and postapartheid context, we may expect new departures in South Afri-
can historiography. Historians with strong commitments to the African
nationalist movement may be expected to write from that perspective,
which may lead to partisan works resembling a mirror-image of Afrikaner
nationalist writings. Meanwhile, scholars and bureaucrats are working to
create and authorize school textbooks that reflect the democratic ideology
of the new government, in place of the old textbooks, which emphasized
the achievements of White and denigrated Blacks.
As a result of the racial structure of South African society, almost none
of the scholars who currently hold appointments in history departments in
South African universities are Africans and nearly all the historiography
of South Africa has been written by white people. In the future, Africans
will bring new perspectives, new experiences, and new linguistic skills to
the study of South African history. They may be expected to explore fresh
topics and produce works with distinctive features. This process will be
gradual. It will take time for Africans to acquire professional training and
research experience and to receive appointments that provide opportuni-
ties for historical research.