This episode explores the immediate consequences of South Africa’s recent parliamentary elections and the historical trajectory of the African National Congress. How does a vibrant sphere of civil society activism play a role in the country? And what is to be learned from the “FeesMustFall” protests against the attempted restructuring of higher education? Listen to hear about the prospects for addressing South Africa’s structural and geopolitical challenges.
Guest featured on this episode:
Adam Habib is the Director of the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) in London. Before joining SOAS in 2021, he served as the Vice Chancellor and Principal of the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa, which he helped transform into a flourishing home of academic excellence and world class research during his eight-year tenure. Prior to that, Habib was Deputy Vice Chancellor of the University of Johannesburg, Research Director of the Center for Civil Society at the University of Natal and is one of the co-founders of the African Research Universities Alliance. He has been elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the African Academy of Science, and the Academy of Science of South Africa.
He further serves in the Council of the United Nations University. A professor of political science, Adam Habib has published numerous edited books and articles on democratization and consolidation in South Africa, contemporary social movements, inequality, philanthropy, poverty alleviation, development and institutional reform in South Africa and beyond. His book, “South Africa’s Suspended Revolution: Hopes and Prospects”, published in 2013, provides a synoptic overview of the first two decades of post-apartheid South African democracy. In 2019, he published “Rebels and Rage: Reflecting on #FeesMustFall”, a reflection on the student protests that shook South Africa between 2015 and 2017.
