Museums and their messages: the display of the pre- and early colonial past in the museums of South Africa, Botswana and Zimbabwe

South Africa is on the threshold of major change. Indeed, one of the most commonly used political clichés in South Africa today is 'the new South Africa'. What does this cliché imply and what is the 'new South Africa' going to herald? Is it simply going to mean a change in power-holders, leaving many of the relations of domination intact, or will there be fundamental changes affecting the entire fabric of society?