Fanonian practices in South Africa : from Steve Biko to Abahlali baseMjondolo

Written by a leading Fanon scholar, and with an acute philosophical intelligence, Fanonian Practices in South Africa is a sophisticated attempt to examine post-apartheid South Africa through the emancipatory lens of Frantz Fanon’s revolutionary humanism. South Africa has been widely heralded as an African success story in the wake of the 1994 democratic elections. But in recent years the world’s media have too often carried stark images of South African police attacking protestors or scenes of xenophobic violence. Has post-apartheid South Africa been unable to chart a course away from the all too familiar script of a postcolonial crisis, rooted in the narrow nationalism and neocolonialism that Fanon so vividly described? This is not another meditation on Fanon’s continued relevance. Instead, it is an inquiry into how Fanon, the revolutionary, might think and act in the face of contemporary social crises. Taking Fanon’s passion for freedom and liberation seriously, and Biko’s analysis of the dangers of liberalism, Fanonian Practices looks into the politics of the shack-dweller movements currently gathering momentum in South Africa as important spaces in which to think and construct a truly humane post-apartheid future. A Serious And Sophisticated Examination Of Post-apartheid South Africa Through The Lens Of Frantz Fanon's Revolutionary Humanism. Gibson, Director Of The Honours Programme At Emerson College In The United States And A Visiting Research Fellow At The University Of Kwazulu-natal, Considers Fanon's Work And Steve Biko's Analysis Of The Dangers Of Liberalism As He Looks Into The Politics Of The Growing Shack Dwellers Movement In South Africa. Amandla Is Still Awethu : Fanonian Practices In Post-apartheid South Africa -- Biko's Fanonian Practices -- The Pitfalls Of South Africa's Liberation -- The New 'reality Of The Nation' : The Rich And The Poor -- Unfinished Struggles For Freedom : The Birth Of A New Shack Dwellers' Movement -- Xenophobia Or A New Humanism? Fanon In The Shacks -- In Place Of A Conclusion. Nigel C. Gibson. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 274-298) And Index. Fanonian Practices In South Africa Examines Frantz Fanon’s Relevance To Contemporary South African Politics, And By Extension, Research On Postcolonial Africa And The Tragic Development Of Postcolonies. Here Leading Fanon Scholar Nigel C. Gibson Offers Theoretically Informed Historical Analysis, Providing Crucial Scholarly Insights Into The Circumstances That Led To The Current Hegemony Of Neoliberalism In South Africa.