APF exhibition at Museum Africa until 2013

Museum Africa in Newtown, Johannesburg, is hosting the SAHA exhibition entitled Transitions’ Child: The Anti-Privatisation Forum (APF)  until March 2013. The exhibition is based on an oral history and document collection project on the South African social movement, undertaken by Dr. Dale McKinley on behalf of SAHA in 2010 - 2011.

In line with SAHA’s commitment to capture and document neglected histories as well as to create and support awareness of contemporary struggles for justice in South Africa, this project was an attempt to address some of the complexities and challenges of recording the history of social movements, the growth and development of which is usually organic and decentralised, and poorly documented.

The APF was formed in the year 2000 in direct response to the political and socio-economic conditions in which many poor communities have found themselves in the post-1994 era. The APF brought together community organisations, workers’ groups, activists and individuals to oppose privatisation and fight for free, fair and decent provision of essential services for disadvantaged people of South Africa.

Along with the exhibition, there is also a hard copy report available from SAHA as well as an online virtual exhibition on the APF showcasing materials from SAHA’s archival collection on the social movement, to ensure that the work is easily accessible on an on-going basis. This virtual exhibition also serves as an participatory tool as visitors to the virtual exhibition are encouraged to comment on this telling of the APF’s history, share their memories of the events and issues profiled, thoughts on the issues the APF focussed on, and contribute new materials to the virtual exhibition.

The APF virtual exhibition can be viewed at www.saha.org.za/apf. A copy of the project report can be downloaded from this site.

If you would like to receive a free print copy of the report (and CD of the virtual exhibition) for your organisation, please email info@saha.org.za before 15 May 2012.