The National Party government carefully monitored all media and entertainment in South Africa. They wanted to stop any voices that criticized Apartheid policies or encouraged the masses to stand-up for equal rights.

America received its first television service in 1928. However it wasn’t until 1976 that TV debuted in South Africa! Despite living in one of the most modern countries on the African continent, South Africans missed some major TV events. They didn’t see the moon landing, Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech, or ten televised Olympic Games. Even Iraq and North Korea, two countries heavily censored, saw these events (Iraq got TV service 1956, North Korea in 1963).

Until 1981, South African television only used English and Afrikaans. Today, South Africa celebrates diversity in languages. Programs like Muvhango use several languages within each episode. It amazed me to hear an actor begin a scene in Zulu, quickly change to English, and finish in Xhosa. I have a hard enough time remembering my lines in my own language.

Censorship affected all forms of entertainment including the Market Theatre in Johannesburg. Many of the plays and actors to perform on this stage made strong political statements. John Kani (from The Apartheid Museum) performed in many controversial plays and also brought them around the world. In some cases, this was the first time that audiences abroad understood what was going under Apartheid. This made theatre a powerful weapon of knowledge and awareness.

Look Back: Townships in South Africa.

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