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Durham E-Theses 'A Kind of Magic' - The Political Marketing of the African National Congress RANCHOD, RUSHIL,ARVIND How to cite: RANCHOD, RUSHIL,ARVIND (2012) 'A Kind of Magic' - The Political Marketing of the African National Congress, Durham theses, Durham University. Available at Durham E-Theses Online: http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/3513/ Use policy The full-text may be used and/or reproduced, and given to third parties in any format or medium, without prior permission or charge, for personal research or study, educational, or not-for-prot purposes provided that: • a full bibliographic reference is made to the original source • a link is made to the metadata record in Durham E-Theses • the full-text is not changed in any way The full-text must not be sold in any format or medium without the formal permission of the copyright holders. Please consult the full Durham E-Theses policy for further details. Academic Support Oce, Durham University, University Oce, Old Elvet, Durham DH1 3HP e-mail: [email protected] Tel: +44 0191 334 6107 http://etheses.dur.ac.uk 2 ‘A kind of magic’ The Political Marketing of the African National Congress Rushil Ranchod 2012 Thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Department of Geography, Durham University ABSTRACT ************* This thesis examines the political marketing of the African National Congress (ANC) around seminal political events between 1955 and 2009, and the relationship between such marketing and its strategic behaviour in the political sphere. Further, the analysis examines the means by which these techniques located the ANC at the centre of liberation and post-independent political narratives and explores and posits a basis for understanding the behaviour of the ANC and leading actors in the political sphere. The thesis explicates the nature of the continuities and discontinuities in the ANC’s discursive forms of political exchange and interaction and problematises the theoretical underpinnings of political marketing through the case of the ANC in South Africa. The thesis employs a broad understanding of political marketing to include such activities as publicity, promotion and propaganda. It extends its theoretical and conceptual remit beyond purely scientific and positivist approaches to understanding political persuasion and endows marketing with a strongly ‘cultural’ aspect. In doing so, greater consideration is afforded to the complex of influences that over time have come to inform the discursive and representational registers of the ANC. Drawing on a range of archival sources obtained during fieldwork in South Africa, this thesis contributes to the study of South African politics by reconceptualising the politics of the ANC through the lens of political marketing. It contributes to the theory of political marketing by using the South African case to address the theoretical blind-spots and challenge its western-centric notion of the political market. Centred on the themes of liberation, political culture and spectacle, the thesis enriches the understanding of each through the case of the ANC. As such, the thesis provides a deeper understanding of the social and cultural bases of political change in a post- colonial and post-apartheid setting. ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS *************** I have drawn on numerous people and organisations in the completion of this thesis and I am extremely appreciative for the insights, comments, pointers and general assistance that has always been readily forthcoming. My thanks go to my excellent supervisors, Cheryl McEwan and Marcus Power, who have guided and directed my efforts with tremendous support, encouragement and insight. Cheryl is the kind of academic I aspire to be – engaged, constructive, incisive and ready to offer advice and support beyond what is required. I am forever extremely grateful for the professional and other assistance that was supplied in the completion of this project. Marcus, in his characteristic way, has been supportive and encouraging and has offered reassurances when they were most needed - my sincerest appreciations for that! This thesis has a definite geography. During my fieldwork in South Africa, I was based at my ‘old home’ in the Centre for African Studies at the University of Cape Town (UCT). My thanks go to Professor Harry Garuba, Lilian Jacobs and Lucinda Cullum for making my stay there a comfortable and easy one. Working out of my ‘second UCT home’, the African Studies Library, I was offered tremendous assistance by Sandy Shell and the rest of the librarians there. Each went well beyond the call of duty (and not just in the course of this project) and for their efforts for I am very grateful. My thanks go to Bev Angus, Colin Darch, Busi Khangala, Allegra Louw, Gary November and Sue Ogterop for their assistance over many years of graduate study. Further, at UCT, I am indebted to Professors Jeremy Seekings and Robert Mattes for constructive discussion and comment on this project. Professor Christopher Saunders also offered comment and I am appreciative of his efforts in getting me involved in a conference in later 2008 on liberation movements in South Africa. Professors David Cooper and Johann Maree also encouraged this project and I am grateful for their insights. Professor Raymond Suttner also commented on an early proposal of this project and I am greatly appreciative of his efforts. I would like to thank the staff at the Mayibuye Archive at the University of the Western Cape, especially Andre Mohamed for his assistance in finding the necessary materials and guiding me in the right directions. Also at Mayibuye, I am grateful for the efforts of Graham Goddard and Hamilton Budaza for compiling audio, visual and photographic materials for me. Petra van Niekerk, Manager at the Information iii Resource Centre at the Government Communications and Information Service at the South African Parliament offered invaluable last minute assistance in obtaining materials. Neetesh Ramjee was intimately involved in stimulating the ideas of this thesis and his assistance has been immeasurable. In Johannesburg, I would like to thank the staff at the South African History Archive for all their help in accommodating my needs. I am also indebted to Steyn Speed at the ANC for his assistance and Thebe Ikalafeng for helping shape my approach early on in the project. I am also grateful to Meshan Morar and Hema Morar for their assistance with collecting photographs in Johannesburg. In Alice, I thank Mosoabuli Maamoe for accommodating me at the University of Fort Hare. Part of this thesis was written at the Institute for Society and Globalisation at Roskilde University in Denmark, where I was fortunate to be awarded a four month research fellowship. My thanks go to the Board of the Institute for the award. Further, I offer my thanks to Professor Laurids Lauridsen and Inge Jensen for facilitating my four month stay there. A wonderful research environment, I thank Anne Egelund, Kaspar Hoffman, Andreas Waaben Thustrup, Jacob Rasmussen, Rachel Spichiger, Jennifer Terrell (The New School, New York) and Sumeet Mhaskar (Oxford) for their comments and camaraderie during my time in Roskilde. I appreciate the efforts of Professor Lisa Richey for commenting on certain aspects of the project. Special thank you’s go to my Danish ‘family’ who made living in Copehagen amazing! Morten Holmboe Chammon and Flemming Holmboe Chammon opened their lovely home to me for the duration of my stay and for which I am extremely thankful. Very special thanks go to Christine Benna Skytt and Mads Esper Larsen for all their efforts in introducing me to life in Copenhagen. It is a favour that I hope to return one day. Undertaking this project in the Department of Geography at Durham was made possible by the receipt of the Durham Doctoral Fellowship. Further research assistance was provided by the Department of Geography and I received an accommodation award for two years from Ustinov College. I am deeply appreciative for this financial assistance. Porfessor Louise Amoore encouraged me to apply and seek funding in the Department of Geography. My appreciations for that ‘intervention’. The completion of this thesis was made possible by the efforts of one person who provided a protective ‘bubble’ from the stresses and strains that were encountered during this project. There aren’t any words to describe how grateful I am for the unconditional love, care and iv support that were offered during my time in Durham. I just hope that I was able to offer the same. Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, I thank my parents for the tremendous sacrifices they have made in affording me every opportunity possible. My love and appreciation for this knows no bounds. It’s not possible to pay them back materially, but I will endeavour to ‘pay it forward’. My life would be all the richer for that. v TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT ......................................................................................................................................................... II ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .............................................................................................................................. III LIST OF FIGURES .......................................................................................................................................... VII LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS .........................................................................................................................VIII STATEMENT