Full Collection Details

Alan Paton Centre and Struggle Oral History Project: Recording the Anti-Apartheid Struggle in KwaZulu-Natal

Alan Paton Centre and Struggle Archives

Repository: Alan Paton Centre and Struggle Archives, University of KwaZulu-Natal Library
Extent: Three oral history interviews and one video relate to the Black Sash
City: Pietermaritzburg
Dated: 1995-1998. Black Sash materials are from 1995-1996
Scope:This Oral History Project (OHP) was carried out by the Alan Paton Centre (APC) from 1995 - 1998. The aims of the OHP were to build up the resources for a people's history of the region, a history which had been largely neglected and unrecorded; to record the struggle experiences of older activists as a matter of urgency; to create archival material for academic research; and to encourage more community involvement with and use of the APC and its resources.

A life history approach was taken, which allowed particular attention to be paid to the circumstances surrounding specific events, such as marches, boycotts, bannings, harassment and arrests. Interviewees, of which there have been 145, include Archie Gumede, Archbishop Denis Hurley, Harry Gwala, Peter Brown, Else Schreiner, Rev. Timothy Smith, Peter Kirchoff, Monika Wittenberg and A.S. Chetty. Several broad subject areas or themes recur in the interviews. These are violence in the KZN Midlands during the 1980s, the role of the Trade Unions, the effects of the SARMCOL strike in the late 1980s, the Black Sash, the role of women and the history of protest in Pietermaritzburg and KZN. Some of the interviews are with activists outside of KZN.

Most interviews were conducted in English, and those which were conducted in Zulu have been translated or summarised in English. Most interviews had been transcribed by the end of 2002. Researchers may access the tapes and transcripts of the majority of the interviews at the APC. Photocopies may be made of many of the transcriptions, but the tapes may not be copied.


Three oral history interviews and one video relate to the Black Sash

Media: Moving images; Sound recordings

Themes:Personnel; Repression

Percentage of collection relevant to Black Sash: 1 - 19%

---

Location contact details

Organisation: Alan Paton Centre and Struggle Archives, University of KwaZulu-Natal Library, Pietermaritzburg
Telephone: 27 (0)331 260 5926
Fax: 27 (0)33) 260-5599
Email: koopmanj@ukzn.ac.za
Website: http://www.library.unp.ac.za/id11.htm
Street address: University of Natal, 165 King Edward Avenue, Scottsville, Pietermartizburg
Postal address: Private Bag X01
Area: Scottsville
City: Pietermaritzburg
Postal code: 3209
Province / State: KwaZulu-Natal
Country: South Africa