Boipatong: The Politics of a Massacre and the South African Transition

The Boipatong massacre is widely regarded as a key moment in South Africa's transition to democracy. The massacre is also frequently cited as an example of state complicity in the political violence that shook the country during a period of negotiation and reform. Yet, limited scholarly attention has been given to the details of the event. This article examines the Boipatong massacre in detail, with particular emphasis on how the event's meaning has been contested by different individuals and groups. Analysis of these contestations gives insight into the dynamics of the South African transition, shedding light on the struggles that have defined it. Through the agency of various political actors, a dominant interpretation of the Boipatong massacre arose in its wake, with massive political impact. ‘Boipatong’ brought the South African transition much closer to culmination, because at a crucial point in negotiations it was successfully broadcast as an event that epitomised unending state-sponsored violence. This decisive interpretation remains widespread in scholarship and popular memory, even though repeated contestation has rendered it increasingly questionable. Because its truths made a profound contribution to what is now post-Apartheid South Africa, they continue to exert considerable influence upon knowledge of the event.