In 2008 the IISH acquired an extensive collection of archival materials relating to the anti-apartheid and Southern Africa solidarity groups in The Netherlands. It concerns the archives and related library and documentary collections of the three former anti-apartheid groups which merged into the Netherlands institute for Southern Africa (NiZA) in 1997. The collected archives consist of documents from organizations such as the South Africa Committee (from the 1960s), the Dutch Anti-Apartheid Movement, the Angola Committee/Holland Committee on Southern Africa, the Eduardo Mondlane Foundation, Institute for Southern Africa and Broadcasting for Radio Freedom. They also include materials from and about well-known activists, such as Sietse Bosgra, Conny Braam, Peter Waterman and Klaas de Jonge, and the archives of a number of local Southern Africa groups.
Together with all of the archives of anti-apartheid groups, such as the working group Kairos, and the SA/NAM Association, the Defence and Aid Fund Nederland, the Azania Komitee, and the Landelijke Zuid-Afrika Groep of the ABVA-KABO and those of as well as private individuals like writer and journalist Martin Bailey, which are already housed at the IISH, this handover will created an unprecedentedly rich collection, which includes not only materials on the Dutch anti-apartheid and solidarity movement, but also on the struggle in Southern Africa and the international campaign against apartheid. These archives and collections cover the period 1960 to 2000.
The documentation collections are made up of a large number of books, journals, photographs, posters and hundreds of videos, cassettes, badges, flags, T-shirts and other memorabilia. See also the overview of Anti-Apartheid and Southern Africa collections.
In order to realise the transfer of the NiZA collection, its description and integration into the IISH holdings, an extensive project was executed as of 2008, enabled by a very substantial donation from the SNS Reaal Fonds. It is expected that the project will be concluded by the end of 2012.
The archives and documentation from the NiZA-collection which are already processed at the IISH can be accessed through the IISH website and reading room. The parts of the collection which are not processed yet, are also accessible for researchers and others, but only by contacting the archivist Kier Schuringa: telephone +31-06-20474460 or email ksc@iisg.nl.
These webpages on the anti-apartheid and southern Africa collection not only provide a description of the archives, documentation and audio-visual materials of the NiZA collection, but also feature a section with background information including two comprehensive webdossiers on the anti-apartheid work in The Netherlands from 1948 to 1994 and the link between Nelson Mandela and The Netherlands. Finally, a page with reports on the various activities with and around these archival materials in and outside The Netherlands.
See also:
Collection Guide of the Collections on African Labour and Social History
At the start of the project the collection of anti-apartheid archives and related historical documentation handed over by NiZA consisted of the following elements:
Period: 1959 - 1997
1.1 Comité South Africa (CZA), 1959-1971: 6 archival boxes; 0,7 meter.
1.2 Dutch Anti-Apartheid Movement (AABN), 1971-1994: 230 archival boxes; 35 meter.
1.3 Broadcasting for Radio Freedom, 1982-1995: 37 archival boxes; 4 meter.
1.4 Angola Comité, 1961-1976 + Holland Committee on Southern Africa (KZA), 1977-1997: approx. 200 archival boxes and lever files; 35 meter.
1.5 Eduardo Mondlane Foundation (EMS), 1969-1997: over 400 archival boxes and lever files; 38 meter.
1.6 Institute for Southern Africa (IZA), 1994-1997: 5 meter.
1.7 Other archives: local groups (Groningen, Den Bosch, SADWU Supportgroup, PATH-SA) + individuals (Berend Schuitema, Peter Waterman, Willem van Maanen, Klaas de Jonge, etc.): approx. 7 meter.
Total: approx. 140 meter
See also the more detailed summarised description of the archives.
Period: 1960s - 1990s
2.1 Organised and accessible (through cardsystem, lists of sources and computer database) documentation of AABN/IZA: largely about developments in South(ern) Africa in this period, but a considerable part also deals with the Dutch and international relations with and policies toward Southern Africa; in total approx. 700 archival boxes/lever files; approx. 70 meter. Partially transferred to and processed at the IISH.
2.2 Periodicals from/on Southern Africa (alphabetically ordened): approx. 50 meter.
2.3 Press cuttings: mostly from the main Dutch daily newspapers; largely in chronological order, but also large sets cuttings on specific subjects (mostly spare copies of chronological series); 16 meter.
2.4 Newspapers South Africa: (apart from spare copies) especially World, Post, Sowetan, Star International, South, Vrye Weekblad, New National en Weekly Mail/Guardian; period 1972-1998: approx. 10 meter.
2.5 Organised but not accessible documentation on Angola and Mozambique of the EMS: 8 meter; selection to be included.
2.6 Still to select and organise documentation on the Dutch relations with and policies towards Southern Africa + dito from/on the United Nations: 10 meter.
2.7 Still to be sorted out and organise publications of Dutch groups, organisations and institutions: 14 moving boxes; approx. 7 meter; selectively integrate in archives or documentation section 2.1.
2.8 Still to be sorted out documentation/publications from Southern Africa en internationally: partly to be integrated in documentation section 2.1, remaining materials to be transferred elsewhere, in total 20 moving boxes.
2.9 Books from the NiZA-library (previously the libraries of AABN, KZA, EMS): almost 5000 titels (approx. 25% two copies). Partially transferred to and processed at the IISH.
Total (depending selection): 100 - 200 meter.
See also the presentation of the documentation collection.
Period: 1960s-1990s
3.1 Photo collection AABN/NiZA: 5000 photo's stored in 90 photo albums, and arranged in 21 categories.
3.2 Photo collection EMS/KZA/NiZA: 5000 foto's stored in 50 lever files.
3.3 Poster collection: 1500 posters (many of which one or several spare copies).
3.4 Exhibition materials: 12 exhibitions, each with an average of 10 panel. Panels have been scanned and consequently demolished; scans included in IISH-collection.
3.5 Educational maps ( 20) + textiles (20 sheets, 30 flags en 100 t-shirts) + music records (50 pieces) + buttons (300 pieces).
3.6 Slides: 3000 pieces (mainly series).
3.7 Audio cassettes: 750 pieces. This concerns recording from broadcasts as well as unique registrations and interviews. Have been sorted out and (selectively) described.
3.8 Video collection: 800 VHS tapes with some 1200 items.
All the audio-visual materials which were not already available at the IISH have been transferred to and processed at the IISH.
See also the more detailed presentation of the audiovisual material.
I Archives Committee South Africa (Comité Zuid-Afrika - CZA) 1960-1971
Total: 6 archival boxes, with 39 folders
Contents: Minutes of Executive Committee 1960-1967, correspondence 1960-1967, financial and other organisational documents 1960-1971 and correspondence and other documents on various activities esp. in the First half of the 1960s; documents on the cooperation with and activities of the Student Comittee South Africa (Stucoza) 1960-1971; press cuttings from Dutch newspapers on the Netherlands and South Africa, mainly from 1960-1965.
>> See the finding aid made by Kier Schuringa (in Dutch) of the CZA archives
II Archives Dutch AAM (Anti-Apartheids Beweging Nederland - AABN) 1971-1994
Total: 128 archival boxes, with almost 600 folders
Contents: First of all the archives contain the minutes and related documents of the plenary meetings, Executive Committee and staff meetings, annual reports, general correspondence, financial and other organisational documents 1971-1994. Followed by four series of reports, correspondence and other documents of the main working groups and long-term campaigns, other actions and activities, as much as possivle in chronological order on the years 1971-1994. Consequently documents relating to the various links of cooperation of the Dutch AAM throughout the years and the various foundations the Dutch AAM established for different mainly large-scale activities (esp. CASA and Malibongwe) after 1987. Finally a separate annex with big sized notebooks with comments by visitors of the South Africa exhibition in the Anne Frank House in 1973.
Please note that the finding aid of these archives come with a chronology of the Dutch Anti-Apartheid Movement (in Dutch) 1971-1994.
>> See the finding aid made by Kier Schuringa (in Dutch) of the Dutch AAM-archives
III Archives Broadcasting for Radio Freedom (Omroep voor Radio Freedom - OvRF) 1982-1996
Total: 16 archival boxes with 87 folders
Contents: The archive consists of minutes and related documents of the executive committee and board of the (Foundation) Broadcasting for Radio Freedom; general correspondence 1982-1996; organisational documents, including the minutes of the technical working groups and financial reports; documents concerning the activities, more or less in chronological order, largely relating to the Jabulani-conference and the Radio Freedom Institute; some documentation.
>> See the finding aid by Kier Schuringa (in Dutch) of the OvRF-archives
IV Archives Angola Comitee/Holland Committee on Southern Africa 1961-1997
Total: over 180 archival boxes with 864 folders and packs
Contents: Minutes and related documents of the committee meetings, general correspondence and organisational documents; documents concerning the political campaigns and activities of the committee like the (major) campaigns, the oil- and sportsboycot, the economic-programme, activities on Namibia, Angola and Mozambique and the women’s programme; documents of the material support programme (projects) of the HCSA, including the work of the Liberation Fund and the Zimbabwe coöperants programme, as well as the various cooperation networks of the committee with organisations in the Netherlands and internationally; an annex with the archives of the Foundation International Sanctions Year 1982, the Foundation Amandla and two BVD-dossiers (National Intelligence Service) on resp. the Holland Committee on Southern Africa and Sietse Bosgra; a collection of old documentation of the Angola Comittee 1960-1976, from de documentation collections of the Angola Comittee and HCSA which were already donated to the IISH around 1990 and now have been integrated in this archive. From the first 10 years of the committee only correspondence has been preserved; minutes and other archival materials almost exclusively date from 1970 onwards.
>> See the finding aid by Kier Schuringa (in Dutch) of the KZA-archives
V Archives Eduardo Mondlane Foundation (Eduardo Mondlane Stichting - EMS) 1969-1997
Over 300 archival boxes and lever files with largely still to be selected and sorted archival materials, including:
VI Archives Institute for Southern Africa (IZA) 1993-1997
Total: 15 archival boxes with 87 folders
Contents: The archive consists of ninutes and related documents of the board of IZA, general correspondence, documents relating to the organization, the finances and the Library, Documentation and Information Centre (BIDOC) of IZA; documents relating to the activities (culture, violence, education, other) and the various cooperation networks of the institute in The Netherlands and internationally.
>> See the finding aid by Kier Schuringa (in Dutch) of the IZA-archives
VI Other archives: local groups, individuals
These include archives of:
In order to realise the transfer of the NiZA collection, its description and integration into the IISH holdings, an extensive project was executed from 2008, enabled by a very substantial donation from the SNS Reaal Fonds. It is expected that the project will be concluded by the end of 2012.
The archives and documentation from the NiZA-collection which are already processed at the IISH can be accessed through the IISH website and reading room. The parts of the collection which are not processed yet, are also accessible for researchers and others, but only by contacting the archivist Kier Schuringa: telephone +31-06-20474460 or email ksc@iisg.nl
Further information on the printed documentation and library materials of the Anti-Apartheid and Southern Africa collection
2.2 Periodicals from/on Southern Africa (alphabetically ordened): approx. 50 meter.
By the end of 2008, more than 150 titles of these periodicals were transferred to the IISH and processed in the catalogue system. You can find them in the IISH catalogue search.socialhistory.org, search for "niza"en select serials.
Additionally, a list of all the periodicals which are still at NiZA (more than 300, with complete holding data) can be obtained with the archivist of the collection: ksc@iisg.nl
2.4 Newspapers South Africa: especially World, Post, Sowetan, Star International, South, Vrye Weekblad, New National and Weekly Mail/Guardian; period 1972-1998: approx. 10 meter.
The titles Post, Sowetan, Star International and World have been transferred to the IISH - see 2.2
The other titles, for the time being, remain at NiZA - see 2.2
2.9 Books from the NiZA-library (previously the libraries of AABN, KZA, EMS)
In December 2008 more than 2300 books were transferred to the IISH, which will be processed into the catalogue system by the end of 2009. A significant part of these titles relate to the struggle against apartheid and colonialism in Southern Africa and the international relations with the region in the second half of the 20th century. Approximately 35% of these books specifically deal with South Africa; other substantial selections deal with Namibia, Zimbabwe and Southern Africa as a whole. A list of all the books transferred to the IISH, arranged in geographic and thematic categories, is available in PDF format.
At NiZA still some 1500 spare copy titles remain, whose destination has not been decided yet; for more information, please contact: ksc@iisg.nl
3.1/2 Photo collections AABN, EMS, KZA, NiZA
More than 13.500 photograqphs from these collections were transferred to the IISH - all photographs from Southern Africa or on anti-apartheid and southern Africa solidarity activities in the Netherlands and internationally. The vast majority of these photographs were processed in groups and described in three lists, yet some 500 photographs were individually processed, described and scanned and can be found as such on the IISH website (obviously in low resolution).
You can find a list of these in the IISH catalogue, search for: "photo niza".
3.3 Poster collection: 1500 posters (many of which have one or several spare copies)
After selecting the posters additional to the IISH collection, some 1100 posters were transferred to the institute, processed into the IISH catalogue system and almost all of them scanned. You can find a list of these in the IISH catalogue, search for: "poster niza".
Over 700 of these posters originate from Southern Africa - mainly South Africa (470), i.c. including the posters produced by the ANC c.s. outside South Africa because the organisations were banned in South Africa (1970s and 1980s). Yet, also Angola (100) and Mozambique (70) feature well; some 200 of these posters were produced in The Netherlands.
At NiZA still a large number of spare copies of these posters is available, whose destination has not been decided yet; for more information, please contact: ksc@iisg.nl.
See also the selection of posters on anti-apartheid on the IISG Flickr pages: www.flickr.com/photos/iisg/sets/72157626365265711/.
With this addition, the total number of posters at the IISH from or dealing with Southern Africa now ranges around 3000 - the biggest part of these scanned as well.
Dutch anti-apartheid and Southern Africa posters
From this collection two selections have been made with posters (co-)produced by the anti-apartheid and Southern Africa solidarity groups which merged into NiZA in 1997. These lists present - in chronological order and with the call number in the IISH collection - all the posters produced respectively by the South Africa Committee/Dutch Anti-Apartheid Movement/Broadcasting for Radio Freedom (almost 150) and Angola Committee/Holland Committee on Southern Africa/Eduardo Mondlane Foundation (some 200) - both lists in Dutch only.
3.4 Exhibition materials: 12 exhibitions, each with an average of 10 panels
All these exhibition materials have been scanned at the IISH and processed into the catalogue system.
You can find a list of these in the IISH catalogue, search for: "exhibitions niza" or for "bord niza".
Also 44 drawings by well-known Dutch cartoonists from a 1988 exhibition in Amsterdam on censorship in South Africa (co-organised by the Dutch AAM) can be found in the IISH catalogue.
Search for: "drawing niza verzetsmuseum".
3.5 Textiles (20 sheets, 30 flags en 100 t-shirts) + buttons (300 pieces) + music records (50 pieces) + stickers and postcards (almost 400 pieces)
Textiles: 113 t-shirts and some 40 bags, flags, etcetera have been transferred to the IISH and processed into the catalogue system; they have not been scanned yet, but can be seen by using the search function of the IISH website. Search for: "textile niza" or "t-shirt niza".
Buttons: more than 210 buttons and badges have been transferred to the IISH, processed into the catalogue system and scanned. You can find a list of these in the IISH catalogue, search for: "button niza".
Both of the buttons and the t-shirts quite some spare copies are still available, whose destination has not been decided yet; for more information, please contact: ksc@iisg.nl
Almost 40 music records with (struggle) music from and on Southern Africa can be seen by using the search function of the IISH website. You can find a list of these in the IISH catalogue, search for: "gramophone record niza".
Finally, over 200 stickers and some 180 postcards were processed, some individually, most of them in groups. You can find a list of these in the IISH catalogue, search for: "sticker niza" resp. "postcard niza".
3.6 Slides
More then 5000 slides from the collections of the former anti-apartheid groups were processed: some 25 slide series (mostly with accompanying text or sound) and the slide archives of AABN and EMS.You can find a list of these in the IISH catalogue, search for: "slide niza".
3.7 Audio cassettes
Almost 250 cassettes with (struggle) music, radio programmes and recordings of anti-apartheid meetings and events throughout the years in the Netherlands.You can find a list of these in the IISH catalogue, search for: "audio cassette niza".
3.8 Video collection: 800 VHS tapes with some 1200 items
All these videos have been transferred to the IISH by the end of 2008 and included in the video collection.
A list of all these video items, with the call numbers in the IISH collection, is available in PDF format (2.2 Mb).
For those interested in particularly the Dutch contribution to the international solidarity movement with the anti-apartheid and national liberation struggle in Southern Africa, here an initial selection of information sources is presented which can serve as background information with the archives and documentation collections of the former anti-apartheid groups which were handed over by NiZA to the IISH.
First of all a web dossier: The Netherlands against Apartheid 1948-1994: Anti-Apartheid and Southern Africa Solidarity Movements in the Netherlands, 1948-1994. Early 2009 this dossier, which was initially produced by Richard Hengeveld for the website of the Netherlands institute for Southern Africa, has been revised by the author and a number of illustration were added. The dossier contains an illustrated chronological review of the Dutch anti-apartheid organisations and activities, as well as a list of mainly local anti-apartheid initiatives in The Netherlands in the second half of the 20th century.
Early 2012 a second webdossier was added on Nelson Mandela and The Netherlands. This webdossier deals with the image of Mandela in The Netherlands throughout the years and the Dutch campaigns for his release and offers personal recollection s of Mandela by Dutch activists, photographic impressions of his visits to The Netherlands and a description of the archival, audio-visual and campaigning materials on Mandela in the IISH collection.
In South Africa the South Africa Democracy Education Trust (SADET) is publishing a series of studies on the history of the national liberation struggle in South Africa and the international solidarity movement under the title The Road to Democracy.
The first two volumes deal with the struggle against apartheid in South Africa in the 1960s and 1970s, and in 2008 Volume 3 was published (in two parts) on the international solidarity with the struggle against apartheid under the title The Road to Democracy in South Africa, Volume 3, International Solidarity. Part 1 of this volume deals mainly with the roles of the United Nations and (the anti-apartheid movements in) the Western European countries. Former Holland Committee on Southern Africa leader Sietse Bosgra wrote the chapter in this book on the Netherlands, titled From Jan van Riebeeck to solidarity with the struggle: The Netherlands, South Africa and apartheid (pdf, 4,4Mb). Former Boycot Outspan Aktie leader Esau du Plessis recently wrote an open letter criticising Bosgra's chapter, which we also present here: Open letter Esau du Plessis (pdf, 1,2Mb).
In July 2009 Esau du Plessis produced a substantial report on the boycott campaign against South African Outspan oranges and the first years (1973-1974) of the Boycott Outspan Action (BOA) in The Netherlands, titled: The story of Outspan oranges in The Netherlands and the campaign of the Boycott Outspan Action (BOA) (pdf 218Kb).
In the Fall of 2012 Hugh Crosfield, an academic researcher at the Royal Holloway University of London, created a website in which the work of the BOA (Boycott Outspan Action) is being profiled: hughcrosfield.wordpress.com. Over the last two years he has been researching in depth the work of the BOA. Much of this resaearch will be published in his PhD thesis in 2013.
In 2001 the South African researcher Genevieve Lynette Klein published a study with the University of Pretoria on the role of the Dutch anti-apartheid organisations from 1960 to 1995: De strijd tegen apartheid - The role of the anti-apartheid organisations in The Netherlands 1960-1995 (124 p.; pdf, 526Kb).
In November 2012 the South African journal Historia published an article by professor Otto Terblanche of the Nelson Mandela University in Port Elizabeth on Amsterdam as ’n anti-apartheidstad. (p.150-181; pdf; 400Kb)
The Dutch researcher Roeland Muskens is currently working for the University of Amsterdam on a thesis about the Dutch struggle against apartheid, based on extensive archival research and interviews with former anti-apartheid activists. This publication is scheduled for the second half of 2012. For more information you can contact the author: r.muskens@chello.nl.
In the years after 1994 various publications were published in the Netherlands on the relations between the Netherlands and Southern Africa in general and more specifically on the role of the anti-apartheid and solidarity groups. Through the archivist of the anti-apartheid and Southern Africa collection a number of copies of some of these publications can still be obtained (for packing and shipping costs) - contact: ksc@iisg.nl
This applies to the following publications:
Some important websites with archives and other information on the history of the anti-apartheid and national liberation struggle in Southern Africa and the international solidarity movement.