Darkest Before Dawn

A collection of Robert Sobukwe's political writings, speeches and court testimonies supplemented by an account of his years in Kimberley following his release from Robben Island.

A definitive collection of Robert Sobukwe’s political writings, speeches, unpublished court testimonies, and interviews, complete with a biographical narrative by the editors that demonstrates the many challenges Sobukwe faced and his continued political resolve in the post-prison years of his life.

There are several accounts of Robert Sobukwe’s courageous role in contesting South Africa’s system of apartheid and of his incarceration on Robben Island after the Anti-Pass Campaign that led to the tragic events of Sharpeville in March 1960. Far less attention has been paid to the years the founder of the Pan Africanist Congress of Azania spent in Kimberley, between 1969–1978, after his release from the Island. Darkest Before Dawn captures the story of the post-prison years of Sobukwe’s life and is the follow-up to Lie on Your Wounds: The Prison Correspondence of Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe. 

This latest compilation, complete with a biographical narrative by the editors and enriched with images from Sobukwe’s life during this period, demonstrates the many challenges he faced and his continued political resolve to fight for an end to apartheid. This is captured in the many meetings he had in spite of banning orders and letters he exchanged with friends and admirers, including the celebrated novelist Bessie Head whose letters to Sobukwe are published here for the first time. Sobukwe continued to meet political allies, such as Black Consciousness leader Steve Biko, pursue a legal career and play host to international visitors. The portrait of Sobukwe that emerges is that of a highly ethical man, a figure of dignity and fortitude, and a wise elder whose commitment to the people of Africa and to the vision of Pan Africanism remained undeterred, despite being forced to live, under near impossible conditions in his final years. 

To do justice to Sobukwe’s legacy, his intellectual contribution and his unfailing desire to pursue liberation for African people, we need to view his biography against the backdrop of his words. Darkest Before Dawn includes a definitive collection of his political writings, speeches, unpublished court testimonies, interviews with activists Gail Gerhart and Joe Thloloe, and expansive annotations by the compilers. The book ends with a reflective essay which highlights the ongoing pertinence of Sobukwe's legacy.