Living out our differences: Reflections on Mandela,Marx and my country: An interview with Jakes Gerwel

Abstract

This article takes the form of an exchange between Cape Town academic John Higgins and Jakes Gerwel, respected South African citizen and formerly chief aide to the country’s first democratically-elected president, Nelson Mandela. The conversation covers a wide canvas which ranges from Gerwel’s rural childhood to his recollection of working for Mandela. But there is also an exploration of the role played by South African Marxism in the struggle to end apartheid; on the place of education (and its failure) in the post-apartheid years; on the role of universities both prior and after the ending of apartheid. The important role of the humanities in educating is considered and the rise of technically-inclined forms of education are analysed; in this context, the idea that the citizen has been replaced by the entrepreneur is also raised. The issues of race and class in the context of South Africa’s past and present are also discussed.