ANC youth league

This book tells the story of the ANC Youth League from its origins in the 1940s to the controversies of the Malema era. It analyses the ideology and tactics of its founders, some of whom (notably Mandela and Tambo) later became iconic figures in South African history. It also shows how the early Youth League gave birth not only to the modern ANC but also to its rival, the Pan Africanist Congress. Dormant for many years, the Youth League re-emerged in the transition era under the leadership of Peter Mokaba – infused with the tradition of the militant youth politics of the 1980s. Throughout its history the Youth League has tried to ‘dynamise’ and criticise the ANC from within, while remaining devoted to, and dependent on, the mother body. This book argues that in all this time the Youth League has struggled to find a balance between loyalty and rebellion.

Clive Glaser lectures in History at Wits University. He has published widely on the history of youth politics, youth culture, crime and sexuality in South Africa. He is the author of Bo-Tsotsi: The Youth Gangs of Soweto 1935–1976 and co-author of volume 6 in the series From Protest to Challenge, entitled Challenge and Victory, 1980–1990.