Centre for Civil Society Seminar Series

South Africa in Comparative Perspective – India and Brazil

Facilitated by Danford Chibvongodze and Andries Motau

The two seminars in this series consider South Africa from a comparative perspective. Fabio Luis’s seminar examines the erosion of South Africa’s Rainbow Nation against the Brazilian New Republic. Lubna Nadvi considers active citizenship within BRICS focusing on South Africa and India.

Seminar: After the Rainbow: South Africa´s Interregnum through Brazil´s Lens

Speaker: Fabio Luis

Date: Thursday 17 October 2024 13:00-14:00 (SA Time)

Zoom Link:https://ukzn.zoom.us/j/92345407016?pwd=Gc5EK8qYOiFCeGjxHBiGNpWCcv4hbI.1

Seminar Topic

This talk discusses contemporary politics in Brazil and South Africa from a comparative perspective. Both countries are assumed to face a hegemonic crisis, and an interregnum is taking place. The role of corruption in the downfall of the PT and Zuma-led state capture is seen as a symptom of the narrow possibilities of expanded accumulation and class building, adding to legitimacy challenges. As the Rainbow Nation framework and the Brazilian New Republic are eroded, the political dispute can be framed as politics of containment (embodied by Lula or Ramaphosa) as opposed to the acceleration of the hegemonic crisis (embodied by Zuma or Bolsonaro). Recently, Lula´s alliance with former nemesis as vice-president exposes a New Republic rescue attempt, while Bolsonaro points out a way out of this framework. In a similar vein, ANC´s call for a government of national union with the DA reenacts the pact underpinning the vision of a Rainbow Nation that Zuma´s MK and Malema´s EFF undermine. If containment fails, the face of acceleration remains to be seen.