A Dying Ideal: Non-Racialism and Political Parties in Post-Apartheid South Africa

Abstract

Non-racialism as a concept has a rich and contentious history in South African politics. For many it was a core feature of the struggle against apartheid, uniting a range of forces fighting for a society free from racial discrimination. Indeed it is a central tenet in South Africa's Constitution, forming a core part of the 'founding provisions' of the country. However, there is widespread contestation over what the concept entails, both theoretically and in practical terms. This article examines the concept of non-racialism primarily through the lens of South Africa's largest political opposition party, the Democratic Alliance (DA), but relates its approach to that of the African National Congress (ANC). How has the DA conceptualised and instrumentalised the vision of non-racialism, historically and in post-apartheid South Africa? This article argues that neither the DA nor the ANC has been able to do so coherently. The idea of non-racialism is a fracture that deeply divides both parties; this division is also one that originated historically for both parties. The article concludes that there is a clear shift in how the DA envisaged non-racialism during apartheid and how the party instrumentalises the concept today, and that this change echoes, to some extent, the experiences of the ANC. Both parties now equate non-racialism to multiracialism, on the one hand, and a (interim) racialisation of politics on the other. This raises the question of whether non-racialism, as conceived by some in the early days of the Congress alliance, is a dying ideal. Understanding Non-Racialism: The Definition of a Contested Concept Race is a central fissure that runs through the core of South African society. Although there are many concepts one can use to interrogate the importance of race and its place in South African history, the idea of non-racialism is perhaps primary among these. For many anti-apartheid activists, such as Ahmed Kathrada, the concept of non-racialism sat at the heart of the ANC's anti-apartheid struggle. 1 Non-racialism became a central, if contested, feature of the ANC after it adopted the Freedom Charter in March 1956, which stated that 'South Africa belongs to all who live in it, black and white'. 2 The history of non-racialism,

Non-Racialism: The New Form of Racial Inequality in a Neo-Apartheid South Africa

“…It is unclear if these reified 'groups' of African, coloured, Indian and white were meant to dissolve. There has been much debate about characterising the ANC's non-racialism, its populism (appeals to the unity of the people that diminish class politics in the interest of national liberation) and its conceptual ambivalences about the race and nation(s) over the decades (Alexander, 1986;Anciano, 2016;Ntsebeza, 2011). The contrast between the ANC and DA is often overdrawn.…”

“…Racial categories, however, have no objective basis and were essentialised through colonial conquest and political projects such as apartheid. Many agree that since its founding and until the mid-1980s, the ANC embraced multiracialism rather than consistent non-racialism (Anciano, 2016). For example, only after 1985 could 'non-Africans' (people of colour and Indians, who were also defined as Black) sit on its National Executive Committee.…”

Learners' imagination of democratic citizenship in post-apartheid South Africa: Exploring critical literary pedagogy in History teaching

“…Race is an idea that has been shown not to be true, but it is seen by many as an almost indispensable part of their identity and frameworks to describe people's everyday worlds (Soudien, 2012). The notion of a "non-racial" society can be regarded as an imagination of a future ideal to work for and it can be understood as a negation of race as a defining category of people's rights (Anciano, 2016).…”

“…The history of forced removal communities such as District Six, were arguably practical expressions of historical cosmopolitanism to which school going youth were be exposed. The dominant theme of Ubuntu and equality that emerged from learners' expressions can be explained as an outflow from their social environment and education that frames nonracism as an ideal for the future (Anciano, 2016). A forty percent positive identification of Ubuntu as a dominant theme, may be regarded as hope for future social cohesion, given the negativity of apartheid's historical literary texts to which they were exposed.…”

Teaching democratic values through history in South African primary schools

“…Thus, both section 1(b) and the Freedom Charter set the tone of an envisaged non-racial South Africa, a society that has more than one race. Anciano (2016) argues that the concept of non-racialism has no fixed meaning and can be defined within the South African context aimed at accepting and embracing multiple identities. The nonsexism provision protects citizens from discrimination based on sexual orientation and affords equal treatment regardless of gender and sexual orientation.…”