Gamakhulu Diniso and the Busang Effect: Arts and politics in the Vaal Triangle

by Nkululeko Khumalo

Background

The 1980s in South Africa are remembered for their heightened political turmoil. This was a turning point, as the apartheid government began to weaken for a number of reasons, including increased pressure from the arts sector. This could be seen in the activities of the United Democratic Front (UDF), and other anti-apartheid cultural work in the form of festivals, conferences and exhibitions. [1] It was the decade of art’s increasing use as a ‘political tool,’ instrumentalising the slogan, “culture as a weapon of the struggle.” [2]

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