This book shares the story of Tsoaledi Daniel Thobejane, an activist who was part of the South African liberation struggle and who suffered at the hands of the Nationalist Party regime. It is a book that is interesting because it examines the struggle through the eyes of the Azanian People’s Organisation (AZAPO), a much smaller liberation organisation compared to the African National Congress (ANC) that supported the philosophy of black consciousness. This is of value because “struggle discourse” post 1994 has been dominated by the view of the African National Congress (ANC). Thobejane’s book does make a small contribution to the realisation that there were others who opposed the full force of apartheid.

Thobejane takes the reader back in time to a world of hooded informers, traitorous policeman, consumer boycotts, vicious beatings, lives spent in and out of jail, detention without trial and police shootings – the kind of horror that characterised the struggle against apartheid.

Personal memories contain some interesting insights and stories about the struggle against apartheid. For example, Thobejane recounts how activists would cross-dress to escape detection by the police. In the case of one particularly astute cross-dresser, Thobejane recounts that it would take some time before even his own mother would recognise him and allow him into her house.

Sometimes it does feel that Thobejane falls into the trap of rhetorical political speech and the language used to describe the apartheid regime such as ‘beasts of the illegitimate regime’ becomes repetitive, while also obscuring the nuances of allegiances and loyalties that might have existed. Somehow though, the use of this language is excusable, given that the example quoted preceded his description of a vicious police beating and that in the turmoil of the 1980’s “beasts of the illegitimate regime” was probably exactly how a vast majority of people saw the security apparatus of the state.

The book is interspersed with discussions and suggestions about how the lives of ordinary South Africans can be improved, with a particular emphasis on education. While these are interesting and necessary, there is a sense in the latter stages of the book that it risks becoming a political manual rather than a personal insight into the struggle.

Perhaps this is merely a personal observation, but I felt that the strength of the book lay in Thobejane’s personal engagement with his experiences and that the book needed to separate this from the political reflections that he engages in. However, given his strong political background, it is understandable why this was not the case.

That criticism aside, this is an interesting book that highlights the unsung heroes of the struggle and strongly conveys how ordinary people gave so much for the cause of freedom.

* Reviewed by Patrick Burnett, Fahamu

* Published by: Dorrance Publishing Co., Pittsburgh
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