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Anti-Apartheid Movement violence
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Hope View Drop Down
Pretorian
Pretorian


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Posts: 184 		  Quote Hope Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: Anti-Apartheid Movement violence
    Posted: 29-Sep-2006 at 06:23
Hi
 
I'm reading Wilbur Smith's book "Rage" which takes place in the 1950-s and early 60-s, and the black demonstrations against the apartheid regime is described quited detailed. He also mentiones an incident where a nun was cut up, her liver removed and then she was burned. I am aware that Wilbur Smith has a liking for the grotesque, but I couldn't help wondering if any such incident really took place sometimes during the fight against apartheid.
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Desperado View Drop Down
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Posts: 227 		  Quote Desperado Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29-Sep-2006 at 13:47

   Such things (eating victims liver-usually the local white missionary or plantator) were quite common during anti-colonial wars and uprisings in Central Africa during the last century. The brutality of the African tribes was as notorious as that of the colonisators. So this could be real.
    

Edited by Desperado - 29-Sep-2006 at 13:49
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Hope View Drop Down
Pretorian
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Posts: 184 		  Quote Hope Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29-Sep-2006 at 17:50
Thanks for the reply. Yes, both the tribes and the colonists were brutal, but, as mentioned, Wilbur Smith has a fancy for mutilation, blood and guts so I couldn't help thinking that this was something to satisfy these needs. However, I am also aware how hard and ruthless the anti apartheid movement could act, be they white or black.
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Kapikulu View Drop Down
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Posts: 1914 		  Quote Kapikulu Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29-Sep-2006 at 20:00

So? Does that change the terrible characteristics of Apartheid movement?

Racially repressed people, especially if they are left ignorant, adding the strange customs of tribal culture, can unfortunately make such inhumane actions..
 
About Wilbur Smith, I only had read one thrilling book of him, Shout at the Devil, I like his fluent writing style,but I observed that he has a clear sympathy for English and whites..
We gave up your happiness
Your hope would be enough;
we couldn't find neither;
we made up sorrows for ourselves;
we couldn't be consoled;

A Strange Orhan Veli
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Hope View Drop Down
Pretorian
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Posts: 184 		  Quote Hope Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 30-Sep-2006 at 18:13
Originally posted by Kapikulu

So? Does that change the terrible characteristics of Apartheid movement?

Racially repressed people, especially if they are left ignorant, adding the strange customs of tribal culture, can unfortunately make such inhumane actions..
 
About Wilbur Smith, I only had read one thrilling book of him, Shout at the Devil, I like his fluent writing style,but I observed that he has a clear sympathy for English and whites..
 
Forgive me, I think you misunderstand be a bit. I did not mean to imply that the Apartheid could be justified by such actions as I described. Personally I find the entire system injust and immoral.
 
Also, I am fully aware of the anger that of course were present in the hearts and minds of the supressed and that a poor educational system also keeps them close to tribal customs (both good and bad). Additionally, we have the mass psychosis to consider. When in a crowd you get influenced by the strong emotions present and you start to follow the crowd to every extent. I mean, just look at teenagers at concerts.
 
I have also read Shout at the Devil and found it entertaining. However, I dislike his superflous and one dimensional portrayal of Black Africans, not only because they resemble to racism, but they also contradict my own impression from what I have seen on TV and a bit what I have experienced myself.
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Kapikulu View Drop Down
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Posts: 1914 		  Quote Kapikulu Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 01-Oct-2006 at 07:42
Originally posted by Hope

 
Forgive me, I think you misunderstand be a bit. I did not mean to imply that the Apartheid could be justified by such actions as I described. Personally I find the entire system injust and immoral.
 
 
I have also read Shout at the Devil and found it entertaining. However, I dislike his superflous and one dimensional portrayal of Black Africans, not only because they resemble to racism, but they also contradict my own impression from what I have seen on TV and a bit what I have experienced myself.
 
Heh, I know you didn't, I just wanted to point out that factWink
 
And in Shout at the Devil, I read it in two days with its adventurous fluency, but it was like, good boy Flynn, and the good British army who will be coming to expel sausage-eating fat Fleischer out of place...All with some bias to show Germans as hardline antagonists and the Brits as saviours, while disregarding the tribal folks of Africa, wasn't itWink
We gave up your happiness
Your hope would be enough;
we couldn't find neither;
we made up sorrows for ourselves;
we couldn't be consoled;

A Strange Orhan Veli
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Hope View Drop Down
Pretorian
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Posts: 184 		  Quote Hope Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 01-Oct-2006 at 13:48
Your characteristics of Shout at the Devil is very adequat. But, even the hardline antagonist Germans are better than the vicious, murderous Askaris who kill babies. Things like that, and an extreme focus on violence, body liquids of certain kinds and sex on settings I'd never dream about (for instance a dead wildebeest) makes a book by Wilbur Smith partly silly. However, he has a good style of writing, exciting plots and so on, but those four things mentioned really troubles me from time to time.
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