Non-Racialism in South Africa: The life and times of Neville Alexander

by Allan Zinn (Editor)

Overview

At the time of his death in August 2012 Neville Alexander was undoubtedly one of South Africa's foremost proponents of the philosophy of non-racialism. He had devoted his life to fighting against the evils of racism, sexism and economic injustice. He understood how these social realities not only divided but also ranked human beings in terms of human worth and value. He saw how these realities diminished the whole society, both

the perpetrators and victims. And so he gave over his life as a scholar and a political activist to challenging these realities.

This volume brings together the reflections of a group of activists and scholars on the significance of Neville Alexander to the cause of freedom and justice in South Africa. The reflections are essentially the keynote speeches and the responses to them that were made at a conference in Alexander's honour held at the Centre for Non-Racialism and Democracy at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University in July 2013.

- Prof Crain Soudien

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781928314059
Publisher:	Sun Press
Publication date:	08/15/2016
Series:	Canrad Non-Racialism and Democracy
Pages:	190
Product dimensions:	6.69(w) x 9.61(h) x 0.40(d)

Table of Contents

Acronyms .......................................................................................................... iii

Preface

Non-Racialism in South Africa: The life and times of Neville Alexander .... vii

Allan Zinn

Introduction

Neville Alexander and the Struggle for Freedom and Social Justice ........ vii

Crain Soudien

The National Question

Waiting for October: Revisiting the National Question ................................ 1

Pallo Jordan

Responses to Pallo Jordan

Lybon Mabasa.............................................................................................. 31

Enver Motala................................................................................................. 35

Themes: Discussion and Questions to the Panel........................................... 41

Education and Liberation

Neville Alexander: Being Human (and Enough) is Enough.

Education for a New Humanism in the 21st Century ................................... 43

KA Porteus

Responses to Kim Porteus

Daryl Braam .................................................................................................. 57

Al Witten ........................................................................................................ 60

Themes: Discussion and Questions to the Panel........................................... 63

Language, Identity and Culture

Language, culture and national consciousness: The thoughts of

Neville Alexander ............................................................................................. 67

Brian Ramadiro

Responses to Brian Ramadiro

Elize Koch....................................................................................................... 83

Carole Bloch ................................................................................................. 86

Themes: Discussion and Questions to the Panel........................................... 91

Ethics, Morality and Values on Post-Apartheid South Africa -

Towards a Revolutionary Practice

What do revolutionaries do between revolutions? Thoughts on the

revolutionary practice of Neville Alexander ................................................ 95

Eugene Cairncross

Neville Alexander - Theory and Action ......................................................... 105

Lydia Cairncross

Rejoinder

Neville Alexander and Revolutionary Practice:

Morality, Ethics and Values ............................................................................. 113

Salim Vally

Themes: Discussion and Questions to the Panels ......................................... 119

An Afterword

What would Neville have said? ...................................................................... 123

Crain Soudien

Addendum

Non-Racialism's Politics: Reading Being Human Through The

Life Of Neville Alexander ................................................................................. 129

Crain Soudien

CANRAD

Contact Information ........................................................................................ 164

Editorial Reviews

"This manuscript on non-racialism - which was a cornerstone principle differently interpreted by the successive leaderships of South Africa's liberation movement that included the ANC, NEUM, Apdusa, the Black Consciousness Movement, the PAC, the SA Communist Party, the National Liberation Front, among other political organizations and movements against apartheid - presents a benevolent critique of the genealogy of

non-racialism within this liberation movement, and offers reportage of selected views and verbatim discussions at a conference in 2013 organized by CANRAD in honour of Alexander's life and work."

- Dr Na-iem Dollie, University of South Africa

"Generally, the book continues Neville's belief in dialogue and conversation, as the various authors ask questions and offer possibilities for authentic democracy - the concluding essay brilliantly brings the collection together."

- Prof Alan Wieder, University of South Carolina, USA

From the Publisher