Apartheid: A Cultural and Political History

Apartheid: A Cultural and Political History

A lecture by Andrew Feinstein took place on Wednesday 06 December 2023 at Cantor Building, Sheffield Hallam University. Organised by the Anti-Racism Research Group and the Palestine Education Network, this lecture enabled staff, students and the public to explore an important cultural and political concept for our time.

Audio of the lecture is available online here.

Apartheid, or separateness, was the name given to the South African political system that existed in various forms for over 300 years, consolidating in the post World War 2 regime which legislated every aspect of people’s lives based on the colour of their skin. Andrew will describe the system as it existed, what was required to keep it in place and resistance to it. He will address the crucial role of culture and cultural politics both in entrenching apartheid and in the long and storied opposition to the system. Andrew will also consider the use of the word ‘apartheid’ in the Israel/Palestine context, its similarities and differences from the South African context, and the role of culture around the use of the term ‘apartheid’ in the Middle East.

Andrew Feinstein is a former ANC Member of Parliament from South Africa who served under Nelson Mandela. He is author of “After the Party: Corruption, the ANC & South Africa’s Uncertain Future” and “The Shadow World: Inside the Global Arms Trade” which was made into an award-winning documentary feature. As the son of a Holocaust survivor who lost dozens of her family at Auschwitz – where Andrew has lectured on genocide prevention – he introduced the first ever motion on the Holocaust in the history of the South African Parliament. Andrew has written for diverse media ranging from Red Pepper to The Telegraph, CNN, BBC and Al Jazeera. He is Executive Director of the London-based non-profit Shadow World Investigations which investigates the global arms trade and State Capture.