Paper short abstract:

Through an analysis of public culture and ethnographic studies around Cape Town, South Africa, how are narratives of slavery explored in the colonial and postcolonial contexts? And what does this mean in the face of spatial apartheid's legacy regarding legitimate claims to space, land and belonging?

Paper long abstract:

This paper is a reflection on an earlier project I carried out in an African studies course, 'Public Culture in Africa' at the University of Cape Town. The aforementioned project looked at dress and food as interwoven collective practices and experiences by the Cape Malay during apartheid. I looked specifically at wedding practices using my own family as a lens and an auto-ethnographic exploration of Cape Malay-Afrikaaner dynamics during apartheid. I review this methodology to interrogate whether it is an appropriate means to analyse the histories of social dynamics between slaves brought over by the Dutch colonists in the 17th century to the Cape of Good Hope, the colonists themselves, and the indigenous/native black populations. Throughout this paper, I will reflect on and discuss alternative methodologies for articulating the topic of slavery and what implications these have in differing sociopolitical contexts in Cape Town, South Africa during and after apartheid.

I will also be looking at the methodologies and conceptual frameworks employed by scholars such as Gabeba Baderoon, Nick Shepherd, and Nigel Worden. In addition to contemporary issues mentioned earlier, we can also consider efforts by South African heritage bodies and initiatives to reflect on these histories. And what does this entail when we study issues of space, land and belonging with forced evictions and gentrification in areas like the Bo Kaap - a heritage site and former residence of Cape Malay slaves (the Malay Quarter).