1986

1986 was a pivotal year in South African history. It was the year of the vigilante, the year of the necklace – but also the year the talking began.

Drawing on newspaper articles, memoirs, and little-known histories, William Dicey presents a compelling diary of a very bad year.

He focuses on ordinary people, showing what life was actually like under an authoritarian regime – from the six hours a day that black workers in KwaNdebele spent on buses to the rebel sporting tours that provided a dis...