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ICH4801 Assignment 2 2024 (322543) - DUE 21 June 2024
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QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ICH4801 Assignment 2 2024 (322543) - DUE 21 June 2024
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Assignment 2 2024
(322543) - DUE 21
June 2024
QUESTIONS WITH DETAILED ANSWERS
,ICH4801 Assignment 2 2024 (322543) - DUE 21 June 2024
Question 1 [40 marks]
Question 1(a) (20 marks) – compulsory Read the extract titled, “Colonialism, coloniality
and post-colonial Africa: a conceptual framework”, from chapter 7 of the prescribed
book (Seroto, Davids & Wolhuter 2020) and then answer the questions that follows.
Colonialism, coloniality and post-colonial Africa: a conceptual framework Post-colonial
reconstruction of African societies cannot be limited to political and economic
transformation. Due to the predominance of Western epistemologies and systems of
education during and after colonialism, the African masses often became oblivious to
their forgotten history. Western European colonial policies such as ‘assimilation’
(French) and ‘assimilados’ (Portuguese) were based on a rejection of the local culture
and an adoption of a foreign, European culture – essentially a denial of an African
identity. The African elite that worked in close collaboration with the colonial
administration often became the main protagonists of European culture. When a few
African leaders met in Addis Ababa in 1963 to establish the Organisation of African
Unity (OAU), the objective was to liberate the continent from colonialism and apartheid.
While apartheid was abolished in 1994, African countries remained largely dependent
on foreign aid which compromised their political and economic independence. Without
achieving its objectives, the OAU was dissolved in July 2002 and transformed into the
African Union (AU), which aimed to unite its fifty-three member-states politically,
socially and economically. The AU intended to address the old African problems afresh
through the promotion of democracy, good governance and foreign investment
(Carbone, 2002). For a long time, Africa seems to have been suffering from the
aftermath of colonialism, which has posed serious challenges to its economic 20
development and independence. The colonial legacy left behind structural inequalities
that were difficult to eradicate. However, Smith argues that ‘there can be no social
justice without cognitive justice’ and calls for an ecology of knowledge(s) that enables
alternative ways of knowing and scientific knowledge to co-exist (Smith, 2012:214). The
inspiration of an African Renaissance, which is mainly about cultural and intellectual
revitalisation, should become an integral part of transforming and reconstructing the
,socio-economic landscape of Africa. Therefore, the restoration of Africa’s intellectual
and cultural history needs to be at the centre of political and economic reconstruction
and should not be treated in isolation. A common observation in previously colonised
societies during the post-colonial period is the patronising continuation of colonial
myths and stereotypes that represent the culture of the colonised as inferior (Alvares,
1991). Colonial powers regarded Asian and African people as belonging to ‘backward’
or ‘child races’, who were inherently inferior because of their skin colour and perceived
immorality, laziness, as well as a disregard for the sacredness of human life (Kies,
1953). These stereotypes became an integral part of the colonial educational systems.
To maintain the political and social dominance of the colonisers, the real history of
colonies was suppressed and replaced with the history of the coloniser, which was
alienating to the local populations. The continuation of a colonial worldview and
lifestyle after achieving political independence became a defining characteristic of post-
colonial Africa, which had to be confronted. Conceptually, Maldonado-Torres (2007)
explains the irony of colonial continuity by drawing a distinction between ‘colonialism’
and ‘coloniality’. Colonialism designates political and economic relations in which the
power of a people rests on a foreign colonial/ imperial power, while coloniality refers to
institutionalised colonialism, i.e. colonial practices, expressed in a longstanding pattern
of culture, social relations and knowledge production (Maldonado-Torres, 2007). This
duality between colonialism and coloniality has previously been addressed by Mignolo
(1999) who sees the imaginary of the modern/ colonial world as a function of ‘colonial
difference’ that operates on a notion of a ‘coloniality of power’. Mignolo borrows the
concept ‘double consciousness’ from WEB du Bois, which captures the dilemma of
subjectivities formed within the colonial difference, i.e. the experience of anyone who
has lived and lives modernity from coloniality (Mignolo & Ennis, 1999:29–30). Double
consciousness becomes a crucial concept in explaining the ambivalence and
tendencies of liberated Africans towards colonialism.
1. Define “colonialism” in your own words. (2)
2. How does Maldonado-Torres explain the concept of coloniality? (2)
3. Explain the difference between colonialism and coloniality. (2)
, 4. Sketch the sociohistorical background of colonialism and coloniality in the South
African context. (4)
5. Do you agree with the colonial policies that were implemented by European powers?
Substantiate your answer. (4)
6. How does the legacy of apartheid remain a structural element in postcolonial South
Africa? (6) [20] ICH4801/101/02024 21
1. Define “colonialism” in your own words. (2)
Colonialism refers to the practice where a foreign power establishes control over another
country, exploiting it economically, politically, and culturally. This domination often involves
settling in the colonized country, imposing the colonizer's culture and systems, and maintaining
power through various forms of oppression and suppression of the local population's
autonomy.
2. How does Maldonado-Torres explain the concept of coloniality? (2)
Maldonado-Torres explains coloniality as the enduring patterns of power, culture, and social
relations that persist even after the end of formal colonial rule. It refers to the institutionalized
practices and ways of thinking that continue to perpetuate the hierarchical structures and
cultural dominance established during the colonial period.
3. Explain the difference between colonialism and coloniality. (2)
The difference between colonialism and coloniality lies in their scope and persistence.
Colonialism refers to the direct political and economic control exerted by a foreign power over
a colonized region. In contrast, coloniality refers to the lasting legacy and ongoing effects of
colonialism, including the entrenched cultural, social, and epistemological dominance that
continues to shape the post-colonial societies long after formal colonial rule has ended.
4. Sketch the sociohistorical background of colonialism and coloniality in the South
African context. (4)
In the South African context, colonialism began with the arrival of the Dutch East India
Company in 1652, followed by British colonization in the 19th century. These colonial powers
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