Definitive and gripping narrative history of the Communist Party of South Africa.

Examines the South African Communist Party and how it took over the leadership of the ANC between 1960 and 1990, during the time when both organisations were banned in South Africa and were forced to establish their headquarters in exile. It also concerns Umkhonto we Sizwe, the Spear of the Nation, the guerilla army set up jointly by both organisations under the overall command of Nelson Mandela. North America: Indiana U Press

Why is the history of communism in a country at the bottom of the African continent still important enough to warrant this book? South Africa is one of the few countries in the world that still has a strong communist party whose views are not only taken into account by the government, but whose members hold important positions in both the cabinet and in government offices. This is the first account of the history of the Communist Party of South Africa based on archival sources. The initial accounts were written by party members and had very little to do with reality. The months that Mia Roth spent in the newly opened Russian and South African Archives in 1998 and the number of years she spent in writing it, revealed to her not only the racism in the South African party but also the role it played in destroying the ICU, the only genuine African mass movement of that time. Its depiction of the part played by African communists was only a facade.

This publication is a comprehensive selection of unique documents pertaining to the Communist Party of South Africa (CPSA) from the formerly closed archives of the Communist International.

Originally published in 1968, this volume traces the history and growth of Apartheid in South Africa. The acts which enforced Apartheid – the Group Areas Act, Population and Registration Act are given in full. The book also includes documents which reflected reaction to these measures: Parliamentary debates, newspaper reports and policy statements by the leading political parties and religious denominations. The documents are headed by a full historical and analytical introduction.

This book explores the role of social movements in the Southern African liberation struggle, through the lens of two ‘everyday communists’. Focusing on the Communist Party of South Africa (CPSA), the author explores the lives of Ivan and Lesley Schermbrucker, whose contribution to the party was more clandestine than that of leaders such as Bram Fischer and Joe Slovo. They represent how ‘ordinary’ people could play significant roles based on stances more rooted in common decency and morality than in Marxist theory. The book also sheds light on the interplay between transnational and national tendencies during the liberation movement, particularly between the 1940s and the 1960s. The Schermbruckers changed their views in response to the shifting national and international political landscape, the rise of Stalinism, and the flight of South African activists into exile from the 1960s. Both fluent in African languages, they were able to create relationships of trust with African members of the CPSA. Examining tensions and conflicts during the liberation struggle, this book provides fresh insights into ‘underground’ activism.