ON A clear day in September 1989 the police invaded the University of Cape Town. On the Jameson Steps, members and supporters of the Black Students‘ Society (the SA National Students‘ Congress had been banned, so BSS was quickly born in its place) were calling for an end to racial segregation on beaches, buses, trains and other public spaces.The police arrived, demanded that the students disperse, set off teargas canisters, shot rubber bullets and caused pandemonium. After a while the students regrouped, leaders gave more fiery speeches, and the police set off more teargas. Again the students dispersed, threw some canisters back at the police, and later regrouped. And so it went.Later that day a student leader (if my memory serves me well it was a history major called Eddy Maloka) stood up and said it was time for us to go to our residences.“This is not a surrender. This is a tactical retreat. We are going to reflect, recharge and come back with better and superior ways of engagemen...

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