This working paper describes the methodological and theoretical approach of the research project "Southern African Democracy and the Utopia of a Rainbow Nation". Analysing the "history of the political" as suggested by Pierre Rosavalloin not only allows to improve historiography, but also to correct the distorting effect of colonial categories.
The paper recalls the long history of colonial exclusion of African perspectives from economic history. The struggle for the recognition of local perspectives is not only part of the fight for democracy, but essential precondition for science to overcome power related distortions of truth.