Rethinking Non-Racialism: Reflections of a Selection of South African Leaders

Abstract

Drawing from in-depth interviews with 26 prominent South Africans, this article looks at how leaders in government, political parties, business and civil society understand and interpret non-racialism today. It interrogates whether non-racialism is an active political and social project among leaders in South Africa and whether, and how, they are attempting to redefine non-racialism. The article demonstrates that non-racialism is a term still ambiguously understood and defined by South African leaders. Some respondents consider races to be products of social construction and, as such, believe these constructions can be transcended. For many, however, the idea of multiracialism prevails over that of non-racialism. Although non-racialism remains largely a rhetorical ideal among many leaders, respondents did have well-defined views of the challenges facing non-racialism, particularly those of socio-economic inequality and poor leadership from the African National Congress (ANC). Overall, there is a strong sense from many respondents that the values of non-racialism are currently under threat. However, through using social sectors such as education and the media, as well as fostering open debate on non-racialism and facilitating stronger leadership from all areas of society, interviewees did see potential for building a path toward a non-racial South Africa.