Collection Illico , as its name implies, is as an introduction to specific topics for non-specialists. I had occasion to read in the same collection, volumes devoted to Césaire and SS, which were pretty good bill. It is also the case with this volume dedicated to contemporary political history of South Africa , host of the FIFA World Cup in 2010, which is probably not a coincidence in terms of publishing: it is likely that many are in fact people are interested in history. The book is written by Raphael Portella, lecturer in political science at the University of Burgundy.
South Africa, an area equivalent to twice and half of France, has about 49 million people who speak 11 languages in what is often since 1994 called the "rainbow nation sky". Country varied climates, raising important tourism, South Africa has also built because of its terrain and its physical characteristics. The country is now South Africa has been occupied by man from 10,000 years before our era: the story does not begin with European settlement of 1652, contrary to what was long called the apartheid regime. The Khoisan (the name given to the first indigenous) are divided into two groups: the Hottentots, semi-nomadic pastoralists, and nomads and Bushmen hunter-gatherers. The latter group has relationships with the Bantu group, which migrates from Central Africa to South Africa to the fourth-fifth century AD. AD. The Bantu are classified by their language and geographic location by European missionaries in the nineteenth century, which will help facilitate the apartheid regime. The Europeans came in 1652, with Afrikaners (Dutch settlers), followed by French Huguenots and Germans, then by the British between 1795 and 1806, when Cape Town became a Crown Colony. Also born in South Africa the group of mixed race, derived relations between whites and Khoisan and the Indians, Asian workers "imported "in the nineteenth century. Multiethnic character of South African society has long been denied by the Europeans, for purposes of political domination. In 2009, however, blacks constitute 80% of the population, whites 9%, mestizo 8% and Indians make up the remaining 2.5%. This population is concentrated in the eastern provinces, and 30% live in four large cities: Johannesburg, Durban, Cape Town and Port Elizabeth, which concentrate the economic activity. South Africa has still, in 2010, faces a number of challenges. The social challenge is greatest: the rising standard of living has not followed the end of apartheid, due to a legacy of the past, but also because of attachment to liberal globalization. The policy challenge is less pressing: the presidential elections of April 2009 which have appointed Jacob Zuma has shown that democracy moves gradually in the minds of South Africa. The sporting challenge of World Cup Football 2010 was then of great importance for the country. In his book, the author proposes to study the political dynamics of South Africa: elective process, organization of government, relations between political and socio-economic distribution of social power. This involves the historical perspective of the conditions of the birth of democracy in South Africa to study its contemporary manifestations. This process is embodied in three figures: Nelson Mandela, Thabo Mbeki and Jacob Zuma at last.
In his book, Raphael Porteille stresses history weighs on the socio-economic and political actors, also limited in their action because of the integration of South Africa Globalisation of the economy. Jacob Zuma should not settle for managing the misery it must initiate a genuine social change, lest the country fall back into chaos. 2010, the World Cup soccer, also marked the 20th anniversary of the liberation of Nelson Mandela. The political challenge has been identified, the physical challenge last year has been as well. Remains the major sticking point: the social challenge of the nation " rainbow sky " which, if left on entrenched positions, will face a struggle for domination and exploitation. Social transformation must accompany political change, and social power should be better distributed. This is the challenge of a country born "of are scars of the past" ...
In short, an excellent job of summarizing the political history of South Africa, but it's not a synthetic history of South Africa. Schedules can be found still in a short bibliography, a chronology indicative, some maps and general information on the country.
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