On Thursday 14 November 2024, the University of the Free State (UFS) hosted a captivating public lecture titled Bram Fischer's Briefcase: What's Left of Apartheid? The event, held in the Albert Wessels Auditorium on the Bloemfontein Campus, featured Prof Premesh Lalu from the University of the Western Cape as the keynote speaker, with a response from Prof Steven Friedman from the University of Johannesburg.

This thought-provoking evening brought together attendees to explore South Africa’s political history through an interdisciplinary lens, blending history, theatre, and art.

Prof Lalu presented a compelling narrative tracing the journey of Bram Fischer’s briefcase, which had been exchanged with Sydney Kentridge after the Rivonia Trial. Reimagined in the 1997 theatrical production Ubu and the Truth Commission – created by Jane Taylor, William Kentridge, and the Handspring Puppet Company – the briefcase was transformed into the Dogs of War puppet, symbolising apartheid’s enforcers.

Through the lens of this production, Prof Lalu explored the underlying tensions in South Africa's political history, questioning whether Fischer’s briefcase revealed apartheid as a tragicomedy – one whose dismantling was crucial for genuine reconciliation in the nation’s post-apartheid journey.

Insights from renowned scholars

Prof Premesh Lalu, a respected historian and former Director of the Centre for Humanities Research at the University of the Western Cape, shared his expertise on post-apartheid narratives. Drawing from his extensive research and celebrated publications, such as The Deaths of Hintsa and Undoing Apartheid, Prof Lalu provided an incisive analysis of the intersection between historical memory and creative expression.

Responding to the lecture, Prof Steven Friedman, an authority on democratic theory and practice, offered his reflections on the themes raised. Drawing on his own body of work, including Good Jew, Bad Jew and his critical weekly column Against the Tide, Prof Friedman enriched the discussion with his perspectives on South Africa’s democratic evolution and the legacies of apartheid.

The event provided a platform for intellectual engagement and critical reflection, drawing attention to the enduring complexities of South Africa’s history and its relevance to contemporary reconciliation efforts. Attendees left with a deeper understanding of how art and history intersect to challenge, reinterpret, and heal societal wounds.