Nation-building in South Africa

This chapter shows that South Africa, like the other post-colonial states on the continent, has to address the question of national identity. It shows how successive governments manipulated the identities of the different population groups. The chapter attempts to locate the politics of nationalism(s) in South Africa in its historical context. It also shows how successive governments manipulated the identities of the different population groups. The chapter employs the terms 'population groups', 'race' and 'ethnic groups' separately in order to aid understanding of the various models and interpretation of nation-building in South Africa. The problem of race and nation-building is more pronounced in South Africa than elsewhere on the continent because of the large number of whites in the country. The chapter also shows that the construction and deconstruction of national identities were and continue to be contested.