily investigated how communities used the Ujamaa Centre’s ideo-theological methods to facilitate participatory development in South Africa and beyond. His secondary aim was to develop a new method for transformative change using a spatial framework – invited, invigorated, and invented spaces – drawing from both theological and developmental perspectives. “This is the unique contribution of my research to the body of knowledge at the intersection of theology and development,” he said.

His findings revealed community benefits. In places where Ujamaa’s methods were applied, people gained a deeper understanding of the connection between scripture and development. Communities used the Bible to resist HIV and AIDS stigma, confront gender-based violence and femicide, challenge homophobia, and even create small businesses to combat unemployment. “The impact has been life-changing,” he says. “We’ve seen more HIV-positive individuals embrace positive living, increased reporting of gender-based violence and hate crimes, and youth-driven business ventures that offer hope in the face of unemployment.”

Balancing full-time employment with his doctoral studies was among Zwane’s greatest challenges. “Fieldwork across the provinces of Gauteng, the Western Cape, and KwaZulu-Natal was also financially demanding,” he admitted. Yet, moments of camaraderie with two fellow PhD candidates – attending conferences, sharing frustrations, and celebrating milestones – remain some of the most memorable highlights of his journey.

Although Zwane did not receive a full scholarship, UKZN’s remission of fees and partial support for fieldwork supported his progress. He expressed deep gratitude to his supervisor, Professor Gerald West, whose unwavering mentorship – even during periods of ill health – was instrumental to Zwane’s academic success. “Prof West has guided me from my master’s through to my PhD. His mentorship has been life-changing.”

Family, however, was his greatest anchor. “My family made countless sacrifices, never complaining about my absence when I was in the field. Their support is the reason I dedicate this achievement to them,” he said.

“I treated my PhD like a project with a start and finish date. Taking sabbatical leave allowed me to work from 9am to 5pm every day, which required discipline but was essential to completing on time.”

Outside academia, Zwane is an avid sports enthusiast who enjoys watching soccer, cricket, and rugby. Above all, he carries his faith with him: “I am grateful to Almighty God for the good health and strength that made this achievement possible. It is by grace that I have reached this milestone.”

Looking ahead, Zwane hopes to continue nurturing his academic career and broadening the impact of his work. He remains committed to ensuring that theology serves as a living tool for justice, development, and community transformation.