“A terrible, terrible sense of isolation and fear and ostracism”: The Experiences of Children of Anti-Apartheid Activists in the late 1950s–1960s in South Africa

Abstract: Anchored in oral histories, this paper examines how children of anti-apartheid activists in South Africa experienced repression, community, and political understanding from 1956 to the late 1960s. Children’s homes became the primary sites through which they encountered the state’s intensifying violence. As political communities eroded, secrecy became paramount, and children’s social groupings dissolved, leaving many children isolated, living in a constant state of insecurity and fear. They supported imprisoned parents, provided livelihoods, and cared for siblings, assuming adult responsibilities. By focusing on children who remained in South Africa, this paper offers a hitherto neglected perspective on childhood within the struggle.