Reconnoitring Alternative Forms of Resistance to Apartheid South Africa, c. 1966-1979 and Beyond: A Case of An Individual

The main theoretical and empirical focus of this paper is the critical examination of alternative forms of resistance that emerged in South Africa after the suppression of mass mobilisation and following the banning of anti-apartheid organisations in the 1960s. It will argue that while the period c. 1966-1979 is regarded as an era in which apartheid was at its height in South Africa, other forms of resistance emerged against it. The emergence and alteration in resistance measures was largely propelled by 'subjects' desire to free themselves from the rituals of oppression and from the practice of state repression. This alteration could be seen in the use of a variety of tools including the criminal justice system (legal instruments), 'one-man' protests and covert 'political education' to unsettle apartheid. By focusing on these three components and through the narrative of an individual and the local study approach, this paper also seeks to recover some of the 'lost, prophetic voices' that played a meaningful role during this period and therefore aims to explore some historical events of this era and their resonances for South Africa beyond 1979.