Encyclopaedia of Trotskyism On-Line

Searchlight South Africa

1989-1993. London. Searchlight South Africa is an independent Socialist journal focused on Southern Africa edited by Baruch Hirson and presenting different perspectives on a fighting for a Socialist South Africa.

Searchlight South Africa, sadly no longer being published, was one of the most valuable sources of analysis and information about South Africa. It was founded by Baruch Hirson and to a large extent written by him, together with comrades from the revolutionary socialist movement in South Africa. It became known among socialists for its determined exposure of the atrocities committed by the ANC against militants in their own ranks following the 1984 Umkhonto mutiny. It went on to publish uncompromising criticism of the ANC regime established after ‘liberation’.

Searchlight South Africa also drew on Baruch Hirson’s deep and extensive researches into the history of the labour movement, and especially its revolutionary components, in South Africa, with a number of articles on the Trotskyists which provide information and inspiring examples unavailable elsewhere.

No. 1, September 1988 [issue unavailable]

Introducing Ourselves, pp.1-11
Perestrioka à la PW Botha, Oswin, pp.12-19
Never Quiet on the Western Front, Angola, Namibia, South Africa and the Big Powers, Brian Maclellan, pp.20-27
Death of a Revolutionary, Frank Glass/Li Fu-Jen/John Liang: 1901-1988, Hirson, pp.28-41
George Padmore, A critique: Pan Africanism or Marxism, Paul Trewhela, pp.42-63
The Death of Albert Nzula and the Silence of George Padmore, Trewhela, pp.64-69
History. The Defiance Campaign, 1952, Social Struggle or Party Stratagem? Hirson, pp.70-102
Archives. David Ivon Jones: The Early Writings on Socialism in South Africa. pp.103-125

No. 2, February 1989

Editorial: The Post Apartheid Society, pp.1-6
NewsView: South Africa, Oswin, pp.7-20
A Question of Class: The Writings of Kenneth A. Jordaan, Hirson, pp.21-35
Golden Dreams, The Sanctions Campaign, Trewhela, pp.36-64
Spark and the Red Nun, Hirson, pp.65-78
Archive: Selections from Spark, pp.79-86
Zephaniah Mothopeng: A personal account, pp.87-91

No. 3, July 1989

Editorial, The Russian Connection, pp.1-8
Gorbachev and Thatcher against Workers, Ticktin, pp.9-18
Thieves in the Thieves Kitchen, Hirson, pp.19-30
Islam, South Africa and Satanic Verses, Trewhela, pp.31-50
Bunting v. Bukharin: the Native Republic Slogan, Hirson, pp.51-66
Archive: At the 6th Comintern Congress, 1929, S.P. Bunting, pp.67-84
Two Lines Within the Trade Unions (review), pp.85-92
Review & letter, A. Callinicos, S/Africa between Reform and Revolution.
Letter to editors, pp.93-94

No. 4, July 1990

A World Upside Down, editorial, pp.1-12
Financial Sanctions and the Future of South Africa, Trewhela, pp.13-32
The National and Colonial Questions: The First Five Years of the Comintern, 1919-24, Michael Cox, pp.33-43
The Black Republic Slogan Part II. The Response of the Trotskyists, Hirson, pp.44-56
Remarks on the Draft Thesis of the Workers Party, Trotsky, pp.57-63
Communalism and Socialism: The Misdirection of C.L.R. James, Hirson, pp.64-73
The Establishment of the Beijing Autonomous Federation, Ralph Schoenman, pp.74-77.
A Namibian Horror, Searchlight Staff, pp.78-94.

No. 5, July 1990

Editorial, pp.1-2
Discussion Article: ANC on the Road to Negotiations, pp.3-13
Socialism has it failed? Hirson
Joe Slovo’s Apologia for Mr Gorbachev, Hirson, pp.14-30
Mutinies in the Liberation Armies, Inside Quadro, pp.30-35
A Miscarriage of Democracy. The ANC Security Department in the 1984 Mutiny
Open Letter to Mr Mandela, Bandile Ketelo, pp.35-68
The Kissinger/Vorster/Kaunda Detente, pp.69-86
A Question of Truthfulness, pp.87-90
Letter, Financial Sanctions – A Rebuttal, P. Bond, pp.91-94

No. 6, January 1991

Third Worldism: the Albatross of Socialism, editorial, pp.1-8
The Killing Fields of South Africa, editors, pp.9-10
A Death in South Africa, The Killing of Sipho Phungwala, Trewhela, pp.11-24
Dragons Teeth in South Africa, Hirson, pp.25-37
Welverdiend, Spells Death: The Story of Overkill, Oswin, pp.38-41
The Kissinger/Vorster/Kaunda Détente: Genesis of the SWAPO spy trial drama, Part II, Trewhela, pp.42-58
Obituary: The Dualism of I.B. Tabata, pp.59-63
Archive; The Commune of Bullhoek, Frank Glass, pp.64-67
The Passing of a Friend, pp.67-69
The AFL-CIO and the Trade Unions in South Africa, Trewhela, pp.69-90
Letter: The ANC Conference, from Kabwe to the Johannesburg Conference, pp.91-94.

No. 7, July 1991

Ethiopia, the Falashas and Kurdistan, a Latter-day Tragedy, editorial pp.1-6
Colonialism and Imperialism, Hirson, pp.7-18
Mayhem in the Townships
The Dogs of War, editors, pp.19-32
The Trial of Winnie Mandela, Trewhela, pp.33-47
The Case of Samuel Mngqibisa, pp.48-53.
Sobukwe & the PAC (review), Hirson, pp.54-59.
The Split in the ANC, 1958, James Fairburn, pp.60-65
SWAPO and the Churches: an International Scandal, Trewhela, pp.65-88.
Letter from Johannesburg, Braam Fleish, pp.89-94

No. 8, 1997 [Issue unavailable]

The ‘New World Order’ – and ‘Old World’ Disorder, pp.1-6
Within the Secret State: The Directorate of Military Intelligence, Trewhela, pp.7-24
Documents of Exile
Return of an Exile, September 1991, pp.34-47
Appendix: Colonialism of a Special Type and the Permanent Revolution
Opening address to the Conference on Marxism in South Africa
A Literature of Wolves, Trewhela, (review) pp.62-68
Trotsky’s Political Economical analysis of the USSR 1920-1940, Ticktin, pp.69-81
Letter from Johannesburg: Inside the ANC Conference, Braam Fleish, pp.82-88
Police Documents: The PAC Conference 1959
South African Sanctions: A plea for Open Debate, Merle Lipton, pp.92-94

No. 9, August 1992

Death in Boipatong, editorial pp.1-8
Restating our Policy, editorial, pp 9-18
Civil Society Theory and the Politics of Transition in South Africa, Robert Fine, pp19-31
The Mistrial of Winnie Mandela: A problem of Justice, Trewhela, pp.32-46
Ruth Schechter: Friend to Olive Schreiner, Hirson, pp.47-71
A Can of Worms: the Imprisonment of Hubert Sipho Mbeje, Trewhela, pp.72-78
Nationalisation: A matter of Slogans (review), Hirson
Beneath the Boulder (review), Trewhela.
Index to volumes 1 & 2, Nos.1-8

No. 10, April 1993

Chris Hani, Murder Most Horrible, editorial pp.1-2
The Talks that Descend into Hell, Hirson, pp.2-8.
The ANC Prison Camps: An Audit of Three years, 1990-1993, Trewhela, pp.8-31
With the PAC in Exile, Vusi Shange, pp. 31-33
Quo Vadis the Unity Movement? Rassool
A Massacre of Innocence: The March at Bisho, Trewhela

No. 11, October 1993 [Issue unavailable]

Women in the ANC & SWAPO
Sexual Abuse if Young Women in the ANC Camps, Olefile Samuel Mugqibisa. pp.11-16
Mrs Mandela, ‘Enemy Agents!’ ... and the ANC Women’s League, Trewhela, pp.17-22.
Olive Schreiner and the Women’s Vote, Lou Hayson, 30-33.
The Dilemma of Albie Sachs, ANC Constitutionalism and the Death of Thami Zulu, Trewhela, pp.34-53
The Little Lies of Comrade Bill, Hirson, pp.52-62.
The General Strike of 1922, Hirson, pp.63-93

No. 12, June 1985

The End of the Series, Hirson pp.1-5
The Election of a Government, Hirson, pp.6-13
South Africa The State of the Nation, Hirson, pp.16-39
State Informers in the ANC London Office, Paul Trewhela, pp.42-51
A History of the Non-European Unity Movement, Hirson, pp.65-93