Elaine Haglund,: California State University, Long Beach

Elaine Haglund, Ph.D.
California State University, Long Beach



Video - Mandela
Continent of Africa
South Africa
Background Data
 About 42-43 million people (90% of whom are ‘people
of color’)
 Thirteen recognized national parties (both a republic

and a monarchy)
 Nine provinces, three capitals (Pretoria, Bloemfontein,

Cape Town)
 Eleven Official Languages in four major groupings

Early History
“Empty Land” Theory
Early History
 Africa is where our species became human. Four
million years of human evolution happened there.
 About 100,000 years ago, it is believed that a

handful of these early ancestors of ours began a
journey that took humans to every corner of the
globe.
 Every country on earth is populated by descendents

of those first migrants.
Handouts - History
Praise Singer
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Initiation Rites
Cape of Good Hope
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Table Mountain
Modern South Africa
Modern South Africa: Diversity
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n Eleven Official Languages
“We are mot different people with separate languages,

but one people with different tongues.” (Nelson Mandela)
Economy (1)
 Modern industrialized, urban economy but a
subsistence economy (low-paid labor)
 Minerals: World’s leading supplier of gold,

chromium, manganese, vanadium, and platinum
 Private sector: highly centralized and dominated

by the interrelated DeBeers and Anglo-American
corporations
Economy (2)
 How do you develop a new financial order without
disturbing the old?
 How do you create equality on a foundation of

blatant inequality?
 To what extent can you rely on the good will of

the rich to uplift the poor?
Soweto
Apartheid
Black Sash Movement
nt
Moveme
Sash
d Black
Aparthei
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Apartheid
Codified Racism
“No education before
liberation !”
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Apartheid 1948 and 1990 (1)
Approximately 10,000 blacks were killed by the

notorious system of racial domination.
The greatest damage was the dehumanization and

humiliation of non-whites through ruthless laws and
practices by about 12% of the population (whites).
Apartheid 1948 and 1990 (2)
When apartheid finally collapsed,
 the oppressors sought amnesty for their crimes...wh
 the victims sought justice.

Nelson Mandela
“Shaker of Trees”
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Robben Island
According to Mandela,
 "The oppressor must be liberated just as surely as
the oppressed, for he is the prisoner of hatred,
robbed of his own humanity."
 "While the particulars of our histories may have

been different, the heart of our struggles, from
Selma to Soweto, has been the same."
 "Courage is not the absence of fear, but the triumph

over it."
Constitution
 Constitution (1996) of South Africa is among the

most progressive in the world.
 Among the 27 Fundamental Rights is the right not

to be discriminated against on any grounds and “in
particular on:
– race, gender, sex, ethnic or social origin, colour, sexual

orientation, age, disability, religion, conscience, belief,
culture or language.”
Gender & the Constitution (1)
 There shall be no discrimination on the basis of

gender (including inheritance and property rights).
But . . .
• CAN THE NEW CONSTITUTION AND

TRADITIONAL LAW CO-EXIST?
Gender & the Constitution (2)
Traditional Law
The National Organization of Traditional

Leaders (Contralesa):
 The chiefs were defeated in their struggle to have

the gender equality clause eliminated.
 However, traditional leaders do have special

protection under the Constitution.
Gender-Related
African Proverbs
Changing the laws of a society is one
aspect of implementing change, but the
most critical aspect is changing the way
society views those laws.
 The hen knows it is morning, but she waits for the

cock to crow.
 The cow never leads the bull.

 A woman married under custom shall be considered
a minor and her husband her guardian.
Restitution - Land Claims
 The bureaucracy has lagged in addressing the
basic issues of restitution for land claims.
 The government, for example, promised to

compensate all families and their descendants who
lost their property under apartheid.
 But of the nearly 70,000 claims, only about 12,000

have been resolved.
Low-Cost Housing
Unemployment
Due to the 40% jobless rate among black South Africans, there is a 4% levy on businesses to finance worker training.
Job creation and training

education are imperative!!!
Amy Biehl Foundation
Video - Biehls
Job Training
Literacy Projects
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AIDS Quilt
Bishop Desmond Tutu
Video - Tutu
Reconciliation - OBUNTU
 Obuntu is about the essence of being human and the
importance of communal harmony. Anger and revenge are
corrosive of this harmony.
 It is the best form of self-interest to forgive you, because if I

do not, my anger that is directed toward dehumanizing you
will dehumanize me in the process.
 So if I can enhance your humanity, my humanity is enhanced.

Roots of the Truth and Reconciliation
Commission (1)
The South African Interim Constitution sought to provide
"Transitional Justice."
It lay the secure foundation for the people of South Africa to

transcend the divisions and strife of the past, which generated:
 Gross violations of human rights;

 The transgression of humanitarian principles in violent
conflicts; and
 A legacy of hatred, fear, guilt, and revenge.
Roots of the Truth and Reconciliation
Commission (2)
Those violations could then be addressed on
the basis that there was a need for:
 Understanding but not vengeance;
 Reparation but not retaliation; and
 "Ubuntu" but not victimization.

Truth & Reconciliation
Commission (TRC)
n Promotion of National Unity and Reconciliation
n Act,1995
 Making known the fate of victims of gross

violations by letting them relate their
experience
 Possible granting of amnesty to the

oppressors in exchange for the truth;
 Submitting report with recommended

Truth and Reconciliation
Commission (TRC)-1995
 Committee on Human Rights Violations
 Committee on Amnesty
 Committee on Reparation and Rehabilitation
The five-volume report cannot do justice to the

complexities and nuances behind the
decisions, such as resolving the role of the
multiple bystanders.
Handouts - TRC
Victims of Torture
Psychological complexity of reconciliation:
Victims who experienced

brutality during Apartheid
now, at times, feel more
alienated—because the
most dramatic part of the
struggle that bonded
people together is now
over.
Other ‘Truth Projects’
 13 Truth Commissions - 1974-1994
– Argentina (cessation of repressive military rule);
– Bolivia; Cambodia, Chad (military victory);
– Chile (gradual democratization);
– East Timor; El Salvador (settlement of civil war);
– Germany; Philippines; Rwanda; South Africa (gradual
democratization);
– Uganda (cessation of repressive military rule);
– Uruguay (military victory)
 Non-Governmental and United Nations

Projects to Document Injustices
Benin, Bosnia, Brazil, Czechoslovakia, Eritrea, Zambia,
Zimbabwe
Possible Sources of Revenue
 Return of the Swiss Bank investments made by
Apartheid leaders at the end of the regime;
 Foreign investment – only if jobs are created;
 Forgiveness of Apartheid-established debts by world
banks.
The ability to attract foreign investment will largely

depend on how effectively South Africa can implement
its very progressive constitution.
Education
 A single national education system, managed by nine
provincial systems
 Compulsory education for learners between 7 and 15 years

old
 More than 4 million have had no education; 3.5 million have

had some primary education
 Public and private primary/secondary schools; higher

education (Technikons and universities)
Elementary Schools (1)
Elementary Schools (2)
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“That’s Us!”
Secondary Schools
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Video - Chorus
Private and
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Islamic Schools
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Languages in the Schools (1)
 The equal status of the eleven official languages,
plus sign language, is protected by law.
 All eleven languages serve as a medium of

instruction up to grade 3.
 In each region, at least 3 languages are officially

taught. (There is no monolingual region in South
Africa.)
 The two official languages of English and
Afrikaans are the languages of
instruction/examination at grade 12.
 In practice, there is only one language of record in

secondary schools — English.
 The language issue is an extremely complex one,

and the reality is that the status of the official
languages is NOT equal.
 Concerns and Recommendations and a
Possible Model for Language in Education
 Toward a Language Policy that
accommodates 11 official languages
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Handouts - Languages
Textbooks’ Differing Accounts
of South Africa’s History
Handouts - Textbooks
Higher Education
University of Natal-Durban
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Peril and Potential
Beach Sunset
Resources
 Books:
 No Future Without Forgiveness (Bishop Tutu)
 Afrikaners’ Interpretation of South African history (Verwoerd, Prime Minister)
 Long Walk to Freedom : Autobiography of Nelson Mandela
 Resources for teaching about Africa and South Africa:

http://www.csulb.edu/~ehaglund/africa.html
1. Teaching-Related Web Sites
2. Video Cassettes (South Africa)
3. Youth Literature (South Africa)
4. Children’s Literature (South Africa)
 Fulbright-Hays Seminars Abroad Program

http://www.ed.gov/offices/OPE/HEP/iegps/sap.html
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Table Mountain
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Namibia
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Elaine Haglund,: California State University, Long Beach

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Elaine Haglund, Ph.D.

California State University, Long Beach

California State University, Long Beach

California State University, Long Beach

 Thirteen recognized national parties (both a republic

 Nine provinces, three capitals (Pretoria, Bloemfontein,

 Eleven Official Languages in four major groupings

 About 100,000 years ago, it is believed that a

 Every country on earth is populated by descendents

“We are mot different people with separate languages,

 Minerals: World’s leading supplier of gold,

 Private sector: highly centralized and dominated

 How do you create equality on a foundation of

 To what extent can you rely on the good will of

Approximately 10,000 blacks were killed by the

The greatest damage was the dehumanization and

When apartheid finally collapsed,

 the oppressors sought amnesty for their crimes...wh

 the victims sought justice.

 "While the particulars of our histories may have

 "Courage is not the absence of fear, but the triumph

 Constitution (1996) of South Africa is among the

 Among the 27 Fundamental Rights is the right not

– race, gender, sex, ethnic or social origin, colour, sexual

 There shall be no discrimination on the basis of

• CAN THE NEW CONSTITUTION AND

The National Organization of Traditional

 The chiefs were defeated in their struggle to have

 However, traditional leaders do have special

 The hen knows it is morning, but she waits for the

 The cow never leads the bull.

 The government, for example, promised to

 But of the nearly 70,000 claims, only about 12,000

Job creation and training

 It is the best form of self-interest to forgive you, because if I

 So if I can enhance your humanity, my humanity is enhanced.

It lay the secure foundation for the people of South Africa to

 Gross violations of human rights;

 Understanding but not vengeance;

 Reparation but not retaliation; and

 "Ubuntu" but not victimization.

 Making known the fate of victims of gross

 Possible granting of amnesty to the

 Submitting report with recommended

 Committee on Reparation and Rehabilitation

The five-volume report cannot do justice to the

Psychological complexity of reconciliation:

Victims who experienced

 Non-Governmental and United Nations

The ability to attract foreign investment will largely

 Compulsory education for learners between 7 and 15 years

 More than 4 million have had no education; 3.5 million have

 Public and private primary/secondary schools; higher

Video - Row, Row, Row Your Boat

 All eleven languages serve as a medium of

 In each region, at least 3 languages are officially

 In practice, there is only one language of record in

 The language issue is an extremely complex one,

 Resources for teaching about Africa and South Africa:

 Fulbright-Hays Seminars Abroad Program

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