Moving in Time: Images of Life in a Democratic South Africa.

Moving in Time Images of Life in a Democratic South Africa 

George Hallett, editor; introduction by Mandla Langa

Sandton, South Africa: KMM Review/University of KwaZulu-Natal Press, 2004. 280 pp. 206 color and 133 b/w photos. $85.95

Post-apartheid South Africa is one of the most fascinating nations in the world in the early twenty-first century. A decade after its improbable peaceful transformation from a racist dictatorship to a multiracial democracy, South Africa has made huge political, social, economic, and cultural strides. The vibrancy of the country and its inhabitants is palpable; visitors to South Africa easily discern the new pride and dignity of its inhabitants as the country solidifies its position as a respected member of the international community.

The new South Africa is also a land of glaring problems and contradictions. The dramatic gap of wealth and power, especially between the black majority and white minority populations, is as obvious as the growing international respect for South African advances in human rights, political reform, economic development, the arts, and athletics. Crime, poverty, AIDS, and many other problems beset the country. Few observers can make confident predictions about the prospects for the next ten years.

Especially since 1994, numerous scholars and writers have grappled with the complexities of South African life. An enormous literature exists, enabling academics and others to explore the new democracy with all its prospects and problems. Publications on all aspects of life are available: race and ethnicity, politics, economics, urbanization, the environment, art and culture, public health, indigenous peoples, and much more. This very complexity, however, makes it nearly impossible to gather a comprehensive overview of South Africa as a whole.

The visual arts furnish a valuable complement to specialized studies and reports. Photography in particular enables observers to develop a powerfully broad vision of the new nation, generating greater understanding and appreciation of contemporary South Africa. Of the many photographic collections in recent years, Moving in Time: Images of Life in a Democratic South Africa may be the most valuable to scholars and interested laypersons alike. Superbly edited and presented, this collection offers a dazzling array of images capturing the dynamics of South African life since apartheid's demise. Leading photographers of diverse ages, races, and ethnic backgrounds, some internationally renowned and others with strong national and regional reputations, provide a comprehensive and moving portrait of the fledgling democratic society. Above all, this attractive book, with its many engaging color and black-and-white images, promotes neither uncritical adoration nor grim despair. Instead, it reveals a refreshing visual realism that should appeal to everyone concerned with the new South Africa.

Mandla Langa's aptly titled introduction, "Emerging from a Storm," sets a perceptive intellectual tone for the photographs that follow. He offers a cogent overview of South African political and moral complexities and challenges. His incisive perspective encourages viewers to appreciate the stunning post-apartheid political, cultural, and other accomplishments while simultaneously inviting them to recognize the magnitude and significance of the potent forces threatening to derail the progress of the past decade.

The heart of Moving in Time is its rich body of photographic imagery. Appropriately, most photos in the volume offer positive views of South Africa in the new millennium; as knowledgeable observers realize, the new democratic nation has made magnificent progress in an extremely short time. South African artists, such as those represented here, properly call attention to the vibrancy of their land. South African artists should indeed celebrate their national spirit and alluring cultural diversity.

Many photographs, for example, depict the growing contributions of blacks and other populations of color to the post-1994 South African commercial, political, intellectual, and artistic renaissance. Images of blacks working as wine industry professionals, airline pilots, travel executives, and governmental officials signify impressive racial progress. These are particularly gratifying to those in South Africa and elsewhere who courageously resisted apartheid during the protracted freedom struggle. Several other images of racial and ethnic diversity pervade the book, offering viewers a satisfying glimpse of the march toward racial and ethnic cooperation and harmony.

Numerous other positive post-apartheid developments also find expression in Moving in Time. Religious diversity; tribal rites and customs, educational enthusiasm, increasing health care availability, youthful vitality, gay and lesbian culture, even "biker" rituals and practices all are engagingly presented, fortifying an intriguing vision of South African transformation from stultifying oppression and widespread fear to a dynamic and tolerant "rainbow" nation. Photographs of creative developments hi music, dance, theater, fashion, and sports complement portraits of notable artists, intellectuals, and athletes. Together, these images encourage foreign viewers to learn more and probe deeply, perhaps even adding South Africa to their future travel plans.

The editor has also deliberately selected photographs revealing the other side of the coin. Several images are poignant reminders of the persistence of savage social and economic barriers to full democratic development and sustainable human progress. Human misery and unemployment are pervasive, seriously mitigating the excitement and promise of political reform. The daily struggles for survival in the country's impoverished black townships are a debilitating reality for millions of South Africans, for whom precious little has changed in the decade of democratic transformation. Photographs documenting these depressing arrangements exist in abundance in this volume, allowing viewers to temper their enthusiasm with a healthy dose of realism.

Images of criminal activity, illegal immigration, alcohol and drug abuse, and prostitution augment the bleak side of the overall South African picture. Above all, the agonizing photographs depicting AIDS sufferers and AIDS orphans drive home the devastating human consequences of this deadly disease. Readers should surely share the sorrow and discomfort emerging from such visual documentation. They should, however, resist the temptation to despair. Instead, they should see these harsh realities as a continuing challenge, perhaps adding their own efforts to assist the people of South Africa to complete their journey to a society with opportunity, dignity, and health for all its citizens.

This remarkable book will doubtless inspire new examples of vivid photographic work, which in turn will record the events of the present and immediate future. Its most enduring effect, one hopes, is to facilitate the efforts of millions of women, men, and children of all races to emerge successfully from the historical storm and build a society to encourage others throughout Africa to embark on similar democratic and humanistic transformations.