The Department of Jurisprudence in the University of Pretoria’s Faculty of Law recently hosted an engaging research seminar that left attendees with new perspectives on the complexities of post-apartheid South Africa. The discussions served as a catalyst for transformative dialogue, contributing to a society that embraces unity and inclusivity for all its citizens and further exemplified the ongoing commitment of the Department of Jurisprudence to foster enriching intellectual dialogue, not only in the Faculty, but across the entire University and the university community at large.

Professor Scott Burnette, who presented his thought-provoking book, White belongings: Race, property, and land in post-apartheid South Africa, explored the cultural and discursive dynamics that link race to property in the South African context and probed the enduring power dynamics experienced in the current context, aiming to understand ‘the ways that colonial discourses of the land continue to structure the supposedly post-colonial present specifically in South Africa’. He asserted that ‘indigenous culture has held a deep reverence for the land throughout history, recognising it as more than just a commodity’. The presentation emphasised the significance of acknowledging these cultural values as essential to understanding the ongoing land struggles in South Africa.

Despite the dismantling of apartheid and the establishment of multiracial democracy, the racial order has not seen substantial restructuring. Racial capitalism, deeply ingrained in the apartheid era, still holds considerable control over the country's economic structure.

To illustrate how environmental movements can reinforce existing discursive formations that rationalise specific subject roles in institutions and in turn validate or materialise the formation, Professor Burnette presented case studies on fracking in the Karoo and rhino poaching campaigns.He argued that white South African spearheading conservation and environmentalist movements such as threats of fracking and poaching serve as important motivations for preserving the sanctity of private property and the necessity of securitization, which validate private property ownership and strengthen white dominance in conservation and environmentalism

He concluded the presentation by highlighting the urgency of challenging and transforming the structures that maintain racial inequality in South Africa, and calling for a holistic approach to address the deeply rooted issue of race-based property and land ownership.

Following Professor Burnette’s thought-provoking discussion, Professor Peace Kiguwa provided an insightful response titled ‘Undoing wicked imagination’, which aimed to explore the hidden components of the apartheid project and emphasised that ‘[T]he work of undoing ghostly legacies involves different logics’. Highlighting the interplay of different logics, the presentation emphasised the need to consider visceral and affective logics alongside discursive and symbolic logics in order to comprehend the enduring impact of colonial legacies. 

Based on her analysis of the book, she posed the question: What would we have to give up if we were to arrive at a post-apartheid context that is nurturant of all of all of its citizens? This question sought to lead to an understanding of what we would need to give up, specifically in terms of imagination. Professor Kiguwa posited that ‘we need to pay attention to the mind and soul of the apartheid project and not just the economical material project’. She further emphasised the importance of critical scholarship that examines not only constructs of blackness, but also the logics of whiteness. The notion of whiteness as an actively constructed project challenges conventional narratives.

‘Undoing wicked imagination’ called for a holistic approach to confronting the lingering legacies of colonialism and apartheid. Engaging with different logics and affective dimensions offers the potential to pave the way for a more equitable future and the dismantling of structures that perpetuate divisions. As South Africa continues on its journey towards a more equitable future, grappling with these challenges becomes a collective responsibility that demands urgent attention.