Les Switzer, Mohamed Adhikari, eds.. 's Resistance Press: Alternative Voices in the Last Generation under . Athens: Ohio University Press, 2000. xxii + 505 pp. $30.00, paper, ISBN 978-0-89680-213-1.

Reviewed by Alan G. Cobley

Published on H-SAfrica (September, 2001)

The Rise and Fall of the Alternative Press in other contributions to the collection, and is used South Africa by Switzer as a vehicle for a concise but extreme‐ In the preface, this book is described as the ly useful historical survey of the 'resistance press' third in a trilogy which began twenty-two years in South Africa, with special reference to the ago with the publication of The Black Press in 1980s and early 1990s. South Africa and Lesotho: A Descriptive Biblio‐ The rest of the book is divided into two un‐ graphical Guide, 1836-1976 (Boston: G. K. Hall, equal sections: Part I contains three chapters, and 1979) by Les and Donna Switzer. The second in deals with the period prior to the 1980s, while the trilogy, edited by Les Switzer, was entitled Part II contains seven chapters, and focuses on South Africa's Alternative Press: Voices of Protest the tumultuous decade-and-a-half from 1980 to and Resistance, 1880-1960 (Cambridge: Cam‐ 1994. bridge University Press, 1997). In this latest publi‐ The main weakness in this collection con‐ cation, Switzer is joined by Mohamed Adhikari as cerns this division. Part I--entitled 'In Transition: co-editor. It opens with an extensive (seventy-fve From Protest to Resistance' --seems incomplete pages) introduction by Switzer which seeks to lay and lacking in coherence compared to Part II, en‐ out the framework within which South Africa's titled 'On the Barricades: The Struggle for South 'resistance press' developed. He also discusses the Africa'. While the three contributions in Part I are contributions made by organised Black labour, disparate in focus and aim, those in Part II are the Black Consciousness movement and the 'Char‐ tightly focused in terms of chronology on the terist' movement of the 1980s towards the defeat 1980s and early 1990s, and provide a comprehen‐ of the apartheid regime. He completes his histori‐ sive overview of the alternative press in these cal survey with a discussion of the transition 'to‐ years. It might have made more sense to leave wards a new South Africa' in the early 1990s. The Part II to stand alone as the body of the book, and fnal section is devoted to an introduction to the to expand the list of contributions in Part I so that H-Net Reviews it could be developed into a separate publication. claustrophobic atmosphere endured by the news‐ Having said this however, all three contributions paper's editorial staf as they struggled, not only in Part I of the collection are fascinating, and it to keep the paper alive in the face of increasing might seem churlish to question their inclusion state harassment and repression, but also to pro‐ here. vide support in myriad ways for the embryonic In the frst article Peter Limb surveys the clandestine liberation movement. I defy anyone to treatment of African workers in the early African read this account without feeling a sense of won‐ nationalist press between 1900 and 1960. He is in‐ der at what was achieved in the face of such terested not only in 'representations' of African heavy odds. On the evidence on this contribution, workers in a press dominated by the black petty Zug's book should be well worth reading. bourgeoisie but also in the extent to which these The fnal contribution in this section from newspapers acted 'as a legitimate vehicle' for the Mbulelo Mzamane and David Howarth is, frankly, aspirations of African workers (p. 82). These ob‐ a bit of a puzzle. It seems to have wandered in jectives seem to me to make this paper qualita‐ from a diferent book altogether. Entitled 'Repre‐ tively diferent in intent from the others in the senting Blackness', it contains a very stimulating collection, and explain why it sits rather uneasily discussion of Steve Biko and the Black Conscious‐ in this book. He argues that the 'pro-ANC press'-- ness Movement, especially in its literary and cul‐ and by extension, the ANC itself--was closer to tural manifestations. It also makes a compelling African workers in the early years than is usually case for the integral importance of the BCM in suggested. This is an interesting conclusion but shaping the resistance movement in South Africa seems to be a bit of stretch given the very imper‐ in the 1970s and early 1980s. The benefts of being fect runs of newspapers that Limb had to work able to draw on the considered views of one who with, especially prior to the 1930s. As Limb's own was deeply immersed in the debates discussed are research shows, extant runs of such key publica‐ obvious here; the article is a 'must read' for any‐ tions as The Workers' Herald and Abantu Batho one who has an interest in the intellectual dis‐ are really quite limited. On the other hand, his courses which shaped the BCM in the 1970s. How‐ conclusion is supported by Bonner's argument ever, this article is not about the role of the 'alter‐ made twenty years ago that since the African pet‐ native press' in promoting Black Consciousness, ty bourgeoisie was 'stunted and repressed' in except incidentally, and therefore can be seen as these years, they were actually much closer to an opportunity lost to put this aspect of the move‐ African workers materially and in terms of con‐ ment in perspective. It would have been interest‐ sciousness than to their white counterparts.[1] ing, for example, to hear more about the practical‐ The second contribution from James Zug ities of putting together the SASO Newsletter and traces the tumultuous fnal years of the Guardian its methods of distribution. newspaper--described by Switzer as 'probably the It is only in Part II of the collection that the most signifcant socialist newspaper in South book's title really begins to make sense. It opens African history'--from 1960 to 1963. It serves as a with an excellent article by Jeremy Seekings on taster for Zug's book-length history of the the media of the United Democratic Front. Al‐ Guardian which is due out this year.[2] Where though he summarises some of the key conclu‐ Limb and Switzer's style is measured and scholar‐ sions in his recently published book on the UDF, ly, Zug writes with real journalistic verve. By fo‐ Seekings pulls of the difcult feat of adding fresh cusing on the human aspects of his story he is insights and material on the same subject.[3] able successfully to evoke the nerve-jangling, Seekings demonstrates that the UDF was extreme‐

2 H-Net Reviews ly efective in its use of the media and suggests of democracy' in producing the paper made for a several reasons for this. One was that the UDF very cumbersome editorial process. Moreover, was in many ways a child of the mass media age. Van Kessel suggests that the perceived need to From the outset its leadership recognised the criti‐ show solidarity with the struggle and 'to project cal role of publicity if the organisation were to the unity of the oppressed' meant Grassroots was survive and grow and they were ready to put ma‐ unable to develop an efective editorial policy 'to jor resources into this important area of activity: deal with conficts and crises within progressive he estimates that '30 to 35 per cent of the UDF's organisations' (p. 301). Although it targeted the expenditure was spent on publicity between 1983 'Coloured' community, it did so only to promote and 1985' (p. 236). Another reason was that the an idealised 'worker consciousness'. Ultimately it UDF enjoyed unprecedented access to the main‐ was unable to attract an audience with such stream (commercial) white liberal press after overtly politicised fare and, in the words of one 1984, once it had established itself as the only contributor, 'became a prisoner of the activists' popular mass movement ofering a credible non- (quoted p. 317). Van Kessel makes it clear that violent, non-racial alternative to apartheid. One Grassroots survived as long as it did only because interesting question which remains unanswered it was able to rely for funds on a group of Protes‐ in this article concerns the infuence of the UDF's tant churches in the Netherlands; evidently they political education journal Isiziwe, although its did not ask too many questions about how their content is discussed extensively. It would be inter‐ money was being spent. esting to hear from those who read it rather than By contrast, another Western Cape newspa‐ those who produced it on this question. per, South, succeeded to some extent in providing Seekings' contribution is followed with one a media voice for the UDF and other progressive on the East Cape News Agencies by Franz Kruger, forces in the area, whilst making its coverage rele‐ one of its founders and long-time group editors. vant to the local 'Coloured' community. Mohamed Writing in the stripped down style you might ex‐ Adhikari tells the story of the newspaper sensi‐ pect of someone who is used to counting his tively, dealing especially with its attempt to draw words, he explains why the agency was formed: the community into a debate on the meaning of 'The region was highly politicized, and there were the 'Coloured' identity in the context of the strug‐ many stories to tell. But it was very poorly served gle for a non-racial society. Ironically however, by the local mainstream media' (p. 263). The valid‐ this approach did not prevent the marginalisation ity of this initial perception, which was based as of the newspaper during the transition to democ‐ much on journalistic criteria as it was on the de‐ racy. It folded at the end of 1994, having failed to mands of political activism, has been proven since transform itself into a commercial enterprise, and the formal ending of apartheid; the ECNA is one in the face of a strong political resurgence of the of the few alternative media houses which has 'Coloured' identity to which it was ideologically survived the transition to democracy in South opposed. Africa. The contribution by Keyan Tomaselli, as you The chapter on the Western Cape publication might expect from one of the leading scholars on Grassroots by Ineke van Kessel is presented as a the media in South Africa, is based on carefully moral tale. It paints an unsympathetic picture of a researched and collated data.[4] This is the arti‐ paper which preserved its ideological purity at cle's strength and also its key limitation. Although the cost of any popular appeal (p. 322). The deci‐ the article discusses the history and infuence of sion to insist from the outset on the 'paramountcy two newspapers, the New Nation and the Sowetan

3 H-Net Reviews newspapers from their foundation in the early sive Afrikaner cultural renaissance which contin‐ 1980s through to the transition to democracy in ues to the present day. the 1990s, the main data used comes from a con‐ The fnal article in the collection is by Christo‐ tent survey of the two papers conducted by the pher Merrett and Christopher Saunders and con‐ Contemporary Cultural Studies Unit at the Univer‐ siders the role of what they describe as the 'fag‐ sity of Natal in 1987. It is difcult to form any ship' of the alternative press, the Weekly Mail, judgment about the overall contribution of either from its inception in 1984 to 1994. The article in‐ paper on this basis. However, the evidence does terweaves comments from members of the news‐ allow Tomaselli to make some useful comparative paper's staf with content analysis to build up a points about the style and political orientation of picture of the paper's editorial policy and its re‐ the two newspapers. One interesting observation porting during these years. They suggest that in concerns the 'BC position' of the Sowetan, despite the 1980s the newspaper's prime importance lay it being a commercial publication owned by the 'in giving its largely white readers an idea of what (white-controlled) Argus group. Tomaselli sug‐ was happening in the black townships, of what gests that 'an unlikely empathy existed between blacks were thinking and how they were sufer‐ some white liberals and the BC movement ... be‐ ing' (p. 476). Given this orientation, I cannot resist cause liberals also understood the repression of asking how many black journalists and activists blacks in terms of race rather than class' (p. 387). of the period would have recognised the Weekly The result was an emphasis in the pages of the Mail as their 'fagship'. This point notwithstand‐ Sowetan on 'race-over-class reporting' which al‐ ing, the newspaper must be credited with chal‐ lowed it to operate comfortably within the Argus lenging government restrictions repeatedly as it stable. sought week by week to expose the repressive na‐ The article in the collection I found most en‐ ture of the apartheid regime. It also succeeded in lightening was that by George Claassen on the establishing itself as the frst 'commercial' left Afrikaans alternative press, a subject about which wing weekly in South Africa's history. The authors I knew little. He argues that the symbiotic rela‐ conclude that 'the Weekly Mail not only worked tionship between the Afrikaans language press for a new democratic order; it helped, in a small and the National Party which dated back to the way, to bring it about' (p. 481). foundation of De Burger in 1915 evolved from a If Switzer was a lonely pioneer when he be‐ relationship of subservience to one in which alter‐ gan writing about the history of the press in South native 'verligte' views were articulated during the Africa in the 1970s, he has no lack of company 1980s.[5] Claassen believes that although the left- now, as the list of contributors to this collection wing Afrikaans alternative press did not survive makes clear. This book is testimony to the emer‐ beyond the transition to democracy, it should be gence of media studies over the past decade as an credited with playing a part in breaking down the important sub-discipline in South African histori‐ 'laager' mentality which had sustained apartheid ography, and will be welcomed by all those who for so many years. He also suggests that Vrye have an interest in the press in South Africa in the Weekblad, with its use of leading Afrikaner liter‐ fnal years of the apartheid era. One further note: ary fgures as contributors, its playful and innova‐ among the many issues touched upon in this col‐ tive use of the Afrikaans language in headlines, lection, I found the occasional mentions of the in‐ and its vibrant coverage of such previously un‐ fuence of community radio particularly tantalis‐ der-represented areas of culture as jazz, ing. It is to be hoped that future work will address had the efect of sparking a much needed progres‐ in more detail the infuence of this and other

4 H-Net Reviews types of media on political discourses and popular consciousness in South Africa at the end of the apartheid era, so that the work of the 'alternative press' in these years can be seen from the broad‐ est possible perspective. Notes [1]. Philip Bonner, 'The Native Con‐ gress, 1917-1920: the radicalisation of the black petty bourgeoisie on the Rand', pp. 270-313 in Shula Marks and Richard Rathbone, eds., Industri‐ alisation and Social Change in South Africa. African class formation, culture and conscious‐ ness 1870-1930 (London and New York: Longman, 1982). [2]. James Zug, Striking the Anvil: A History of the Guardian/New Age Newspaper (East Lansing and Capetown: Michigan State University Press and Mayibuye Centre/Robben Island Museum, forthcoming, 2001). [3]. Jeremy Seekings, The UDF. A History of the United Democratic Front in South Africa 1983-1991 (, Oxford and Athens, Ohio: David Philip, James Currey and Ohio University Press, 2000). [4]. Other works by Tomaselli include: K.G. Tomaselli, R.E. Tomaselli and J. Muller, eds., The Press in South Africa (London: James Currey, 1987); K.G. Tomaselli, The Cinema of Apartheid. Race and Class in South African Film (London: Routledge, 1989); K.G. Tomaselli and P.E. Louw, eds., The Alternative Press in South Africa (Lon‐ don: James Currey, 1991). [5]. Presumably Claassen will elaborate on this thesis in his book on the mainstream Afrikaans press entitled Quisling or Herald? Per‐ spectives on the Afrikaans Press under Apartheid, which is said to be scheduled for publication this year.

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Citation: Alan G. Cobley. Review of Switzer, Les; Adhikari, Mohamed, eds. South Africa's Resistance Press: Alternative Voices in the Last Generation under Apartheid. H-SAfrica, H-Net Reviews. September, 2001.

URL: https://www.h-net.org/reviews/showrev.php?id=5478

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