HISTORY, IDENTITY AND POLITICS
An undercurrent of neo-colonialism and racial segregation is latent but alive, well and firmly entrenched in the lives of the people of Southern Africa. The apartheid regime in South Africa robbed a nation of its identity and self-esteem – damage that many, both victims and perpetrators, wish to forget but need to remember. Without personal change there cannot be social change. Revisiting and recording the past, revealing the truth and seeking reconciliation are important steps of a cathartic journey for victims of atrocities. They also provide a benchmark for political leaders against which transformation, progress and development can be assessed.
The persistent socio-ethnic differences in the context of socio-political inequalities have been used and abused across Africa for political reasons. Identities such as ‘native citizens’ and ‘foreigners’, ‘believers’ and ‘non-believers’ have been constructed by political leaders in their struggle for power. The consequences have been xenophobia, fighting, death and destruction.
Over the past twenty years, there has been a fundamental transformation of societies in the region due to democratisation, globalisation, technological progression, individualism, population growth and migration. National, regional and individual identities are in flux.
With the exception of South Africa and Mauritius, countries in the region lack a middle class. The working class in Southern African is relatively small due to a weak industrial sector. Many people are still peasants, but an increasing number are now urbanised and, in the rapidly expanding urban areas, they mix from all over Africa.
Many young women and men in the region are searching for new identities because tradition, often juxtaposed with modernity and personal aspirations, no longer provides them with clear answers. Whereas some find solace in religious belief systems, or inspiration and solidarity amongst family friends or in the workplace, others chase the selfish and materialistic dream.
RLS Southern Africa currently implements, in cooperation with partner organisations, projects involving:
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research on the legacy of colonialism and racial segregation
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research on changing identities in Southern Africa
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public debate and dialogue on the legacy of colonialism and racial segregation and new identities in Southern Africa
Centre for Sociological Research
Faculty of Humanities
University of Johannesburg
In South Africa, as in other countries, there is a separation between trade unions and new social movements. To advance social justice, the Centre for Sociological Research not only identifies practical problems but also raises theoretical concerns and exposes gaps in scientific knowledge. It differentiates itself from others by orientation, method and style: the primary concern is with ‘use-inspired basic research’, where questions are generally drawn from real life, rather than abstract theory. It collaborates with international scholars and also enjoys close links especially with peers in India and China. The Classifying Soweto project, started in 2005, comprises field research in the largest township in South Africa, Soweto. The project will produce a rich, holistic sociological study of a politically significant part of South Africa at a time when political alignments are changing and, furthermore, it will be a valuable training opportunity for young black social researchers.
Khulumani Support Group
Khulumani Support Group is the national membership organisation of 58,000 identified apartheid-era victims and survivors of political violence. Khulumani is a Zulu word meaning “speak out”. The organisation was established in 1995 by victims of human rights abuse in anticipation of their engagement with the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Khulumani has evolved from initially enabling victims to “speak out” and make statements about what happened to them under apartheid, to facilitating their transformation into advocates for reparation and the end of impunity. Victims now serve as active citizens and human rights defenders in their local communities.
Human Rights Media Centre
The Human Rights Media Centre is a Section 21 not-for-profit organisation that aims to promote an awareness and activism about human rights through various narrative history projects, related media and educational material and social interventions. Its projects highlight important and current human rights issues with a focus on: victims of gross human rights violations during apartheid; children’s rights; marginalised youth; media ethics; disability; African asylum seekers and refugees; community history; oral history and media training for social awareness and apartheid intergenerational impact.
The South African History Archive
The South African History Archive (SAHA) is an independent human rights activist archive dedicated to documenting and making available archival materials that elucidate and advance our understanding of historical and contemporary struggles for justice in South Africa. SAHA’s central mission is to recapture lost and neglected histories and to record aspects of South African history in the making. This informs its continued focus on documenting past struggles against apartheid, as well as ongoing struggles in the making of democracy. SAHA organises its activities into two core programmes, namely, Struggles for Justice that focuses on collecting, preserving and creating access to archival materials held by SAHA, and promoting related archival collections across the region and the Freedom of Information Programme dedicated to using South Africa’s Promotion of Access to Information Act 2 of 2000 in order to extend the boundaries of freedom of information and to build up an archive of materials released under the Act for public use.
