DESIGUALDADE SOCIAL NA ÁFRICA DO SUL: HERANÇAS COLONIAIS, APARTHEID E OS DESAFIOS DA DEMOCRACIA CONTEMPORÂNEA.

SOCIAL INEQUALITY IN SOUTH AFRICA: COLONIAL INHERITANCE, APARTHEID AND THE CHALLENGES OF CONTEMPORARY DEMOCRACY.

Abstract

This work aims to analyze the formation and persistence of social inequality in South Africa, articulating this historical trajectory with the challenges of Education. The research adopts a historical approach, demonstrating how the processes of European colonization and the Apartheid regime consolidated structures of racial and economic exclusion that are reflected to this day. The study discusses the milestones of South African democracy, from the transition in 1994 to the recent turning point of the 2024 elections, which led the African National Congress (ANC) to lose its absolute parliamentary majority. The methodology used is bibliographical research, of a qualitative and exploratory nature. As a proposal for overcoming, the article highlights the Ubuntu philosophy as an essential social technology for the school environment. It is concluded that, despite democratic advances, South Africa still faces the challenge of overcoming the legacy of racial exclusion through inclusive public policies and education based on solidarity and interdependence, essential for the emancipation of subjects.