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People's War: New Light on the Struggle for South Africa
Twenty years have passed since South Africans were being shot or hacked or burned to death in political conflict; and the memory of the trauma has faded. Some 20 500 people were nevertheless killed between 1984 and 1994. The conventional wisdom is that they died at the hands of a state-backed Third Force, but the more accurate explanation is that they died as a result of the people’s war the ANC unleashed.
As the people’s war accelerated from September 1984, intimidation and political killings rapidly accelerated. At the same time, a remarkably effective propaganda campaign put the blame for violence on the National Party government and its alleged Inkatha surrogate. Sympathy for the ANC soared, while its rivals suffered crippling losses in credibility and support.
By 1993 the ANC was able to dominate the negotiating process, as well as to control the (undefeated) South African police and army and bend them to its will. By mid-1994 it had trounced its rivals and taken over government.
People’s War shows the extraordinary success of this war in giving the ANC a virtual monopoly on power. It also shows, in part at least, the great cost at which this was achieved. Apart from the killings, the terror, and the destruction that marked the period from 1984 to 1994, the people’s war set in motion forces that cannot easily be reversed. For violence cannot be turned off �like a tap’, as the ANC suggested, and neither can anarchy easily be converted into order.
Anthea Jeffery holds law degrees from the University of the Witwatersrand and from Cambridge, and a doctorate in human rights law from the University of London. Her previous books include The Natal Story: Sixteen years of conflict and The Truth about the Truth Commission. Both books have been acclaimed for their meticulous and objective approach, and for breaking new ground on important and contentious issues.
1152 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 9, 2014
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
January 25, 2020
Gabriel Crouse: Dr Anthea Jeffery, an esteemed colleague, has an answer worth taking seriously. She believes we are stuck in our own history, the history of the People’s War, the title of her new book. It took a lifetime of research but reads quick. Jeffery moves from macro-strategy to concrete cases of death and burnt flesh without the cloud of sentiment or cheap scandal. Instead, Jeffery’s penetration is human, humble, historic.
Dr. Anthea Jeffery reminds me a lot of Dr Rhoda Kadali, a Sunday Times columnist, who did not hesitate to call a spade a spade. Her book In Your Face minced no words to address social and political issues head on.
These two women form part of a group of women who stepped out of the fold and addressed the multilayered ideological agendas, fraud, corruption and somber future of South Africa under the current rulers.
Both were anti-Apartheid activists and high profile operatives in the new South African dispensation. They have another no-nonsense comrade in Me. Mamphele Ramphele. (Laying Ghosts To Rest) is one of her books. Another strong, influential woman who aborted the ruling party and criticized the former president is Dr. Makhosi Busisiwe Khoza.
I was looking forward to Dr. Jeffery's book People's War. It did not disappoint either. This book, like one of her previous books, To the point, addresses the real agenda behind the black-on-black violence in the country. The events in Kwazulu Natal is dissected, as well as the killings in brother-on-brother violence elsewhere in the country. She also exposed the horrors of the 'training camps' in Africa in no uncertain terms. It was about time. In fairness, many books were written, including Prisoners of a Dream: The South African Mirage by Leo Raditsa, which is also referenced.
What I appreciated about this book is the author's fearless approach to the contemporary history of South Africa and exactly how the National Democratic Revolution is being dished out to an unsuspecting population. The other side of 'the struggle' in which thousands died, is exposed. For instance, after 1990, when F.W. De Klerk unbanned the ANC, the moratorium on the press was lifted, and several laws being disbanded, the violence tripled from what it was in the first five years of the people's war. In the initial five years of 'the plan' an estimated 5500 people died. Between 1990 and 1994, 15 000 people died. The Inkatha Freedom Party, the biggest black political group, and by far the most influential, was a big threat to the ANC. Dr. Mangasuthu Buthelezi's party had to be destroyed before the ANC could stand a change to win any elections. Kwazulu Natal became a blood bath. The use of necklaces increased exponentially in an effort to torment and terrorize people into submission to the ANC rule. The Goldstone Commission, as well as the Truth and Reconciliation Commission made it easier for the ANC to distort or better yet, conceal the truth.
The Truth And Reconciliation Commission denied the right of many survivors of the struggle to tell their stories. The stories did not suit the victory narrative (or propaganda), even though many young people who never returned from the 'training camps' could not be accounted for, and the ruling party refused to answer the questions. Some of the more courageous ex-comrades who did tell their stories in the media, or via their own memoirs, were either killed or had to flee the country. For the families who were intimidated into silence, this book might be a revelation. The problem is, those families will never read this book. The ruling elite knows it. They're safe.
For some folks it can come as a great surprise, but for those who have been following the impact on countries such as Russia, India, China, North Korea and a region such as South America (Venezuela being the latest), it becomes stale bread. This book is just one of many in which people are being made aware of a communist future, yet an astonishing number of residents don't even read newspapers, let alone books like these. It's probably the ostrich-with-his-head-in-the-sand syndrome that is driving their optimistic narrative. Look! the RMS Titanic is sinking, but don't stop the music, we want to dance. The People just don't want to know, or would rather try to debunk the information in this book. It's anybody's right to make a choice. However, it's probably a good idea to read books like these and at least make an informed choice.
The role of the EFF (Economic Freedom Fighters) becomes questionable after reading this version of history. For instance, the UDM(United Democratic Front) acted as the implementing agent for the exiled ANC during the 1980 uprisings. So did many other 'fringe organizations' during the struggle. It is addressed in detail in the book. However, it is clear that the EFF now fulfills the same role, since there is no difference between the policies of the ANC and the EFF. Propaganda plays a pivotal role in diverting the attention away from this 'brotherhood'. But this is just my speculation. "Peoples courts" are still relevant, and the violence on opposing political rivals is still rampant. It never stopped. The latest events in which Mmusi Maimane suddenly dropped out as the very strong leader of the Democratic Alliance, can now be questioned. What was the real reason? He was so successful that he posed a serious threat to the ANC. Was the message the same to him as to Dr. Mangasuthu Buthelezi in the 1990s? It's speculation, but the evidence speaks for itself.
The book is not complete. In fact, the role of China is not addressed, while their presence and control of the ruling party become more overt by the day.
People's War is a welcome addition to the contemporary history of South Africa. It's an antithesis of the propaganda of the ruler's narrative, and well-researched. It's once again one of those books that challenge our own ideas and what we thought we knew. It is for the reader to decide what to take from it. For readers in other countries, this might be a surprising mirror of events elsewhere in the world, which is still not very clear to many happy citizens of those countries.
My hope is that all the people who had so many unanswered questions will get hold of this book. It takes a lot of guts for someone to write a book like this.
Relevant reviews:
The People’s War: Myth After Origin-Myth Debunked - Rational Standard by Gabriel Crouse
People's War: A reply to Jeremy Gordin by Anthea Jeffery
RECOMMENDED.
Dr. Anthea Jeffery reminds me a lot of Dr Rhoda Kadali, a Sunday Times columnist, who did not hesitate to call a spade a spade. Her book In Your Face minced no words to address social and political issues head on.
These two women form part of a group of women who stepped out of the fold and addressed the multilayered ideological agendas, fraud, corruption and somber future of South Africa under the current rulers.
Both were anti-Apartheid activists and high profile operatives in the new South African dispensation. They have another no-nonsense comrade in Me. Mamphele Ramphele. (Laying Ghosts To Rest) is one of her books. Another strong, influential woman who aborted the ruling party and criticized the former president is Dr. Makhosi Busisiwe Khoza.
I was looking forward to Dr. Jeffery's book People's War. It did not disappoint either. This book, like one of her previous books, To the point, addresses the real agenda behind the black-on-black violence in the country. The events in Kwazulu Natal is dissected, as well as the killings in brother-on-brother violence elsewhere in the country. She also exposed the horrors of the 'training camps' in Africa in no uncertain terms. It was about time. In fairness, many books were written, including Prisoners of a Dream: The South African Mirage by Leo Raditsa, which is also referenced.
What I appreciated about this book is the author's fearless approach to the contemporary history of South Africa and exactly how the National Democratic Revolution is being dished out to an unsuspecting population. The other side of 'the struggle' in which thousands died, is exposed. For instance, after 1990, when F.W. De Klerk unbanned the ANC, the moratorium on the press was lifted, and several laws being disbanded, the violence tripled from what it was in the first five years of the people's war. In the initial five years of 'the plan' an estimated 5500 people died. Between 1990 and 1994, 15 000 people died. The Inkatha Freedom Party, the biggest black political group, and by far the most influential, was a big threat to the ANC. Dr. Mangasuthu Buthelezi's party had to be destroyed before the ANC could stand a change to win any elections. Kwazulu Natal became a blood bath. The use of necklaces increased exponentially in an effort to torment and terrorize people into submission to the ANC rule. The Goldstone Commission, as well as the Truth and Reconciliation Commission made it easier for the ANC to distort or better yet, conceal the truth.
The Truth And Reconciliation Commission denied the right of many survivors of the struggle to tell their stories. The stories did not suit the victory narrative (or propaganda), even though many young people who never returned from the 'training camps' could not be accounted for, and the ruling party refused to answer the questions. Some of the more courageous ex-comrades who did tell their stories in the media, or via their own memoirs, were either killed or had to flee the country. For the families who were intimidated into silence, this book might be a revelation. The problem is, those families will never read this book. The ruling elite knows it. They're safe.
For some folks it can come as a great surprise, but for those who have been following the impact on countries such as Russia, India, China, North Korea and a region such as South America (Venezuela being the latest), it becomes stale bread. This book is just one of many in which people are being made aware of a communist future, yet an astonishing number of residents don't even read newspapers, let alone books like these. It's probably the ostrich-with-his-head-in-the-sand syndrome that is driving their optimistic narrative. Look! the RMS Titanic is sinking, but don't stop the music, we want to dance. The People just don't want to know, or would rather try to debunk the information in this book. It's anybody's right to make a choice. However, it's probably a good idea to read books like these and at least make an informed choice.
The formula for people's war is complex and multi-faceted, making it difficult for most people to join the dots and see the picture as a whole.Vietnam's transition and 'success' inspired the exiled ANC.
...the key purpose of the people's war was always to give the ANC the power it needed to press ahead with the Soviet-inspired National Democratic Revolution (NDR) to which it had committed itself at the Morogoro conference in 1969.
The socialist Republic of Vietnam, in short, had become a typical communist dictatorship. As Arch Puddington of Freedom House in New York was later to write: 'With the exception of a violent internal party purge, all the elements of traditional Stalinism were present: the taming of religion, destruction of a once-lively press, socialist realism as the only acceptable cultural norm, strict control of internal movement, persecution of national minorities, destruction of the private sector accompanied by irrational economic policies, state control over the "allocation" of jobs and housing, pervasive militarization, and the systematic indoctrination of the young.'It is unfortunate that the author did not address the current role of China in South Africa. It should have been incorporated into this text, since it forms an intrinsic part of the National Democratic Revolution. There are many books written on this issue (China imperialism) which is changing the country as we know it. ( The first edition of People's War was published in 2009, which might not have a China connection in mind. This is the second unabridged edition published in 2019, expanding on the first).
The role of the EFF (Economic Freedom Fighters) becomes questionable after reading this version of history. For instance, the UDM(United Democratic Front) acted as the implementing agent for the exiled ANC during the 1980 uprisings. So did many other 'fringe organizations' during the struggle. It is addressed in detail in the book. However, it is clear that the EFF now fulfills the same role, since there is no difference between the policies of the ANC and the EFF. Propaganda plays a pivotal role in diverting the attention away from this 'brotherhood'. But this is just my speculation. "Peoples courts" are still relevant, and the violence on opposing political rivals is still rampant. It never stopped. The latest events in which Mmusi Maimane suddenly dropped out as the very strong leader of the Democratic Alliance, can now be questioned. What was the real reason? He was so successful that he posed a serious threat to the ANC. Was the message the same to him as to Dr. Mangasuthu Buthelezi in the 1990s? It's speculation, but the evidence speaks for itself.
The book is not complete. In fact, the role of China is not addressed, while their presence and control of the ruling party become more overt by the day.
People's War is a welcome addition to the contemporary history of South Africa. It's an antithesis of the propaganda of the ruler's narrative, and well-researched. It's once again one of those books that challenge our own ideas and what we thought we knew. It is for the reader to decide what to take from it. For readers in other countries, this might be a surprising mirror of events elsewhere in the world, which is still not very clear to many happy citizens of those countries.
My hope is that all the people who had so many unanswered questions will get hold of this book. It takes a lot of guts for someone to write a book like this.
Relevant reviews:
The People’s War: Myth After Origin-Myth Debunked - Rational Standard by Gabriel Crouse
People's War: A reply to Jeremy Gordin by Anthea Jeffery
RECOMMENDED.
December 2, 2019
This is an extraordinary examination of the ANC and its trajectory from conception. Jeffrey's central thesis is that the ANC modelled its methods on Vietnamese general Gap's Peoples' War. The outcome of this applied by the ANC in South Africa is that:
1. Much of what we've come to see as "good" in the ANC is the product of a propaganda war waged with the help of the Soviet Union, to position the ANC as the legitimate and authentic "voice of the people".
2. The ANC's main concern was not defeating Apartheid, but eliminating black rivals, such as the IFP, the PAC and the Black Consciousness Movement. Extreme violence was levelled at any and all opposition, both internal to the movement, and external, with the result that they are now the only effective "black" option.
The above two points resulted in the eradication of black opposition, and a growing belief, among Westerners, that the ANC was a noble and legitimate party, spearheaded by saint Mandela.
This book challenged me very deeply. Either Anthea Jeffrey is a brilliant fraud, or I have myself been an unwitting sucker to much of the propaganda. I suspect it's the latter. And if she is correct, then the future of South Africa is far bleaker than I could have imagined.
Where the book falls slightly short: I find implausible her implication that the ANC is possessed with a level of Machiavellian brilliance to steer the country towards an evil and brilliant state-captured end point. In this regard I think she gives the ANC too much credit - in my observation they simply don't have the competence to implement something like this in a conscious way. Instead, much like their Zanu cousins, in Zimbabwe, they engage in opportunistic looting, vicious infighting, and knee-jerk reactions to visible threats, resulting in the same outcome, through accident, rather than design.
This is an alternative and well researched balance to the accepted view of the ANC, and one which, whether your agree of disagree with its central premise, should be required reading.
1. Much of what we've come to see as "good" in the ANC is the product of a propaganda war waged with the help of the Soviet Union, to position the ANC as the legitimate and authentic "voice of the people".
2. The ANC's main concern was not defeating Apartheid, but eliminating black rivals, such as the IFP, the PAC and the Black Consciousness Movement. Extreme violence was levelled at any and all opposition, both internal to the movement, and external, with the result that they are now the only effective "black" option.
The above two points resulted in the eradication of black opposition, and a growing belief, among Westerners, that the ANC was a noble and legitimate party, spearheaded by saint Mandela.
This book challenged me very deeply. Either Anthea Jeffrey is a brilliant fraud, or I have myself been an unwitting sucker to much of the propaganda. I suspect it's the latter. And if she is correct, then the future of South Africa is far bleaker than I could have imagined.
Where the book falls slightly short: I find implausible her implication that the ANC is possessed with a level of Machiavellian brilliance to steer the country towards an evil and brilliant state-captured end point. In this regard I think she gives the ANC too much credit - in my observation they simply don't have the competence to implement something like this in a conscious way. Instead, much like their Zanu cousins, in Zimbabwe, they engage in opportunistic looting, vicious infighting, and knee-jerk reactions to visible threats, resulting in the same outcome, through accident, rather than design.
This is an alternative and well researched balance to the accepted view of the ANC, and one which, whether your agree of disagree with its central premise, should be required reading.
March 31, 2013
The best book to-date on this tragic period of South Africa's history by far. Anthea Jeffery is courageous in challenging the spin and lies that have characterised so much of what has been written about the transition period.
January 15, 2025
Horrifying, I lived this and watched the destruction that communism brought to a people that was already suffering enough. The Boer government couldn't cope, but they never consulted with the captains of industry to bring in Western governments to end this evil. Why was this? I think they did not want the British to dictate any terms and would prefer to hand the country to the Russians. The Afrikaner autonomy cost everyone. There are now 10 people dying in South Africa every day of starvation. We need yet another book to get to the bottom of this.
July 28, 2020
Review of People’s War
The book was incredibly insightful. My brother had to do camps with the SANDF in the late 80’s in KZN during the state of emergencies and never talks about it now I know why. The unbelievable damage done to our country and its people over the past 100 years by both the previous and the current Governments is astounding and heart wrenching.
The book was incredibly insightful. My brother had to do camps with the SANDF in the late 80’s in KZN during the state of emergencies and never talks about it now I know why. The unbelievable damage done to our country and its people over the past 100 years by both the previous and the current Governments is astounding and heart wrenching.
March 24, 2013
A tough read. Only if you are interested in this period of South Africa's history. I found it to be excellent research material for my new novel, 'Ancestors'.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews