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Essay / The lasting effects of colonialism in South Africa
Colonization is widely seen as a practice that harkens back to a long-forgotten era and has little attachment to today's globalized world – but that cannot be more false. Long-standing European practices from the colonial period continue to impact countries, both domestically and abroad, as they attempt to move forward in the process of nation-building, understood as the process transformation of an underdeveloped, poor and divided society into an underdeveloped, poor and divided society. community with peace, equal opportunities and economic viability, and forge a kind of national identity free from the oppression of imperial power. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay Before confronting the legacy of colonization today, it is essential to understand what effects colonialism had in the first place. Europeans began to assert their dominance over the Global South to acquire assets that directly supported their own economic interests at the expense of the colony. Imperial ideology did not care as much about the well-being of indigenous people as it did about the ruling state and resulted in slavery, brutality, and death, while limiting maneuvers for growth. Campbell et al. (2010) expand on the immediate impact of imperial rule by explaining that “the impacts of colonialism were similar regardless of the specific colonizer: disease; destruction of indigenous social, political and economic structures; repression; exploitation; land movement; and land degradation. In this regard, it has never been easy to repair the atrocities of colonization, even after the colonizers withdrew. When they succeeded in the struggle for emancipation, the newly independent states then faced the question of nation building, which was made increasingly difficult by disease. -a targeted infrastructure, designed to serve the will of the conqueror. During colonial occupation, indigenous peoples often had limited influence over how their own countries were governed, leading today to a critical knowledge vacuum marked by poor decision-making, infighting, and instability. policy. Colonialism further affects the country's relations with the international community. The servile nature of colonialism left former colonies initially unable to communicate on equal terms with much more prosperous and powerful countries, putting them at risk of outside influence, corruption and intimidation. This is at least partly the result of neocolonialist practices that Campbell describes as “the involvement of more powerful states in the internal affairs of less powerful states” (2010) instead of direct political control. Nkrumah (1965), the first leader of a liberated Ghana, argues that neocolonialism is itself a form of colonization. After all, the effects often mirror those of colonialism, with citizens' rights placed second to a company's right to private investment and justified by international law. To understand the impacts of colonization on contemporary global politics, it is imperative to examine specific cases where colonization has profoundly influenced and still influences the development of states. The results of imperial rule are still visible, for example, in the former British dominion of South Africa, a state that tried tirelessly, and unsuccessfully, to reverse its turbulent past. Ethnic demographics andThe country's extremely diverse social background makes South Africa a particularly serious example of the oppression and hostility that results from empire. The 20th century policy of apartheid created a highly unequal racialist state in South Africa, which saw the separation of political powers. communities – one predominantly white and the other predominantly black or mixed (“colored” in African parlance) – living together in a single state. In this diverse country where almost all ethnic groups were hostile to each other, it would have been impossible to non-violently end racial hatred and open a new chapter in the nation's history without the actions of reconciliation of a peacemaker such as Nelson Mandela. Mandela (I: 1994-99) introduced a new liberal constitution that "guaranteed the rights of individuals rather than collective rights such as cultural and ethnic groups" – thus forming a culturally diverse and equal "rainbow nation". in terms of citizenship. away from ethnic unity under the administration of Mandela's successor, Mbeki (I&II: 1999-2008), who instead prioritized transformation and economics – the focal point of which was the racially motivated agenda selective of Black Economic Empowerment (BEE). Mbeki's positive initiatives such as BEE aimed to correct the inequalities of the last century by granting economic privileges such as preference in employment and preferential procurement to black citizens. This policy, however, meant that companies now had to consider the racial and social background of potential employees instead of making meritocratic decisions, resulting in a system in which race, above all else, continues to determine job prospects. 'job. Critics of the BEE, notably Moeletsi Mbeki (2009), the brother of the former president, claim that it "deals a fatal blow to black entrepreneurship by creating a small class of unproductive but wealthy black capitalists, made up of politicians from the ANC” and the Minister of Finance at the time. supported this view, arguing that "BEE policies have not worked and have not made South Africa a fairer or more prosperous country" – indeed, black household GDP was still one-sixth that of white households. In this sense, the BEE inherently reflects the racist colonialist ideology that previously existed and does little to promote Mandela's earlier notion of equality. Mbeki's tenure further highlighted the country's political instability by showing how disparate opinions were within his own party, with many feeling that the transformation had not gone far enough and had given way to a insurrection of groups of disaffected whites who had no interest in progressive but condemnatory policies. Affirmative action has only contributed to the polarization of racial groups and the "brain drain" effect previously highlighted by Campbell et al., with 2016 estimates suggesting that at least 800,000 white South Africans Skilled workers have fled the country since 1994 to more favorable markets such as the United Kingdom. , United States, Australia and Canada. It is widely believed that the flight of human capital has damaged South Africa's economy and state infrastructure, particularly the public health system, to the tune of $1.4 billion. dollars, with the loss of healthcare professionals increasingly straining the challenge. HIV/AIDS is endemic and neglected in the country. Language policy also continues to raise unique challenges, vestiges of the colonial era. Although the Afrikaans language has developed in South Africa, the black population continues to speak.