Treading the Waters of History. Perspectives on the Anc

Publisher Marketing: This volume is an anthology of thought-pieces about the ANC, contributed by a variety of scholars and thinkers. It gives voice to a variety of perspectives on the subject. The fact that some authors disagree with each other is all part of what will, we hope, be an on-going debate. The book originated from a series of public dialogues that began before the centenary year and continued afterwards, being held at the University of Free State. The first section covers reflections on how knowledge of the history of the ANC has advanced and the position of that history in the general history of the liberation struggle. This section aids a critical appraisal of the state of primary sources used in writing the history of the ANC. Chapters in the second half of the book, consider some of the various contexts in which the ANC has operated, and continues to operate. These include the evolution of the ANC's economic policy and how it has changed over time; the kind of leadership the organisation provided in redefining gender relations and most importantly the ANC and international relations, especially seen from the vantage point of 'progressive internationalism'. The last section examines the evolution of Pan-Africanism in the ANC's ideological development.