Mamphela Ramphele, 2008
Cape Town, South Africa, Tafelberg Publishers
£15.95 (pbk), 344 pp.
ISBN 978‐0624045793
Ramphele's Laying ghosts to rest is a comprehensive and insightful assessment of South Africa's arduous consolidation of democracy. Ramphele has had a varied and remarkable career, serving (among other things) as a medical doctor, social anthropologist, an activist and founder of the South African Black Consciousness Movement, Vice Chancellor of the University of Cape Town and Managing Director of the World Bank. Bringing such credentials and experience to bear on key national debates, she has increasingly come to represent a candid yet critical view on the state of South Africa's democracy. This book is likely to secure her further recognition as an important moral voice in South Africa and further afield. Taking a stand for the ‘voiceless’, she embraces both the controversial and provocative. In Laying ghosts to rest she evaluates South Africa's transformation and assesses progress made in democratisation. In doing so, she captures the interest of ordinary citizens, decision‐makers and academics alike, serving not only to educate but also to challenge each role player to take responsibility for ensuring that benefits of democracy are enjoyed by all. This wide applicability of the book is a rare achievement and makes the book exceptionally attractive.
The allegorical title of this volume emanates from the author's childhood fear of ghosts. As a young girl, she discovered that the best approach to dealing with stubborn ghosts was to acknowledge and confront them. Ramphele contends that the lesson for South Africa today—and this is the book's highlight—is that ‘the most stubborn ghosts are those whose names we are often too afraid to mention: racism, ethnic chauvinism, sexism, and authoritarianism’ (p. 10). She provides a critical but positive appraisal of each of these issues and makes concrete recommendations for how each of these ghosts can be exorcised. The central theme throughout the book is that at the heart of the South African transformation is the need to acknowledge and name ghosts from its past, ‘the process of transformation to normalise South Africa has at its core the laying to rest of these lingering ghosts lest they continue to haunt our future’ (p. 10).
The book is divided into six interrelated sections, each dedicated to specific challenges to the full realisation of the values enshrined in the South African constitution: dealing with the past, stubborn ghosts, readiness to govern, human and intellectual capital, black economic empowerment and leadership challenges. In Part I, Ramphele acknowledges the vastness of the political, social and economic transformation that had to take place. She discusses how the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) was set up to deal with gross violations of human rights, but failed to address the socio‐economic issues confronting South Africa. Specifically, she asserts that the needs of the poor are not always prioritised. Throughout the book she appeals for the return of an ethos of civic duty among those serving the public to ensure that the needs of the poor are put first. As an example, she laments the government's lack of enthusiasm in dealing with TRC reparations. Another recurring theme is her plea for all citizens to actively protect and promote constitutional values. Ramphele thus advocates civic mindedness. She sees schools, homes, communities and workplaces as social contexts, all with important roles to play in transformation, and reiterates that the state alone cannot deal with all the challenges that democratisation brings with it.
In Part II Ramphele focuses the spotlight on four particularly stubborn ghosts. While she acknowledges the progress made since the 1994 democratic election, she notes that there is considerable work yet to be done to move away from current practices defined by racism, sexism, inequality and a lack of respect for human rights. Confronting these ghosts, she argues, requires a change in the social framework. She maintains that a comprehensive transformation of South African society demands a balance between values enshrined in the constitution with traditional practices. For Ramphele it is important that both tradition and customs be respected and human rights protected. For example, she emphasises that ‘freedom is indivisible’ in that ‘one cannot be free as a black person and yet still be bound by traditionalism as a woman’ (p. 27). From Part III onwards she uses specific examples to argue that certain policies employed by the democratic government have yielded unintended consequences. It is in this part of the book that she deals with challenges in areas such as education, black economic empowerment, affirmative action and leadership.
This book has broad appeal. It will be useful and informative for those working in the fields of moral and social development and to policy makers in South Africa and internationally. Ramphele highlights struggles for justice, equality and democracy and articulates dilemmas inherent to attempts to strengthen national unity while simultaneously ensuring that human rights are respected. She cites a range of contradictory policies that need to be revisited and revised before we can say that democracy is enjoyed by all. She is forthright as she tackles such topics as gender inequality, practices of customary law and traditional leadership, in particular the later as it has a potential to encourage ethnic divisions.
Fifteen years into the South Africa democracy, a balanced, critical assessment of South Africa's political, social and moral life is greatly welcomed. The book offers a penetrating critique along with hope‐filled and practical solutions. The spiritual tone of Ramphele's book, apparent in the idea of ‘ghosts’, is also evident in the use of the concept of ‘transcendence’. For the author, ‘transcendence’ is key in overcoming critical challenges and will assist in aligning the values of South Africans with the precepts of the constitution. The book calls upon all citizens to actively participate in making transformation possible and it gives the reader an opportunity to engage with a range of complex, provocative and controversial moral and political issues facing South Africa and many nascent democracies today.
This book is impressive because of the author's ability to reveal the truth with passion while simultaneously providing a measured and balanced account of her key themes. I had moments of almost embarrassed recognition and identification as Ramphele delved into sensitive areas which, I later realised, were her stubborn ghosts and which I, as a black South African woman, have long hesitated to name.
© 2010, Bongiwe Mncwango