The Right to Speak: The Cultural Archive and the Public Sphere in South Africa

For decades, the political and cultural right to speak had been curtailed for millions of South Africans. Thirty years ago the first democratic elections that were held in the country radically changed this restriction. In 1994 all South African citizens older than 18 years were given a political voice in a new, democratic system. But whom of these citizens have been able to voice themselves outside of the voting booth? Whose voices are audible in the media, in novels, films and music? What has happened to the stories of those who suffered under apartheid and experienced colonial-era atrocities? And who is telling these stories? In my contribution, I will show how particular voices find expression across a range of artforms. These voices are an important aspect of the South African public sphere where a polyphonic debate emerges about the meaning of ‘the social’: the manner in which people relate to one another and where, by means of the imagination, current relationships are scrutinized, old relations are reconsidered, and the possibility of new relationships examined.