BOOK REVIEWS

Apartheid Remains

Luke J De Bruyn

University of KwaZulu-Natal. 224136852@stu.ukzn.ac.za

Author: Sharad Chari
Publisher: University of KwaZulu-Natal Press.
Place: Pietermaritzburg, South Africa
Year: 2024
ISBN: 978 1 86914 5736

Introduction

The book's cover has been beautifully designed, bearing visual images of the central theme. The title is precise, simple, and easily understandable by any reader. It provides a summary at the back of the cover of what it seeks to interrogate. It begins with an introduction, highlighting the key aspects to be discussed in more detail throughout the book, including pictures which complement the book and maps indicating the geographical location of places mentioned. The author presents a dark phase of post-apartheid South Africa. Since the independence from apartheid, the country has barely recovered from the devastating consequences of this oppressive regime. Years have passed, yet little progress has been made. The legacies of apartheid still linger on in most parts of the country. Durban is one of the cases around which the book's narrative is centred.

In the first chapter, the author questions the remains of the concentration camps in Durban in Merebank and Wentworth. These camps are a constant reminder of the Anglo-Boer War of 1899 to 1902, fought on South African soil. The Afrikaners lost to the British during this war. It is not the legacy that is worth preserving. Black people were not directly affected by the South African war, as some historians call it. Sharad, the author, is astounded by colonial infrastructure in most public spaces within the country.

The second chapter discusses the co-existence of Indians and Coloureds, particularly in Merebank and Wentworth. It also features economic activities in these areas. Issues of land dispossession challenged them. The prevailing circumstances predisposed them to navigate these challenges collectively.

Chapter 3 demonstrates the continuation of segregation in black communities amidst claims of emancipation from colonial rule. Some apartheid settlement patterns continue to exist in most black townships. This colonial imposition seriously affected the South of Durban and the surrounding areas.

Chapter 4 presents a narrative that centres on gender in the entire analysis. Gender-based oppression and discrimination were getting along with rapid strides unchecked, particularly in the southern parts of Durban. The writer also interrogates incidents of exploitation of women in most factories within the employment sectors. The struggle in the postcolonial and apartheid South Africa continued in various forms.

Chapter 5 discusses the continued existence of colonial structures in most black townships around Durban. People found themselves embracing such colonial legacies. The writer laments a general complacency that permeates communities in most parts of Durban.

The subsequent chapters present a series of unresolved issues in a postcolonial era. The fundamental question that springs to mind is: Why not fight against the remnants of colonialism and apartheid after putting up a struggle against these oppressive systems? The magnitude of political activism during the liberation struggle in the country does not match the current approach to the legacies of apartheid that continue to plague our nation.

Recommendations and Conclusion

The book presents a tapestry of narratives that illustrate the power of colonialism and its manifestations across the political landscape in a postcolonial period. It further demonstrates the extent to which people respond to the dictates of colonial impositions. Although southern Durban is the main focus, these realities cut across the country. The book's chapters include documentary photography that enhances the presentation of different layers of history. This innovative strategy makes the book exciting and magnetic to a broader audience. Colonial authorities' control over the country's natural resources is pivotal to the lamentations encapsulated in the narratives. The author mentions the submerged legacies of the Indian Ocean, which is deeply unsettling.

The book comes across as a must-read, given its in-depth and critical analysis of our geopolitical situation that continues to glorify the legacies of colonialism and apartheid in a postcolonial dispensation. In most townships within the country, the colonial and apartheid structures have not been dismantled, thereby affecting our national identity. Our nation's greatest challenge is the colonial mindset, which must be dealt with decisively.

Finally, Sharad Chari, the author of this insightful and magnificent work, has done exceptionally well in motivating South African citizens to get emancipated from the colonial mindset. The book has shed some light on the devastating effects of the existing colonial structures in a postcolonial dispensation.