Artists LeadOn

The South Africa I grew up in was a nation divided: four categories of people (“White”, “African”, “Coloured”, and “Asian”), four categories of schools and public services, a system tenaciously designed to guarantee whites the best of everything with few resources left for the others. As the ruling National Party tightened apartheid’s screws to restrict rights and prohibit protest, I watched my friends carted off, one-by-one, to jail for their resistence.

Years later, when practically all forms of dissent were repressed, the indomitable resistance of ordinary people was seen through the way they walked together to the graveyard to bury their dead.

The movement and rhythm of people in these processions (known as toyi-toyi), comprised small trots forward en-masse, accompanied by shouts of protest or joy depending on the occasion. These protest dances not only allowed participants to express their solidarity; they also were effective in intimidating and demoralizing the South African troops standing guard. After all the security forces could hardly arrest people for peaceful jogging and singing.