South Africa

South Africa is an exploration of nation-building in post-apartheid South Africa. Sandy Johnston tracks the rise of the ANC and the idea of nationalism to the 'critical moment' of 1990-1994 when the end of communism and the cold war triggered an ethno-nationalist resurgence. He then explores the place nationalism inhabits in the 'new' South Africa, asking whether there is such a thing as the South African nation at all. In doing so, he investigates both the political framework of constitution and competing agendas and the cultural context of language, memory and identity.

For almost thirty years, Alexander Johnston was Professor of Political Science at the University of Natal, South Africa, before retiring as head of school in 2002. For the next five years he worked at the Centre for Development and Enterprise in Johannesburg, a public policy research and advocacy NGO, for whom he is still a consultant.