Reclaiming memory, challenging white supremacy: the case for memorialising John Vorster square in addressing the legacy of violence in post-apartheid South Africa
| dc.contributor.advisor | Scanlon, Helen | |
| dc.contributor.author | Holomisa, Sesetu | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2026-06-25T11:43:51Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2026-06-25T11:43:51Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2026 | |
| dc.date.updated | 2026-06-25T11:32:42Z | |
| dc.description.abstract | This thesis argues that the memorialisation of John Vorster Square (JVS) as a Site of Conscience through a transitional justice (TJ) framework holds the potential to confront the past and initiate critical conversations around challenging persistent structures of inequality. The study examines the history of JVS, detailing the documented accounts of torture and deaths of anti-apartheid activists. It explores the broader implications of preserving and recontextualising this site within the national memory landscape. Drawing inspiration from transformative Sites of Conscience, such as Constitution Hill and Argentina's ex-ESMA, this thesis adopts a transnational approach to memorialisation. It also examines the challenges and criticisms associated with symbolic reparations, including the non-systemic nature of change and the unpredictable outcomes. The thesis concludes by advocating for the memorialisation of JVS as a Site of Conscience, arguing that it can serve as a space for civic engagement, where citizens actively confront the history of atrocities and reflect on their enduring societal implications. This is in line with the notion that “It is a terrible, an inexorable, law that one cannot deny the humanity of another without diminishing one's own: in the face of one's victim, one sees oneself. Walk through the streets of [South Africa] and see what we, this nation, have become. | |
| dc.identifier.apacitation | Holomisa, S. (2026). <i>Reclaiming memory, challenging white supremacy: the case for memorialising John Vorster square in addressing the legacy of violence in post-apartheid South Africa</i>. (). ,Faculty of Humanities ,Department of Political Studies. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/11427/43389 | en_ZA |
| dc.identifier.chicagocitation | Holomisa, Sesetu. <i>"Reclaiming memory, challenging white supremacy: the case for memorialising John Vorster square in addressing the legacy of violence in post-apartheid South Africa."</i> ., ,Faculty of Humanities ,Department of Political Studies, 2026. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/43389 | en_ZA |
| dc.identifier.citation | Holomisa, S. 2026. Reclaiming memory, challenging white supremacy: the case for memorialising John Vorster square in addressing the legacy of violence in post-apartheid South Africa. . ,Faculty of Humanities ,Department of Political Studies. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/43389 | en_ZA |
| dc.identifier.ris | TY - Thesis / Dissertation AU - Holomisa, Sesetu AB - This thesis argues that the memorialisation of John Vorster Square (JVS) as a Site of Conscience through a transitional justice (TJ) framework holds the potential to confront the past and initiate critical conversations around challenging persistent structures of inequality. The study examines the history of JVS, detailing the documented accounts of torture and deaths of anti-apartheid activists. It explores the broader implications of preserving and recontextualising this site within the national memory landscape. Drawing inspiration from transformative Sites of Conscience, such as Constitution Hill and Argentina's ex-ESMA, this thesis adopts a transnational approach to memorialisation. It also examines the challenges and criticisms associated with symbolic reparations, including the non-systemic nature of change and the unpredictable outcomes. The thesis concludes by advocating for the memorialisation of JVS as a Site of Conscience, arguing that it can serve as a space for civic engagement, where citizens actively confront the history of atrocities and reflect on their enduring societal implications. This is in line with the notion that “It is a terrible, an inexorable, law that one cannot deny the humanity of another without diminishing one's own: in the face of one's victim, one sees oneself. Walk through the streets of [South Africa] and see what we, this nation, have become. DA - 2026 DB - OpenUCT DP - University of Cape Town KW - white supremacy KW - South Africa KW - post-apartheid LK - https://open.uct.ac.za PY - 2026 T1 - Reclaiming memory, challenging white supremacy: the case for memorialising John Vorster square in addressing the legacy of violence in post-apartheid South Africa TI - Reclaiming memory, challenging white supremacy: the case for memorialising John Vorster square in addressing the legacy of violence in post-apartheid South Africa UR - http://hdl.handle.net/11427/43389 ER - | en_ZA |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/11427/43389 | |
| dc.identifier.vancouvercitation | Holomisa S. Reclaiming memory, challenging white supremacy: the case for memorialising John Vorster square in addressing the legacy of violence in post-apartheid South Africa. []. ,Faculty of Humanities ,Department of Political Studies, 2026 [cited yyyy month dd]. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/11427/43389 | en_ZA |
| dc.language.iso | en | |
| dc.language.rfc3066 | eng | |
| dc.publisher.department | Department of Political Studies | |
| dc.publisher.faculty | Faculty of Humanities | |
| dc.subject | white supremacy | |
| dc.subject | South Africa | |
| dc.subject | post-apartheid | |
| dc.title | Reclaiming memory, challenging white supremacy: the case for memorialising John Vorster square in addressing the legacy of violence in post-apartheid South Africa | |
| dc.type | Thesis / Dissertation | |
| dc.type.qualificationlevel | Masters | |
| dc.type.qualificationlevel | Masters |