The Udf: A History of the United Democratic Front in South Africa, 1983-1991 [Hardcover]

Jeremy Seekings (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0864864035 | ISBN-13: 978-0864864031 | Publication Date: June 2000 | Edition: illustrated edition

The new South Africa cannot be understood without a knowledge of the history of the UDF and its role in the transition to democracy. As Professor Gail Gerhart has written, "Without the UDF, the politics of the contemporary ANC would have been entirely different, its accession to power more difficult, and the character of its subsequent actions undoubtedly both different and probably much less successful. The UDF was far more than a John the Baptist to the ANC's second coming: it was actually the mechanism through which the ANC, in exile for 30 years, effected its successful return, adaptation and reintegration as South Africa's post-apartheid government." This is a major study of an organisation that transformed South African politics in the 1980s. By co-ordinating popular struggles on the ground and promoting the standing of the African National Congress, the UDF played a central role in the demise of apartheid and paved the way for South Africa's emergence as a democracy. Based on extensive documentary and interview sources, this title traces the UDF's birth, career and dissolution. It is a remarkable tale of strategic and tactical decision-making: of how opponents of apartheid made choices that helped to seal the fate of white domination whilst avoiding the general bloodbath that always threatened. Jeremy Seekings is an associate professor in the sociology department at the University of Cape Town. He is the author of a book on youth politics in the 1980s as well as many articles on politics and society in South Africa.

Editorial Reviews

Review

What does a political movement inherit from the past, and what does it leave to the future? That is the fascinating question that lies at the heart of this detailed analysis of the most influential organization to come out of South Africa in the 1980s. - Martin Plaut in INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS ... this book is necessary reading for anyone concerned with South African politics in the 1980s. - Allison Drew in JOURNAL OF AFRICAN HISTORY ... is a masterful compilation of information based on scores of interviews. ...The special value of this book for researchers is as a record of political activists who have since taken positions within the ANC. AFRICAN STUDIES REVIEW --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 371 pages
• Publisher: David Philip, Publishers; illustrated edition edition (June 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0864864035
• ISBN-13: 978-0864864031
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #7,364,077 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.