Thoughts on the new South Africa

Compiled by noted South African intellectual and former revolutionary Neville Alexander shortly before his death, the essays gathered in this collection deal with the perceptions and beliefs that both drive and hinder post-apartheid South Africa and, in doing so, raise sometimes-uncomfortable questions about the “new” South Africa’s standing on a global level. The pieces address three of the principle issues that concerned Alexander, namely, the fundamental necessity for South Africans to move away from race consciousness and think along the lines of the far more real and relevant categories of class, gender, and language; the importance of children learning to read, write, and think in their own mother tongue while understanding the need for mastery in an international language; and the struggle for a socialist world of justice and equality for all. These perceptive treatises shed light on the current South Africa, a nation working to reshape and reinvent itself on the international stage after years of political, racial, and social inequality.

"Throughout his life and despite his achievements, Dr Alexander remained very down to earth and was a real trustee of the people of Lotus River and South Africa. His socialist views were married in a deep sense of caring for the underprivileged. This intellectual giant and scholar of note was always there to argue for the rights of the poorest of the poor. We salute the lifelong struggle of Dr Alexander who helped to deliver a democratic South Africa we all enjoy today.” – Hishaam Mohamed, Western Cape head of the Department of Justice My sincere wish is that readers will consider these thoughts, take a step back and try to get a perspective on what has actually been happening since 1990, when the new South Africa began. Even more optimistically, I hope that such a rethink will inspire the reader to want to find a point of engagement, with a view to initiating or becoming part of trajectories that can lead to that other country most of us had in mind during the years of ‘Sturm und Drang’, especially during the 1980s. – Neville Alexander (Thoughts on the New South Africa: Introduction) “It may well be a point of wasteful speculation in the corridors of intrigue occupied by idle chatterers, but there is little flippant indulgence to suggest that he is no more and no less a human being who has daily rhythms that are not dissimilar to other human beings. That daily rhythm is no more. Rest in peace son of our soil.” – Na’iem Dollie, UNISA Master’s degree dissertation

Neville Alexander was one of South Africa’s leading intellectuals and a revolutionary who spent 10 years on Robben Island as one of Nelson Mandela’s fellow prisoners. He was awarded the Linguapax Prize in 2008 in recognition of his contributions to linguistic diversity and multilingual education.

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