South Africa Today: Betraying or Upholding Mandela’s Values?

The Right Honourable The Lord Hain public lecture on Thursday, February 4 – part of the Research Institute for Arts and Humanities (RIAH) 2016 Public Lecture and Event Series. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

A full copy of the public lecture ‘South Africa Today: Betraying or Upholding Mandela’s Values?’ given by Lord Hain at Swansea University on the evening of Thursday, February 4, can be downloaded here The Right Honourable The Lord Hain public lecture . ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The lecture, in the Faraday Lecture Theatre, Faraday Building, is part of the Research Institute for Arts and Humanities (RIAH) 2016 Public Lecture and Event Series. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The Rt Hon The Lord Hain – who recently received South Africa’s Companion of OR Tambo National Award for his contribution to the anti-apartheid struggle – gave his opinion during a keynote lecture for the University’s College of Arts and Humanities. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The Rt Hon The Lord Hain said: “After the overthrow of apartheid under Nelson Mandela’s Presidency, South Africa’s new “rainbow nation” inspired the world. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“Today however the country’s African National Congress is under greater criticism than ever before, some of it from sources (including white racists) always grudging to hostile about majority rule. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“An honest, balanced view is needed which also takes account of the appalling legacy of apartheid: high levels of poverty, mass unemployment and a deliberate policy of blocking access to education for the black population which was treated as a servant class.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​