Palimpsest African urbanity: connecting pre-colonial and post-apartheid urban narratives in Durban

Abstract

Durban, a city situated on the east coast of South Africa in the province of KwaZulu-Natal, has always been marked by layered, imbricative and intricate meanings. Through narrative slices, this paper considers the interwoven relationships between identity and urbanity and presents Durban as a palimpsest space. The paper illustrates the co-constituting nature of pre-colonial Durban?s form and society, highlighting the manner in which the context of contact left an impression on identity, urbanity and cultural memory. It thereafter suggests that contemporary attempts, through arts and culture, to contour the city in a more inclusive manner, have a long embedded precedent and history.