Thabo Mbeki and Black public intellectuals: the politics of tolerance and criticism in post-1994 South Africa

Abstract

This study’s primary aim is to examine how black public intellectuals engaged with Thabo Mbeki publicly, in post-1994 public discourse. The concept of black public intellectuals used here relates to the capacity of critics who engage with ideas in their public speech. Therefore, this study will observe the antagonistic relationship between the Mbeki and black public intellectuals because it shaped South Africa’s public and political discourse. However, the study will specifically focus on three black public intellectuals namely, Sipho Seepe, Xolela Mangcu and William Gumede. These three intellectuals were among the most vocal critics of former President Thabo Mbeki thought through their media commentary, public debates and books. It is imperative to determine whether Thabo Mbeki was tolerant of the criticism he received from public intellectuals during his tenure. Equally important for this study is to evaluate the extent to which the intellectuals were tolerant of the ideas formed by and circulated in the new dispensation by those in power. The year 2007 will be crucial to this study because criticism towards Mbeki from these public intellectuals heightened in 2007. Seepe, Mangcu and Gumede; disagreed most prominently on Mbeki’s views on AIDS, race and the media. This study also aims to investigate whether or not Seepe, Mangcu and Gumede have been tolerant of the criticism they received from Thabo Mbeki.