White Racial Privileges, Racialization of People of Colour, and Racial Retaliative Violence in South Africa?

Abstract

South Africa’s independence steered hopes that racism in South African, is likely to become a thing of the past. However, these expectations remained as a dream, as racism still thrives in contemporary South Africa. Till date, white South Africans still have more higher privileges, than their black counterparts (Africans, Colored, and Indians). This unfortunate circumstance, has indeed provoked studies that have examined the cause of racism in post-apartheid South Africa. However, findings of these studies hardly cover rationale for, and ways through which racism gets into contemporary South Africa. Drawing on document analysis, this article examines why and how racial identities and hierarchies are woven into South Africa’s polity and the utility of CRT and Ubuntu in redressing racial marginalization and enhancing racial justice and equality in South Africa. The findings expand discussion on the dimensions of racism in post-apartheid South Africa. It also suggests means through which South African government can optimize CRT and Ubuntu in ways that aid strategic efforts at improving racial cohesion and equality in the county.