In terms of national politics, the UDF focused on protest against apartheid and on popularizing the programme and leadership of the banned ANC, simultaneously developing an increasingly radical... Show moreIn terms of national politics, the UDF focused on protest against apartheid and on popularizing the programme and leadership of the banned ANC, simultaneously developing an increasingly radical agenda for social change in South Africa. But how was the political programme of the UDF understood in the social and moral universe of divergent local communities? This paper explores how the antiapartheid struggle in the 1980s was understood in three locally-based social movements that campaigned under the banner of the UDF, viz. a rural youth movement (Sekhukhuneland), a civic association in an African township (Kagiso), and a community newspaper ('Grassroots') in Cape Town. Seen from the vantage point of local case studies, several sub-themes emerge behind the overall theme of the antiapartheid struggle, notably the importance of religion and local belief systems, and the reversal of generational roles which expressed itself in the contestation of patterns of authority within African society itself. The paper is largely based on the author's book on the UDF (2000), which is an adaption of her PhD thesis (1995) for which field work was carried out in 1990-1991. Show less
The 1980s were a dramatic period in the history of South Africa. At stake in the battles of the 1980s was the contest about changing the borderlines in the racial and social stratifications of the... Show moreThe 1980s were a dramatic period in the history of South Africa. At stake in the battles of the 1980s was the contest about changing the borderlines in the racial and social stratifications of the country. In this contest, participants developed their own visions of a future society, of a new political and social order as well as a new moral order. This book examines these processes at the local level. It focuses on the United Democratic Front (UDF) as a social movement from below, officially launched in August 1983. The aim of the UDF was the creation of a united democratic South Africa. The author takes three local organizations as a vantage point. The first part of the book briefly explores the origins of the UDF, followed by a chronological outline of major events and trends in the 1980s. The second part consists of three case studies, which look in detail at locally based attempts at shaping a new society: a youth congress in Sekhukhuneland, a rural part of Lebowa in the Northern Transvaal; a civic association in Kagiso, a township west of Johannesburg; and 'Grassroots', a community newspaper in the Cape Peninsula. The conclusion describes how these local struggles fit into the overall story of the antiapartheid struggle Show less
The revival of popular protest against South Africa's apartheid in the first half of the 1980s was also marked by a proliferation of new mass media. This chapter presents a case study of ... Show moreThe revival of popular protest against South Africa's apartheid in the first half of the 1980s was also marked by a proliferation of new mass media. This chapter presents a case study of 'Grassroots', a publication aimed at a Coloured and African readership in the Cape Peninsula, launched in 1980. The author shows how the newspaper chronicled "the everyday struggles of ordinary people" - ranging from demanding more washing lines to rising costs of living, unemployment benefits, and the history of past struggles. Those who worked for the journal did not see themselves primarily as journalists but as community activists. The author discusses the contradictions within this community - the 'racial divide' between Africans and Coloureds, as well as the "ideological, religious, linguistic, generational and socioeconomic" fault lines. The newspaper's project was to raise political awareness and build bridges across these divides, and to function as a catalyst between the interests of local and national organizations associated with the UDF and the wider Charterist movement. The newspaper was shut down in 1990. It shared the fate of most of the alternative newspapers, which did not manage to evolve a new formula to survive in the new conditions. Notes, ref Show less
