Capital Cities in Africa: Power and Powerlessness€¦ · Capital Cities in Africa: Power and Powerlessness Simon Bekker Stellenbosch University, South Africa Thursday, October 5

CapitalCitiesinAfrica:PowerandPowerlessness

SimonBekkerStellenboschUniversity,SouthAfrica

Thursday,October51- 2:30pm

D214MacCorry

Thistalkexploresthecomplicatedprocessesofnation–statebuildingthroughitsmanifestationinthe“urbangeology”ofthecity—itsarchitecture,iconography,layout,andpoliticaluseofurbanspace.Overwhelmedbythechallengesresultingfromtheirurbanization,thegovernmentsseatedinmostofthesecapitalcitiesareineffectbothpowerful—wieldingpowerovertheirpopulace—andpowerless,unabletoimplementtheirplansandprovidefortheirinhabitants.

SimonBekker isavisitingProfessorfromStellenboschUniversityinSouthAfrica.HehasbeenProfessorofDevelopmentStudiesatRhodesUniversityandDirectoroftheCentreforSocialandDevelopmentStudiesattheUniversityofNatal(Durban).HehasbeenaVisitingFellowatOxfordUniversity,theCentred'Étude d'AfriqueNoire,France,theSwedishCollegiumforAdvancedStudy,Uppsala,SwedenandattheStellenboschInstituteforAdvancedStudy.Heisco-authorofGoverningCitiesinAfrica:PoliticsandPolicies(2013)andCapitalCitiesinAfrica:PowerandPowerlessness(2014) .