Jan Smuts was a controversial figure with a complex legacy. Kobus du Pisani considers Smuts' career in light of calls to remove his name from a residence building at the University of Cape Town.
Michael Cardo writes that in the push for Jan Smuts hall at UCT to be renamed, it would be a shame if the racial chauvinism of the past were to be resculpted and acclaimed as the politics of progress in the present.
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The organisation consists of a variety of networks developed over decades
The Commonwealth, an association of 54 countries in Africa, Asia, the Americas, Europe and the Pacific, has always been a rather mysterious organisation. It evolved gradually over the course of the 20th Century, making it difficult to pinpoint a precise starting date.
Also, it operates more on precedent than formal agreements leading to further ambiguity. It’s also unclear what tangible benefits Commonwealth citizens derive from the organisation.
And perhaps the biggest mystery of all is why a group of nations that struggled to win their independence from the UK should have chosen to reconstitute themselves in an organisation that closely resembles the shape of the former British Empire.
An interesting book about how we look at Singapore history
Drawing upon a wealth of historical documentation, including speeches, newspaper articles, petitions and songs, “Merdeka / 獨立 /சுதந்திரம்” confronts us with questions about our colonial past and how it still echoes through our present and into our future. Written by Alfian Sa’at in collaboration with Neo Hai Bin, this provocative and moving new play examines how our history and humanity have been shaped – and shattered – by the forces of colonialism.
Why did independent Singapore celebrate two hundred years of its founding as a British colony in 2019? What does Merdeka mean for Singaporeans? And what are the possibilities of doing decolonial history in Singapore?