Woza Albert!: historical context

Woza Albert!: historical context

‘Woza Albert!’: Historical Context

South Africa Under Apartheid

  • ‘Woza Albert!’ is set against a backdrop of the apartheid regime in South Africa, a state-sanctioned system of racial segregation and discrimination practised from 1948 to early 1990s.

  • Apartheid meant separate development for different racial groups, leading to widespread racial discrimination. This is a key factor in the play, influencing the lives of the long-suffering characters.

Government Forces and Black Resistance

  • During apartheid, black South Africans were systematically oppressed by the ruling white minority. They suffered restricted movement, forced resettlements, and random acts of violence from government forces.

  • ‘Woza Albert!’ pays tribute to the resilience of black South Africans and their resistance against oppression. The play’s humour and satire serve as tools of resistance and critique against the apartheid regime.

Economic Disparity

  • Economic disparity played a significant role in apartheid South Africa. The black majority remained poor, while the white minority controlled economic resources, creating stark class differences.

  • Characters in ‘Woza Albert!’, with their fervent struggles for livelihood, represent this economic disparity and highlight the brutal realities of black South African lives.

Influence of Church and Religion

  • The Christian religion had significant influence in South Africa during apartheid, allowing it to deeply shape the country’s socio-political landscape.

  • Religion’s influence is captured in ‘Woza Albert!’ through the use of biblical allegories and depiction of Morena as a Christ-like figure.

Post-Colonial Africa

  • ‘Woza Albert!’ also reflects the zeitgeist of Post-colonial Africa, where new nations sought to establish their identity while grappling with the effects of colonisation.

  • The call for Morena’s return can be interpreted as a metaphor for Africa’s desire for liberation and self-determination, a prominent theme in post-colonial literature.

Soweto Uprising

  • A key historical reference in ‘Woza Albert!’ is the Soweto Uprising of 1976. It was a series of demonstrations led by black students protesting against the enforcement of teaching in Afrikaans, a language associated with the white apartheid government.

  • The play does not directly narrate the event but uses it as a metaphor to evoke people’s fight for rights and their resistance towards an oppressive system.