THE FABRIC OF DISSENT: Public intellectuals who have shaped SA’s history

What is a public intellectual? And why do we need them in these ‘wicked’ times? Launched at the Science Forum 2020, The Fabric of Dissent: Public Intellectuals in South Africa looks at the role of these thinkers in shaping the history of the country. This article by Antoinette Oosthuizen is based on the book launch and correspondence with two of the editors.

lobally, countries have Africa features 76 public intellectuals the Faculty of Humanities at the consulted their best scientific who helped change the course of University of Pretoria (UP). “It is a Gexperts to mitigate the South Africa’s history during turbulent public-health problem with deep devastating effects of the COVID-19 times. Edited by Vasu Reddy, Narnia consequences for physical and social pandemic. Yet, many failed as Bohler-Muller, Gregory Houston, survival and the economy. In South infections continued to surge and Maxi Schoeman and Heather Africa, this is worsened by existing economies buckled. This pandemic Thuynsma, the book began its poverty and inequality, which are may be what social scientists call a journey to publication long before the wicked problems themselves. Along ‘wicked problem’: one that involves COVID-19 pandemic. Yet, it is timely with the interconnected struggles a complex interplay between a for sensitising the reader about the around race, class and gender, these catastrophic health threat and complexity of the world’s wicked are global challenges,” he says. many other social, economic, problems and the kind of thinkers environmental or political challenges. who may help us find the answers. Who is a public intellectual? Reddy describes public intellectuals Also, as massive vaccine rollouts What is a wicked problem? as people who perform intellectual commenced, it became a case of Wicked problems involve complex labour in the service of the public. dog-eat-dog, with superpowers interactions between social, health, They are deeply engaged, committed scrambling to secure vaccine stock economic, environmental or political and enquiring thinkers who, through first and the most vulnerable in challenges. Resolving them requires society being left behind. Getting multidisciplinary interventions by their ideas and work, leave deep through this crisis requires more than academics, experts, those with imprints on society. traditional academic or expert input, practical experience on the ground, “They are dissatisfied with the status but also the attention of society’s and importantly, input from those quo and are willing to take a stand most critical minds, people who with a deep understanding of, and on issues. Through their life work, relate to society, who value equality empathy with, the most vulnerable in public intellectuals expose social evils and justice, and who are not afraid society. and wicked problems in the broader to speak truth to power – a current “One could claim that COVID-19 is service of democracy and humanity generation of public intellectuals. one such wicked problem because ... by speaking out for liberty, equality Released in early 2021, The Fabric of it touches on virtually all aspects and justice and prioritising criticism Dissent: Public Intellectuals in South of our lives,” says Reddy, dean of over pure solidarity.

Page 22 | HSRC Review | Volume 19 Number 1 • March 2021 The late singer and civil rights activist Miriam Makeba is one of the cultural public intellectuals featured in The Fabric of Dissent. Here, she performs at the launch of the International Year against at UNESCO’s Paris Headquarters on 21 March 1978. Photo: Dominique Roger, Wikimedia Commons

“In The Fabric of Dissent, we social media. The book values public Sisulu, Beyers Naudé and Helen adopted an inclusive definition activity, intellectual activity, and Suzman; people whose discovery and featuring public intellectuals from celebrates the role it has played in advocacy of significant political and diverse communities, not only from South Africa. We feature people social ideas have helped to change universities but from all of society’s who challenge convention and the course of history. institutions, creative cultures as well who have risked everything in that Cultural intellectuals are creative as participants in social, class and process. They have confronted the artists, including musicians, actors, political struggles.” undemocratic, the inhumane that satirists and stand-up comedians. goes counter to truth, equality, The 21 people in this section include Speaking truth to power kindness and dignity.” The work of the Palestinian cultural Nadine Gordimer, Miriam Makeba, Pieter-Dirk Uys and Trevor Noah. critic and literary scholar, Edward Four types of public Said, informed much of the thinking intellectuals “Academic intellectuals are usually for the book. “At the heart of Said’s Bohler-Muller, who heads the HSRC’s but not always located in a university views is that the intellectual is Developmental, Capable and Ethical or science council,” says Reddy. someone whose place it is to publicly State research division, says the “These academics live for more raise embarrassing questions, to process to select the 76 intellectuals than their academic pursuits. Their confront dogma, and who cannot was robust. The editors and the insights are about focused discovery easily be corrupted by states and contributors come from various and advocacy of significant ideas to corporations ... someone whose disciplines and the book was also intellectually reshape society.” raison d’être is to represent those peer-reviewed. people and issues that are routinely Archie Mafeje, Fatima Meer, Jakes forgotten or swept under the rug,” The individuals are categorised in four Gerwel and former HSRC CEO, Olive said Reddy at the book launch at the parts – political, cultural, academic Shisana, are among the 14 academic 2020 virtual Science Forum 2020 in and organic public intellectuals – intellectuals featured. December. presented as short vignettes with an Solomon Plaatje, Elinor Sisulu and introduction to each section. “We are in a moment where Zackie Achmat count among the 17 intellectual activity is at risk of being Among the 24 political public organic public intellectuals featured subsumed by populism, nationalism, intellectuals featured are Nelson in the fourth part; people who have fascism, fake news and, very often, Mandela, Oliver Tambo, Walter been instrumental in class struggles

HSRC Review | Volume 19 Number 1 • March 2021 | Page 23 This is a valuable text on how ideas change society, and an indispensable historical record about the richness of South Africa’s intellectual inheritance. ~MCEBISI NDLETYANA, Associate Professor of Political Studies, University of

In the context of place and time, dissent comes through not as a negation but as a constructive foundation of society. The Fabric of Dissent is an excellent introduction to an understanding of the making of South African society. ~ROMILA THAPAR, Emeritus Professor, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, author of Voices of Dissent: An Essay (2020)

and social movements and who who sounds the most radical and is in the formative ideas and legacies focused on the marginalised and the most extreme.” Only those who of prominent South African public oppressed, says Reddy. are seen as like-minded are allowed intellectuals,” says Reddy. to express their views in public. There have been books and volumes Are we hearing out our public “Honest public intellectuals who written about public intellectuals intellectuals in the current can bring new ideas, policy options before in South Africa, but this is crisis? and leadership, often censor something different and pioneering, Public intellectuals enable us to see themselves and withdraw from adds Bohler-Muller. “We present the world differently by exposing public engagement for fear of being a ‘broad church’, which includes us to alternative ways of seeing denigrated. This undermines public public intellectuals from a range of and re-envisioning the world, says debate.” ideologies and perspectives.” Reddy. “We should be listening to a range of voices, including those of Dr Sithembile Mbete from UP’s “The narratives in the book are intellectuals, global leaders, activists Department of Political Sciences inspirational and [will] continue and ordinary people who are driven emphasised the importance of to change the way we perceive by a sense of obligation to social including more contemporary figures ourselves as South African and how commitment and civil courage.” in future volumes, especially women we perceive [those] who we consider who have helped to shape the as other. These are narratives that At the book launch, Professor William concept of womanhood in post- endure over time and space.” Gumede, an associate professor apartheid South Africa, as well as at the Wits School of Governance, The vignettes for a second volume individuals from the Fallist movement warned against an “ideology” of are ready for peer review and it will and younger members of political intellectual conformity, be it to cover about 82 public intellectuals, parties, such as the EFF, “to really governing or opposition party lines, some of them more contemporary test the boundaries” of what we culture, religion, or fixed political and younger. The working title is define as a public intellectual. and economic ideas. “Uncritical Stitching together stories of dissent. conformity undermines innovation, Who should read this? Note: The Fabric of Dissent: Public Intellectuals intellectual vibrancy and diversity ... Reddy and Bohler-Muller believe the in South Africa is a collaborative book project and, in the long term, undermines jointly conceived between UP’s Faculty of book will have a broad public appeal. development,” he said. Humanities and the HSRC’s Developmental, “It has relevance to policymakers, Capable and Ethical State division. It is part of Gumede also warned of the a multi-year project titled The Public Intellectual scholars, students, interest groups, corruption of public discourse. in Times of Wicked Problems, led by Reddy and activists, academic libraries and funded by the Andrew W Mellon Foundation. “Increasingly, it seems, to become the general market both in South Order the book here a public intellectual in this country Africa and globally. It will appeal to depends on who shouts the loudest, readers who have a deep interest

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