The Unresolved National Question in South Africa

The Unresolved National Question in South Africa
Author: Edward Webster
Publisher: NYU Press
Total Pages: 336
Release: 2017-03-01
Genre: History
ISBN: 1776140249

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This volume examines the way in which various strands of left thought have addressed the National Question. The re-emergence of debates on the decolonisation of knowledge has revived interest in the National Question, which began over a century ago and remains unresolved. Tensions that were suppressed and hidden in the past are now being openly debated. Despite this, the goal of one united nation living prosperously under a constitutional democracy remains elusive. This edited volume examines the way in which various strands of left thought have addressed the National Question, especially during the apartheid years, and goes on to discuss its relevance for South Africa today and in the future. Instead of imposing a particular understanding of the National Question, the editors identified a number of political traditions and allowed contributors the freedom to define the question as they believed appropriate - in other words, to explain what they thought was the Unresolved National Question. This has resulted in a rich tapestry of interweaving perceptions. The volume is structured in two parts. The first examines four foundational traditions: Marxism-Leninism (the Colonialism of a Special Type thesis); the Congress tradition; the Trotskyist tradition; and Africanism. The second part explores the various shifts in the debate from the 1960s onwards, and includes chapters on Afrikaner nationalism, ethnic issues, black consciousness, feminism, workerism and constitutionalism. The editors hope that by revisiting the debates not popularly known among the scholarly mainstream, this volume will become a catalyst for an enriched debate on our identity and our future.

Democracy Compromised

Democracy Compromised
Author: Lungisile Ntsebeza
Publisher: BRILL
Total Pages: 336
Release: 2005-06-01
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 9047407903

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This book argues that the promulgation of the Traditional Leadership and Governance Framework and Communal Land Rights Acts runs the risk of compromising South Africa's democracy. The acts establish traditional councils with land administration powers. These structures are dominated by unelected members.

An Ordinary Country

An Ordinary Country
Author: Neville Alexander
Publisher: University of Kwazulu Natal Press
Total Pages: 232
Release: 2002
Genre: Political Science
ISBN:

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An Ordinary Country: Issues in the Transition from Apartheid to Democracy in South Africa disputes the notion of a "miracle" transition in this country. It argues that the new South Africa had to happen in the way it did because of the specific history of the country and the players involved. While it identifies some of the turning points at which critical choices were made by local and international forces, it shows why, in retrospect, the known decisions were made rather than other possible ones. Alexander explores a range of issues in post-apartheid South Africa including national identity and the rainbow nation, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, and the role and status of language, showing the volatility, the tentativeness, and the fluidity of the situation that is evolving. In looking ahead at probable developments, An Ordinary Country predicts that South Africa will develop, or stagnate, as a "normal" bourgeois democratic social formation for the next generation, at least until the inevitable alternatives to the prevailing system of political economy regain their credibility.

A Brutal State of Affairs

A Brutal State of Affairs
Author: Henrik Ellert
Publisher: African Books Collective
Total Pages: 681
Release: 2020-04-02
Genre: History
ISBN: 1779223757

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A Brutal State of Affairs analyses the transition from Rhodesia to Zimbabwe and challenges Rhodesian mythology. The story of the BSAP, where white and black officers were forced into a situation not of their own making, is critically examined. The liberation war in Rhodesia might never have happened but for the ascendency of the Rhodesian Front, prevailing racist attitudes, and the rise of white nationalists who thought their cause just. Blinded by nationalist fervour and the reassuring words of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and army commanders, the Smith government disregarded the advice of its intelligence services to reach a settlement before it was too late. By 1979, the Rhodesians were staring into the abyss, and the war was drawing to a close. Salisbury was virtually encircled, and guerrilla numbers continued to grow. A Brutal State of Affairs examines the Rhodesian legacy, the remarkable parallels of history, and suggests that Smiths Rhodesian template for rule has, in many instances, been assiduously applied by Mugabe and his successors.

Violence in African Elections

Violence in African Elections
Author: Mimmi Söderberg Kovacs
Publisher: Zed Books Ltd.
Total Pages: 433
Release: 2018-04-15
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 1786992310

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Multiparty elections have become the bellwether by which all democracies are judged, and the spread of these systems across Africa has been widely hailed as a sign of the continent’s progress towards stability and prosperity. But such elections bring their own challenges, particularly the often intense internecine violence following disputed results. While the consequences of such violence can be profound, undermining the legitimacy of the democratic process and in some cases plunging countries into civil war or renewed dictatorship, little is known about the causes. By mapping, analysing and comparing instances of election violence in different localities across Africa – including Kenya, Ivory Coast and Uganda – this collection of detailed case studies sheds light on the underlying dynamics and sub-national causes behind electoral conflicts, revealing them to be the result of a complex interplay between democratisation and the older, patronage-based system of ‘Big Man’ politics. Essential for scholars and policymakers across the social sciences and humanities interested in democratization, peace-keeping and peace studies, Violence in African Elections provides important insights into why some communities prove more prone to electoral violence than others, offering practical suggestions for preventing violence through improved electoral monitoring, voter education, and international assistance.

Education and the Struggle for National Liberation in South Africa

Education and the Struggle for National Liberation in South Africa
Author: Neville Alexander
Publisher:
Total Pages: 226
Release: 1992
Genre: Education
ISBN: 9780865433465

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From the most turbulent times in South Africa's history, here are essays and speeches on the relationship between education and the national liberation struggle.

Africa for Africans

Africa for Africans
Author: Marcus Garvey
Publisher: Graphic Arts Books
Total Pages: 441
Release: 2022-08-16
Genre: History
ISBN: 1513125419

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Originally published in two volumes between 1923 and 1925, Africa for Africans: Or, The Philosophy and Opinions of Marcus Garvey is a compilation of letters, speeches and essays by one of the Fathers of Pan-Africanism. Hailed by Martin Luther King, Jr. as, "the first man of color. . . to make the Negro feel like he was somebody," Marcus Garvey was a polarizing yet influential figure whose legacy continues to be felt today. These philosophies, collected by Amy Jacques Garvey, his second wife and a pioneering journalist, chronicle Garvey's initial impressions and recollections of America, the formation of the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA), his imprisonment and subsequent trial over the Black Star Line, and his scathing opinions of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). Including such pieces as, "An Appeal to the Soul of White America," "The Negro's Greatest Enemy," and "Declaration of Rights of the Negroes of the World," Africa for Africans; Or, The Philosophy and Opinions of Marcus Garvey is an essential piece of Black history, professionally typeset and reimagined for modern readers.

Mzala Nxumalo, Leftist Thought and Contemporary South Africa

Mzala Nxumalo, Leftist Thought and Contemporary South Africa
Author: Robert J. Balfour
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
Total Pages: 302
Release: 2024-10-04
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 1040135099

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Written as a tribute to the revolutionary intellectual and leader Mzala Nxumalo, this book discusses the significance of his work in the context of contemporary South African left politics. It explores the history and struggle of the apartheid era that preceded the advent of democracy to analyze a crucial aspect of the national question – that is, the quest for the establishment of a united South Africa to overcome racist and sexist policies that create and nurture divisions among black people. The subjects in this book deal with a wide range of topics, including the new social, economic and political challenges facing democratic South Africa; the need to reexamine the critique of capitalism in the 21st century; the relationship between race, class and community struggles; and the ecological challenges under capitalism. Print edition not for sale in Sub Saharan Africa