Representation of National Leaders in History Books and Textbooks in South Africa: A Transitiological Study

South African history books and textbooks have undergone a radical change, in step with the socio-political change and restructuring of education that occurred in 1994. On the basis of a transitiological perspective, this chapter contrasts the depiction of national leaders in pre- 1994 school history textbooks with that of post-1994 school history textbooks. The pre-1994 depiction was informed by an ideology of White supremacy, a paradigm of Euro-centrism and an Afrikaner ethnocentric perspective on history. In contrast, the post-1994 depiction is informed by an Africanist ethnocentric perspective. This shift is illustrated with a discussion of how former State President F. W. de Klerk and his successor President Nelson Mandela have been portrayed in history textbooks after 1994. The portrayals of national leaders in the pre- and post-1994 textbooks are then assessed in terms of the criterion that while history should be used for the development of the critical faculties of students, history textbooks should also nurture a respect for the history and the contributions of all segments of the diverse population of a country such as South Africa.