Historical Context
In 1972, South Africa was entrenched in a system of oppressive apartheid, characterized by segregation in social, economic, political, and cultural spheres. Despite being the overwhelming majority, black Africans and "coloureds" (a term used in South Africa for people of mixed race) faced severe restrictions on their rights and opportunities imposed by the white minority.
Since the early 1900s, the ruling white minority had imposed limitations on land ownership, education, employment, and freedom of movement for non-whites in South Africa. Interracial marriages were prohibited. Many black individuals lived in overcrowded areas and were barred from residing in the same neighborhoods as whites. Additionally, blacks and coloureds earned significantly less than their white counterparts. The white-dominated government sought to suppress dissent from both whites and blacks.
However, there appeared to be some positive developments in 1972. Three black homelands—Bophuthatswana, Ciskei, and Lebowa—were granted self-governing territory status within South Africa. This was intended to encourage self-governance, allowing each territory to establish its own cabinet, legislative assembly, official language, flag, and national anthem.
The South African government aimed to geographically consolidate black homelands. Nevertheless, much of the world viewed these actions as insincere and politically dubious.
In 1973, new forms of black resistance emerged, including the growing Black Consciousness Movement. Black trade unions organized numerous strikes, demanding higher wages (the wage disparity between whites and blacks was approximately five to one) and improved working conditions. These strikes brought global attention to the situation in South Africa, igniting a backlash against the brutality and inhumanity of apartheid. The United Nations General Assembly declared apartheid a "crime against humanity."
Style and Technique
Setting
Sizwe Bansi Is Dead is set in New Brighton, an African township in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, in 1972. The play unfolds in three distinct locations. The first location is Styles's photography studio, situated near a funeral parlor, where Sizwe Bansi, under the alias Robert Zwelinzima, has his photo taken.
The second location is Buntu’s home, where Sizwe stays when he has nowhere else to go in Port Elizabeth. The final setting is the streets of New Brighton, outside a local bar, where Buntu finds the deceased body of Robert Zwelinzima.
Each of these settings highlights the constraints imposed on the movements of African citizens within South African society.
Monologue/Stream of Consciousness/Improvisation/Transitions
Large portions of the one-act play Sizwe Bansi Is Dead are composed of stylized monologues.
In the original production, the actor portraying Styles, John Kani, was permitted to improvise his initial stream-of-consciousness monologue. Since the script requires Styles to read from and comment on a newspaper, actors performing the role often update it to address current concerns relevant to their location. These updates help keep Sizwe Bansi Is Dead pertinent.
Styles’s extended monologue also introduces the play's themes. By sharing aspects of his life story, such as how he came to own the photography studio, and his beliefs about how the photographs he takes allow ordinary people to leave a legacy, Styles reflects on the impact of apartheid.
Sizwe Bansi and Buntu’s monologues serve different functions and forms. Sizwe’s monologue takes the shape of a letter to his wife, who resides in King William’s Town. Fugard uses this letter to provide background information for the story.
For instance, at the start of the letter, Sizwe tells his wife, “Sizwe Bansi, in a manner of speaking, is dead!” He recounts the police raid at his friend Zola’s place and explains how he ended up staying with Buntu.
The narrative then shifts to Buntu’s house and Sizwe’s arrival there. Sizwe Bansi’s letter gives Sizwe Bansi Is Dead its structure and organization. Each segment following the letter's...
(This entire section contains 398 words.)
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introduction is set up by a Sizwe monologue.
Buntu’s monologues are more conventional. Most occur at his home, where Sizwe is contemplating his dilemma and suggesting weak solutions. Buntu refutes each of Sizwe’s ideas and shares detailed stories about recent events in his own life that are pertinent.
Compare and Contrast
1962: Nelson Mandela, leader of the African National Congress, is sentenced to five years in prison for illegally leaving the country. Two years later, he receives a life sentence for treason and violent conspiracy. Over the following years, he becomes an international symbol of the fight against apartheid.
Today: After his release from prison in 1990, Nelson Mandela was elected President of South Africa in 1994. He has since announced his retirement from public life.
1969: In South Africa, people of color are confined to specific areas and are forbidden from living in white neighborhoods.
Today: South Africa has enacted laws to redistribute land among its citizens of color.
1972: While the South African economy is strong, there is extremely high unemployment among the black population. The income disparity between whites and blacks is approximately five to one.
Today: The South African economy is struggling, with an extremely high unemployment rate and increasing crime.
Adaptations
Sizwe Bansi Is Dead was adapted for television by the BBC and the British Open University in 1978. Andrew Martin served as both producer and director for this production. The cast includes Jose Ferrar as a presenter, along with Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee. The tape also delves into discussions on stylization, avant-gardism, realism, and Black Theater. It was made available on videotape in the United States by Insight Media in 1992.
Bibliography
Sources
Clurman, Harold, review of Sizwe Bansi Is Dead, in The Nation, December 12, 1974, pp. 637-38.
Gill, Brendan, "The Great Ratiocinator," in The New Yorker, November 25, 1974, p. 131.
Hughes, Catharine, "Two from South Africa," in America, December 21, 1974, p. 415.
Kauffmann, Stanley, review of Sizwe Bansi Is Dead and The Island, in The New Republic, December 21, 1974, pp. 16, 26.
Kroll, Jack, "The Beloved Country," in Newsweek, December 2, 1974, p. 98.
Vandenbroucke, Russell, Truths the Hand Can Touch: The Theatre of Athol Fugard, Ad. Donker, 1986, p. 167.
Weales, Gerald, review of Sizwe Bansi is Dead, in Commonweal, January 17, 1975, pp. 330-31.
Further Reading
Brink, Andre, "'No Way Out': Sizwe Bansi is Dead and the Dilemma of Political Drama in South Africa," in Twentieth Century Literature, Winter, 1993, pp. 438-55. This article examines the play’s repetitive structure and its portrayal of apartheid.
Donahue, Francis, "Apartheid’s Dramatic Legacy: Athol Fugard," in The Midwest Quarterly, Spring, 1995, pp. 323-31. This interview offers an overview of Fugard’s career, including Sizwe Bansi Is Dead.
Lester, Eleanor, "I Am in Despair about South Africa," in New York Times, December 1, 1974, Section 2, p. 5. This article includes an interview with Fugard and discusses the origins of Sizwe Bansi Is Dead.
Peck, Richard, "Condemned to Choose, But What? Existentialism in Selected Works by Fugard, Brink, and Gordimer," in Research in African Literatures, Fall, 1992, pp. 67-83. This article investigates the existential themes in Fugard’s plays.
Walder, Dennis, "Crossing Boundaries: The Genesis of the Township Plays," in Twentieth Century Literature, Winter, 1993, pp. 409-23. This article reviews Fugard’s "township plays."