Reviving the Struggle Stories for Younger

Elinor Sisulu, a highly respected author and human rights activist, has emphasized the need to make the stories of South Africa's Struggle against apartheid accessible and compelling for the youth and future generations.

In her recent article published in the Daily Maverick series commemorating the sixty-year mark of the Rivonia Trial and the infamous Great Escape from Marshall Square jail, Sisulu cautioned that "history is not compulsory in schools, and we have a lack of a reading culture," resulting in our young generation being left unaware of critical historical events that shaped South Africa.

The Great Escape from Marshal Square jail, involving four of the accused escaping from custody, forms part of legend for those who grew up amidst the liberation struggle. Sisulu indicates that events like these have not been made adequately accessible to the millennial generation.

In 1984, Learn & Teach magazine published a detailed account of the escape and the Rivonia Trial, attempting to present historical narratives in a creative and engaging manner. The apartheid regime banned this particular edition, reflecting the oppressive media conditions of the time.

Sisulu suggests that unleashed progressive media, in the form of newspapers, books, theatre etc., offers great potential to revive these stories for the youth, democratizing access to South Africa’s rich history.