Postcolonial Perspectives on Political Practice in South Africa

Seminar paper from the year 2023 in the subject Politics - Region: Africa, grade: 1,0, Akkon-Hochschule fur Humanwissenschaften (Transkulturelle und postkoloniale Perspektiven), course: Transkulturelle und postkoloniale Perspektiven, language: English, abstract: Frantz Fanon's concept of colonial unconsciousness is very pertinent to understanding discrimination and racism in South Africa. Fanon's visions of independence and liberation have been realized under his role with former President Thabo Mbeki as an inspiration and role model for the current and emerging generation of South African political leaders. Fanon views the consequences of racism and colonialism in South Africa as physically endured consequences, especially during apartheid, and the psychological effects suffered by the colonized population since the end of apartheid. The concept of unconsciousness engineered by Fanon offers an in-depth description of the internalized image imprinted in the colonized people's memories about themselves and their culture, which is predominantly shaped by the colonial culture's dominance. Following decades of apartheid policies in South Africa, their racist ideologies have profoundly affected people's actions and thoughts. Frantz Fanon's colonial unconscious concept significantly contributes to understanding the modern psychological and social impact of apartheid.