APC2601
Assignment 1 Semester 1 2025
Unique number:
Due Date: April 2025
This document includes:
Helpful answers and guidelines
Detailed explanations and/ or calculations
References
Connect with the tutor on
+27 68 812 0934
,© Study Shack 2025. All rights Reserved +27 68 812 0934
, ALL 3 ESSAYS TOPICS PROVIDED
ESSAY 1: THE ENDURING LEGACY OF COLONIALITY: THE BERLIN
CONFERENCE, THE SCRAMBLE FOR AFRICA, AND THE POLITICAL-
ECONOMIC TRAJECTORY OF SOUTH AFRICA
1. INTRODUCTION
The colonization of Africa stands as one of the most defining episodes in
modern history, shaping the continent’s political, social, and economic realities
for generations. This essay examines how and why the 1884–85 Berlin
Conference, together with the subsequent scramble and conquest of Africa,
resulted in the dismemberment and fragmentation of the continent. It also
explores the specific case of South Africa to illustrate the consequential
political-economic development trajectory caused by coloniality. The Berlin
Conference—where European powers negotiated and formalised their
territorial claims—did not merely represent a diplomatic gathering but rather a
mechanism that institutionalised a new order. This order disregarded existing
ethnic, cultural, and political boundaries, setting the stage for future conflicts
and enduring disparities (Ndlovu-Gatsheni, 2013).
In this essay, key concepts such as ―coloniality,‖ ―dismemberment,‖ and
―fragmentation‖ are critically analysed. Coloniality refers to the enduring
structures of power and knowledge that originated in the colonial period but
persist in influencing postcolonial societies (Mamdani, 2012). Dismemberment
and fragmentation describe the deliberate breaking apart of African societies
into artificially defined territories that served colonial administrative and
economic interests. This fragmentation disrupted indigenous political
structures and undermined local economies, laying a foundation for conflict
and economic underdevelopment.
The following sections provide a comprehensive exploration of the colonial
processes that led to Africa’s dismemberment and, by focusing on South
Africa, demonstrate how these legacies continue to shape political and
economic trajectories. Through a detailed analysis of both the continental
experience and the South African case study, the essay argues that the
© Study Shack 2025. All rights Reserved +27 68 812 0934
Assignment 1 Semester 1 2025
Unique number:
Due Date: April 2025
This document includes:
Helpful answers and guidelines
Detailed explanations and/ or calculations
References
Connect with the tutor on
+27 68 812 0934
,© Study Shack 2025. All rights Reserved +27 68 812 0934
, ALL 3 ESSAYS TOPICS PROVIDED
ESSAY 1: THE ENDURING LEGACY OF COLONIALITY: THE BERLIN
CONFERENCE, THE SCRAMBLE FOR AFRICA, AND THE POLITICAL-
ECONOMIC TRAJECTORY OF SOUTH AFRICA
1. INTRODUCTION
The colonization of Africa stands as one of the most defining episodes in
modern history, shaping the continent’s political, social, and economic realities
for generations. This essay examines how and why the 1884–85 Berlin
Conference, together with the subsequent scramble and conquest of Africa,
resulted in the dismemberment and fragmentation of the continent. It also
explores the specific case of South Africa to illustrate the consequential
political-economic development trajectory caused by coloniality. The Berlin
Conference—where European powers negotiated and formalised their
territorial claims—did not merely represent a diplomatic gathering but rather a
mechanism that institutionalised a new order. This order disregarded existing
ethnic, cultural, and political boundaries, setting the stage for future conflicts
and enduring disparities (Ndlovu-Gatsheni, 2013).
In this essay, key concepts such as ―coloniality,‖ ―dismemberment,‖ and
―fragmentation‖ are critically analysed. Coloniality refers to the enduring
structures of power and knowledge that originated in the colonial period but
persist in influencing postcolonial societies (Mamdani, 2012). Dismemberment
and fragmentation describe the deliberate breaking apart of African societies
into artificially defined territories that served colonial administrative and
economic interests. This fragmentation disrupted indigenous political
structures and undermined local economies, laying a foundation for conflict
and economic underdevelopment.
The following sections provide a comprehensive exploration of the colonial
processes that led to Africa’s dismemberment and, by focusing on South
Africa, demonstrate how these legacies continue to shape political and
economic trajectories. Through a detailed analysis of both the continental
experience and the South African case study, the essay argues that the
© Study Shack 2025. All rights Reserved +27 68 812 0934
