Identity area
Reference code
Title
Date(s)
- November–December 1981 (Creation)
Level of description
Extent and medium
1 newsletter (multi-page, printed text)
Context area
Name of creator
Repository
Archival history
Preserved within the IDAF archive and partner repositories documenting political trials, detentions, and anti-apartheid movements.
Immediate source of acquisition or transfer
South African History Archive (SAHA)
Content and structure area
Scope and content
Issue 37 provides detailed reporting on repression in the Ciskei bantustan, the South African invasion of Angola (Operation Protea), political detentions, bannings, student and trade union trials, and prison conditions. It includes first-hand accounts, trial updates (including those of Oscar Mpetha and ANC guerillas), figures on political prisoners, juvenile detentions, and restrictions on journalists. Reports also highlight police violence, attacks on press freedom, and widespread protest against 'independence' imposed on Ciskei.
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling
Retained permanently for historical research on Southern African political repression and human rights violations.
Accruals
No further accruals expected.
System of arrangement
Chronological sequence within the 'Focus' newsletter series.
Conditions of access and use area
Conditions governing access
Unrestricted public access for research and educational use.
Conditions governing reproduction
Reproduction allowed with proper citation of IDAF as source.
Language of material
English
Script of material
Language and script notes
Physical characteristics and technical requirements
OCR-scanned, complete and readable.
Finding aids
Uploaded finding aid
Allied materials area
Existence and location of originals
Originals held by the South African History Archives.
Existence and location of copies
Digital copy available through the PWP projects and other Archives.
Related units of description
Issues 1–36, Operation Protea reports, Ciskei independence protests, Oscar Mpetha trial records.
Publication note
Focus', Issue No. 37. International Defence and Aid Fund, November–December 1981.
Notes area
Note
Comprehensive coverage of apartheid repression, Operation Protea, mass detentions, trials, and the rise of resistance in Ciskei and beyond.
Alternative identifier(s)
Access points
Place access points
Name access points
- Oscar Mpetha (Subject)
- Elias Mosunkutu (Subject)
- Derrick Naidoo (Subject)
- Zwelakhe Sisulu (Subject)
- Ida Jimmy (Subject)
- David Moise (Subject)
- Anthony Tsotsobe (Subject)
- Joanne Jawitch (Subject)
- Auret van Heerden (Subject)
- Guy Berger (Subject)
- Devandiren Pillay (Subject)
- Albertina Sisulu (Subject)
- Renfrew Christie (Subject)
- Caiphus Mashilo (Subject)
- Linda Mogale (Subject)
- Cynthia Stevens (Subject)
- Nathan Gibson (Subject)
- Mandla Mthembu (Subject)
- Nthato Motlana (Subject)
- Elias Tuhadeleni (Subject)
Genre access points
Description control area
Description identifier
Institution identifier
Rules and/or conventions used
ISAD(G): General International Standard Archival Description, Second Edition
Status
Level of detail
Dates of creation revision deletion
Language(s)
Script(s)
Sources
Archivist's note
This issue marks an intensification of military aggression (Operation Protea), suppression of Ciskei dissent, and the incarceration of numerous activists and students, making it a vital resource for understanding repression and resistance at the close of 1981.