South Africa and the African Renaissance

Abstract

This article addresses the question of the new South Africa’s relationships with other countries in Africa in the context of the idea of an ‘African Renaissance’ which has recently gained currency. The authors identify two opposing conceptions of Africa’s development, which they call ‘globalist’ and ‘Africanist’ respectively, and explore the tensions besetting South Africa’s participation in an ‘Africanist’ project. They discuss the dilemma of South Africa’s role on the continent as both an obvious and an impossible candidate for leadership, and argue for an ‘Africanist’ and post‐structuralist approach to the political, economic and cultural development of the African continent.

Peace parks in Southern Africa: bringers of an African Renaissance?

“…Vale and Maseko (1998) distinguish between two distinct interpretations of the future within the African Renaissance language. The first one is what they call a globalist interpretation.…”

“…Together these and other constraining factors have resulted in further ' declines in the standard of living and the quality of life for hundreds of millions of Africans' (Mbeki 1999). Dating from the 1990s, this modern use of the African Renaissance concept is often said to have been initiated by South African President Thabo Mbeki in his address to a summit in Virginia, USA in 1997 on 'attracting capital to Africa' (Mabogo 2002;Vale & Maseko 1998). 5 Since then, it has become a popular buzzword, used opportunistically by many different actors in both public and private realms, especially in South Africa (Maloka 2000).…”

Xenophobic societal attitudes in a “new” South Africanism: Governance of public perceptions, national identities and citizenship

“…In 1995, for example, South Africa embarked on a human rights crusade mobilising opposition against Nigeria's Sani Abacha following the hanging of Ken Saro-Wiwa (Habib, 2013). Perhaps, a democratic South Africa had genuine reasons to set itself as "a voice of reason for voiceless Africa" (Vale & Maseko, 1998;Calland, 2013;Habib, 2013), but the long-term societal impacts of this official construction of a new South Africanism have become evidently deleterious.…”

“…The pursuit of leadership and championship of African Renaissance on the bases of South African differentness and exceptionalism was itself paradoxical and contradictory. Hence, Vale & Maseko (1998) emphatically warned that South Africa should not have even attempted to lead African Renaissance when the central tenet was so deeply and overtly paradoxical. Conclusively, South Africanisms official state policy on Africa and citizenship contributed to societal attitudes of xenophobia against out-group African immigrants.…”

The evolution of EU–South Africa relations: What influence on Africa?

“…37 Mbeki memorably declared himself 'an African' in a highly symbolic 1996 speech which highlighted the wish for South Africa -so long a pariah -to take its place back within the continental community. 38 Pretoria subsequently played a pivotal role in the creation of the AU to replace the moribund Organisation of Africa Unity as well as establishing a new vision for the continent's development, as enshrined in the constitutive act of NEPAD. The Mbeki administration provided political (and possibly moral) leadership too, encouraging African governments to modify their domestic policies in order to 'realise the higher goals of sub-regional and continental integration'.…”