News & Events

In his new book Forged in the Great War: People, Transport, and Labour, the Establishment of Colonial Rule in Zambia, 1890-1920, Jan-Bart Gewald, Professor of Southern African History at Leiden University and senior researcher at the ASC, writes about the establishment of colonial rule in Northern Rhodesia (currently Zambia). In contrast to historians who argue that the colonial state nearly collapsed during World War One, Gewald argues that the establishment of effective colonial rule in Northern Rhodesia only came about on account of the unique conditions that developed in WWI. Read the interview we did with him!

The last two articles that our late colleague Stephen Ellis (1953-2015) completed, have been published. His final article, 'Nelson Mandela, the South African Communist Party and the Origins of Umkhonto we Sizwe', concerns Mandela’s relationship to the South African Communist Party (SACP) in the early 1960s, when the guerrilla army Umkhonto we Sizwe was created. It demonstrates that Umkhonto was essentially a creation of the SACP, as newly available archives reveal. The other article, co-authored by Mark Shaw (University of Cape Town) is entitled 'Does organized crime exist in Africa?'.

Wouter van Beek's memoirs Thuis in Afrika, een dubbelleven (At home in Africa, a double life) were festively presented on Friday 6 November at the ASC. During the book launch former students called back fond memories of their former anthropology Professor. Wouter presented the first copy of his memoirs to Erica Terpstra, former State Secretary of Sports, who visited Wouter at work in Dogon area in Mali with her TV travel show. Take a look at the pictures!

Our latest Acquisition Highlight is about Chappie, a new film by South African director Neill Blomkamp. Set in stark Johannesburg, it is a tale of a sentient robot finding the best and worst of humanity, and while it may not be perfect, it asks questions about right and wrong, how we should pursue and use technology and treat other members of humanity. Actually, Chappie himself is more fully developed than those in charge. Also starring Sigourney Weaver, Dev Patel and Ninja and Yo-Landi Visser, the duo better known as the South African rap-rave group Die Antwoord. Read the Acquisition Highlight!

This report is the result of the Roundtable on Labour Issues and Trade Unions in Africa that was organised by the ASCL and SOAS London on 15 December 2015 in Leiden. Title of the Roundtable: An African precariat? Africa’s informal workers and inclusive development. The report was written by Zjos Vlaminck (ASCL) en Mark McQuinn (SOAS).