The politics of youth resistance in the 1980s: the Dilemmas of a differentiated Durban

Naidoo, Kumi

doi:10.1080/03057079208708309

Cited by 25 publications

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“…Furthermore, as Kumi Naidoo argues, ‘in the liberal and media usage, “youth” tended to signify anyone who was engaged in “unrest”, mostly younger than thirty, and unemployed. Its failure to disaggregate the category led to unproductive generalizations’ (Naidoo 1991: 144–5). Their actions, as Ari Sitas summarizes, were often portrayed as resulting from high levels of unemployment that led to frustration, which eventually led to violence and aggression (Sitas 1992: 629).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

‘SIYAYINYOVA!’: PATTERNS OF VIOLENCE IN THE AFRICAN TOWNSHIPS OF THE VAAL TRIANGLE, SOUTH AFRICA, 1980–86

Rueedi¹

2015

Africa

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Between 1984 and 1986, South Africa was engulfed in widespread uprisings in the townships across the country. State repression, aimed at curbing popular protests, had the detrimental effect of radicalizing sections of black youth who were at the forefront of the struggle against the apartheid regime. While the insurrectionary period was marked by non-violent repertoires of protest including boycotts, strikes and protest marches, violent strategies gained momentum as well. One area that saw the proliferation of popular protest was the Vaal Triangle, a highly industrialized complex south of Johannesburg. It was in this area where protests against an illegitimate and defunct local government, poor service delivery and rent increases turned into a popular uprising in September 1984. This uprising not only signified the redrawing of boundaries of community but also a shift towards more militant and violent strategies among sections of politicized youth. Based on life history interviews and archival research, this article argues that political violence aimed to forge a new political and social order. Strategies of violence emerged out of the intersection between localized conflicts and broader ideologies and strategies of the African National Congress, including its call for ‘ungovernability’ in 1984 and its promotion of a People's War in 1985.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

‘SIYAYINYOVA!’: PATTERNS OF VIOLENCE IN THE AFRICAN TOWNSHIPS OF THE VAAL TRIANGLE, SOUTH AFRICA, 1980–86

Rueedi¹

2015

Africa

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The Cambridge History of South Africa

Hamilton¹,

Mbenga²,

Ross³

2009

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The Cambridge History of South Africa

Ross¹,

Mager²,

Nasson³

2011

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This book surveys South African history from the discovery of gold in the Witwatersrand in the late nineteenth century to the first democratic elections in 1994. Written by many of the leading historians of the country, it pulls together four decades of scholarship to present a detailed overview of South Africa during the twentieth century. It covers political, economic, social and intellectual developments and their interconnections in a clear and objective manner. This book, the second of two volumes, represents an important reassessment of all the major historical events, developments and records of South Africa and will be an important new tool for students and professors of African history worldwide, as well as the basis for further development and research.

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The politics of youth resistance in the 1980s: the Dilemmas of a differentiated Durban

Abstract: Journal of Southern African StudiesPublication details, including instructions for authors and subscription information:

Cited by 25 publications

References 3 publications

‘SIYAYINYOVA!’: PATTERNS OF VIOLENCE IN THE AFRICAN TOWNSHIPS OF THE VAAL TRIANGLE, SOUTH AFRICA, 1980–86

‘SIYAYINYOVA!’: PATTERNS OF VIOLENCE IN THE AFRICAN TOWNSHIPS OF THE VAAL TRIANGLE, SOUTH AFRICA, 1980–86

The Cambridge History of South Africa

The Cambridge History of South Africa

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