1980s South Africa was a nation in the grip of Apartheid - a regime as brutal as it was absurd. Every person was assigned a racial category: White, Indian, Coloured or Native. One way to determine this was the 'pencil test'.

A pencil is pushed into your hair. If it falls out, you're White. If not, you're heading for a different category.

And because Apartheid law prohibited people from different categories from living the same area, you could be torn from your family, your friends, your community - all on the basis of how easily a pencil falls from your hair.

"On the streets it was very volatile. I saw a lot of people shot for doing nothing, basically being provoked by the security forces."

Journalist Thapelo Moloantoa and Historian Dr Wayne Dooling both grew up in Apartheid South Africa.

They experienced first hand the violence and humiliations meted out by the Apartheid government.

And witnessed the resistance and ultimate triumph that saw iconic leader Nelson Mandela released after decades as a political prisoner, and the end of the Apartheid regime.

"It doesn't take a genius to work out that the best beaches were not available to black people. One had one's experiences of being forcibly removed from beaches and picnic places."

Artist and activist Zita Holbourne hosts this conversation, offering a riveting window life under Apartheid when the pencil didn't fall out.

Introduced by Ardent Theatre Company Creative Director Andrew Muir.

In this Episode:

1:28 - Education disrupted by the Group Areas Act

4:18 - Attending a historically white university as a non-white student

7:42 - The State of Emergency and violence in the Townships

11:00 - Resisting the Apartheid regime

15:39 - Interactions with people assigned different racial categories

18:01 - Opportunities to enjoy sports and leisure

23:58 - Approaching the '90s and the end of Apartheid

Activism in the 80s is a Creative Kin production for Ardent Theatre Company.

Executive Producer & Producer: Jason Caffrey

Production music: Ellie Parker

Mixing and Mastering: Adam Double

This production has been supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund. Thanks to National Lottery players.

Links:

https://www.ardenttheatre.co.uk/

https://www.creativekin.co.uk/

https://www.heritagefund.org.uk/

https://www.soas.ac.uk/about/wayne-dooling

http://www.zitaholbourne.com/

https://www.thesouthafrican.com/author/thapelo/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-caffrey/

https://www.ardenttheatre.co.uk/andrew-muir

http://www.adamdouble.com/about

https://www.linkedin.com/in/ellie-parker-9ba9aa195/