Politics of Left behind Places in South Africa: Is There a Rebellion Against Metropolitan Elites?

Mabin, Alan

South Africa tops the list of global inequality. The geography of inequality and unemployment is complicated. Widespread, though local and relatively small, people demonstrate and protest against public authorities. Since ‘the country experienced unprecedented levels of unrest and destruction of public and private property in July 2021’ whether these events relate to ‘left behind places’ emerged. Populist movements grew, the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) and Patriotic Alliance since 2013, and in 2024 national and provincial elections the new uMkhonto weSizwe Party scored 15% of the national vote, 45% in the province of KwaZulu-Natal, and majorities in some districts while EFF has continued to gain support in some left behind places.

The paper will explore spatiality of populism in South African circumstances. Do these developments parallel experiences in other parts of the world? Are ‘the populations of left-behind places revolting against metropolitan elites’ (Amarouche et al. 2024)? Can it be argued that ‘rising territorial inequalities give rise to populism and localized dissent’ (Amarouche and Nafaa 2024)? What alternative causalities can be postulated? – for example as Tups et al (2024) put it, ‘hope rather than hopelessness can prevail in ‘left-behind’ places’ – perhaps via populism but possibly via other relationships.

Amarouche, M, and N. Nafaa (2024) What about left-behind places in the global south? A narrative review, Nordic Geographers Meeting, University of Copenhagen, June, Copenhagen, Denmark

Amarouche, M., M. Rousseau, V. Béal, N. Nafaa (2024) Can we import the narrative of left-behind places into the global South? Urban Affairs Conference - Cities on the Edge, Urban Affairs Association; European Network for Housing Research; European Urban Research Association, April, New York

Tups, Gideon, Enock N. Sakala & Peter Dannenberg (2024) Hope and path development in ‘left-behind’ places – a Southern perspective, Regional Studies 58 (6)