Hi all

For the last while now I've been mulling over an idea to write a series of posts about some of the big debates and problems where I live in South Africa.

In many ways I think the (unique?) situation here has a lot that can be learnt from, so I wanted to canvas whether there would be any interest in something like that?

Maybe to give an idea, these are some of the types of things I'm thinking of:

Current symbolism vs historical value

How to navigate the space between symbolism from the past and its historical context? This is best exemplified I think by the removal of a prominent statue of British imperialist Cecil John Rhodes from its place at the University of Cape Town.

Spatial justice vs the invisible hand

The aftermath of forced removals and apartheid spatial planning have left immeasurably deep scars on South Africa's towns and cities. What must be done to deal with this legacy and where does the government's responsibility lie?

from Unequal Scenes

Some others

Decolonisation of curricula

Promotion of local languages vs English as the language of business, science etc.

Rights of local communities around mining operations

Fee-free higher education

The land question

Race, class and identity in post-apartheid society

etc.

So ja, maybe something along those lines. Curious to hear what people think. Mzansi by natives?

Cheers

De Waal